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Straps and Jacts. ? At the great Tammany Hall meeting last week, among other things, Joe Blackburn said : "I venture a prediction tonight, and I subpoena Tammany Hall to bear witness to its verification : When your election shall have passed, whenever the votes shall have been counted upon the 3rd day of next November, mark what I tell you?Bryan will have received more votes than any presidential candidate of any party ever did receive since God made this world of ours." [Tremendous applause.] ? Hon. Arthur Sewall, Democratic nominee for vice president, has made public his letter of acceptance. The letter is quite lengthy. Among other thines. Mr. Sewall says : "I am glad to express my satisfaction that the platform of our party, which has commanded my life-long allegiance, is honestly' and fully declaratory of all privileges, and especially of the absorbing financial issue, upon which, as you say, I took my stand. ;When the hours of triumph seemed remote, and when arrogant money changers throughout the world boasted that the conquest of the American masses was * complete.'" ? Edward .A. Ross, professor of finance in Stanford university and Secretary of the American Economic association, has written a series of papers to prove the injustice of the gold standard. He says: "I can see no difference in amount of wrong between forcing your debtor to repay you dollars that would go twice as far and are twice as hard to get as the dollar you lent him, and your raising the face of the note to double its value by the use of chemicals. The wrong is the same. But when an individual does it, it is forgery; when a nation does it, it is sound finance." ? Mr. E. W. Barret of the Atlanta Constitution, is in Chicago. A few days ago he telegraphed his paper that he had absolutely satisfactory evidence that Mark Hanna had admitted in private that McKinley's chances of electiou were desperate. "I have but little, if any, * faith in the election' of McKinley," the Republican chairmau is reported to have said. The remark is alleged to have been made in the presence of a well-known Chicago society lady, whose husband is for the nninofio nf ail nor onrl ah? tnlrl it Hanua and bis lieutenants are denying that there is any truth in the story ; but that, of course, is to be expected. ? Cincinnati Enquirer: A newspaper which is so low in the scale of common decency that it proclaims itself an organ of the treacherous Palmer movement, has this statement to make: "Mr? Bryan objects to the gold standard as an imported idea. He forgets that the best work he ever ' did was in contending for reasonable freedom of imports." This is a remark which carries with it its own comment. We say the "treacherous Palmer movement" because the course of Palmer involves treachery to the part}* which placed him in office as a champion of the cause of the people, and especially as a representative of the interests of the workingmen. Two-thirds of the men in the movement are treacherous to Palmer. They are using him as a 1 stalking horse. They put him up for a blind, so that they can pretend they have not deserted the Democratic party ; but they are working for McKinley, are appealing to the McKinley management for funds and will vote for McKinley. ? A big sensation developed in rail- : road circles last Wednesday. The . annual meeting of the stockholders of the Seaboard Air Line was held at Norfolk, Ya., on Tuesday. There had been rumors of dissatisfaction at the action of President Hoffman in precipitating the recent rate war, and those who thought they were in a position to know, believed that Hoffman would be deposed. To the surprise of the entire country, Hoffuiau was reelected without opposition, and the meeting was entirely harmonious. But there is reason now to believe that the seeming harmony is deceptive. There are stories to the effect . that 4,000 shares, a controlling interest in the Seaboard, have been bought by Thomas F. Ryan of New York, acting for himself and General Samuel , Thomas. If this is true, it means that the Seaboard is now owned by the Southern, aud the election of Hoffman as president is merely a blind to keep the people of the south from realizing too quickly that they are now in the power of one big, merciless corporation. i ? At Indianapolis, Ind., last Tuesday i Mr. Bryan paid his respects to the so : called "National" Democratic party as , . GTWie nitif oniAt'Q tlio nnSnnu iv/livn O X UIO V/IVJ V/WJWJO VUV umvjuv | distinction of being the birthplace and the deathbed of a so-called party. [Great and prolonged cheering and laughter.] It calls itself the National Democratic party when it does not ex- , pect to carry a single county in the whole nation. [Cheers and laughter.] 