The times and democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, December 09, 1886, Image 2
ESTABLISHED IX 18(
COST OF RAISING COTTON.
CHEAP MONEY NEEDED TO MAKE
? CHEAP COTTON.
Capt. Paul F. Hammond Gives some In
structive FaCta abo ut the Cost of Grow
inj; Cotton?Debt ami Extravagant Liv
ing the CauM of the Fanner's Porerty.
Columbia, S. C, November 22.?Capt.
Paul F. Hammond, of Beech Island,
Aiken county, has contributed a most
interesting and valuable article to the
annual report of the commissioners of
agriculture of this State, regarding the
cost of producing cotton in South Caro
lina. Capt. Hammond says that 4
cents a pound seems a very low figure
at which to place the actual cost of
making cotton, and yet while it costs
many planters 8 cents, some 10 cents,
and not a very few even 12 cents, the
fact stands us a fact within his own
.knowledge, that it has been made tor
less than four cents, and he claims that
it can be demonstrated by figures that
on finer land, with judicious and econo
mical methods, industriously pursued, j
it can be made, and should be made, at
four cents, three cents, and even less
than three cents pe r pound. "Even then."
Capt. Hammond continues, "selling his
crop at an average of seven and a half
cents net, there is no-great income left
to the prodneer of thirty, fifty, or even
a hundred bales of cotton."
He then submits a detailed estimate
of the cost of making cotton per acre,
showing the net cash expenses to be
about $7. If the product was 540
pounds of seed cotton, or 180 pounds of
lint, the cost would be 3.88 cents per
pound; where it was 2<R) pounds lint,
3>o cents, and where it was 250 pounds.
2.4~-? cents a pound.
Capt. Hammond continues: "The
planter who makes cotton at a cost of
three cents and sells it for eight cents,
ought not certainly to complain of the
percentage of profit upon his expenses.
So, too, as a rule, the per cent, of pro
fit, 'on the total investment in land,
mules, machinery, implements, &c,
will be found one which business men
are accustomed to regard us large.
Property is so extremely low that a
planter "making an average crop of 100
bales will not need to havi* invested
more than $12,000 to ?13,000?810,000 in
land and buildings, and $3,000 in stock,
supplies, machinery, tV.c.
"If, then, he be a good planter, on
moderately fair land, for none is really
good land which will not bring 300
pounds of lint cotton, when manured,
he will make from $20 to 825 a bale,
and his income will be from 82,000 to
$2,500?a very fair return from his
?apital." "What, then," he asks, "is the
matter?" Why is there so much com
plaint? Are hot the cotton planters
.fast sinking into a condition of almost
' hopelesspovertyr" "1 might answer,''
he says, "that tfie whole world is grow
ing poorer. The business depression
everywhere is marvellous, unpreceden
ted, and agriculture among the worst
sufferers, as she always is. The great
Northwest cannot .stand wheat at 80
?cents. Three-fourths of the farms are
mortgaged to their full value, and their
nominal owners and tenants can only
endure their miserable lives because
they were reared in the poverty of the
Old* World. For some years it has
been known that in every county in
England scores of rich farms are lying
tenantless and unworked; and now we
have the statement on good authority
that rent on the average is not more
than 15s. an acre, and, of this 15s., 10s.
is required to pay interest on the in
vestment in buildings which the land
lord has made, leaving the mere pit
tance of 5s. ($1.25) to represent the
rental of land which makes from twen
ty to fifty bushels of wheat. Why, in
the cotton-growing section of the
.South, where it is healthy for a white
family to live, land rents for from two
dollars to ten dollars per acre."
Capt. Hammond then discussed the
different modes of living in the North
and West and in the South, and thinks
that one of the causes of poverty in the
South is extravagant living, mit the
real cause is debt and an outrageous
rate of interest. "If," says he, "the
manufacturers want cheap cotton they
must give us cheap money.
"But there can be no interest without
debt, and the South is deeply in debt.
Neither for this is her agriculture or
her planters so much to blame. What
people or what business, except on the
bear side of Wall street, ever prospered
?or could prosper with a market falling,
falling, falling through twenty years?
