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j = W The New Bill Passeu T>y tho Recent Legislature. A Bill to provide a systcu^of County nAiwrimnnt fur til ft SfiVLTill couu" ties ot the State. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same : Section 1. That from and after the 1st of January, 18U5, all Acts, parts of Acts or sections of the General > Statute relating to the election, duties powers and rights of county comt missioners be, and the same are hereby repealed, except such special , Acts, parts of Acts or sections of the General Statutes as have heretofore conferred special powers and privi leges upon the county commissioners of any county, which said duties are developed upon the county supervisor and county board of road commissioners as hereinafter provided. Section 2. There shall be an election held at next general election for t State officers in the several counties of the State for one county supervisor, and at every general election thereafter, whose term of office shall be two (years, and until his successor shall have bceu elected and qualified. Section 3. The county supervisor so I elected shall, before entering upon ' the duties of his office, execute a bond for the use of the county, with three or more sufficient sureties for the nav47>rm<tiir'A of his duties, in 1 tfrlXIXJL U1 |;viiVl 14.U..W the penal sum of live thousaud dollars, said boud to be approved in manner the same as now provided for bonds of county auditors and treasurers. Section 4. The county supervisor shall have general jurisdiction over all public highways, roads, bridges and ferries, and over the paupers, and in all matters relating to taxes and disbursement of public funds for county purposes in their respective counties, and in any other ease that maybe necessary for the internal improvement and local concerns of their respective counties'; said supervisor shall have power and authority to administer oaths to any person in reference to matters appertaining to his office. - - mi - n okoil Section 0. JL nttl U1U vxuvemui ouuii appoint, upon the recommendation of the Senator and members of the House of Representatives from the respective counties, three discreet free-holders in each township in the several counties of the State, who shall be known as the township road commissioners, whose term of office shall be coterminal with that of the Governor by whom such commissioner shall have been appointed, and until their successors are appointed and qualified. In case of a vacancy or in case of the refusal of any person so appointed to serve as such commissioner, the Governor shall fill the same as hereinbefore provided : Pr< .ided, that no person shall be required to serve more '* "? "flovc on/1 tiian once in uvcj\ iuui >..? said commissioner shall, during the term of his office, be exempt from all road and jury duty. Section 6. That all the duties, powers and privileges now devolved upon the township board of assessors be, and the same are hereby1, devolved upon the township board of commissioners, and township board of assessors are hereby abolished. Section 7. That all the duties, powers and privileges now devolved upon county boards of equalization be, and the same are hereby, devolved upon the county board of commissioners, and said county board of equalization is hereby 'abolished. And the mem* ~ " * * 1 /? bers of said board, wnne pcnormiug the duties now devolved upon the county board of equalization, -shall receive the sauie compensation as such boards now receive. Section 8. That the county supervisor, together with the chairmen of the township boards of commissioners in the several townships appointed by the Governor, shall constitute the couuty board of commissioners, of which said board the county supervisor shall be chairman. Section 9. That immediately after the appointment of the several boardof township commissioners, and the election and qualification of the county supervisors, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, the said supervisor shall call a meeting of the county board of commissioners fortbe purpose of organization. And the said board shall meet thereafter on the first Monday in January, April, July and October of each year at tiic county CoGrt House, for the transaction of business, and a majority of said board shall constitute a quorum : Provided, that the chairman of said board may call an extra meeting at any time, and shall be required to do so upon the written request of three members of the board. That at the first meeting of said board they shJl elect one of their number who shall be a member of the State board of equalization and who shall perform all the functions of said office as now provided by law. Section 10. That it shall be the duty of the county supervisor, together with the chairmen of the boards of township commissioners, townshi] road commissioner, to lay off into convenient sections the roads, bridgci anri fprrips iii the several township* in their respective counties, which said sections shall be numbered foi the purpose of letting out the same tc be worked and maintained under con tract. Section 11. That if the count} board of commissioners conclude tt adopt the contract system for working maintaining, constructing