University of South Carolina Libraries
ftT-r-- . ? .. . _ pjBjjjj WtDNCSOAY, SEPTEMBtR 29, 1909. The Sumter Watchman was found fjd In 1810 and the True Southron In HCf. The Watchman and Southron Saw haa the combined circulation and Influence of both of the old papers, la manifestly the best advertising Hum in Sumter. What became of the $400 contrib? uted by Jim Farnum and which Jos. B. Wylie says he used to accomplish hta election as a st.it dispensary di? rector? Wylle was elected by the General Assembly of South Carolina. Doss his testimony that Farnum put up the money to Insure his (Wylle's) ejection carry with it the intimation that money was used to buy the votes Of legislators? All we have to say is that If $400 sufficed to buy an elec? tion In the legislature, the legislators ware a cheap lot sea We have heard nothing of the pro? posed railroad from Georgetown via Sumter to Blowing Rock. N. C, be? yond the meagre information con? tained la the news articles under a Georgetown date line published on Thursday. But Sumter needs more railroads and will cordially welcome oil that may oome this way. ? ? ? Since the advent of the hook worm thymol and ?poom salts bid fair to replace calomel and casuor oil as the regulation annual spring dose for s?l manner and condition of people reahllog In the South. The reading ef an article In October McLure's Magaalne is enough to start every one who haa had that tired feeling, toward a drug store for a bottle of thymol and a pound or so of salts. The pellagra and hook-worm litera? ture that Alls the magazines and newspapers these days Is- enough to give a well man a scary feeling. ? ' S t Jim Farnum would have made a snore valuable and more Interesting witness for the State than Wylle. Jt te a great pity he was not persuaded 'to turn State's evidence. As chief CnWrlbutor of grafts he had oppor? tunities for knowing who were graft? ing that no one else bad. and if he would tell sll he knows the popula? tion of the State Penitentiary wouid be considerably augmented. ? ? # g We cannot understand whj Mr. Farnum and his attorneys objected * ee strenuously to having the second i trial Immediately. He certainly could ? not hope for or desire more consider -ate .treatment than he received. i ? ' g The acquittal of James S. Farnum ?;y a Rlchland county Jury puts the mark of approval of the courts or. the cr nival of graft that disgraced and destroyed the state Dispensary. That Farnum bribed Joe. B. Wylie and that he paid him the money he agreed to pay him upon the con geusmatton of the corrupt bargain In? to which they had entered to de? fraud the State was proven beyond doubt or question, but the Jury, aerertbelvss set him free. The State of Sou4h Carolina made out the SSrwl but twelve of her citizens, sitting as a Jury. gSJCfarad that Mr Farnum was guilty of no wrong?that he was merely a shrewd, sharp business man who ktiew how to get business and ?do .led the means necessary to get ehat he was after. Attorney QewoTsJ Lyon m ide Rood. Messrs. Abney and Stevens >n made good and only the Jury sto id between the grafter and the punishment was Justly coming to him. Mr. Lyon has failed to put the atrip** on ;h, tirst gfaftef hi brought to tri ?1, but his fuibire Wtl h victory In that he produced evidence that ivmced a majority of the people of State that he had found a guilty man dragged him to the bar of justice. f\ H. Kress, the 10 cent store man, who recently bought the Whilden lot, on Main street, this city, on Thursday bought a lot in Anderson, pay Is* $14.000 for It. Op Thursday evening, Sept. 30th, Rev. 0 C. Brown will lecture at the Coin t House on his travels abroud las* .wmmcr, for the benefit of the Civic league Library. T>? statute provides that when an P) Is sent iato another State for a ga)fSH?ntr he goea as tne representative %r n?*.?ut of the Governor and that be atui'.' !>?? paid |3 p r diem and expen mt* w tve ntate. iu?vei theless Gov. Ant'1 .'i ei? i ? p?y the expense? of an om< . r pj go to Chicago for George W Mtirrsy The Sheriff has no au thorn* to go beyond the borders of too Stntc for a prisoner and the coun? ty eotomlsnoners have no authority to appmprlMte money to pay the expen? ses ?n officer who goes armed with I ho requisition Issued by the Gover Get. Ansel's attitude in the rase 1m peculiar to say the Am ofucer left Friday night for nettle. Fla., to get Mose Pier atlas HI Ptnakard. who cv.ap'd msJIe under a chaisgang sentence. Farmers' Union News ?AND Practical Thoughts for Practical Farmers (Conducted by E. W. Dabbs, President Farm erg* Union of Sumter County.) The Watchman and Southron baring decided to double its service by semi-weekly publication, would improve that service by special features. The first to be inaugurated is this Department for the Farmers' Union and Practical Farmers which I have been requested to conduct. It will be my aim to give the Union news and official calls of the Union. To that end officers, and members of the Union are requested to use these columns. Also to publish such clippings from the agricultural papers and Govern? ment Bulletins as I think will be of practical benefit to our readers. Ori? ginal articles by any of our readers telling of their successes or failures will be appreciated and published. Trusting this