At the close of the war cotton was
worth forty :-onts, and it fell, little by
little, steadily for twenty years, until
it has come dotvn to eight cents and
the cotton planters are impoverished.
If at that time cotton had been eight
cents the difficulties to be encountered
would for a time have; been terrific; hut
if it had then risen steadily, year by year,
through twenty years, until the price
reached forty tents, the Southern plan
ters would have been rich- rich, pros
persons and as happy as money could
make them. In l*n cotton was six
cents; negroes sold for $250. and the
planters were poor. By 18*50 cotton
sold for 12 cents per pound and negroes
for $1.000. and therein lay the secret of
the great wealth of the cotton planters.
It was not the money they made; the
percentage upon capital invested is
greater how. It was not money saved
out of incomes which were larger than
they could spend. By no means. It
was by the gradual, and in the end very
great, increase in the value of their
investments?about the only way men
in numbers ever get rich honestly."
("apt. Hammond then says: "While
I have contended that the profits of
cotton planting arc in one sense large,
and that agriculture is a mon lucra
tive business at the South than either
In the North or Wt .-t. or in Civat Bri
tain, i am very far from saying that
the planter can grow rich, or even hohl
his own. at present prices. lie may
grow cotton for 3 cents and sell it for 8
cents, thus realizing over 100 per cent,
on the cost of making, and not far
from'Jit per cent, on the value of his
entire investment, yet even $25 a hale
is too small a profit cither to make him
rich >r the country prosperous. Let
n.s take the case of a planter who makes
>9. OEi!
one hundred bales and see- what be
comes of his iueonie. Cotton cannot
now be grown in large quanties by one
man, lor the all-sufficient reason that
few men have the ability to manage
the large amount of labor and numer
ous other operations required. What i
one man can see after is usually the!
limit of what lie can produce profitably, j
I shall not exceed the truth when 1 say
that the planter with 815,000. invested, |
including his dwelling and all the ap-;
purtenances thereto, owes 85,000 and ?.
pays 8500 interest on it. He will need !
advances of $1,500. at an average of six ,
months, to make his crop, and the in-j
terest on that is $75. He will also need I
81.500 to live upon, supposing a family
of five, the usual number. Five years'
ago his familv expenses would have
beert 83,000. That must be got from
his factor, or, worse, by keeping open
accounts with merchants. This adds
875 and taxes 8100 more. Thus we
have:
Interest on debts.$ 500
875)
Interest on advances.... .<?... 150
75)
Taxes.,. 100
Expense of living. 1,500
Overseer or headman. 250
Total.$2,500
I have put in overseer or foreman,
because such a character really exists
on nine places out of ten where as much
cotton as one hundred bales is made,
and I did not estimate in the cost of
cotton, because he need not be, and ought
not to be, where the proprietor is able
to attend to his business.
Although I have, made this estimate
in a way very favorable to the planter,
it will be seen that there is nothing left
out of an income of 82,500, and a pro
fit of 825 a bale.
Who will give us any remedies? Who
will pay our debts? or lend us money at
5 per cent, instead of 10? or teach econ
omy any faster than necessity? We
are all looking for better things when
trade revives; but when will that be?
Our revival will never come until we
can get a profit of 810 a bale instead of
825 out of cotton. I have mentioned
three great evils under which we labor.
They are incontrovertible. But most
certainly I have not mentioned the.
greatest of all, and that is we make loo
much cotton. So long as we make a
million bales more than the world
wants at 10 cents, we will get 10 emits
for none. We live by cotton; it is our
life-blood. The control of the market
is to us of the very greatest value; fin
ancially worth everything else besides.
But how reduce the crop ? By a combi
nation of cotton-growers? That is im
; possible. Providence has protected us
[ in some measure."
Capt. Haunnrid thinks there is but
one remedy for the trouble, and this he
thinks no politician living will dare
propose, and those thai are dead would
tremble in their graves at the thought.
It is concurrent legislation among the
larger Cotton States, South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama. Mississippi, Louisi
ana, Arkansas and Texas, limiting the
i planting of ootton so as to bring the
crop within 4^500,000 bales for three
years at least. He admits that legisla
tion of this character in England has
been disastrous, almost without an ex
ception, but three years trial here, at
tended with little or no risk, would de
monstrate its wisdom.
