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PASSING OF USELESS PARKS British Government Has Done Well in Converting Vast Tracts Into Areaa of Cultivation. Since William the Conqueror first laid waste to a smiling countryside to make a deer park, and forbade com mon men to hunt in that great tract he called his "New Forest." millions of acres of fertile English k?nd have served no purpose useful to the-? ra ce. The nobles of medieval times, and their children's children after them, loved above all things the chase, and they paid scant heed to those beneath them who sought to draw their living from the soil, if there were room for doer, and foxes, and hares, and moor and marshland for falcons to soar above, or gentlemen to shoot over, they did not care. England was prosperous and secure. Many years ago her governments defi nitely abandoned the Idea of making the land self-supporting. The seas were safe to British commerce, and none be i'sred the time would come when the nation's" needs would compel the use of pleasure parklands. The country grew old gracefully, and enjoyed It. It was not decadent, only too well con tent. AH this the war has changed, and . for the better. Britannia still rules the waves, but beneath the waves lie unseen terrors, menacing the nation's commerce, its food supply, Its very life. The nation cannot trust its sea borne trade now. It must utilize every possible means to provide the neces sary sustenance for its armies, and for those who supply the fighting men. And the British government rises to the occasion. Before the war Lloyd George fought long and well to compel the breaking up of old estates, to make possible the cultivation of land long idle, to gi?e the laborer a chance at the soil. Ile failed, for the British are conservative by instinct, and the old way seemed easiest. They have learned their les son now. In three years past the British gov ernment has taken over outright no , less than 1,000,000 acres of British soil, , purchasing some, renting more. It has, . indeed, found necessary the establish- , ment of a great department to handle ? this work of national regeneration. It j ls a great change, and one that should , not be regretted. The English which , makes peace will not be the England of j Its fathers, but a^better one. less at- j tractive. It may be, to tourists, lesa beautiful to look upon externally, but, ? surely, far more of an Inspiration to ita , neighbors which travel, In company, 3 ?he road to real democracy. i Beyond Writer's Power. Coningsby Dawson says, in telling ol '? his disinclination to keep even a note book after he went to the front, though < he had been a professional writer : 1 "One has a strange feeling about I books when he is in the immediate 1 presence of death. I remember an i anecdote of a great Swedish writer I which partly Illustrates my mood. The watchers by his bedside thoughl : he was dead. Suddenly he raised him i self up. " 'Now I could write,' he whispered. They were his last words. "In the light of my experience ai the front I know what he meant. The petty personal problems which we cloak in words and call literature seem so ignoble a presentation of men and women who are planned for im mortality and live in an Infinite world. I went to France fully intending tc keep a record of what I felt and saw there. I soon found that what I felt and saw was too grave to put on pa per ; I cheapened myself In my own eyes in the attempt." An Expert. A government press censor was talk ins: about the German press censor* ship. "We found on some prisoners, re cently," he said, "the German censor ship's latest prohibition. Prominent among these was an order to the press not lo mention under any circumstnee the growing use in Germany of dog flesh for food. "That prohibition reminds me of a story-a story that may contain a lot of truth. ."A German prisoner," the story runs, was rebuked by a sergeant for the sloppy way he was feeding and look ing after some Red Cross dogs. " 'I guess you think you know a lot about dogs.' the sergeant sneered. " 'Yes. sir. that's right,' said the pris oner, 'for let me tell you, sir, I've been cook in a Berlin restaurant for the last two years.* " Mature Enlightenment. "That great railroad president waa once an office boy." "I venture a guess," observed Mis? Cayenne, "that he felt much more se cure and Important when he was an office boy than he docs today." A Gone Case. Katherine-I saw him flirting with a girl last month, and he's a married man. Kidder-Well, that's always the way. If a man gives a girl the least encouragement she'll marry him. A Cold Night. "Did you put the cat out, JohnT "No." came the resolute answer. "1 Joined the S. P. C. A. today. Ifs against my principles to do anymlng so cruel." Enough Said. Earlie-Say, pa. His Pa-Well, Earlie? Earlie-Does a mill race come under the head of aquatic sports? ?X MARY O?Ii^iSOMER. HAPPY PUPPIES. At last the Irish setter puppies had their eyes opened ; lovely blue eyes they had and their heads were so smooth und soCt. Their ears were long and their hair was of a wonderful red brown shade, long and also very soft They looked very much like their mother only much, much smaller. They were tiny and they cared more about sleep than anything else in the world. Adventures might be all right later on, but for the present sleep was the most glorious thing. They would fall over each other and any way they fell they would go sound asleep. Such strange positions