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Scraps and |arts. " c ? Reports from the Balkans indicate v that within a few weeks more, that " whole region will be in the terrible embrace of war. The Albanians have revolted against Turkey on account of the alleged reforms instituted by Russia and Turkey some time back, and they have commenced to fight. A dispatch of Wednesday from Salonica { represented 20,000 Albanians as having ] 2,500 Turks cornered in the town of j Babajohosi and suffering for both food } and water. The Turks are hurrying re-inforcements to the besieged army. The Macedonians are arranging for another outbreak against Turkey, and Turkey is making preparations to pro tect herself with all of her resources. ? It Is stated on high authority, says a Washington dispatch, that the Jap- " anese government, replying through United States Minister Griscom to Se- g cretary Hay, has agreed to the neu- S tralization of China, excluding Man- b churia, which Russia is occupying. Ja- e pan. it is also said, reserves the right to s counterbalance any action of Russia in a violating China's neutrality. Russia's r reply to Secretary Hay's note on China probably will be made in a few days. It will acquiesce in the prlnci- ? pie, but with certain reservations re- j, garding the Chinese administrative ^ control over the region in Manchuria p leased to Russia, or covered by the a Chinese Eastern railroad in order to c .safeguard existing Russian Interests. j ? The census bureau on Monday issued a report on the average weight of a cotton bale for the crop grown in t 1903, showing an average gross weight r of 502.1 pounds against 502 in 1902. j This figure is obtained by actual c weighing of 7,558,271 bales, 1,521 locai ij cotton weighers reporting. The aver- b age weight of commercial bales as v pressed at ginneries was 483.1 in 1903. and 479.8 in 1902; average weight of square bales 503.4 in 1903, and 502.8 in |t 1902; upland round bales 247.8 in 1903. a and 255.5 in 1902; sea island bales a 378.5 in 1903, and 385.1 in 1902. Ap- e plying these averages the bureau finds p that the cotton ginned from the i growth of 1903 up to and including c Jan. 16 last, was equivalent to 9,525,- (, 996 bales, of a 500-pound standard. r The average gross weight of a bale from states follows: Alabama, 499.6: Arkansas, 513.3; Florida, 447.1; Georgia, 492.1; Indian Territory, 508.5; a Louisiana, 504.2; Mississippi, 506.7; 0 Missouri, 524.7; North Carolina, 476.1; j, Oklahoma. 499.1; South Carolina, 483.5; { Tennessee, 517; Texas, 513.5; Virginia, v 477. ? ? A correspondent of the Cincinnati v Enquirer, cabling under date of Feb. v 14, says: I am told from an excellent e source that the whole cause of the war j, was a private ukase signed at the end j of December last, which came to the knowledge of the American embassy here, in which the emperor ordered application along the whole Manchurlan a seaboard of Russian protective tariffs, <such to take effect from Jan. 1, old style, that is to say, 13 days later, ac- j cording to our calendar. That was the 0 approximate cause of war. the self- s same one which brought about active, t so very active, pressure from the Unit- P ed States and Japan for the ratifies- t tion of treaties with China and was so ^ bitterly resented, as I have told you s over and over again, by Russia, and f which led the United States to the ac- t Mvp aunnort of Japan. This brought about the war and today leads America persistently to push for the recognition of the independence of China, the cardinal point, which means that Russia must evacuate Manchuria, the very point upon which Russia went to war with Japan. ? Already signs of conflict in the Balkans are multiplying, and if there is not serious trouble there before many weeks the best observers here will be surprised, says a Vienna dispatch of Monday. A decisive victory for Japan in Korea will make it impossible to prevent a general outbreak, and put Bulgaria and Turkey at each other's throats. The power of Russia is the only thing that has kept them apart so far. It is not believed that Russia is in a position to control the situation. The discipline of the Austrian army is in bad shape, the Jealousy between the German and Hungarian elements is growing deeper, and the Hungarian element particularly sympathizes with its fellow Christians of Europe and Turkey. There is a report that Boris Sarafoff is again in the Balkans perfecting his plans for an uprising in the spring. Bulgaria is ready and anxious to fight. Already reports come of brushes between Turkish troops and Bulgarian raiders along the frontier, and if Russia finds her hands tied by Japan the Balkan peninsula will be in an uproar in short order. ? Marcus Alonzo Hanna, Republican, fi of Cleveland, was born in New Lisbon, b (now Lisbon), Columbiana county, O., t Sept. 24, 1837; removed with his fath- a er's family to Cleveland in 1852; was e educated in the common schools of c that city and the Western Reserves college, Hudson, O. He was engaged t as an employee In the wholesale gro- p eery house of Hanna, Garretson & Co., d his father being the senior member of fi the firm. His father died in 1862 and p he represented that interest in the firm v until 1867, when the business was v closed up; then he became a member of tl the firm of Rhodes & Co., engaged in o the iron and coal business; at the ex- E piration of ten years the title of the P firm was changed to M. A. Hanna & j< Co., which still exists; he has been iden- tl tified with lake carrying business, be- e ing interested in vessels on the lakes o and the construction of such vessels. He was president of the Union Na- p tional Bank of Cleveland: president of v the Cleveland City railway, director v of the Union Pacific railway in 1885, by v the appointment of President Cleve- r land; a delegate to the National Re- p publican conventions in 1884. 