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VOL. 82 EDGEFIELD, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1918 NO. 45 JOHNSTON LETTER. Y/eefc of Prayer Observed. W. C. T. U. Will Meet. Short age of Coal Experienced. Cultus Club Met. The Woman's Missionary Society of the baptist church observed last week as a special week of prayer for Foreign missions. Although the weather was most disagreeable, and snow and ice cov ered the ground at times, every meeting was had, these being beau tiful and spiritual ones, and tho .members all felt that they were greatly benefitted by these heart-to heart meetings. Morday afternoon's meeting was in ch?rge of Mrs. M. T. Turner; Tuesday afternoon, Mrs. J. L. Walker. The Y. W. A. and G. A. iiad charge of Wednesday's pro gram, and this was held at the hour that evening instead of the regular prayer service. Kev. W. S. Brooke conducted this and the young girls gave a yery enjoyable program. Thursday afternoon Mrs. E. R. Mobley conducted the meeting, and Mrs. W. J. Hatcher had charge of Friday's program. Mrs. J. R. Fizer, State corres ponding secretary, was present and gave a most instructive talk, and then she-told something of the book that the mission study class con templates beginniug at an early date. Mrs. Fizer spoke of her great de light in being in Johnston, this be ing her first visit, and she said some good things of this society. Mrs. Hatcher had invited to this meeting representatives from the two mission societies of the churches of the colored people, and these were present, and seemed to be much instructed by the illustra ted chart lesson of the map, show ing what parts of the world were Christianized. When the offering was taken the president brought ..forward $1.00 3nd asked that this be included in the offering. The members of the society great ly rejoice that they will be able to send, as a result of this week of prayer, $200.00 The Sunbeam's offering is $30.00. The G. A., twenty-six in number, is 825.00. The Y. W. A., ten in number, is $15.00. The R. A., eighteen in number, is $20.00. The weather bas been most un usual recently, anti that of last Fri day afternoon and evening was most freakish. There was thunder and lightning, followed by wann, heavy rains, and the un usual ly wann at mosphere was noted. In an hour or more the wind was at a very rapid rate, and did considerable il.image about the town. About ten o'clock ii was almost a hurri cane, and some that bad retired arose, and some feared the blowing over of the houses. The oth'ee of Carolina Public Ser vice Co. was unroofed, and main water tanks had the tops blown ofF, and several large trees on Main street were blown over and the limbs of many- twisled off. Just as the storm was beginning the lire, alarm sounded, and i tew as found that the home of Mr. Robt. Long was in danger of catching fire from the chimney, which was burn ing out. The heavy down pour of rain soon made an end to the fall ing sparks. Mr. M. W. Clark, who has been so ill with pneumonia, is nov." im proving. Mrfc. C. D. Kenney has gone to Fairfax to visit her daughter, Mrs. David D. Moore. Mr. Kenney is now located at Blackville as a trav eling salesman. Mrs. W. P. Cassells has returned from a month's stay at Ellenton with her mother, Mrs. Bell. Mr. Garland Coleman, who now resides in Gainesville, Fla., has been for a visit to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lee Coleman. Mrs. Missouri Lott returned last **week from a visit to her son. Mr. Luther Lott, at Araericcs, Ga. Owing to the shortage "of coal there will be no evening services, Sunday and Wednesday, at the Bap tist church until March 1, but every morning service will be held. It may be that an evening union ftr vice will be arranged, so that a ser vice will be held at one church ".everyjjSunday evening. The quarterly report of the Ba tist Sunday school was not only tl best of 1917, but one of the best the history of' the school. The are 401 members enrolled, with i average of 1G1, the average havir been cut down by the several Su days of disagreeable weather. Tl collections of the twenty classes fi the quarter amounted to ?457.0 Orphanage Day, as observed by tl school, helped tc swell the amoun In the annual report there were fij on the annual roll of honor-Mr Avery Bland, Miss Zena Payne zr Messrs. J. W. Stim>n and Cec Sawver and little Rhodes Watso: T?ie W. C. T. U. will meet c Friday afternoon with Mrs. A. 1 Lewis at 3:30 o'clock. At tb meeting the first work of the ne year for soldiers and sailors will I discussed and entered into. Tl