University of South Carolina Libraries
The Land of Br< A Stirring Story of the Mexican Revolution (Copyright. 1914, br SYNOPSIS. Bud Hooker and Phil De Lancey ars I .'orced. owing to a revolution In Mexico, io give up their mining claim and return to the United States. In the border town of Gadsden Bud meets Henry Kruger, a wealthy miner, who makes him a propo sition to return to Mexico to acquire title to a very rich mine which Kruger had blown up when he found he had been cheated out of the title by one Aragon. The Mexican subsequently spent a large sum In an unsuccessful attempt to relo cate the vein and then allowed the land to revert for taxes. Hooked and De Lancey arrive at Fortuna near where the mine, known as the Eagle Tall, is located. They engage the services of Crux Mendez, who has been friendly to Kruger, to acquire the title for them, and get a permit to do preliminary work. Aragon protests and accuses them of Jumping his claim. Bud discovers that matrimonial entanglements prevent Mendez from perfecting a valid *ltle. Phil, who has been paying atten tion to Aragon's daughter. Gracla, de cides to turn /Mexican and get the title In his own name. Bud objects to Phil's attentions to Gracla. Aragon falls In his attempt to drive them off the claim. Reb els are reported in the vicinity. CHAPTER XI?Continued. "It is the desire of the Yaquls," ne flad said, when rebuked for serving under the hated flag of Mexico, "to kill Mexicans. And," he added grimly, "the federals at this time seem best able to give us guns for that purpose." v But it had been a year now since Bule bad passed his word and, though they had battled valiantly, their land had not been given back to them. The wild Yaquis, the irreconcilables who never came down from the hills, had gone on the warpath again, but Bule and his men still served. Only in two things did they disobey their officers?they would not stack their arms, and tney would not retreat while there were still more Mexicans to be killed. Otherwise they were very good soldiers. But now, after the long 'campaign in Chihuahua and a winter of idleness at Agua Negra, they were marching 6outh toward their native land and, in spite of the stern glancea of their lead ers, they burst forth in weird Yaqui Bongs which, if their words had been known, might easily have caused their Mexican officers some slight uneasi ness. ^ It was, In fact, only a question of days, months, or yea^s until the entire Yaqui contingent woiild desert, taking their arms and ammunition with them. "Gee, what a bunch of men!" ex claimed Bud, as he stood off and ad mirea tneir siarK iorms. "There's some genuine fighters for you," he observed to Phil; and a giant Yaqul, standing near, returned his praise with a smile. "W'y, hello there, Amigo!" hailed Bud, Jerking his head in a friendly sa lute. "That'B a feller I was making signs to up in Agua Negra," he ex plained. "Dogged if I ain't stuck on these Yaquis?they're all men, believe me!" ^ "Good workers, all right," conceded De Lancey, "but I'd hate to have 'em get after me with those guns. They say they've killed a lot of Americans, one time and another." "Well, if they did it was for being caught in bad company," said Hooker. *Td take a chance with 'em any time ?but if you go into their country witn a Mexican escort tney n km. you on general principles. Say," he cried impulsively, "I'm going over to talk with Amigo!". With a broad grin on his honest face he advanced toward the giant Yaqui and shook hands ceremoniously. "Where you go?" he inquired in Spanish, at the same timaVolIing a cigarette and asking by a slgn^for a match. "Moctezuma," answered the Indian gravely. Then, as Bud offered him the makings, he, too, rolled a cigarette and they smoked for a minute in silence. "You live here?" inquired the Yaqui at last. "Come here," corrected .Bud. "I have mine?ten miles?over there." He pointed with the flat of his hand, Indian fashion, and Amigo nodded un derstandingly. He was a fine figure of a man, stand ing six feet or better in his well-cut sandals and handling his heavy Mau ser as a child would swing a stick. Across his broad chest he wore a full cartridge belt, and around his waist he had two more, filled to the last hole with cartridges and loaded clips. At his feet lay his blanket, bound into a tight roll, and a canteen and coffee cup completed his outfit, which, so far as impedimenta were concerned, was simplicity itself. But instead of the cheap linen uni form of the federals he was dressed in good American clothes?a striped shirt, overalls, and