Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ISSUED SEMI'WEEKLT. l m. GRIST & SONS, Publishers.} % ^awilg Ucurspper: 4or flic ^promotion of the political, gotial, Agricultural, and <Commet;tiaI Interests of fhejeopte. {TERMa8,;Q,L'-^0AprYE/,g^^sANC^ " ESTABLISHED 1855. YOKKVILLK, S. (5., SATURDAY, JUJSTE 14, 19Q2. JSTO. WHEN BOYS BY JOHN E Author of "Helen's Bj -f a lllgXOI Copyright, 1901, by John Habberton. CHAPTER 111. OUK APPOINTMENT WITH TRS MAJOR. TJrl RAINARD and I spent Jl|g\pkj])!| an hour and quite a [Bs/SkjMW' lot of money In shops iSBO not far from head quarters, taking care to return In time to meet the major at ^noon, according to reB? ed quest A9 we ap proached headquarters from the op posit? side of the street we saw Ham llton and Cloyne coming down, and Rruinard stopped me. exclaiming: "Did you ever see two tiner looking soldiers?" I said I never had. Each was tail, straight, well formed and carried him self with the grace and ease that came of military training long before they, with us, had Joined Billy Beecham's company of the Ninety-ninth. 1'belr cavalry uniforms had been carefully altered and retitted. so tbere was none of the awkwardness about them that made the volunteer soldier appear more shabby than the average citizen. Each wore a slouch bat and plume, like the regulation "dress" bat. only much finer, and they attracted more attention from passersby than any of the commission ed officers whom one met every momeat or two on Broadway In those days. I wanted to tell Bralnard how much more distinguished they would look within a day or two when they had received the commissions, about which the major undoubtedly wanted to see them and me. but 1 hadn't the heart to speak of good fortune from which poor Brainard was to be excluded. so I said nothing The two tine fellows entered the stairway which led to the loft In which our regiment's recruiting headquarters were, and I followed them Quite a number of uniformed recruits were there in the back part or the room, so it seemed to me that other officers and would lie officers must have been more successful than our trio nt Summerton. I was aliout to tell Hamilton and Cloyne of tny luck with Bralnard. but Charley begged me not to. He said he wanted to surprise tlieiu when we re turned to Summerton. Until then be would try to keep out of sight. I joined tbelli alone, therefore, and the three of us walked about together, amusing ourselves by observing the old sergeant. who seemed to be trying to hud unfile one or count Hip recruits, wp could not discover which. The major had not yet arrived. Tbe lieutenant, who always si*euied to be on duty us aid or assistant, leaoed from, the window as If looking for the major. Finally be withdrew bis bead, walked to tbe rear of tbe room and shouted: "Attention, men! Fall In!" "I wonder If be Is going to Indulge In a squad drill?" said Hamilton to Cloyne. as both of them stepped aside, followed by me. In order to be out of tbe liue which tbe men were formiug by tbe aid of tbe old sergeant "Fall In. uieu." said tbe lieutenant approaching us. "Beg pardon." said Hamilton, saluting gracefully, "but we've an appointment at noon with tbe major, at bis owu request." "Yes. I understand." said tbe lieutenant. "I represent tbe major. Fall In?according to height." "If be meant drill," muttered Hamil ton to Cloyne. "why didn't tbe old duffer say so? Did be think we wouldn't obey orders, that be got us here by such uumllltary ways?" "Itlgbt?dress!" shouted tbe old ser geant. who bad stationed himself at tbe right of tbe line. Then he ran along the front, pushing some men back n little and pulling others forward. Finally he returned to the right and shouted "Front!" Then the lieutenant looked at us as carelessly as if merely to see If our general appearance was fair. At last be shouted: "Attcu-tton! Men. orders have come for nil recruits for the Thirty-eighth cavalry to be sent to the regiment al once. You must remain here, therefore. until the order for transportation comes. We'll get off some time tbia eveniug. That's all. Break ranksmarch!" The yells, roars and oaths that went up from two or three score of the men were worse than any I ever had beard. 