amount to be given for the Hoste: House in Columbia will be decide on and sent iv treasurer, as well i other matters. There be man matters to discuss of interest to a members, and plans will be mad for the observance of Thursday January 24, as the day of pray? for National Constitutional Prob ' bitlon. According to directions this unio sent telegrams and personal appeal to representatives and senators fo the elimination of the six-yea clause, the appeal being for Na tiona! Constitutional Prohibition. Mrs. Clias. Early and little chil dren of Florence are spendin; awhile here in the home of th former's father, Mr. W. W. Satcher Mr. J. P. Cullem of tiie Philipp section is quite sick with pneumo nia. Mr. Cullum ls a confederan veteran, and the members of tin Mary Ann Baie chapter bearing that he was using oranges as on< item of his diet, arranged a tempt ing box of fruit and sent to him ir the name of the chapter. Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Mobley ha\( moved from east Johnston to tlu dwelling vacated by Mr. Jesse Der rick and family, nearby the Baptisl church. Mr. Robert Warren is at home from a visit to Florida, in the bonn of his uncle, Mr. Scott Warren. Mr. W. J. Ilatchei has gone tc Chattanooga in interest of business. Messrs. Earl Smith, J. H. Tatt and Rodgers went to New Vorklasi week to attend the automobile show, Mr. and Mrs. William Toney an?] family are domiciled in one ol' lb?, dwellings in Eidson park. Mrs. Charles Samms of <4aincs vilb', Fia., bas been for at hort visit to Mrs. L. S. Maxwell, these twe having been classmates at college. On Saturday afternoon several friends were invited in to meet Mrs. Samms, and a most pleasant while was sp^nt, the hostess entertaining all most charmingly. Mrs. Albert Dozier, who has been in the Columbia hospital for several weeks, bas returned to ber bonn here. Mrs. J. R. Fizer, corresponding secretary of the State Baptist W. M. H., spent last Wednesday ami Thursday here with Mis. W. J Ilatchc*. (?nile a mun ber ol' thc ladies here knew Mrs. Fizer, having met her at State conventions, and ii was a great pleasure to see bei again. Miss Maggie Cummings of Aiken lias been visitiug Mrs. Alvin Ow dom. Mrs. Earl Mish, who has been visiting relatives in Washington, I). C., and in Virginia, will arrive this week to spend awhile in the home of her brother, Dr. P. N. Keesee. The Cultusclub met with Mrs. L. S. Mavwell on Tuesday afternoon, Miss Gertrude Strother, Pres., con ducting business. This club has in vited Mrs. J. L. Coker, State presi dent of Federation of clubs, to be its guest at the occasion of Reci procity in February, and HIIC has ac cepted the invitation. This club and the New Century club will unite in the observance. One of Shakespeare's plays was studied, Miss Daisy Brockington leading ibis part of the meeting. The hostess served a delicious repast in pretty style, and later all enjoyed opera selections of the victrola. The New Century club met with Mrs. II. 1). (-irani on Saturday af ternoon, the date being changed so as not to conflict with the meetings of the week of prayer. The club decided to send at once Sit).00 to aid in community work, the amount 'of Si,000 having been decided on Tax Commission In? tors Concerning 1 In view of the Constitutional re quire that all property shall be as sessed upon uniform basis, and in order to prevent inequalities arising from different standards of assess ment in the different counties of the State, the Tax Commission, after a conference with the County Audi tors and the Chairmen of the County Boards of Equalization, has adopted fifty per cent of the true, reasonable market value of property aa the common standard upon which all assessments of property for the pur poses of taxation, regardless of classes, shall be made throughout the State in the 1018. Thia stand ard will apply both to the assess ments originally made by the Tax Commission and to those originally made by the Township Boards of Assessors. You are, therefore, instructed, in taking the tax returns, to have the I tax payer state in the column calling ?for the "value by the tax payer" the true market value of the property iu question, which, in his opinion, rep resents the full 100 per cent value of the property. This is in accord ance with the oath printed at the bottom of the tax return in which the tax payer is required to say that the property returned by him is list ed at what he honestly believes to be its market value. When the re turns are so taken they are to be turned over to and passed upon by the township or other