Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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C . V' . ( , x . _ ~ \ ^ J 111 Bi|pnte!)x YOL. XI. LEXINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1880. NO. 4. A LITTLE WOMAN. Ia a little precious diamond What a splendor meets the eyes; j lb a little lump of sugar 1 How much of sweetness lies! So, in a little woman, Love grows and multiplies; Yoa recollect the proverb says? i A word unto the wise. ; 1 A pepper-corn is very small, ? Bat seasons every dinner j More than all other condiments, j Although it is sprinkled thiuuer; ;, Jost so a little woman is, j < If love will lot you win her, *; ( There is not a iov in all the world ! i, Yon would not find within her. j And, as within the little rose You'll find the richest dyes, ; And in the little graiu of gold Much price and valuo lies; j As from the little balsam Much odor does arise, So, in the little woman, There's a taste of paradise. The skylark and the nightingale, Though small and light of wing, Yet warble sweetest in the grove Than all the birds that sing; And so a little woman, Though a very little thiug, Is sweeter than all other sweets, Evon flowers that bloom in Spring! OorrLira.-aj2."i cate INSTATE AND MUNICIPAL}* TAXES. i Collection of Taxes?Mode of Enforcing Payment?Penalty for Non-Payment. f < I Tq the Editor of the Dispatch.?It is the doty of every member of the Gen- [ eral Assembly to consider what, if any, defects there may be in the exisfcing pnblic laws with the view to . remedy them by- appropriate legislation. One among tbe greatest and ^ most patent of sach defects is in the system of assessment and taxation. * The present inqniry, however, is directed to tbe defects in the system of taxation only, or rather in the mode of collecting taxes. A casual inspection of the tax da plioates will show of how large a por- I iron of her revenue the State is annually deprived by the failure of taxpayers to comply with their obliga- ? fciwce; and this evil increases from t year to year. It is an evil which can j be accounted for in but one way, viz: j i that the State either cauuot or will j s net enforce the payment of taxes. i i Every year, and sometimes more | i than once in the year, we see official} < advertisements of the sale of Ions lists i i : property, which yield no fruit to j i the State, and, in fact, only serve to j t increase the public expenses, the State ! ? invariably forfeiting the property to ; t herself and leaving it in the posses- j i gftm and enjoyment of the delinquent, 1i wtftte increasing the expenses inci-! dent to each sales. It must be sul- i I milted, then, that such sales haveI t been and are nullities, until at lust j1 many, who do not conscientiously ' i fcel their obligations and are actuated ! t by other motives, pay no taxes at all, i' eonfident that after the lapse of yearsj' the State will say to them, -'if you j * pay one or tico years' tax we remit all j i arrears," and yet enjoying along with j3 -u 1.- i ,7; li urauio wuv uavo iat lucu ? the benefits of the government whose < dftizens they are and whose interests i are their interests. If this condition of things tie suffer-! < ed to remain unchanged the result j most be general demoralization i among the people in respect to tbeji payment of taxes aud eventual bunk-: rnptcv of the State. Demoralization j in one respect will inevitably lead to ,' demoralization in others. We now narrow our inquiry down j' to the question of taxation in incorpo-1 rated towns or cities, which are in-' rested by the State with a power of j taxation within themselves for their \ corporate purposes. Here an addi-: tional difficulty presents itself, and j that is the complication arising from j the conflict of the respective liens of j State and city; as for example, a lien j attaches for non payment <>f taxes! 1 due the one, whioh may be quietly followed by the other's lien attaohing, to bo augmented perhaps by an additional lieu in favor of the first for a j subsequent non-payment If not: otherwise an evil, this certainly is an j obstacle in the transfer of property.! We do not say that the present sys- i tern cannot by aoy possibility be j worked harmoniously, but we do say i that it is so involved and cumbrous J is to render its efficiency a practical j impossibility. XT n ? 