Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ADVINHJKI or THE DEvnsrooT I (Continued.) "Ask -what you like, Mr. Holmes," *ald he, eagerly. "It is a bad thing to speak of, but I will answer you the truth." "Tell me about last nlgnt." "Well, Mr. Holmes, I supped there, as the vicar has said, and my elder brother George proposed a game of whist afterwards. We sat down about nine o'clock. It was a quarter-past ten when I moved to go. I left them all round the table, as merry as could be." "Who let you out?" "Mrs. Porter had*gone to bed, so I let myself out I shut the hall door behind me. The window of the room In which they sat was closed, but the blind war not drawn down. There was no change in door or window this morning, nor any reason to think that any stranger had been to the house. Yet there they sat, driven clean mad I with terror, and Brenda lying dead of fright, with her head hanging over the I n* tha r/mir I'll never get the sight of that room out of my mind bo long as I live." "The facts, as you state them, are oertainly most remarkable," said Holmes. "I take it that ycu have no theory yourself which can in any way ] account for them?" "It's devilish, Mr. Holmes; devil ish!" cried Mortimer Tregennls. "It iB not of this world. Something has come into that room which has dashed the light of reason from their minds. What human contrivance could do that?" "I fear," said Holmes, "that if the matter is beyond humanity it is oer tainly beyond me. Yet we must ex haust all natural explanations before we fall back upon such a theory as this. As, to yourself, Mr. Tregennis, I take It you were divided in some way from your family, since they lived to gether and you had rooms apart?" "That is so, Mr. Holmes, though the matter is past and done with. We were a family of tin-miners at Red ruth, but we sold out our venture to a company, and so retired with enough to keep us. I won't deny that there was some feeling about the division of the money and it stood between us for a time, but it was all forgiven and for gotten, and we were the best of friends together." "Looking back at the evening which you spent together, does anything stand out in your memory as throw ing any possible light upon the trag edy? Think carefully, Mr. Tregennis, tor any clue which can help me." "There is nothing at all, sir." "Your people "were in their usual spirits?" "Never better." "Were they nervous people? Did they ever show any apprehension of coining danger?" "Nothing of the kind." "You have nothing to add, then, which could assist me?" Mortimer Tregennis considered earnestly for a moment "There is one thing occurs to me," said he at last. "As we sat at the table my back was to the window, and "Ask What You Want, Mr. Holmes," ner at cards, was facing it. I saw him once look hard over ray shoulder, so I turned round and looked also. The blind was up and the window shut, but I could just make out the bushes on the lawn, and it seemed to me for a moment that I saw something mov ing among them. I couldn't even say if it were man or animal, but I Just thought there was something there. When I asked him what he was look ing at, he told me that he had tha same feeling. That is all that I can say." "Did you not investigate?" "Mn* the matter nnsseri as iinlm port ant." "You left them, then, without any premonition o* evil?" "None at all." "I am not clear how you came to hear the news so early this morning' "I am an -eariy riser, ana generally take a wali: ^erore breasfast This morning I hac. nardly started when the doctor in r.is carriage over toot me. He tola me that 0)6 Mrs. ?oi ter had sent a coy dov/o wJtfc at ur gent message I sprang in reside Mm and we drove on. When we got there we looked into tfcct dreadful room. Tbe candks az.<L the fu>s> must have . JH ' -1 ' s? - I; > ttbccnccs of IER10CK IULMLij trConmboylc llions by V.L.Barncs I burned out hours before, and they had j been sitting there in the dark until dawn had broken. The doctor Bald Brenda must have been dead at least six hours. There were no signs of vio lence. She just lay across the arm of the chair with that look on her face. George and Owen were singing snatch es of songs and gibbering like two great apes. Oh, it was awful to ^ee! I couldn't stand it. and the doctor was as white as a sheet. Indeed, he fell into a chair in a sort of faint, and we nearly had him on our hands as well." "Remarkable?most remarkable!" said Holmes, rising and taking his hat. "I think perhaps we had better crr\ ^A-orn fn TroHAnn!olr WpWhfl tclth out further delay. I confess that I have seldom known a case which at first sight presented a more singular problem." Our proceedings of that first morn ing did little to advance the Investiga tion. It was marked, however, at the outset by an incident which left the most sinister impression upon my mind. The approach to the spot at which the tragedy