1 It calls itself a Democratic party when ' it is organized for the express purpose i of electing a Republican candidate for president. [Cheering.] If it was big ] enough to justily a name I would call it a stupendous fruud. [Loud laughter.] But it is too small to he called stupendous. [Laughter and cheers.] I will call it a transparent fraud. 1 [Cheers.] It was the first political 1 convention ever held in this countiy i where members of the convention nominated a ticket that they did not expect to vote lor, and the first place . where men have received a nomina- j tion and don't want to be voted for. , [Cheers and laughter.] The minority , plank at Chicago opposed free coinage ' on the ground that it would inter- 1 fere with international bimetallism. 1 [Laughter.] There could be no clearer evidence of intended deception than < is found in the fact that the minority < L at Chicago when they had thiDgs all their own way repudiated the planks they stood on there and come out in favor of a gold standard instead of international bimetallism. [Continued cheering.] UorkriUe inquirer. YORKVILLE, S. C.: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1896. ? Mr. Sewall has written out a check for $20,000 as his latest contribution to the Democratic campaign fund. While this is only one of many contributions made by Mr. Sewall, it is the largest single contribution yet made by any one individual. ? They've been claiming Georgia for the Populists; but in the state election last Wednesday, the Democratic majority was about 30,000. This makes us impatient for the action of some of those "doubtful" states like Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina. ? The Georgia Populists have raised the cry of fraud in the recent election, and there is little reason to doubt that the charge is well founded ; but the probability is that there has been as much fraud on one side as the other. According to our notion, it has been a long time since there has been an absolutely fair election in Georgia. ? The Republican national committee has scheduled Thomas B. Reed' for a series of speeches in Connecticut. Does this mean that Connecticut really needs the services of Mr. Reed, or does it mean that notwithstanding the desperate condition of Republican prospects in the middle west, Mr. Reed can be spared at this critical juncture merely for the entertainment of the people of the Nutmeg state ? The question is pertinent. ? The estimate of the dispatch published in last Wednesday's Enquirer as to the number of colored voters in the state (5000) is evidently too low. So far, the secretary of state has official returns from the registration boards of 14 coum ties, and the figures are 29,648 whites and 4,332 colored. The outlook is that the colored registration will amount to something like 10,000, and the white probably 60.000. If this shall prove to be the case, the colored voters will never amount to anything as a distinct party ; but as a balance of power they might some day figure in large proportions. ? me grana jury 01 union county, m making their presentment last week, raked some of the county officials over the coals for not paying any attention to their former recommendations, saying that they bad at the two previous terms of court got out orders from the court for the carrying out of their reccommendations, and that their recommendations and the orders of the two judges had been ignored, and they deemed it useless to make reccommendation if they were to be treated with contempt, and asked that the judge issue a ruling to the parties concerned to show cause why he or they should not be held for contempt. The judge commended the jury for their work, and especially for calling attention to the disregard of their former presentments, and said he would take pleasure in issuing the rule ; that it was criminal for a public officer to ignore the grand jury in this manner; that the man sought the office, and it too often appeared to be the case that the officer seemed to think ' hen he had secured the office his only duty thereafter was to sit down and draw the emoluments.?'Exchange. Correct is the Union grand jury, and it is well that it has brought the matter up. Time and again in this county have the judges on the bench told the grand juries that they were the right hand of the court?the king pin of justice, etc.?before instructing them as to their duties, and if> after making faithful and conscientious investigation, tfie grant! juries would make sensible recommendations, nine eases out of ten they would have the mortification of seeing their suggestions ignored. It is time that the matter was looked into. If the grand jury is really the right arm of the court?the grand inquisition of the county, above judge and all other officials?it should be respected as such. Otherwise it is in danger of descending from a grand inquisition