1 couldn't blame any of the other recruits. however, for 1 was as angry, shocked aud frantic as they. "Get oil some time this evening!" That meant I couldn't see father, mother or Ned before I started?couldn't see them In three years unless the war ended sooner. It was awful?it was worse than the worst thing I ever had imagined about war. Rome of the more excitable fellows made a rush for the door to find there for rtie first time an armed guard, bevorwl whom at the head of the stairs wore several more. They dlil not belong to our own regiment either. Then they dashed to the rear of the loft and threw up the window sashes, but twc lufnutrymen with Used bayonets were in the tiny courtyard below. Then Babel began again, while the lleuten ant resumed his chair, cigar and pec us coolly as If he were deaf or accus tomed to such scenes. "Can it be possible that this was what the major meant?" I asked ol Hamilton and Cloyue. "Undoubtedly." groaned Cloyne. "II isn't a uew trick by any means." WERE MEN. CABBBRTON. abies," "George Wash1," Etfc. "The scouudrel!'* hissed Hamilton, who was the picture of more kinds of discomfort than I had ever seen In one face before. "Perliaps he really did want to see us three oa the business you suggested." said I to Hamilton. "'Txvon't do any harm to ask." He shook his head doubtfully, but approached the lieutenant, followed by Cloyue and me. "Lieutenant." said be. "excuse me. but I have reason to expect some official coinmunicatious from Albany, through the major, for myself and my friends here. Can you tell me whether the.v have comeV" "Not that I know of," said the officer pleasantly. "Will the major be In soon?" "The major is?no The truth Is. I doubt whether we shall ever see him again. He hasn't succeeded in raising a company, much less a battalion, and bus dropped out of the business. He never bad a commission auyway." "Then all of us to whom be promised commissions are duped?" "Not at all?if you've raised the requisite number of men. Have you done It?" Tbeu Hauiiltou lost bis self possession for the best time within my knowledge. "How many meu have you raised?" contiuued the officer. "Five." sail! Hamilton feebly. "And you V" This to Cloyne. "Four." sighed the handsome Irishman. Then the lieutenant looked at me Inquirlugly. "Three." I whispered, remembering that one was dead and another reclaimed by his parents. "And you've consumed nearly a month at this," said the officer. "What . commissions do you suppose you are entitled toV" No one answered, so the lieutenant resumed h's work. Then we three Summerton men stepped aside at Hamilton's suggestion for consultation, but we at once began to moan and grumble instead of consulting. Cloyne said he had no one in particular to say good by to; nevertheless to go ott as we were about to. without saying a word to any of the many people tie had known pleasantly for years, would make htm feel very much as if suddenly arrested and sent to prison. Hamilton said lie heartily wished himself In Cloy tie's condition, but unfortunately there were ninny people to whom tie owed partiug calls and some with whom lie had made engagements which he wouldn't break for auything. I I it'gnu to say that 1 feared that not to see me again would be tiie deatb of my father or mother or both, but I didn't get through my speech very well. As for my brother Ned. when I thought or that little fellow and all I might have been to him. but hadn't, and now he wouldn't have a big brother again for years. I secretly promised heaven to eudure patiently auy hardship or suffering ot war If I might be spared to make amends to that small boy. Suddenly Hamilton exclaimed: "Tins won't do. We're wasting precious time. If we can't go back home we can at least telegraph our friends to route down and say good by to us. I.et me la I tor with the great mogul once more." "Lieutenant." snid Hamilton, whom XZILUM 'hill in men.' siitil the lieutenant I Cloyne and I followed to the desk. "I i beg a thousand pardons, but I know you'll forgive me if you'd put yourself i in my place for a moment. I'm an old I First militia man. and I know orders must be obeyed." i "First regiment, eh?" said the lieui tenant, rising from his desk, while Cloyne and I pinched each other with i delight at the impression which Ilam Ilton's announcement had evidently i made. I "Yes. and I've enlisted for service, > not for money, for I'm quite well oXf already. My two friends here and I 1 would like to see our families and acquaintances before we start." ' "Telegraph them to come at once," said the lieutenant. "(Jo to the nearest hotel and see them there. You wouldn't 1 like to meet them before this crowd. I'll pass you through the guards." We must have beet) a happy trio to t look at just then as Hamilton took the lieutenant's hand.and murmured: "God bless you!" "I hope he will." said the officer, "for everybody else Is cursiug ine today, though I'm merely dolug my duty." We all moved through the door, the lieutenant leading. Just then I felt a clutch at my shoulder and. turning, saw Bra I na rd. his face tear stained nnd most woebegone. Hamilton chanced to see him, too. stopped, stared and exclaimed: "Eh? What's this?" "This Is a surprise," said