occurred is down a narrow, winding country lane. While we made our way along it we heard the rattle of a carriage coming to wards us, and stood aside to let It I paBs. As it drove by us I caught a "My Brothers!" Cried Mortimer Tre gennis, White to His Lips. glimpse through the closed window of a horribly-contorted, grinning face glaring out at us. Those staring eyes on/1 o-r> oa^inc noat 11 a UUU ^UUOUlUg like a dreadful vision. "My brothers!" cried Mortimer Tregennis, white to his lips. "They are taking them to Helston." We looked with horror after the black carriage, lumbering its way. Then we turned our steps towards this ill-omened house in which they had met their strange fate. It was a large and bright dwelling, rather a villa than a cottage, with a considerable garden which was al ready, in that Cornish air, well filled with spring flowers. Towards this garden the window of . the sitting-room fronted, and from it, according to I Mortimer Tregennis, must have come that thing of evil which had by sheer . horror in a single instant blasted their minds. Holmes walked slowly and thoughtfully among the' flower pots and along the path before we en tered the porch. So absorbed was he in his thoughts, I remember, that he cfnmh1,or1 over tho wstcrimr.nnt linoof its contents, a'nd deluged both our feet and the garden path. Inside the house we were met by the elderly Cornish housekeeper, Mrs. Porter, who, with the aid of a young girl, looked after the wants of the family. She readily answered all Holmes' questions. She had heard nothing In the night. Her employers had all been In exoellent spirits lately, and she had never known them more cheerful and prosperous. She had fainted with horror upon entering the room in the morning and seeing that dreadful company round the table. She had, when she recovered, thrown open the window to let the morning air in, and had run down io the lane, whence she sent a farm lad for the doctor. The lady was on her bed up -a-' ? i# ? *+a baa Tf fnnlr biaiTB, 11 WC Lai cu iw Man and One day a well-known politician was enjoying a chat with a friend at a ho tel, when a strange young man cams up and said: "Can I see you for a moment, Mr. Lash 1" "Certainly,'* said Mr. Dash, rising. The young man led him across the room and seemed to have something important to say to him. Arrived In a corner, the stranger whispered In cne politician's ear: " am of the staff of an evening paper, and I should like you to tell me what you think of the situation in the east.'* Mr. Dash looked a little puzzled at ".rjt. then he said: 'Folio/7 me." Ceding the way, be walked through 'h6 reading-room, through a passage >ntc the dining-room, and drawing his visitor into the corner behind the hat Lck, he whispered: "i really don't know anything about Forcing Growth of Piar.ta. Plants have a mind of their own on i tho subject of winter sleep, and gar* denoTKbave tried various methods of wakiug^Lem up prematurely, to fu^f fonr strong men to get the brothers into the asylum carriage. She would not herself stay In the house another day, and was starting that very after noon to rejoin her .family at St. Ives. We ascended the stairs and viewed the body. Miss Brenda Tregennis had been a very beautiful girl, though now verging upon middle age. Her dark, clear-cut face was handsome, even In death, but there still lingered upon It something of that convulsion of horror which had been her last hu man emotion. From her bedroom we descended to the sitting-room where this tragedy had actually occurred. The charred ashes of the overnight Are lay In the grate. On the table were the four guttered and burned-out can /iioo with thn rards scattered over Its surface." The chairs had been moved back against the walls, but all else was as It had been the night before. Holmes paced with light, swift steps about the room; he sat in the various chairs, drawing them up and recon structing their positions. He tested how much of the garden was visible; he examined the floor, the ceiling, and the fireplace; but never once did I see that sudden brightening of hie eyes and tightening of his Hps which would have told me that he saw som? gleam of light in this utter darkness. ' "Why a fire?" he asked. "Had they always a fire In this small room on a spring evening?" Mortimer Tregennis explained that the night was cold and damp. Fof that reason, after his arrival, the fire was lit. "What are you going to do, Mr. Holmes?" he asked. My friend smiled and laid his hand upon my arm. "I think, Watson, that I shall resume that course of tobacco poisoning which you have so often and so justly condemned," said he. "With your permission, gentlemen, we will now return to our cottage, for I am not aware that any new factor is likely to come to our notioo here. I will turn the facts over in my mind, Mr. Tregennis, and should anything occur to me I will oertalnly