Department will be of mutual benefit to all concerned, THE EDITOR. All communications for tl la Department should be sent to E. W. Dabbs, Mayesvtile, S. C. TTLK DRAINAGE IN FOUR CH VO? TERS. Chapter IV. (Continued.) In the fall of 1896 1 began drain? ing part of a very fertile creek bot? tom. The field in shape, Is as fol? lows: The east side, a north and south line is 1225 feet long. The west side, parallel to the east side, Is 640 feet long; and the south side, an east and west line is 1400 feet long. The creek, nearly straight, forms the north boundary, and flows south? westerly until it passes the northwest corner of the field, after which it sweeps around to the south, and pass? es near the southwest corner, So if you plat fchis on paper, you have the shape of the field. The highest part of the land is along the margin of the creek, and at the southeast corner, and a line drawn from near the southwest cor? ner and about parallel to the creek, striking the east sldo of the field about 400 feet" south of the creek, represents the lowest part of the field. Up this line was laid the main drain. The laterals ran west and south to their Junctions with the main. The elevation of the surface of the ground at lowest end of this line, calling the bottom of the creek, at the southwest corner of the field 0.0, is T.2 feet; while the surface at the north-east or upper end of the line, is ".3 feet, and the line is 1700 feet long] so the ground along this line ha* a fall of 1.1 feet in 1700 feet. You will readily see there that to the unaided eye this field appears as an absolutely level expanse After very hard and long continued rains the '.U Id is entirely covered with water, tut the current If so sluggish that in every inundation there is a deposit of silt, and no erosion After taking such preliminary levels and measurements as were necessary to procure the above data, I was afraid to attempt this work, as I then knew of no ease wherein tile drains had b en laid with such slight inclination as would here be Imposed. However. I finally concluded to pro? ceed with the work and Inereas? the grade by laying the outlet nearly five feet below the surface, adopting i minimum grade of one in BOO. and allowing the upper ends of all drains to rise to wherever they would. The preliminary surveying consist? ed in laying off the held into squares of 100 to 200 feet on a side, and tak? ing the elevation of th<? ground at every corner of each square. This enabled me to make an absolutely correct map of the held, showing ele? vation* of the surface above the creek bed. and consequentlv indicat the positions and amount of all risi s and depressions of the surface. I could there lay down on the map the lines of drains in the most advan tigeous positions noting their length* and sizes. From the map was then takt n the estimate of til. s needed for the work. The next step was to lay out the drains on the ground Just as they were repres nted on the map. This consisted of placing two stakes at in? tervals of twenty-five feet along the lines of the proposed trenches. These stakes were not placed on the centre line of the trench, bui on an offset >f 18 Inches, always to the same side, so th y would not be disturbed by the operation of digging the trench. One I of these stakes, called the huh, had a ! iiat head which was driven flush with ' the ground The top of the hub is to furnish a definite point from which to measure, in getting the sides of the trench and also its depth. The other stake called the witness stake, has at least one flat side, and was driven t w*i or three Inches from the hub to one ?Me\ This stake is left projecting a foot or so above the ground, and on It is to be written the distance of the hub from the point of beginning the measurement at the lower end of the drain, and also the depth of the trench below the hub. This work was all completed before the tilei were shipped from the factory; s" when they arrived the wagons wer? ready to haul them directly from the car to the field, distributing them along the staked lines. Further instrumental work was running the levels in order to get the precise elevation of each hub, after which it was possible to establish the grades and ascertain exactly the depth of the trench at each hub. When the hauling was finished all the work here outlined had been done and we were ready to begin digging the trenches. In discussing each step in the work I have not taken for granted that the farmer, upon short notice, can qualify himself for acting as his own engineer ?if he can use a i^vel and from his notes, prick out a profile, so much the better?but I wanted to give him a comprehensive idea of what is neces? sary to be done in order that he may be able to prepare for the work in? telligently. Further preparations had been the assembling of the following articles: Eight tiling spades with blades 18 inches long; six common long handle shovels, three of which were narrow? ed to 5 1-2 Inches by clipping off the sides; two stout garden lines for marking the trenches; a small but ) strong fishing cord for the overhead j grade line. One grade rod 7 feet long and half a dozen other rods 2 1-2 inches short? er, the seven-foot rod being readily distinguishable from the others. These rods are simply straight pieces of wood cut to the exact lengths given. 