Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE PEOPLE'S tS EHGLISHMM OK IMSIGR5TI0N i HI* View* on the Method* That Must Wfe: Be Employed tt> Brlns lmml IflBfr" ffrants to Sonth Carolina. To the Editor of The State: I have been much Interested In read- j ing reports in the newspapers express- | lng public opinion on the question of introducing into the State of South Carolina a class of European imml grants?farmers, who In some respects are less ambitious than American farmers?a class of people who will be content with small farms, say 20. 30 or GO acres of ground. I am told that the south has enough even now of common laborers, and that ? the need IB simply those who will enter the State and buy up the large tracts of lands and convert them into small farme. The peasantry of Prance have small farms which they till with artistic skill and reap excellent harvests for their industry. They are a thrifty people, save their money and at times of great financial depression have sav ed the government from impending bankruptcy. These French peasants live in rural villages and go daily to their little farms, which may be dis tant from one to three miles from the domestic roof. Under prevailing cir cumstances it would hardly be prac ticable to introduce such a system In this country. It would "be better to follow but the American method, a farm for each farmer of say SO to 100 acres with the dwelling in which the family It to abide on the farm. ? But how will the better class of ?European immigrants be attracted to the south? It must not be forgotten that the farmers and immigrants from 'Europe have been attracted in vast numbers to the great northwest, where millions of acres are yet unoccupied; that western Canada is attracting set tlers -by furnishing free farms and homes for all who will come. By rail road companies and local communities thousands of dollars are being ex pended to get these settlers on those lands. Now, the south has no free homesteads, but every one who enters the State and secures a farm must pay for It. The western people reckon every healthy, laboring man who makes a permanent home in a com munity to be worth to the place a sum not less than $2,000. That is. if 100 able-bodied, industrious and enter prising, men should settle in a farming i community, they add to the perman ent wealth of the locality $200,000. I should say such an estimate is very conservative for there may be among the 100 half a dozen men who alone would add more than twice that sum to the taxable wealth of that com munlty. But how shall the immigrants be obtained? One man having a thousand or more acres for sale cannot afford to equip and maintain an immigration real estate office for the purpose of Ending purchasers for his lands. A town, county, immigration association and the State, acting in conjunction with railroad companies, may adver tise the agricultural, commercial and manufacturing advantages through newspapers, circulars, folders, etc., and distribute them through the mails ull over the land. They will do some good and in time will bring some people. But that is not all which is needed. I remember once spending a week on a cotton plantation a short distance out jifrom Tazoo City, Miss. The planter was a native Alabamian. He had a beautiful place of many thousands ,of acres and one of the finest in the State. One morning his good lady said they must send to a distant orchard for fruit and to a garden for vegetables for the table. I said to my friend, "Why Is this? Why do you not on yonder rising ground plant your orch ard and cultivate your garden vege tables: have your meadows for hay and your own corn fields? By pro ducing these necessary supplies at home you will save money." He re plied, "I only make cotton. If you want to kindle a fire with the sun's rays, use the sun-glass to concentrate i all the rays of the sun at one spot and it will scorch if I would apply this process of ana ' logical reasoning to secure people to become permanent residents of the State of South Carolina. I think It would be unwise to waste money in initiating a plan of work and then suffer It. to languish for want of sup port. An agricultural commissioner With a secretary to begin the business Is only a first step. The department must be amply supported. This work is not only to get immigrants, but they must get them. They must go /?where these people are to be found and must select just such families as will be most suitable. You don't want all that come out of a ship. You want them selected. Of course your com missioner will have his principal office ' in' the capital of the State, but he must have an office in the city of New York. No matter what the cost may be. even $100,000 in this work will be a profitable investment. When you get 5,000 or 10.000 of these people into your State and they are content, they will advertise the advantages of the State all over Europe without cost. But the expense at the start must be borne by the State. The newspapers of tha State, publishing gratuitously communications like this and others descriptive of the country, are doing their part most liberally. Every lo cality and every individual rhould do a part. As the Alabamian said, "focus the sun's rays." Owners of large tracts of land, some improved and some not Improved, want to sell so as to be I getting an income. They are getting nothing now. They better sell these! lands to the immigrants, if they be of i the right kind, even with a very small j payment down and in small yearly! payments and at a low rate of interest. I It will take pretty much all the ready j money the immigrant has to get aJ start with implements and stork for] his little farm and to buy needful supplies until he can grow /find market' a crop. Hence he will need the advice, sympathy, and often forbearance of those with whom he deals. With a fair chance he will be able in a few years to pay for all. But the intelligence, the kindness, and generosity of south ern communities need no suggestion in this regard. The State of South I Carolina, is