local boards of assessors, who shall inquire into the value placed upon the property by the tax payer, and verify the value so stated by the tax payer. After ascertaining what is the market value of the property in question, the township or other lo cal boards of assessors shall assess 50 per cent, or one-half thereof as the value of the property for pur poses of taxation, and write same in the column value by the township board. The column for value by the County Boards will be left blank to be used by the County Boards in equalizing, or changing the assessments made by the town ship boards, where, they lind it nec essary in order to remove inequali ties that may occur in passing on the separate pieces of property. In assessing real estate each lot, farm, plantation or separate parcel ol' land is lo be separately returned witii a statement as to the number of building thereon, with the value nf the buildings stated separately from the value of the lands, and so described as to be identified by the local Board of Assessors and other lax officers. In assessing real estate, the tax payer is not required to state the ; value thereof. Tue true value is to : bu originally ascertained by the township or other local boards of assessor.-, and in ascertaining the value, the township or other local boards should not apply one value per acre to all lands in the same tax district without regard to locality, i fertility, or other local conditions especially affecting the piece of k certain magistrate had the rep ; utalion of being very hard on va ; grants. One of these caine before him charged with loitering, and af ter he had pleaded guilty the magis trate put some questions to him, which he answered readily enough. "llave you any visible means of support. "Yes, your worship," replied Joe as quick as lightning. Then, turn* j inir to where he perceived his wife in the audience, ''Stand up, Mary, so that his honor eau see you."-An swers. by the executive committee. There are about one thousand or more members in the Federation which makes fifty cents per capita. The club had the funds already in the treasury, it having been economical in the matter of having year books printed, and in other wajs. Several of the Borap-booka for the soldiers were broaght in, and the members reported sending magazines to the soldiers. The subject of the pro gram was "Poets of Antebellum Period," and Miss Alma Woodward, as leader, made thia very pleasant. There were several good readings and sketches. structs County Audi 1918 Tax Returns. property ir. question, but should as certain the true, reasonable market value of the lands and buildings separately, and after so ascertaining the true, reasonable market value of the several piecps of lands and of the buildings thereon, the township or other local boards of assessors shall take 50 per eent'of the market value so ascertained by them as the value of such property for the pur poses of taxation. If the tax payer has stated what he deems the true value, and the property is assessed for more than 50 per cent of value stated by tax payer he shall he noti fied of the increase. The same standard is to be pur sued in taxing all classes of prop erty, such as bank shares, textile in dustries, oil mills, cotton mills, rail road, horses and mules, and other properly throughout the State, to the end that each tax payer shall pay taxes upon the same proportion ate part of the real value of the property owned by him as is paid by every other tax payer in the State. This is required by the Con stitution. For this reason it is nec essary that the tax payer make true returns of the market values; that they be verified by the township or other local boards of assessors and that the same per centage, namely, 50 per cent, of all such values shall be taken as the basis for assessment of all classes of property. The tax payer, when he makes his return, is required to swear to what he honestly believes is the market tfalue of his property, and the oath must be administered to the tax payer by County Auditor or other officer authjri/.ed to adminis ter an oath; and this information is to be used by the County Boards when they undertake to ascertain the m??rl?it value, and to tajke__50 per cent thereof as the taxable value. New returns must be made in 1018. A mere reference to former returns will not be allowed. In case of personal property not listed or re turned in 1018, the penalties by law will attach. If the adoption of thia common standard results, as it probably will, in an increase of the aggregate as sessed