The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, June 30, 1875, Image 4
COLUMBIA, S. C.
Wednesday Morning, June 30, 1875.
City Finances.
Tlio communication of Mr. W. B
Ciulick, under the heading "Finances
fo the City," was unavoidably crowded
out of yesterday's issue, by Mr.
Davidson's indictment of Gen. Sher?
man for the burning of Columbia. We
invite u careful perusal of the article,
thin morning, us it contains astounding
predictions of financial disaster and
heavy taxation. The concluding portion
of Mr. Gulick's article will be a subject
for serious consideration by the tax?
payers of the city, and prompt and
vigorous action is requisite to meet the
exigencies of the case.
???->
The Food Question.
It is maintained in some well-in?
formed quarters that owing to the de?
rangement of manufacturing and other
industries in this country, and reduction
of available means from these causes,
the consumption of food per capita will
be less during the coming year than it
has been in the past twelve months. If
this be so, prices for agricultural pro?
ducts must fall in a material degree.
The crops of 1875 will be fully equal to
those of 1874, if not somewhat above in
this country. Those of Europe will be
fair. When both are joined as to food
supply and placed in opposition to a
weakened demand, it can readily be
seen that prices must come down. In
relation to this question in the United
States, another fact must be taken into
consideration. Some years ago the
Southern States did not add much to the
food crops of tho country. They raised
cotton, rice, sugar and other products to
the exclusion of the cereals. Since the
war, however, corn and other cereals
have been cultivated to a greater extent,
and at the present time it is calculated
that some of the Southern States will
feed their own people, and even have a
surplus.
In the light of such facts as these, the
people of this country, both raisers and
consumers of food, should look at the
future. Tho former must not expect too
much from the crop of 1875, and the
latter should so economize as to repair
some of the rents in their financial robes
made by tho high price of food for the
past five years. It has been truthfully
and pointedly said thai glutted markets
and moderate demand for agricultural
products do not generally portend a sea?
son of remarkable individual or national
activity. This is true as a separate pro?
position, but with it must be associated
the fact that the cheaper the laborers of
i?- country can be fed the cheaper articles
can be produced, and that will command
foreign markets to the exclusion of rivals.
Unite these ideas and then a point can
bo gained from which to look at this
crop question in a broad, intelligent,
practical manner.
The Dead Desperado.?Several per?
sons have been led to suspect that Henry
Daniels, the negro who was killed at the
Augusta jail, last Saturday night, was a
member of the celebrated Lowery gang
of brigands wdio caused so much" excite?
ment about Lumberton, N. C, several
years ago. There is much to confirm
such a suspicion. By reference to the
history of the outlaws, we find that one
of the gang, George Applewhite, answers
exactly to tho description of Daniels.
The report before us says: "George Ap?
plewhite is a regular negro, of a surly,
determined look, with thick features,
woolly hair, large protuberances above
the eyebrows, big jaws and chcok bones,
and a black eye. He is a picture of a
slave at bay. He is supposed to be either
dead, hidden away, wounded, or to have
abandoned the country, as ho has not
been seen or heard of for several months.
When last heard from, he was faint from
loss of blood, and had received wounds
in the breast from some soldiery. He
married into the Oxendino family, and
was present at the murder of Sheriff
King and elsewhere, and is, therefore,
included in tho list of outlaws, and n re?
ward put upon his head." After Daniels'
death, a number of old scars were disco?
vered on his body. There was also tho
mark of a bullet wound on bis forehead,
evidently received several years ago.
Daniels' wife said that she married Henry
in Guilford County, N. C, about four
years ng^o. She had only known him a
short time. He told her before they
were married, that he came from the tur?
pentine region. The wound on his fore?
head, he said, he received during the
war, and the scars on his arms and body
in slavery times. She didn't know whe?
ther he ever had another name or not.
Railroad Accident.?An engine and
part of a train went through a bridge on
the Carolina Central Railroad, nine miles
from Charlotte, on Saturday morning,
killing John McGehee and Princo
Woods, colored, and severely wounding
tho conductor and six colored train
hands.