to a grand farce. THE CONVICT GANG. As reported in Wednesday's issue, Township Commissioner Miller gave notice at the last meeting of the county board of commissioners, that at the next meeting he would offer a resolution providing that hereafter the convict gang be let out to the highest bidder. Just what will be the full scope of Mr. Miller's proposed resolution has not yet developed ; but unless it provides for conditions different from those under which the convicts are now working, we think it will be well for the board to proceed with much caution. unuer uio present- arrangement, me section in which tlie convicts are working is paying one-half of the expenses, and the county is paying the other half. Such an arrangement, however, is not equitable, and it should not be adopted is a permanency. The reasons are apparent. The expense of supporting the convicts is borne equally by all the taxpayers, and, there fore, all the taxpayers are entitled to the benefits to be derived. Any arrangement which enables a small portion of the taxpayers to, by contributing any amount, however large or small, receive all the benefit from all the contributions of all the taxpayers, is manifestly unfair and cannot be justified upon any reasonable basis. If it is desired to attain absolute fairness in the management of the convict gang, we can think of only two ways by which it can ^e done. One is to let the county pay all the expenses' and let the supervisor use the gang, say a month at a time, in each township, fixing up the worst places in the roads. The other is A- 1 -1 1 - ? ? ? ? *V?A V* I/*V* oof lO 1UI (JUL lUt! gang IV luc uigucov w.uv.^., with the understanding that the highest bidder is to pay all the expenses, and the county is to have nothing further to do with the matter except to exercise proper supervision. ? A correspondent of the Columbia State asks if it would not be a good idea for the legislature to require the keeping of at least one bloodhound at each county site to be used in running down criminals. The idea is all right in theory ; but in practice we fear it would prove rather expensive. Sheriff Crawford of York county, made an effort sometime back to raise a bloodhound for the purpose indicated ; but about the time he began to get the animal in good training, somebody, after failing in several attempts, finally succeeded in getting it poisoned. The sheriff decided to give up his undertaking as a bad job, and if their efforts should be combatted with the same methods that were found so' successful here, it is likely that other officials who try to keep bloodhounds will meet with the same experience. FORT MILL MATTERS. Han a Job North?Hotel Changes Proprietors?"Oat In the Streets"?Other Notes. Correspondence of the Ybrkville Enquirer. Fort Mill, October 8.?Mr. S. W. Wells, who has been employed by the Fort. Mill Manufacturine company as weaveroom overseer for the past >-"?r, has resigned to accept a position in Nortu Adams, Mass. He and family left on Sunday for the above named place. Miss Viola Cousart left on Tuesday for Columbia, where she goes to accept a position as nurse in the state asylum. Miss Lula Wolfe left on Wednesday for Concord, N. C., where she goes to attend school. The proprietorship of the Palmetto hotel changed hands on Tuesday. Mr. E. A. Hartsell, who has had charge for the past two years, has moved out, and the business will be continued by Mr. W. F. Harris, ownerof theproperty. Mr. M. M. Wolfe and family have moved from the Bradford building, on Booth street, and are now occupying one of the Springs buildings, near the depot. Mrs. Fannie Young is spending the week visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Lee, who reside near this place. The drama, "Out In the Streets," will be produced iu the town hall on Tuesday night, October 13. The proceeds are to be given to the Baptist church to help pay off an indebtedness incurred in the erection of the church building. It is to be hoped that the good people of the town and community will lend their assistance by patronizing it. Rev. J. E. Herring and Sam L. Meacbam left on Wednesday for Hickory Grove, where they go as delegates to attend the York Baptist association. Miss Mary Edmonds, who has been spending the week visiting Miss Ziza Young, returned to her home near Flint Hill church on Wednesday. Observer. MERE-MENTION. Charles F. Crisp will be the next United States senator from Georgia. It is claimed that Bryan's law partner has announced it as his intention to vote for McKinley. The general election takes place on November 3. A terrific storm swept the coast of England last Thursday, doing great damage to the shipping. There is another report in circulation to the effect that England, France and Russia have agreed upon a policy for the protection of the Amenians. Henry