broad enough in area and ' ample enough in resources, yet undo- j veloped, to afford homes of wealth and abundance for 5,000,000 to 7,000.000 of j an industrious and enterprising people. Will this generation, the present pop- j ulatlon of the State, seize the oppor-! tunlties afforded of increasing their; individual wealth and adding revenue: to their native commonwealth? South! Carolina is worthy of the greatest! efforts of her people. T read in an encyclopedia spread out before me that "the soil is highly productive, yielding such staples as cotton, indigo, rice, tobacco, sugar, tea, the cereals, hemp, flax, hops, and many varieties of' .fruits and vegetables: and en Joys a climatic tempera turf- corres ponding with that of Italy and the' south of France. The mineral re- i sources of this State are considerable, j comprising gold, iron, lead, copper, j manganese, coal, bismuth, plumbago, i soapstone, limestone, granite, china ; EDITORIALS. 1 -? I The State's Readers. $ claya, etc., etc." The heart of man can ask for nothing more. Then recall the famous men whom the State has produced. Their very names are an Inspiration and awaken the noblest aspirations of manhood. In the roster of South Carolina's emin ent sons in a past generation, I note high lu the list of immortal ones Hon. John Caldwell Calhoun. an incompar able statesman, scholar and philoso pher: Henry Laurr.ns, honored above most men, an accomplished diplomatist And the frienr' of Washington; then there was Gen. Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States; another honored name, an advocate and jurist of great renown, likewise statesman, scholar, diplomatist, Hugh Swinton Legare; the Hon. Francis W. Piekens and the Hon. William Aiken, of the early governors of the State, I mention with the highest regard the names of Gov. Robert Young Kayne, the most accomplished % orator the State ever produced, a match in for ensic debate of the great Massachu setts Demosthenes, Daniel Webster. And may I mention the names of Generals Wade Hampton, the older and the younger, both effulgent stars In the diadem of the commonwealth. These are but a few names to conjure by. Such a galaxy of honored ones casts a halo of glory not only over their native State and their own times, but they belong to all time and to the universal brotherhood of man. Strug gling men in this generation may look to those great ones and gather strength in their efforts to accomplish worthy undertakings?imitating such noble lives. Frederick A. Salaman. Rooms 13GS-6, Vincent Building, New York City. THE RUSSIA* IN HISTORY. Why American Sympathy Should Lie With Japan In Present Conflict To the Editor of The State: It is difficult to understand how any one who is at all acquainted with Eu ropean history, especially the part of it that relates to Russia, can sympathize with that country in its struggle with Japan; for viewed from any stand point, except that of brute force, Japan Is by far the more highly civilized na tion of the two. From its very first contact with civilization Japan has made a progress that is almost mar velous, while Russia has remained practically barbarous despite the fact that she has been In intimate associa tion with the clvilzlng Influences of the other countries of Europe. The truth of the matter is that Rus sia has a pretty black record behind her, a record of tyranny, oppression I and duplicity that almost surpasses be lief. It Is easily within the memory of people now living when it was a not uncommon occurrence for ladies of the Polish nobility to be stripped to the waist and whipped in public by offi cials of the Russian government. When Sweden was practically forced to cede Finland to Russia, the latter country pledged itself that it would not inter fere with the language or local go\ I ernment of the people. This promise has been most shamefully violated, and the virtuous, enlightened and patriotic Finns have been subjected to almost every indignity that Russian Ingenuity., could devise. But the darkest blot on Russia's record is found in Siberia. Countless thousands of its own citi zens and from its provinces like Poland and Finland have been consigned, for no offense whatever, at least nothing that would be considered such in a civ ilized country, to a living death in the mines of Siberia, without the slightest hope of relief except by death, held as they are by the iron hand of a despot ism that would have hardly been ex-1 cusable in the dark ages. There is something almost farcical in the attitude that Russia assumes as the champion of civilization and Chris tianity, for she stands in sore need of civilization herself and, in act at least. Is a stranger to the precepts of Chris tianity. What was the conduct of the I Russian troops during the recent trou ble In China? Looting by wholesale and the murder of thousands of help less and Inoffensive Chinese, driving j them Into a deep river just as if they were wild beasts. While the Russians I were acting like savages, the Japanese j troops maintained their splendid dis cipline, and returned to their own country with clean hands and with out a single blot upon their record. But putting all other questions aside, Rus sia is the aggressor and this being the case deserves to lose. Japan clearly sees that the time has come wheA she must make a supreme effort for' na tional existence and she can be counted on to struggle to the bitter end. Rus- j sia has no need of additional territory while Japan, with its dense population stands in sore need of an extension of I its land area. It is very easy to make comparisons, i but the present struggle is being waged | under conditions that have never here- j tofore existed. In the South African | war England had to transport troops i and munitions of war 6,000 miles, but there "was not a hostile vessel to inter-I fere with her transports. It will be im possible for Russia to send a single man or gun by water and her sole de pendence is on one single line of rail- j road, and this is a very long one. Ex- | perience has demonstrated