William C. Ream es' barn in Claren?
don County was burned on tue 24th,
between the hours of 3 and 4 o'clock A.
M. Incendiary.
The Finances of the City.
The interest felt in the financial con?
dition of the city 'of Columbia by its
property-owners and tax-payers will ex?
cuse me for again participating in this
discussion bv calling attention to some
things Hon. L. Cass Carpenter has to say
concerning it. Before taking up any of
his figures, I take the liberty of placing
in one group several admissions made by
Mr. Carpenter, as follows:
"It is true that the city debt has been
increased by a large amount since 1870."
"I am quite well aware that the rate of
taxation has been increased nearly dou?
ble what it was in 1870." "There hies
been waste, extravagance, mismanage?
ment and other kindred evils accom?
panying the administration of city af?
fairs."
These admissions embrace much that
has been charged by the Citizens' Com?
mittee, and ought to close the contro?
versy. The set of men who have brought
so many evils on the city, should make
way for others, who might manage mat?
ters better. A new set, of whatever po?
litical party they might be composed,
could do no worse. It is probable that
they could at least work a reform of
"other kindred evils," by which must be
meant bills for "sundries," water pipe
contracts, taken by the Mayor at six
cents per pound, that could have been
furnished for less than four cents, and
other jobs gotten up at the expense of
the tax-payers for the benefit of the City
Council. Honesty, economy and good
management arc wanted?nothing else.
The amount of the debt at the begin?
ning of tho administration of Mayor
Alexander, seems to trouble Mr. Carpen?
ter very much, and every new statement
varies from all the preceding ones.
Thrco statements present the following
contrast:
Debt obtained from city re?
cords. . .$390,321 10
Gen. Stolbrand's statement.. 499,000 00
Mr. Carpenter's statement... 500,1011 35
The coupons supposed to bo unpaid
at the beginning of the administration
ore thus variously given:
Gen. Stolbrand's statement.. .$70,000 00
Mr. Carpenter, at Parker's
Hall. 45,175 00
Mr. Carpenter, in Piuexix. .. . 89,470 00
As neither of these gentlemen take
into account the lnrge amount of coupons
funded into bonds and paid In that way
prior to 1870, it is certain that the figures
of both uro gross exaggerations, and that
tho actual amount of coupons unpaid was
very much less than the smaller of these
three estimates.
Referring to Mr. Carpenter's Parker
Hall speech and his statements relating
to payments of coupons generally, I in?
vite tho public to the following state?
ment he then made. He calculates the
interest unpaid at tho beginning of
Mayor Alexander's administration to be
$45,170. He then estimates that during
the next four years there were over-pay?
ments of interest to the amount of
$71,117 over tho amounts falling due in
those years; that is, during these four
years, coupons to tho amount of $25,942
were paid beyond the total amount duo,
including all arrearages. This could
have happened only by paying this
amount of coupons twice. I make no
charges, but simply deduce from Mr.
Carpenter's own figures their logical
conclusions. If, then, to this over-pav
iment.be added the SCO,000 of unpaid
! coupons admitted to be outstanding at
this time, the tax-payers have good rea?
son to wish a change and reform in the
financial management of the city.
The account for special interest was
kept separately from and after the 1st of
January, 1873. Mr. Carpenter asserts
I "not only was all tho money realized
I from the special tax paid for the purposes
for which it was levied, but hundreds of
dollars in addition, so that not a dollar
of special interest was ever used for any
other purpose." For tho two years, em
bracing.the period from January 1, 1S73,
j to December 31. 1874. the * account
stands as follow-,, taken from tho records
of the City Treasurer:
Special tax collected.$01,478 15
Coupons paid. 55,009 75
Balance Doc. 31, 1874. $5,868 40
The balance on April 30, 1874, which
may be regarded as the financial close of
Mayor Alexander's second term, was
I $5,014.39, diverted to other uses during
the period when Mr. Carpenter was
Chairman of the Finance Committee,
and had the whole management of the
finances of the city under his official
charge.
The report of the Citizens' Committee
makes the balance of city currency out?
standing May 31, 1870, at $16,204.10.