as they got into when they slept, but as long as it did not bollier them the mother let them alone. "My beautiful puppies," she said to herself us she looked at them. When they nestled very close to her she look ed out of the window of the tool room in the barn where their home was for the present and thought : "I wish I could always keep my pup pies safe in here and away from the world and dangers." Then she would look out of the win dow again and once more down at her puppies and she would think of the dog shows where they would win prizes, for they were perfect, very perfect and they were her own puppies! But they seemed so safe and sleepy now and she hated to think ahead of ill the troubles that might come to them. They might be sold to people svho didn't love and understand ani mals, but she didn't think of thut long, for she knew her mistress would be rery, very careful-she loved the pup pies too. After a time the puppies were almost frown up and in a little while after ;here was great excitement The pup pies did not understand it, but the mother did. She had been to many a dog show and how many prizes she iiad won ! She could never count them for she really couldn't be bothered with idding and such things-she wanted to watch her beautiful grown-up pup pies! For she could hardly believe that they were no longer babies. "We're going to the show," she whis pered to them, "that is what all the excitement means. We're going to win ribbons and prizes, my beautiful ones, and our mistress will be so happy and ?lad." The next day they went-the whole family of puppies and the mother. The judges were looking at all the flogs. "This Irish setter family beats them all," they said. And each grown up puppy and the mother won prizes. They received the best ribbons of all and how delighted their mistress was, to be sure. "Now," said their mother, "you will Qot leave me, for you will come to other shows at other times. I have The Puppies Were About Grown Up. tried to keep you beautiful and well ?md so has my mistress. Now she is so pleased that you won prizes that she will not think of giving you away." And though the puppies were almost grown-up they nestled close to their mother as though they were very young and said, "We're happy that there are dog shows, mother, if it means we will not leave you." And they barked their joy! Crowds stopped to look at them and tiny copied their mother and stood and looked as she did. And when their mother heard the people say how fine she was they noticed she wagged her tail, so they did the very same thing when people admired them ! When some of the dogs snarled and were cross the Irish setters looked at their mother as if to say, "People won't want to look at them If they're cross." But their mother answered, "You can't always blame them, my dears, for every dog hasn't the kind mistress that we have ! And if a dog is cross, very, very often it is the fault of the master or mistress." So the puppies who were almost grown-up barked more joyously than ever when their mistress came back to them! Furnish Your Own Incentive. Do not walt for others to supply the Incentive you need for doing your best. There are young people who fancy they cannot even get up In the morn ing without being called, and they car ry the same attitude into all the work of the day. See that you ask as much of yourself ns anyone else can possi bly ask of you. Have the highest standard of achievement. Do not wait for something outside to spur you ou to reach it. Let your own realiza tion of what you might be and what you ought to accomplish, furnish the utc&iUve.-Girl's Companion. Good Effect of Citizens' Battis With the Snow. Gave Slacker an Opportunity to See Himself as Others See Him Also Helped Realization of What War Means. :By GEORGE E. BOV7EN, of the Vigil antes.) It took a lot of backache and blis ters and frostbite to clear this snow bound western world of drifted ob struction, making it safe for travel, secure for the daily affairs of life. Those two great January storms created a desperate situation-one that had to be met and overcome. Everybody suddenly had the same idea-a strong shovel, a willing heart and a cheerful disposition. There was nothing else to do. We had to be free. And we were. Every patriot in the middle west who had a shovel and a backbone got ouc and used them. Lot line.*- didn't count, for we were fighting a common enemy. The shoveling spirit thrilled us, en masse-no one stopped to be saluted or introduced-no one stopped to theorize-no one claimed exemption or superiority. We just asserted our right of way-and dug it. So? here is freedom-to go or come. It was a great lesson in united ac tion, a convincing example of the soli darity of human interest, a reassuring experience in loyalty to the cause of common welfare. It was an American demonstration. The slacker was thoroughly un slacked when he saw his neighbor shoveling off his walk. It was a worth-while storm. Men met each other in these neigh borhood trenches with a new expres sion In their eyes-a new feeling in their hearts. Over the wfcite-blocked barricades of snow, head high and miles in length, they were seeing those reddened, sand bagged walls in Belgium. Seeing loyal bayonets shoveling humanity's way to freedom through storm-crushed Flan ders. Seeing braver patriots than themselves struggling manfully against Alpine avalanches of steel and bliz zards of fire, that the home-paths of mankind be not obstructed forever