1.. *i,:? ' Jiow is luere uu reiucuj tui hjio j svil ? Let us see. As in some other j, States let our Legislature place the ; jollectron of all taxes (State, County ( ind Municipal) in the hand of one < officer, sach collection to be made at i such times and in such instalments as ( nay be most convenient to the tax- j ;>ayer, with a penalty for non-pay- , neut, but xvhose infliction shall be absoxtlehj sure; for unless the penalty, ( whatever it be; shall bo strictly en- , orced and carried out, auy system nust fail of its object , Such a method would iuvolve the j lecessity of altering the limits of the j present State fiscal year, which be- ( jitis with November; but conformity x> the calendar year would, we imagne, be advantageous rather than oth- f 1 ;rwise. The collection of all taxes by one ( jffieer would also obviate the ridica- , ous spectacle of a municipal governnent solemnly prescribing by ordijance a penalty of fifteen or twenty ier cent, for non-payment of taxes, md then by subsequent ordinance or *evolution revoking snch penalty. With the inauguration of such a I system, a single aggregate tax to be 1 collected by one officer, and the posi- i ice infliction of the penally for the nonxiyment of the tax, whatever the pen- I ilfcy may be, the ghost of delinquents i .vill vanish, and we shall see the rev- < jnues of State and connty and city I ncreased and rendered capable of ] lefitfifce eftlcnlation, besides the &d- i vantages resnlting therefrom in the < jeneral transfer of property. T. W. BiboT. ' Charleston*, S. C., Nov. 16th, 1880. 1 School Commissioners. i bv a teacher. 1 I It is a startling fact, that in many , sections of our State, and eten j broughout some counties, the ma. I ority of the voters cannot write their ( lames. Worse still, in numerous in;tanco3, those who should know better, rote 10 direct opposition to meir own | uterests; saying by their actions, we ( io not wish any improvement; we jrefer to lag at our ease. Away with | ntellcct and culture! We scout the j nan who holds them up to us! Can such be expected to choose compete t School Commissioners? To us t has always appeared to be neither ! nore nor less than a miserable farce. A School Commissioner should, ' resides being possessed of rare menial abilities, be highly educated, and ivel! informed on all matters pertaining to education. The times demand that ho should be progressive-, combining that experience and culture which is fitted to lead teachers and schools up to a higher and a nobler standard. And in every case he must be interested?deeply interested in bis work; so that, with his untiring Jevotion and earnest appeals, he may inspire those under his supervision, with zeal in the noble cause of education which is equalled only by his. How pitiful to see a man occupying j such a position, whose sole incentive i is the pay in dollars and cents! And yet how frequently is this the case! An article over the signature of t i m i M :? "uouniry xeacuer, appeiue iu iuo j Southern Educational Monthly, an extract of which is as follows: "Any school system will be just what it is made by its officers. We hear much complaint nboat our free school system in South Carolina. How much of its failure to give satisfaction is duo to UDcjnalified, inefficient school officers ? No harm will result from its careful consideration. Wo may then hope the qnestion will be, not who is the most anxious man, the most needy, the most popular among white or black; but who is the most voorlhy man, the man beat qualified to learn and to discharge the duties of the position. In our opinion it would be better to have these officers (School Commissioners) appointed, either by the Governor or by the State Superintendent of Edu- j cation. These matters are for the' consideration of our law-makers." Certainly, but is it not right that j such matters bo brought before that i body? We like the suggestion of appointment, but will add another j for the consideration of those con-1 1 cerned. If School Commissioners ire to be elected, why not leave such j alections exclusively to school teachers! aud other school officials, such as! trustees, &c. ? The result would j surely be satisfactory. The world moves, aud the time has j come when duty demands that we | step boldly to the front, and ask that j sducatioo and intellectual ability pre- j side over our schools. We feel much interested in the matter, and would like some interchange of opinion on the same. Let every teacher aud i svory official in