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i|e (LWd?cu?uin at? u?tuou WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13,1905. The Sumter Watchman was founded in 1850 and the True Southron in 1866. The Watchman and Soutiiron now has the com? bined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, and is manifestly the best advertising medium in Sumter. The outlook is for the best busi? ness this fall that Sumter has had in many years. . . * . The sewerage question is not dead and the men who want to be mayor Hex?, year will hate to be well posted on the subject and not afraid to de? belare their views. ft * * . It seems to an outsider that the whiskey houses could have devised a more convenient voucher for the ?se of dispensers than empty packing cases. They were the rnqst cumber? some drafts on record, but so long as they brought the money promptly the dispensers were satisfied. . . . If all the testimony taken is printed .tn the report of the investigating committee to the legislature it will make a bulky volume and the law? makers will have to work over time to read it ?lL . * ? And after all graft found a lodge? ment in the Sumter dispensary. We were led to believe that the investi? gating committee had been unable to discover anything radically wrong in the management of the local dispen? sary; and we actually had faith and nerve to congratulate Sumter that it possessed a well managed and graft proo* rum shop. But it is evident that Dispenser Windham was tarred with the same stick as the other dispensers and utilized his opportunities to aug? ment his salary by trafficking in emp? ty whiskey cases and beer bottles. We stake back all that we said a few days ago and admit that Sumter dispen? sary affairs are neither better nor worse than in other counties. The dispensary under the existing man? agement seems to be first and last a system of. graft on the side for the men who run it. The profit on the side seems to extend from the high? est to the lowest, and when the local dispensers have received a rake off amounting to a few hundred dollars a year, the big men have had their thousands. It is a system of pickings from t op to bottom and there is yet to be found the man who has not re? ceived his share. This being the case, about the only way to purge the sys? tem of graft is to make a clean sweep of all who are now responsible for tho .management of the State or local dis? pensaries and change the entire sys? tem of purchasing liquors. The foun? dation of the present system of graft Hes in the purchase and the sale of special brands of liquors in the dis? pensaries, and until the sale of case goods in discontinued the whiskey houses will continue to devise schemes to make it profitable to the dispens? ers to push their special brands. The discontinuance of the sale of special brandsN. would cut off the most profit? able graft of the local dispensers, but the purification of the State dispen? sary, where the rake off on purchases amount to thousands, if report be true, is a far more difficult matter. The Christensen-Lyons sub-commit? tee, on county dispensaries have per? formed the duty assigned them fear? lessly, thoroughly and justly . They were directed to obtain the facts ano. facts they have succeeded in obtain? ing are so complete and convincing that no one can doubt the existence of mismanagement in each and every county dispensary in the State. The cose is compl?te and if the legislature does not take steps to remedy the conditions that have been growing steadily worse for several years, it will oe because the law-makers wil? fully and knowingly disregard a plain duty. Messrs Christensen and Lyon have performed a disagreeable duty with ability and painstaking care and they merit the thanks of the people ?of the State. If the exposure of the State dispensai y shall be as thorough the investigating committee will have performed a monumental work. The announcement of Schwartz Bros. that they will hereafter close their store at 6 o'clock p. m., everj day in the year, Saturdays excepted, is the most welcome news the mer? cantile employes of this city have re? ceived since the summer early clos? ing agreement was inaugurated about eighteen years ago. The proposition that all stores close at 6 p. m.. Sat? urdays excepted, from May 1st to .Sep? tember 1st was revolutionary and at first no one would take time to con? sider it seriously yet it appealed to public sentiment and common sense alike and the custom was ?oon adopt? ed and for nearly two decades the stores of Sumter have closed at 6 p. m. during the summer months to the sat" isi'action and benefit of all concern? ed. Sumter was the pioneer in the summer early closing movement in South Carolina towns, but gradually Other towns have fallen into line and now in quite a number of towns the stores close at 6 p. m. during the summer. The movement inaugurated by Schwartz Bros. is fully as revolu? tionary as the summer closing was once considered, but it is just as rea? sonable and appeals to the common sense of those who will consider it a business proposition. We trust and believe that other progressive mer? chants will promptly fall into line and make the 6 o'clock closing unanimous. A clerk does a full day's work between 7 or 8 o'clock a. m. and 6 p. m., and there is no good reason why the stores should remain open until all hours of the night, keeping the employes on duty