I. "He's one of us after all." "Thank heaven!" exclaimed Hamilton. I was so pleased at tbls remark tbat 1 was hours In comprehending the entire meaning of It. which was that there was a woman In the case. Meanwhile Hamilton named the hotel to which we would go and where the lieutenant could notify us when It was time to start. We at once telegraphed our families and while awaiting them made some hasty goodby visits to friends iu the city. Two hours later we felt as criminals condemued to death must feel during the final visit of their friends. My father?bless bis dear, thoughtful heart?brought down the entire family aud the dog besides. Had It not been for that dog's efforts to explore the hotel and Ned's efforts to bring him back there would have been little relief from the gloom of which all of us were full. Brainard's mother seemed to suffer worst of all. She had gone through the agony of giving her son away only to get bim back again forever, she supposed. Now he was a soldier once more, and at scarcely an hour's notice she was to lose him. My own misery was doubled by her , sorrow, for was not 1 to biame for bis being in uniform? My cousin May tried to put some cheer into the party, and as she always laughed heartily at the slightest provocation it was impossible not to be affected by her spirits. She made cheery though modest replies to some gallant speeches which Hamilton addressed to her. aud she told Mrs. Brainard to think bow much more Charley's quick wits would be to the nation than the guns of a dozen common men. She scarcely spoke a word to Charley himself. however, and he looked at ber only slyly, for. as he told me afterward. he had caught a glimpse of himself Id a hotel mirror and felt like a scarecrow. A message from the lieutenant broke up our party. Cloyue departing first, followed by Elamilton aud bis friends. 1 hud to drag myself away from my mother's arms and then tear Bralnard away from his mother. 1 hope I may never again see such a picture of desolation as that couple made while taking a last look at eacfc other. It seemed as if a sense of my own responsibility would kill me, but suddenly Cousin May relieved the feelings of all present by throwing her arms around Charley's neck and exclaiming: "You poor, troubled little fellow, your mother shan't be lonesome while you are away." How we got out of that room?why we did not fall dead at the final partlug-1 do not kuow. To my memory ( that is still the most dismal day of the entire war. We took pains not to tell our families where our rendezvous was or by what streets we would depart. We did uot know ourselves. Just a quarter of an hour afterward, bowever. as we tramped down Broadway, a dug sprang upon me. and as 1 turned to east Idui off I saw it was minethat Utile Ned was right behind him, and my futher was following Ned. CHAPTER IV. ( ih camp again. -i . re went south on a train tMf'jjST' Al contained Borne Im H'rm\ 'Sp squads of recruits for . ?LttL other regiments, and I IHB.'; cannot say that any of them impressed trie 'iMf' wore favorably than our 0WD or that ^cy I?I O |00ked like men from whom the Southern Confederacy bad uiuch to fear Certaluly they could not bear comparison with the average of our old militia regiment, at whom the cavalry had sneered and whom the regular artillerymeu bad called"Dough hoys." The great majority reminded me of the corner loungers In city and town I said as much to Cloyne, who replied: "For very good reason too. That's just the class from which they were recruited." It was pleasing to think that we should see something different when we reached our camp, which was only about a day distant from New York. Our quartet wished we might soon reach there, too. for the trip persisted in recalling by contrast that of tbe Ninety-ninth, and the contrast made us gloomy. No natives wished us godspeed or brought fruit and refreshments to the train when It stopped at a station. Nobody sang patriotic soDgs in the cars n passed jokes from seat to seat. On the contrary, there were much vile language and drunkenness, with some fighting, for men who had received large bounties and were not accustomed to having much money hnd apparently tried to Invest nil their cash in whisky. Some tried to desert by , jumping from tbe car platforms as we passed slowly through the larger * - ? - ?1| Ill WHS, <111(1 ?