1SS8 and a 1896. He was elected chairman of the tl National Republican committee in 1896 b and was holding that position at the a time of his death. He was appointed k to the United States senate by Govern- lc or Bushnell, March 5, 1897, to fill the n vacancy caused by the retirement of c the Hon. John Sherman, who resigned v to accept the position of secretary of s< state in President McKinley's cabinet; it took his seat March 5, 1897. In Jan- t( ary, 1898, he was elected for the short ?rm. ending 1899, also for the suceeding full term. His term of serice would have ended March 3, 1905. Ih? ^JorhviUr ?nquim. YORKVILLE, S. C.t FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19,1904. The feeling in St. Petersburg is rowing strong against the United States and Great Britain because it Is elieved that they instigated the pres nt war. <_>ne 01. reiersumg uggests that there win have to be nother war as the result of the one iow in progress. It is now reasonably certain that the eneral assembly will establish the mmigration bureau that has been uner consideration for some months iast, and it behooves the people to go head and make the experiment a sucess. The state can only do so much, ndlvidual citizens must do the rest. The New York stock market has een so flat of late as to suggest a eminder of a saying once made by im Fish in a similar situation. Fish om pared the market to a New Engind grave yard. Those who were in, ie said, could not get out and those rho were out did not want to get in. The Gaffney Ledger has celebrated ts 10th birthday by the installation of , Mergenthaler typesetting machine, nd the columns of its last issue gave very evidence that the course of the iaper is still onward and upward. The -edger has enterprise, courage and onviction. and these qualities are rapdly bringing to it the success it so ichly deserves. We would be interested to see a :ood strong clean man make a canvass f the state as a candidate for governr on the issue of allowing communties that have tried dispensaries and ound them not up to expectations to ote them out. How any right thinkng man can oppose such a proposition i*e are unable to understand. It inolves the very essence of civil librty, and opposition to such a demand 3 absolutely indefensible in reason or ustice. There is talk of the increasing prob.bilities of war between Great Britain nd Russia, For some time past, Sreat Britain has been making lnidious advances toward Thibet from ndia. and of late since the breaking iut of war between Russia and Japaii, he has been showing a disposition to ie more open and aggressive. Reports rom St. Petersburg are to the eflect hat Russia has all the while been ;eeping close tab on the situation, and he does not propose to show the white eather, even though she might seem o otherwise engaged elsewhere. T.he Russians are now experiencing ill the terrible trouble they have all ilong been anticipating on account ol >ake Baikal, the principal obstacle on he line of their Great Manchurian allroad. Lake Baikal is in Eastern Siberia, some 1.400 feet above sea evel and surrounded by mountains hat rise from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above ts surface. It is 370 miles long and rom 20 to 70 miles wide, with an Lverage depth of 800 feet. In places it s 4,500 feet deep. Because of the naure of the country, it was impossible o reach the desired terminus of the ailroad without going across the lake, md the only practicable method of rossing was by the use of immense erry boats. But the boats can only be ised in summer. The lake is frozen over luring the long winters to a depth of nany feet. Because of this situation, he Russians recently attempted a emporary railroad track on the ice, .nd at last accounts they were processing with the work very nicely, n order to save time last week some 00 troops started out to march across he lake: but it seems that a blindng snow storm came up, and before hey went very far they lost their ray. The story is that the troops lost heir lives to a man by freezing: but his story has not been confirmed. The "Brice Bill." Senator Brice has made a splendid Ight in behalf of local self-government; ut the whisky interests have proved oo strong for him for the time being, nd his task instead of being completd, is to be regarded as only fairly ommenced. The object of what was known as he "Brice bill" was to allow the peolo /if a (>nmmiinitv who should find the ispensary a step backward rather than orward in the scale of morality and ublic welfare to vote it out. There fas no effort in the bill to take adantage of anybody, or to interfere in he least with the fundamental rights f the citizen. On the contrary, Mr. trice's idea was to guarantee an effective expression to the desire of the maDrity and to establish beyond question he active force of what we are pleasd to believe are the inherent principles f local self-government. That alleged representatives of the eople?men who, on the stump, are font to represent themselves as serants?should see proper after being ested with authority, to assume the ole of despots and dictators, seems too reposterous for belief. But that is exctly what hiis happened. It is true hat the majority of the general assem!y did not have the honesty or courge to come out and kill the bill. They new too well the effect of such a chalmge: but in the most cowardly matter imaginable, they did what was calulated to accomplish the same result, ith less danger to themselves. They [> amended the Brice bill as to make s effect the