Watterson has returned from Switzerland for the purpose of carrying Kentucky for Palmer and Buckner. General Weyler denies that Maceo broke through the trocha a few days ago. Twenty car loads of people described as "ex-Confederates" went from Virginia on Wednesday to visit McKinley. Their fares were paid. The Florida slate election last Tuesday resulted in the usual Democratic victory. On account of the recent disastrous hurricane and the first experiment with the Australian ballot law. the vote was quite small. The executive committee of the National silver party lias it that Bryan will get 282 electoral votes, McKinley 187, doubtful 58. The Czar of Russia is being entertained in France on a magnificent scale. Justice Moves Tardily. GufFney Ledger: Some weeks ago Giles Thornpsou, un industrious Negro, was brutally murdered near his home about six miles east of this city. One man has been arrested but was released on a bond of $250, which looks like there was little evidence against him. We do not know what actiou the Union couuty officers have taken, but we have been waiting every day for Governor Evans to offer a reward for the murderer. All the people of the section are anxious to have the right man punished, and will heartily assist all efforts in that direction. South Carolina Synod. Orangeburg Times Democrat: The South Carolina synod of the Presbyterian church will convene in Oraueburg on the 27th inst. The body will be composed of about 150 or 200 delegates. We know that the homes of Orangeburg will be thrown open to the delegates, and that their visit here will be greatly enjoyed by all. This is a distinguished bodv of Christian workers, and their coming among us , will do us good. A warm welcome , I awaits the synod. LOCAL, AFFAIRS. INDEX TO NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Mrs. Mamie Davis?Refers debtors and creditors of the estate of Samuel Leroy Davis, deceased, to W. W. Lewis, Esq., as her representative as to matters connected witb the estate of which she is the administratrix. Grist Cousins?Talk about razor straps, 31.50 warranted razors. King of Siam cigars, new crop New Orleans molasses and Mocha and Java coffee. J. H. Miller, Cashier?Publishes a statement of the condition of the First Na tional bank of Rock Hill on the 1st day of October, 1896. Latimer's Bazar-Lets you know that Miss Jessie Latimer has returned from New York with a fine line of millinery and is awaiting customers. Latimer can furnish you with table crockery, and says that in a few days you can be supplied with fine shoes. The Ganson Dry Goods Company?Is offering more new bai^ains and claim that there is a bargain in everything they sell. H. C. Strauss?Invites persons who wish to view the circus parade on next Friday. to make his store headquarters for the day. ABOUT PEOPLE. Dr. Charles R. May left on Monday last /or Charleston. Miss Janie Wardlaw left Yorkville on Wednesday rooming for Edgefield, on her way home to Columbia. "Miss Pearl Williams of Yorkville, returned on Monday from a visit to friends near Newport. Mrs. Rufus Crowell of Albemarle. N. C., is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Lowrance. Mr. W. J. Branch, whose home is at Maiden, N. C., has been on a short visit to his old home 'in this county, and gave The Enquirer a visit before returniug to Maiden. SCHOOL MATTERS. School Commissioner Shurley sent off the 28th annual report of the county school commissioner last week. It was for the sehoolastic year ending November 1,1895. The t'>tal enrollment in the schools for the year was 9,981, of which 4,604 were white and 5,377 were colored. The average attendance was 3,894 colored, and 3,367 white. The number of school hours was 173?70 for Negroes and 103 for whites. There were 75 Negro teachers employed, and 122 white teachers. The Negro teachers were paid 85,460, and the white teachers $18,261.26, including about $5,000 of special taxes. On the first of July, 1896, the school fund showed up a balance of $6,854.39. The affairs of Mr. Shurley's office are in first class shape in every particular. A DISSENTING OPINION. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian, edited by Rev. W. M. Grier, D. D., dissents from one of the resolutions recently adopted by the First Associate Reformed Presbytery. Here is the resolution referred to, and following is the comment of The Associate Reformed Presbyterian : Resolved 2. That it is the duty of every session at once to proceed in a constitutional way to discipline every member of its congregation who buys whisky at a dispensary as a beverage, no matter bow moderately he may mean to use jt, and also to discipline every member who drinks intoxicating liquor as a beverage be it ever so moderately. "The intent of this resolution was, doubtless, good ; but in the heat of discussion on another