that a sin- j gie line, even for a comparatively short distance, is not adequate for the trans portation of large bodies of troops. Germany has probably about eight sep arate lines leading to the Rhine and j about the same number in the direc tion of the frontier, facing Russia. In case of hostilities breaking out between France and Germany they would each have a million men on the frontier in ' less time than it would take Russia to i put one-tenth that number in Man- j churia. Unless something entirely un expected happens Russia will be con fronted with very much the same con-' ditions that prevailed during the Cri mean war. She had plenty of troops and. resources but could not. owing to the lack of transportation facilities, get: them to the front quick enough. This; being the case, baffled but not crushed. She had to accept the terms offered by j France and England. Japan cannot, of course, exhaust the resources of. Russia but stands a good chance ofi exhausting all the resources that Rus-i sia cart make available. To call this war a struggle between i Christianity and heathenism is the veriest nonsense. Russia today is more a barrier to the propagation of Chris-' tianity than is Japan, for a nation, just as it with an individual, that professes; to be Christian and who. at the same; time does the greatest violence to the: teachings of thcTdaster, is a greater; enemy to Christianity than an avowed! disbelieve!-. If it could be accomplished : without bloodshed the partition of the Russian empire would be a tremendousi gain for the cause of civilization, for I then the Russian people, steeped in dense ignorance and ground beneath the heel of an iron despotism, would breathe the air of freedom and happi-. ness and be given the opportunity to emerge front position that is but lit-i tie superior to that of the beasts of the Held. The people of Ihe south at least ought to hold in everlasting remembrance the fact that while they were engaged in] their great struggle for independence Russia used her influence to the Uttermost to prevent the recog nition, by the other countries of Eu rope of the Confederate States. This I was but in keeping With her national policy for oppression and against lib erty. The people, however, who have the greatest cause to execrate the very name of Russia are the Jews, that is if they care anything for the honor of the women of their race. W. D. Woods. , Darlington, Feb. 20. LOCAL OPTION VS. THE DISPENSARY Some QneMtlonn Concerning the Evil Frnltt/of Latter System. To the Editor of The State Allow me to submit a few pertinent questions to your readers and the re tiring general assembly: 1. 1? it right and does it show a democratic citizenship, not to say a spirit of justice on the part of our lawmakers, not to allow a free (V) peo ple to vote the whiskey evil from their midst, when in fact in many instances the people did apt vote or petition its establishment? 2. Is it not an apparent fact that the whiskey element?ring if you choose?Is getting a llrrner and deeper hold on our State institutions and using it for po litical ends to the extent that ere long It will dominate church, society, busi ness, morals, politics and every Insti tution in the land and throw around them the mrcntle of corruption that is sure to lower us in the scale of state hood? 3. Are the ministers of God's holy writ doing their duty by their passlve ness in accepting prevailing conditions Instead of inveighing against them on all occasions? 4. Can any man, be he friend or foe of the system, in truth lay his hand upon his heart and in presence of his God say he does not know that the dispensary as It is managed is a de moralizing agent to every legitimate business or institution in the State; de basing its manhood, making drunkards of Its youth, yea. of its children even? Doing this, does It not bring woe and misery, suffering and hardships untold to a helpless and innocent class?the women and children? 5. Is it for political and sinister gain that our wise men?masters, not ser vants?can shut their eyes to glaring facts and refuse to trust those whose suffrage placed them in their exalted position, and force them to be un willing pnrtlceps criminis to the traffic? 6. Does the revenue derived offset the evil It generates? Has it mate rially contributed to the State's finances, or reduced taxation? Is it not one of the potent factors calling for more judicial circuits to relieve "the congested dockets of those in exist ence? Is It right to apply any por tion oC the revenue (blood money) to the education of our children? Has It not created a stronger ring than that the great (?) Tillman claims to have overthrown a decade of more ago? Is it not a little strange that, In the light of after events, the palmetto tree was banished from the wlskey flask? Justice. St. George, Feb. 17. 1904. Betilna on Cock KightN. To the Editor of The State: In several sections of our fair com monwealth the practice of cock fight ing is indulged in and ordinarily the usual accompaniment of betting pre vails on such occasions. As a lover of my fellowmen and seeking always their highest welfare, 1 concluded It might prove helpful if the general assembly enact a law forbid ding the custom, and accordingly I wrote one of the representatives about it. He replied that a bill was intro duced last session which would have given entire relief from this evil, but sports in the senate killed it, though passed to its third reading. He adds that the senate has at the present ses sion been polled touching the matter and that it cannot be passed. Disappointed in securing help from that quarter, I wished to secure advice of some wise, good man as to the best way of getting the matter on the con science of individuals who indulge in the baneful pastime. A letter from Dr. James H. Carlisle of Wofford college contains information I beg to share with your readers. He says: "The great subject of crueltv to an imals is now attracting more attention than before. It is verv important. This is one starting point. To take the