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This newspaper page contains 14 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
The Lancaster Ledger
Location
Lancaster, South Carolina, United States of America
Date
May 18, 1859
Page
1
From the Knickerbocker Magazine comes a verse tale on wealth and worth. A childless king declares that love and mercy outshine earthly treasures while a royal crown sits lightly beside the simple joy of a kiss. The speaker longs for sacred riches gathered in family and faith, not gold or gems, and finds true domain in divine blessing.
In a Saturday Evening Dent tale set around April Fool’s, three gossiping residents at the Spread Eagle supper club uncover a note about poisoning. Mrs Betsy Peepin and landlady Mrs Smith fear a husband’s plot, while Mr Smith doubts the use of violent action and wonders about aliases of John Williams.
A Melodrama Recital reveals Mrs Williams in danger as a host of villagers and magistrate untangle a deadly plan. The landlord, Crampton, and others discuss the crime while the dinner party becomes the scene of a suspected poisoning. The magistrate condemns the plot and hints at punishment, while mysteries of suspicion linger at the Post Office.
Governor Gist delivers remarks to the South Carolinian Methodist Sunday School Convention urging moral and religious education of youth, stressing parental responsibility and the need to guide youth toward virtue through early instruction and Christian example. He cites biblical ideals and calls for unity in promoting piety across society.
The convention reconvened at 9 A M with prayer led by Rev. Mr Gamewell. Secretary T J Warren read yesterday’s journal as delegates learned transport passes would be provided free on return upon proof of membership. Committees reported progress with plans for organizing Sunday Schools and publishing a tract on governance, aiming to support churches lacking constitutions.
The Committee on the Ministry led by Rev. H. Spain presented a report praising Christ’s care for children and urging the Sunday School as a divine institution. It covered infant instruction, oral methods, and anecdotes of neglect, urging alphabetic teaching to lift poor children while stressing unified access for rich and poor. The report sparked heated clergy debate before final adoption with amendments.
A historical agricultural piece discusses soil nutrition for fruit trees, recommending lime and bone meal for apples and general fertilization, fall manure, and ample root area. It covers pruning, grafts, currant cultivation, quince care, and the value of fruit crops for farm life, ending with a traditional berry wine receipe and fermentation cautions.
A fragment of humorous rural chatter notes how to make hens lay, then shifts to a string of comic mispronunciations and mishearings about kissing and candles. The passage reflects a folksy, dialect rich tone with playful exchanges among children and adults.
A period remark describes a class of young ladies raised on romance and flirting with milder manners. It notes a milk bottle incident where milk was thrown from a window due to a yellow seam on its top, illustrating childish behavior.
Readable fragments depict a boarding school misheard as vulgar terms and a dialog about plows while a Boston deathbed scene recalls a rector visit. A pastor is asked to keep cats quiet at night, revealing odd language and local humor from an old issue.
A Goop Lookine fellow was arraigned in police court for stealing a watch. When asked why he stole it he said illness led him to act. He claimed the doctor advised a remedy and he chose a watch because he believed if he had the time Nature would work a cure.
A college bred suitor with a young woman uses refined courtship language asking for the candles to extinguish the nocturnal lamp. He requests her hand to pass the pair of digits to extinguish the candle’s glow, framing it as a refined metaphor.
An elderly Black man lies asleep and dreams of two small figures approaching. He mistakes them for intruders, begs for love, and threatens to kick. upon waking he finds them closer and proclaims surprise at their nearness and his own feet advancing.
A light moment unfolds as two men, including Smith, swap cigars and bravado in a street encounter. The stranger offers a spare, sparking a brief exchange of polite boldness before departing with a knowing bow.
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