a-sombrero banded witb a bright ribbon?and in place of the beaten, hunted look of those poor conscripts he had the steady gaze of a free man. They stood and smoked for a few moments, talking briefly, and then, as the Yaquis closed up their ranks and marched off to make camp for the night, Bud presented his strange friend with the sack of tobacco and went back to join his pardner. That evening the plaza was filled with the wildest rumors, and another train arrived during the night, but through it all Bud and Phil remained unimpressed. In the morning the sol diers went marching off down the trail, leaving a great silence where all had been bugle-calls and excitement, and then the first fugitive cam? in from down below. He was an old Mexican, with trem bling beard and staring eyes, and he told a tale of outrage that made their blood run cold. The red-flaggers had come to his house at night; they had killed his wife and son, left him upon the ground for dead, and carried of! his daughter, a prisoner. But later, when the comisario ques tioned him sharply, It developed that he lived not far away, had no daugh ter to lose, and waa, in fact, only a ?v.w.w.v.v.>v?XvX%<<?^X;X;X;X*X<*X?X<*X*X?X oken Promises By DANE COOLIDGE Author of "Tho Fighting Fool" "Hidden Watmrt" "Thm Text can, " Etv. Illustrations by Don J. Lavin Frank A. l&uatej) crazed old man who told for truth that which he feared would happen. Notwithstanding the denouement, his story stirred the Mexican popula tion to the depths, and when Bud and Phil tried to hire men to push the work on tbe mine, they realized that their troubdes had begun. Not only was it impossible to engage laborers at any price, but on the following day Cruz Mendez, with his wife and chil dren and all hiB earthly possessions on his burros, came hurrying in from the camp aqd told them he could serve them no more. "It is my woman!" he explained; "my Maria! Ah, If those revoltosos should see Maria they would steal her before my eyes!" So he was elvan hia nav and the fifty dollars he had earned and, after the customary "Muchas graclas," and with the faithful Maria by his side, he went hurrying off to the store. And now In crowded vehicles, with armed men riding In front and behind, the refugees from Moctezuma and the hot country began to pour Into town, adding by their very haste to the panic of all who saw them. They were the rich property owners who, having been subjected to forced contribution before, were now fleeing at the first rumor of danger, bringing their families with them to escape any being held for ransom. In half a day the big hotel presided over by Don Juan de Dlos Bracha monte was swarming with staring eyed country mothers and sternly sub auea iamiues or cnnaren; ana nnax ly, to add eclat to the occasion and compensate for the general confusion, Don Clprlano Aragon y Tres Palacios came driving up to the door with his wife and the smiling Gracia. If she had been in any fear of cap ture by bold marauders, Gracia Ara gon did cot show It now, as she sprang lightly from the carriage and waited upon 'her lady mother. Perhaps, after a year or more of rumors and alarms, she had come to look upon impending revolutionary conflicts as convenient excuses for a trip to town, a long stop at the hotel, and even a dash to gay Gadsden In case the rebels pressed close. However that may be, while Don Juan exerted himself to procure them n trntiH rnnm ahn pnrllirftil the craze of the American guests with becoming placidity and, as that took some time, she even ventured to look the Ameri cans over and make some comments to her mother. And then?or so seemed to Bud? the mother glanced up quickly and fixed her eyes upon him. After that he was in less of a hurry to return to the mine, and Phil said they would stay Inside for a week. But as for Don Cipriano, when he came across them in the crowded lobby he glared past them with malignant insolence and abruptly turned his back) At La Fortuna he was the lord and master, with power to forbid them the place; but now onfce more the fortunes of war had turned against him, and he was forced to tolerate their presence. The band played in the plaza that evening, it being Thursday of the week, and as the cornet led with "La Paloma," and the bass viol and guitars beat the measure, all feet seemed to "You Live Here?" Inquired the Yaqul. turn in that direction, and the fear of tne raiders was sunea. Around and around the band stand and in and out beneath the trees the pleasure loving maidens from down below walked decorously with