beautiful, spirited bird, and make him kill or be killed, to excite and amuse some coarse, hardened men, and to decide where some piles of money must go?this is sad!' But tender ap peals are not felt where there is no tenderness: still, these appeals, wisely urged, may in the end make some im pression. A lift up religiously, of course, will generally settle many of these questions that cannot be met on a low plane." Now, Mr. Editor, let me ask the i kind .aid of your own skilled pen in encouraging the introduction and pass age of a bill affording relief in some degree. But the enactment of a law forbidding the sport is only nart of our duty; we must have an increasingly strong sentiment current, such as will be possible alone by intelligent agita tion of the subject. Yours very truly. Civls. Piedmont. S. C. TKE CHARLESTON BUDGET. Datango Suits Against the Consolidated Railway Company. Special to The State. Charleston, Feb. 20.?A number of damage suits were filed today in the court of common pleas against the Consolidated Railway eomnany. ThOS. Smith wants ?r>,000 damages for having been ejected from a car and forced to walk two miles to the detriment of his health. The same sum is wanted by Health Detective Nipson, whose buggy was run into by a car. Frank Norh den is suing for $?.000 because he was run into while riding his bicycle and former Conductor Reeves Ford, who was hurt in a collision between two cars, asks for ?i>,000 actual damages and $5.000 punitive damages. Isaac Coughley has entered suit against the American Pipe company for $l,97? for injuries sustained in digging a trench. The approaching term of the court of common pleas will be noted for the number of like suits which have been filed. The laying off of a number of field men at the navy yard has caused some disappointment and no little dis quietude, but it is said that the laying off of these men furnishes the only foundation for the rumors of a general suspension of work. No statement could be gotten from the local officials of tin navy yard in regard to the rumor thai the secretary of the navy had ordered the unexpended balance to be turned into the treasury. It was said at the navy yard that the men were only laid off because they were much ahead in their work and the rules of the de partment are against keeping men on the payroll who are not actually at work. Advices received here state that the course of the dispatch boat Mayflower may be changed, and in this event Ad miral Dewey ami staff will not visit Charleston on their way to join the North Atlantic licet for the manoeuvres in the Caribbean sea. The temperature tumbled early this morning to a reading of .".!< degrees, a fall of 31 degr.es from the maximum reading of yesterday. The wind was high, reaching a velocity of lit', miles from the northeast at l o'clock today. Orntors Selected. Special to The State. Ninety-Six. Feb. 2ft.?At the closing of tin- Ninety-Six high school, to bo held June :.-7, Rev. S. It. Zimmerman of Newberry will preach the annual sermon, and lion. Charles F. McKes son of Morganton. X. will deliver the annual address. DAILY PEN SKETCHES OF CAROLINA LIFE. _:_ What People of the Middle and Pee Dee Country Are Doing. TP FIRES OCCUR AT DENMARK j The Rnllrond Signal Station Burned. Other New? from the Town Where Rnllronilx Crown. Special to The Slate. Denmark, Feb. 20.?The telegraph r.r- ? flee at the junction of the Atlantic I Coast Ll.ie and Southern railroads, in this place, was destroyed by fire this morning .'it 7:30 o'clock. The structure was a two-story wooden building, gen erally known as the tower. All trains over the two roads were signalled from this office and could pass only when the tracks were thrown open by the operator in the tower. The fire started in the ceiling and owing to the fact that there is no water near, could not be extinguished. The trains were delayed only for a few minutes, and will stop at that point as they do at other junctions. I Another fire alarm was given yester I day at about noon. In some way a ! curtained closet in the residence .of Mr.*FulIer caught on fire. The room was closed at the time and became filled with smoke, causing every one to think that the house would neces sarily burn. However, the fire was soon put out, there being considerable loss from removal of furniture and damage to the house by water. AT BEECH X3LAND. A Delightful Entertainment for the Benefit of the School. Special to The State. Beech Island, Feb. 21.?On last Satur day night all the good people of Beech Island were assembled at the Downer hall to obtain some of the pleasures of a delightful Valentine party, given by Miss Helen Brice, for the benefit of the Downer library. By the little sock arrangement and the serving of re freshments the neat sum of $25 was raised. With this and our pro rata share from the State the management hopes to make some valuable addition to the already well equipped library. There has been some discussion about establishing an agricultural experi ment station in each county. If this is done we see no reason why the Downer institute should not be the central station for Aiken county. We are well equipped here, the school owns enough land to start an excellent ex perimental station. We are interested in this and trust that our board of trustees will pull for it. On last Monday night Mrs. James Hammond gave a delightful pit party in honor of her sister, Miss Nlta Black of Atlanta. Among those in attend ance were: Misses Helen Brice, Geor gia Galphin, Helen Davles, Harriet Davies, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Fair, Mr. and Mrs. Seth DuPuis, Messrs. R. i B. and W. B. Dunbar. Henry Lake. M. E. Brockman and Dr. P. PI. Eve. Mrs. Ed. Atkinson gave a delightful oyster supper last Tuesday night in honor of her cousin, Miss Belle Bailey of Ellenton. Miss Helen Brice has gone to her home in Blackstock for a short visit. DEATHS IN EDGEFIELD. Popular Young Phy.sjtcian'n Wife?A Child Choked to Death. Special to The State. Edgefield. Feb. 21.?News has just been received here of the death