Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, May 17, 1902, Image 1
" ~ ^ ^ ^
ISSUED SEMI-WEEKLY.
II. m. grist & sons, Publishers, j % <^amtlg |tagager: gjor the promotion of the fjolitical, ?otial, g-jgritultural, and (Kommqcial gnosis of the fjeople- { TERM8iwolb0oopy[^iot cemtb?mce*
ESTABLISHED 1855. YORKVILLE, S. C., SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1902. NO. 40.
fl !?K!55!5?5?a--??5?!5=5==
| THE SPUR
r
BY ASBIiE
||^ Copyright, 1901, by Charles B. Etherlngl
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FATE OF AN ADVISER.
lj.rWilHEN Korna returned
lor tbetn, a sufficient
number of the maps
were completed. That
fl thev would be of anv
use whatever Darrell
VaV was not 80 sanguine
tf) iMrJl)}. as to believe. He recognized,
however, the
courtesy of the Circassian general who
had suggested something for him to do.
Korna viewed them with great respect
and put them carefully into his
pocket
"The men have been chosen," he
said, "subject of course, to the khan's
approval," and be submitted a list of
names. "We can get no word of any
considerable force of the enemy approaching
from the north. Beyond
question some obstacle has been encountered.
Our scouts hear rumors of
a disaster on the railroad, but the-e
seems to be very little basis for the
report."
"These names are good," said Vera.
"All your arrangements are approved.
Here are my orders in duplicate for
the men."
Korna received the papers and withdrew.
"Would your excellency favor me
also with a copy of the order?" asked
Darrell, and Vera tossed him a duplicate
which lay upon the table rolled up
tightly and secured by cord and seal.
"What do you Intend?" she asked.
. "I have passed through their linrts
once," he said. "It seemed possible
^9 that with your permission I might do
it again."
"You will take no such risk." she
replied. "When lives are to be staked
- -.1.-11 a?i
ror uircassia, we suuu uuu uRtn?iauo
In plenty to do It"
"I surrendered to a German at the
fall of Gredskov," said Darrell, "and
a mighty good fellow he was too."
"There are mercenaries In every army,"
Vera rejoined. "We have hired
a few expert soldiers where we could
find them, but most of us fight for the
cause."
"The freedom of Clrcassla." said Darrell.
"The freedom of Clrcassla," responded
Vera^as if It were a toast.
Darrell drew a deep breath and
squared bis shoulders with the air of
one who meets an etnergeucy.
"Clrcassia lies some distance to the
westward of us." he said. "Is It your
Intention to annex this province?"
"The men of this region have not risen
with us," replied Vera. "They deserve
no part in our liberty."
"I am imperfectly Informed about
your early successes," said Darrell.
"You must have made short work of
ho Rncclnn trnrrlsnna In filreassla."
"They fled before us like sheep!"
cried Vera. "They fled to their forts
along the coast and the river."
"And you reduced all those strongholds
In so short a time!" he responded.
"It Is marvelous."
"General Nirrbigi Is in command of
our army In the west." said Vera. "We
have not yet heard of his success. He
moved westward, raising levies as he
went We believe that by this time
Anapa has fallen before him and that
the Black sea coast is ours."
"Anapa Is a strong place."said Darrell.
"Of course I do not know what strength
your general was able to bring against
It; but considering the support of the
Russian fleet in the Black sea. I am
afraid you are too sanguine."
"We fear nothing in that quarter."
answered Vera. "We have hastened to
carry the war Into the enemy's country,
and you have seen how Russia has felt
the weight of our sword."
k She laid her hand upon the jeweled
' weapon beside her. DarreU's heart
groaned within him.
"This is a wonderfully efficient force."
he said. "Such of your men as I have
seen appear to be armed and disciplined
as well as the crack regiments
of France orGermany. Circassia gained
a fighting reputution sixty or seventy
years ago, and the world has not forgotten
it Indeed one need not go back
so far. And yet I am bound to say that
I If an angel had come down to tell me
L that such troops as these could come
lut of your country I would have asked
for evidence. How could Russia have
I been blind to your designs?"
"The credit belongs to Kilziar," answered
Vera. "He has been secretly
B at work for a loug time, aud it was he
wl?/x tbi'nio rlnot In fhn ovnc nf flip
M czar."
"Unless 1 am misinformed," said
Darrell, "he was Russia's ranking general
In your country and for all practical
purposes its governor. Therefore
he is now doubly a traitor in the eyes
of the czar."
