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c W&SH1KST?M SUBING HOLIDAYS. Social Features of the Capital and Other Matters of Current Comment. ashington,*Jan. 2.--Thesize of the wd at tho "White House on New Year's day is not always, or often, au indication of the popularity of the President. Certain o'ffieials, indeed all, are required to attend and "pay their respects to the executive head of the nation. Wind or rain cannot keep them away. Given a fair and spring like day, such as this New Year's proved to be, mach to the dismay of the weather burean which blundered as usual and predicted the night be? fore, "rain or snow," and all the strangers in Washington who have never attended an official reception will flow to thef Executive Mansion by the thousand. This is what actually did happen, and the poor public stood for hours waiting for a chance to -shake hands. Many comments were made about the excessive amount of money consumed in adding two bunga? low-like wings to the White Honse and the poor result is .seen^by the casual j observer. After ail, the ceremony at the White House on Ne* Year's is^but perfunctory ; a thing to do and get eve? with. But it is the only chance under the sew arrangements the common people have of seeing the President or tko inside of his residence. Those -who hare the wherewith all, and are in society ia Washington, manage to have a good time, if eating dinners, dressing to kill, .displaying uniforms, dancing, and attending teas can be call ed good. Those of the public who attend the j inception were rushed through the rooms between a file of police, private detectives, clerks, and other officers who kept saying; "Walk faster; hurry up;dont be so slow there!" They were even hustled out of the East Boom ?ad down the stair case leading to the hat and coat rooms as if they could not be trusted to remain five minutes to look about - But in these days of prosperity peo? ple have no right to be poor and be? long to tho rabble, even if they are tax payers. Mrs. Roosevelt assisted her husband in receiving and was very richly dressed in white satin. She no longer thinks a woman in society ?an drees on $300 a year. The dress she wore must have cost as much as that The social season opens in ^Washing? ton" after the President gives the signal, and from now on there will be a round of official dinners confined to cabinet, court, army and navy circles These are all private affairs and do sot interest the public. The cabinet entertains the President and he re? turns the compliment. Mr. Koot, Secretary of War, will give his last dinner to Gov. Taft, when that gentle? man arrives from the .Philippines to ?asume the war portfolio. . The Secre? tary of State has given a dinner to the Ambassadors; but as his throat refuses to yield to treatment, he could not swallow a morsel,, and Mrs. Hay presided. There.is "a darker side of life in Washington, as Mr. Jacob Biis, a friend of the President, has recently pointed out. If no other city has Bums to equal, those of the nation's, capital, no other can boast of a greater number of sumptions entertainments. Mrs. McLean has given a dinner dance to 100 young folks, with ac extra 100 for the cotillion, in honor of a couple of young ladies, her guests. The Barberini Palace of Rome was despoiled of its tapestries with which tolin??th?? ball-room. Mr. arid Mrs. Thomas F. Walsh, who have recently occupied their new marble palace on Massachusetts avenue, the most costly hopse in the city, have had Miss Alice Roosevelt as a guest of honor. Dancing began at 10 p. m , in the large ball-room on the top floor, sup? per served on small tables followed at midnight, with a cotillion until the B?rly hours. The favors cost a small fortune, ?Jut there are those, even in Wash? ington, who do not forget the demo? cratic poor. The president of the city hillway companies, at his own expense entertained just before New Years, at the M&SDnic Temple, a thousand' little children, whose fathers are employed fm the railways. He delighted them with presents of toys, fruits and can? dies, and gave- besides a program of tricks, songs and marionettes. At the Mt Vernon Place Church the ladies sent ont a thousand invitstins to their southern friends, and held a pure democratic reunion of representatives of all the southern states. Booths were erected and ornamented for each state, nod a delightful evening was passed by those present. Admiral Dewey was at home to his gentlemen friends on New Year's day, and besides Mrs. Dewey, had no less than thirty yoong ladies, daughters of aa val officers to assist him in the un? dertaking. Of course he won a bril? liant victory and sent the enemy's ships to the punch bowl and wine room. Mr. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who believes in expansion, bot not in equal rights for the Fili ueoos, has had a honsewarming. The .British Ambassador has been doing Washington on horseback. ; He likes the town.. There will be a vigorous if not vio? lent protest against the Panama treaty by the Democrats in Congress. In the Senate the objections which they will ea?eavor to sustain are (1) the wrest? ing of Panama from Colombia was an inexcusable outrage for which the .President and his supporters are re? sponsible; (2) the canal can never be profitably constructed along that line, France having expended the enormous jsum of 8426,000,000 and the lives of 19,000 men, and having then given it up as a bad job; (3) it is probable that the French Canal Company will io a few weeks increase their demand from $40,000,000 to $80,000,000 on the ground that the former agreement was obtained by duress; (4) when the House appropriated $10,000,000 for a country called Colombia and the Pr?sident arbitrarily writes Panama ia the place of Colombia, it closely resembles the process which in com? mercial life is known as? altering a check without consulting the drawer -of it; (5) for ten years the Nicaragua route has been preferred by civil en? gineers and publicists, has been re? peatedly recommended by committees aad the Hepburn bill providing for the construction of a canal by the Nicaragua roota passed the Honse by ?sly two dissenting votes. It will be held that the President -asarped the authority of Congress in substituting the Panama route for the Nicaraguan, and the most able and conspicious Democrats in both houses are willing to go to the people on this issue. FLUCTUATIONS IN COTTON. The Market Was Active and the Sales Are Estimated at 800,000 Bales, But the Close Was 21 to 40 Points Net Lower. Nev? York, Jan. 4.-Still further sensational ?rice changes were await? ing the Cotton trade today. Cables were very k>w, (an English cotton expert bad estimated the crop at 13, 250,000 bales, ) and while the late:*t advices concerning the far Eastern situation were more optimisttic, the uncertainty in . that respect exerted an unfavorable influence on prices. The market here opened weak at a decline of 34 to 63~points, representing from one-third to "two-thirds of a cent per pound, with March selling down to 12.60, May to 32. 88 and July to 12.90, this being a net loss on these positions of from 55 to 63 ..points. . On the decline, however, there was a good demand, with shorts taking profits, and inside of fifteen minutes tbe active months had rallied 23 to 34 points from the lowest. Trading was active and sentiment evidently very much unsettled. Trading was less active after the partial recovry, and prices showed little further changes daring the morning,* with ?the early afternoon finding the market irregular around a level from 25 to 29 points lower. Toward the close far Eastern news took a slightly less favorable turn, there were predicions that tbe census bureau reports tomorrow would make a bearish showing, buyers on the early break sold for profits, and there was more or less scattered liquidation. Ball leaders conti sued to support prices apparently, but the market showed a downward tendency and was finally barely steady, net 21 to 40 points lower. Sales were estimated at 800, 000 bales. PENITENTIARY REPORT. Columbia, Jan 4.-The report of Superintendent Griffith, of the peni? tentiary, shows that there is on band at the close of the year $28,851.13 in bank, and $7,500 available and in sight The total receipts for the year were $91,020 75; current expenses, $56,3964.4, and $5,800 for permanent improvement There are 697 convicts, 47 of whom are in the reformatory, and 85 are leased to county chain gangs There were 29 deaths during the year, 70 per cent being due to con? sumption Captain Grim th strongly recommends that a special building be erected, so that such patents may be isolated. Although the institution has more than enough money to run it for the year, it is recommended that nothing be turned into the State treasury, because about $8,000 will be needed for the consumptives quarters and more for new quarters for officers and guards, the present quarters being in a very dilapidated condition. Considering the floods and later droughts farming operations were com? paratively successful. Plenty of pro? visions were raised for the.institution and a profit was made in the cotton crop. Taft as Secretary of War. "Washington, Jan. 4.-The President today sent to the Senate the nomina? tion of William H. Taft, of Ohio, to be Secretary of War. The President also nominated Luke E. Wright, of Tennessee, to be Civil Governor cf the Philippine Islands, andx Henry G. Ide, of Vermont, to be Vice Civil Governor of the Philippine Islands. imm i ?? mm? Status of Puerto Ricans.. Washington, Jan. 4.-In an opinion by Chief Justice Fuller the sapreme court of the United States today decided that citizens of Puerto Rico are not aliens of the United States and that they are entitled to enter this country without obstruction. The opinion was delivered in the case of the Puerto Rican woman Gonzales who, in 1902, was refused admission to the port of New York on the ground that she was likely to become a public charge. The decision was based entirely on the immigration act of 1891 and took the ground that the Puerto Ricans bore allegiance to the United States and to no other govern? ment. Kingstree Jan. 4.