the couDty make it a 3nbject of careful thought; and a move in the right direction may result so favorably, that by the close of the next session of the Legislature, we may be encouraged to look, up ind say: "There is life in the old land yet." Lots from Saluda Township. Fairbanks, S. 0.. Nov. 18,18S0. Mews. Editors:?Now that the election is over and we have elected our State and County ticket, I will agaiu dot yon a few items from old Salada. Health of the people good; less fevers have prevailed during the last season than for several years; several ;ases of diphtheria have appeared but none have proved /fatal. Our physician, Dr. Eargle, has been very snccessfal in his treatn^rrt of this, disease. / Rain in abundance for the last week, which will delay some of us very much in sowiug our grain; an unusually large acreage will be sown if the weather will admit Crops are nearly all gathered. Corn is better than last year. Cotton not so good. More sorghum has been made than any previous year; several! varieties are grown; California variety j is said to be the best Some have jiven attention to the cultivation of i upland rice with success. Some of our schools have opened i with a good attendance. A school is badly needed near where the Lexington C. H., road crosses Bash River i Road. Oar Commissioner or trus- j ? ' ' ? il i *1- _ -1.M1 tees Bbouia see to it tuat toe cnuureu i in that vicinity receive some benefitj of the public school fund. With the best of wishes towards j you and your excellent paper, I am ; yours, B. WTiat An Old ZCan, has Noticed. I have noticed that all mon are! honest when well watched. I have noticed that purses will hold pennies as well as pounds. I have noticed that in order to be a I reasonable creaturo, it is necessary at times to be downright mad. I have noticed when the purse is empty and the kitchen cold then is the voice of flattery no longer heard. I have noticed that silks, broadcloths and jewols, are often bought with other people's money. I have noticed that whatever is, is right, with a few exceptions?the left eye, the left leg, and the left side of a plum padding. T Uri wa visxf V? o f IliA nvnrftr Af JL II Ck > O UWtiV/UU IUUU vilO V-.4 v*. tho selfish maD, "Forgive us our debts," while he makes everybody that owes him pay to the utmost farthiDg. I have noticed that he who thinks every man a roguo is certain to see one when be shaves himself, and he ought, in mercy, to see his neighbor0 to surrender the rascal to justice. I have noticed that money is the fool's wisdom, the knave's reputation, the poor man's desire, the covetous man's ambition, and the idol of them all. "Wonderful Svrmmiajj of a Scotch GirL' | The young lady who has shown this wonderful endurance in water is . a Miss Lizzie Grow, who swam from j Dunoon to the Scotch Light house i aud was iu the water oue hour and fifty-threo minutes. She is only 16 i years of age, and when it was known that she intended to swim tho Chan- I uel, a gentleman also essayed to ac- ' complish the feat He swam vigo- I rously for about a milo, when he was I forced to take refuge iu a boat com- ' plelely benumbed.?(Before mid chauuel Wiis reached Miss Grows hands|' were benumbed, and she turned on, her back and chafeAbem a few moments. Eefresbed-4py the rest, the ! again proceeded ouj^er way. At this ! point she was joined by her brother from one of the boats following her, 1 who is a splendid swimmer and diver ' but he also had to succumb after be- < iug half an hour in the water. Left ' alone, she followed the leadiug boats ' with indomitable pluck, and gradu- ' ally ncared the shore. The current ' was uow, unfortunately, very strong 1 against her and her failing strength 1 was unable to fight against the tide, aud she made litl!<j or no progress. I When within fifty yards of tho shore she complained of--cramp, and her friends advised her to leave the water. She complied reluctantly, and after ' entering the boat, was carefully at- < tended to. After partaking of ro i free l.i in en ts aud resting an hour, she < returned to IHiooou, none the worse j for her daring swim. 1 Aii the last election, with a certainty , of defeat staring hj^fi in the face, Hon. . -John W. Forney wrote these brave, AM/1 c . n n% ri?\ 1 r> j-.n A A f (h A LIUC WUIU3, JL UUi VUIJ WUU VI tuu | mill ons who voted for Hancock today, and what I can do to aid in this great work is readj^ The Democratic parly holds the foiyn the future. Its ^ resei-v^ is t&e reW?