resolution, which deserved the support it received, the sober, second thought of the brethren did not assert itself. The First Presbytery is a strong and influential body. It is so not simply by reason of its numbers; but because of tried fidelity to truth and its able advo cacy of it. All the more, tnererore, is 11 to be regretted that it has endeavored to advance the noble and worthy cause of gospel temperance by a measure so hasty and ill advised." TODD IN THE TOILS. J. W. Todd, a yonng man of smooth tongue and prepossessing appearance, formerly soliciting agent for the Chester and Lenoir railroad, and well known to many citizens of Yorkville, is in jail in Atlanta on charge of forgery. The story of his downfall, or rather "windup," is interesting. Presenting himself in the brokerage office of Iseman <fe Moore, in Atlanta, last Friday, the young man introduced himself as W. H. Grist of Yorkville, and fold a story to the effect that he and his wife had started for Portland, Oregon ; but on reaching Atlanta, the condition of his wife, who is afflicted with heart disease, became so critical that they were forced to abandon the trip. Therefore, it was desirable to sell the tickets, and he asked Mr. Iseman as to the price of a fare to Portland. Up to this time there had been nothiug to excite the ticket broker's suspicion ; but such a question as this naturally struck him as strange. Although on their face the tickets appeared to be all right, it was reasonable to suppose that if the young man had bought them straight, he would Snvon nrpttv accurate knowledge of their value. However, Mr. Iseman made a calculation and stated that the tickets should be worth ?127 each ; but of course he was not willing to purchase thein except at a liberal discount, whereupon Todd offered to sell the two for ?150. When Todd named this ridiculous figure, Mr. Iseman prudently decided to go slow. He suggested that inasmuch as it was then after banking hours, he would just keep the tickets in his possession and give a written acknowledgement of the fact. Todd was agreed and took his departure. The tickets were of the universal coupon description. ^Furnished to the different railroads with the names of the lines on which they are to be good left blank, the agent at a given station makes them valid by stamping on one of the coupons the name of his road, station and date of sale, and then filling in the names of the road. These tickets were signed by L. T. Nichols, superintendent of the "Chester and Lenoir railroad," and the stamp of the Yorkville agency with the date of October 1, 1896. After the departure of Todd, Broker Iseman took occasion to do some telegraphing. He inquired of Superintendent Nichols, at Chester, and Mr. H. II. Beard, at Yorkville, as to whether or not such tickets had been sold, and received answers in the negative. Further investigation developed the fact that the young man's namo was not Grist; but Todd. Mr. Beard's suspicions were now aroused thoroughly. He communicated the circumstances to Receiver Harper and Receiver Harper authorized the young man's arrest. It was while this telegraphing was still going on next day, that Todd re-appeared at the office of Broker Iseman. Broker Iseman wanted to know if he was sure that he had bought the tickets from Mr. Beard. Mr. Todd was sure. Broker Iseman said that Mr. Beard had denied the sale of the tickets, and Todd suggestted that there was a mistake. It would be a good idea for the broker to telegraph again, and. in the meantime, he would walk across to the Kimball, returning by the time the broker should get the desired information. Broker Iseman had already prepared himself for something like this. An officer had been summoned, and the officer was instructed to follow Todd. The man walked leisurely across t he street and went into the main entrance of the Kimball house. The officer quickened his pace and went around to the side entrance. Just as he got there, he met Todd com ihg out, and laying bis bana rougniy on the young tnan's shoulder, invited him to return to the office of the broker. By this time the telegram from Receiver Harper, authorizing Todd's arrest, had been received, and the young man was taken regularly into custody. He insisted that there had been some mistake, and persisted that he was innocent 1 of any wrong doing. Superintendent Nichols and Agent Beard went to Atlanta, Saturday, arriving there on Sunday. With the help.of the 1 police, they investigated the whole matter thoroughly. In Todd's room, at a boarding house, they found bis valise, and in the valise they found some universal coupon tickets and a pretty fair counterfeit of the stamp used at the Yorkville agency of the Chester and Lenoir railroad. Some of the tickets had been made out -for Los Angeles, Oal., and others for the City of