Mr. Carpenter asserts that the true ba?
lance was $31,877.55, and that "during
the first year of Mayor Alexander's ad?
ministration $11,593.75 inoro of this cur?
rency was redeemed and destroyed" than
was outstanding according to that report.
I will thank Mr. Carpenter to submit the
proof of this statement, giving dates and
j amounts redeemed and destroyed. But,
as he has no ledger to rely upon, I will
j here produce the account:
May 31, 1870, currency out?
standing.$16,204 10
June 30, 1)S70. issued by Mr.
Etter. 1,000 00
lJulv 30, 1870, issued by Mr.
Etter. 927 50
August 31, 1870, issued by Mr.
Etter. 150 00
September 30, 1870, issued bv
Sir. Etter. 380 00
November 30, 1870, issued by
Mr. Etter. 150 00
$19,111 00
Redeemed and Destroyed.
?June 30, 1870... $ 111 90
March 31, 1871... 16,059 80
May 10, 1871.... 2,900 20?$19,131 90
Balance over-issued. $ 20 30
That is the whole account of city cur?
rency during the first year's administra
tion of Mayor Alexander. Mr. Carpen?
ter's figures are pure fictions.
While on this subject of city currency,
I will ask Mr. Carpenter to give to the
public what he knows concerning the
issue of city currency while Mr. Barnum
was Treasurer. It is understood that the
Chairman of the Finance Committee was
the custodian of the unsigned notes, and
that ho delivered them to Mr. Barnum
for signature and use as tho funds were
required. Tho whole amount printed
was $37,000. To settle the account of
Mr. Barnum correctly, it is necessary to
have Mr. Carpenter's account of bills de?
livered to the Treasurer.
There are other points in Mr. Carpen
tcr's speech and communication which I j
might notice, but an intelligent public
will understand them well < nough with?
out further discussion. I could go on
rectifying his mistakes and involving
him in arithmetical blund< rs, but he
would probably imagine a new set of ac?
counts as soon as the old mistakes were
cleared up, and I should have a new
work before me. The fact is. Mr. Car?
penter displays so little accurate know-|
ledge of the finances cd" the city, and so ]
much skill in getting the accounts con-I
fused and himself in a inuddlc, that the- ?
present embarrassments of the city are I
really not surprising, considering that I
its finances w< re under his manager*ent !
for two years. As he cannot be expected !
to know anything of the present tinuncial '
status of the cjty, I take the liberty here
of producing about what the expected
statement of tho Mayor and City Clerk
will show as to the citv debt: j
Bonds of all kinds.. .*55S,000 00
Due to banks. 20,062 09
T. J. Jeter. 1,000 <mi
Judgments. 12,000 <;.", j
Coupons past due. ('(0,000 00 !
Unpaid bills, Ac. 10,000 <>0 j
Total debt.S006.752 71 '
Showing an increase of $100,000 over the j
largest statement yet made by Mr. Car?
penter. I make this contrast in order
that his admission already quoted, "that
tho city debt has been increased by a
large amount since 187'',"' may be fully {
sustained by direct evidence. Having
accepted his largest statement, embrac?
ing all the supposed liabilities of the
city at the beginning of Alexander's ad- j
ministration, this increase! is directly
chargeable to the "waste, extravagance,
mismanagement and other k'indretl evils" I
that have prevailed since that date.
As I hope not to be compelled to con?
tinue tho discussion of city matters any
further through the press, I desire to call
tho attention of tho public now to the
certain approach of a disaster to our city
and its finances, if they are not taken
hold of promptly, with n determination
to set thorn in better order. The special
tax for interest next year cannot be less
than ten mills; tho tux to support the
city government, pay interest on llouting
debt and moot deficiency in the water
contract will require ten mills more, and
ten mills more will bo required to pay
$12,000 in judgments already rendered
against the city in our Circuit Court.
