davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
Chesterf1eld,s Wit

Lord Chesterfield was never at loss
for n polite retort. Once he proposed a
person as proper to fill place of great
trust, but which the king himself was
determined should be filed by another.
The council, however, resolved not to
indulge the king, for fear Of danger
Gus precedent, and it was Lord Ches-
terfield's business to present the grant
of office for the kings signature. Not
to incense his majesty by asking him
abruptly, he, with accents of great hu.
mility, begged to know with whose
name his majesty would be pleased to
have the blanks filled up.
with the devilsv' replied the king
In parOxysm Of rage.
"And shall the instrument" said the
earl cOolly, run as usual, Our trusty
and well beloved cousin and coun-
selorT" AT this repartee the king
laughed and with great good humor
signed the grant.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
MAI. SPANN'S LETTER TO THE
SUNDAY NEWS.

Col Thos V Walsh, Clerk of Com.
mittee; Capt r j Brown6eld, His.o.
risn. and others of Dick Anderson
Camp, Sumter, S G -Cobfederate Com
rades and Friends: Thanking you for
oourtesies, and yielding to your kind
solicitations to contribute to the li,era.
ture and history Of "The Lost Cause"
q report of the part took 10 the war
between the States, l take -leasure in
complying With ysur reque, in this
manner aud to the extent tbA I pre-.
sume is sufficiently adequate E the
present.
The part took was only the IT
taken by thousands of Confederate
triots. who, like myself, offered them.
selves q willing sacrifice to principle
and conscientious duty. It Is q pleasure
rather than . task to have this oppor.
tuuity to lsud.the herioc deeds of 9th.
ers. the glory Of which bave the honor
to say sometimes shared. Yet, as
for myself personally. 80 far short wers
my achievements when measured by
my sacrifices and personal expectations,
that would really deem any effort on
my part 10 this direction, if uusoiici.
ted. mere hollow ogotism.
Replying, therefore, to your esteem
ed favor, and thanking you for the
"blaaks" to which you call my per
sonal attention, and as a matter Of
respect and esteem, both to yourselves
aud those whom you represent, as we'll
as to those brave, unfshering comrades
whose patriotic fidelity | cherish dearer
than life itself, | herewith send you the
accompanying fragment OF q yet uu
published -Four Years Lie in Camp"
FraterDally yours,
8 G Spann.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14

70 the Editor Of The Sunday News :
Private information hss react ed me
thss ioq1iry appeared in . former
issas Of your paper sskiug who
eoomsuded the 18th battalion OF
Confederate cavalry and whore was
u organised : In addition to this
several personal friends and Ooufed.
ssaes oomrades. knowing of the
oesits Of this command and believing
ohoe there are features Of specisl
ioessess thss should not be Lost to
~ history Of the late civil war,
ioeiss that ! should respond freely
ssd give 10 the public some chiei
poinss Of ny wsr life end the work
81 The 18th battalion, and also tho
lst battalion Of !Chootsw ludisus,
eouosodsd BY mysslf in conjunction
With ny 18th battalion OF Confeder
- 0svalsy therefore send to you
- epitoas OF what / hope will
ea1Ros for the present. with the
promise Of Q more elaborate detail
le>as on, and 10 . more substantial
Torn thar . mere newspaper com
nosiesiion. 3. g Spspn.
Sumter. Jan 80, 1900
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
The Wnv Ont

$50 you refuse to give me the mon
ey?' said the prodigal SON.
"NOt another cent do you get" re-
piled the stern parent.
Then here goes" said the youth as
he seized n silver mounted pistol from
his fathers desk
Unhappy boy cried the old man,
"wOuld you take your lfe?"
NO" replied the son, I'm going to
loan this to my uncle. "-Chicago
News
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
A Lost Battalion.
statements From Leading
EX-Confederates in
Sumter.

The Committee Appointed by Camp
Dick Anderson. United Confederate
Veterans, After Careful Investiga-
ton can Find DO Trace of the Or
eanization Which Major s G spauu
Claims to Have Commanded-Messrs
Walsh and Brown6eld do not Re.
member Ever to Have Asked Major
Spanu to Publish His "Experience."
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
r j Brown6eld.
COL. WALSH'S LETTER

To tho Editor of the Sunday News
| note in last Sundays issue of The
Sunday News you publish a commuoi-
cation FROM Major s q Spauu as to the
18th battalion, Confederate cavalry
The headlines say that | and another
comrade requested the publication of said
piece. | can't recall ever makiDg such
request
Thos V. Walsh.
Sumter, March |, 1900.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
Up to the New Standard.