In conclusion, ''apt. Hammond shows
that if the Mason Cotton Harvester is
a success the great West will Hood the
markets of tlie world with cotton,
which cost to make less than one-half
cent per pound, or 82.40 a bale, and
says :
"This is no chimera or picture of the
fancy, but its day may be so near that
men now old will live to see it. Then
poor old South Carolina, robbed of the
profits of her rice culture by Louisiana,
and of her sea island cotton by Florida
and other {States along {with her, may
have written over the ruins of their
[ once brilliant systems of agriculture,
finis."- -"ltichland" in the Augusta
Chronicle._
An Ingenious Invention.
[ An automatic box is being put upon
the lamp posts in Brooklyn to supply
[ the public with postage stamps, postal
cards, a pencil and postal-letter envel
opes. At any hour of the day or night
a citizen may go to one of these boxes
and drop a penny into it at which there
will appear a postal card and a pen
cil with which to write a letter. If he
has a letU r already written and merely
wants a postage stamp to mail it he may
drop two pennies in the box at which,
presto, a two cent postage stamp will
COinu out of the box. These convenient,
boxes are already in use in London and
.are much liked* there. The boxes in
; Brooklyn are an improvement on those
in London. They look like writing
desks and arc 75 inches high bv 17 in
ches deep. Each box is divided into
several drawers one for stamps, one
for postal cards, one fur stamped en
velopes and one for letter paper. There
is a slit for dropping a coin over each
drawer. When the proper coin drops
in it sets in motion a bit of machinery
which pushes out the article wanted.
At Last.
There is a little romance connected
with the marriage of Or. C. M. Jones
and Mrs. .Mary Moore, which is ;m
noiinced this week. They had a court
ship in their younger days long before
the war. but afterwards drifted apart
and each one married. Alter they
both became widowed the old Ihunc
was revived und culminated in mar
riage last Sunday. A similar romance
was connected with Or. .Jones* sister,
Mrs. Magill, and Mr. O. L. Brown, w ho
were married at this place two weeks
ago. The young folks arc la'coming
so practical in this utilitari an age that
it falls to the lot of the old folks to re
kindle and keep up ibe I ires of ro
mance.?Anderson Journal.
A Foolish sttirv.
Some of the colored people in Ibis
city are excited by the story that a
gang of white men is prowling around
throwing bags over the heads of color
ed citizens, killing them out of hand
and shipping their remains to Atlanta
to be used for the advancement of
medical .science.- -Green*? illc .News.
This paper only 81.50 per annum.
?SGEBTJBG, S. C, THU1
HOLLING CLOUDS OF FIRE.
NARROW ESCAPE OF EARLY BRANCH
AND FLORENCE.
The Dry GriiS? .Spread Fire all over tho
Wood* in a lilnze from Sumter to the
Five-Mile Curve? Brave Conduct of Men,
"Women and Children.
A correspondent from Eitrly branch
writing: to the News and Courier under
?date December 1, gives the following
account of the forest fires in that sec
tion : At 11 o'clock yesterday morning
our village was fiercely assailed by for
est fires from the adjoining woods. "We
then thought that nothing but a Provi
I dential veering of the wind could save
; the town from entire and speedy de
; struction. The wind did not change,
; as we eagerly hoped it might; the fire
swept down'upon us with savage fury.
I closed in upon every home, surged
j around us everywhere, from several
i directions at once, in desperate efforts
! to accomplish our destruction. We are
i surrounded here, for several miles in
every direction, by almost unbroken
pine forests. The ground is covered
I almost everywhere to the height of
' several feet with a thick-set coat of
j sedge, wire grass and other lowland
! growths. After frosts this growth
dies, becomes dry and is very combus
tible, so that in times of drought at
this season of the year it is a constant j
and well-recognized source of danger.