"lie stakes his life upon the success
of our cause," replied Vera.
"And what has been your part in this
warlike venture?" asked Darrell.
"You were so good as to speak in
praise of the arms of our troops," she
answered. "Nearly all our modern
weapons, Including a large part of the
cannon and the ammunition of all
kluds. were purchased by me In France,
and it was I who planned their secret
shipment. That was my mission In
Paris."
"And It accounts for the visit of M.
Clery."
"lie was of great use to me." said
Vera. "I think he took an especial interest
In the matter because of the
novelty of dealing with a woman. He
flattered me by saying that I was absolutely
a freak of nature Id my capacity
for understanding the material of
.war."
: OF FATE.
l"5T TO w iJB.
ton.
"I think he did you no more than justice,"
said Darrell. "It was a tremendous
task to buy this armament, and,
by the way, It must have cost a lot of
money. I can hardly understand how
your revolutionary treasury could have
furnished the amount."
"When I came down to Stavropol,"
said Vera, "to obtain the funds hidden
by my father, 1 chanced upon the secret
of a treasure laid up long ago for
the needs of Circassian patriots. That
such a fund had once existed was
known, but no one kuew what bad become
of It In the disasters following
our last struggle, more than thirty years
ago. The story is long. Suffice It to
say that I cbaoced upon the secret, and
the treasure was recovered. It was at
that time that I first met Prince KI1
I niT^
RPr
"A small matter to me!"
zlar, who bad sought the treasure vainly.
He set my heart on fire with prophecies
of my country's freedom. He told
me that my descent from the most noble
family of Clrcassla would win the
hearts of the people and make me a
queen. Yet you must not think that I
was moved by personal ambition."
"I am far from that error," answered
Darrell. "Of the two treasures thus
discovered you at least were pure gold.
As to the other, <TTd Tt pass Into Kilziar's
custody?"
Vera shook her head.
"I did uot then trust him to that extent."
she said. "A revolutionary committee
was formed, and to that body I
revealed the secret. The money has
been disbursed under the warrant of
that committee."
"1 commend your prudence." said
Darrell.
Vera looked at him steadily and with
a scarcely perceptible smile.
"Prince Kilzlar is a hasty man." she
said. "When he had you in his power,
bis natural Impulse?natural as a tiger's-was
to put you out of the way.
Your methods differ from his. You are
the coldest blooded man I ever met,
and be Is one of the most fiery. But
which is the more unjust?"
Darroll's face flushed painfully, yet
he still wore on air of calm, still spoke
as If the conversation dealt with an abstract
problem outside the field of personal
Interest.
"You are mistaken If you suppose
that I am trying to do Prince Kllziar
an injury." he rejoined. "That he tried
to take mv life is as small a matter to
me ns it is to you. I"?
"A small matter to me!" echoed Vera,
ber band closing on the hilt of the
sword. "If he had succeeded and you
had looked down from the stars afterward.
1 think the wrath of your spirit
would have been satisfied. But now
that he has failed and you are safe he
remains merely Kilziar, Circassian
best soldier and at heart a good patriot."
"A had man cannot be a good patriot"
answered Darrell. 'Tie cannot
be a good anything, except perhaps a
good soldier, as this man is. The trade
requires no conscience. I saw Kilziar
commit a nturder for greed and attempt
another for mere anger, and that
stamps him indelibly to my eye. Rut
for his own personal merits he is nothing
to me. It is only because his character
affects your personal safety and
the success of the cause to which you
have devoted yourself that I speak of
him."
"My personal safety Is not worth
speaking of." replied Vera, "except as
it may affect the cause. Yet you are
insane to suppose that Kilzlar's absurd
love for tue is in any way a
menace."
"I had not that in mind." answered
Darrell earnestly. "It Is the conduct
of this war that makes me shudder
for you, that forces me to warn you,
-4-1 -t- * nicrlif nni? Oil
lUUUn'U 1 tliivt; 1IUIIUCI ligui uvi U.U
thority to do so.*'
"And what have you to say of the
conduct of the war?" she asked. "Have
we not met with success?"
"Vera," he said, "what is the object
of this struggle?"
"To free my country."
"Is it free? Have you driven the
Russians out of it?"
"We shall," she cried, "and in the i
meantime"?
