Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1895 — THE LIME KILN CLUB. [ARTICLE]

THE LIME KILN CLUB.

Brother Gardner Eulogizes ■ Departed Member. As soon as the secretary had finished the roll Brother Gardner called for the report of the Committee on Astronomy, which should have been handed in two weeks ago. Asteroid Johnson, chairman of the committee, promptly stood up and read the report. There had been considerable discussion in the club as to what influence the sun had on the weather, and the committee had thoroughly investigated the matter. The sun, as the committee understood it, was manufactured and hung out for the purpose of encouraging photographers, laundresses, hay-makers and house painters, and the idea that it has any visible effect upon weather 93,000,000 miles away was not to be seriously thought of. The late re markable summer was rather to be laid to the supposed sliding of the North Pole a distance of over 3,u00 mile south from its usual position. This being the meeting when the quarterly report on agriculture was due, Subsoil Davis, chairman, arose and reported as follows: 1. More cucumbers will be harvested this fall than ever before in the history of America, and pickles are bound to be cheap next winter, no matter what the price of coal. 2. Wheat is only two-thirds of a crop, but this will save a great deal of handling and wear and tear and give freight cars and grist-mills a rest. 8. Ninety out of every 100 watermelons received in the northern markets this season have been green. The ten ripe ones have been reserved by the commission men. We submit whether it would not be a good idea for the public to learn to enjoy the taste of green melons? It would save time, money, waste and hard feelings, and prices would probably be cheaper. 4.—Considering the weather, scandals, earthquakes, cyclones and elopements, the crops in general average more than could have been looked for and we see no cause for lamentation.

The secretary announced a communication from Montgomery, Ala., asking if the Lime Kiln Club wouldassist the next congress in conducting the affairs of the country. Brother Gardner read the letter over twice and then arose and replied: “ Dat will depend altogether on de ackshun of congriss towards dis organizashun. If we am inwited to mix in an’ assist we shall do so wid great cheerfulness; if we am not inwited we shall go ahead an’ run our sheer of America an’ let congriss fool around wid the balance.”

Col. Contraband Smith, chairman of the committee on decorative art, announced a new scale of prices to be adopted for the fall and winter season, and after some debate they were accepted. The increase over summer rates is about ten per cent. Stove pipe will be blacked and put up at the rate of $24 per mile with extra for elbows. Wood-sawing will remain at the same figures, whether the sawyer is asked to eat dinner with the family or not. Brother Gardner then arose and said it was his sorrowful duty to announce the death of Uncle Jim Whitestope, which took place only the previous day, and continued: “You knew him to be old an’ feeble an’ sort o’ waitin’ to go, an* yet de news surprises you. A week ago he sot heah wid us, to-night he am lyin’in his coffin. Sich am de onsartainties of life. I liasknowed Uncle Jim since we was chil’en togeder in de far away days. When he realized dat de summons was drawin’ he sent fur me, an’ I sot beside him, when de angel took his speerit an’ flew away. ‘ ‘Uncle Jim was a poo’ old black man, unlettered,unlarnea, an’ lookin’ back only to y’ars of toil an’ privashun an’ sorrow. He saw poverty, woe an’ misfortune in almos’every month of his life, an’ yit how did he die?

“Dar’ was sunthin grand in that death-bed scene,” continued Brother Gardner in a whisper. ‘ ‘Eighty y’ars of toil an’ anxiety an’sufferin’was drawin’ to a close. A life in which dar’ had bin many clouds an’ leetle sunshine was about to end. “I see him as de sinkin’summer sun crept inter der winder an’ turned his white h’ar to de color ob silver. He woke from his soft sleep, an’ dar was sich Jhappiness in his eyes an’ sich glory in his face as I nebber saw befo’. He listened like one who h’ars de far-off sounds of sweet music, an’ the glory deepened as he reached out his hands to me and whispered: “ ‘ I kin see my ole wife an’ de chill’en up dar! I kin see glory an’ rest an’ peace I I kin look across de dark valley an’ see sich happiness as I nebber dream ofl’ ’.’ “An’he passed away like a babe failin’ asleep, an’ you who go up dar’ to-morrer will fin’ dat same glorious smile lighting up de face of dedead. He has suffered an’ believed an’ had faith an’ had gone to his reward. He had been dispised fur his color, ridiculed fur his ignerence an 'scorned fur his faith in de hereafter, an' yit no king eber died wid sich a smile on his face an’ wid sich happiness in his heart. Peace to his ashes! While we mourn fur him we shall still rejoice dat he has gone to his reward. Let us break de meetin ’ n tw<j an’ go home.