and opcrat ing the several sections of highways roads, bridges and ferries in the sev eral townships of their respectiv< k counties, the county supervisor, a: $r' soon as practical thereafter, .shall ad vertise in a newspaper published ii the county once a week for thre< weeks and by notices posted in two o: more conspicuous places in the sov cral townships, for bids from respon ' ' tho u-nrL- :1! S1DJ6 persona iv> v.... above set forth. Any and all bid: made shall be in writing, sealed ;iih adddrcssed to tlie county supervisor aud by him opened and submitted t< the county board of commissioners and it shall be the duty of said boan to accept the lowest bid made by a re sponsible person or party : Provided that said board may in its discretioi reject any or all bids. Scction 12. When any bid shall have been accepted by the county ' board of commissioners they shall require the person pr party whose bid, with pood and sufficient sureties, shall have been accepted to enter into Vmixl double the amount of said bid, payable to said board and their suc, cessors in office, for the use of the comity, which bond shall specify the nature of the work required, conditioned for the faithful performance of the same. Section 18. In case of the failure of any contractor to perform the conditions of his bond the county board of commissioners shall declare the same forfeited, and the circuit solicitor shall enter suit in the name of said board upon said bond for the penalty thereof, and any sum of money recovered in such action shall be paid into the county treasury and become a part of the county road fund. Section 14. The county board of commissioners shall have power to remove any and all defaulting contractors and to relet the section or sections of highways, roads, bridges I nr forrins so let to him to some other responsible person or party. Section 15. The county treasurers of the several counties are hereby authorized and empowered to receive from any and all persons liable to road duty in the several counties the sum of two dollars as a commutation tax in lieu of all road duty required by law, and all money so paid shall be set , apart and known as the county road fund: Provided, that said commutation tax be paid between the first day < of November and the first day of March in each year for that fiscal year, or when State and county taxes are paid, and that the county treasurer i I sh:ill furnish a receipt to the person so | ; paying the same. I; Section 16. The county troi; . -er i shall furnish the county supervisor a list containing the names of all persons who have paid their commutation i tax. and the chairman of the township' board of commissioners shall also pre- i pare and furnish to the supervisor a ; list of all persons liable to road duty in their respective townships, and the : said supervisor shall check off the ; names of all such persons reported on < the list of the county treasurer as < having paid their commutation tax, and all persons whose names shall re- i main on the list so chccked shall be i required to perform road duty, not exceeding in the aggregate six days; < said persons shall not be required to work more than three days in any one ' week, and shall be assigned to such i duty by the county supervisor under 1 one of the contractors in the town- i ship having under control the section : or sections nearest the residence of such person or persons: Provided, j that in those counties where the contract system is not adopted said persons shall perform the work under road overseers, to be appointed by the : board of township commissioners for each township, under the provisions : of existing laws. Section 17. It shall be the duty of i the contractor of any section to re- : ceive such person or persons assigned to him under Section 16 by the coun- i ty supervisor, and he shall allow to ; the county board of commissioners a sum not less than fifty cents per diem for the labor of any such person or persons, and said sum shall be cred- i ited upon the amount due or to be- i come due said contractor by the said j board. Section 18. In case of the refusal of any person or persons to pay his or their commutation tax as herein pro* vided, within the time prescribed by this Act, and upon refusal to perform the road duty required by Section 16 of this Act, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon convicI t-inr, he fined ten dollars and costs, or imprisoned in the county jail for the period of twenty days : Provided, that if any person liable to road duty neglects to pay his commutation tax within the time prescribed "by this Act, the county treasurer is hereby authorized to rcceive the same, with a penalty of 50 per cent of said amount added : Provided, the same be tendered within fifteen days after the expiration of said time. Section If. All accounts, claims ! and demands of whatever nature exI isting against the county for opening, constructing, maintaining and operating any public highway, road, bridge or ferry, shall be presented to the county board of commissioners duly attested, and if approved by said board : I the county supervisor shall draw his | I warrant upon the county treasurer, i I under the seal of the county board of j 1 