"In the meantime," snid Darrell, 1
"you are engaged in an utterly hopeless
war of invasion. What was your
hope in this campaign? To take Stavropol?
I will grant that you might
conceivably succeed. Even so, you
could not have dreamed of going further,
and you certainly could not have
expected to hold the place indefinitely
without anything that could be called
a line of communications, without pos
siblllty of re-enforcement, with only
the resources of the city Itself to depend
upon. A successful retreat would
have been your best expectation"?
"Why not terms?" demanded Vera,
rising. "Do you think our successes
would have won us no consideration?"
"Not on Russian soli." answered Darrell.
"Every success you win outside
your own borders is an obstacle in the
way of your liberty. You cannot conquer
Russia. Your only chance was to
persuade her that the reconquest of
Cireassia at this time would cost too
much In men and treasure. What does
the government in St. Petersburg care
about the loss of Gredskov as a military
incident? Nothing. But as an
act demanding reprisals the taking of
that city assumes importance. It Is
the same with Vladikaukas, and the
taking of Stavropol would make your
cause hopeless."
"Prince Kllzlar does not think so,"
said Vera, pale with excitement.
'Trince Ivilziar lias never had any
other opinion." rejoined Darrell. "He
is a soldier, a man of long experience
in war. familiarly acquainted with Russian
governmental policy. Vera, when
such a man moved your army beyond
the boundary of the country you were
fighting to free he proved that he was
not a patriot. The soldier of freedom
resents aggression. He takes up arms
for the purpose of expelling tyrants;
be defends bis own land; be stands upon
his rights and strives to win the respect
of the world. But to rush out of
his own country, leaving its strongest
fortified places still in the hands of the
Intruder, to invade the territory of a
monstrous power like Russia, with no
hope except to inflict a certain amount
of injury and then withdraw ? this
could not be the act of a trained soldier
who was also a patriot. To Kllzlar
the military principles and the
policies involved were plain as one plus
one makes two. He did not organize
this campaign In the Interests of Circassian
"In whose, then?" she cried.
"In his own, Vera." replied Darrell,
"for loot There was a rich treasure in
Gredskov, imperfectly guarded through
Russian oversight. Kilziar knew of it
and now be bas it ansoiuteiy in ma
bands."
"Why not?" demanded Vera. "Will
not money help ot.r cause?"
"My child," he rejoined, without
meaning to use the term which made
the princess red with wrath, "is it conceivable
that Russia will permit you to
hold this sum? It is a mere item In the
bill that you must settle. Your whole
policy should have been to secure the
easiest terras, and this Is the way to get
the hardest. Your only problem was
this: How much can I make It cost Russia
to retake Clrcassla in proportion to
the injury which she has suffered in the
loss of It? The lighter the injury the
better for you."
"I have heard that the Americana
considered money above all things"?
Vera began, but Darrell interrupted her
with a groan.
"Let me hasten to make an end of
this," he cried. "I have not forfeited
your regard and suffered the misery
that torments a gloomy prophet without
a definite object You will send an
order to Prince Kllziar. It is not too
late to change your plan. I would
have your force and his move westward,
effecting a junction at the earliest
possible moment The Russian force
south of you is unprepared for such a
movement and is, besides, hampered
by its own anxieties, due to failure of
the co-operating force to come down
from the north. You will have no difllnnltw
Vfln oqn tplthrlrnw intn flirrflfi
ela without loss, and then you can use
this really admirable army for defense
of your country."
"It Is the policy of cowardice!" exclaimed
Vera. "Why, you yourself admit
that these Russians south of us
are caught In a trap. By your own report
tbey are scarcely equal In number
to my command In this city. Shall I
run away while they are quaking In
their boots, or shall I crush them between
two millstones?"
"If your sole thought Is for Clrcassia,"
said Darrell. "you will avoid a
victory that cannot seriously weaken
but only imbitter your enemy."
"Really," said the princess, "I am
both ashamed and grieved. I hoped
for help and bold counsel from you,
and instead you"?
"I have given you the best counsel 1
had." answered Darrell sadly. "Now
give me a gun and post me In the front
rank, and if the march is on to Stavropol
I will cheer the order."
But Vera did not seem to hear him.
She rapped upon the table with her
sword, and the orderly appeared.
"See who is there," said the princess.