their mothers; and the little band of For tuna Americans, to whom life for some months had been a trifle burdensome, awoke suddenly to the beauty of the evening. And among the rest of the maidens, but far more ravishing and high-bred, walked Gracia Aragon, at whom Bud in particular stole many secret glances from beneath the broad brim of his hat, hoping that by some luck the in-^ surrectos would come upon the town, and he could defend her?he alone. For he felt that he could do it against any hundred Mexicans that ever breathed. CHAPTER XII. In its Inception the Fortuna hotel had not been intended for the use of Mexicans?in fact, its rates were prac tically prohibitive for anyone not be ing paid in gold?but, since most of the Americans had left, and seven dol lars a day Mex was no deterrent to the rich refugee land owners, it became of a sudden international, with a fine mixture of purse-proud Spaniards and race-proud American adventurers. Not a very pleasing combination for the parents of romantic damsels des tined for some prearranged marriage of state, but very exciting for the dam selB and most provocative to the Amer leans. After the promenade in the plaza the motherB by common consent pre empted the upstairs reception-room, gathering their precious charges in close; while the Americans, after their cuBtom, foregathered in the lobby, convenient to the bar. Hot argu ments about the revolution, and pre HtoHnno nf otronta tn Mmfl SflrVftrf tO pass the early evening, with many scornful glances at the Mexican dan dies who went so insolently up the stairs.v And then, as the refugees re tired to their apartments and the spirit of adventure rose uppermost, Phil De Lancey made a dash out into the darkness and came back with a Mexi can string band. "A serenade, boys!" he announced, as the musicians filed sheepishly into the hotel. "Our guests, the fair seno ritas, you know! We'll make those young Mexican dudes lpok like two spots before the war is over. Who's game now for a eong beneath the win dows? You know the old stand-bys? 'La Paloma' and 'Teresita Mia'?and you want to listen to me sing 'Me Gus tan Todas' to Gracia, the fairest of the fair! Come on, fellows, out in the piaza, ana meu usieu iu mo um cuss!" They adjourned then, after a drink for courage, to the moonlight and the plaza; and there, beneath the shut ter %d windows and vacant balconies, the ,ultars and violins took up '."La Paloma," while Phil and a few brave spirits sang. A silence followed their first at tempt, as well as their second and third, and the comisario of police, a mild creature owned and paid by the company, came around and made a rew ineffectual protests. But inside the company's conces sion, where by common consent the militant rurales kept their hands off, the Americans knew they were safe, and they soon jollied the ^omisario into taking a drink and departing. Then De Lancey took up the burden, and the string band, hired by the hour, strummed on as If fqr eternity. One by one the windows opened; fretful fathers stepped out on the bal cony and, bound by the custom and convention of the country, thanked them and bade them good night But the two windows behind which the Senor Aragon and his family reposed did not opeii and, though the dwin dling band stood directly under their balcony, and all knew that his daugh ter was the fairest of the fair, Don Cipriano did not wish them good night Perhaps he recognized the leading tenor?and the big voice of Bud Hooker, trying 'to still the riot?but, however it was, he would not Bpeak to them, and De Lancey would not quit. "Try 'em on American music!" he cried, ae everyone but Bud went away in disgust, "the latest rag from Broad wa-ay, New York. Here, gimme that guitar, hombre, and listen to this now!" Ho picked out a clever bit of eyn copation and pitched his voice to a heady twang: "Down In the garden where the red rotes gTOW, Oh my, I long to go I Pluck me like a flower, cuddle me an hour, Lovle let me learn the Red Rom Ra-ag!" There was some swing to that, and It seemed to make an Impression, for just as he was well started on the chorus the slats of one of the shut ters parted and a patch of white shone through the spaces. It was the ladies, then, who were getting interested! Phil wailed on: "Swee-eet honey-bee, be sweet to me I My heart It free, but here'* the keyl" And then, positively, he could see that patch of white heat time. tie took heart of grace at that and sang on to the end, and at a suggestion of clapping in dumb-show he gave an en core and ragged it over again. " 'Everybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it!'" he began, as the shadow dance ceased. " 'Honey, I declare, it's a bear, it's a bear, it's a bear!'" he continued temptingly, and was well on his way to further extravagancies when the figure in white ewiftly vanished and a door slammed hard inside the house. Several minutes later , the form of Don Juan appeared at the lower door,' and in no uncertain tones he requested them to cease. "The Senor Aragon informs me," he 6aid, "that your music annoys him." "Well, let him come to the balcony and Bay his 'buenas noches,'" an swered Phil resentfully. "The gentleman refuses to do that!" responded Don Juan briefly. "Then let him go to bed!" replied De Lancey, strumming a few synco pated chords; "I'm singing to his daughter." At that Don Juan came down off the porch in his slippers and they engaged in a -protracted argument. "What, don't I get a word?" de manded Phil grievously, "not a pleas ant look from ''anybody? 'Swee-eet honey-bee, be sweet to me!'" he pleaded, turning pathetically to the lady's balcony; and then, with a sud den flourish, a white handkerchief ap peared through the crack of the shut ters and Gracia waved him good night. "Enough, Don Juan!" he cried, lay ing down the guitar with a thump; "this ends our evening's entertain ment!" After paying and thanking the stolid musicians Phil joined Bud and the ?>air adjourned to their room, where, n the intervals of undressing, Phil favored the occupants of the adjoining apartments with an aria from "Beau tiful Doll." But for all such nights of romance and music there is always a morning afterward; and a fine tenor voice set to ragtime never helped much in the development of a mine. Though Bud had remained loyally by his friend in his evening serenade he, for one, never forgot for a moment that they were in Fortuna to work the Eagle Tail and not to win the hearts of Spanish Mexican senoritas, no matter how at tractive they might be. Bud was a practical man who, If he ever made love, would doubtless do it in a perfectly businesslike way, without hiring any string bands. But at the same time he was willing to make some concessions. "Well, go ahead and get your sleep, then." he growled, after trying three times In the morning to get hla part ner up; "I'm going out to the mine!" Then, with a saddle-gun under his knee and his six-shooter hung at his hip, he rode rapidly down the road, turning out from time to time to let long cavalcades of muleB string by. The dead-eyed arrieros, each with his combined mule-blind and whiplash swinging free, seemed to have very little on their minds but their pack lashlnge, and yet they must be three days out from Moctezuma, Their mules, too, were" well loaded with the products of the hot country I ?fanegaa of corn in red leather sacks, oranges ana fruits in nanu-maae crates, panoches of sugar In balanced frames, long Joints of sugar-cane for the dulce pedlers, and nothing to indi cate either haste or flight. Three times he let long pack-trains go by without a word, and then at last, overcome by curiosity, he inquired about the revoltosos. "What revoltosos?" queried the old man to whom he spoke. "Why, the men of Bernardo Bravo," answered Bud; "the men who are marching to take Moctezuma." "When I left Moctezuma," returned the old man politely, "all was quiet? Gracia Waved Him Good-Night. there were no revoltoeos. Since then, I cannot say."- ( "But the soldiers!" cried Bud. "Surely you saw them! They were marching to fight the rebels." "Perhaps so," shrugged the arriero, laying the lash of his topojo across the rump of a mule; "but I know noth ing about it." "No," muttered Bud, as be continued on his way; "an<J I'll bet nobody else does." Inquiry showed that in this, too, he was correct From those who traveled fast and from those who traveled slow be received me same wonaermg an swer?the country might be filled with revoltosos; but, as for them, they knew nothing about it. Not until he got back to Fortuna aad the busy federal telegraph wire did he hear any more news of rapine and bloodshed, and the light which dawned upon him then was gradually dawning upon the whole town. It was a false alarm, given out for purposes of state and the ("higher poli tics'.' with which Mexico is cursed, and the most that was ever-seen of Ber nardo Bravo and hiB lawless men was twenty miserable creatures, hali nt?rved. but with guns in their hands. who had come down out of the moun tains east , of Moctezuma and killed a few cows for beef. Thoroughly disgusted, and yet