opposite of what was In;nded. But Mr. Brice's effort has not been In vain. The advocates of self-government have a rig'ht to take hope. The coward Ice that the majority of the general assembly has shown may be taken as an acknowledgement of the justice of the proposition, and when the people of the state begin to fully realize the exact nature of the principle involved, they will speak in a way that will leave no room for doubt. THE WAR IN THE EAST. Rumors of Important Operations at Port Arthur and Along the Yalu. The news of actual operations in < the war between Russia and Japan for ' the past week or two has been confined j principally to unconfirmed rumors, i That there Is something of great im- I portance going on every day, there is , no question; but although there are | numerous correspondents on the scene, noting everything that is done it is only occasionally that these correspondents are able to communicate promptly with I their papers. From such reports as have been re- 1 ceived confirmed and unconfirmed, it seems that the Russian fleet which has been making its headquarters at Port Arthur, has been crippled to such , , an extent, that there is but little left of it. The Japs have Port Arthur 1 i guarded at sea just as the Americans ! had the Spanish cooped up in the harbor of Santiago; but the Russian fleet does not appear to be nearly as effective as was the Spanish fleet. The Russians have an effective fleet , In the harbor of Vladivostok, about one thousand miles further north. At least the fleet was there. There have been rumors of disasters to it, but these rumors have not been confirmed. Granting, however, that this fleet is still in , as good snape as ever, it is uvi icmij strong enough to cope with the Japanese fleet that is watching it. Reports of a few days ago from al1 leged Japanese sources, told of an effort to assault Port Arthur from the | sea. A heavy snow storm came up and because of it and the fierce wind the | assaulting fleet was scattered, and only two torpedo boats were able to enter the harbor. It is claimed that these boats managed to inflict serious injury on a Russian vessel; but there is nothing definite on the subject. As the situation is understood here. 1 the news of the next big battle will 1 come from the vicinity of Port Arthur. While the Japanese fleet is watching the entrance to the port, it is believed that the army is landing thousands of ' men on the coast with a view to assaulting that stronghold in the rear. 1 The Russians are also concentrating their forces to meet the expected attack and the whole situation looks very much like a repetition of Santiago. When news of the fighting comes in it will tell a story of great slaughter. This dispatch sent by a correspondent of the New York Herald from 1 Nagasaki, Japan, on Feb. 15, tells of > the situation there as the correspondent saw it at the time: i "Yesterday the Japanese soldiers on ; the point of embarkation were singing in the streets of many ports, besides those of Moji, Nagasaki and Kobe. ' "Transports have embarked troops i horse and foot and guns and more are ; going somewhere, but the Japanese cat valry horses seem hardly worth trans1 porting except to a knacker's yard. 1 Never have I seen such sorry scrub s ponies. , "There are more than a score of steam transports at Moji, among other places, and of these numbers have cleared nightly for ports toward Korea. "Today there are ten large transport J steamers at Nagasaki flying the army and not the navy transport flag. Each vessel has a gross register of about six t thousand tons. Horse boxes have been fitted on board several of the vessels and the men's quarters are most com1 modious. i "Trains arrive upon the wharves, , which, with their lines, were laid in a week. They cover a mile of ground ! formerly a marsh, but now filled up. 1 The troops are fed and marched to i their billets, and subsequently embarked upon lighters and steam launches, by which they are taken quietly to the ships. ! "I notice that the steamers besides , carrying a full complement of their own boats have each from eight to ten 1 large, strong sampans upon their ' davits. These sampans are admirably > adapted for being rowed or towed in , shallow waters or through a heavy surf. "Cavalry, artillery and infantry are ' embarking under one's eyes and going ?where I hazard to guess. "That they are not merely going to ' land at Chemulpo or elsewhere in Korea. but close to the neck of the position of their Russian foe?say by the Yalu, or, better still, within a hundred miles of the Liaotung peninsula?I ( might say, if I guessed again, but I i might be wrong. "All railway traffic toward Moji from Nagasaki has been suspended. Except 1 for the troops this has been the case for ' three days. "The Japanese fleet is t quite fit to resume action, and I am impressed with the fact that it will get all that is left of the Russian fleet without undue waiting. "Mines have been laid across Nagasaki harbor's entrance." IN GRIP OF WHISKY. Dispensary Managers Deny the Right of Local Self-Government. Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer. Columbia, Feb. IS.?The general assembly has passed what is known as the Brice bill. It started out as Mr. 1 Rrice's hill but someone said, in the progress of the discussion over the matter, that the author of the bill would hardly recognize it on the public roads. The bill started out to be a plain, open and shut proposition that if a county did not want a dispensary after trial that they could close it up by a vote of the people and get rid of it and that would be the end i of the matter. The idea was that if 1 the people decided by a vote that they did not want a dispensary that the i grant of such an expression was simply i local self-government and that nobody ! wanted to force the dispensary upon i any county. The bill as it now stands I and as it will probably be ratified pro- I vides that a county can, if it wishes i to, vote the dispensary out of its bor- i ders, but, if it does so. it must pay one- < half of one-mill upon all the taxa- i ble property in the county into a ' fund to be used by the governor for ; the enforcement of the dispensary law ' in that county. If this fund is not all used, then it is to be held in reserve, < but the tax is to be collected annually ] for the purpose of enforcing the law < in the county. As an additional inducement for the I counties to go slow, should they vote ] the dispensaries out of their borders, i they should be deprived of the major ' portion of the dispensary fund which is now annually divided for the support of the public schools. They are I to be given the amount necessary to provide $3 per pupil.which is required , by the constitution, but the bulk of the dispensary fund is to be distributed ( among the faithful counties. i The new commissioner of the dispensary and one of the newly elected poard of control were the chief spokesnen In favor of the Brlce bill with Its ax and profit bludgeons. Then, in adlition to these who are already activey connected with the dispensary takng part in the discussion in the inter;st of the bill, it might be said that :here are in the general assembly a riore or less constant following of hose who hope some day to have something to do with the dispensary. Why this is, it is hard to say and, of course, it may be proper :o say that they may really believe :hat everything that the dispensary says or does is all right, but some people, it seems, are now voting for the Jispensary and all of its wishes, who have never heretofore done so. The Charleston delegation was about the pnly delegation in the house that voted 3olidly against the tax proposition being saddled on the Brice bill, or, in other words, they thought that the governor should be the Judge of as to whether or not this tax should be imposed and that after he decided it was necessary to collect this tax, then would be time enough to collect it. This bill and the franchise tax bill have been probably the two most Important measures that have been passed at this session of the general assembly. All of the other propositions of the tax commission frazzled out, with the exception of the bill which undertakes to sandbag corporations and excuses all other classes of property from this special burden of taxation. The corporations interests seem however, to take the thing gracefully and to take the-view of it that what can't be cured must be endured, and are making the best of the situation and their only effort' was to get the levy down to as low a basis as possible. It is altogether likely that some of the corporations will throw the tax into court and this-may deprive the state of the revenue for the present year as under the bill it is contemplated that the state shall get some portion of this fund during the present fiscal year. The appropriations this year have been very much larger than last, in fact, those who have figured on the appropriation bill say that if it is finally passed as it now stands in the senate that the appropriations will be more than $75,000 in excess of what they were last year. August Kohn. DISPENSARY WINS. House Insists On a Tax on Morality In South Carolina. '> irrnonnnHonop i\i thu Vorkvill# Enauirer. Columbia, Feb. 18.?The Brice till passed the house today with an amendment which means that If York county votes out the dispensary, it will be fined about $3,000 a year. The fine provision is in the amendment of the dispensary board to the effect that counties which refuse to maintain dispensaries are to be subject to a direct extra levy of one-half mill, on pretense of enforcing the law against unauthorized liquor sellers. There was one vote that showed the actual strength of the Brice bill in the house. It was on an amendment providing that the extra levy should not be imposed except when it became necessary, in the judgment of the governor to enforce the law. This amendment was killed by a vote of 65 to 49, a majority of sixteen. Messrs. Barron, Beamguard and McCain voted for the amendment that sought to hold up the extra levy until it became actually necessary, and Mr. Halle voted with the dispensary crowd. Under the law as it now stands, elections may be held no oftener than once in four years. DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION. Bill as It Went Back to the Senate For Concurrence in Amendments. The bill provides for a department of agriculture, commerce and immigra.1 nV. ? 11 K_ - k....on nllh. I 1UI1 wiuuu SllcU J u c a uuicau ui j/umlicity. The governor with the consent of the senate shall appoint a commissioner for a term of four years. He shall have the qualifications of a good moral character, and competent knowledge of matters of immigration, agriculture, manufactures, etc. The commissioner is authorized to appoint a clerk of similar qualifications. The commissioner is to receive $1,900 per annum and his clerk $1,000, and $2,000 is appropriated for expenses, stationery and stamps. The commissioner is to make an annual report. Other state officials are required to assist the commissioner by giving information for the handbook. The other duties of the commissioner are set forth in the following paragraphs. Sec. 6. That the commissioner shall be charged with all work looking to the promotion of agriculture, manufacturing and other industries, cattle raising, and all matters tending to the industrial development of the state, with