Several officers entered hastily, as if
upon important errands. There was
with them a man, In the dress of a
Russian peasant, who seemed, however,
to be a soldier of CIrcassla. He was
much the worse for hard travel and
tottered with weariness. Vera gave
him a quick glance and acknowledged
bis salute. Then she turned to Darrell,
saying coldly:
"We will speak Inter of your return
to Paris."
hATTo/1 inncf rncnnntfiiIItt on/1
retired from the room.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Red Tape In Rnaaln.
Every time a Russian minister leaves
town his colleagues are notified of the
Journey, besides the council of the empire,
the cabinet of the emperor, the
empire's eontroleur and secretary, the
sacred synod, the emperor's military
secretary, the empress, the governors
of Moscow, Varsovie, Kieff, etc., ad
fnlinitum, to all appearance. When
he returns, the same minute notification
performance Is gone through. So
each ministerial departure from and
return to St. Petersburg Involves an
issue of some 200 notices. There are
18 ministers, and taking three journeys
as the average for each, we have at
the end of the year a grand total of
some 10,800 official papers. ?
pisccttanrous Reading..;
DAUGHTER OP THE PRESIDENT.
A Doien Yonnfc Fellow* Are Follow- ]
Inff In Her Train. I
The suitors for the hand of Miss '
Alice Roosevelt, the winsome daughter '
of the president of the United States, *
bid fair to become as numerous as the
" " "* * A-Ur* 1
wooers or feneiupc. jbvw mute mc Kaiser
did her the signal honor of
choosing her to baptize his imperial
yacht, and sent his brother, Prince
Henry, over to asist at the ceremony,
and incidentally to be particularly gallant
to this charming little woman, interest
in the young lady has been
aroused from one end of the country to
the other, and notably so in the cases
of a dozen or so young men. In the
list of admirers of Miss Roosevelt, who
have been conspicuous in their attentions
to her ladyship this past season,
the infatuation of Mr. Charles C.
Wauters, counsellor to the Belgian
Legation at Washington and Charge
d'Affalres in the absence of the minister,
has been most noticeable. For
not only is he most constant in dancing
attendance upon the president's daughter
in the capital, but he even folloewed
her to Cuba when she left for a short
visit to the land of iier father's triumph;
and in Cuba, as in the capital,
he nns been a most ardent cavalier.
But in the immediate background
there lurks a rival, and to many people
it looks as if there was a very
pretty romance growing out of little
Theodore, Jr.'s illness at school, for it
was there that Mr. Grafton Cushing, of
Boston, who was at Groton during little
Miss Roosevelt's vigil by her brother's
bedside, met her ofterw drove with her,
and walked with her, and whiled away
many of her dreary hours in the cold,
bleak place. From this comradeship a
rare and delightful friendship, if not
something deeper, has sprung up. Mr.
Cushing since then has visited Washington,
been a guest at the White
House and renewed the charm of Miss
Roosevelt s propinquity and his ac- ,
quaintance begun in the snows of New
England.
It was at the brilliant charity ball in
January that Mr. Charles C. Wauters, '
the counsellor to the Belgian legation
was introduced to Miss Roosevelt, and
it was then that his love seems to have 1
been awakened.
The dashing Belgian diplomat came ,
to his post at Washington from Spain,
and the appointment was in the nature (
of a promotion. He is a bright, tactful
and in the next move in Belgium's
checkerboard of state, he is likely to
become a minister.
During the absence of Baron Monchuer.
in Mexico, whither he went to
fetch home his bride, and while on his ^
wedding trip to California, Wauters (
was Charge d'Affaires of Belgium. (
He is very intelligent and passion- .
ately fond of music, sings charmingly ,
himself, and has all the little elegancies
of the polished European.
He is, too, good looking?tall and ,
slender?and extremely popular with
his colleagues in the diplomatic corps (
and in society.
He wears a monocle and speaks six ^
different languages?French, Russian. .
Italian, Spanish, German and English.
He sings too, in all of them.
Now,* a dashing diplomat who can
speak, sing and make love in six lan- J
guages is a formidable host that rivals
must needs reckon with.
His admiration for the little daugh- .
ter of the president developed so sud- ,
denly into an exceeding fondness that
he followed her to Cuba, when chape- ,
roned by Mrs. Harriet Blaine Beale, the
daughter of the late secretary of state.