vaguely alarmed at this bit of opera bouffe warfare, Bud set himself reso lutely to work to hunt up men for their mine, and, as many poor peoplo were out of employment because Of the general stagnation of business, he soon had ten Mexicans at his calL Then, as Phil had dropped oi& of sight, he ordered supplies at the store dnd engaged Cruz Mendez?who had spent his fortune in three days?to pack the goods out on his mules. They were ready to start the next morning if De Lancey could be found to order the powder and tools, and as the afternoon wore on and no Phil appeared, Bud went on a long hunt; which finally discovered him in the balcony of their window, making signs in the language of t&e "bear," a3 a YEARS HAD LEFT THEIR MARK Great Artist's Model for Divine Face Served Later in Depiction of That of Judas. On the wall of an old monastery In Milan hangs the famous "Last Sup per" of Leonardo da Vinci. It is said that this artist, In painting the^faces of the apostles, studied the counte nances of good men whom he knew. When he was ready to paint the face of Christ he could find none that would satisfy his conception. After years of careful search, says thb Strand Mag azine, the painter happened to meet one Pietro Bardlnelll, a choir-boy of exquisite voice, belonging to the ca thedral. Being struck by the beautiful features and tender manner that be spoke an angelic soul, the artist in duced the boy to be the study for the divine face. All was done carefully and reverent ly, but the picture was yet incom plete, for the face of Judas was ab sent. Again the painter set about in search of a countenance. Years passed before his search was rewarded and the picture finally completed. As the artist was about to dismiss the miser able and degraded wretch who had been his awful choice, the man looked up at him and Baid: "You have painted me beforo." -.'1, SEIZE MISBRANDED OATS ( Inspectors For Federal Department of \ Agriculture Are Actively at Work in Columbia. Columbia.?Lewis Marks, pure food inspector of the United Stats depart- F ment of agriculture recently seized 900 bushels of "misbranded oat3" of fered for sale in the Columbia mar ket. The seizure was made after an Investigation and upon the testimony f-urnished by inspectors of the state | department of agriculture. It was said grain companies continued to violate tVi/i ataia on/1 fn/lorol Iowa hv nffArinET man who flirt*' with a woman in Mex ico is called. > "Say, Phil," he hailed, disregarding his pardner'B obvious preoccupation; "break away for a minute and tell me what kind of powder to get to break that schist?the store closes at five j o'clock, and?" He thrust his head out the door as ! he spoke and paused, abashed. : Through the half-closed portal of the ; next balcony but one he beheld the golden hair of Gracia Aragon, and she fixed her brown eyes upon him with ( a dazzling, mischievous smile. , "O-ho!" murmured Bud, laying a com pelling hand on De Lancey and back ing swiftly out of range; "so this Is what you're up to?talking signs! But ' say, Phil," he continued, beckoning him peremptorily with a jerk of his head, "I got ten men hired and a lot of grub bought, and if you dont pick out that mining stuff we're going to lose a day. So get the lady to excuse you and come on now." "In a minute," pleaded Phil, and he went at the end or nis anowea ume, and perhaps it was the Imp of jealousy that pii> strength into Hooker's arm. "Well, that's all right," said Bod, as Phil began hit laughing excuses; "but you want to r*n5ember the Maine, pardner?we didn't come down here to play the bear. When they's any lore making to be done I want to be in on it And you want to remember that promise you made me?you said you wouldn't have a thing to do with the Aragon outfit unless I was with you!" "Why, you aren't?you aren't Jeal ous, are you, Bud?" "Yes, I'm jealous!' answered Hooker harshly; "jealous as the devil! And I want you to keep that promise, see?" "Aw, Bud?" began De Lancey in- y credulously; but Hooker silenced hire \7fth a look. Perhaps he was reell; jealous, or perhaps he only eaid so to have his way, but Phil saw that he was in earnest, and he went quietly by his side. But love bad set his brain in a whirl, and he thought no more of his promise?only of some subtler way of meeting his inamorata, some way which Bud would fall to see. CHAPTBR XIII. For sixty days and more, while the weather had been turning from cold to warm and they had been laboring feebly to clear away the great slide of loose rock that covered up the Iprirp thfl Raele Tail