value of property throughout the State, the danger of excessive taxation will be avoided by the ac tion of the General Assembly in authorizing a reduction of whatever levy may be fixed by it to such a rate as will only raise the amount of appropriations made and au thorized by law. The levying of taxes is entirely within the control of the Legislature. The assessment of taxes is entrusted to the County Auditors, B o a r d s of Assessors Boards of Equalization, the Tax Commission and the Tax Board of Review. If the tax officers fail to do ibeir duty injustice must fol-, low. Respectful! yours, SOUTH CAROLINA TAX COMMISSION, A. W. .IONICS, Chairman. [ Don't Let Your Cotton Damage. At the present time, three pounds and a half of cotton is worth over a dollar. Good middling is worth iud will bring$2.50 more than middling. A bale of good middling cotton ex posed to the weather for a very short time will become so discolored on the surface as to grade middling. The buyer ai ways grades by the sur face if it ia poorer than the cotlon further in the bale. Cotton is entirely too valuable to be neglected. It should not be left lying around gins or on the ground in yards, as when exposed for long it will rot and damage ten or more pounds. Those who haven't a floor ed house in which to put their cot ton should either sell it or store in a warehouse. As a rule, storage houses are tho better. Where placed in one of these, the cotton will be fully insured and the owner will have it at the market, ready to sell any time that he sees tit. The charges for warehousing are too high in some instances, but the co?t of "storing" on the ground at the gin or farm is always much higher. Freights are becoming acutely congested. Local mills are right now debating the advisability of purchasing their supply of cotton at home. The farmer who allows his cotton to daraaere or rot will not be able to sell it, because the mills haven't the time nor facilities to pick and condition rotten cotton. Take care of the cotton. If it is allowed to rot to any considerable extent, money will be lost by hold ing, even though the market should go much higher. Five hundred pounds of cotton at 28 cents will bring more money than 470 pounds at 30 -.?nts. It doesn't take long for cotton to damage 30 pounds. Southern Cultivator. Income Tax Return. In a communication received by this paper from D. C. Hey ward, Collector of Internal Revenue, Co lumbia, S. C., announce,-, chat a fed eral income tax oliioer will be sent into this county on Januar.y 21, 1918, and will be here until Jan uary 20,. 1918. Information as to where this ofrn-er will bav? bia headquarters can bs obtained from the postmaster or any of the bank ers. He will be willing to help per sons subject to the income tax make out their returns without any cost to them for his services. Returns of income for the year 1917 must be made on forms pro vided for the purpose before March 1, 1918. Because a Hood many peo ple do not understand the law, and wont know how to make out ^eir returns, the government is sending in this expert to do it for them. But the duty is on the taxpayer to make himself known to the govern ment. If a person does not make return on or before March 1, 1918, penalties as provided by law will be incurred. If you are not sure about being subject to the tax you had better see the income tax man while be is here. Whether you see the income tax man or not you must make return if subject to the tax. Persons resident in other counties may, if they want to, come and see the income tax mau who will be here. D.C. Hey ward', Collector of In ternal Revenue, suggests that every body start figuring up at once his income and expenses so as to be ready with the t? g tires when the ex pert arives Expenses, however, do not mean family expenses, money used to pay off the principal of a debt, new machinery, buildings or anything like that. They mean what you spend in making youl money, interest, taxes paul, hired, help, amount paid for goods sold,! seed, stock bought for feeding, rent j (except for your dwelling), etc. In- ' ennie includes about every dollar you gel. Appreciative Letter From Mr. Lyon. The following letter has been re- j ceivcd by a member of the local: chapter 1). A. K. here from Mr. M. 1). Lyon in reply to a letter j from tile member who made the gift which is mentioned ip the let ter: United States Battleship, Pennsylvania, My Dear Friend: I was surely glad to receive your very good letter of Dec. 15, with its sincere expression of your friend ly interest in me. A few days af