James G. Blaine, Miss Alice was allow- <
ed to make an excursion to the scenes
of her fatner's glories, to atone for her
natural disappointment in not being
permitted to attend the coronation of
King Edward. Young Wauters, like
the daughter of the president, was delightfully
entertained In Cuba?entertained
and shown all the wonders of
the Island. Together he and Miss
Roosevelt went over the field of the
fignt at San Juan. And what more
propitious situation could a lover ask ,
tnan tnat. (
Then, as tne scene changed from the
land of palfs to the city of lilacs,
somehow or other the lucky diplomat
and the president's daughter were
quite constantly thrown together. Alice
Roosevelt rides horseback, and many
times is she accompanied on her excursions
in and about the capital by
the young Belgian. At none of the
music-ales at the White House during
the season?and there have been sev- (
eral?has he missed a chance of enjoying
the music and Miss Alice at the
same time. He is invited to the state ,
dinners at the executive mansion, and
is bidden to dine with the president's ,
family when they are alone. And not
only is he intimate with the president's
family, but he has many tastes
in common with the president's wife,
whom he makes no pretence of admiring
immensely. During the visit of
Prince Henry, when the pressure was
so great upon the presidential family
for a share of the festivities, Charles
Wauters was conspicuously noted as
omnncr i nncn nnrtirnIni*lv fnvni'orl nn^l
when the fair Alice christened the
Meteor, her Belgian admirer took no
pains to conceal his delight over
the baptism, and his associates marked
it as significant at the time that ev- ,
ery detail of the episode was keenly
interesting to him.
Now, the appearance upon the scene ,
of young Grafton Gushing is watched (
with much interest by the friends of
Miss Roosevelt.
It is quite evident that the handsome
young Bostonian, who has never 1
before paid attention to any one woman,
has been hard hit, for he came to
"Washington soon after Miss Roosevelt
left Groton, and did not even make
a pretence of coming on business.
He was a guest at the White House, 1
and he and Miss Roosevelt went often :
walking in the sunshine of the capital, ;
both very much wrapped up in each
other's conversation.
And he, too, was dined by the Roosevelt's
and permitted to call and renew
his acquaintance with "Sweet Alice"
begun in such a tender sorrow at the
sick bed of her little brother. But his
little visit was of necessity brief, while
his Belgian rival had all the advantage
of propinquity and the romantic accompaniment
of Washington bursting
into spring. Now, Mr. Cushing will
have summer time, with all the aids
of fields and woods and seas and four
full moons to dim any impression the
irdent subject of King Leopold may
oave left behind him.
urafton Dulany Cushing is a youth I
that Boston has come to be proud of. I
He is one of the smartest men in Bos- <
ton society, and has been famous for I
tils dignified and polite Indifference to- '
ward women, although no end of fair
Boston belles have found him decidedly
interesting.
Although very wealthy and very J
aristocratic he has chosen a life of activity
and usefulness, and has just been
sleeted president of the Boston school <
board, a position which he is filling ad- |
mlrably. I
Mr. Cusning will be 38 years old next <
August. He was born in Boston, and j
lives with his parents in Beacon street |
it No. 1G8. He was prepared for Har- |
^ard at a well-known private school. <
He was graduated from Harvard in ]
1885. # 1
To his A. B. degree of 1885 was ad- ]
led LL. D, and A. M., in 1888, when Mr. |
Pushing was graduated from the law <
school. Then Mr. Cushing began teach- (
Ing at the Groton academy, and con- (
tinued there until very recently, when |
be opened an office in Boston at Bar- |
risters* Hall. I
Mr. Cushing is smooth-faced, dresses
plainly, and wears little if any jewelry. |
He is not what would be termed a pol- <
isned puoiic speaker; but what he has <
to say he expresses in plain, well-se- j
lectcd English. 1
STORY OF EYE WITNESS.
Shore Won In Flamei and the Ocean
Like a Caldron.
James Taylor, who was one of the
officers of the Roraima, the Quebec line ,
steamship that was destroyed in the .
barbor of St. Pierre, elves a graphic
3tory of the tragedy of last Thursday,
says a dispatch to The Herald from St. ,
Kitts, Island of St. Christopher, B.
W. I.
"We experienced the greatest difficulty
in getting into port" said he. "Appalling
sounds were issuing from the
mountains behind the town, which was ,
shrouded in darkness. All the passen
?ers were up and some were trying to
pbtain photographs.
"Suddenly I heard a tremendous explosion.