at McCormiCk of Mrs. Fuller, the vouthful wife of Dr. R. M. Fuller, a lady well known and much beloved, a daughter of Mo*. Edgar S. Reynolds of Long mire's and a sister of Mrs. A. E. Pad gett of this town". Dr. Fuller is also a young man of Longmire's, but moved to McCormick six or eight months ago as a wider field for his profession. The untimely death of this popular young woman will bring deep sorrow to a very wide circle of .'datives and friends. She will be buried at old Bethany church, near Longmire's, tomorrow. Another sad death in our section and very sudden was that of a little 2-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Tandy Cul breath of Rehoboth. This child was by some terrible mishap choked to death. L. W. C. Pleannnt Hill Notes. Special to The State. Pleasant Hill. Feb. 20.?Mr. Tom Peach, a resident of the Russell place, died yesterday of pneumonia after' a short illness. On the 18th the Rev. S. N. Watson j performed the ceremonv uniting Mr. Lewis Cole and Miss Alice Beckham, I daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. ] Beckham. Mr. Edmund Tiller and wife of Til ler's Ferry are visiting Mrs. Tiller's brother at this place. Mr. W. A. Beckham and wife of Kershaw are here on a visit to Mr. I Beckham's brother, Mr. M. L. Beck ham, of this place. I Owing to the very cold and rough I weather very little farm work has I been done as yet. It Is generally talked I that there will be no increase in the : cotton acreage. As a matter of fact j the farmers cannot afford to do it, for the presumption is that labor is going ! to be scarce. Hopkins Happenings. i Special to The State. Hopkins, Feb. 20?After several j j days of excessive cold the weather is | more favorable and farm work is pro gressing. Oats are small, owing to ; the bad weather. County Superintendent of Education E. B. Wallace was in town Thursday j on a tour of inspection of the country i schools. Invitations have been issued by the I primary department of the Hopkins graded school to Washington birthday exercises. The invitations are in the j shape of a small hatchet decorated with cherries. This department is un der the very efficient management of j Mrs. Whltlock. There have been r.ev- j tral additions to the school, which is I in a flourishing condition. ! Mrs. Brandenburg!! is much improv ! ed, after her recent severe illness. _. Pinvvrood'M Roads. i Special to The State. Plnewood. Feb. 20.?The public roads ! in this vicinity are being repaired by ! the county chaingang. which is well ! equipped with proper implements for the work. Their advent luas been hailed with delight, as places on the [different roads leading into, toavn were i almost impassable, and eouM never ? have been effectively worked by the . public. ! Mr. R. H. Johnson, a fanner living j near here, was married on Thursday evening to Miss Norvelle Stujces. of I Paxvllle. The Rev. Mr. ttuggfcns ofli ' elated. The continued severe winter has re tarded farming operations and for the i same cause the small grain crop is I very backward. ; The weather bureau in its forecast j issued Saturday had this ominous pre-1 diction for yesterday: "Rain'." And the prediction was verified from a. 1 m. until ti p. in. without a break. FHE ML COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Events of Greatest Interest in the Busy Piedmont Section. FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS The State Executive Committee Meet* In \ewberry?Delegate* to the \n tionnl Catherine In St. I.oiiIm. Special In The State. Newberry, Feb. 21.?The state execu tive committee of the Federation of Women's Clubs of South Carolina met here Thursday night at the residence of Mrs. R. D. Wright for the purpose of arranging a programme for the State federation, which will convene here on Tuesday, June 14th. The meetings will be held in the auditorium of the new building of Newberry col lege. On Tuesday night the meeting will be opened with an informal re ception. Wednesday night will be given over to the art, music and civic committees. Thursday night the crown ing event of the session will he a very large and elegant reception. The following delegates were ap pointed to represent South Carolina in the National Federation of Women's clubs, which will convene in St. Louis, Mo., in May: Mrs. Julius VIsanska of Charleston: Miss Blanche Jones of Co lumbia: Mrs. M. F. Ansell of Green ville: Mrs. Joseph Roddey of Rock Hill and Mrs. L. T. Nichols of Chester. Mrs. James Orr Patterson of Greenville, president of the State federation, is a delegate by virtue of her office. The alternates are: Miss Helen Mower, Newberry; Mrs. L. M. Cole man, Charleston; Mrs. A. Robertson, Columbia; Mrs. Ira B. Jones, Lancas ter; Mrs. J. R. Vandlver, Anderson; Mrs. S. L. McLaughlin, Spartanburg. Four new clubs were federated. They were the Fortnightly club of Nev berry, Rotary Book club of Greenville, the Old Homestead of Darlington, the Alumnae association of Mrs. Smith's school, Charleston. After thb business of the committee had been disposed of Mrs. R. D. Wright gave a delightful reception in honor of the visitors. At a joint meeting of the federated clubs of the town, Mrs. S. B. Jones, president of Woman's club; Miss Ber nice Martin, chairman of Bachelor Maids; Mrs. L. W. Floyd, president of Fortnightly club, were made a gen eral committee to arrange for the en tertainment of the State federation. Mosdames T. C. Pool, W. H. Hunt. O. B. Mayer. C. D. Weeks, A. T. Brown, Misses Fannie McCaughrin, Lalla Mar tin, Cora Domlnick, Nina Carlisle, Helen Mower, were appointed chair men of the sub-committees. Their committees will be appointed nearer the time for the meeting. INTERSTATE Y. M/C. A. GATHERING There Are Two Hundred Delegates In Attendance at Spiirtnnbnrg?Dad Wenther l*reviillx. Special to The State. Spartanburg, Feb. 21.?There are 200 delegates attending the interstate Y. M. C. A. North and South Carolina are well represented by an earnest, active body of workers, young men who are directing their efforts to the advance ment of moral and religious thought and