commissioners, for the amount o" ::tiy : ' such cLim or claims, which w 'lit sh.ill he count< rsigned by the > < re-i tary of the board, and the same shall j i be p;.id by s.tid treasurer of ihc conn- j ; i ty road fund. Section 20. A?iv willful neglect of ' I duty on the par. of r.ny member of the ; I county board of commissioners shall ' be deemed a misdemeanor, punishable j | by a fine not exceeding one hundred j [ dollars or imprisonment not exceeding j ' one year. Section 21. The county board of J . commissioners shall, at the last term of <lie Court of General Sessions in ' each year, make a report to the pre, siding Judge, to be by him submitted . to the gr^nd jury, of all their actings j ; and doings, containing an itemized | ; statement of all amounts ordered to j ! be paid by them, the condition of t'lie j public highways, bridges and ferries j , in theif respective counties for the ! . fiscal year, and all matters appertaining to the same." Section 22. The members of the i county board of commissioners shall have power to administer oaths to all . j persons appearing before them, and to j } punish by line not exceeding ten dol- ! . | lars, or imp.isonmcnt in the county j 2 jail not exceeding twenty-four hours, $ any and all persons guilty of disor. derly conduct amounting to an open x or direct contempt or wilfull iuterrup2 tion of their proceedings. r Section 2:5. That i'rom and after the ; - passage of this Act all the Courts of ! - | this State and municipal authorities. s j which under existing laws have power i s i to sentence convicts to confinement in 1 J prison with hard labor, shall sentence , able-bodied male convicts to hard lad | bor upon the public works of the i , I county in which said person shall have j 1 born convicted, and in the alternative j - to imprisonment in the county jailor , State Penitentiary at hard labor: | a Provided, That municipal authorities : may sentence convicts to work upon j j the streets and public work of the tli municipality in which they have been so convictcd, and such convicts wlicn so sij sentenced shall work under the dircc- au tion and control of the municipal authority imposing sentence. Provided, 1. That no convict whose sentence shall ro be for a period longer than two years cu shall be so sentenced. St Section 24. That all convicts so th olioll Virt niiflpr sjinpr- X vision and control of the county su- tc pervisor and by him formed into a eu county chain-gang and required to per- cl< form hard labor upon the public high- 5. ways, roads, bridges and ferries or b>' public buildings in the county; he ju shall direct the time, place and man- ri< ner of labor to be performed by said su chain-gang: Provided, that said chain-gang shall not be worked in ju connection with or near any road con- be tractor or overseer. tit Section 25. That the county board ce of commissioners shall diet and pro- Ji vide suitable and efficient guards and of appliances for the safe keeping of said th convicts. They shall likewise pro- du vide all necessary tools, implements so and road machines for performing the TOftvl- mmiirnrl flf said convicts, all th costs and expenses of which shall be an paid out of the county road fund in po the same manner as other charges co against said fund arc paid. th Section 26. That in case any con- sh vict or convicts so employed by the tr( county supervisor shall become un- co governable or unfit for the labor re- bo quired of such convict or convicts, ] the said supervisor may commit such iff; convict or convicts to the State Peni- ec tentiary or county jail. And it shall by be the duty of the superintendent of tin the Penitentiary, or the sheriff of the cei county, as the case may be, to receive all any such convict or convicts so committed. When such chain-gang is not co employed, or when convenient and re( practicable, they shall be confined in bo the county jail for safe keeping under afl direction of said supervisor. to Section 27. That the county board tie of commissioners shall be authorized no and required to employ a physician or }J0 physicians whenever necessary to ch render medical aid to sick convicts ty and to preserve the health of the ] chain-gang. The fees and expenses Co: of the same, as well as for medicines nn prescribed, to be paid out of the road sai t'und as other claims arc paid against sa; said funds. ex Section 28. The county board of Co commissioners have general super- or vision over the paupers and the poor ea< house and farm of the county, and the th said board shall provide all necessary pr buildings for the accommodation of Co the poor of the county, with sufficient tillable land to give employment to all th paupers able to work, and said build- pe ings and lands shall be designated as Co the poor house and farm of the county, du Section 21). That said board shall -wl be empowered to make all necessary hr rules and regulations for the govern- su ment of the county poor house and an tarn), to appoint a supennienuuiii, su with audi assistants as may be need- to ed, to provide means for the employ- sh ment as may be best suited to the in- (Jc mates of the poor house, to see that every pauper able to work is employed, gy and to appoint one or more physicians sh to the pooor house, who