-A fatal accident occurred here this afternoon as train No. 50, which arrives here at 6 o'clock, was moving off from the sta? tion. Mr. L. H. Parrott, of Cade's, attempted to get aboard. It had been snowing heavily all the afternoon, and ii is supposed he missed his footing and fell between the cars, the wheels passing over bis body and inflicting injuries from which be died in a few moments. No bjame is attached to the railroad. Walterboro, Jan. "1.-Near Jackson bo rc, in the lower section of the county at Jackson boro ferry, Jno. Smalls, a colored boy about ?8 years, old, was drowned yesterday. It seems that the boy was hauling lumber in a wagon drawn by an ox. When they approached the river, the ox being hot and thirsty, instead of going on the flat, plunged headlong into the riwr, some 20 or 30 feet deep with the boy, lumber and wagon. There was no one in sight except the ferryman who was some distance away. The boy and ox were both drowned before assistance could be rendered them. At last accounts the dead body of the boy had not been found. Savannah. Ga., Jan. 4.-At a meet? ing this afternoon, the Daughters of the Confederacy of this city, refused to send a wreath of laurel to lay upon tbe grave of Gen. Longstreet, in ac? cordance with the custom of the Or? der. The refusal was on the ground that Gen Longstreet disobeyed orders on the field of battle at Gettysburg. Charlotte, N. C., Jan. 4..-The Supreme Court today certified to the Governor that it had affirmed the lower Court in the notable morder cases of William Boggan, of Anson county, and Jabel Register, of Colum? bus. The Governor fixes February 2 as the date of Register' execution at Whiteville. and February 25 as that of Boggan's execution at Wadeaboro. DUN & CO.'S TRADE REVIEW. Cotton Fluctuations and Far East War Clouds Factors in the Busi? ness Situation During the Holidays. New York, Jan. 1.-R. G. Dnn & Co's.,- weekly Review of Trade tomor? row will say: Violent fluctuations in cotton and uncertainty regarding the situation in the far east were the only significant factor in the business situation during the holiday week. Numerous expressions of confidence are heard regarding the- future, however, especially at the west .and south. Manufacturing-plants have taken a longer vacation than las? year, but many announce resumption of work on Monday. Textile mills are confronted with a lack.of proper proportion be? tween prices of raw material and finished produces and it is evident that costs of production must be held down in some way or moen machinery will become idle: Transportation lines are well engaged in handling grain, live stock, fuel and lumber, while earnings thus far reported for December exceed the previous year an average of 5.6 per cent. As to the textiles, the week has only augmented unsettled conditions, es? pecially as to cotton goods. In re? sponse to the rise of raw material, sellers advanced prices, but buyers exhibited their cns tom aa ry reserve re? garding new business, and the week's trading remained within a narrow limit Failures this week numbered 232 in the United States against 298 last year. \ ?N IMPORTANT RUMOR AT COLON To Effect That Our Warships Have Sunk the Colombian Gunboat. Gen. Penzon. Colon, Jan. 1.-There were per? sistent rumors here yesterday and again today that the Colombian gun? boat Gen. Pinz?n had been sunk by American warships. There was no confirmation of the report to this time. The Mayflower, to which Admiral Coghlan transferred his flag yesterday, steamed out of the harbor this morn? ing. There are no ships of war here. Safe-Crackers in Society Hill. Society Hill, Jan. 1.- Professional safe-crackers put in some of their skillful work here last night. As a result Messrs. W . C. Coker & Son are losers to the amount of $400, cash and checks. Messrs. Coker & Son conduct a large general merchandise business Mr. A. M. Coker, the proprietor, left the store at ll o'clock, and on account of the death of a relative, the clerk. Mr. W. E Hostess, who sleeps, in the store, was not in his accustomed place. Entrance was made by a side win? dow and the explosive used was evi? dently nitro-glycerine. Nobody heard the explosion and the burglars made their escape. --Ba?- ? - ^pt State Bank Bills. Richmondj Va., Jan. 4.-Governor Montague sent to the Assembly today his veto of what is known as the State bank bill. He says: "I do nov think it in accordance with public sentiment or business policy to with? hold from our State banks the privi? lege of the issuance of notes of circula? tion. It is true that this privilege has not been exercised for many years by reason of the very large tax imposed by the National Government. Yet no one can foresee when it may be most desirable or urgent to exercise such authority. "I would suggest that if the present statute authorizing State banks of cir? culation be incompatible with any existing law, the statute be not re? pealed, but rather perfected to preserve the full power of issuance." . Jibutal, French Somaliland, Dec. 31.