Yesterday, in addition to the drought,
j a gale of wind was blowing from the J
j southwest, fortunately, however, with j
j an occassional brief lull. Ominous
I clouds of smoke were seen in the early
i morning, but at lirst it appeared that [
; the track of the conflagration would be j
[to the west of the town, hence there
I was little apprehension. It seemed,]
I however, that far into the backwoods !
i the fire was steadily obliquely beating I
against the wind, widening its track as I
'it went until it acquired compass en
; ough to envelope us mils dreadful pro
i gress. The scene as the. lire bore down
? on the Methodist parsonage across an
I abandoned field two hundred yards
wide, covered with tall weeds, was-sui
i passingly grand, but dreadful enough
i tostrike dismay to the stoutest hearts,
j The llames rolled swiftly on in un
! broken waves, leaping,' curling and
' dancing in the air to the height of
? eight or ten feet. Its incessant crackle
was like the firing of infantry in bat
tle, and its deafening roar was like that
of the cyclone in its fury. Yet brave
men stood in its front, massed their
small force directly in line of approach
to the buildings and sought to arrest
the awful tide at a narrow intervening
roadway. They succeeded .for a moment,
but in the instant of local success a
column of flames makes for the heart
of the town in, another directing:-.
Forces already too small must be divid
ed. We are speedily Hanked on both
I sides, and now it is evident that the
i whole, town is to be enveloped in flames.
How we were saved at last God only
knows. It would require a volume al
most to narrate the exciting situations,
heroic achievements and fortunate es
capes witnessed at every homestead.
The women behaved with most ex
emplary courage and zeal, several aris
ing from beds of sickness to aid in the
great work. The children caught the
spirit of their elders and worked with
boldness and ardor. Too much paise
cannot be given to the colored people
for their prompt and most hearty aid.
The only losses sustained besides fenc
ing are an unused sawmill shed, two
unoccupied cabins, several Hat-cars on
the side track and a lot of cord wood.
The railroad roadbed was so injured as
to delay trains for several hours.
From the News and Courier, of last
Thursday, we clip the following : The
passengers on the Columbia special
train of the Atlantic Coast Line which
reached Charleston at 9.10 last night,
had an opportunity of witnessing for
est tire of rare extent and brilliancy.
The woods were on lire almost continu
ously from Sumter to within five miles
of Charleston, a distance of ninety
miles. The grandest display of the ac
cidental fireworks was in the section of
country lying along the Northeastern
Pailroad between St. Stephen's depot
and the Five-mile curve near Charles
ton. In many places on both sides of
the track, the line of fire was unbroken
for miles, and in other places the fire
' approached so near the track on either
j side that the train literally ran be
| tween walls of llame and through
clouds of blinding and asphyxiating
smoke. At such places the effect of
the super-heated and lire-laden atmos
phere was sensibly felt by the passen-1
sengcrs through the thick plate-glass
of the car windows. The lire was lierce
I ly swept on by a stitr breeze from the
Northwest, and at some points leaped
across the roadway and caught the!
crossties. The whole heavens were
Ilighted up with the reflection from the
; lurid blaze from the dry. combustible
. foliage and from the trunks of tile
! fon st giants that had been "boxed" for
turpentine. Some of these trees re-1
seinbled pillars of llamein motion as
j the train rushed by with the speed of a
lightning express. The woods on lire
in South Carolina is a serious occur
rence. At Monck's Corner it was re
ported that several plantation houses
had been burned down with all their
farm attachments. At Stoney Land
ing it was only by the utmost exertion
that the works were saved, the loss at
that place having been confined to the
destruction of about one hundred cords
of wood. Several wood piles and wood
racks along the track were in a blaze
last night, and the loss in this respect
may be still more serious. Tin- pimple
all along the line of mad wen out en
deavoring to check the hurricane of
llame ami protect their fences and
dwelling houses. The m eiden;a! land
scape was Dautesque to u realistic de
gree, and furnished the passengers
with sights and seem s equally dilmmb
to describe or forget.