-uuj nc till ot.iv suspected by the officers In charge of the various squads of being possible "bounty Junipers." It was .not until this trip that we came to realize, recruiting officers though we had been, that the payment of bounties, which had not begun until the Ninety-ninth hud taken the field, had developed a new and highly popular industry?that of enlisting, receiving bounties, deserting, re-enlisting to receive more bounties, and so on indefinitely until the bounty jumper was detected or sent to the front too suddenly and securely to escape. One of t ho officers, with whom Hamilton and Cloyne scraped ucauaint ance, said we were lucky not to be sent down In locked cars, with windows so arranged on the outside that they could not be opened enough to let u mnn through. He said also that, a number of hard characters hud enlisted only for the purpose of robbing their comrades and that those of us who hnd much money would do well to hide It securely before dropping asleep. None of these revelations promised well for the Union cause, and I asked Hamilton why It was that the army did not get a better cluss of volunteers. "Because." said Hamilton between his teeth, "most members of the better classes are tryiug to become officers, Instead of first enlisting as privates, like several fools with whom I am acquainted." "But they can't all become officers," I argued. "There are too many of them." "None of them will become a private soldier until there Is a conscription," said Cloyne, who stood by. "It's the only way that men of the better classes ever get into the armies of other nations." "But we are different" said I, with rising American pride. "Our better classes know they have more to be thaskful for than the people of other nations, so they have more patriotism." "They do. eh? From the appearance of this car und such others od this truln I have gone through. I must say their patriotism Is uot hurrylug them into the military service." Then I had to change the subject of conversation. Before reaching camp we became acquainted with some of the recruits for our own regiment and found enough varieties of liumau nature to Interest us and to justify Cloyne's remark that It takes a net or an army to catch all a. a~u n..miuan SUriM ui ijiu'er iiou. iiuiuiiiuu, nuu had a head for statistics, took the trouble to ask each recruit for the Thirty-eighth what was bis business "Ah. you vants glory, ehV before he enlisted. There were only 52 recruits, but 45 different trades and professions were named. Indeed, there was but one business or calling which more than one man designated. It was "soldier." Hamilton, Cloyne and I were three of the five who made this statement The others were two stalwart Englishmen, almost middle aged. I engaged these successively In conversation and was almost paralyzed at learning that they were survivors of the famous "Six Hundred" who formed the "Light Brigade" that charged at Balaklava and was immortalized bv Teuuyson in a poem which 1 aud every other boy In our school bad declaimed on "speech day." It was long before I could tear myself away from these tine fellows and tell Hamilton and Cloyne what an acquisition our regiment bad made. Hamilton was as much surprised and delighted as I, but Cloyne twitched his face, looked out the car window In an absentmluded sort of way and remarked: "They'll make about 1,200 survivors of that 'Six Hundred' whom 1 have personally met, yet I haven't been a great traveler." "Perhaps," said I, "Lord Cardigan didn't carefully count bis men before rldiug at the Russian guns, or perhaps Tennyson took poetic license as to number." Cloyne laughed as be tried a pun. "Somebody somewhere has ventured more lie than sense on the subject." I thought this was very cynical of Cloyne. Of course there are Impostors everywhere, but splendid, straight, manly looking fellows like our own regiment's share of the "Six Hundred" could uot be suspected of anything unfair or pretentious. They were superbly cool and composed, as great soldiers always are, and neither of them seemed to take ordinary Interest In any one around blm until I chanced to mention one of them to the other. To my great surprise, they were not even acquaintances. This fact or some other seemed to surprise the one I spoke to, and when I brought them together and Introduced them they did not look and act at all as 1 imagined old comrades in a historic battle would. Thinking perhaps they preferred to review old associations In private, I left them, after which they began to chat quite freely, aud when next I met one of them he told me they had Identified each other at last, and glad they were to find they were old friends. It was a long time before I could get Cloyne to tnke the slightest interest In them. but be finally eyed them, first carelessly, then curiously. Later I saw him in earnest conversation with one of them, and when I joked with him about it he put on a queer smile and patted me on the shoulder in a patronizing manner that exasperated me. Our reception at the camp of the Thirty-eighth was not