Mexico. Such tickets are numbered from one on up. From the numbers, it appeared that one was missing. After careful search, the charred remains of this was found in the grate. The ink was still visible, and it was learned that the ticket?which had probably been the alleged forger's first attempt?was made out for St. Louis, Mo. Upon being confronted with the evidences of guilt, Todd tried to implicate two wellknown railroad men?Tom McCandless and S. L. Milam. They were summoned ; but they did not coborrate Todd's story. Their story was to the effect that having accepted an invitation to the young man's room, ne saiu 10 mem tuut uc iojjresented the Chester and Lenoir Narrow Gauge railroad : the road was in serious trouble financially, and that he bad been sent to Atlanta for the purpose of selling some of the tickets ; he wanted them to help him ; but both declined positively to have anything to do with any such scheme, notwithstanding his promise to divide, and left the room. The police were satisfied that Tood had committed the forgeries himself, and the young man is now awaiting the action of the grand jury. How the blank tickets came into Todd's possession is not clear. He has not said. The Atlanta papers, from which we got most of the above information, suggests that he probably had them printed. But this theory is not so plausible as another. The young man was soliciting ageut for the Narrow Gauge railroad from October, 1895, until about January, 1896. During that time he had access to all the offices along the line, and in the light of subsequent developments, it is not improbable that while he had the opportunity he laid in his supply of blanks. Since the young man's arrest, the reporter has been informed that up to a few weeks ago, he was engaged in the bucket shop business in Chester, and some of his customers are ready to believe that he fleeced them out of a considerable sum of money. The story about the sick wife recited above is a hoax. Todd is not married. LOCAL LACONICS. Until January 1897. The Twice-a-Week Enquirer will he furnished from this date to January 1st, 1897. for 44 cents. Dr. Thornweir* Lecture. Dr. J. H. Thorn well's proposed lecture on Scotland last Tuesday night was postponed on account of several cases of .serious illness iu town. II nothing turns up, the lecture will be delivered in the courthouse on next Tuesday night. Spokeu of For Judge. Referring to Judge Witherspoon's announced intention not to stand for reelection to his present position, the Chester Bulletin mentions the following lawyers who have been spoken of as a suitable successor: G. W. Gage, A. G. Brice and J. L. Glenn of Chester; G. W. Ragsdale of Winnsboro; and G. W. S. Hart of Yorkville. Down! Down ! Last Friday cotton wasquoted here from 7 to 7J. Today we are instructed to q uote from 6J to 7. .The cause of the decline, as reported from New York, are unusually heavy receipts and a rumored political crisis in Spain. It is likely, however, that the heavy receipts are figuring more extensively just now than 'the Spanish crisis. In the Court House Tard. The town council has ordered the removal of "the fountain" from the corner of Congress and Liberty streets to the courthouse yard. It will be located in the centre of the front approach to the courthouse. The change has been made for the reason that experience has demon- ( strated that the space upon which it stood ntili^tr than nrnu I ? Its IIIU1 U IICOII DUIS 1VI UHimj ?MU? ?,U> ment. . 1 They Are For McKlnley. i Nearly all of the drummers who have l been coming to this place lately have been i making it a business to talk most con- < temptuously of Bryan and boom Mc- < Kinley. But the drummera cannot de- j ceiveanybody. It is well known that, as a | rule, they work for hieh protection gold standard people, and that they are mere- . ly carrying out the orders of Mark Hanna given through their employers. , Says the Petition Has Been Signed. I Mr. R. F. Gibson of Union county, , who is an advocate of the proposed new . county with Gaffney City as the countyseat, was in Yorkville a few days ago. ! He says that over two-thirds of the quali- J fied voters of Cherokee township have ' signed the petition for an election to decide whether or not the township shall . go into the proposed new county. Mr. T. M. Allen Resigns. j Columbia Register, Friday: Mr. Allen of York, a member of the state board of . control, will send in his resignation today. J He is a member of the Associate Reform- t ed Presbyterian church, one of the pres- 5 byteries of which recently passed resolutions, condemning all conn ection with the dispensary by its members. Mr. Allen does not recognize the justice in any body of men laying down rules for the guidance of individual consciences, but being a loyal member of the church he will resign for that reason as