50 stakes, A. (Fig. 1) two inches square and five feet long, made of straight grain pine and nicely sharp? ened. 20 grade boards R, half an inch thick, 5 or 6 inches wide and two feet long, on which were nailed the bat? tens C 10 prevent splitting. On the top edge of B and 19 inches from the edge of the bottom C, was driven :he small carpet staple D, through which the line F (Fig. 2) was passed. These several pieces of wood, when assembled in position, formed the ar? rangement shown in Figure 1. The ?take A was driven firmly into the ?-round about two inches from the hubs, and In lin. With them, so when the boards H were placed in position the staples I) were directly over the centre of the trench. The stakes A were driven before the digging was begun, as drlvlnr then; after opening the trench would have CflUSed the side of the trench to cave. The boards B could not be placed in position until the trench had been . ">rked out deep enough for the heads of the workmen to be out of the way. Fig. 1 shows a cross section of Un? completed trinch with a grade board in position. Fig. 2 show's several grade boards in perspective, with the open trench below. In this figure the bank of earth thrown from the trench is purposely omitted in order ' to give a view of the trench. In marking out a trench for pipes I not larger than four-inch, I stretched j my lines 16 Inches apart. Taking a staff of wood 26 inches long, I make some distinguishing mark on one end, and 10 inches from this end I cut a notch. Laying the staff on the ground J at right angles to the line of hubs, and with the marked end at the cen? tre of a hub, I drive two stakes, one at the notch, the other at the end of th?. staff and consequently 26 Inches from the hub. These stakes (a pair i opposite each hub) are thus placed 16 1 inches apart. The two garden lines ' are now drawn taut from pair to pair of these stakes, and mark the sides of the trench. The lines are left in I position until the first spading of earth has been thrown out and the sides of the trench neatly trimmed. As the workmen do not trlfn the trench exactly to the lines, the top i of the trench when finished is about > 14 Inches wide. i The grade-boards B are so placed that their top edges are exactly seven i feet abo\e the proposed grade of the i trench bottom. To got this p >sttion, i subtract the depth of the trench as marked on the witness stake from t and the difference la the heigh: the grade board should he above the hub. :"or example: the depth at a certain hub is to be 3.79 feet; then I.vO? 3.79 or 3.21 is the height in fait O* the grade-board. With a staff ;;rad uated decimally, measure u;> from the top of the hub 3.21 feet, a ad make a pencil mark on the stake A, na'ling the grade-board so its top edge will just come to the mark. Before drl.' ing your second nail level the board across the trench. After getting down to the depth of two spadings, drive the stak1 H (Fig*. 2) from which the small fishing "one W is drawn taut through th3 staples D down to another stake C Tue stakes E and G should be some twen? ty feet from the grade-boards nearer! to them, so the downward pull of the line on these two boards will not be very great. This cord has t^e ranie slope in it that the bottom of the trench will have when flnishel. That Is to say, the cord is parallel to the grade and seven feet above it, and the bottom of the trench, is to be fruna by equal measurements of sev? en feet down from the cord. The last spading is entrusted to the more care? ful men to each of whom is given one cf the rods whose lengrl. is 2 1-2 inches less than seven feet, so when they have finished their work on the bottom there are yet abau: 2 1-2 itches to be taken out. jllowinr? those men is a careful man called the grader equipped with the seven-foot rod and a scoop of fhe pull pattern. Thisi scoop cuts out a half-round groove in the bottom of the trench of the exact radius of the pipe. Standing on the unfinished bottom of the trench and facing down grade, the grader draws the scoop towards him, cutting the earth and slinging it out, until the seven foot rod, when held on the bottom of the trench, just touches the line above. By taking frequent measurements, the grader, if an intelligent workman, soon becomes very expert, and finishes the bottom very rapidly and with precision. When the earth is not too dry he will keep up with fifteen to twen? ty spades and shovelers in four f?K.*t work. In work done as I have de? scribed it, a man never places his foot on the bottom of the trench, which consequently presents a firm and even surface for receiving the tiles. L?aying the tiles after the trench has been properly finished is a simple operation, but one requiring some skill and great care. In trenches not over 3 1-2 feet deep I let the tile lay? er walk on the top of the tiles as he lays tThem. facing up grade. This has the effect of mashing any little cramhs of soil that might get into the treneh and thus give the tiles a firm and even bearing. Of course in some soft mucky soils it might he improper lo proceed in this manner, as the tiles might be pressed below grade. In this case and in deeper trenches, the ttlei may be placed in the trench, the man standing on the