life. Today's weather has been the very worst of a season of unchangeable mid winter time. The sleet fell tlrst, and the ground was frozen over in a slip pery condition; an icy rain succeeded. Despite this Inclemency, large congre gations were at the several leading Protestant church this morning to hear instructive and helpful addresses from the prominent workers of the Y. M. C. A. in atendance on the meetings. A mass-meeting for men was held this afternoon at the opera house. C. C. Miehener was the speaker of the occasion. He is from New York and a leader in Y. M. C. A. work. He made a strong address, emphasizing the adherence to Christianity along all lines of business, and asserted that the man with the right kind of charac ter has a decided advantage over oth ers. Gambling, drinking and Impur ity were touched upon and in an earn est, effective manner Mr. Miehener dis coursed for an hour or more to one of the largest male audiences ever as sempled in the opera house. As a re sult fully 300 Christians expressed their intention of leading better lives, and 150 "sinners" signified that they wished the prayers of the Christian people. In a brief meeting, held after the address, at least 35 of the latter professed con version. Dr. Van Dyke, the lecturer, addressed the convention at Converse college this evening. P. H. F. THE SEAR EASTERN TROUBLE Hulgarln Trying to Keep Out of a Fight, According to Their Agent In. Parts. Paris, Feb. 21.?M. Zolollovitz, the Bulgarian agent in Paris, made the following statement today: "I can give the formal assurance that Bulgaria has more than ever re solved to do nothing to compromise the peace. It is with gr- .' satisfac tion that we have seen C elab orate a plan for reform M ??< donia and we wish, without r ? ... ? n, the reforms realized. Aho\ ill, ill' this moment when the powers ate follow ing with anxiety the events in the far east, Bulgaria will avoid doing any thing that would cause the belief that she proposes to profit by the crisis. The Bulgarian people have unanimously expressed warm sympathy with Rus sia. "It is unfortunate that Turkey per sists in her regrettable hostility. Be sides th? annoying police measures she has taken against our people our com merce suffers serious obstacles; ami finally, the continued concentration of Turkish troops along mir frontler and the mobilization of troops at strategic points is menacing us." M. Zolollovitz said there is a war party in Constantinople which has a preponderating influence and quitted from consular reports to the effect that the Turks fear a military uprising if war with Bulgaria is not declared. "In tin- light of these facts," M. Zolollovitch concluded, "it is natural that Bulgaria, too, should be prepar ing." I.nie Senator IIIH'm Widow Dead. Washington. Feb. 21.?Mrs. Hill, the widow of the late Senator Ben II. Hill of Georgia, who has been ill here for some time, died here today at the res idence of her daughter, Mrs. II. II. Thompson, in the 79th year of her age. At her bedside when the oiid came also were her daughter and two sons, Ben if. Hill and <'. I). Hill. Accompanied by them the remains were taken to At lanta, where the funeral services will he held on Wednesday at 11:30 a. in., in St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal church. St. Htigela's Heatfcmy. special to The Slate. Alken, Feb. 20.?Thme annual enter tainment of St. Angela's academy came oft on Friday afternoon and evening before a large and appreciative audi j ence. That the numbers were varied, high classed and superbly rendered Is as ' seated to by all who wore present. Es pecially Is this praise well founded and j Haltering in view of the fact that In I the brief life of the academy there I have been no pupils as yet beyond the I third term in music, declamation ami I voice culture: Indeed, the great ma jority are first and second term pu pils. Thes olos and choruses were ex cellent, as the most fastidious could expect under the circumstances. The boys and girlselasses made their ! first bow to the public in pleasing i chorus. Before many years they will figure successfully in person as they did lust Friday evening "In gobs." For brevity sake, the special points of excellency of individual pupils, or numbers, cannot be emphasized in de tail. It is but fair to point out in pass ] ing, however, the elocutionary profici ency displayed in teh scene from Schiller's "Mary Stuart;" the beauty of the arias and recitations in Longfel low's "Wick of the Hesperus;" the control of voice and breath in the "An gel's Serenade," "Grass and Roses," and the selected Terzette; then the general excellence of the Instrumental numbers. St. Angela's Is rapidly becoming a stronghold of intellectual power among the youths of this ection. Judging from the splendid exhibition of last Friday it is safe to assume that, as the I work progresses, the patrons and j friends of the school will be welcomed again to still a better programme and a more excellent rendlttion. A Fatal Wreck. Kankake, 111., Feb. 21.?James Mar tin of Kankake, 111., was killed, and five other passengers were Injured in a wreck of a Knights of Columbus spe i clal train today on the Kankake and Seneca railway near Wauponset, due to a spreading of a frog. One passenger coach containing 25 people turned com pletely. Martin was hurled through a window. The special was en route to Morris, where the Knights of Colum bus were to participate in an installa tion. ' A Government Victory. San Domingo, Feb. 21.?Yesterday a French merchant steamer entered the river, convoyed by a launch from the United States cruiser Columbia. The rebels abtsained from firing on the vessel. This morning the government troops attacked the rebels outside the city I and severe firing ensued, lasting many I hours. The rebels were rfoced to re tire, leaving many killed and wounded on the field. The action resulted In a complete victory for the government |and the siege of the city is considered I to have been raised. Suspicions Circumstances. Xr-w York, Feb. 21.?Following the death late