A concspondeut writing from Flor
ence under date of December 1 to Urn
same pnpt-r --ays : Considerable excite
incut prevailed here yesterday, caused
by what seemed for a while the chances
of losing a large portion of our tow:, [>\
lire. During the prevalence of half a
gale of wind, that blew neavlv the en
rlS&?Y, DECEMBER 9,
tin- lay. lire broke out in the woods on
the'Vestern side of the town, und thej
wins, which was blowing fiercely from
thatfdirection, soon brought the flames
roaK'ug down on the town. The woods |
on late other side, of the town approach
very, close to the dwellings, and the j
maffY vacant Jots on the edge had grown
up in'broom-grass, offering the inostj
inflammable fuel. The lire department j
weflt promptly summoned out, and,
will the aid of the many willing hands
around, managed to subdue the flames,
though not before they had penetrated
farjinto the town. Providentially, the
town escaped without any damage, ex
cegBSuch as weak nerves sustained.
Killed Himself Tor Love.
uisville, Ky., December !.
je White shot himself through the
J to-day. He had been in love with
^Minnie Lyons for some time and
aeen engaged to her. Several
> ago shediscarded him, giving as
son that she loved and would
a rival by the name of Charles
Since her declaration White
tup all work and devoted his time
fing to woo back his fickle sweet
t, but in this he failed. lie passed
lay with the girl, repeatedly tell
?her that unless she consented to
pry him he would kill himself, but
as b.e had made these threats before, she
prd?TJO attention to them. Shortly be
ftJBFjB o'clock this morning he asked
hf&"foTa final answer, and when she
again declined he left the house and
wtjnt to an alley in the rear. The girl,
fearing he was' about to do something
rajra followed him.
"You won't marry me?" he asked,
"fcan't, George; 1 don't love you."
sb^'replied. White whipped out his
phrfol, and as the girl rushed toward
hrffi he pushed her back, placed the
weapon to his heart and pulled trigger.
Without a word he fell back into a
poifof water. lie was picked up and
carfied into the house, but before a
ph"flsieiau could reach him he was dead.
Meet ini; of Three Brothers.
|'e Lenoir (N. C.) Topic says: "At
jattle. of Gettysburg, in 1863, three
brothers, named Avery Kirby, Milas
Kirby and Nelson Kirbv, parted on the
battle field. All of the brothers left
C?ldwell County as volunteers in Com
pany A, Twenty-Second North Carolina
Regiment, and all fought through the
war.on the'Confederate side, receiving
many wounds on the battlefield. On
Saturday the three bothers met in Le
noir for the first tilrte since their "part
ing amid the smoke and roar of battle
on the field of Gettysburg. Avery now
live! in Indiana, Miras in Bristol, TeniK
arid,Nelson ofi'King's Creek, ('aidwell
County, at whicftjplaee his brothers are
now visiting him. The brothers came
oat-of the war wittfout a cent of money
oxa foot of land, but are now all pro
?^J^Jiolders a/id, excellent citizens."
A Colored ltcformer.
t We have received a communication
from a respectable colored man of
Bethel, in this county, making an argu
ment in favor of reestablishing the
whipping post as a punishment for
petty offences, instead of the present
mode of punishment in the county jail
or the penitentiary. The communica
tion is lengthy and presents no new
arguments,"for which reason we do not
print it; though emanating from a
colored citizen it is an indication of a
growing change in the sentiment of
the very people for whose "protection"
the Federal authorities, in the recon
struction period, demanded the obliter
ation of the "relic of barbarism:"?York
vilie Enquirer.
Charleston Filled with Smoke.
Charleston, December2?Charles
ton is filled with smoke frr>m the forest
tires in the surrounding country. The
telegraph wires are down on the line
of the Northeasting road, and the full
extent of the damage is not known.
The village of Pineopolis, in Berkeley
county, narrowly escaped destruction.
Mrs. Kate Porcher's dwelling house
and a number of barns and farm houses
were burned. The lires are said to be
generally under control, having burned
out their fuel. Large bodies of turpen
tine woods have been destroyed, and
the loss will necessarily be heavy.
A Neat Swindle.
The neatest swindle of the day has
just been executed in the city of Mexi
co. A nran named Mayer appeared
there claiming to be the agent of Mana
ger Abbey, of New York, and present
ing credentials which seemed to be all
right. He proceeded to arrange for a
five nights season for Patti, advertised
it freely and put tickets on sale at
three times the usual prices?850 for
boxes and SO for seats each night. The
Mexicans went wild over it and 82."),(HXJ
worth of tickets were sold. Mayer
took 820,000, leaving 85,000 in silver
which he could not conveniently carry,
and skipped by the light of the moon."