what I had expected. The veterans of the regiment 41d not turn out to cheer the brave youths who had come to help them put dowu the rebellion. They did not even offer us something to eat, although It wus long after breakfast time and our hnversucks had been empty since the night before. A few sauntered over to the adjutant's tent, to which we had been marched, and looked at us as If In search of familiar faces, but no one took special Interest In us except the orderly sergeants of the various companies, whom the adjutant had the sergeant major summon by bugle call. The company in which we hnd enlisted bad not yet been organized, so we were allotted temporarily among the older companies, and the orderly Bergeants swore frightfully, as they marched us off, at the trouble they would have to squeeze an extra man or two Into every tent of a lot already well Riled. The men In the tents did not do much to make us feel at home, although one or two put on some appearance of friendliness as they asked us if we had brought down anything In pocket flasks. We Sumraerton boys were not made any more comfortable by 6eing separated, as we chanced to be. No three of us were assigned to the same company, much less to the same tent There seemed nothing for us to do or see either, for no drill was ordered during the morning. Before dinner call was sounded I bad lost all interest In the service and the war. I could think of nothing but our farm at Summerton and the people who occupied it My father had promised to visit me lu camp before winter If the authorities would permit How I hoped be would not do it! I should have been glad to have him see the camp of the Nluety-nlntb. but the cavalry camp was very different. There seemed no end of detached tents and huts, with no particular purpose that I could discover. Nothing was as 1 bad expected. After dinner we boys had an opportunity to see each other again. W# enjoyed the meeting, but not Its pur pose, for each oew recruit was given a shovel and set to digging post -holes and ditches for some uew stables that were to be built 1 could have bad plenty of digging without coming several hundred miles from home, for my father had long Intended to set a new fence. An excitable young Frenchman among the recruits seemed somewhat of my way of thinking, for he suddenly dropped his shovel end shouted: "1 will not dig ze bole! I enlist for la glolre, not for dirty work like zls." "Ah. you vants glory, eh?" said the German sergeant who seemed engineer In chief. "Den better It Is you go back to your own country, vere dey ain't got no sense." The Frenchman said something between bis teeth and thrust out his fist. The sergeant collared the Frenchman and kicked him all the way to the guardhouse. There were no protests after that Post boles and ditches Increased rapidly, and I was somewhat astonished to discover that the short ditch dug by Phil Hamilton was the most shapely of the lot We recruits got some comfort after supper in criticising the movements of the cavalrv at dresa Darade. They marched with leas style than the most awkward company of the Ninetyninth, and looked shabby by the lack of resemblance In their bats, no two of which set alike, although all were of black felt Signs of hospitality continuing to be invisible, some of us Summerton recruits concluded to spend the night on the quartermaster's bay pile. Virginia dews, however, had grown cooler in the month that bad elapsed since the Ninety-ninth went north, and we bad to arise in the middle of the night and Indulge in violent exercise to warm our blood. We talked a great lot too, so much that the sergeant of the guard came over to see what was the matter. When we told him why we were there and how uncomfortable we were, he said: "Serves you right Men who've been in the service odce before and got out and hadn't sense enough to stay out deserve all the bad luck they can find." 1 was angry and miserable enough to believe for the moment that be was uearly half right TO BE CONTINUED. HARD ON JOSH. Till inn n ReonllN Him Only n? One of HIm Carriage Home*. The boys are telling a new story on the Hon. Josh Ashley. The story may or may not be true, but it is a goou one nevertheless. Away back In the howling days of ten or twenty years ago Mr. Ashley was a violent Tillmanite. On one occasion when Mr. Tillman came to Anderson, Mr. Ashley and some more of the boys met him at the depot with a carriage. After Mr. Tillman had taken his seat in the vehicle the crowd unhitched the horses, and, attaching themselves Instead, pulled our noble leader uptown to the hotel, shouting and waving their hats, and perspiring and enjoying themselves immensely. All this is a matter of history. But times