tonight of Mrs. Florence Myers, 46 years old, from morphine poisoning at a boarding house in West Forty-sixth street, the woman's hus band and a colored nurse were arrested. They are said to have administered morphine tablets to Mrs. Myers. This they admit, according to the police, but allege that the woman was addicted to the use of morphine. The husband is Col. Frederick Myers, a veteran of the Civil war 71 years* old, this being his birthday. The dead woman is said to j have been Col. Myers' fifth wife. "PISGAH FOREST" RESERVE. v Vast I'rlminl Wild Rfow nn Adjunct to Iilttmore Estate. Charlotte Observer. Raleigh, Feb. 6.?No greater interest has ever been felt in any hunting pre serve in the south than in the magnifi cent one of George W. Vanderbilt, which is know as "Pisgah Forest," and which embraces a large section of the county of Transylvania, In one of the most exquisite sections of all the noble mountain country of which Western North Carolina affords. It is certain that this park or preserve has had much to do with the now great move ment for the national part to be known as the Appalachian Forest Reserve. This originated in Vandcrbilt's two great developing ideas, shown first in i his Biltmore estate and next in his Pisgah Forest. The latter is a true I forest, Mr. Vanderbilt having been so ! fortunate as to discover a place where nature had been almost unmolested ex cept by occasional fires, and then to secure this and gently aid her in work ing her own sweet will. Everybody ' knows about Biltmore. and its chateau, ! the finest private residence in all Amer | lea, but few know anything about Pis ! gah Forest, and so this will be a story I about the latter, the writer having spent a fortnight there In the most de lightful manner in the world. Pisgah Forest is about 45 miles long and embraces something over 100,000 acres. It takes its name from its domi nating peak Mount Pisgah. the most j perfect mountain amid the hundred ?of mountains in Western North Caro lina, being a true cone, a landmark 'amid all the peaks in the vast, irregu j lar and lofty plateau betweeen the i Blue Rridgc and the great Smoky i Mountains. There are various way of i getting into Pisgah Forest; one by Asheville and Biltmore and by a very . fine road constructed by Mr. Vander bilt to Pisgah Lodge; the other by way : of Hendet sonville and Davidson's rlv j er. up a rather steep and rough road, but one full of charms and surprises, j along the French Rroad. Davidson's ; river and Avery's creek. To the na i lives Pisgah Forest is know as Mr. I Vanderbilt's place, and its boundary Is marked by a three-strand barbed-wire I fence. The best way to see Pisgah I Forest is on foot or horseback, prefer i ably the former, as In this way the full , beauty of the place can best be seen. 1 Go where one will there is ever the i sound of falling water,' the rush or the fall of the mountain streams, which most of the time is invisible, high over j head or in a gorge, perhaps a thousand I feet below. Going by the Davidson I river way. when the crest of the "gap" I in the great mountain wall is reached, * there is a glorious view to the south ward, far into South Carolina, and to the northward over the Vanderbilt do main. The heart of this great forest has been known as the "Fink Beds" j ever since white settlers went into that 1 mountain region. The origin of the j name is in sonv dispute, but very i probably comes from the color of the ? rhododendron, which is so profuse as ? to make the whole region look like a i conservatory during the months of .May and June. The mountaineers call the place the -pink Beds," and under this name it appears in the geological maps. It is a sort of table land, be tween high and nearly parallel ridges. 1 threaded by streams as bright as a looking glass, all running in beds of i solid stone, literally like (lights of ; steps, and which seem like quicksilver ; as they dash or fall from under their . lofty sources. Pisgah Forest cost Mr. Vanderbilt ' something like a quarter of a million dollars, or about $2..*>n per acre. Most of it he secured at once, and the other ' portions were bought in large or small tracts, so that now his rangers are the only denizens of the wide area. There i are five of these, all picked mountain , eers. good riders and dead shots, to whom the mountains are like an open book. These men have many- duties. ! They must see that the boundary fence, [ .fno miles long, is till right; must keep 1 out poachers, look after the game, .whether in fur or ? feather, ami also after the trout, ami further keep an eye on timber stealers. Poachers would come from near and far to get the trout, with which the streamn are superbly stocked, killing them by ex ploding dynamite in the dep pools, where the big trout lurk, or to kin the deer, the turkeys or the grouse, which are known in the mountains us pheasant.*!. The trained ears of these rangers hear the explosion of dyna mite a great distance, and they track the offenders as a bloouhound would track them, into other counties, and even into Tennessee. Through this great Plsgah reserve, which now is leased for use by one of the most exclusive hunting and fish ing clubi in this country, there are ?? miles of wagon road and 275 miles of trails, the latter leading alongside each trout stream. These roads and trail* are always kept cut out and ready for use. There are miles of what are known is "shooting paths" 15 feet wide, which branch out right and left from certain of the roads, so that when deer are driven by the dogs they must cross these paths, and by means of the latter alone can they be seen in time to afford a shot. Deer can stand in the rhododendron thickets in 10 feet of a hunter, and yet be absolutely invisible, so dense and so perfect is this paradise of game In.Which there Is so much of wild animal life. The foot prints of the de?