81 understand you are looking for a
servant" said the girl.
'Oh, dear, no." answered the lady cf
the house. when | was first married
l was foolish enough to occasionally
lOoE for a servant. but l got over that.
I'm looking for a general supervisor Of
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14

Maj $ 6 Spann's reply to the Dick
Anderson Camp committee 10 yester-
days Item was handed 10 for publica.
ton this morning, but owing to its
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
The Appetite of "a Goat

Is envied by all poor dyspcptics whose stom
ach ana ilver are ont of order. All such should
know that DR.. Kings New Life Pills, the won.
dert"l Stomach and Liver Remedy. gives q
splendid appetite. sound digestion and a regu.
lar bodily habit that insures perfect h,aI,b and
great energy. Only zoe at j. +: w. DeI,orme,s
drug store.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
Fsoo the Saedsy Nsws, Feb. as.
CONFEDERATE.
CHOCTAWS.
Their OLD Commander Tells
Of Their Services in Ala.
bama.

In Response to the Request of his
= Comrades. Messrs Thomss v
Walsh and r j Brownfield, OF
Dick Anderson Camp Of Sumter,
= Major s. g. Spsnn Tells of the
: Organization and Services of the
Eighteenth Battalion of Confeder
pte Cavalry and the Fret Battalion
Of Choctaw Indians
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
The Final ToUch.

"Brushley was a good hearted fell
low; no one ever appealed TO him for a
loan in vain"
No. and wasn't his death charac-
teristic? He was struck by lightning,
you know. w."-Philadelphia North Ameri-
can.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
The GALL TO WAR IN ALA
BAMA

On the 1lth day of January, 1881,
Alsbsms. my adopted State. 'seceded
from the Union 10 the same month
end year ]. then Q planter, residing
10 Dallas county. near Selma, volun
teeTsd % q private and joined Capt
William Boyles' cavalry company,
known 90 the Mobile Drsgoops, on
tho Golf oosss, near Mobile Capt
Boyles wee . prominent lawyer OF
The Mobile bar st that time After
serving IL months the company
rsosgsuised with Cspt j Fl Marshall,
. noted wholesale merchant of Mo
bile. 90 captain. He was wounded
10 the Shieldsboro. Mise. fight. With
che 9th Connecticut. aud wss 80
disabled that be never rejoined his
oommsnd Capt Boyles was author
lied by the wsr department to raise
. regiment He succeeded 10 doing
% The command was known ss
the 56th or 57th Alsbsma cavalry.
Aftsr serving in Marshall's comps
~ part Of the enscing year. aud
being anxious to see more active
service, the coast service consisting
entirely Of scout. reconnoitering and
skirmish engagements. | pro
cured . substitute to take my place
in the dragons and accompanied
eso J w Hsrdee through Brsgg's
memorable march into Teunes ,es and
Kentucky. Hsrdee vas then moving
sosshwsrd, vie Mobile, Meridian and
Selma
By wsy Of digression l here cay
shss Geo Hsrdee's plantation and my
pIsntstion. 10 Dallas county. Ala.
joined With only . dividing fence
between hence our personal in,i.
nscy. end % . further depression l
should ssy that my substitute made
. gallant and faithful soldier to the
end
ln the meanwhile l was in active
duty 10 Kentucky and Tennessee. ss
On evidence Of which | refer to the
Atlantis Constitution. tho Selma Re
porter. the Chattanooga Rebel snd
other newspapers Of October. 1862
date. Pr . full account Of the battle
Of Pefryville, Ky. in which y G
Spsnn. Of Alabama j Rochelle, Of
Louisiana, ard - johnson, OF
Georsis (Chr isiisn name not remem
bered). distiD. .,uisbed themselves for
valiant conduit for which conduct
Hsrdee end several other officers
sigued Q written commendstion Of )
G Spsnn TO the confidence Of the
secretary Of war Do the faith Of
this paper j presented myself at the
efice Of the secretary of war. 10
Richmond. We, to whom | was intro
duoea by my old fried and classmate.
the Hon A II Garland, u 8 senator
from Arksssas
The following is . copy Of the
document authorizing the enlarge
ment Of my usefulness. and speaks
for itself the original I hold in my
possession :
Confederate States of America,
War Department. Adjutsnt and In
epector Generals Office, Richmond,
We. April II. 1868 Authority is
hereby granted to 5 q Spsnn to raise
for the service Of the Confederate
States Q company from the iDhabi.
tsais east Of the Mississippi river. as
scouts or such other service as they
may be assigned To
After the company Is raised Mr.
Spsnn may proceed, il no can. 20
organize first battalion and then
enlarge that battalion TO u regiment.
The organization wher raised will
be mustered into service, and copies
Of the muster rolls forwarded for
Gle In this Office Ii will be subject
m sha r0lsa and rao nlat;oa. ucva.o
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
CAPT. BROWNFIELD'S LETTER