have changed since then and Mr. Ashley is not a Tillmanite any more. The other day, so the story goes, Senator Tillman and a drummer met on the train and fell to talking as men will do. In the course of their conversation the drummer remarked: senator thev tell me your old friend Josh Ashley doesn't think as much of you as he used to do." "Asnley?" asked the senator in a puzzled sort of way. "Ashley? Who is Ashley?" "Why, don't you know?" said the drummer. "Josh Ashley, up in Anderson?used to be a big reformer." "Ashley!" repeated the senator to himself, pondering deeply. "Ashley! Oh, yes. I remember now," he finally said, brightening up. "I remember that fellow now. I drove him to my carriage once when I visited Anderson." Some of the boys told this on Mr. Ashley in his presence the other day, and he tried to laugh at it, but a sickly little grin was all he could muster.? . Florence Times. REBATE PICKINGS, I rr " n Sensational Story Backed J: by Affidavits. jj P SKRIOltS JOB FOR ATTORNKY GRNKRAL. [j a Some Reasons Why a Position on the fl< State Board of Control at $4 a Day [J Is More Desirable Than a Seat In v: Congress. Greenville News, Wednesday: In the course of an editorial published in the Greenville Daily News, April *1 ----- - *1 29th, last, the following: paragrapn ap- " peared: h "For instance, we know beyond peradventure that in July last a year ago, E one Sprinkle, living at Reidsville, N. C., 0] wholesale liquor dealer, announced in . the presence of several persons, including two reputable citizens of Green- ir ville, S. C.. that it was his custom to S give the board of control of the South Sj Carolina dispensary from $1 to 52 a . barrel rebate on every barrel sold to the state dispensary, and that only recently he had paid over to one A. F. H. di Dukes, a member of the said board of ^ control, 51 per barrel on an order secured through him amounting to 51,200 D on 1,200 barrels. The name of A. F. H. t* Dukes Is on the register at Greensboro, tl N. C., at the time specified, showing fl that he went there to get the money , personally and avoid the inconveniences of a check. Mr. Dukes was recently re-elected a member of the board 1 of control, doubtless for eminent and B conspicuous public services." On May 2nd, 1902, we received the following letter from Mr. B. F. Sprinkle, h wholesale liquor dealer of Reidsville, ci N. C., which we reproduce verbatim, spelling and punctuation unchanged. "Reidsville, N. C., May 1st, 1902. n "To the Editor of the Greenville tl News, Greenville, S. C.: t< "My Dear Sir: b "I have read with a great deal of re- 0] gret and surprise an article published in your paper of recent date, connecting ti me with the South Carolina State jc board of Controll which is in part un- b true. So far as my dealings with cer- n tain members of the Board of controll jy are concerned. Since reading the artl- a cle in your paper I do remember of be- a lng in conversation with two gentlemen h some time ago whom I do not know, v and they began the conversation in re- n gard to the South Carolina Dispensary tl and 1 may nave said mat 1 iinou?; h heard it was a custom to pay rebates ir In whiskey, but I never told them I paid h any rebate. I have never meet Mr. w Dukes in Greensboro, N. C., and have it not sold the Dispensary more than 01 about one hundred bbls of whisky since C he has been on the board. I hope you W will publish this in justice to myself k and the members of the board of Con- a troll. I shall send a similar letter to si The News and Courier of Charleston, tl S. C. Yours truly, S "B. F. Sprinkle." nr Upon the receipt of this letter from Mr. Sprinkle we wrote him as follows: "Greenville, S. C., May 2, 1902. it "B. F. Sprinkle, Esq., u; "Proprietor Reidsville Liquor Co., a: "Reidsville, N. C. r< "My Dear Sir: ft "We have your letter of the first in- f< stant and write to say that we shall be ei glad to publish it as you request. Be- ai fore doing so, however, we think it only w fair to you to say that we shall publish nr along with it the sworn statements of two highly respected citizens of Green- I vllle that you did in their presence and ti in the presence of several others make a the statement substantially as publish- c< ed in our issue of April 29th ult., and Y that you further said that you had S; been compelled to cease doing business b with the South Carolina dispensary be- P cause you were compelled to submit to tl this ruinous system of blackmail by the k members of the board of control. As Y to the number of barrels of whisky oi sold by you to the South Carolina dis- ir pensary during Mr. Dukes' term of of- a: flee we shall publish a certified extract a] from the books showing the exact num- w ber of