communi cate with you. In the meantime I wish you both good morning." It was not until long after we were back in Poldhu cottage that Holmes broke his complete and absorbed si lence. He sat coiled in his armchair, his haggard and ascetic face hardly visible amid the blue swirl of his to bacco smoke, his black brows drawn down, his forehead contracted, hit eyes vacant and far away. Finally, he sprang to his feet "It won't do, Watson!" said he, with a laugh. "Let us walk along the cliffs together and seiarch for flint ar rows. We are more likely to find them than clues to this problem. To let the brain work without sufficient material is like racing an engine. It racks Itself to pieces. The sea air, sunshine, and patience, Watson?all els^ will come. "Now, let us calmly define our po sition, Watson," he continued, as we skirted the cliffs together. "Let us get a firm grip of the very little wnicU we do know, so that when fresh facta arise we may be ready to fit them into their places. I take It, In the first place, that neither of ub Is prepared to admit diabolical intrusions into the affairs of men. Let us begin by ruling that entirely out of our minds. Very good. There remain three per sons who have been grievously strick en by some conscious or unconscious human agency. That is firm ground. Now, when did this occur? Evidently, assuming hiB , narrative to be true. It was Immediately after Mr. Mortimer Tregennis had left the room. That is a very important point. The pre sumption is that it was within a few minutes afterwards. The cards still lay upon the table. It was already past their usual hour for bed. Yet they had not changed their position. I repeat, then, that the occurrence "Why a Fire?" He Asked. was Immediately after hlB departure, and not later than eleven o'clock laBt night (TO BE CONTINUED.) His Ways nish blossoms at a time when they are scarce and costly. Mere green house heat and moisture failing to yield the desired results, they have successfully tried warm baths and ether vapors to shorten the hibernat ing period of bulbs. From Germany ! comes a description of the latest plan, , devised by a man named Weber. By j sticking a needle into the base of a bud he has caused it to unfold two or three weeks ahead of its fellows. Still more time was gained by injecting j water into the buds. Not content with ' water, a physician has tried injections of water with 10 per cent, of alcohol. By this means he succeeded in gain ing ten days in the budding of oak twigs. Debt Collection. No doubt the world does owe all of us a debt, but the question of collec tion is one which does not seem to be in a fair way to be settled. It is a lamentable fact that there will never again be such brilliant truths and witticisms spoken as those which were given to the world by the ancients. Still, there is balm in reflecting that they were born before we were and naturally had the first chancw. > . A - 4 - ' - ??, WILL WORK FOR PANAMA IK TH-E PLANS ARE BEING MADE AT SPAKTANEURG TO DEVELOP THE PORT. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION Committee of Six Named to Take Up Matter of Bringing Foreign Steam ship Lines to Charleston.?Criticism of Ports Present Facilities. Spartanburg.?At a conference held at the country club, several miles out rrora tuy cit^) piuua wcic iuimuiab&u to secure a great part of the trade from the opening of the Panama Canal for the port of Charleston. After discussing the various phases of the question as had been outlined previously on the programme, it was decided to name a committee of six gentlemen who will take up the ques tion of inducing various foreign steamship lines to make Charleston their American terminal and also to extend inducements to Western cities, where great quantities of freight orig inate, to have both the imports and exports shipped to Charleston. The future of the organization which was perfected was placed in the hands of the state chamber of commerce and this body will call fu ture meetings and push the sugges tions made to a successful termina tion. The meeting was called to order by the Hon. John B. Cleveland. Thos. S. firoonvflle. was chosen 2- Cbl 11^1 f VL \?a vw? chairman. Mr. Parker* in his introduc tory remarks said that the meeting would attempt to accomplish some definite work and would have no speech making. He stated that be fore Charleston could expect to be made the greatest port in th South it was necessary for that city to pro vide adequate facilities and be pre pared to handle the business. He stated that warehouses were greatly needed in Charleston. Charged With Assault on Brother. E. B. Gaskins, of Lake City, a well to-do and prominent man of that tow.n, was brought to Florence and lodged in jail to await the result of injuries said to have been inflicted by him on his brother, A. W. Gaskins, at Lake City. It is said that A. W. Gaskins was