for twelve or fourteen hours. ? k ? There is just so much business u be transacted and it can be done be? tween 7 and 8 p. m. and 6 p. m. as well as between 6 a. mm. and 10 p. m. . . . The Schwartz plan is a good plan and we heartily endorse it. . . . The State dispensary officials must have burned all the letters that would show of evidence of graft, for no such letters have been produced. The Co? lumbia gang, are evidently smarter as well as bigger, graters, than the little box and bottle traffickers. . . ? If the farmers expect to make the demand of the Cotton Growers's As? sociation that the buyers pay a mini? mum of ll cents for cotton effective they must hold at least 75 per cent of their crop until December 1st and 50 per cent, until January 1st. By that time the world will be hungry for cot? ton and willing to pay the price the producers fix. Th?s is where the cot? ton warehouses come in. I na? Nearly all the testimony touching on corruption in the management of the State dispensary relates to Wil? liams, Miles, Douthet and other men who have been out several years and are now without power or influence in the graft machine. Where are tho witnesses to tell what Evans, Boykin and Towill have been doing in the past year or two. Ancient history is an interesting and instructive study, but a history of our own times is th? literature the people appreciate most. A two volume history of the reign oi Hub Evans would be the most popu? lar story of the year. . . . It was to be regretted that Mayor Rhett, of Charleston, found it incon? venient to attend the session of the investigating committee in this city. He may have been able to throw some light on the situation in the blind tiger metropolis, whereby we could form an opinion of the conditions that would result if the effort is made to substitute prohibition for the dispen? sary throughout the State. . .". The Cotton Growers' Association acted wisely in not fixing the mint mum price of cotton at an excessiva figure. Eleven cents, under present conditions is a fair price and the spin? ners can afford to pay it and still make money with cotton goods at. present prices. If the mill men and cotton growers will get together and cut out the Theodore Prices and sim? ilar cotton future gamblers they can regulate the price of cotton to their mutual advantage. ? . . The young men are giving liberally toward the Presbyterian College fund. The men of moderate, means in Sum? ter can always be counted on to show public spirit. The will deny them? selves to contribute to any movement that promises to benefit the town. It is this spirit that has made Sumter and will continue to keep it in the forefront of South Carolina towns. . * . There is now substantial ground for hope that the movement to secure the location of the Presbyterian college in this city will be crowned with suc? cess. The people of Sumter are begin? ning to put their heart into the wor*. and if they became fully aroused and determined to secure the college the college will come to Sumter. Men of all faiths, callings and professions have united in the effort to bring the college to Sumter and this unanimity of thought and purpose should ac? complish the task of. raising the few thousand dollars that are needed to complete the fund required. It is not questioned that it would be to the best interests of both Sumter and the college for it to be located here, and if every citizen of the town will do his part success is assured. The benefits to be derived from the college havv. ! i been fully presented heretofore, and j it is needless to reiterate them here, j In our opinion the property owners 1 and business men of Sumter could make no better investment than to subscribe to the college fund. Leaving all other considerations aside the col? lege will pay as a financial investment and it will be a perpetual advertise? ment of the very best sort 'for the city. The college will grow in size and in? fluence each year and before many have passed it will rank with the lead? ing educational institutions of the South for the Presbyterians of South Carolina have determined to make it the peer of any. Sumter can and must raise the few thousands more that are needed. It would pay yc-u to see W. H. Gra? ham's horses. They are good. 9 13-4t HESTER'S COTTON REPORT. The Yield for 1904-5 Given as 13..565, 885 Bales, an Increase of 3,551, 511 Over That of 1903-1. New Orleans, La., September 8. Secretary Hester's report was issued in full today. He puts the cotton crop for 1904-5 at 13,565,SS5 bales, an in? crease of 3,554,511 over that of 1903-4. He says that compared with last year, in round figures, Texas, includ? ing Indian Territory, has increased 708,000 bales. The group known as other Gulf States, consisting of Louis? iana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennes? see, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah ana Kansas has increased 1,106,000 and the group of Atlantic States, Alabama? Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virgin? ia, has gained 1,741,000. He puts the average commercial value of this crop at $46.31 per bale, against $61.68 last year and the total value of the crop at $628,195,359, against $617,501,548 last year and $480,770,282 the year before. Referring to values he gives de? tails of prices, showing that taking the cotton belt as a whole, the high? est figure for middlng was ll 3-16 cents per pound at the opening of the season in September and the lowest 6 1-2 cents on the 29th of December, but says that the crop as a whole av? eraged strict middling, and that the average value per pound was S 98-100 cents compared with. 12 15-100 last year. In reference to weight he puts the average per bale at 51? 