A Cond Keiison.
A man named hick Townsend. an
alleged murderer, was wanted in Flori
da, and Governor Perry, understanding
that he was in Georgia, demanded his
surrender from Gov. McDaniel. His
demand not having been complied with
because Townsend could not be found,
the demand was renewed when General
Gordon became governor. The matter
was inquired into by the new governor,
and a reply was received from the
sheriff of L?wndes county that he did
not know where Townsend was. but In*
recalled the fact that he had hanged
him some mouths before the governor's
inquiry was received.
Too SiicrrliuioiiH.
We see it announced that there is
shortly to be given a grand ball in
Charleston, s. ('.. to be called "The
Earthquake. Hop." It will strike many
people that, while it is well enough for
the young people to fiance, it is a mani
festation of :i want of reverence for and
fear ??! the Almighty to call their
dance an "Earthquake Hop." Let them
ii nee if they want to, Init let I hem not
forget their i in potency when God is
present in the earthquake, Uahigh
Chronicle.
In an affray in Pitt County, X.C.,be
tween Thomas Smith and .lohn Dennis,
the later shot and killed the former.
1886.
PRICJ
A WIDE-EXTENDED SNOW.
It Spreads Itself Over the Entire Country,
South ns Well as >"ort!i.
Ninety-Six. December ?.~Snow six
inches deep and it is stilJ snowing. The j
largest snow we have had in years.
Mount Holj.y, December rt.?Th*
signal service observer at this place re- j
ports live inches of snow on the ground '
at 2 P. M., with indications of another
fall.
Kateway, N. J., December 13.?Peter
Laing, colored, was found frozen to
death in his house next to the Milton
mills, in tins city, on Saturday morning.
He was GO years old and a cousin to
Thomas Kelly, a wealthy colored citizen
of this city.
New YORK, December 6.?Snow be
gan falling in this city this morning j
and continued with few'breaks all day.
The storm was accompanied by severe
winds. The street car lines have been
forced to double up. No serious delay
iB reported from the railways.
Walhalla, December 6"?After the
snow storm of Saturday morning a j
light rain and sleet set in, and continu- i
ed until late Sunday night, when it j
terminated in a fall of light, Uaky snow, j
nine inches deep on the top of the)
frozen snow of the day before. This
afternoon it is thawing slowly.
RlCAUOXD, Va., December C?Al- [
most continuous snow, hail and rain
since Saturday morning have made the
present storm one of the severest ex-!
perienced for years. To-night at ?
o'clock the snow took a fresh start, fall- j
j ing thick and fast, and appearances are
favorable for several inches more.
Abbeville, December (J.?It has
I been snowing and sleeting with slight!
i intermission since Friday night, and it
is now four to live inches deep. The
sun seem to be coming out. This is
salesday, but so lew people are here
that but few if any sales will take
place. It has been bitter cold, but is
moderating now.
Society Hill, December 0.?We are
having regular Arctic weather here.
Snow commenced to fail on Saturday at
7 A. M. and has continued to fall at
intervals since. Business is seriously
interfered with. The county roads are
almost impassable. Trains on the
Cherawand Darlington Railroad, how
ever, are making fair time.
Midway, December 7.?We are cover
ed with a beautiful white mantle of
snow this morning, ami at this writing
it continues to snow. The most that
falls on the ground melts, but that on
houses, railroad platform, &c, remains,
as it is cold^ enough to freeze. Some
little amusement in the art of snow
balling is practiced by the lovers of the
sport.
ASIIEVILLE, X. ('.. December (>.?
Snow has fallen to the" depth of twenty
six, inches and is still falling. Trallic
and travel of all kinds is suspended.
The weight of snow crushed in the roof
of the Asheville Tobacco Works and a
large stock of smoking tobacco was
ruined. The loss is heavy. The old
Shelton Factory, with a large stock of
tobacco stored in It, was crushed to the
ground, also the wholesale provision
house of Dickson & Watson.