by any brutal drifts of hate or selfishness. The roar of the Arctic terror these neighbors knew when the storm broke upon their unpreparedness was ns nothing to the scream of shelfs and the thunder of artillery they are hearing now in those trenches across the sea and in their souls. They have realized in a small, blood less way the meaning of war-war that is a perpetual offensive storm, instead of an occasional one in January. When men meet in these snow trenches of the West, liiere's only one comment: "We've got to help them win." And they mean it-as they meant every shovelful of snow they threw out of their paths of peace and content ment. Some great blessings come thickly disguised. Big Storm Recalled. Just thirty years ago In January, the worst storm in the history of the United States weather bureau raged over the central West, taking a toll of more than 200 lives and killing thou sands of farm animals. "Old-timers" assorted there had been a storm of equal, if not worse proportions, in 1SS0, but there are no definite records on the first storm, and it is known to have boon more locally confined than the "great storm of 'SS." The storm origi nated in Nebraska and extended to central Iowa and Wisconsin eastward and to the Montana linc on the west. The temperature was about freezing when the storm started, but by the next morning it had dropped to H4 de grees below zero in South Dakota. Grand Forks, N. D., reported a tem perature of fi2 degrees below, while at Sioux City, Ia., it was 2S below. Near Mitchell, S. D., a firmer and his son were unable to reach the house five rods distant before the boy was frozen to death. How They Lived in Early Days. Men and women who are com plaining that the increasing cost of food staples is making the purchase of some luxuries beyond their means should read the account o^ the priva tions which the people of medieval England had to suffer, notes a corre spondent. They lived without sugar until the thirteenth century, without coal until the fourteenth, without but ter on their bread until the fifteenth, without tobacco until the sixteenth, and potatoes until the sixteenth, without tea, coffee and soap until the seventeenth,, without umbrellas, lamps and puddings until the eight eenth, without trains, telegrams, gas, matches and chloroform until the nine teenth. Pigeon a War Hero. The feat of Napoleon's A D. C., who galloped up with a message In the press of battle, and being asked : "You are wounded?" replied, "Pardon, sire, I nm dead," and fell lifeless, has been equaled by an army pigeon. This pigeon flew home with one of its legs shot away, only to fall dead on the loft floor. But its message, almost driven into its body by the shot, saved the lives of '.lundroils of men.-From the European Edition of the New York (Te raid. We invite our friends to come in to 'spring merchandise for men and hoys. Large assortment of spring suits to sele est fabrics and newest styles. See Our Beautiful H in Straw, Panama and Felt. Large stock of ECLIPSE Shirt. .Ti need for the warm weather. See our Crossett Oxfords < Selz-Schwab Oxforc the best and most stylish footwear on the m money. Dorn SOME STRIKE IT RICH BUTA SURE WAY IS TO PUTA LIT IN THE BAN EVERY WEEK Cooyricht 1909. b? C. K. Zi<fotrin?,p c:0.--No. 51 THERE is no doubt about money in the bank, it is sure and positive. Maybe slow, but there is the satisfaction that it is sure. Posi tive in every way, both that it will grow, and that it is safe. BANK OF EDGEF?ELD OFFICERS: J. C. Sheppard, President; B. E.;;Nicholson, vice-President E. J. Mims, Cashier; J. H. Allen. Assistant Oashier. DIRECTORS : J. C. Sheppard, Thos. H. Rainsford. John Rainsford, B. E Nicholson, A.S. Tompkins. C. C. Fuller. E. J. Mims. J. H. Allen FOR SAL PRICES RIGHT Corn in Shuck and Good Sound Cow Peas Farmers in need of supplies will do well to take advantage of the above. B. B. BOUKNIGHT Mulberry Hill Plantation Johnston, S. C. s? see the new ?ct from-lat afS ist what you and our ts larket for the ill? i IIS mm Abbeville-Greenwood Mu tual Insurance Asso ciation. ORGANIZED 1892. Property Insured $2,500,000. WRITE OR CALL on the under signed for any information you may desire about our plan of insurance. We insure your property against destruction by FIRE, WINDSTORM or LIGHT NING and do so cheaper than any Com pany in existence. Remember, we are prepared to prove to you that ours is the safest and cheapest plan of insurance known. Our Association is now licensed to write Insurance in the counties of Abbeville, Greenwood, McCor mick, Laurens and Edgefield. The officers are: Gen. J. Fraser Lyon, Presiden, Columbia, S. C. J. R. Blake, Gen. Agt., Secy. & Trea.s, Greenwood, S. C. DIRECTORS. A. O. Grant, Mt. Carmel, S. C. J. M. Gambrell, Abbeville, S. C. Jno. H. Childs, Bradley, S. C. A. W. Youngblood, Hodges, S. C. 'S. P. Morrah, Willington.S. C. L. N. Chamberlain, McCormick S. C. R. H. Nicholson, Edgefield, S. C. F. L. Timmerman, Pln't Lane, S. C. J. C. Martin, Princeton, S. C. W. H. Wharton, Waterloo, S. C. J. R. BIAKE, GEN. AGT. Greenwood, S. C. Your Patronage Solicited. I desire to notify the public that I have purchased Mr. J. D. Kemp's interest in the repair shop and grist mill and that I will give my personal attention to both. Send me your corn and I will make first-class meal. Give me a trial is all I ask. Satisfaction guaranteed. ALBERT L. KEMP. JEdg^fidd^O_ FIRE j INSURANCE -F o r This World ONLY J. T. HARLING OFFICE OVER Bank of Edgefield, S. C,