To the Editor of the Sunday News
| do not remember requesting Major
5 q Spann to publish his "experi
enoes" with the 18Th battalion, Confed
crate cavalry, as the headlines OF bis
communication 10 your last Sundays
issue would indicate
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15
Written for The PRISON Mirror
The Weather When
I Was a Boy.

When L was a boy the weather
seemed vastly different than it does
now. When it rained it made bust
ness of rainin'; none of your little one
lunged, dropsical kind of showers, but
a genuine ringpeeler, that used to come
along in the morning and stay to sup
per.
First you'd hear sorte rumblin' off
in the southeart; then you'd notis the
chickens gittin sorter uneasy like and
huntin' cuver; then the cat nd come in
an crawl under the stove, an about
the time the windows were down,
doors closed, the grindstone tied to a
tree, the thunder would be rollin' across
the fields at termendus rate.
The litnin' would be playin' zigzag
around the farm lookin' fur somethin'
to hit; then the rain would come. They
use ter call it rain there, but now folks
would call it cloud burst, or flood.
Why I've seen it fill our we'll up in
three minutes so the water nd be bilen
out two feet over the curbin'.
Yes, sir, them was rains that was
rains. Why I've seen the rain SO thick
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15

them, for they were the experienced
Dutch, such as lawyers, representa-
tives, physicians and business men,
and they dressed in the height of
fashion and lived in mansions. Their
wives and daughters wore the latest
French creations and were victims to
the same fashionable vanities that our
girls contract. Here, then, was the
place for me for time at least. Ac-
cordingly looked about for an open
ing and found one with little exertion
in the "Bon Marche" of Pretoria, as
salesman. My next duty was to board
with some respectable Boer family if
possible, but for time it seemed as if
that would be difficult for me until an
American gentleman came to my as
sistance. found the right sort of
people to board with, Mr.. Rudolph
Steyn and his family and to them I
owe everything in the way of informa-
tion as regards the then Boer- Briton
claims of suzerainty over the Trans
vaal, and which has a direct bearing
upon the present war now in progress.
1 might state now that I am of
Dutch parentage myself, but at that
time was in sympathy with the British
in their endeavor to have a vote and
representation, but having my convic-
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15
81 90 per year, in advanoo
Six Months 30 cents.

tion changed by the logical reasoning
OF Mr.. Steyn, to say nothing of the
historical facts he adduced, from the
first Dutch colony at Cape Town down
to the last Gladstone Compromise, I
have been and shall be from moral
standpoint, opposed to English domi-
nation over the Transvaal.
No sane mind can view the subject
in no other way than does Paul
Kruger and his people, after he has
once been told the facts about that
ancient misunderstanding (?) between
the two races.
All this talk about half civilized
people domineering the civilized, their
murderOus instincts and religious
bigotry, is naught but tommy rot, and
it shall be my endeavor to prove to
yon that the Boer has better degree
of civilization than exists in some of
the states of our Union.
1t shall be my endeavor to point out
to you that the war now in progress, is
NOT being waged in the interest of
humanity and civilization, but is the
result of few unscrupulous conspira-
tors who have successfully placed
"high Englishmen of influence" in a
compromising position financially.
PSEUDO.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15

clothes! That's not 81! Geel Then
retreating footsteps and the door care
fully closed. There was more whisper
ing and subdued snickering outside,
and then all was silent save the ticking
of his watch. After awhile he found
that he could raise his hand, and so he
passed it carefully down over that spot
below his left breast and was surprised
to find that it was etill smooth and
free from any wound
The remainder of the night was
passed in state of grateful satisfac-
tion that he was still alive. And so
morning came, and at last he heard the
family astir. He got up, little shaky
on his pins, but still a lively corpse.
AT breakfast he tried to tell something
OF what had happened. The old gen.
tleman and girls laughed, saying it
was some of those Henderson bows.
They sometimes came and pulled ST
out of bed and took him off on lark,
spearing fish by torch, or something of
that sort.
SO far as Talman was concerned he
was murdered that night; although for
many years white haired man re.
sembling him continued to write in
surance and make collections for the
Farmers Mutual Protective Associa-
tiOn of Nebraska. BILL SYKES.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15