the collection and publication of information -in regard to localities, character, accessibility, cost and modes of utilization, of soil, and more specifically to the inducement of capital and desirable immigration by the dissemination of information relative to the advantages of soil and climate, and to the natural resources and Industrial opportunities offered in this state; that he shall also collect from the farmers and land-owners of the state and list Information as to lands, stating the number of acres, location, the terms upon which they may be bought, leased or shared to desirable settlers; that a land registry shall be kept, and in connection therewith, from time to time, publication shall be made, descriptive of such listed agricultural, mineral, forest a id trucking lands and factory sites as may be offered to the department for sale or share, which publication shall ho in attrnrflvp form, settine forth the county, township, number of acres, names awl addresses of owners, and such other Information as may be helpful In placing inquiring home-seekers in communication with land owners. Sec. 7. That the commissioner shall collect and collate in the form of a handbook of the state, to be issued when practicable, information showing the natural and industrial resources and advantages of the state of South Carolina, dealing with soil, climate, raw and manufactured products, agricultural and horticultural products, textile fabrics, manufacturing, industries, mines and mining, native woods, means of transportation, cost of living, the market and all material and social advantages for those seeking homes and investments in agricultural or manufacturing Industries. Sec. 8. That the commissioner be empowered to make such arrangements with oceanic and river steamship companies and immigration agencies in this country and abroad as may best serve the interests of successful immigration, the necessary expenditures being ma^ within the annual appropriation for the general expenses Df this department; provided, however, nothing herein contained shall forbid the commissioner acting without fee is the agent of such citizens of the state, who, through the South Caroli nil immigration association and tne lepartment. wish to meet excess expenses of bringing desirable immigrants to their farms or other lands, rhnt in discharge of these duties the commissioner or such person as he may select, is empowered to visit such immigration centres whenever necessary to produce the best results. Death of Rev. Churchill Satterlee. Rev. Churchill Satterlee, pastor of rrinitv Episcopal church. Columbia, lied near Augusta, Ga., last Tuesday morning after a long illness. LOCAL AFFAIRS. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Foushee Cash Store?Announces a big special ribbon sale for Monday, Feb. 22, and quotes prices to give an Idea. Ferguson & Clinton?Invite you to call on them for groceries, and say they have the best flour, bought before recent advance In prices. J. L. Guy, Blaney, S. C.?Wants to sell 300,000 shingles at J3 per thousand delivered in Torkvllle. Opera House?Announces presentation of "For the Sake of an Inheritance" at the opera house Tuesday, Feb. 23, benefit monument fund. Henry B. James?Says he will be here early next week with carload of fine mules, on which he will offer extra low prices. carroirs stables. W. Brown Wylle, C. C. C. Pis. and exOfflcio Probate Judge?Gives notice that R. R. McCorkle has applied for letters of administration on the estate of Col. W. H. McCorkle, deceased. Jas. M. Starr & Co.?Print a letter from R. N. Plaxco, which testifies to the good qualities of the Macmurphy fertilizers which they sell. J. J. Keller & Co.?Have a carload of sash and doorS at right prices. They also have new supply of paints, lime, cement and shingles. D. Wyatt Neville?Has-50,000 Oconee shingles on hand and wants to see you before you buy. Foushee Cash Store?Wants you to celebrate Washington's birthday by attending its ribbon sale. Louis Roth?Has Heinz pickles in bulk Including chow-chow, mixed and sweet pickles at 25 cents a quart. ABOUT PEOPLE. Mrs. W. O. Rawls and children, are visiting relatives at Lesslle, S. C. Miss Strauss Walker returned to Wlnthrop college yesterday morning. ivir. ana airs. ri. Cirnesi ntitui uu.v,c moved Into the Ashe cottage on Church street. Mrs. Rhoda L. Ferguson returned home yesterday afternoon, after an extended visit to her daughter, Mrs. Frank Smith in Charleston. Mr. J. J. Scogglns, who has been living at Lockhart for about four years, has returned to his old home at Smyrna, with a view to giving the farm another trial. King's Mountain Herald: The community is very much interested in the coming marriage of Mr. Luther Ware of. this county, and Miss Emma Brown of Yorkvilie, S. C., which takes place next Wednesday, Feb. 24th. They will reside at the home of the groom near Elbethel. W. W. Lewis, Esq., was in Baltimore, a few days ago and says that' the ruins are simply indescribable. He heard business men arguing as to the location of the lots on which their houses stood. The people generally, however, were holding up bravely under their terrible loss. Large sections of the burned city are roped off and closely guarded by the police and state troops, because of the many valuables among the ruins. WITHIN THE TOWN. ? Mr. J. A. Latta received a telegram this morning announcing that 128,000 bales of cotton are being exported from New Orleans today. ? Mr. W. L. Williams has purchased the Kuykendal property on Main street, now occupied by Messrs. T. W. Speck and I. W. Johnson. ? Mr. W. O. Rawls is arranging to erect a shop on the Mrs. R. L. Ferguson property, on West Liberty street. The lot was purchased by him