shall furnish trc medical aid to the indigent sick:. th Section 31. The county board of ag commissioners shall have power to demand, sue for and receive all such ty gifts, legacies, .fines, forfeitures and rei all other moneys or things which may in, be given as coming to the use of the ra; poor. all Section 32 In case any poor child bo or children shall be, or bccomc, sa chargeable to the county the county jn board of commissioners may bind out any such child or children as an ap- j)a prentice to some person of good moral vii charactcr until such child, if he be a sa male, shall arrive at the age of 16 years, and if it be a femalo until she A< arrive at the age of 14, or shall marry, pu Tbe said board shall have power to te: bind out to service, under some per- sh son of good moral character, any ille- bo gitimate child or children likely to th become chargeable to the couuty or th liable to be demoralized by the im- ti< moral conduct or evil example of their th mother or other persons having them as in charge, in the manner and for the p0 time prescribed for pauper children, to and they shall have power to issue allj su necessary writs to enforce the provis-1 ions of this section. j W( Section 33. Any money becoming j due on any recognizances given for j of the maintenance of any illegitimate j child or children, if such child or J re children shall be bound out to service, j shall be paid to and received by the i su supervisor, to be invested and ex-1 sh ponded by him under the order of the j A IVobatc Court for the benefit of such j kc illegitimate child. I so Section 34. The county board of 1 ?8 commissioners shall have power to ! make all contracts in reference to in supplying the poor house and inmates | jn thereof, repairing buildings and other | tli necessary expenses incident to the ! th care and maintenance of said poor co house and farm. Where any contract co sliiill exceed the sum of twenty dollars co section ou. J lie county uwiiiu *.u vv commissioners shall, at the; last term St of the Court of General Sessions .in each year, make a report to the pre- of siding Judge, to be by him submitted ai to the grand jury, of all their actings and doings for the fiscal year, containing an itemized statements of all d< amounts ordered to be paid by them, gi with a list of inmates and the condi- sc tion of the poor house, farm and in- pi mates. I>; Section 37. The caunty supervisor hi shall procure and adopt a seal, and w when so adopted shall cause a descrip-' e;i tion thereof, with an impression there-! to from, tube filed in the office of the clerk | of court and of the sheriff, treasurer and : b} Secretary of State, and the same shall j 4( they shall advertise and receive bids c0 for same, and shall accept the lowest co bid from a responsible person. c0 Scction 35. All accounts, claims ! co and demands of whatever nature i co against the county in reference to the j co poor house or farm for the mainte- of nance and support of paupers shall be I ! <! presented, duly attested, to the board \ Li of county commissioners and be by j in them audited, allowed or rejected, and j ri< P.*.. .imnnnf of ,i II V r-1 :l 1111 sn ;i 1 lrl i f l?fl ; bf 1U1 (ItUV/Uil v V? ?% ? J VtMlMl MV .w and allowed the county supervisor be shall draw his warrant, under the seal of the board, upon the county treasurer, countersigned by the secretary ?l of the board who shall pay the same out of the pauper fund of the S] county. SI 'ni.- 1.. i j .e cm ???i?C??M?M????? ereupon be the seal of the supervir, and all orders or other papers gncd by said commissioner shall be i ithenticatcd by the othcial seal. Scction 38. Each county shall pay : The fees of the grand and petit jurs while in attendance upon the Cirlit Court. 2. Witnesses' fees in the ate cases for actual attendance upon < c Circuit Courts as provided by law. 1 Fees of physicians and surgeons < stifying as experts before the Cir- i it Court. 4. Fees of sheriffs and ' Drk of Court as provided by law. I Fees of county coroners as allowed 1 law. 6. Fees or salaries of trial stices and constables. 7. The sala- < 28 of auditor, treasurer and county i pervisor as provided by law. Scction 39. That the fees allowed < rors, constables and witnesses shall 1 paid bv the treasurers of the coun- < !S. on the presentation to them of I 1 rtificates signed by the presiding 11 idge and countersigned by the clerk i the court, or be received by him in 1 c payment of all county taxes, when < ly approved by the county supervi- J r. t Section 40. That the accounts of 1 e coroner and sheriff and supervisor < d physicians' or surgeons' fees for < st mortem, shall be approved by unty board of commissioners, and ] e supervisor, on their approval, < all draw an order upon the county 1 iasurer for the payment of the same, i untersigned by the secretary of the i ard. i Section 41. Sheriffs, deputy shcr- < s, coroners and constables shall ex- 1 utc all legal orders to them directed the boards herein provided for, or ' e chairman thereof, and shall re- < ive therefor the same fees and costs I ' l owcu in otner eases. Section 42. That the reports of the J unty treasurer and other officers now * juired by law to be made to the 1 ard of county commissioners shall, < :er