mine had re I malned i mystery. Whether, like the old Eagle Tall of frontier fable, It was bo rich that only the eagle's head was needed to turn the chunks Into twenty-dollar gold pieces; or whether, like many other frontier mines, It was nothing but a bole in the ground, was a matter still to be settled. And Bud, for one, was determined to settle it quickly. "Come on," he said, ae Phil hesi tated to open up the wa? to the lead; "we got a month, maybe less, to get to the bottom of this; and then the hills will be lousy with rebels. If they's nothing here, we want to i find out about It quick and skip?and if we strike It, by grab, they ain't enough red-flaggers in Sonora to pry me loose from it. So sl*ow these hombres where to work and we'll be up against rock by the end of the week-V The original Eagle Tall tunnel had been driven Into the side of a steep hill; so steep, In fact, that the loose ehale stretched In long shoots from the base of the frowning porphyry dikes that crowned the tops of the hills to tbe bottom of the canyon. On either s'-de of the discovery gulch sharp lodges, perforated by, the gopher holes of the Mexicans and the ancient workings of the Spaniards, ran di rectly up/the hill to meet the contact. But It was against the face of the big ridge itBelf that Kruger had driven his drift and exploded his giant blast of dynamite, and the whple slope had i. ~ >ni) /intrororl with B. slide j UtJCll OJLVCi^U ?**V? Wfv*v. " ? of rock. , 1 r Agafnet this slide, in the day a when they \#ere marking time, Bud and his pardner had directed their energies, throwing the loose stones aside, build* lng up walls against the slip, and clearing the way to the solid schist There, somewhere beneath the jumble of powder-riven rock, lay the ledge which, if they ^ound it, would make them rich; and now with single-Jack j and drill, they attacked the last huge j fragments, blasting them into pieces | and groveling deeper until they could strike the contact, where the schist j and porphyry met and the gold spray j had spewed up between. With amazement, the painter learned that the man was Pietro Bardinelll. During those intervening years Pietro had been at Rome studying music, had met with evil companions, and fallen Intc staineful dissipation and crime. Old Memories. Representative Simeon D. Fese of Ohio met an c&l fr]?nd in Washington the other day a&d they fell to discuss ing the ravages of tim?? ?^>eclally In regard to loss of hair. "Yes, I have a great prejudice against being bald," remarked Fess' friend, "but I guess I'm elected." "Well, you know the old story about the big fly and the little fly," said Fesa. "The big fly and the little fly were promenading acrose an expansive bald head, and the big fly remarked to the little fly: 'See this fine, wide boule vard here? I can remember when It was nothing but a narrow cowpath." " Nature as Sculptor. A really remarkable natural curios ity is the tree known as the "Black Hoy," near Tallangatta, Victoria. It gained Its name from the curious formation assumed by a portion of the trunk in its process of decay, the likeness to a boy about to make a leap being extraordinary. Owing to Its elevated position, this "statue" stands out in quite a startling naj> [ner. impure products. C "The federal law is to be applied in every case,"* said Commissioner Watson. During the past several weeks there have been heavy shipments of socalled oats, according to Commissioner Wat-' son, into South Carolina. These ship ments contain a porUon of pure oats, mixed with wild bkrley, wheat and weeds. Under the federal law all shipments containing more than 5 per cent foreign matter must be properly' branded. Shipments with more than 5 per cent foreign substance must be registered with the state depart ment of agriculture as feedstuffs. There is a tak on the shipments. The interior shipments have been made in sacks of standard size and all ship pers have been warned that seizures would follow, if they continued to dis regard the state feedstuffs law. Several cases were recently made by the department for "misbranding" , oats. Last week inspectors of the state depart ent of agriculture heldv up 900 bushels in Columbia and . after examination the stuff was seized. The lot seized contained 42.5 per cent, of foreign matter. Plan Babby Show For Fair. Columbia.?The number of fires and ( mntint nf (ncitron/io lrtnnAS rATinrffid * to F. H. McMaster, insurance commis sioner, by the insurance companies as having occurred previous to or during the month of June total 203 fires, with an