well as for personal business considerations. Comes on Show Day. The teachers who present themselves for examination next Friday will have at least one serious disadvantage to contend with. It is the day of the circus, and as everybody knows, nothingcould be more demoralizing. But mere is no neip iorn. ?, Tbe date was fixed for the entire state and cannot be changed. UNIQUE EXPERIMENT. The reporter is not trying to be funny. This story is in dead earnest. It may , not be especially instructive; but here are the facts, and the reader may take them fdr what they are worth; ** An old Negro dropped into the clerk's office last Thursday on business. There was nothing remarkable about him except his feet, and they were of unusual size for a man of bis weight. His shoes were No. 14. Senator Finley and Clerk Wylie were in tbe office. Neither of them happened to be especially busy and they engaged the old man in good humored conversation on the subject of his big feet. It was this conversation that developed the story that gives occasion for this story. "You say you have corns," said Senator Finley. "Why don't you get some medicine and cure them up ? Get some 'corn killer.' " "Boss, I'se done tried dat. I'se tried everything and it doan do no good. Why, boss, I tried to bias' 'em out an' couldn't do it." "Blast them out! What do yon mean?" asked both gentlemen in chorus. "Why, it was dis way," exclaimed the xt ?tr * i. - i i^egru. x tuuK. a ?wi, ttu uurou uuwu in de com on dat ar foot, an' den I stuff . de bole fall er powder. I Just kep er . stuffln' in de powder until' de bole wouldn't hoi' no mo'. Den I tuck de <3 red hot poker, turn my bead off dis way (indicating to one side) and stuck de poker to it." "And what did it do?" "It jus' went 'whoofl' add didn't do nuffln'." The old Negro's name is Samson Starr, and he lives in the "Blackjacks." He offered to show Senator Finley and Mr. Wylie the place where he made his novel * experiment in blasting if they would give birn a quarter; but they didn't take him up. After he was informed as to the identity of the reporter present, he could not be induced to do any more talking. He w?s afraid it would alt get in the paper. An Encouraging Table.?A table . published by the New York Herald u, on last Sunday, estimating the result . >. of the presidential elect'on, has attraced wide attention. The table was intended, primarily, to show that McKinley would certainly be elected ; but, in making up the table, so much was conceded to the Democrats that the latter are using it as a most encouraging campaign document. The Herald coucedes to Mr. Bryan the following states: Alabama, Ar- ^ kansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington. West Virginia and Wvo ming?27 states, with a total of 210 electoral votes. Id the McKinley column tbey place Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin?18 states with 237 votes; necessary to choice 224 votes. Mlxon Steps Down. Liquor Commissioner F. M. Mixon, has banded in bis resignation to the stale board of control. The board will accept the resignations; but will take no action until the next meeting. The letter accompanying the resignation reads at follows: "It has been my desire for some months to resign my position as state commissioner, but r on account of the tnany rumors and slanderous reports in circulation, I couTd not afford to do so, preferring to wait an investigation by your honorable board. You have conducted the investigation and have exbonorated me fully from any wrongdoing, uud I now tender you this resignation to take effect as soon as you gentlemen can name my successor or in any other manner relieve me of the duties. I would be glad to have you act at as early a time as you possibly can, but I don't wish to embarrass you nor the busiuess in causing you to act hastily. Conldn't Agree. ^ The two Republican executive committees met in Columbia last Wednesday, according to appointment, for the purpose of trying to agree upon some I?ThQ UtlSin Ul 1U01VU, mo iuv?vuivuv| uvn ever, was a failure. The Melton crowd wanted four electors aud the nominee for lieutenant governor as a condition precedent to the disbanding of their organization, and the other crowd would agree to no such arrangement. Matters stand now where they did before the meeting. The Flrut New County Petition. Tne first petition for an election on the subject of forming a new coun- ? iy has been sent to Governor Evans, rhe name of the proposed new county s Salem, and it is to be formed out of portions of Sumter/ Darlington and Kershaw couuties. Reports. . YORKVILLE, October lO.-Cotton 6i to 7. NEW YORK,October 5.--Cotton 715-16. Futures closed steady; October, 7.55; November, 7.58; December, 7.71; Jan- p iary, 7.80; February, 7.84; March, 7.88 ; April, 7.92; May, 7.96; June, 7.99; sales, 502,000.