the ducks nd swim right up into the
air an wind. I've seen it blow the
handle clean out ov an ak stickin' in q
log. One fool rooster didn't think the
wind nd bother him so he Jest sot
under wagon and if you ever seen
rooster picked clean, that one was;
why Malissie lowed we'd have him for
dinner the next day, an sir she never
had to SINCE the hairs off him he was
that clean.
But hav' missed the trail little as
to rain. One year it rained so much
the chickens all had webbed feet.
When the sun came out after one ov
them rains it was powerful hot. Yes.
sir, the sun was so hot things nd dry
up in no time.
We had one hog an I've seen it so
hot that hog would have ter be soaked
over night afore he'd hold swill. The
steam from the ground nd cook the
apples on the trees, but Malissie never
lost one ov 'em, used 'em fer apple sas
an fllen fer pies. Yes, sir, it's true
an if you proove taint I'll jes lay off
day an hunt myself toom stone.
BUD.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15
Paper Read Before the Chautauqla Circle.
The PbaDfom @b1rcb.

Last night dream there came to me,
AS lay wrapt in sleep,
Methought stood in streets so fair,
Of a great and mighty city.
Tall palaces of marble bright,
Reached far into the sky.
Giant sculptures, hewn from same,
Stood out on bases high.
Trees lined the way and flowers
The paths that multitudes had trod;
But ne'er a soul through all the day
Did come to pass me by.
And, as strayed about the ways.
OF this city weird and strange;
There came to me lOnliness.
That filled my soul with dread.
Methought of all the mighty throng,
OF rich and poor, of bound and free,
That once had passed along
These streets of glittering white.
No echoes now come to my ear,
Of laughter and of song.
The music of the universe
Seemed stilled by magic wand.
But then in hopes to calm the fears,
Forever haunting me,
I led my steps into way
Where reared church of God.
Before the massive pile stood
To scan the vast facade,
~
Crowned by noble spire
That seemed to pierce the azure deeps
OF heavens flooring overhead.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15
Written for The Prison Mirror.
Boer-Brit0n.
ARTICLE III.


Fortunately for me, fell in with a
company of Scotsmen who were on
their way to Dundee, Natal, though
my destination was johannesburg,
many miles to the north of Dundee:
but it helped to drive away the monot-
ony of the journey.
At Weenan 1 concluded to leave the
party and 60 by rail to Colesburg-
then the terminus of the road-and
from there to Kimberley and so to
johannesburg. All along this route 1
had to put up with some Boer farmer
over night and the more 1 came in con-
tact with them the more convinced I
became of their sincere kindness to
stranger. Being alone and compelled
to live upon my wits, 1 soon ingrati-
ated myself into the confidence of
some of the best families around
johannesburg.
Let me describe this Cripple Creek
of South Africa. When I came in
sight of the city, 1880 the town
seemed to have a familiar look about
it to me and l wondered in what re-
spect it differed from any other Amer
lean city. There were modern build
lngs completed ard others in course of
construction. A fine broad street run
ming east and west, dividing the city in
half. There were the Dutch houses
made of solid masonry and dried
gnmbo; OK carts everywhere and on
its streets you could see the representa-
tive of nearly every European nation.
[ soon found out that my chances
for rich gold mine were pretty slim,
as everything had been monopolized
in that line previous to my arrival, in
fact, the whole city was huge mo-
nopoly, excepting the air you breathed,
for that was exempt, besides it was
bad. Glad to get away from the city,
l started for Pretoria, the real Dutch
riy of the Transvaal, and what de-
st it was when I finally got there:
q h-antiful city, with its cosmopolitan
population and yet homogeneous; its
public buildings were few, but splen-
did specimens Of architecture; it's
streets resounding with the laughing
"jah's, jah's, jah's of the Boer farmers
and women folk the city standing in
great contrast, its modern aspect not
in harmony with the old fashioned
Boer, his home wife and daugh-
ters, with their coarse garments of
prints and queer looking straw hats
and sun bonnets, coming and going in
OK carts from the surrounding veldt.
But there were some modern Dutch
in that, city. Yes great numbers Of
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15