Ashes began to fall thicker
upon the deck and I could see a black
cloud sweeping down upon us. I dived
below, and dragging with me Samuel
Thomas, a gangway man and fellow
countryman, sprang into a room, shutting
the door to keep out the heat that
was already unbearable.
"The ship rocked and I expected
every moment that it would sink. Outside
I heard a voice pleading for the
3oor to be opened. It was Scott, the
first officer, and I opened the door and
dragging him into the room.
"It soon became unbearably hot and
I went on deck. All about were lying
the dead and the dying. Little children
were moaning for water. I did what I
could for tnem. I obtained water; but
when it was held to their swollen lips
they were unable to swallow, because
pf the ashes which clogged their
throats. One little chap took water in
this method and rinsed out the ashes,
but even then could not swallow, so
badly was his throat burned. He sank
back unconscious and a few minutes
later was dead.
"All aft the ship was afire, and from
the land came draughts of terrible
heat. At last, when I could stand it no
lonerer I spranp overboard. The water
was hot enough to parboil me; but a
wave soon swept in from the ocean,
bringiiig with it cool water.
"I was caught in the receding wave, .
which was of tidal velocity, and was
carried out to sea. Then on the return
of the second wave I was washed
against an overturned sloop, to which
I clung. A few minutes later, I was
joined by another man, whom I learned
was Captain Muggah, of the Roralma.
He was in deadful agony and kept begging
piteously to be put on board his
ship.
"Picking up some wreckage and a
tool chest, I and five others who jot net
me, succeeded in forming a rude raft,
on which we placed the captain. Seeing
an upturned boat, I asked one of
the five to swim out to it and bring 't
over so that Captain Muggah might
have an opportunity to live. The man
succeeded in getting the boat righted;
but instead of returning he picked up
two of his countrymen and went u.vay
in the direction of Fort de France.
"Seeing the Roddam, which had arrived
in port soon after we anchored,
making for the Roraima, I said goodby
to Captain Muggah and swam to the
Roddam. Before I could reach her she
burst into iiames and put out to sea.
I finally reached the Roraima about
half past 2 o'clock in the afternoon and
later was taken off by the cruiser
Suchet."
Samuel Thomas, the gangway man,
whose life was saved by Taylor, deserihes
a woman who was burned to
death while she held her baby in her
arms, protecting it with her own body
from the lire that filled the air. The
child was alive long after its mother
had ceased to suffer.
Ahoitt Martinique.?Island has an i
area of 381 square miles. Fort de
France is the capital. Population is.
approximately, 192,500. There are 12,000
whites. Others are Negroes or of mixed I
racial types. St. Pierre was the larg- 1
est and most important city commer- <
daily, having a population of about 1
26,000. Principal products of the island I
are sugar, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, cot- j
ton and rum. Imports for 1896 aggre- 1(
Stated about $5/(21,000, and exports were t
15 358.000. In the same year the United n
States sent to the island goods worth t
11,502,332. This country takes almost li
lothlng from Martinique; but our nrod- :
nets, chiefly foods stuffs, are necessary r
to it. Annual revenues of the Island h
aggregate $1,342,000. Of this sum one- I
fourth is spent for educational pur- t
joses. Martinique is a favored colony ii
jf France, having been settled by colmlat
a frnm fVtaf nnnntrv (n 1Ta_ n
and was taken by England In 1794 and t
leld till 1816, when France again se- v
.-ured possession of It. St. Pierre was ?
built on high cliffs overlooking the
larbor. Mont Pelee, the volcanic erup- o
tion of which destroyed St. Pierre, is n
1.45u feet high. It is often in obscur- ^
ty because of the dense clouds of smoke
that have enveloped its summit.
EVILS OF THE LIEN LAW.
L
I Problem Tlint Challenge* the Attention
of Real StateamanNhlp.
It will soon be time for the county ^
?ampaign to begin and for men, wish- f
ing to represent us in the legislature, c
to announce their candidacy, and it is t
snly fair that we should have some expression
from such candidates on the y
lien law, because a great many of our c
eading men are attributing the great- ^
;r part of our "hard times to this law."
[ have never seen a copy of it, but I ^
bave seen enough of its workings to n
tnow that it is ruining the farming in- 3
terests of this state. This law, in my ^
opinion, is the greatest curse ever put p
jpon the people of this state and allow- c
;d to remain there by a body of lntelli- 3
sent men. Its bad effect can be seen ?
in almost every business, but more es- j,
pecially in the farming business. 3
The present law was passed more t
than 16 years ago, but has been amended
many times and the people for v
whose benefit it was made have been j
setting poorer every day since it has r
been in force. The more amendments 3
t has the poorer they, or rather we,
?et, for the country generally Is get- 3
ting In the same condition, with the 3
jxception of merchants and a few oth- [
;r men who are able to take advantage a
jf the opportunities the law presents.