Insurance loss of $85,048.44. This brings the total number of fires for the year 1914 up to 1,236, with 'a gross insurance loss of $609,039.98. In the first six months of 1913 there were 955 fires with an insurance loss of $1,200,716.39. Thirty-one of the 203 fires in June Were paused by lightning, which ranks first in the known causes of fires. Sparks on the roof and carelessness were together responsible for 49 fires causing a property loss of about $17, 000. Defective eTectric wiring, how ever, with only three fires caused the largest insurance loss from any one cause. Fires from preventable causes dur ing the month of June resulted Jn 25 per cent-of the losses, and firej labeled puspicious or incendiary made up* 13 per cent of the total, which is a larg er percentage than is usually credited to this class. Unpreventable fires caused an insurance loss of $38,075.60, which is approximately 44 per cent of the total losses. Fire from unknown causes makes up the remaining 12 per cent < i j1 Fire Loss Shows Decrease. Columbia.?At the suggestion oi Miss Mary E. Frayser of Winthrop Normal and Industrial College and an expert in the extension work carried on by that college and ' the United States department of agriculture, E. J. Watson, comtnissioner of agricul- 1 ture, will taKe up witn me manage ment of the state fair the advisabili ty of holding a baby .contest during 1 the fair. As planned the contest is 1 to be soley for educational purposes 1 and in addition to the advice given for- J the better care of babies there will J also be a special exhibit of analyses i of baby food. ,* < In the letter of Miss Frayser to ' Mr. Watson she states that the main ( object is to give advice to the mo thers with reference to the care and feeding of babies. She points out the ] suocess, which marked a similar ) movement carried, on in .Iowa in 1911. The contest will be a state movement and will supplement the work of Jo callties which for some time have been holding similar contests. The printed score cards of the Woman's 1 Home Companion will be used. "I request that any person," said j Mr. Watson, "who has grains of any 1 kinds of specimens of peaches, toma- 1 toes and the like, send them to me by ' j 1 express, collect. The grain should J be in sheaf and from two to six bundles. Not less than half a crate. 1 of fruits should be shipped. ' Benhettsville Makes Improvements. Bennettsville. ? Bennettsville has completed two and one-half miles of cement sidewalks, having built more : permanent work in the past two 1 mouths than in the entire history of th? city. Almost two miles were laid J in jhe street leading from the busi- ' n*iss district to both the Coast Line 1 and Bennettsville & Cheraw railroad 1 depots. These sidewalks, outside the business section, are five feet wide 1 and were put down to grades estab- 1 lished by a competent engineer. A 1 spirit of improvement is growing fast. Sumter Crops Fine. Sumter.?In the cotton world Aug ust makes or breaks and August is yet ' to come; but today the crops of Sum- < ter county are certainly in fine shape. ' Cotton looks splendidly and corn, ' which did not promise so well earlier ( in the season, now shows up well. ' The farmers are all smiles and are * cheerful;, but the towu people have 1 T visions of such prosperous country 1 folk, that they won't other to bring c in wood, poultry or pork, and so the ( cost of high living will^ probably take ? another advance. i 1 Engineer Misread Watch. Columbia.?The death of J. M. East erby recently at Royster's station was 3 found to be accidental by the coro- C ner's jury, which heard testimony re- s lating to the werck that resulted in 3 the engineer's death. R. L. Kirby, 5 engineer on engine No. 701 into which C the passenger train ran, was exoner- 5 ated of all blame. It was brought out n that he had made a mistake in read- h ing his watch, thus estimating that he had 15 minutes in which to switch S from the east end of the yard to the 1 west. * >RESS ASSOCIATION HOLDS IN TERESTING MEETING AT CHICK SPRINGS. .ARGE NUMBER ATTENDED Chick Springs.?The 42nd annual neeting of the South Carolina Association was called to order lay, July 6th, at Chick Springs, >y President Ed. H. DeCarap, of Jaffney, S. C., Ledger. ihoose Same Meeting Place For 131? Session and Re-electd All Old Officers For New Term. Over one hundred editors and mem ers of their families attended the ueeting, which lasted four days. The following papers were rea? lefore the association: Mr. C. T tfartln of the Easley Progress on >v' 'Country journalism;" from J. D. iJvans of the Florence Times on 'Evolution From Blackstone to Gut?n )urgi8m;" and from James H. Moore >f the Columbia Record on "Editorial , ?age." Miss Juanita Wylle of the Lancas er News on "The Faithful- Press;" >y William Banks of the Anderson ntelligencer on "How to Start a Daily;" by R. K Gonzales of The 3tate and H. C. Booker of the Green ville Piedmont on "The Paragraph irs' Union." 