Here by the affairs, surely burn
Lights lit by mortal hand;
But, if perchance the angels come
To do this holy rite,
Then will feel no more
This awful gloom and fright
That weighs me sOrely down.
SO mounting up the granite steps,
Up to the portals wide,
bowed my knee in reverence
OF Him who dwelt inside.
Then pushing in the massive door,
Saw naught at all beside
A vacant spot, a dreary waste,
With weeds and thorns O'ergrown,
The place where once the altar stood:
The chancel and the nave,
Now garbage heaps and foul offal
Rose up to meet my gaze,
No solemn sound of organ tone,
Or chant from loft o'erhead
No smell of incense or of myrrh,
A noisOme breath instead.
Then rushing out into the street,
Waking, thought mayhap my dream
A prophesy had been, T.
OF days to come, when church of God,
Betrayed by those into whose hands
Its keeping had been given,
Should empty be and meaningless;
To passers by sham;
A travesty on holiness and Him
Who said-"His Son am.''
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15
At Midnight He Is Visited
by Two Strangers.
The Story Relates What
Talman Heard, Imag-
ined and Saw.
Written for The Prison Mirror.

Written for The Prison Mirror.
A few orange tinted clouds, high in
the heavens, was all that was left of
the departing glory of the western
sunset. Talman looked uneasily at
the long stretch of road ahead, and
urged his horse impatiently. To the
east, behind the interminable stretch
of low green hills, there was promise
of full moon. Five years work for
the Farmers Mutual Protective Asso-
citation of Nebraska had had a tenden-
cy to destroy whatever of romance or
artistic taste Talman's youthful days
might have given promise of. And
now as the great white moon com,
menced to show above the sky line, his
mind was concerned wholly in mat
ter of supper and bed. Presently a
bend in the road brought him opposite
q wheat field, and not far in the dis
tance was something dark against the
sky, that he concluded was a farm
house.
AS he came closer he saw that it was
one of those houses peculiar to the
south, being built in two parts, with an
open rooted space or driveway between
the two, the entire structure being but
one story high and having but one
common roof. 1t stood to the right of
the road with no fence around it. In
the rear was what appeared to be
ample stables and sheds.
There was bright light in the living
room, and from the open door came
the sound of voices mingled with the
rattle of dishes. An aroma of tea and
fried ham settled the matter in Tai
mans mind. Leaving Buck stand, he,
with hungry light in his eyes, ap-
preached the house. Pausing a mo-
ment at the open door, he looked at the
family at supper. They were common
place enough: Nebraska farmer, ap
parently, with his wife, his children
and the hired man.
Talman tapped lightly upon the
easement. The conversation stopped
suddenly and every face turned in his
direction.
"Come in," said the one who ap
peared to be the father; and in Talman
went
The earnestness of his petition for
lodging and supper for himself and
tired horse cannot for a moment
be doubted. At first they would not
hear of it, as they had no place for him
to sleep. But Talman's five years of
talking insurance had put finishing
polish to his persuasive powers that
was not to be defed. It was finally
settled by the little girls reminding
ma that ST would not be back from
town tonight and the gentleman might
have his room.
Now this room of Sis (whoever he
was) was in the other part of the house
across the open way. After Buck was
stabbed and fed, and Talman had ex-
orcised his demon with rounds of tea,
ham, potatoes and bread, he was shown
to this room. 1t was perhaps $50
O'Clock when the farmer bade him a
kindly good night, closed the door, and
he was left alone in Sis room. It oc-
cupied the south half of that part of
the building. A comfortable looking
bed stood midway between the door at
which he had entered, and a window
in the opposite wall. There was
another window at the foot of the bed
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-03-15

The Puerto Rican tariff bill seems to
have, like Topsy, "jes growed up."-
st. Paul Dispatch.
The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1900-09-15

The progressive nations of the
world are the great food consuming
nations. Good food we'll digested
gives strength. If you connot digest
all you eat, you need Kodol Dyspepsia
Cure. It d!gests what you eat. You
need not diet yourself. It contains
all of the digestants combined with
the best known tonics and reconstruct
ives. twill even digest all classes of
foods in bottle. No other prepara-
ton will do this. 1t instantly relieves
and quickly cures all stomach troub-
les. Johnson S Pharmacy