barrels purchased from you dur- tl Ing the period mentioned. tl "We have no desire to do you or any- w one else an injustice in this matter and tl would suggest that if you are still de- rr slrous that we shall publish your letter under the conditions we have named di you should send us a simple affidavit h; sworn to before an officer of the law \v that you not only did not make the fc statement substantially as we publish- pj ed it. but that you have never paid to b Mr. Dukes, or any member of the, hoard h; or control or ine soutn caruima uio- ? pensary any money whatsoever In the w way of a rebate or a reward to secure the sale of liquor to the South Carolina u: dispensary. c< "We will say further, that on two oc- 11 caslons since the Information we pub- tl Hshed came into our possession we ad- ti dressed you letters stating the facts as w we had received them and asking you pi to give us a statement of the whole tl matter for publication, or a denial of di your own story. We have never receiv- c< ed a word of reply from you and our ti letters have not been returned to us. ss We naturally assume that you cannot g< deny the truth of the story and do not bi care to mix yourself up further with an tl unpleasant experience. dl "Let us hear from you promptly and n we shall take pleasure in publishing ei your letter, together with all the other g< information on the subject which we now have or may be able to secure. S "Yours respectfully, J. K. Blackman, "Editor Greenville News." At the same time we wrote our Columbia correspondent and asked him to di obtain from the books of the state dis- A pensary a statement of the purchases t( made by the board of control from B. S P. Sprinkle with special reference to "VI the purchases made during the term of 1. A. F. H. Dukes. We simply wanted to M get at the truth and stated so plainly, r< intending to publish the figures from tl the books of the dispensary whatever S] they might be. ai We waited until May 15th, 1902, when A we received the following telegram from m our Columbia correspondent: ai "Columbia, S. C., May 15, 1902. t( "J. K. Blackman, Greenville, S. C. tl "Chairman Williams does not care to give information to paper attacking associate: but will do as Dukes prefers. ni Dukes willing to give information as to 5C purchases, if after you get it you will e, use, and, and if conclusive, say you " were misinformed and make retraction. 01 Williams has certificate made up and h! awaits your reply. s< "August Kohn." tr To this telegram we replied as fol- t( lows: jj "Greenville, S..C., May 15, 1902. "Mr. August Kohn, Columbia, S. C. "Dear Sir:?We have your telegram b( ot this date, and as I wrote you last ol night, it is perfectly immaterial to us ^ whether the board of control furnishes the information from the dispensary books or not. It is of no possible consequence to us whether Dukes received ? rebates which were not turned into the tate treasury, on 100 barrels of whlsy or on 1,200 barrels. The question is, Id he receive any rebates. If we have lade a mistake as to the amount of 'bates he received, of course, we shall e glad to say so. Of course, we do not Kpect to find the rebates entered on le books. If the board sends us the tatement asked for we shall be glad to ublish It for what It Is worth; and if e will make It we shall be glad to pubsh A SWORN STATEMENT from lr. Dukes that during his term of ofce he has never received a dollar of ibate, discount, or pecuniary inducelent from B. F. Sprinkle or the Reidsllle, N. C., Liquor Co. Yours faithfully, J. K. Blackman," "Editor Greenville News." It Is close on to a month now since lis letter was sent to the board iroufrh our correspondent; but we ave not received the statement from le board, nor the affidavit from Mr. ukes. Neither have we ever heard ne word from B. F. Sprinkle urging le publication of his letter or furnishig the affidavit we suggested. Both prinkle and the members of the board ?em to abhor affidavits like nature abors a vacuum. Having waited from April 29th to ate for some explanation from Sprlnle or the South Carolina dispensary oard of control we think we shall not e considered precipitate If we publish le affidavit upon which we based our rst statement. This affidavit Is as foliws: In the early part of July, 1901, while was In Greensboro, N. C., I met Mr. :. F. Sprinkle, the president, and In ict, as I understand, the proprietor of le Reidsvllle, N. C., Liquor company, f Reidsvllle, N. C. After I had known lm for two weeks or more, on one ocasion, while In company with a friend *om Greenville, S. C., and others, the abject of the South Carolina dispeniry law came up, and along with it the atural Inquiry, among ourselves, as to