recently. ? The matter of the erection of a municipal building is being duly investigated and it is quite probable that there will be a definite announcement at an early date. ? Constable Rose made out a case against Alfred Grler, colored before Magistrate Comer, a few days ago on the charge of buying whisky from the dispensary for minors. Grler was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of $30 or go to the chalngang for thirty days. ? Mr. W. B. Moore has under consideration the Idea of building an office In the alley way between the Loan and Savings bank and J. M. Starr & Co's. store. It would probably be as great an Improvement as was the erection of the building between the First National bank and W. M. Kennedy's. ? There has been some dissatisfaction at the proposed enforcement of the new dog ordinance, providing a licence tax of $1.00 on every dog in town whether the animal be allowed to run at large or not; but the ordinance seems to be so well sustained by supreme court decisions, that there Is little probability of Its overthrow. Tax tags and collars, however, are going out rather slowly. ? Tax payers who have not yet made their returns, and there are rio doubt yet a few, are reminded that they must attend to the matter during today or tomorrow. The 15 per cent, penalty will be attached after tomorrow night, and because of the necessity of having things in shape for the township boards of equalization without delay, the auditor cannot accommodate people who are tardy even If he would. That he would If he could, of course, goes without saying. ? Following is the cast of characters in the drama, "For the Sake of an Inheritance," or "Because I Love You," Ka *M*AOAnta/1 I*-* tl-i/a Anoro hnilQP nn next Tuesday night for the benefit of the York County Confederate Monument fund: Imogene Courtleigh, southern heiress?Miss Daisy Hart; Ginger, gypsy waif?Miss Hulda McNeel; Nance, gypsy old woman?Miss Iva Withers; Prudence Trueheart, old maid ?Miss Rose Lindsay; Horace Verner, artist?Mr. William Barnwell; Ira Courtleigh, scheming villain, Mr. Quay McElwee; Dink Potts, amateur artist? Mr. Frank Dobson; Major Duffy, Irish gentleman?Mr. Illian W. Johnson; Squire Ripley, Virginia landlord?Dr. J. B. Bowen; Buck Tyson, tramp?Mr. John R. Hart; Elmo Van Slttert, Englishman?Mr. Paul T. McNeel; Lige, negro servant?Mr. W. P. Harrison. NOTE AND COMMENT. The deaths of four octogenarians were recorded in the last Issue Of THE Enquirer. They were Col. McCorkle, Mr. Perclval, Mrs. Russell and Mr. Faris. Mr. Beamguard's bill to put state and Federal elections under the management of one set of officers has been killed. It would have reduced election expenses one-half. The section of country lying to the northwest of Yorkvllle, which ten or twelve years ago was almost a wilderness is now beginning to claim recog nitlon as one of the most progressive and prosperous portions of York county. Quite a number of comfortable homes have been erected In this neighborhood during the last half dozen years, and the prices of farm land, though still too low are rapidly advancing. The general assembly has passed a bill providing for the establishment of twelve school libraries In each county In the following manner. After a neighborhood school raises $10 through Its friends by private subscription, the trustees will subscribe another $10 from the school fund, and the state will subscribe $10, making $30 in all. Tnere is no provision lor me lucauuu > of these libraries, and Superintendent 1 of Education Carroll has been giving | more or less consideration to the matter. He thinks it will be best to have one library located in each of the nine townships of the county; but as to how the other three are to be disposed of, he is hardly prepared to say. The price of lumber has advanced more than 50 per cent within the past four years. Where good heart pine lumber could be had in almost any Quantity at 80 cents per hundred a few years ago, now ordinary old field pine is worth from $1 to $1.15 and not over plentiful at that. Poplar lumber, which a few years back, was generally rejected, Is now in considerable demand, and there are those who contend that actual tests have proved it to be bet ter for inside work than pine, and much more durable for outside work than many other more favored timbers. There is a good deal of poplar Mmber scattered about through the county; but the supply Is being exhausted quite rapidly. Cotton has been on the rise again during the past few days, recovering a part of what it lost as the result of Sully's profit taking a few weeks ago. The local bulls seem to be taking heart. One of them said a few days ago that he believed that spots would sell for eighteen cents before the next crop begins to come in. Discussing the situation, as he sees it, he said he is Inclined to lay the responsibility for the recent heavy slump on Sully of New York. He thinks that Mr. Sully only intended to shake the market a little, but he did it in such a way as to frighten the weaker ones and make a stampede that quickly passed beyond his control. "It was the New Orleans crowd, Brown and Hayne, who saved the day," the speaker went on to ob "erve. "They stepped in and shouldered the load until the tide was turned. If Brown and Hayne had also stampeded, there is no telling where prices would have gone to. The mill men generally were on the side of the bears during the height of the upward movement, but when the break came, the mill men turned over to the other side. They realize now that high cotton is a help to higher prices for manufactured goods." THE BRICE BILL. Senator Brice's local option bill was discussed in the house last Wednesday night for two hours, and the