-The United States expedition to Abyssinia under Consul General Skin? ner, of Marseilles, has successfully carried out the principal features of the mission and friendly commercial relations were inaugurated in Ethi? opia. Consul General Skinner has been charged to deliver to President Roosevelt two lions and a pair of ele? phant tusks from King Menelik. Each member of the expedition was tender? ed a decoration. Two big moonshine distilleries were captured in the Dark Corner of Green? ville county last week by dispensary constables. At one place the consta? bles were fired upon from ambush, hut escaped unhurt after wrecking the stills. Conductor H. S. Ross was shot and painfully wounded in the face by a negro passenger whom he put off at Bowling Green, York county Saturday night. The negro, George Lee War- ? ren, was arrested the same night. The Bank of Anderson increased its capital from 875,000 to 8150,00:) on ' January 1st. Chicago, Jan. 1.-Mayor Carter H. Harrison today took steps to provide as far as possible against a repetition of Wednesday's horror at the Iroquois Theatre. As a result of an investiga? tion made at his orders, and lasting but a few hours, nineteen theatres and museums were ordered closed, some of them being among the leading and most popular play bouses of the city. The act of the mayor was based on a single violation of the ordinances, which are intended to protect the*pa? trons of theatres from just such an occurrence as that which cost so many lives on Wednesday. This was that every one of these places had omitted to supply an asbestos curtain. Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 4.-The train? ing ship Columbia, attached to the Atlantic training fleet, came up to the city today, being six dajs out from Tompkinsville. The cruiser was spoken on Sunday afternoon about seventy five miles off port, by wireless tele? graph, and was instructed by the ad? miral to come into port and not to an? chor on the outside. The vessel cross? ed the bar during the night and came to anchor. Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Lander of the Williamston Female College celebrated their golden wedding last week. They received hundreds of presents from friends and former students. CHICAGO'S ERA OF GRIME. City at the Mercy of Murderers and Thieves. Chicago, Dec. 31.-Eight murders and 114 hold-ups and burglaries in the last 60 days is the appalling record of crime in Chicago. The city is under a reign of terror. Conservative- men de? clare vigilance committees must be organized and one or more murderers and thugs lynched in order to check the desperadoes. Present conditions are declared intolerable. The police department is sb honey? combed with politics and its relations with Jawbreakers are alleged to be so close that leading residents despair of relief through that quarter unless radical steps are taken by the people for their own protection. That the police force is too small to " properly patrol the city and its suburbs is ad? mitted, but the great trouble is that many lieutenants, captains, inspectors and sergeants owe their positions not to meritorious service, but to the po? litical influence of ward leaders, ward heelers, gamblers, saloonkeepers, keep? ers of immoral resorts, bookmakers and others who hold that property is rightfully their prey-rightfully theirs by means of theft and the use of the revolver. Thousands of peaceable citizens who never carried a weapon before are , carrying arms today for self-protec: tion. In many sections of the city women are afraid to venture out after nightfall. There has been a startling increase in the sale of fire-arms lately. That the sale has not been altogether to men of good character is unquestion? ably true. Leading men declare that glorifica? tion of criminals is responsible for much of the wave of crime. Picturing the boy bandits. Van Dine, Marx, Neidemeier and. Roeski, as more, dashing and insoucient than Jesse James, Tracy,, Dick. Turpin and similar desperadoes, has stimulated the idle and the vicious to emulate the actions of the caravan robbers and murderers. The glamour put upon the deeds of the boy bandits has un? doubtedly fired the imagination of many persons who have a tendency ! toward crime. j ' Crowds have flocked to a dime, museum to to see the sweetheart of Van Dine, and she has become the greatest "attraction" the museum has bad in years. As a counter "attrac? tion" the dugout in which the fugitive outlaws made their last stand against the police is on exhibition. Usually a determined and systematic move by the police to cope with the criminals of a big city has the effect of driving the vicious element to cover and to a period of inactivity. Here the, ^contrary has been and still is the case, for since the fight with and capture of the car-barn bandits there simply has been an epidemic of robberies, murders and attempts at murder with robbery. That more innocent persons were not killed in the defense of their property or themselves was not the fault of the thugs. Before the inquests were held on the detective who was killed by the ban? dits at the Indian dugout and the rail? way brakeman who defended his train against seizure by the outlaws and