terwards the box came with the scarf, sweater, wristlets and helmet. I can't begin to tell you how much 1 appreciate them, I have tried them on, and they certainly look nice. Besides they are so warm that I do not think I will ever get cold again, even in this frozen north. Many a cold night, wrapped up warmly in them I shall think of you and your friends who have been so thoughtful and generous I hope I shall hear from you sometime again, as I should like to keep up a friendship that has be gun under such pleasant circum stances. Again thanking you for your active and friendly interest in the men of the service. I remain Very respectfully your?, M. D. Lyon, ?. S. ?ST. Dec. 19, 1917. Addi ess Care Battleship Pennsyl vania, Box 10, Care Pastmaster, New York. Don't let the channels of your bugt'y wheels run without a tire. Let us put new lubber tires on ata very reasonable price. We make a speciality of this class of work. J. D. Kemp. RED OAK GROVE. Beautiful Reflections During Shut in Days. Social Circle No. 2 Will Meet With Mrs. Lamb. The book of 1917-how was it closed-I mean by us the readers of the dear old Advertiser, and as "Dorothy Dix" the talented Amer ican highest paid lady writer would call it, have you taken stock? It is well to circumspectly take stock on our lives at least once in the year, sepmine- proper to do it beginning with New Year. The Christmas spirit of 1917 seem naturally tempered by the consideration of national and inter national affairs. Soon followed Wilson's message to Congroas, Secetary Baker's planai ion as to the war conditions, then the matter concisely speaking, means much civilians to carefully and prayfully consider. Oh that each of us would realize there is a part for us to do in winning vic tory, then, our task would no long er be booked upon, as burdensome, but a duty; a privilege that we have of helping ethers. So many means by which service to our nation can be rendered, that none need stand in idleness. I'm sorry, yet'tis true, never-the-less, that the lire of true patriotism, burns mighty low in many lives, even among those of average intelligence. Well that may seem rather broad assertion for us, but a good way is to judge a tree by the fruit it bears. Not only has the continued se verely cold weather retarded farm ivor1^, but indirectly effected busi ness in various ways. Many think grain is seriously in jured if not totally destroyed. Billy Suuday the great evangelist has pronounced the world, as ein jursed, and we read too where a Catholic priest came nearer the i.iarfc that we needed to humble our selves, and tret nearer to God. All abiding mercy has been nieeted out lo us. And now that God is call ing to us through thc- lives of our ^oung man-hood, JOW can we heed not His mercy? Mrs. Janies Pollard has said, 'Peace must eenie to the world through (l) Reconciliation. (2) Revelation. Hope. (4') Submis sion, (?) Service. Many are giving their lives for the principles of liberty. Reid tin.- Bible study, by Mrs. Pollard in Royal Service. It plainly brings out facts from a Bible stand-point. We are earnestly hoping, these .old shut in days we have been hav ing has done at least some g>>od, that we have availed ourselves of ipiiet reflective thoughts, as to the betterment of ourS. S., church, and the community. For at least im proving one helps the other, and much needs be done. Social Circle No. 2 will hold meeting at early dateat Mrs Lamb's. Much business shall be considered, for our New-Year must be the best yet. We feel that community has lost useful material, by the removal of of .Mr. and Mrs. Luther Timmer man and family to South Georgia. We feel sure though our loss will be only anolhers gain, therefore we feel grateful for their having been with us. Mr. Joe Conner Bussey, son of Mr and Mrs. J M Bussey, a student of Clemson has been visiting his aunt Mrs. Mamie Bussey during his vacation. The Clemsonians will soon don the uniforms of khaki. We admiro the sentiment. Mr, W, H. Timmerman of Marti nez, Ga., has been visiting his sister and brother, Mrs. Lamb and Mr. Oscar Timmerman. Mrs. Eva Bussey spent the holi days," accompanied bv Miss Ellie Wates with their sister, Mrs. Jo seph Ramsey of Florence, S. C. The vacation of our Limestone girls, Misses Kathleen Kenrick, Ma mie Bussey and May me Holmes has been prolonged by the bad weather. Let us sell your real estate for what it is worth. DAVIS REALTY CO., Edgefield, S. C. Full stock of undertakers' sup plies, from the cheap coffin to the best metalic casket. Oar hearse re sponds promptly to all calls. B. B. Jones.