surface of the ground and using an implement resembling a carpenter's square. He inserts the small arm of the squaiv into the tile, and using the long arm as a handle places the tile in the treneh. E:ich tile after it is laid should be turned until it makes the best fit with the tile next below it. The joints should be made as close a? possible. The small openings thus mr>de will always be sufficient to ad? mit all the water that the drain can carry. The work of laying the tiles should proceed as fast as the trench is opened kei ping it close up with the Trader. ?n flat grades T place a scrap of cloth over each joint and imme? diately cover the tiles with a foot of the dampest soil that can he had, over which a man walks, packing it with his feet. This foot or so of soil should ! e at once placed on the tiles to pre? vent any accident that might result from caving of the sides of the trench. For ti'.es not more than four Inches in diameter a fifty-yard piece of cheap cotton cloth twenty-seven inches wide, was torn Into about 1,600 pieces a little more than three inches wide and nine inches long, which would cover 1.600 joints. The cloth bands are intended to exclude the silt until the loose earth has become Im? pacted by the rains. The work of backfilling proceeded as fast as the tiles were laid, so there was no completed trench left open on stopping work for the night and the end of the drain was securely closed by placing a brick or other ohpect against it. In the work of draining this field no departure from the original plan was made; hut during the progress of drainage work, any deviation from the original plan such as changes of alignment, depth, etc., should be at once recorded, and after the work is fin'shed the plat should be amended or a new one made, showing the work as It actually exists in the ground. I do not consider that this field Is Well drained, as it is a clay soil and the drains are from 80 to 160 feet apart. My intention has been to lay intermediate drains, bringing all the work to 80 feet Intervals; but the laying of these has been put off in consequence of the condition of the creek lower down in its course over which I have no control. The good PE-RIHA USED FOR KIDNEY MM. Gen. A. F. Hawley, cf Wa&Mmg* \ton, D. C, writes: ??/ have used Pe? runa and find It very beneficial j/or kidney trouble, and especially good for coughs, colds { and catarrh? al truub' les." i Gen. A. P. Hawley. Kidney Trouble for Nearly Thirty Years. William Bailey, Past Col. Eue. No. 69, Union Veteran Legion, and prom Inently identified with many of the great lavjor protective associations in Chicago and New York, and secretary of one of the largest a*soeiati.?ns in the former city, had for nearly thirty years been afflicted with kidney troubles. Within a short period he has been persuaded to try Peruna, and his present healthy condition is attributed to his Judicious use of that great remedy. Washington climate is notoriously bad for kidnoy and liver troubles, yet by a judicious use of the remedy he is now quite cured and in excellent physical condition. This brief statement of facts, without exaggeration or hyperbole, appears to tell the whole story, which the Peruna Company is authorized to use, if it so chooses, believing, as I do, that by so doing it will be for the general good. William Bailey, 58 I St., N. E., Washington, D C. Kidneys Affected?Back Weak. Mr. M. Broderick, Secretary and Treasurer Local Union No. 406, Inter? national Brotherhood of Teamsters, writes from 435 E. 46th St., Chicago, 111., as follows: **l have been suffering from a weak back and kidney trouble for some time, and have been able to find relief only throngh the use of Peruna. "During the winter season I usually keep a bottle of your medicine in the house, and by taking a doee at night I am feeling fine the next morning. "Some of my friends assure me that Peruna is equally as good for their var? ious ailments as It is for my complaint: but I do know that for kidney trouble and suffering from a weak back it has no equal." Cold Settled In Kidneys. Mr. Joseph Klee, 215 East 4th St., Topeka, Kus., writes: "My wife took Peruna for liver trouble and a run-tiown condition incident to the same. A few bottk-s built up her health and strength. "I took Peruna for a cold which set? tled in my kidneys, giving me mnch pain. In two wee Us I was much better, and in a few months I was well." for Liver and Kidneys. ^ Mr. W. H. Armistead, Cumberland ? C. H., Va., writes: "Your Peruna has cured me of chronic catarrh of long standing I thank you so much for your advice. I think it is a great medicine. It will do all that you recommend it to do. Besides, I can recommend it to cure all liver and kid? noy troubles." 