the passage of this Act. be made < the county supervisor, and all set- J Clients by any of the. county officers 1 w required to be made with the I ard of ( ounty commissioners or its 1 airman shall be made with the ioun- 1 supervisor. i Section 43. The county board of ] tnmissioners shall prepare an esti- ^ ite of the amount of money neces- < ry to pay the expenses incurred by s id boards and for ordinary county 1 penses and report the same to the 1 unptroller General of the State, on ? before the 15th day of November of ? ch year, to be by him submitted to ' e General Assembly in order to i ovide the necessary taxation for 1 unty purposes. ] Section 44. In case of the failure of 1 r> rrmntv sunervisor to faithfully i rforin the duties of his office or the nditions of his bond, it shall be the ty of the solicitor of the circuit in lich such supervisor shall reside to ing an action upon the bond of said pervisor in the name of the county, d any amount realized from said it shall be deposited in the treasury the credit of the road fund, and all receivc therefor such fees as the iurt shall designate. Section 45; That the salaries of the pervisors in the several counties all be paid quarterly by the county ;asurcrs out of the county funds, in c same manner as other claims ainst said county are paid. Section 46. That it shall be the duof the county supervisor to cause a Dord to be kept of all the proceed- 1 5s of the board of which he is herein I ide-chairman, as well as a record of 1 I contracts entered into with said i ards, as provided in this Act, which < id records shall be open to public 1 spcction, and all necessary books d material for keeping same shall be i id for out of the funds herein pro- ] ded for the respective boards in the me manner as other charges are paid, i Section 47. That so much of this < st as applies to the working of the iblic highways by the contract sysm and by convicts in chain-gangs all not be obligatory on such county ] ards of commissioners as conclude at the present system of working < e highways in their respective coun;s is more conducive to the welfare 1 ercof ; and in such cases overseers, now provided by law, shall be ap- ! inted in each township by the , wnship board of commissioners for ch townships, who shall execute the , ivs now of force in reference to the irking of public highways. Section 48. That said county board commissioners at their first meeting all elect one of its 111cmWs as secL wtrj" iiiviv^uj. Section 49. That the salary of the pervisor in the respective counties all be as follows: In the county of bbcvillc, ?900; in the county of Aim, $800; in the county of Andcrn, $U00 ; in the county of Barnwell, 00; in the county of Beaufort, 00; in the county of Berkley, $500; the county of Charleston, $1,000; the county of Chester. $800 ; in e county of Chesterfield, MOO; in e county of Clarendon, $800 ; in the unty of Colleton, ?800; in the unty ?f Darlington, $000 ; in the unty of Edgefield, $800; in the unty of Fairfield, $650; in the unty of Florence, $500; in the unty of Georgetown, $750; in the unty of Greenville, $600 ; in the unty of Hampton, $600; in the nnfv nP TTnvrv. $500 : in the county Kershaw, $000 ; in the county of incaster, $800; in the county of lurens, $000 ; iu the county of Lexgton, $000; in the county of Maui, ?800; in the county of Marl>ro, $700; in the county of Xewirry, $750 ; in the county of Oconee, iOO; in the county of Orangeburg, >00; in the county of Pickens, 00; in the county of Richland, 100 ; in the county of Spartanburg, .,000; in the county of Sumter, ,000; in the county of Union, !00 ; in the county of Williamsburg, 100; in the County of York, $500. Section 50. That all Acts and parts Acts inconsistent with this Act be, id the same is hereby, repealed. ? Late photographs of the moon | :velopcd by the astronomer photo- i apher of the Pesth Academy exhibit | mie unaccountabic peculiarities. The [ ate shows hundreds of walls or em- j inkmeuts seemingly about 200 feet gh and from 12.) to 2U0 yards in [ idth on top. They run parallel to ' tcli*other and appear to be from 1,000 i 1,800 yards apart. ? The Chinese language is spoke n r the jrreatest number of people, over )0,000,000. ' j 1 : " ' - > ?? ?i?jc.nr-.mjM??? BILL AIUVS LETTER. Bill is Down In Florida, Telling Snake Stories. Atlanta Constitution. Clear Water Harbor?It is a glorias comfort this winter weather to bask in the sunshine of the gulf by lay and luxuriate in the moonlight on V.? T.tmma l\ir iiinrlif n -ronnrlnr flint HUYtO k/Jf lu^sli Vi V TIVI??V* V"?