The City Council may not levy the tax
to pay tho judgments, hut the Court
will be compelled to do it, and the citi?
zens will have it to pay. Tho work of
approving bills that cannot be paid until
the next lax is collected, is already going
on in the City Council, and nothing will
remain to pay even a judgment for the
cost of a steam fire engine in use to pro?
tect the city from lire. A three per cent,
tax will absorb one-third of the rental
value of all the property of the city, re?
ducing its selling price und its taxable
valuation to the extent ci it:.inly of
twenty-live nor cent. Tin- owners of
property find it dwindling nwuy in their
I bands, while the poor man. the laborer,
will be driven to other places to find em?
ployment. These arc sonn ?>:' the con?
siderations which should stir our citizens
to act at once, to take the necessary
measures to slop the increase of tin debt
in all forms, and to see thai tin-taxis are
applied to its reduction. Verv respect
? fullv, W. B. C CLICK.
DiawnucTivu Fun: in L.wnixnuno. We
b arn by a telegram received in this city,
yesterday, that a fire broke out yesterday
morning about 2 o'clock, in a store at
Lanrinburg, Richmond County. So
rapid was the progress of the lire, and so
imperfect the facilities for extinguishing
it, that ere the llames were arrested they
had totally destroyed the hotel, five
stores and the warehouse of the Carolina
Central Railway Company, together with
ten old cars, three new ones, and five
fiats. The telegram states that there is
little doubt that tho fire was the devilish
work of an incendiary. We did not learn
the names of the owners of tin- burnt
property, nor the probable amount of
the loss. Charlotte Observer.
It is truly wonderful, the variety ami
ingenuity of the conveniences for the
desk and office -pens of varied patterns,
inkstands possessing numberless ad?
vantages, letter files, each one the best,
envelopos'of size and qualities infinite,
it is almost bewildering to enter the
largo Broad street store of Walker,
Evans A Cogswell, in Charleston, and
see the number of these attractions.
Here you find the largest stationery
stock South of Baltimore, and yon only
have two troubles?first, sufficient cash;
und, second, the difficulty in deciding
among tho many things offered, each
equally suitable to yo. r wants. M7t
Miss Hester, daughter of Wm. M. Pip?
pin, and Miss Dora, daughter of John
Stolon, both about seventeen years of
age, were accidently drowned at Tur
boro, N. C, while bathing in a pond on
tho plantation of the latter gentleman.
Henry Oetrichs, of tho firm of Oetrichs
A Co., agents of the German Lloyds, is
dead; aged 60.
Samuel Chublmck. of Utiea, N. Y,,
pioneer telegraph apparatus manufac?
turer, is dead; aged 76.
City Itesis.?Don't dato your letters
tho 31st to-morrow.
The exhibition at tho School of Naza?
reth takes place this afternoon.
The best pocket companion?A full
pnrsc.
Advertising is tho oil which tradesmen
put in their lamp-. They that are un?
wise put no oil in.
Tho Vigilant Fire F.ngino Company of
this city will visit Chester on Monday,
the 5th instant.
The water will be shut off, at the in?
tersection of Main and Laurel streets at
3 o'clock, this morning.
The number of solid drunks has been
greatly decreased of late, owing to the
warm weather, no doubt.
Why is a newspaper like ait ?oth-brush?
Do you give it up? Because every per?
son should have one of bis own. and not
be borrowing !.is neighbor's,
i Perry & Slawson's new cigars are in?
truding all smokers. Just think, Ha?
vana Tips at ~> (?? nts equal in quality b>
15-cent cigar.-..
Attention is invited to the programme
of exercises ?t Ursuline Institute, Valle
Crucis, which will be carried out to
| morrow afternoon, commencing at 5
' o'clock.
; Charleston is organizing a society for
the prevention of cruelty t.> animals.!
Therein a splendid field in Columbia
j for the exercise of the powers that belong
to such a society, and the example of
! Charleston nsaj be well followed.
I Andrew Bonds had a preliminary ex?
amination before Trial Justice Sill, Mon?
day morning, an 1 was ordered to give]
bond in the sum of $1,5(10, or be com?
mitted to jail for appearance at the Oc?
tober term of ( o'irt.