1 A discussion of,the need . for. an equitable libel law engaged the- at ;ention of the members and after tome discussion a motion by August ftohn that the association elect, a general counsel was adopted. The dea for the general counsel to appear is the representative of the aasocia Jon in any ftbel suit in which a gen eral matter affecting the whole asso ;iation la concerned. The matter of when the general ;ounsel is to appear -Is left to the m y J f-5 Mi m .1,; j i! V ' V(, ll m luagment 01 ine executive comauiiw. One day of the association was jlven over to the Master Printers' Association, who had about 50. job printers from different parts of the jtate in attendance. All newspaper sditors were invited to attend their neetings. Several good papers were/ read and interesting discussions were indulged in, which were indeed help ful and appreciated by -the members )f the Press Association. Facts and ftguree were Shown- to the satisfac tion of ail that it was essentail for jvery job printer and newspaper edi tor,., no matter how luge or small.., ' their offices were, should have a cost jystem in. their shops. President Fairfax Harrison of the 3outhern Railway, made the princi pal address at the meeting, dealing with the subject of closer relation ship Of the press and railroads. His address was Instructive and atten tively listened to by a large crowdJ All the old officials' were re-elected / is follows: Ed. H. DeCamp, ef the / Saffney Ledger, president; N. P. Caldwell, of the News and Courier, Charleston, secretary, and J. T Simes, 1 of the Orangeburg Times ind Democrat, treasurer. ' - ? The social features of the assoda ? i?i.. j.j . ? .VII . uuu luciuueu au ttuwuiunjio riu*? from the Chick Springs Hotel to the Country Club, in Greenville, where an Informal reception was held, an<f a ride over the new Interurban electric railway .to Anderson, where the citlt ens gave the editors a sumptuous bar becue dinner at Anderson College for Grirls, and an auto ride over Anderson county's splendid good roads. Chick Springs, S. C., was again se lected as a meeting place for .next fear. 4'' 1-" " ' OiJ, Fruit and Produce Exhibits. Columbia.?The department of agri ulture is receiving a number of picked specimens of vegetables and fruits from all corners of the state in anticipation of the state fair in Octo ber. In additlou to these exhibits Commissioner Watson is preparing Dther specimens for display at the Panama-Pacific Exposition In San Francisco, provided the movement now on foot in this state for a South Carolina exhibit materializes. Special High School Course. Columbia.?Believing that the sum mer school for teachers at the Univer sity nf Smith Carolina is an excellent iH m place for the development of new plans for broadening high school education, professors in the school are now giv ing their close attention and consid eration to the question of placing in :he school curriculum a course in the fundamentals of citizenship. Discus sions on the subject have been started and will be continued throughout the course by members of the faculty and ' visiting men. New Church Building Opened. Florence. ? The new Methodist :huroh, recently completed, was open id for public worship recently. The building is one of the handsomest in ;he city, having cost the people of the congregation and their friends more han $50,000. It is one of the largest md one of the most conveniently ar ranged church buildings in the state, t was necessary to open the folding loors that divide the auditorium Drop ?r and the Sunday school rooms. The service was simple and with but little eference to the new home. Gold in the South. Columbia?Six Southern states min d $167,730 of gold in 1913, North Jarolina leading, with $126,448, or 76 r cent, of the total, Georgia being econd, $15,108; Alabama third, $11, 94; Tennessee fourth, $7,595; South 'arolina filth, $i,CPl, and Virginia ixth, $604. Although there is still luch gold in the South, the output as never regained its relative impor ince enjoyed until the discovery of old in California in 1849. ntil 183i> 11 the gold coined in this country aa supplied chiefly y North Carolina. a. >