drinking and his brother attempt ed to take him home. An altercation arose between them on the way, and E. B. Gaskins struck his brother, knocking him to the pavement, where he struck his head. He walked about some time after this, but later in the day developed alarming symptoms and is now considered in a most crit ical condition. Whether the blow of the brother, inflicted the injury is the problem to be solved. Fire Does Much uamage. Fire of unknown' origin partly de stroyed the east warehouse and stock of the Kirkiand Distributing Company at the corner of Wayne and Lady Sts., Columbia. The loss by fire and w^ter will amount to several thousand dol lars. B. B. Kirkiand, president of the company, said that he thought the loss was fully covered by insurance. Mr. Kirkiand said that he could not tell until after investigation just what the loss would amount to. Candidates Speak at Pendleton. The candidates for the various county offices spoke to about 300 peo ? * -A TV>a cr 9Q A pie at reuuicwu. xuc un.w.uOI ? _ whole, was a quiet one?the only dis turbance occurring at the close of Josh Ashley's speech. While, of course, considerable interest is being manifested in the different races, the greatest interst appeared to be taken in the race of the candidates for the house of representatives. The candi dates announced themselves as fol lows: For Blease, J. W. Ashley, Os car W. Gray, J. A. Hall, J. M. King, T. F. Nelson and W. W. Scott. For Jones, W. A. Hudgens, J. D. Jackson, D. H. Russell, J. B. Watson, T. F. Watkins and S. M. Wolfe. Campaign in Colleton County. The first meeting of the Colleton county campaign was held at Sniders and was a model of decorum and or der. There was no Blease and Jones in it, owing to the resolution by W. C. Brandt, which was adopted by the audience and campaign party, asking that the candidates be not requested to announce how they stand on the governor's race. It is practically cer tain that there are at least three, pos sibly four, Jones men in the race for the legislature, and a majority for county offices are lined up for Jones. One Killed, Two Injured in Explosion. While a mixture of boiling hot ros in, naphtha and benzine was being pumped into one of the tanks in the still house of the chemical works just on the suburbs of Conway, an explo sion occurred which rent the tank in twain, scalding to death the night foreman, Arthur Burfroughs, and seri ously burning two negro employes, one of whom will die. On account of the accident occurring so early in the morning and the fact that there were few present at the time of the explosion details are quite meagre. Columbia As Commercial Center. The importance of Columbia as a commercial center will be vastly in creased when the Carolina and Geor gia Railway Company build their pro-1 posed line from this City to North | Augusta, a commission having been issued to this company by the secre tary of state, the petitioners being James U. Jackson, A. A. Walden, L. J. Williams, J. L. Barksdale, Walter M. Jaskson, Jr., all of North Augusta, S. C., and Frank E. Courtney, of Augus ta, Ga. The company organizes with * minimum capital stock of $100,000. ? ???? TO STIMULATE FARM WORK An Attractive Proposition is Endorsed By State Chamber of Commerce. Will Call Future Meetings. Spartanburg.?The board of direc tors of the South Carolina chamber of commerce held a meeting several days ago in this city, several matters of importance coming up for discus sion in connection with the future work of the organization. A set of by-laws, as drafted by a sub-commit tee, was unanimously adopted, togeth er with tentative plans for the financ ing of the chamber. The selection of a subscription solicitor, managing sec retary and publicity manager, after a prolonged discussion, was finally left to a committee of threg members of the board. Applications were consld ered from commercial secretaries and other city and state Duilding experts scattered over fifteen different states in the Union. A proposition submitted by the Na tional board of Grain Exchanges to the state chamber through Secretary A. W. McKeand, was unanimously adopt ed by the meeting because of its many attractive features. According to the proposition every county in the state 'will receive a donation of $1,000 annually for a period of three years for the purpose of advancing itB agri cultural interests provided the coni mercial organizations in the respect ive counties raise an equal sum. The combined total is to be placed at the disposal of the government farm dem onstrator in the councy as he sees fit in the advancement of agricultuarl in terests of the people. Several coun ties in the state have announced their acceptance 01 me terms, wuicu aie made without any strings tied to them, but simply to insure the county a safe margin In the way of agricul tural products in time of droughts and need. Campaign