*of kit brave men pledged to hostility;to this uew reign of capital. Its tremendous resources will rescue the Republic from tremendous perils. There is need necessarily , for iustaut organization. In this , hour, when the Republicans are ex- , ulting over a purchased victory, lot ( the Democracy of the whole nation set their houses iu order for the great j struggle in the future." Garfield will be the twentieth Pres- 1 ident of the United States. Ton thousand Chinamen are pre- 1 paring to go to the Louisiana sugar fields. Georgetown and Beanfort counties aro the only two m the State that went Republican. The.stock law will go into operation in Spartanburg County on the first day of next January. Strive to make a good impression mU vau nrA ooiil T/\nflo o lin >Y I J VU ^v/, Oil IV & VUUOO) uo uu pulled bis foot out of the mod. Just take a bottle of my medicine said a quack doctor to a consumtivo and you'll never cough agaiu. Is it so fatal as that? gasped the patient. A Galvestion woman, just married, ! wishing to impress her husband with her ability as a Uonskeeper, bawled out 'o the servant as she entered the door: Matilda, biing me the wash board, I want to wash the potatoes for diuner. The common belief that the pecan nut cannot be successfully cultivated in South Carolina has been satisfactorily proven to be erroneous by Mr. Hiram \V. Lawson, of Abbeville County, who has now a noblo tree in : i full bearing which he planted eigli-! j teen years ago. The fruit of this | tree is exceptionally lino. , ! Well, we are all back whero we : were fourteen years ago, with the, i whole North arrayed against us, pro| fessing friendship in one breath and : ! voting with the next one to enslave ; ; us. Bat South Carolina is all right, j : thank God, and the devilish hate of: i the Radical North cannot take away | | from us our fields and firesides. Letj ' us attend to them, and our love for j i . ! the Union will perhaps grow and in-: I crease when our dear Northern broth-1 : I i ers learn that we are at least human, j ?11million Guardian. I A Belie of the "War. Yesterday a well-dressed man?bn this is not a fasionable article; what' the use of describing a man's dress Anyway, the man entered a store and taking a brass button from hi pocket he handed it to a bystander and remarked: Rather a valuable relic. This but ton was 6hot from Gen. Hancock' coat at the battle of Gettysburg. M; father was on Hancock's staff, an( picked up the button when it fell frou the General's coat. I should think that it was valuable said the man, examining it Fron Hancock's coat ? Well I declare What'll you take for it? Excuse me air. I should cot of asked such i silly question. No offense, sir. I wouldn't sell thi relic, of course, as it is bound to mi by more than one tie. My futhor ii load, and the man looked away whili .he other party turned and made t foreign remark to a boy that stooc ;>y the couuter lazily turning thi eaves of a lot of sheet music. No, ] wouldn't sell it, continued the man jut as I am iu strained circumstances [ am going to the pawn shop anc pawn it. Don't do that. Let me take it Well, loan me $5. The money was handed over, anc ifter the relic man had carefully taker lowu the address of the capitalist hi walked out. About five minutes af ;erward the clerk in a neighboring store entered and exclaimed: Sec lero, fellers, I reckon I've got the >oss relic?a button shot from Gen Hancock's coat at the battle of Get :ysburg. He then unwrapped a lol )f oil paper from around a brass but :on. Where did you get it ? asked th< man who had a similar curiosity. I got it from a man whose fathei picked it up just after a bullet hac clipped it from Hancock's coat Th< poor fellow had started to thi pawn shop. I let him have $10 on it Tin,?i u? t l. i?: 7 ii yy uut, Liu : UUBB, CAUttiiucu^uuiuc. man, entering the store and holding ap a brass button. Here's a relic fo: jrou. Shot from Gen. Hancock's coa during the? Say, there, said a man looking through the doorway, do yon felleri want to see a relic of the late war shot? I've got one that'll beat it, said 1 man stooping and fumbling in hii vest pocket. Hold on dnr, said a colored man Lem me show yer de boss curyasity Hit's a button got offen? Oh, let np, exclaimed several voices while the noise of buttons rolling oi the floor was heard. Less look for that feller, said th first victim. Why, bust