5S-10? pounds, showing a gain over last year of 7 89-100. This crop, he says, is the heaviest in weight per bale of any re? corded, the best previous weight hav? ing been 513.96 in 1S98-99, the year of the largest previously reported crop. Mr. Hester remarks that while each and every crop has had its distinctive features, the story of none is fraught with circumstances more peculiar and interesting than the one just market? ed. It is not to be wondered that when in last December the agricultural de? partment put forth an estimate point? ing to more than twelve and a quar? ter million bales, a feeling akin t& panic was felt in every section of the cotton growing States. Mr. Hester recites the manner in which this monster crop has been handled; but it has practically all been marketed, avoiding a crash which seemed at first inevitable and will remain a lasting monument to the conservatism and ocoperative power of the Southern people. In this great economic struggle all elements joined in the victory. Mr. Hester makes the actual growth for the season 13,800,000, and says that the recent report of the census bureau of cotton ginned does not cover the entire growth; that all of the year's growth has not been gin? ned, full returns therefore have not been made. Mr. Hester pays a high tribute to the census bureau methods, saying that it affords a mass of inval? uable information to the cotton world superior to any that has ever been put forth, and that he is quite certain from his own private investigation and consultation with Director North that in another season the bureau will be able to give almost an exact show? ing of the actual growth. He puts the spindles in the south at 9,205,949 against 8,615,369 last year. The net gain in the humber of South? ern mills over last year has been 15, making the total now 777. Of these 709 have been in operation during the year, 38 are idle and 30 are in course of erection, 15 old and out of date concerns which ceased business, hav? ing been crossed off the list. In reference to the general cotton manufacturing industry in the United States, Mr. Hester says that Ameri? can mills, north and south, have had the most active season" on record, but while the totals show an excess in the number of bales of American cotton consumed by domestic factories of 495,000 over last season, bringing the aggregate to an amount never before reached, it is at least 350,000 bales less than it would have been with fa? vorable labor conditions. In the south the growth of spindles contin? ues on a large scale, those in active mills having increased' S23.193 and there are new mills in course Of con? struction and additions being made to old conditions embracing 520,000 spindles. Mr. Hester makes the consumption of American cotton by northern mills ? (In round fi;tares) 2.200,000 bales, j which together with 2,164,000 bales j by .Southern mills make un aggregate j for the United States of 4.364,000, against 1,950,000 for the north last year and 1.919,000 for the south, a to? tal of 3.S69.000, showing an increase for this year of 495,000. Mr. Hester puts the world's con? sumption of American cotton at 11, SS3.000 bales against 10,193,000 last year and 10,876.000 the year before an increase over last year of 1,690,000 and over the year before of 1.007.000. He makes the total visible supply ot American cotton in the world at the close of August 2.750..000 bales against 1,031,000 last year, an increase of 1,726,000 over last year. A BRUTAL MURDER. Blease Shot Coleman in tile Back as He Ran for His Life. Columbia, September 9.-There is no railroad or 'phone connection with Saluda and details of the Coleman Blese killing are unobtainable. A long distance message from Johnston says the inquest is in progress and feeling runs high. The fatal difficult}- began with a quarrel between the senator and his brither-in-law in Trayham's store. Blease reached for his revolver, but by-standers held him and told Cole? man to run. Coleman ran, but as he was fleeing Blease disengaged himself ! by a powerful effort and shot Cole? man four times as the latter ran. The Blease side has engaged practi? cally the entire bar of Saluda, while the Coleman's are contracting with members of the Newberry bar. Columbia, September 9.-Ex-Con? stable J. B. Coleman, who was shot at Saluda yesterday by his brother in-law, Senator Eugene Blease, died today. AN ATROCIOUS CRIME. Highly Respected Young Woman Criminally Assaulted Near Johnston. Johnston, Sept. 7.