At the anniversary meeting v>f Plut-nix
I Hook and Ladder Company, held Mon
day evening, the following officers were
elected to serve for the ensuing term:
I Foreman. Captain J. L. Little; Assistant
Foreman, J. P. Median; Secretary, M.
B. MuSwecncy; Treasurer, J. Jeans.
J The honorary degree which he received
ifrom Union College, the other day. ap?
pears to have turned the head of "Old
Probs." Certainly no man in his senses
j would get up such weather as this, un
I less it be that, as a doctor of philosophy,
! he thinks it proper t.i try the philosophy
l of his patients.
We have received the annual catalogue
i of Rounokc College, Salem, Va. We sec
j that at tho commencement e xercises,
I Mr. P. D. Hylcr, of Lexington, sustained
the reputation of the Palmetto State as a
land of orators. He pointed out the "Way
to Excellence." Mr. Julius D. Dreher,
A. M., of Lexington, v.-.t,s elected Profes?
sor of English Language and Literature,
and also appointed Financial Secretary
of the College. J. T. Cmbtrce, A. i'..,
; was elected assistant Professor of Lan
1 guag-.-.
-'?? ? ?
Tin sc comim :i romoiit days shoul 1 he
; festival- in our mo lern life. They c le
brate the new generation going out to do
battle in the great strife that lies before
j them. It is the new generation treading
, in the footsteps of the one who goes bt
' fore even of our own. And as we read
j these speeches and take part in these
I ceremonies, and hear the voices of these
; light, cheery multitudes, we feel as
I though thev were the echoes of the
I .->
. future. May ?od's blessing rest with
j them, and may nil their years be as
sunny ?.s these commencement days,
with their endeavors, their achievements
j and their high-mounting hopes.
Death or an Ar,En Citizen. An old
I und promin? nt citizen has bee n called to
j his final resting place. Col. Hart Maxcy
j departed this life, yesterday, after a sc
j verc illness of little less than a week's
tluration. He was about sixty years of
j age. Col. Maxcy served with distinction
j in the Florida war, and was commander
I t>f a regiment of South Carolina troops
' under the old regime. Ho was the son of
I Hon. Jonathan Maxcy, one of the first
I Presidents of the South Carolina College,
j and was himself a graduate of that veno
; rated institution. The funeral ceremo
? nics will be performed at the Presbytc
i rian Church, this afternoon, at 5 o'clock.
-***
Tho following special despatch was
received by the PuiENIX, last night, from
Spartanburg, signed by Secretary A.*C.
Kaufman:
A meeting of the Directors of the Spar?
tanburg and Asheville Railroad was held
thisovcning,PresidcntMommingerin the
chair. A resolution, warmly endorsed
by Mr. Goo. W. Williams, of Charleston,
was offered, authorizing the President to
let the mountain section to contract at
once. Messrs. Kennedy and Bipley, of
North Carolina, spoke earnestly in favor
of the enterprise. They said that their
people meant to elo their share of the
work and give their trade to Charleston.
This was emphatically a business meet?
ing. Charleston and the great West will
j soon join han Is.
Tue Fourth in Augusta.?'Lieutenant?
W. C. Swaffield and kW. R. Cathoart, of
thcRicbland Rille Club, visited Augusta
Saturday, for the purpose of making ar?
rangements for accommodating the club
on its visit there next Monday. They
succeeded in securing quarters at tho
Central Hotel. They speak highly of the
hospitable reception they met on all
sides while engaged in the discharge of
their mission, and were highly pleased
with the evident generosity with which
Augusta will greet her visitors on the
5th. The Club will number sixty active
members in full uniform, and will be ac?
companied by the United States Post
Rand, ol the 18th Infantry. Cid. Black
and other officers of this post have been
invited t<? accompany tho Club. Tho
Club will r? ach Augusta at 10 o'clock on
the night of the 1th, and will be received
by a committee and escorted to the hall
of Oglethorpe Infantry, Company A,
where a collation will he served.