my buttom somebody must have drawn on Han cock with a double-barrelled shot-gun The party went out and the onl information learned of him was tha he had just cut the buttons from ai old army coat and started for th next town.? TAttle Rnch Caudle. If marringes be made in beavei some have few friends there. Whiie the tall woman is stoopin; the little one hath the honse swept. The woman who neglects her has band's shirt fronts is no longer th wife of his bosom. When a girl talks about the tw strings to her beau, does she tuea his suspenders? A man bought a picture of th temptation of Adam aud Eve. Som one asked him if it was a chaste pic tare. "Yes," he said, "chased by snake." A girl wrote to her lover, "Nov John, don't yon fale to be at the sing ing school to-night." John wrot back that "In the bright lexicon c youth?Webster's Unabridged?ther is no snch word as fale." An Illinois man sold his wife fc $10, and now he wants to retnrn ha the money to ease his conscience. II says ho wouldn't hesitate to cheat man in a horse trade, but this is to rough on a purchaser. A MAN WITH A MERMAID. ' 1 t The Strange Creature, Half "Woman and ' 8 Half Pish, How in St. Lonii. 1 ? J >, Mr. Chas. A. Doyle is a San Ff-ane ciscan, lately retarned from <Japan. j , He is registered at the Lindell Hotel from Yokohama, and in addition to 1 - the interest that attaches to him, ow- j s ing to the strange country he hails v from, he eniovs the further distinc 3 tion of being known as the man with f i a "mermaid." A Globe-Democrat re- ^ porter learned yesterday that Mr. i, Doyle not only enjoys the distinction 1 mentioned, bat really is the possessor . ? . of a genuine mermaid. The reporter , hunted up Mr. Doyle and had a pleas* ant chat with him. He had been in Japan for several years and was s greatly interested in the many moda erniziug influences at work in the ^ ? Orient. Mr. Doyle, who is an art 2 critic and collector, went into rap1 turcs orer the richness of Japans' art s ^ products, and this is just what was c - expected from him, as he is here with t f a large quantity of rare Japanese art- c ? iclos, as curious as they are costly. ? But these lost all interest to the re- ? , * < porter wheu a long deep glass cage, (l in the shape of an acquarium, was t exhibited, which held the most cari- ? c ous and the rarest of all the objects 1 iu the collection. It was a wonderfal > looking thiug, almost hideoas to look 8 ' upon, bat possessing a powerfal <t- ^ - traction for the beholder, owing to the \ queer amalgamation of species dig- ( i ?i J t n ' piu > eu 1U lit) XUl LUKViUU. 1UVN WUU ~ - have seen the old-time geography illustration, which has recently been r - used as a trademark for a certain pat- ^ t ent hair restorative and which repre- # - seuts the mermaid rising from the j, sea and oombiDg her long locks with j 5 one hand while in the other she holds _ a small looking-glass, can recall this r picture and thereby form an idea of i what the present monstrosity looks 3 like, barring, however, the beanty, - which is a distinguishing trait of the 1 ideal mermaid. Mr. Doyle's strange r curiosity is half human, half fish. 1 3 The head, chest, abdomen and arms * r are unmistakably hnman, bat from ' the abdomen down the creature is a t fish, scaly, finny and formed like the \ 3 extremities of a dweller in the water, r 3 The arms are covered with scales to i '? the wrist, and the backs of the small j hands have the same scaly covering c 1 to the finger tips. The head is small 8 as that of a baby, but is perfect in every detail; the forehead does not recede, bat is high and straight and * is of the class that indicates an nnnsnal degree of intelligence. The eyes I. ara onft etBimrr.v nnrl liclifleM. ftfl 3! those of a fish; but the mouth, the j ears, the nose, and in fact all the e other features, are pronounced hn'? man, regular, clear cut, and as per- < * feet as a beautiful woman's face. A I !