lost his life highwaymen waylaid and mortally wounded a prominent lawyer who was on his way to his home in an aristocratic residence district. This was James Fullenwider, the attorney in Chicago of the Standard Oil Com? pany, who, when ordered by three highwaymen to throw up his hands, did so, but thinking he might escape, started to run to bis home, a block distant. He received a bullet in his back, which caused his death next day. His murderers fled, and the police are as yet,without clue to them. The crime was a great shock to the Hyde Park district in which Fulienwider lived, the abode of many of the leading and most influential citizens of Chi? cago. Moonshiners' Profit. An old revenue officer who has had years of active experience in raiding stills and capturinug blockaders, who had many a battle with the outlaws and heard the bullets from their guns whistle past him, who had often crouched behind the rocks and stood behind trees and who has done his share in trying to stamp out the miscreants, said a few days ago in speaking of blockaders and moonshine whiskey: "I have been a revenue officer for about twenty-five or thirty years, and have seen all kinds of service, under all kinds of circum? stances, and don't believe blockading cr illicit distilling will ever be stop? ped. The reason for my belief (and I am not the only one; is simply this: There is such a large p.ofit in the business that the temptation is too great for most of that class of people, regardless of the law, not heeding what has befallen fellow moonshiners. Even forgetting that they have once been caught or suspected, and that the eyes of the officers are on them, they go right ahead and distill the grain, j But at the same time they are on the lookout for raids and have their guns ever ready to send a piece of lead into their discoverer. They are good shots too, hardly missing when they have a fair opportunity to take*aim. "I will give you an idea of how cheaply moonshine whiskey is made and the immense profits that arc reap? ed from its sale. They take one gallon of cheap black molasses, which costs about 65 cents : two bushels of meal, costing 65 cents per bushel, and some water. This is made into a mash, allowed to ferment, and the stuff then goes through a process of evaporation. This amount of meal, water and molasses makes forty gallons of whis? key, which is sold for 82 a gallon. Anyone can see the immense profit from this illustration. "Latterly brown sugar has been used instead of molasses and is a great deal cheaper. The sugar costs about ??*? cent* a pound : there are 300 pounds in a barrel, making it cost 813.50 per barrel. An immense amount of molas? ses is made from a barrel of sugar, and the profit is almost twice as great as in using the first method. Distill? ers are captured every day, and when they are sent to prison others take their places, and thus the perpetual flow of "white lightning."-Macon, Ga., Telegraph. Comptroller General Jones has ruled that poll taxes may be paid without penalty until March 15th. DISTILLATION OF WOOD. . 1 A Number of Plants in Operation j and Quite Profitable. So great an interest has been awakened along this line, the writer feels assured that the readers of this paper will find interesting this brief sketch of the enterprise, together with i a general outline of the processes by which the many valuable products are distilled from the heretofore use? less "fat light-wood." The first plant cf which the writer ; has any record was built in 1872 by one James Stanley. This was located at Wilmington, N. C. It was not a success and in 1878 it was purchased by the present owners of the Spirittine Chemical company. In 1881 a small experimental plant was started by these people at Charleston, S. C., but was soon abandoned. The first were very crude affairs and even modeled after similar plants in Germany, Nor? way and Sweden. No effort was made to infuse the oil, their use being con? fined to the preservation of wood. The ! first company to refine and diversify the ases of the product was unques? tionably the Spirittine Chemical com? pany of Wilmington, N. C., the pioneer ! in the business. ' In a few years other plants were built and the possibilities of the business began to be recognized. Today there are dozens of plants in operation and pure, white turpentine is made by direct distillation from heretofore waste material. The oils are refined and made into wood preserves. Paint, oil, shingle stains ; rubber for insulating purposes, cable coating for rope transmission ; desinfectants ; veterinary preparations of marked. value and numerous other lines too varied to mention. Each, plant, as a rule, has its special pre-6 paration and method of operating, but the process is in the main, the same in all. I shall endeavor to give as clearly as possible the process as carried out by the most successful of the factories. ; The distillation is conducted in steel retorts ; the capacity varying with the views of the builder ; the most success? ful sizes, however, have been found to be the 10-cord ones. These retorts are nothing but