% Tom Ochiltree was inspired to say to the yankee lady at Galveston, who vas in ecstasies over our moonlight: :<Ah, madame, you should have seen >ur moons before the war." We do lot know what kind of weather you lave had the past week in north Georgia, but it must have been right jitter, for it is cool enough here to jnjoy fires in the early morn, and ;hcse people are apologizing for it as /hough they were afraid the weather irould hurt our feelings. This delightill climate is a good part of their japital stock, and always will be. Money is nothing when compared with *ood health, and I ruminated over ;his when.nil night long I heard the jonsumptives coughing in their berths )n the sleeper as we came down, rhey were coming to Florida to die or * * .1 ? i? m. ~ pernaps prolong uieir lives. luwiui; jlimate is good for all lung diseases or bronchial affections I have no doubt, 'or the grip has certainly left me since ny arrival, and the little orphan, for ffhose sake we came, seems like a new ihild. She is bright and happy all ;hc time, and has ceased to cough. iVe were all caught in a hard rain at Tampa, and I was alarmed for the ;hild, but no harm came of it. Yes;erday we came over here from Tampa jy private conveyance, thirty miles, [t is only half that distance by a straight ' line, but Tampa bay was between and we had to circle its northjrn boundary. We could have traviled by rail, but it was 120 miles by Lacoochee and ten hours' lay over ;here, or we could have gone down to 3t. Petersburg by boat and from there jy rail next morning, and so we choose die piney woods, and were delighted vith the journey. It is a beautiful oad, about eight feet wide and quite irm for a sandy country. It is wide jnough, for the houses are ten miles ipart, and we passed but one vehicle ;h? entire journey. At some places die bay is in view, and at others there ire small lakes, with white cranes idorning them for ornaments. We saw fox squirrels and quail along the 1 J L. oad and ran upon two Duzzaras who vere * greedily dissecting a monster attlesnake, that somebody had killed ihe day before. The girls wanted the attles, but the driver had no knife ind I would not put mine* into the renomous carcass. Its head had not seen mashed and was as large as a aiscuit, nor was there any sign to show how it had been killed. No ;racks of feet, no stick, no stone. U ;he buzzards did not kill it, it must iave been shot from a vehicle, for wc lid meet some Tampa hunters, one ol ivhow told us he shot a rattler thai liad seventeen rattles, and left him in the road. The one we saw had only seven, but rattles do increase in numbers as the story is repeated. A day's journey through these piny woods is krcry monotonous. We longed for a change of scenery, a hill, a creek, a few rocks or stones, a noise, a habitation, with dogs to bark. At one house where there was a luxuriant orange ;rove we stopped to inquire the way md the whole family came to th( front. I have no idea that the children had seen any strangers in i month, and it was a feast to them The house was a miserable hovel, bul it was a shelter, and that is all thai the avcraae piney woods settler wants But, as we neared the gulf, we founc some pleasant homes, and a bettei class of people. I said to our host, "what is the name of the man whe lives three and a half miles from here in a larsre white house ? He came t( the gate and took bis hat off to the ladies, as we stopped to ask som< questions." "Oh, that is little Dan McMullen,' said he. "There is little Dan and bij Dan and Uncle Dan and some othei Dan, and there is Jim McMullen ant Jimmy McMullen and Jimmy Jin McMullen and a few more, but no Jiu Jams. They are all clever people who camo here before the war, anc have multiplied and named most oi the boy children Dan or Jim." Clear Water is a hamlet of three oi four hundred people. It is 011 a bluf that is from twenty to thirty feci above the water, and overlooks th< little islands and the dark greer waters of the gulf that lie bctweci and beyond the:. This bluff is orna mented with a dgrowth of moss covered ouks and hickories, while jusi behind them are the beautiful home: of wealthy people who winter there All around are orange trees laden witl golden fruit, fruit that is not enougl ' * 1 1 *? U tor sale, but aounuant iur usu. i ruu almost every residence there is a plan! staircase descending to the beach ant a walk to a bath house that is a hun drcd yards out in the water. Boat: are near at hand for rowing or ridins or sailing at your pleasure. The wharf is still farther from the shore and from there you can see the por poises turning their suunnersault: among the schools of mullet. One oi them was shot this morning and brought ashore?a huge black monster with a snout and teeth just like { long-nosed hog. Tarpons arc caugh here, and sharks arc not uncommon in the passes between the islands. Bui these sharks arc notnianeaters, thougl I heard that a boy made a narrow escape from one last summer. Boy* frequently go in bathing near tin islands while the sharks are in sight, and it is easy to drive them away. Ii fact, everything is afraid of liumai kind, except when driven by sonn hard necessity. I don't believe in tin horrible narratives about lions ant bears and sharks and snakes. Clear water is a very old place thai has recently taken on new life oi account of its health and beauty oi location, and its summer breezes thai blow softly from the gulf. These wealthy people represent nearly as many States us there are homes on thr bluff. They arc kind and courteous, and seemed pleased to oiler to us the privileges of their bath houses. Most of them are past middle ag?i and haw retired from active business. Thcii houses and grounds are beautiful, bul there is no ostentatious display and no frigid seclusion. There is a shell r." | mound near the bluff that occupies nn ?