ie amount of rebate which was paid i the members of the board of control. y the liquor dealers in order to secure rders. Mr. Sprinkle joined in the conversaon by saying first, that in his opin?n the rake-off to members of the oard of control could not amount to tuch less than $10,000 a year apiece, ir. Sprinkle then went on to say' that fter Mr. A. F. H. Dukes was elected member of the board of control that e, Sprinkle, was absent from Reldsllle for two or three days, and on his ;turn he was told by one of his sons, lat there was a gentleman at the otel in Reidsville. who had been waitig there for two or three days to see lm. Mr. Sprinkle said that he then ent over to see the gentleman, who ltroduced himself as Mr. Dukes, one f the board of control of the South arollna dispensary. Mr. Dukes asked Tr. Sprinkle if he had any corn whisy for sale. Mr. Sprinkle said he had bout 600 barrels that he would like to ill to the state dispensary. Mr. Dukes len inquired what commission he, Mr. prinkle, would allow him, Dukes, for taking the sale of these 500 barrels to le dispensary. Mr. Sprinkle said I ill allow you $2 per barrel, which is le usual commission I have been paylg the members of your board. Therepon Mr. Dukes bought the whisky nd as Mr. Sprinkle said, received his ibate, amounting to $1,000. Sprinkle irther said I had to hold this whisky >r about 60 days and when it was takn in at the dispensary at Columbia nd weighed, it had lost so much in eight from evaporation, that I lost ah fKo fronoooHnn Although i was a South Carolinian, had not been In the state fdr about vo years and did not know that such man as Dukes was on the board of jntrol until Sprinkle mentioned It. Hien I left the state. D. M. Miles, of partanburg, was chairman of the oard of control, and Mr, Roberson, of lckens, was a member of the board, lose were the only two men who I new to be connected with the board, fhen Mr. Sprinkle mentioned the name T Dukes, a gentleman who was known i Greensboro as Dr. Mouzon, and who t the time was reclining in the piazza, pparently asleep, raised up and said, hy I am surprised to hear you say lat about Dukes. I am a member of le South Carolina legislature and hen we elected Dukes to the board we lought we were electing an honest lan. During the conversation I clearly unerstood Mr. Sprinkle to say that he ad been compelled to give up trading ith the South Carolina dispensary >r the double reason that he had to ay this excessive rebate to the memers of the board of control, and also ad to wait so long before the whisky as weighed at the dispensary that it as very hard to make a sale pay. Mr. Sprinkle at no time intimated to 3 that he regarded his conversation as mfldentlal, and being a South Caronlan I naturally took an interest in le facts which he disclosed. At the me of this conversation, Mr. Sprinkle as not favorably impressed with the rofltableness of selling corn whisky to le South Carolina state dispensary unsr the conditions which he had been impelled to adopt. I remember disnctly that he said: "If I was a wholeile dealer in rye liquors and case oods, I could afford to pay a good reate and still make money: it is on iese rye liquor case goods that the Ispensary board of control gets its big ike-off. What we corn whisky deal's pay them is nothing to what they et from the rye liquor dealers." D. M. Hoke. worn to and subscribed before me, this 16th day of May, 1902. A. H. Donaldson, [l. s]. Notary Public for So. Ca. It will be noted that this affidavit Iffers from our editorial statement of pril 29th in two particulars. First, as ) the number of barrels upon which prinkle said he paid Dukes a rebate, ^e stated from memory that it was 200 barrels at $1 per barrel, whereas [r. Hoke in his affidavit says 500 bards at $2 per barrel. The second is lat we stated that Dukes was paid by prinkle at Greensboro, whereas the # ffidavlt locates the spot at Reidsville. s to both of these errors we cheerfully lake the correction, and Mr. Dukes nd the board of control are welcome all the consolation they can find in le "retraction." Morally we can per>lvo nn rllffprenee between the crimi allty of pocketing 52 per barrel on )0 barrels; equal to 51.000 of state monf, and receiving 51 per barrel on 1,200 arrels, equal to 51,200. But as we ave said, if this difference is the rea>n why the board has withheld the uth from the books they are welcome i all the consolation they find In it. ' we had considered the publication of lis statement from the dispensary ooks at all Important we should have btained an order of court compelling te board to disclose the facts; but ;ally it was of no importance to us nd the board has evidently found very [Continued on Fourth Page.]