The Charleston clubs will reach the
city at 5 o'clock, Sunday afternoon, tin
the South Carolina Railroad. They wilt
bo received by the commanding officers
of the battalion in citizens' dress, and
escorted to the hall of Oglethorpe In?
fantry, Company A, where they will
partake of a collation. They will after?
wards bo escorted to their quarters at
the hotels. The Charleston clubs will
take with them the United States Post
Land. They will have fully 200 men in
uniform. There will be in all about
000 :n (ii in line, fully equipped and
armed.
Columbia Female College.?The ex?
ercises of the commencement occasion of
this prosperous institution of learning
were held yesterday morning. The
chapel was filled with the relatives of the
young ladies and friends cf the institu?
tion. It is matter of regret that the
chapel of the College is so small, and it
is hoped that ere long it will be enlarged.
The chapel was decorated by the young
Iadi< ? <?!' course, it is unnecessary to
1 say it was neatly done.
At tue hour appointed, 10 A. M., the
exercises were opened with prayer by
Rev. John T. Wightinan, D. D.; after
which, the young lady graduates, seven?
teen in number, read their essays, as fol?
lows :
Salutatory address, in Latin?Hiss
Fannie S. Smith, of Suuiter.
The Desire to be Remembered?Miss
I Lizzie Duncan, of Spartanburg.
! Our Lives are What we Make Them:
Human Will is Human Destiny?Miss M.
N. Duncan, of Spartanburg.
The Power of United Efl'ort?Miss Sal
lie W. DuPre. of Chorleston.
Pleasure of Anticipation?Miss Saliic
E. Fry. of Riehland.
Excelsior, in French?Miss S. Alice
Hall, of Chester.
The- Resources and Pleasures of a Cul?
tivated Mind?Miss Jennie L. Jeter, of
! Cnion.
I Simplicity Miss Alice Kinard, of New
i berry.
Example le tter than Precept?Miss
i Mary A. LaMotto, of Richland.
j Nature and her Teachings?Miss Hat
ti" S. Mason, of Fuirfield.
i Fntilty, thy Nanio is Woman ?Miss
i Helen G. McMaster, of Riehland.
! Beauties of Nature?Miss S. Banna
I McChee, of Abbeville.
Hope -Miss Sue M. Price, of Marion.
I True and False Ambition?Miss J.
j Isabel! e Sal ley, of Orangeburg.
j The Age in which we Live: Its Pronii
I nent Characteristics? Miss Lizzie -Z.
'Sullivan, of Lanrens.
I Touches of Time?Miss Mary A. Tar
! rant, of Abbeville.
Vab-dietory Addr jsscs --Miss Kate
, Kinard, of Newberry.
The essays were rather above the avo
; rage on such occasions; but several of
; the young ladie.s were indistinct to those
? wi:o occupied seats in the front part of
the hall?added to which was the almost
incessant talking of some who were there
by invitation. The readings wore inter?
spersed with some excellent vocal and
j instrumental music.
After the delivery of diplomas to the
graduating class, and wdiolesome words
of counsel from President Jones, the au?
dience was dismissed.
The concert, in the evening, under the
direction of Prof. Orchard, was quite an
enjoyable affair.
-? ? .
Hotel Aiu:ivai_s, June 29.?Mansion
House J. P. Ligon, J. C. F. Sims, F. E.
Sims, city; W. W. Fairchild, Charleston;
M. A. Coson, Hodges; E. B. Gary, Cokcs
: bury; F. E. Smith, Yorkville; Philip L.
Alexandre, Newberry; S. E. Caughinan,
Lexington; H. D. Hamiter, Richland.
Hendrix House?Mrs. W. A. Meroney,
E. L. Dibble, Orangeburg; W. J. Miller,
R. H. Muckenfuss, Charleston; G. W.
Lee, ladv and two children, Fla.; F. E.
Smith, J. M. Hucklin, Chester; T. B.
Louis, N. Y.
List or New Advebtisements.
Meeting Sehuetzen Club.
J. H. Sawyer?Notice.
Richard Jones?Water Notice.
C. J. Laurey?Bacon, Butter, Ac.
Meeting Richland Lodge.
Henry M. Hyams, ex-Lieutenant-Gov?
ernor of Louisiana, i-j dead; aged 70
years.