/?? ? aP ?haii n A knf if TO auuuo au ai.iv; ui ^ivuuuj MUU AW i gradually disappearing, as the shells are taken away for paving streets and fr other uses, The origin of this mound . is hidden away back in the centuries when the Indians were lords of this ei land and this was their seat of gov1 ernmcnt. Tho-ruins of Fort Harrison tl are very near a fort that our govern- g( ment established during the Seminole ' war. All this region for some miles around is rich in soil, much richer ^ than the piney woods. In fact the It pines are scarce and in their stead are seen oaks and hickories and palmet- (j) toes and a growtli of chapparel that is almost impenetrable. Everything seems strango to those who have not visited Florida. A fh stroll along this bluff with the beauti- w ful houses and groves behind you and the green sea of waters before you, and the shell covered beach below P( you, with the balmy breath of the of tropics inflating your lungs, one feels' like lie has just found the fairy land ^ that we read about in our childhood. , I think that I shall buy a lot here and get somebody with Aladdin's lamp to build me a house in a night. No, I or won't either, for I am happy where I p live and I don't see anybody who is happier even in the gorgeous halls of a Tampa Bay hotel. It is well to -J ?:? iv.i T, auuiire everyiiujug tuiii/ ia uu.iuuuui, ?/< but fine homes and gardens and sylvan views do not bring contentment, thought they may conceal the skeleton that is in the closet. As we journeyed from Lake City to Tampa along the si Florida Central railroad we were tl charmed with the lakes and groves that alternated that beautiful country. When we rode around Tampa with our hospitable friend, Mr. Fall, we were P1 charmed again. Our stay at the Pal- oi metto house was made pleasant in C( every way, and now we are delighted here. But with all this I am not happy?delighted, but not happy, for my home is broken, my loved ones c< 1 scattered and when I return it will fi 1 still be broken, for some will remain here, and that little child who is my comfort and delight will soon forget 113 me. I sing the old song m "This world i9 all a fleeting show 11 For raan'a illusion given." \ Bill Aep. i Origin of the Jnry System. A ' * _ w Certain customs of the ancient Eng- tl | lish town meeting are believed to have ti a connection with the origin of the jury, says the Detroit Free Press. An n injured person would stand up before tl | the meeting and state in a formal man- tl ner a charge against his supposed in- p( , jurer. The accused person would deny t .in a formal way the truth of the y 1 charge. Each party would seek to es- ? I tablish the truth of his statement by ? calling upoxj his supporters to joir f hands and swear to the truth of hib i| word. The one who could get twelve I ' men to swear with him would usually | ?, ! carry the voice of the meeting and a] win the case. The twelve men who I' > swore together the same thing were aj 1 not jurors, yet the custom is supposed \ to have some connection with the origin of juries. When William the j ! Conqueror with his army entered ! England, in 1066, and finally settled j? J down to rule the land, he, in order to ' secure information as to the condition ^ i of the kingdom, demanded a general survey and census of the realm. One \ method employed jvas to require p twelve men of the neighborhood to I give facts under oath. Finally from ^ r this usage of gaining information ' i there grew up in courts the practice j ] of deciding disputes by the the same f( J agency. > Rural claimants to an estate were i decided by the oath of twelve men j ( and men were presented to the court g for trial by the oath of twelve men. J Trial by ordeal and trial by battle were a 1 also methods of deciding cases by ^ 1 twelve sworn witnesses. It was when 1 other ways failed that the ordeal was j ordered. The English method of trial j p by witnesses or jurors, called com pur- ^ gation, was extended to the surround- ?( ' ? A n 4mio 1 V,tt Kntfla , [ | llJg UUUUbljr. /IB l-IIC L'HUl IJJ uavtiv E j and the ordeal was discontinued the 6 j custom became universal of forming a j | jury of twelve men to decide the guilt j I or the innocence of the one presented Q - j for trial. This body was called a petit ^ " | jury, in distinction from the larger ^ j body which made the accusation or in- q | dictment. In the time of Edward III c i [ 1327, witnesses were added to the 11 jury. One hundred years later the 1 j witnesses were no longer added to the c I ! jury, but were examined and cross-ex. j amincd in open court. Jurymen used j f, i! their own knowledge of the facts in j 5 j making up their minds until 300 years ^ : I later, when they were required to de- + I cide wholly upon evidence given in ^ j open court. The jury system was F transplanted to America from Eng^ land. Some of the States have abol- ' | ished the grand jury ; in some a grand r t jury may be composed of only five j; i persons. In some of the States juries k of a less number than twelve j( 1 are authorized in some of the lower a courts. c Can Look in and See Ills Heart Boat. ^ A rcmarkai.MO case was presented tn li ? the students of Starling Medical col- o ! lege a couple of weeks ago by Dr. Lov- li ' | ing. The patient had been subjected ii , to an operation for pleurisy by a Buf- s I falo physician, and five ribs in front 1 : I and four in the rear were removed. k ' The left lung was1 entirely gone ; an a : | open cavity extended through the j \ II chest. The heart was iaiu bare, cov- ! t ; creii only uy tne i)cncaraium and i t : could bo clearly soon pulsing in its % ' normal activity. Dr. Loving stated a that there was probably not another < case like it in tht: United States. : iio x man is 38 years old and kin fai-ly 1 [ good health, it is a ninrvr,. <hnf. l-e i.