In Marion County. About 600 people greeted the Ma rion county campaigners at th^ Marion opera house and notwithstanding the weather listened attentively to the discussion. The interest of the campaign in this county centres in the race fo rthe senate and the race for county treasurer. The real issues on which the people desired to be en lightened formed a small part of thp discussion since the candidates felt compelled to speak to the charges which had been brought against them by their opponents. Subjects of in rest Were mentioned, however. These terest were mentioned however. These were concerning the good roads bond issue for Marion county, reduc tion of taxes, improvements of ru ral schools and the Torrens system of land title. South Carolina New Enterprises. The secretary of state has issued a commission to the Gray Company of Gray Court, with a capital stock of $2,000 to do a general mercantile business. The petitioners are B. L. Gray and W. E. Gray. The Stpne Brothers Company of Little River has * 1 i1.? mmt*m 1*4 (nADAHOA Deen given iae iibul iu iutico.dc 11.0 capital stock from $5,000 to $26,000. The Hartsville Live Stock Company has been commissioned with a capi tal stock of $1,000. The petitioners are C. C. Best, C. E. Huggins and D. R. Ellerbe. A commission has been issued to the Cedar Falls Power Com pany with a capital stock of $5,000. The petitioners are J. M. Geer,' B. E, Geer and D. D. Davenport. Disastrous Fire at Cartersville. The first fire which has occurred in Cartersville for 15 years was wit nessed several days ago by an im mense throng. The conflagration started in the office of Dr. T. J. Boy kin and swept almost an entire block, the only buildings being saved wer^ Mrs. Mary G. Palmer's home. *nd a small cottage owned by rMs. Bettie Young, and these were saved only by the strenuous efforts of a hard work ing bucket brigade. Besides the building occupied by Dr. Boykin the store of G. E. Conner, which was used as a postomce ana general mer chandise, was burned to the ground, also the houses of rMs. S. Mims and store and house of Sidney L. Hum phries. Sharon.?Some of the farmers of this section are complaining of their cotton being infested with the red spider which is playing havoc Quiet Campaign Meeting. The county campaign meeting-pass ed off very quietly at Mayesville as usual. There were about 200 voters in attendance and all the candidates were given close attention. The speeches of the candidates for the legislature were above the usual in interest and intelligence. There are six aspirants for the three positions in the house and four of these'are Jones men, Messrs. Belsor, Dick, Dwight and Epps, while the other two, Messrs. Mcftiveen ana omuii, are in favor of Blease. Negro Stabbed to Death at Florence. The police are looking for Jerome Wilson, a negro about 20 years old, who, it is alleged, stabbed to death Caesar Shaw in a Bhanty car in the railroad yards. Though there are two trains of shanty cars here with in numerable negro in them, the first i intimation of trouble came when Wil-1 son jumped from the car and ran j away, while a commotion was creat ed around the scene by those who ! said that they heard a fuss in the I <2imw n-an stnhhpd in the left I breast, and directly in the heart. Campaign in Lexington County. Characterized by a number qf near fights, caused by a few supporters ol Cole L. Blease, who were largely un der the influence of whiskey, the county campaign meeting at Summer land was by far the most spectacular of the several campaigns that have been held in this county this summer As a result the majority of the follow ers of both Blease and Jones left th meeting a disgusted people. It was one of the largest and most represen tative gatherings that has attendee any cf the meetings. SERIOUS CROP PEST AT HAND AGAIN.?SECOND GEN. ERATION OF FALL ARMY WORM IS DEVELOPED. FARMERS MUST WAGE FIGHT The Sudden Disappearance of the Worm Late In July Aroused Ground less Hopes'ln the Breasts of Farm? ers In the State. Columbia.?The fall army worm known among entomologists as Laphy gma ffugiperda?has Just developed Its second generation in this locality. The months of the first generation ap peared about the first of July, and the "wArms" did their diief damage be tween July 10 and July 25. By the last of July farmers almost univer sally testified that the worms had mysteriously disappeared. Naturally they believed that the pest had entire ly left or ha^d been exterminated by some cause. Their hopes, however, were soon to be shattered. The sud den disappearance of the caterpillars was merely due to the fact that they had entered the ground for pupation. During this pupal or cocoon stage, which lasts about five weeks, a won derful transformation takes place while the motionless pupa lies buried about one-half an inch below the sur face of the soil. At the end of this period