indications seemed to be that the dispensary advocates were very much afraid of it? more afraid in fact than they would have been of a bill to repeal the law. Following is Mr. August Kohn's report of the proceedings: . Senator Brice's bill on the removal of dispensaries was taken up at-9 o'clock. Mr. Dorroh moved to strike out the provision for a tax of one-half of one mill in counties without dispensaries to enforce the law. Mr. Dorroh proposed that this tax should only be Imposed if the governor deems it advisable. Mr. Peurifoy said he had heard the discussion in the senate. The bill came here with a big majority of the senate. His county was not for prohibition; he was personally a Prohibitionist He was a supporter of the dispensary. Some men abuse the board and some men say they get rich quick, but no man is guilty until convicted. Last fall nearly every man signed a petition asking for the dispensary at Saluda to be closed. He and others asked that the dispensary be closed at Saluda. All that could be said was urged to close the dispensary. That was a good board. He consulted Mr. Williams about his bill, because he regarded him as a good man and knowing all about the dispensary. This bill comes here with a favorable report. The time has arrived to perfect an Imperfect law. The state board denied the request from Saluda because of the law, which, the board said, would not allow a dispensary to be closed. He was glad he could say he was a Democrat and under that banner he fought for local self-government. He presented the Journals, showing the names of the best men in Saluda asking that this bill be passed, and similar petitions oil Avar * Vi o otofo Wo hp lieved the house would pass this bill, and he pleaded for the passage of the bill In the name of the womanhood of the state. He was a friend of the dispensary, but he wanted to exempt Saluda from the dispensary system. Mr. Towill, as a friend of the dispensary and a member of the new board of control, supported the bill. He believed It looked towards prohibition. There has been a demand from the people for some such legislation, and he favored the Brice bill, because he regarded It as the best step now towards temperance. He advocated the bill because the people want It. There has been opposition to the provision that counties with the dispensary should pay one-half of one mill tor the enforcement of the law. He believed this was right and proper. He did not believe there was a county In the State where the law was enforced. He said, in reply to an inquiry as to why the tax should be imposed before the money was needed, that he believed that liquor was the greatest curse on God's green earth, and apy people was fortunate that did not have the sale of liquor. He believed the bill was a good one* and believed it meant much to the success of the dispensary and the better enforcement of th? law. He made a vigorous plea for the bill, for the dispensary and its management. Mr. McCain doubted if the author of the original bill would recognize the bill. The senate had so anv nded the original bill as to taxing non-dispensary counties as to entirely change the bill. With the tax feature the bill was not what was wanted. Let the governor decide whether the law Is en- < forced and whether the tax is neeaea to enforce the law or not before collecting this money. He wanted to say that York has as fine citizenship as in South Carolina, whether or not the dispensary caused drinking. He thought personally he would vote to keep the dispensary at Yorkvllle, jiut that was not the principle involved here. The essence was that of selfgovernment. It would be as well to have no law, as the bill as it came from the senate with the tax amendment that came from he did not know where. He believed In majority rule and let the majority rule. We ought to carry out the will of the majority. Mr. Pollock offered two amendments. One was to have the voting at a primary. Local self-government is not in amendment to change the profits, so :hat the schools get more money, and hat would make him support the bill. The state board could not make more lecessarlly democratic. He proposed :han 10 per cent and there Is no minimum In the law. The board could make as little for the schools as It wished. Three hundred and seventyfive thousand dollars went to colleges, and he asked for more money for the schools by simply going back to the system of making It not less than 10 per cent. The common schools need fielp and need It badly. Mr. Tatum said the suggestion had been made that the bill seemed to be loaded down with amendments so as , to kill the whole thing. Mr. McCain said he referred to the 3enate. Mr. Tatum said the committee thought the counties had never voted upon this question. Four years ago there was a straight fight between proklkltlAn tko /Ilonnnoorv UIU11IU11 a>uu W1W umyviiwuiji Mr. Tatum is the newly elected com- 4 mlssloner of the dispensary and his hearty support of the bill as reported is significant The state board now has no means of telling what the people want without a vote. The moment you deny the right of the country people to vote on this question you have a fight on hand. He hoped the bill would pass. He thought the tax feature was entirely right. The sentiment in all cornties Is opposed to murder and such crimes, but it was not so as to the dispensary law. When the offer is rrade to put the tax on the counties the offer is taken up. If this tax is not imposed the law will have to be enforced out of the profits made In dispensary counties. No prohibition law will be enforced unless there are ample means to do so. Such has always been the history of prohibition. Eight of fifteen towns in Orangeburg were