They, however, are not to be blamed 9
for making the best of their opportu- c
nities. The fault is not with them, and <3
[ am not trying to place it there, but 3
ivith this law. It was passed princi- 0
sally for the benefit of the farm labor- a
;r and the farmer without capital with v
which to farm and they are in a far r
worse condition today than they have 1
been any day since it has been a law.
rwenty years ago?before we had such v
1 law?It was an Insult to a white man i
to ask any kind of a claim on his crop 1
and almost as much to the Negro, but 1
today how different! They are begging t
some one to take a lien on the crop 1
thev expect to plant.
Landowners have lost and are loslner
their lands, and some who were once 0
landowners have lost all their land and t
jven their homes on account of this t
Iniquitous law. In some cases it may t
have been only the indirect result, but r
nevertheless the result of it. t
The evil effect in this direction may c
easily be seen in this one illustration: A s
man having land to be worked, not t
having the money or supplies with
which to work it, and not wanting to
borrow it, waives a practice far worse t
than borrowing?his right to his part t
af the crop that is exnected to be made fi
and sits quietly by seeming to think [I
It is all the merchant's risk while his ^
laborer, "cropper" or "renter," "eats t
him up." We have all seen enough of a
this to know what the result is when .j.
the account Is due, some times?and it
was many times last year, the mer- c
fin/4 /loKf qMa nf fho q P
UIICXllL IU1U Wilt UVVI. k>4UW w& vuv Mv
count mucn larger than the credit side. ^
Some lien law defender will say all
this is due to the failure in crops. I'll
admit that this has a great deal to do
with it, but we have not always had .
had crops and cases like this have
occurred. And, too, it has driven away .
all effort of some to raise grain, corn, ,
hay and fodder sufficient to supply .
themselves for a year, just simply trying
to raise cotton with which to pay
a debt obtained by giving a lien for .
the provisions that should be raised instead
of so much cotton. It has driven
nearly all the white people, who not f
being as fortunate as some others, have
to depend on their actual labor for
support, away from the country to the .
factories. It is driving our labor from
us. Some will say this is the best
thing for us. With a certain kind of
labor I will admit that it is, but this
depends upon who has controlled it.
I attribute all this restlessness of labor
about which we read, direct to the
negligence of the land owners and this
In turn direct to this law. This law,
like all others, has been abused, and
all this I'll admit is not a direct fault
of the law, but I do say it is a direct
result of it. I have talked with but
few defenders of this law and about
the only thing I have heard advanced
as an argument was this: "What will
the people do without it?" I will ask c
what have they done with it? Noth- '
ing to advance the interest of the people
for whose benefit it was intended.
Without this law labor could be controlled
better, not better for the personal
advantage of the landowners only,
but for the advantage of the laborer
as well. Both of these working at
an advantage would advance every )
other interest in the country, for as
every one knows, the greater part of 1
the prosperity of the town depends on ,
the degree of prosperity the farming c
people enjoy.
Now, as 1 have already said, let us '
have the opinion of each one of our v
candidates on this subject. It is only 1
lair to know, not so much for whom 1
we are voting, but for what we are
voting. All candidates say they wish
to do the will of the majority, and that 1
Is the proper thing for them to wish to t
Jo; but how will they ever know the
will of the majority on this thing un- f
less they make it an issue in the cam- h
[ji.gn? If the candidate advocates this J
aw end is left at home he ought not
o gi unable, but try to nurse his srreless,
If he Is disposed to be that way,
>y thinking that It was the principle
is represented and not the man that
auRed his defeat. If he advocates the
eptal of this law and is elected, let
ilm try to do something to this end.
have often wondered why our leglslauie
doesn't do something toward havi:g
this law repealed.
No law at all having this kind of a
redit system would be better. Then
he system of crop and wages could be
/orked entirely, which would be rather
xpensive to the landowner, but much
letter in the course of a few years.
It Is to be hoped that some member
f our next legislature will make some
novement to have this law repealed
,nd not rest until this end is gained.?
ohn M. Wise in Chester Lantern.