the cocoon splits open and the adult emerges as an ashy-gray color ed moth. In fact, these second gen eration moths are already appealing and preparing, each, to rear a large family of crop devastators. Recent examinations in several fields about Leesville discloses the fact that many of these moths are already busily engaged in laying their eggs within the tender buds of young corn. About 100 eggs are deposited by each female and from a week to ten days are required to hatch them. Not only is it easy to see that the arrival of the new "worms" is very close at hand, but it is also highly likely that the sec ond generation will be much more nu merous in numbers than the first. Candidates Filed Pledges. Monck's Corner.?The time for flV ine nledees and nayins: assesments by the candidates in this county expired several days ago. The following can didates filed their pledges: For coun ty auditor?C. M. Wiggins (incumb ent) and I. B. Marshe. County /treas urer?E. E. Ballentine, DeWitt Guilds, M. J. Motte, J. 0. McCants, W. U Parker. For county supervisor?J. M. Murray (incumbent), W. M. Den nis, Irving Cannen, L. W. Hill, Alfred Mltchum, L. H. Rivers, C. P. Ballen tine. Legislature?J. A. Harvey, L. G. Fultz, W. K. Cross, Geo. Davis, J. S. Mitchum, Manly Russell. Superinten dent of education?Col. C. W. Sanders (incumbent) and A* H. DeHay. Beach Will Be^Trled. Aiken.?An interesting question haw arisen and is being asked on all sides in Aiken. Solicitor Robert L. Gunter w,as informed that a New York paper had published the report that the charges against Frederick G. Beach, who is accused by the Aiken authori ties of having slashed his pretty wife's throat here last February, have been dropped and that Mr. Beach, who was In Europe when the warrant was is sued for his arrest, had determined to bring suit against the parties who were responsible for the issuance of the warrant under which he was ar rested. Solicitor Gunter states that the case will1 be tried and that the iharges have not been dropped. Shooting Affair at Jail. Charleston?A shooting affair at the county jail, in which Assistant Jailer Clarence Levy shot and wounded Wil liam E. Wingate in the side, caused tremendous excitement, because of the fact that the two men are of warring political factions, the Martin and Per ry supporters. Wingate is superinten dent of the city chaingang guards, and is the man who procured for A. W. Perry the famous bucket containing a sample of chaingang dinner. Mayor Grace declared that the shooting of Wingate was a premeditated plot. Campaign In Charleston County. Charleston.?The Charleston coun ty campaign meeting was held recent ly lasting three hours, with 16 candi dates for magistrate, 17 for the house of representatives, two for clerk of court, two for the civil and criminal court, two for -coroner, two for mas ter-in-equity, and two for sheriff, 43 in all, speaking out of the 68 in the county race. The climax of interest came in the speeches of Capt. J. El more Martin and A. W. Perry, run ning for sheriff, where there was the essence of political rivalry. Orangeburg's First Bale of Cotton. Oraneebure.?Orangeburg: county'i first bale of cotton was marketed in this city recently. The bale was ship ped to Jennings & Smoak by the Cope Supply Company of Cope. Jennings & Smoak sold the bale at public auc tion and there was lively bidding by the local cotton buyers. The bale was purchased by J. X. Weeks of the local general merchandise firm of Fairey & Weeks. The bale was sold for 14 1-4 cents, and weighed 444 pounds. The cotton was expressed by Fairey & Weeks. Of Interest To South Carolinians. Columbia.?Of special interest tc South Carolinians is the news of the selection by the war department of Capt. Frank Parker, Twelfth United States cavalry, as one of the three American army officers to whom the French government has extended the privilege of being named for instruc tion and observation with the French army. Capt. Frank Parker is from Georgetown county, this state. His family is well known and his friends will be glad to learn of his good luck. FROM THE PALMETTO STATE' Short, Paragraphs of State Newt Thatl . Has Been Gotten Together With Care by the Editor. ' i Sharon.?Notwithstanding the fact that Sharon has a resident who is can didate for the Legislature, still countyi politics has to take a back seat, state* politics being at all times the themej of converation here. ( "AS Charleston.?NewB to the effect that! yT v the great Atlantic fleet of the United! States navy, comprising twenty-one first-class battleships and numerous crulsefrs, torpedo and destroyers, will probably make a visit to this port some time in the fall caused much re joicing in navy ciroles. Mallory.?The second of the series! of county campaign meetings fori Marlboro county was held at Bristow'al store in Brownsville township. About 100 people assembled for