huge steel sheets closed at one end and having a door at the other that can oe hermetically sealed from the rear opening. That is an opening to which is attached by flange connection a corner pipe of suitable size to carry off the resulting vapors of distillation. This pipe leads to a coil or worm of copper similar to those used in the distillation of tur? pentine by the old method. The oil is enclosed in a tank or vat, in which water is kept constantly flowing, when a charge is being run off. The retorts are set in brick work somewhat simi? lar to a boiler setting with space be? neath for fire. The light-wood is placed in the retort, the door closed and sealed with some heat-resisting substance, such as fire clay or asbestos and the fire.started in the furnace beneath the retort. The pump is started and cold water pumped con? stantly in the tank containing the worm. In a short time the product of dis? till?t- n begins to come over, and, passing through the pipe, leading to ?he worm, as vapors, become a liquid as soon as they strike the cold worm. The run is collected in tanks accord? ing to gravity, and the pyroiigenous acid,- which is a watery solution, is separated by gravity from the oil. The oil is then pumped into a second? ary still where the process of the refining is carried out and .the oil is separated into light and heavy oil. Further refining can be carried on almost aud libitum, as is the case in the refining of the petroleum. There is quite a quantity of illuminating gas generated during the process and in some plants this gas is piped under the retorts and used to aid in the distilla? tion. The writer had charge, at one time, of a plant that lighted a city of 5,000 inhabitants from a two one-cord retorts, but in this plant the oil was made into gas. The time consumed in distilling a 10-cord charge is about 32 hours. When the run is over the retorts are allowed to cool and the residue, which is charcoal, is drawn and is used for firing the next charge. This offsets the fuel bill. The amount of products from one cord of fat wood seems almost incredible to the uninitiated. If a 10-cord plant is properly constructed there thould be a minimum yield of 180 gallons of spirits turpentine and 720 gallons of Oil. The writer knows of firms engaged in the construction of these plants that build them under a guarantee that they will produce these results. Some i "'ea of the profits of these plants, may be formed when we consider that a cord of fat lightwood may be pur? chased almost anywhere in a lightwood section for not to exceed $3.50, and the actual expense of operating a ten cord plant is not over S2.50 per cord, if the plant is kept at work. This makes the actual cost of a charge $60. The products at a minimum valuation of 30 cents per gallon for' turpentine and six cents per gallon for oil, which is the price of tar, and every gallon can be sold at a plant for this figure, give us in figures $97 for each charge of ten cords, or a profit of $37.20, every 32 hours. As a matter cf fact both turpentine and oil bring much more money in the open market than the figures here given, and if. the oils are relined and put into marketable shape, such as stains for shingles, paints, etc., thc profits increase ac? cordingly. Tue cost of a ten-cord plant complete and every cord distill? ed that will produce 18 gallons of spirits of oil, is S10,OOO. This includes the right to use all patents necessary to the best results. A capital of $15, 000 is advisable, and allow me to say right here thar- the primary causb of failure ni nearly every plant that has failed has been due solely to the lack I of capital necessary to put it on a firm I business footing.-Charlotte Observer. Savannah, Ga., Dec. 31.-At a i meeting of the executive committee of I the Officers' association of Georgia ' State troops a resolution was adopted { recommending the disbanding of the colored troops of this State. The in? troduction of the resolution was at ; tended by hitter argument and was j adopted by vote of 5 to 3. - ? i - Sheriff John E. Vernon, of Spartan^ I burg, died on Sunday of heart disease. j Princess Mathilde, only daughter of ' Prince Jerome Bonapart died in Paris Saturday. THE SOUTH'S DEVELOPMENT. The Tide of Emigration from the North. Baltimore, Dec. 31.-Leading rail? road officials of the South and South? west tell in this week's- issue of the Manufacurers' Kecord a story of pro? gress and prosperity such as could never before have been presented of that section. Referring to them the Manufacturers' Record- says : " Agriculturists, fruitgrowers, stock raisers, as well as wood workers aad timber operators, are coming into the South from all sections of the older and more settled States, and the deve? lopment in every line of husbandry and industrygis proceeding at a rate never before equalled in the South. More vigorous efforts to attract out? siders are being made by the railroads than ever before, and- it would seem that fruition is at hand for the hopes that have so long been entertained for a great Southward movement of popula? tion that the rewards of