CniCAOO, December 8.?A special
from Chattanooga, Tenn., says : The
roof of the stockhouse of the Dayton
Coal and Furnace Company caved in
late on Saturday night on account of
the heavy fall of snow. The building
is near two hundred feet square, ami
more than half of the roof caved in.
Usually there are about one hundred
men in the house, but at the time of
the collapse only the foreman, named
Kerner, and half a dozen negroes were
at work. They were all badly injured
and two of the negroes will die. Ker
ner was also fatally injured.
Spartanbubo, December 6.?Since
mid-night Friday it has been snowing,
sleeting or raining, and to-day at 12
o'clock the snow is falling with no
sign of clearing off. The depth of the
compact mass in the open tields is b" to
8 inches. First we had four inches of
snow. This was followed by frozen
rain and sleet, which was driven into
the snow and made a pretty compact
mass. Then yesterday evening we had
rain that made it more compact. Dur
ing the night it snowed about three or
' four inches over this and here we are,
i early in December, about as much snow
I bound as we have been since the fam
! Otis snows of January. Ih5*?.
Bamberg, December 6.?We have
1 had very severe weather since Friday
; night, at which time it commenced
; sleeting. Since then it has sleeted.
; snowed and rained at intervals, and
(this morning we are having a heavy
snow storm, such as is rarely seen m
i this country. The trees are loaded to
i their utmost rapacity with icy burdens,
land many are giving way under their
tremendous strain and came crashing
to the ground. Many valuable shade
! trees and forests will lie injured, as
' well as the few vegetables still in gar
dens. It is thought that, the oat crop
: is as yet but little injured, as the earth
I has not been frozen to auvconsiderable
depth.
Eiubezxler Jackson Pardoned.
Atlanta. Ca., December 4. Major
1 (Icorge II. Jackson has been pardoned
; at last. Jackson was I'resident of the
: Enterprise Cotton Factory in Augusta,
where he S toot I at the head of .society
as well as commerce. The discovery of
a big default led to an examination of
? his books, which developed the fact
; that they had been doctored for years.
The amount of the defalcation was
! placed by some as high as $2007 but
'he was convicted of the embezzlement
I of sums to the amount of about.SI 17.UU0.
I Numerous petitions from those who
had been associated with him in bust
: ness and society induced the (iovernor
' to pardon him.
New I'ntilie ItuildiiiK for CIuirieslnn.
Washington. December 7. The lull
introduced by Senator Untier for the
'? erection of a public building at ( liarles
ton, S. C. provides that it shall be for
the accommodation of the poslollice
I and the I'nited Stales Courts and that
the cost of the site shall not exceed
($100.000 and the cost of the building
; $400,000.
"The Beautiful Snow" be blamed is
i what we say, after this week's expert*
I encc.
3 $1.50 PEB. ANNUM.
CL?YEPJ?S WILL HANG.
GOV. LEE REFUSES TO EXERCISE EXE
CUTIVE CLEMENCY.
The .Sentence Pronounced by the Court of
Hustings ami Affirmed by Virginia***
Higltent Court Mast not toe Set A?i?t? or
Commuted.
Richmond. Dec. 7.?Gov. Lee to-day
sent a letter to the counsel of Cluveri
us, who is now under sentence of death
for the murder of Fannie L. Madison,
in which he says that he has given to
the statements, and to all papers and
petitions peescnted for Executive clem
ency in behalf of the prisoner, the care
ful consideration which their import
ance demanded. The (iovernor then
adds : "The prisoner came from the
judicial to the executive department
of the government, marked guilty by
the judges and jury.
Starting at that point therefore, I
have been diligently studying the re
cord, while industriously seeking in
formation and evidence from all other
sources, which might conclusively
prove to my mind that the verdict of
the court was an error and that, there
fore the sentence pronounced by the
Court of Hustings, and atlirmed by
Virginia's highest court, must not be
set aside or commuted.