the meeting^ and in the crowd could be found ret resentatives from nearly every pot of the county as well as a good ber from Dillon county. Charleston. ? With head bowed! down, Sam Brown, a negro constable,, was led from the Recorder's room lot the Police Court, convicted on thd charge of larceny of k two-dollar bill* He was sentenced to $15 or thirty days on the chain gang. In defeault of the money, he was later removed to the county jail, where, unless friends come to his rescue, he will don thai stripes and go out with the gang. Abbeville.?Judge Jones took cogi nizance of a question personally askJ ed him recently by Blease and which* he characterized as "impertinent^ This was whether corporations werei financing his campaign for the gover norship. Judge Jones said he stoodl For clean politics at all times and! would comply in spirit and letter withj the law requiring publicity of cam-j m paign expenditures. i Charleston.?If, as experts say, aI s city's prosperity can be gaaged byj >'x , \ the financial status of its postofflcej Charleston it proportionately one ofi the moBt prosperous cities in the Unit** ''' ed States, for its postofflce's percent-: ij age of earning is very far above thai V; J average. During the rast fiscal year . something over 12,000,000 letters were' mailed here and about 2,400,000 pieces of miscellaneous matter. The post* office receipts for the last fiscal yeas were over $180,000. Columbia.?The faculty and the ' ji scholarship committee of the board , j of visitors submitted their recommen dation for the award of beneficiary scholarships in the Citadel, to Btata superintendent of education Swear-1 ingen, and this report will be confirm- '* ed by the state board of education at its next meeting. Twelve vacancies were to be filled from the applicants taking the competitive examination on August 9. ' ( Columbia.?The Supreme Court in ? decision by Associate Justice Woods . { has reversed the judgment of the Clr* * y cult Court in the case of E. L. Stall- .'4 ings against the Southern Railway, because the plaintiff admitted that ho had paid an alleged overcharge on freight without objection. Stallings recovered a judgment in a Magistrate's Court for 75 cents overcharge of j'f ^yji An urnshatRnds shiDDed.from Savannah to Spartanburg and $50, the v penalty for such overcharge. Manning.?The board of trustees have elected Ralph L. Newton of Gib son, N. C., as superintendent of the Manning graded and high schools, to' succeed Prof. J. C. Daniel, recently elected superintendent of the Darling* ton schools. Mr. Newton is a gradu ate of Wofford college and comes highly recommended. The trustees have also elected Miss Etta Sue Sel lers of Latta as a teacher in the high ' school, to succeed George W. Green, resigned. Sumter.?The "Sumter plan" of gov- j ernment is now about to start, for the city election was held and Mayor Jen nings and Councijmr i Booth and Row land were declared elected and were sworn In. The primary had already setteld the contest and there were polled only a hundred and odd votes', oo Pn/?th rerMvpd mora than did Mr. Rowland he drew the four year term and Mr. Rowland the two- ' year term. The mayor will aerve four years. Mallory.?Cotton is opening rapidly about here and picking wjll be begun in a few days. Damage to cotton from the dry weather has been con siderable and the condition of the crop has fallen rapidly in the last few days. Camden.?Before forty-seven people by actual count, the few candidate! who are going the rounds for th? United States Senate and Congres? man {rom the 5th Congressional die* trict, spoke in the court house here. The meeting was \otally devoid of sen sations and contrasted strongly with the excitement attendant on the Gub ernatorial meeting held here. Chester.?At a special meeting ot the city council at which J. L. Sand ers turned in his resignation as chief of the fire department he was urged to reconsider, which he did, and was j unanimously re-elected to retain the office, much to the satisfaction of the ! people of Chester. j Clinton.?One or tne most interest I lng and exciting municipal elections, I it is said, that has taken place in the history of the town was held here re> cently. W. M. McMillan for re-eleo I tion and N. Elwood Dillard were in J the race for mayor, besides a number j of good men for aldermen. Columbia. ? Announcement was j made here that a test case is to be I brought in the Richland County Court I of Common Pleas by certain stock j holders of the Southern Railway to j test the validity o fthe present system of issuing mileage books. Orangeburg.?Thomas J. Lemon, an employe of the Orange Cotton Mills of this city, was found dead in his bed at his boarding place. An inves tigation was made by the coroner and the verdict reached by the coroner's jury, was that the deaceed came to his death as a result of dropsy of the heart