4M Chronic Kidney Trouble. Judge C. J. Park, R. F. D. 1, Buck head, Ga., writes: "For a long time I was troubled with catarrh of the kidneys, and after taking Peruna I feel like a new man. I think it the greatest catarrh medicine of the ai.e, and believe it will cure any case o^ cat an'i ol record." W I effect of the limited amount of wor I; I done has, however, exceeded my ex I pectations. Though the land is rich, I up to the time of draining, I had nev I er made a profitable crop on it, and I there had been many crops lost on it I before it came into my possession. The year after draining, half the I field made as much as a bale of cot I ton (500 pounds) to the acre. The I other half, though more fertile, made I not more than a bale to three acres. I In the operation of thinning the en I lire crop was left of a uniform thick I ness in the drill, which afterwards I proved to be too close for the cotton I on the more fertile part of the field I where it shaded the ground too I much. The boll weevil took posses I sion of the more shaded, and conse j iiiently damper part of the field, I ruining the crop. I The next year the field was plant d in corn, and produced about 1400 I bushels. No fertilizers have ever I a en used, hut the field has cont.a l I ed to produce profitable cropsi, Thi^ I spring the excessive storms broke th ? ovo on the canal Hooding the c**op I eleven times, which had the effect of I itmitin;: 't; and now, eis 1 write rhw I last I'r.ee (Auer. 29) the crop, after Ian unprecedented drought though small, is holding its color and still fruiting nicely. I The manner of doing the work of 1 underdralnlng as I have described it. I la just ai I have done it and am now doing it. I have followed the m* thod of having four men on each trench, I and during the rainy season, if the I men possess some skill, it has several I advantages over my present way of I doing. As only a few feet of the I trench are open at a time, the sides I of the trench are not so apt to cave, and the soil is never so wet as to in? terfere with the work The first I spading works the trench down about 18 inches, and the loose earth la J thrown out With C >rr.mon shovels. A second man follows, and with a sim? ilar spade works the trench down IS I inches deeper. Facing down grade, he spades a distance of four or five feet, and then with the scoop already mentioned, throws out the loose earth. The third man, standing on the bot? tom thus formed three feet below the surface and also facing towards the I outlet. CS using a graJe rod to check his work, spades down to within two or three inches of the grade. He, like the second man, spades a distance of five feet, and throws out the loose earth with his scoop, which he then uses to bring the bottom to the exact grade. The fourth man, standing on the surface of the ground, lays the tiles and fills the trench. It is seldom necessary for the workman to place his foot within a foot of the bottom of the trench. I once had f^ur men whom I taught to work in this way, and they, working together could av? erage seventy-five feet per day to the man in stiff clay soil. When following \Qjjm itif! this method of trenching it is neces? sary to place the grade line to one side, as it would he in the way if placed directly above- *-he trench. It then becomes necessary use I grade rod, in shape resembling ' capital letter T with a small level fixed to the cross bar. The level en? ables the workman to hold the cross? bar in a horizontal position and con? sequently the stem of the T in a ver? tical position. Otherwise, the devi< would not give correct measurements! When the upper edge of the cross? bar is at the line the lower end of the stem is at the grade. The cost of underdrainage will de? pend, of course, upon the cost of the tiles, the co?t of labor, the etficienc' of the workmen, upon the amount hr* work you are willing to put upon an acre, and upon the nature of the soil. In figuring this cost for yourself you are enabled to us - the result e| my own experience when I say that I have completed from forty to s veri? ty-live feet per day to the laborer, ffl^ in stiff clay soil, and all three and one-half feet deep. The work includ? ed dining the trench) laying the tiles and back filling. The difference in the amount of work done depended llmoat entirely uopn the difference in skill of the laborers. Much of the laj bor that I have employed has been the most unskilled class. Many of the men had to be taught the use of the spade, and after acquiring some degree of skill, would probably leave and go to other work where tin would perhaps get less pay. Reeenti I have been getting the work done in clay three and one-half f. et deep at a cost of two cents per foot when the men were paid seventy-five cents per day. The labor required for tile draining^ should be classed as skilled labor, mMxM the shifting element that comes and Roes, such as we are too apt to got here, is ill-adapted to such work. I am informed that two cents per lineal foot for three and one-half foot work is considered a reasonable pri< in Illinois, the men getting $2.00 vi day. Such is the difference betweel skilled and unskilled labor. The man getting $2.00 per day must complete 100 feet of trench per day. The skil? led men, however, do not complete the back-filling. They only put in soil enough to secure the tiles in rfg? sltlon The cost per lineal foot of th? back-filling must of course be added to the two cents to get the total cost per lineal foot of the work. It would be well to state here that these items of cost apply to tiles of not more than four inchos diameter. For si zee above this the trench would need to somewhat wider.?Jesse G. Whitflel Demopolis, Ala., in Southern Cultlva tor. a 1 Policeman J. C. Crumpton, of Winnsboro, who killed Joe Murphy, was founel not guilty. M