- are constantly seen, and once seven superb specimens were notlcd in a group, drinking from Looking Glass creek. High overhead a golden eagle was soaring and later on the ranger showed a mounted specimen of this noble bird, which he had killed with his revolver as he sat in a tree top SO yards away. Mr. Vanderbilt began to acquire Pis gah Forest 12 years ago, and he promptly began the work of restocking the streams with trout, in the simplest manner, that is, by protection, without any artificial protection. In some of the streams rainbow trout have been placed, but these are not nearly so satisfactory as the native trout. The number of trout in this particular re gion was years ago incredibly great. In the old days, before there was any protection, there were caught in two days by three fishermen l,6f>0 trout, and most of this needles slaughter was ab solute waste. Plsgah Forest has large ly been chosen as the place for the study of forestry, under the direction of the very talented Dr. Schenck, who succeeded Glfford PInchot, now the head forester of the United States. As all the world knows, Mr. Vanderbilt has at Biitmore, which adjoins and with Its 10,000 acres forms In a way a part of Plsgah Forest, an arboretum of ovei 300,000 trees and shrubs. Pls gah Forest Is the complement of this arboretum, and in these magnificent woods Dr. Schenck has a lodge, where he spends much of the summer with his class, making a tree study under wonderfully favorable conditions. In these classes are youths of wealth and high social" position, who study forest ry, a Btudy sorely needed in this coun try, where there Is so much destruc tion. Nowhere east of the Pacific slope are there nobler treefi?tulip trees or poplars, Spanish and red oak, hem locks, chestnuts, black walnuts, cu cumbers and pines of half a dozen kinds, rise In stately symmetry, this being one place where the lumberman has never injured the primeval forest. It is this great covering of woods which gives that tender blue to the mountains, which is the reason for the name of the Blue Ridge. There is a trail to the very peak of Plsgah, and on the mountain crest are found lovely meadows, lush with ten derest grass and studded with dwarf trees, wind-blown and indescribably picturesque. The trail along this crest leads by Pnsgah lodge, the finest col lection of log houses in this country, built in imitation of Swiss chalets, only the finest selected logs being used, and the furniture being all of native work and of mountain woods. Sportsmen will be charmed with this lodge, with its stately dining hall, the walls of which are covered with dressed skins of the deer, fox, wild-cat, skunk, etc., mainly those of the wild-cat, all these animals having been shot or trapped in Plsgah forest, while great eagles peer down from the beams upon the visi tors. The view of Blltmore house from Plsgah peak or front from this lodge is nearly like a vision of enchantment. The house seems to hang in the-middle distance, like Aladdin's palace, snowy white and vast, and quite near it is Asheville. Four counties corner on this peak. South ward there spreads the unbroken mass of Plsgah forest, to the eastward Is the rich valley of the famous French Broad river, bounded by the cloud j touching wall of the Bln.; Ridge, while to the westward there is a wild and I rugged view of mountain piled upon mountain, finally bordered by the Great Smoky range, which towers like the wall of a world. Within the sweep of vision one sees the culmination of the great Appalachian system with no less than 43 peaks exceeding 6,000 feet in altitude, there being the Smoky, the Balsam and the Black ranges. Mt. Mitchell in the Black dominating them all with its 6711 feet. In its entirety the view Is the very noblest which the eastern part of America affords. The conservation of game in the for est will be promoted still further, as great care is to be taken in limiting the "kills" whether of fish or fowl. The grouse have greatly increased, hardly any hunting having been done in the dozen years, and there are many turkeys. Squirrels are, of course, abundant, both the gray and the small er brown ones, the latter being univer sally known in the North Carolina mourtains as the "boomer." There is another kind of game in this region, which is not so much esteemed, this being the rattle-snake, which shares witlr the general public- the appreciation of the Pink Beds. The rattlers are of j the black variety, and while short are i unusually large, three Inches In dlam | eter sometimes. One of the rangers keeps a tally-stick with a cut for each rattler killed, and said that during one season he killed 26 himself; his three employes saying they had killed as many more. A watchful eye Is, therefore, neces sary when one is out of a road or a | trail. The rattlers, as a rule, are "very j peaceable." as the mountaineers say. I so much so that when they think per sons do not see them they lie quiet and j do not coil and rattle. That there is really little danger from these snakes ! is shown by the fact that surprisingly few persons are bitten and of these but ? few die, whiskey being instantly taken : as an antidote. Mi-. Vanderbilt has other holdings of i lands, not connected with Pisgah for \ est or with Blltmore ami its forest, I some of these holdings lying to the .northwestward. There is another game I preserve in this State, this lying along I Llnville river, which Is over in nn ! other mountain plateau, the owners be ing perhaps a score of gentlemen, some I of whom are New Yorkers, others be 1 Ing residents of this State. The streams there have been restocked with trout. One way into this preserve is by Blow ing Hock and along the Yonahlossee ? turnpike, which is considered by good judges to be one of the finest mountain j roads in America and over which old ? time stages ran. Fred A. Olds. Troops "...ailing In Corrn. Paris, Feb. 22.?In a dispatch from I Harbin the correspondent of the Matin says Cen. Velkoff, who is on guard I along the Mongolian line, has arrived I there with Gen. Dasilevski, of the en gineer corps. .' Half of the Japanese licet, the.- ?r respondent says. Is covering the- land ing of troops in Corea and thf? other half is seeking the Vladivostok squad ron.