- light covering of brown hair, several i y inches in length, and eyebrows of the ' 1 same color, are the only hirsute of > Q appendages. The spinal column is 1 e clearly seen running up to the base 1 of the skull and falling down the back until it is lost in the fishy extremity. ( a Ten ribs are easily counted upon the j breast, and the mammalian female ; g development for feeding the youDg is readily discernible. The mermaid , measures almost three feet from the crown of the head to the extremity of the caudal fin, and is said to be larger than the only other specimen of the o kind ever seen in this country. The Q other mermaid is now on exhibition 1 in the New York Aquarium, and at- 1 e tracts a vast amount of attention from e scientists as well as from the general public. ' a Mr. Doyle is very prondof his mermaid, and, although a great many at- ' tempts have been made to induce ' him to sell the curious creature, he has thus far refused to part with her. e He says the monstrosity has been sob^ j jected to the closest scrutiny by sci- i e j entists of the Pacific slope, all of whom have pronounced her the moat ?r wonderful natural phenomenon ever If brought to their notice, and hare cone curred in declaring mermaids no longa or myths. The curiosity was captured o two years ago by three fishermen, juear Urishulm, in the great island sea. rhey bad seen lier many times and bad made many attempts to captora ber, and sncceeded in taking her after the most persistent efforts. When taken she was placed in the museum it Tokio and remained there for a pear and a-half. She had been heard )y the fishermen to sing a peonliar iong while on the rocks, bat never ipoke, except to feebly try to arsenate after her captnre. She w&? fed >n a pecnliar sea-weed, the secret of vhich is known only to the Japanese, ind thrived under the great care fca:en of ber. Mr. Doyle purchased her rom the authorities of Tokio at the txtravagaut figure of 5,000 or lollars. The purchase was made to atisfy a suddeu desire to possess the Arange creature, aud Mr. Doyle does rot know what special advantage he mjoys in being one of the very few uen who own a mermaid.?St. Louu Hole-Democrat. The doty on* paper?To pay yemr ubscriptions promptly aud ouder the sonsciousness that you get more for he money than can be had in any >ther way. Native to stranger. "We have alvays an east wind in Galveston.** But I see the wind right now is from he West." "Oh that's the East wind oming back you know." "Ah." A junior was heard to remark, on l receut Sunday, after Professor lad preached an eloquent eermdo. That was a splendid sermon. Gad! )ne hundred and eight single goat ires and thirteen doable." I understand, said the Galveston ecorder, that yoa are a confirmed Irankard. Dat's whar yon is too oon jedge. I ain't been confirmed a no chorch yet, bat the blae light baptises is giben Satan a heap ob rorry aboat me. If a coantry editor's parse was as ong as the time his delinqaent saberibers takes to pay for their paper, ind as well filled as his imagination, vh&t a mine of wealth he conld eomnand! And if?but let us leave tfcafc >ainful subject Ella, is your father at home? Said i bashlul lover to his sweetheart I vant to propose something very in?)ortant to him. No, Claranee, papa s not in, but I am. Couldn't yoa iroposo to me just as well? And he lid with perfect success. My case is just here, said a cittiten o a lawyer the other day. "The ilaintiff will swear that I hit bin. I will swear that I did not Now, wbnt san yon lawyers make out of that ? FiTe dollars apiece! was the prompt *eply, as the lawyer extended his land. The Irishman had a correct arm re ir ? siation of the fitness of things who, )eing askod by the jadge, when he ipplied for a license to sell whiskey, f he was of good moral charactor, replied: 'Faith, your honor, I don't ?ee the necessity of a good moral character to sell whiskey. When an Eastern man goes to Colcrada, he is called "tenderfoot" until he has beeu stabbed, shot at, engaged in a free fight, fallen down a mine, kicked by a mule, and chased by a vigilance committee. Then they admit that be is gettiug use to the conotry, and when he killed a man he is looked upon as a citizen. Any good shooting on yoar farm? asked the huutcr of the farmer. Splendid, replied the agriculturalist: there's a machine agent down in the field, a clotL peddler at the honee, a lightning tod agent and a candidate oat in the barn lot, and two tramps in the stock yard. Climb right over the fence, young man, load both barrels, and let into 'em. An old gentleman who was in the habit of prefixing '"I say," to every sentence to which he gave utterance, having heard that his man-servant mimicked him, thus addressed the ill-behaved domestic when be met him: "I say, John, they say that yon say thut l say 4l say; and if I do say 'I say,' I say that it is no reason vcby you should say 'I say,' I say, Jobu."