work long and faithfully performed in its behalf are beheld in every part of the South in a measure heretofore unknown. All the world seems now to be in a mood to listen to the story of the great and varied resources and possibilities of the favored section and, as clearly stated by one of the leading railroad officials, WHAT THE SOUTH MOST NEEDS, now is to keep its r?sources constantly before the world and to force its pro? gress vigorously into every available market. Its rapid development will more or less depend upon the efforts of its people to advertise what they possess. The people of the South must compete for business and reach out for desirable settlers,, for upon a per? manent citizenship, possessing intelli? gence and character, depends the en? during prosperity of any section.' An? other writes: 'With coal and iron virtually in unlimited quantities? with lumber coming into the market in increasing volume month by month* with money abndant, farmers prosper? ous, a steadily increasing demand for labor and manufacturing enterprises developing in every department, I can? not see any reason to expect anything shore of the most abundant prosperity and growth beyond all precedent.' A third writes : * Aside from the certain? ty of the Sonth holding its own as a producer and manufacturer of cotton and secring its full share of the world's trade in this staple, there are other industries rapidly becoming of prime importance in Southern development Its natural resources in commercial timbers, coal, iron, marbles,, tobacco and scores of other lines are beyond computation in quality and values, and I anticipate a development in the near future which will add largely to its wealth and business influence.' "From every railroad come reports of a great increase in industrial deve? lopments along its line, an increase in immigration from other sections, and a most marked increase in the inquiry from people in the Nortjh and West and Canada, and even from? foreign lands. a_ont the advantage of ?he South, and with concerted effort at this which seems to be the psychological time in the South's material interests, tke evidences are everywhere seen that it is possible to bring a greater in? crease in immigration and a greater movement of men and money to the South than we have had in the last twenty years. "The record of the year as presented by many of the foremost railroad offi? cials of the South is one unbroken story of immigration, investment and development, and there is nothing but optimism and confidence in forecasts for the future. The good crops and the large prices that prevail have brought a flood of money into the Sonth, such as it never before has enjoyed, and piosperity is abundant and universal. "Various features of the develop? ment and progress are set forth iu these letters. Only a hint of the lactua conditions that exist can be afforded by the letters which are pub? lished, but they contain much ci instruction and suggestion. New rail? roads constructed, shipping facillities to hitherto somewhat isolated places,, the remarkable growth of the rice: industry in the Gulf Coast States, the. develoment of the fruit and trucking interests, progress in dairying and stock raising, greater activity in min? ing and oil production, more cotton acreage following the vast operations; of timber men, the growth of indus? tries and the creation and rapid in? crease of manufacturing cities all these and more are set forth in the replies here given, and form a chapter full of ia spiration and rejoicing for every friend; of the South. The conditions here revealed are likely to surprise even Southern people themselves. To those outside this section they wili prove in addition a chapter of instruction which must arouse increased interest and still further turn the stream of invest? ment and immigration in this direc? tion." . -? ? -? ?.. - - A $60,000 fire occurred in Wilson, N. ?C., early "Sunday morning. Two to ! bacep warehouses and three large stores were destroyed. Letter to Sumter Insurance Agency. ! Dear Sirs: Your business is, when a j house burns down, to give the owner i some money to build a new one. It is ! a good business. Queer that the world got on so long without it. We paint the one that burnt down and the new one too. What is better.. we paint the houses that don't burn. down. ou iYosure thc houses that burn ; wc insure the houses that don't. You have the ashes and smoke : all the houses are ours. I We paint lead-and-zinc : Devoe. We ; sell the paint to painters: we don't 1 paint. ' Lead-and-oil is the old fashion paint.. ! Devoe is zinc ground in with lead and ! linseed oil: the best paint in .tho I world : and the cheapest, because it j takes fewer gallons than mixed paints j and it wears twice as long as lead-and I oil. Nobody wants poor paint; there's ! lots of it, though, in the world. A M Griffin, Plainfield, N J, writes:: ?"Mr. Aaron Higgins, of Plainfield, I always used l? gallons of mixed paint I fer his house- Last Spring he bought ! 15 gallons of Devoe and bad 4 gallons lieft," Yours tralv F W Devoe ? Co 3& . New. York.