dry and he defied anyone to get a drink in any of these places. This is a just amendment and he did not think the criticism merited, but he wanted a fund to enforce the law. If they want prohibition let thehi pay for it. Mr. Holman rung in the blind tigers. We have a good state board of control, he said. He was on Hub Evains's side. He got everyone in a good humor. Mr. Beamguard wanted a clear-cut measure and a bill without a lot of strings. He wanted a clear-cut bill and wanted to cut the strings out. Mr. Kelly was against any measure to break up the dispensary. Pass this bill and the dispensary law will soon be a thing of the past. His people wanted the dispensary. As long as time lasts liquor will be sold in South Carolina. Prohibition is a numou; in Maine or wherever else It Is tried. This is a stepping stone towards breaking up the dispensary. Prohibition Is a miserable failure and has always been so. The dispensary law is not perfect It has enemies in every nook and , corner, and whenever the people of any county vote out dispensaries there would be ten tigers to one dispensary. He was opposed to high license. Mr. Wingo said this bill was thoroughly Democratic. It was Democratic to care for every county, to decide what it wants, but it was not Democratic to Impose the prorcaed tax because a county is to have no dispensary. It was In fact saying: "You shall have a dispensary or pay this tax!" It looks like an effort to force the people to keep dispensaries.. It was the principle against which he rebelled. Is it Democratic to vote a tax on any people without their consent? He could not tell the result of this bill, but whatever It be let the people decide. If It be the death-knell of the dispensary, then It Is the voice of the people. Is It a case of the tail wagging the dog. Mr. McGill, of Greenwood, suggested that it looked to him like an effort to cripple the dispensary. The amendments are proper and right. If you desire to kill the dispensary law strike out the amendments. He said, "They tell me they have numerous blind tigers in Greenwood." Sometimes they convicted them and sometimes they did not. He wanted the senate bill passed as amended by the committee. Greenwood ought to be made to pay for the enrorcemeni 01 me law uieic. iumvllle, Greenwood and every other place without a dispensary ought to be renulred to pay for the enforcement of the dispensary law. If you desire to kill the dispensary law pass the original bill. He had never heard of York or Marlon or Greenwood refusing their "hare of the dispensary profits at any time. ; LOCAL LAC0NIC8. Freight Earnings. The figures of the freight handled by the C. & N.-W. railroad at Yorkvllle, for the month of January, 1904, show a remarkable Increase as compared with January of last year. The figures for January of last year were 732,902 pounds, and for January of this year, 3,264,206- pounds. This Includes all freight handled, both going and coming. The number of bales of cotton handled for the period commencing Sept. 1, 1902, and ending Jan. 31, 1903, was 2,133 bales and for the same period ending Jan. 31, 1904, the figures were 4,759 bales. Death of Major T. P. Whitesides. Major T. P. Whitesides died at his home about six miles north of Yorkvllle last Wednesday night at 12 o'clock, after a long illness with paralysis. He was born within a half mile of the spot where he died, and celebrated his 80th birthday on the 14th of last month." The major was a hard worker In his day, In fact almost up to the time of Jils last illness, and his life record was that of an upright citizen who always sought to do his duty. The funeral took place at Bethany on Thursday, under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, quite a number from Yorkvllle and Clover being in attendance. There was an unusually large turnout at the funeral. The religious services were conducted by Rev. R. M. Stevenson. MERE-MENTION. A cable from Yeng Kow, China, tells of threatening demonstrations that the Russian sailors made against American sailors a few days ago. Nobody was hurt but the incident was not calculated to develop good feeling The Russian cruiser Variag, which went down recently, had 011 board about 300 torpedoes, two-thirds of Russia's available supply in the east... .March cotton sold at 12.34 on Tuesday, the lowest price that has ruled since the early part of December The Florida Limited of the train from Chicago to St. Augustine, was wrecked on the Western and Atlantic railroad eight miles from Atlanta on Tuesday. There were twelve people injured, and two of them fatally Senator Mark Hanna's private fortune is estimated as amounting to between seven and eight million dollars It is thought that Congressman Dick of Ohio, will probably be elected to succeed Senator Hanna, for the unexpired term and for the full term as well Representative John F. Shaform, Democratic congressman-elect from the First Colorado district, announced his resignation a few davs aeo because he was convinced that he had been elected by fraud. He had been a member of the house for ten years. No other congressman has ever resigned on account cf a contest so long as there remained a. chance of holding his seat Elihu Root is. being boomed for the Republican nomination for the governorship af New York....The emperor of Korea has granted the freedom of the country to the Japanese Louis E. Sears, member of the Sears Shoe Co., )f New York, committed suicide off Vliami, Fla., last Tuesday by Jumping nto the sea from a steamer A nan named Chas. Ryder of Aurora, IU? iied in Newport News, Va., on Tuesiay as the result of shock occasioned ay the news of the death of Senator Janna General Basil W. Duke of Kentucky, has been appointed as the