With an earnest desire to faithfully
execute without fear or favor the laws
of the State, impartially to all, with the
most profound sympathy for those up
' on whose hearts this blow must fall,
I with H clear conscience that 1 am dis
; charging my duty to the people of my
' State as Cod has given me strength to
! see it. I now write you to inform you
: that I have not been able to reach a
I dfferent conclusion from thecourts,and
?therefore, the case of Thomas .J.Clu
verius is not one in my opinion to call
: for executive interference, either by
the exercise of pardoning power or by
' commutation of sentence."
The Governor's decision was convey
ed to the jail by Judge W. VV. Crump,
I senior counsel, and his son. Reverly T.
j Crump, who acquainted the prisoner
1 with it. Cluvenus stood the ordeal
j with the same fortitude which has
I generally characterized his conduct
since his arrest, and during his trial.
After his counsel left him, however, it
was plainly apparent that the awful
news he had heard had a marked effect,
and that it was as much as he could do
to maintain his wonted composure.
Shortly after the counsel left the cell
several "reporter- visited the jail and
made an effort li see the prisoner, but
when informed of their object by the
"death watch" Cluverius said, "1 do
not want .to see anybody." He was
seated in an arm chair with his elbows
on his knees and his chin buried iu his
hands. Seeing the reporters at the
door of his cell he-changed hisiposition
and endeavored to appear (watri ana
collected, but it was evident that the
blow had struck home. Th? counsel
presented a petition for respite to the
Governor this evening. No ti^ne was
named, as that is left to the Governor's
discretion. It is the general impression
that a respite of thirty days wiiNbe
granted. " " \
A New Kurland Mystery.
New England has been excited over
the Wilson-Moen mystery, a suit re
vealing the fact that Levi Wilson, au
illiterate and uncouth hostler, had for
years exercised some mysterious power
over Moen and bled him to the extent
of more than ?200,000. The suit was
on a note given by Moen to Wilson for
:?4(>,0UU. Roth parlies went on the wit
ness stand but neither revealed the se
cret. A few days ago Wilson gratified
public curiosity with a revelation that
he was Moen's son, born two or three
i months after his marriage and that to
J conceal the disgrace of his wife and
j himself Moen had given him to a black
I smith namad Wilson to adopt and raise
j as his child. Since the statement was
I made the records have been examined
j and they prove that Wilson was born
eleven months after Mrs. Moen?(who
j he claims w;us his mother and who
j seems to have been a woman of the
highest character) died. New Eng
! land is, therefore, all adrift again, but
opinion is settling on the theory that
Wilson acquired his power by pretend
ing to have evidence to prove a son of
Moen's guilty of a dreadful crime.
Fell Sixty Keel.
A young man by the name of Far
mer was killed at Thicketty Trestle,
live miles below Caffney City, S. C. on
Thursday night. Mr. Farmer, who
lived at Clifton, had gone to Grover
during the early morning and purchas
ed two jugs of liquor. It is supposed
that he became intoxicated. On his
return, when the train was passing
Thicketty Trestle, he mistook the
slacking of Urn train, while crossing
the trestle, fur the slacking lor the sta
tion, and stepped off the trestle, falling
a distance of sixty feet. His body was
found Friday morning when the hands
went t<> their work on the trestle,
which is being replaced by a new iron
one. His remains were scut to lloek
ingham, as wo learn he was from that
place. Charlotte Chronicle.
Murder In York County.
One of the most brutal murders in
that part of the country was commit
ted at Iloodtown, York county. S. C.
about IU miles from Rlack's on Tues
day. Three negroes had stolen some
cotton, and were discovered by a tell
year old son of Mr. William Hood, a
respected farmer of I he vtemitv. The
Wretches at once set UpOsI till! hoy,
stoned and beat him until he was tin*
conscious, ami then partly eoncea'ed
the body. The boy's mother, becoming
alarmed at his absence, went oul to look
for him. In a short time he was dis
covered, and a physician summoned,
bill he died in a short time. Three
negroes were arrested on suspicion, on
Wednesday, and carried to jail at Vork
ville. Creat indignation is expressed
in the neighbor!;.I. and it is thought
the negroes will be lynched.
The paragraphic slurs alHiut boarding
house chickens should cease. (Ullage
should always command respect. Ridi
culing spring chickens is akin to mak
ing fun of your grandmother.