PADrrvrvo mu a m VADAIW nrtvmfl
r vi%a vim * "I a ilUUUU I ?f /111 A
.eft by n Gypsy Murderer, Whoae
Heir* Call It "Blood Money"?and
Won't Touch It.
A new phase of the gypsy character
ias developed In the circuit court at
Svansviile, Indiana, which has put the
ourt in a position where there is nelher
law nor precedent for action.
Isaac Harrison, known for many
rears in the west and south as the
Jypsy King,was murdered by one of
lis sons in Alabama a year ago. He
lad accumulated some means during
lis roving life and had invested his
noney so advantageosly that he posessed
a moderate fortune. The mur[erer
fled to the west and the old man's
roperty was administered by the
ourt, each of the heirs receiving an
qua! share. The amount dye to the
ugitlve son was paid into court, as
le was absent, and passed to the posession
of the clerk of the county as
he court's officer.
Several weeks ago young Harrison
vas injured in a railroad accident and
lied two days later. Before death he
evealed his identity and the authorities
it Evansville were notified. Nme of '
he Harrison family showed any inter- ,
st in the result of the murderer's
leath. When applied to by the court
or proof of his end all refused to take
my steps in the matter.
The clerk finally secured the necesary
proofs and the Judge ordered the
tart of the estate belonging to thfe murlerer
to be distributed among the othr
heirs. It then developed that none
f his brothers and sisters would accept
tny part of the estate. They said
rhen questioned that it was "blood
noney," and they did not want to touch
t.
They do not contend that the father
vas murdered for the money; but that
t came to the son through blood and
t is the same as though he had killed
lis father for it. Attempts to argue
he case bring only shakings of the
lead, and the often Iterated statement,
'It's blood money. I don't want It"
As the legal owners of the son's part
>f his father's fortune are still alive,
he court cannot declare It escheated to
he state and it will probably remain in
he clerk's hands Indefinitely. The diect
heirs of the old gypsy chief say
hat none of their children will ever lay
lalm to the money, because its possesion
would be certain to bring misforune
upon any one who takes it.
A Street Car Incident.?A conducor
on a Broadway car had refused to
ake a transfer the other day on the
rround that it was too long after the
tour punched, says the New York
rimes. The passenger was politely
old that under the rules he could not
iccerrt the transfer, and that he would
lave to pay the fare or leave the car.
"I'll not pay and I'll not leave the
:ar," said the passenger, savagely.
"I'll pay for you, then." said the conluctor,
ringing up the fare. "I'd rather
ose 5 cents than wrangle with a paslenger."
This would doubtless have closed the
ncident had not the irate passenger
ieen "Abe" Hummel sitting opposite
?im. To him the irate one appealed to
enow if he was right or wrong in refusng
to pay his fare.
"Do you wish my legal advice?" ask>d
Mr. Hummel, with a show of gravty.
"I do."
"I never give legal advice without a
ee."
"Well, here's a five dollar bill," said
ne passenger, peeling off a bill from a
>lg roll, and handing It to Mr. Humnel,
who promptly accepted it.
"My advice is?pay your fare or get
tff the car."
"Is that all?"
"No," replied Mr. Hummel. Then,
ailing the conductor and handing him
he bill, he remarked, "It is certainly
vorth that much money to find and revard
a gentlemanly conductor."
Island op St. Vincent.?St. Vincent
s a British possession. Island is about
7 miles long and 10 miles broad. Popllation,
approximately, 45,000, of which
here are 30,000 Negroes, 3,000 whites
ind 12,000 of mixed races. Whole
lorthern part of the island swept by
ake of lava from the crater of Souf lere
and Morne Garon, the latter neing
he peak of the volcanic ridge that
livides the island east and west.
Lava flooded district lies between Beair
and Georgetown. Capital of the
sland is Kingstown, with a populaion
of about 8,000, chiefly Negroes.
["his town is 12 miles distant from the ?
oloanoes now in eruption. St. Vincent
vas once prosperous by reason of sugar
cultivation; but this industry has faHcn
into decay. The chief product now
s arrowroot. The whole island is of
rolcanic creation. This is the second
ievastating ilood of lava that has swept
he island, the other occuring in 1812.
&T "I am going to marry your daugher
sir," said the positive young man
o the father.
"Well, you don't need to come to me
or sympathy." replied the father, "I
lave troubles of my own."?Ohio State
ournal.