-Jim Padgett, a mulatto, was arrested this morning by Chief cf Police Derrick as tbe former was attempting te leave the city on the early train. Padgett is charged with an assault on a yoong white girl who lives Dear here The assault occurred on last Monday and Padgett has been in biding siDoe. After the arrest he was immediately carried to Edgefielcl and it is reported will be carried to Columbia tonight. The crime is a very atrocious one. The young girl belougs tb a highly respected family. Expressions of lynching are freely indulged iu, and and Padgett woold suffer violence if opportunity offered. It is said he mar1? a similar attempt on another vic i ii a few years ago. A bracing tonic. Cures all stomach troubles. Makep red blood, bone and muscle. A wonderful remedy for making sick people well. Hollister's Rocky Mountain Tea. 35 cents, Tea or Tablets. China's Drug Store. Master's Sale. By virtue of a Decree of the Court of Common Pleas for Sumter County, in the State of South Carolina, in the case of George G. Mayes against Lau? ra McLeod, Harvey McLeod and Mar? garet Montgomery, I will sell to the highest bidder, at public auction, at the Court House m the city of Sum? ter, in the county of Sumter, in the State of South Cs-rolina, on saleday in October, 1905, being the second day of said month, during the usual hours of sale, the following describ? ed real estate,, to wit: All that lot or parcel of land situ? ate in the town of Mayesville, in the county and State aforesaid, fronting on Sumter street in said town, meas? uring in front on said street sixty-six and two-thirds feet, and running back southeasterly the same width for two hundred and nine feet, and is bound? ed on the northwest by Sumter street, on the northeast and southeast by lands of J. E. Atkins, and on the southwest by lands of Geo. P. Ran? dolph; the said lot measuring about one acre, a little more or less. Terms of sale, cash. Purchaser to pay for all necessary, papers. H. FRANK WILSON, Master for Sumter County. Sept 6-4t Master's Sale. By virtue of a Decree of the Court of Common Pleas for Sumter Coun? ty, in the State of South Carolina, in the case of Catherine M. Werber against W. O. Cain, in his own right and as guardian, Marion Moise, William M. Cain, S. R. Cain, Carrie E. George, Helen E. Ramsey, Thomas J. Jackson, B. J. Jackson and J. B. Harvin, I will selJ,4:o the highest bid? der, at public auction, at the Court House in the city of Sumter, in the county of Sumter, in the State of South Carolina, on saleday in Octo? ber, 19?5, being the second day of said month, during the usual hom s of sale, the following described real estate, to wit: All that tract of iaiid situate in the County of Sumter, State aforesaid, containing one hundred and thirty three acres, bounded on north by lanes of H. D. Cam ?outh by lands of John J. Rowland and Isaac Bal? lard, east by estate of II. B. Cain, known as the Mill tract, and west by land of A. J. China. Second: Ail that tract of land sit? uate in said county and State, con? taining one hundred and seventy-five acres, bounded north by lands of J. S. Richardson, south by land of J. R. Cain, east by land of F. M. Mel !ett and by the estate of R. M. Cain, and west by land of J. T. Jackson. Terms of salt. cash. Purchaser to pay for all necessary papers. H. FRANK WILSON, Master for Sumter County. Sept6-4t ' . The Season for harvesting the Fleecy Staple is now at hand, and our warehouses are full to overflowing with the necessaries for that purpose. V\ e have actually in stock or due to arrive in a few days 500 Boxes Tobacco. 200 Boxes Starch. 200 Boxes Crackers. 200 Boxes Soap. 200 Bags Rice. 100 Cases Baking Powder. 100 Cases Canned Meats. 300 Cases Tomatoes. 100 Boxes Candy. 200 Boxes Cheese. 300 Bags Grits. 300 Bags Meal. 100 Barrels Sugar. 5Q Bags Coffee, 50 Cases Lye.. 50 Cases Soda. 25000 lbs Bacon. 5000 lbs? Lard 500 Barrels Flour. These and many other items too numerous to mention are what is needed for the commissarv, and there is no house in this rn/ ? section of the State can sell them any cheaper than we can, as we buy direct from packers, manufacturers and importers, in such quantities, as to insure us the closest price at which they can be obtained. FLOUR CHEAPER. There has been a sharp decline in the flour market since our last announcement which of course we follow, and judgiDg from the enormous wheat crop, we may expect to eat much cheaper bread than we did last year. ? O'Donnell & Company A NEW ENTERPRISE. Sumter Machinery Company (INCORPORATED) SUMTER, 5. C. W. B. BURNS, Pres. T. H. SIDDALL, Treas. & Gen. Mgr. DIRECTORS: W. B. Burns, C. G. Rowland, T. H. Sidda'l, Charles Dewry, Richard I Manning, Neill O'Donnell, Geo. D. Shore. First Class New Equipment for all Kinds Machinery Repairs. Iron and Brass Castings, Grate Bars and Building Irons a Specialty. Agents for Winship, Pratt, Smith, Munger and Eagle Cotton Gins, Ginning Machinery and Presses. Steam Engines and Boilers in Stock. TGive us a call and vou will be convinced that our prices are right. Shops situated on W. C. & A. R. R, east of passenger depot-one block South of East Liberty Street. R, B. BELSER. BEL R. D. EPPS.|The Carolina Sanitarium L. G. Corbett, M. D. Attorneys and Counsellors at Law. Phone 309. SUMTER. S. C. Harby Bldg. HOLLISTER'S Rocky Mountain Tea Nuggets A Bnay Medioine for Buay People. Bringa Golden Health and Renewed Vigor. A specific for Constipation. Indigestion. Live and Kidney'Troubles, Pimples. Eczema. Impure Blood. Bad Breath, Sluffsrish Bowels, Headache and Backache. It's Rocky Mountain Tea in tab let form. 35 cents a box. Genuine made by HOLLISTER DRVO COMPANY, Madison, Wis. GOLDEN NUGGETS FOR SALLOW PEOPLE Solely for the Treatment of Whiskey and Drug Habits and Nervous Troubles Detailed information upon application. 405 Perry Ave. Greenville, S. C. Wanted-To print 100,000 envelopes for business men. We buy direct from tho manufacturers and are equipped with modern machinery and new type to turn cut the oest work. Quality and prices. Osteen Publishing Company.