Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-01-29

4NOHS Dul q IL" AoiA A<N~@
people had money to purchase
anything but vessels and the
timbe to build them. AS re
suit scores Of rich estates wei
sold at ridiculously low prices.
Everyone caught the fever and
the commonest food was boarded
like so much gold When the
appointed time for the deluge
passed aud the minds of the
people were rid of the frenzy, the
country presented a curious spec
tacle. Much of the wealth of
many communities was tied up
in great vessels which were alb.
solutely useless, as they had been
built long distances from navl>
gable waterways. People who
had been rich before were prac
tically paupers. The poor were
poorer than ever, while a few
controlled the landed wealth of
the nation.
GLOOM OF THE DARK AGES.
The greatest fright took place
in the year 1000, which had been
marked for centuries as the date
of the millennium. So strongly |
did the belief take hold of the
popular mind that it assumed
The confidence of certainty. At
this period the gloom of the
Dark Ages was at its deepest,
and the state of the world tailed
very we'll with the expected
symptoms; fraud, violence, cruel
ty, oppression, theft, were every
where rampant. 1t was the
reign Of brute force in all its
glory; might was the only sues
cessful right. The men were
conscripted for marauding
bands; the women and children
lived the lives of slaves.
Famine and pest were the
order of the day; blood flowed
freely as water. Horrible cpl
denies, savoring Of cannibalism,
persons snitten with
lycahthropy tore the bodies from
graveyards. There was a truth
in the legends of were wolf and
vampire. Even the punishment
of burning did not deter wretch
es from eating human flesh.
TO add to other terrors wild
beasts 50 greatly multiplied that
they came into the towns even
in daylight and carried off wo>
men and children. Everything
seemed to prove that the end of
this dispensation was at hand, I
and passion might be only skin J
1eep, but it was very powerful. t
Churches were crowded with 7
eager listeners and the clergy :,
,eaped a rich harvest. The at
endance in church became so
increased that few OF the builds b
ngs were large enough to meet b
he demand. h
From that era dates many fine f
ninster and cathedral; churches :.
lready beautiful were torn down
o make room for better; the rich /
nd powerful raised noble edihces c
nd literally endowed them. 1t 5
Gems somewhat incongruous I,
hat elaborate and exquisite g.
hurches should have been built, ~
With such promise of perma~ II
ence, Just at time when the
nd was expected; but their
rectors evidently thought to
1ake peace with heaven by SO
Ding, and the work was a good L
ne whatever its motive. it
loLDEN TIME OF MONASTERIES. fl
Monasteries also had golden n
ime; monastic foundations to "
he number of 200 were raised >,
n England alone during the en- -
husiasm of religious panic. r
.ands which had been unjustly b
AIKEN where restored to their ~
Wners or made over to the
hurch. AS the tenth century z
cared it's close the impression
many persons sold all
heir goods and gave to the poor. G
,icl1 and poor went Oh pilgrim - -
ges. The nerves of Europe =
Iere so highly strung that the N
reatest excuses were perpetrat- b
d from motives of piety; asceti- il
ism, self fagellation, penance, .,
1ere practiced with eagerness y,
'ersons died from sheer fright, IL
7hen sudden shocks made them al
ancy their fears were realized;
he thunder storm in Paris is
aid to have killed twentyseven
'eople, purely by terror. p]
All things considered, the pan o.
: of 1000 was probably of en- OF
uring service to the world, as it II II
erved to rouse the people out m
f the savage state into which &C
hey had settled, and start them G. 6,
Il the pathways OF civilization. ly
Another panic occurred in OF OF
654, when great rare eclipse til
ook place. Foretold by astron- c.
mers, ignorance augured the az az
7orst from so uncommon an b;