-i i 1 alive.?Cleveland Lcodrr. \ i i 'j&a All Sorts of Paragraphs. . ? Palm leaves on'the Amazon are om 30 to 50 feet long. ? A Frenchman has produced leath which looks and feels like velvet. ? Tt, is estimated that the land in , le United States is worth $12,500,M),000. ? One of the oldest markets in the nited States is at Alexandria, Ya. , was built in 1750. ? The population of Italy is very . Jj jnse, there being 270 people to every luare smile of territory. ? A loaf made from two pounds of < )ur will weigh 2 pounds 8 1-2 ounces hen taken from the oven. ? An ant's brain is larger in projrtion to the animal's size, than that ' any other creature known. ? "Rv t.hfl invent,inn nf a woman. ireads are now cut on watch screws lat are finer than human hair. ? In the year 760 A. D. there was lly one clock in the world and Pope , aul I. sent it to the French King as present. ? The 1st of April and the 1st of illy in any year, and in leap year the ~ M it of January, fall on the same day ! the week. ? The first printeru used only one de of a page, then pasted together le two blank pages to give the imression of one leaf. ? It is said that the number of '. ' J eople who die inside the city limits F London every year would fill a jmctery^of 23 acres. * ? Envelopes were first made in 339, and sold for 10 cents and 25 * mts apiece. They are now sold at om two to five for a cent. ? "Is the man Grade is going to larry rich ?" Jennie : I am sure he iust be from the way he* acts. Gives her expensive presents, eh ?" No ; horribly stingy." , ? A baker estimates tEat every ' .merican will consume two pies a eek, and if the statement is correct le American stomach is weekly torlred with 130,000,000 pies. ? Executions ceased to be public i England in 1865. Before that time ley were in the squares in front of -J le jails and attracted thousands of eople from the country round. ? "Wellj what did your wife give ou for Christmas ?" "Why, it was a -er?let me see, a very fine?ah? ' . ^ me ! I can't remember just what but I know it is very becoming ? Jess?"Did you know there was ' *'; q antenuptial agreement between Mr. nd Mrs. Slivers?" "less?"No, but m not surprised. If they ever jreed about anything it must have M een before they were married." ??TTT.ll TT-. _ 1 _ OM - ? vyeij, uncie onas, your Doy is ome from college ?" "Yesr- wuss ick." "Worseluck ? Why ?" "He'b irned so much lie can't plow up nothi* but myfeelin's, nor harrer nothin' ut my soul." ? The Sultan of Turkey is a monolaniac on the subject of carriages. Ee has been steadily engaged in makig a collection of such vehicles for be past twenty years, and now has early 500 of all makes and kinds, le is genuinely carried away with his .a ? The cancellation of stamps by m lectncity is being adopted by the >ost Office Department of the United tates, recently patented stampii^g lachines being used for that purpose nd also for the postmarking of let- % ers. ? Aunt Jane: Rob, dear,* won't ou try to be a real good boy to-day ? Lob: I will, aunty, for a quarter. LuntJane: Why, Rob.! you wish pay or being good ? Rob : Well, aunty, - ear. you wouldn't have me good for othing, would you ? ? Andrew J. Davis, a lately deceasd Montana man of groat wealth, was ot noted for his liberality, as a rule, ut to a friend who was in financial traits he once sent a check for $100,00 with the message: Pay me if you an ; if you cannot never mention it. ? "Mamma, dear," said Janet, "at rhat time in the day was I born ?" !At2 o'clock in the morning."- "And" -hat time was I born ?" asked Jack. :Xot until 8 o'clock." "Ah," cried "mxr Kiff lirloTT' a 1 nr?rrnr flian UUVl/j UiJ K/ll l/UUUJ kj lUMJjVi VMMU ,. g ours!" "Well," said Jack, "what's he use of being born before it's time a get up ?" ? "Jeremiah Wit says: Not long go I was asked if a man free-born nd of lawful age didn't have the ight to take a dram when he felt a ttle "off." The best answer that I ould think of at the time was as fol)ws: If you wish to increase your ppctite for whiskey, drink every hance you have, and the oftener you rink the oftener you will feel bad nd want to drink. If you will expose 01 ii your folly and your secret, keep n drinking; they will run out as'the iquor runs in. If you will be a pest , 11 society, keep on drinking, ar.d ocicty will avoid you as an infection. f you are resolved to kill yourself, ;cep on drinking and you will hit on sure mode of self destruction. If ou wish all of your prospects in life o be clouded keep on drinking, and he way will soon be dark. If you vish to lose your soul, miss heaven md spend eternity in hell, keep on lrinking. Yes, in view of all the mswers given, a man free-born and of lawful I.::- the right to drink, if he thinks tawiil be satisfied witJi tue results. A