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AFRICAN FOREST NOT SO BAD. Frenchman Modifies the Gloomy Pictures of Earlier Travelers. The Inivelors who first penetrated the vast ('((iiiirtoriiil forests of Africa fixed the world *s attenlion with word pictures Hint are now believed to Ih; partly f*iitiIasl ie. Some of' them told how lhoy wandered months without seeing I he sun. I hey lived a( noonday in semidarkness. The undergrowth almost prevented progress, 110 fresh breezes could penelrato the area of gloom, and even the animals were silent, like every other phase of nature existing t here. 'I lie writers of today are talcing a different view of this tropical forest. The latest of th< m is Maurice Uelafosse, one of the leading colonial olTieials of France, who in a book ;jtisf, written contradicts many statements of earlier travellers. He says that nowhere has lie found the A fr ican forest darker than any I oilier woodland. The vegetal ion in it is certainly more luxuriant and ; more crowded together than in a Ruropeau forest, but il is an exaggeration to say I hey are covered wilh im- { |>enel rahle vegetal ion. Wherever (lie natives live, well- i worn loot pal hs lead in all directions. ; Travelling is hard on some of tliem, but many ot I lie paths are very useful highways. I trial osse had none of the experience ot travellers who assert that their garments have practically boon stripped off IIioiii by the dense and thorny undergrowth. lie lived for months in forests without greater damage to liis clothing than in any other parts of Africa, except that when t ravel I ii'i'.r rapidly n'i a hunting | path his sleeves have heroine unduly [ worn at the elbows. As for darkness in the forests, he often look his compass hearings without artificial light when pitching camp at nightfall. The forest traveller lias this advantage, that lie is always in shadow, and on the hottest | days he can pursue his journey the "whole afternoon, which would he impossible in the open country. As for 1 he reputed feeling of discomfort and oppression in the depths of the forest, this is partly true. "When there is no stir in the atmosphere it is more dilVicult to breathe in 1 the forest than in the open, and as there is less chance for evaporation. The discomfort of excessive perspiration is manifest. It must he remembered, however, that if under such atmospheric conditions a man breathes more easily in the open land lie is at the same! lime much hotter and so far more uncomfortable. When a breeze stirs anywhere it penel rales the woods al-J so with refreshing of feel. Ilelal'osse records t hat lie lias had few such delightful experiences in A f- i riea as on his morning walks in the! depths of the forest. lie has never' found 'West travel as uncomfortable as marching over the savannahs where the high grass is above his head. It is then (hat a man without l air, horizon or shade feels as though j he would melt. There are plenty of sounds in the forest to attract attention also, and) tliev lo in to keep ennui al a dis-i ... I tance. Something is going on all Hum t ime. In addition to the ceaseless murmur of the streams there are the ! humming of insects, the song of birds, i the chafter of the monkeys, their j gymnastic feats from branch lo I branch, the occasional falling of dead branches and tree trunks, and at night time the wonderful harmonies and discords of animate and inanimate life that awaken when darkness comes-and sleep again al sunrise. JAPANESE WHALERS. Blown Up By One of Their Own ' Sholls in the Whale. . I The Japanese whalesnian is one of j the strangest and most fascinating of j the many weird characters to be j found among the people of this hi. ! zarre race; and the whaling industry, i which is carried on very extensively | in Japanese waters, furnishes many j a tale of herioc adventure, not infrequently fraught with disaster. Among the various fatalities that yearly occur, through misfortune or accident, in this dangerous occupation, there is perhaps no single ease that can be attributed to so extraordinary a cause as thai which recently resulted in the death of several of the men: and it is a wonder Ilia! even one survived to tell the tale. On the If>th of last November a ] large whale was sighted hv the look- 1 outs on 'he high hills off the roast | of T'sisan in Ooroa, and Iho crews in the boats, anxiously waiting below, I wen* signalled !o proceed to attack. Willi wild vociferations the little In-own men manned their boats, got ready their gear, and hurried in gteal excitement toward the direction indicated. Alter some arduous and intricate manoeuvring the monster was finally surrounded by the nets, shells and harpoons being fired into his huge body in the hope of staying his frnntic ell'orls to escape. As the great fish ultimately began to weaken. wide kashes were cut in his tough skin, through which were passed strong ropes, by which he was fastened to the boats, lest after death his body should sink and be lost. And thus he was towed triumphantly to shore amid the yells of his captors, who softened their tones only now and then to cry, "Joraku, Joraku!" for the repose of the whale's brave spirits, as is the Japanese custom when a whale is dying. As the title went down, the body of the leviathan of the deep lay prone, sixty feet along the shore. I hen the real excitement began; for the huge carcass had to be.' cut up :ind removed before (he return of the water. 'I he process of dividing up the big carcass had thus been going on satisfactorily, for some time, whim suddenly there was heard a sharp and uwl.ul sound, like the bursting of a bomb. Instantly the shattered fragments of those so active a moment beture lay mutilated and mixed in an indistinguishable bloody mass with the scattered remains <>f (lie whale. Others, wounded hut slill living. lay moaning in agony all around. I'hese were quickly hurried in boats ami sent to the Fukuoka hospital, across I lie strait, with the utmost exlied i I ion. I'lie cans? of the disaster, though easy |o determine, i-i yet unique in the annals of fishing accidents. One ol | he shells tired into Ihe body of Hie whale during the capture had I'aihd to explode until struck accident ly by I he axe of a workman, res u 11 i 11 *4" in the lamentable casualties above recorded. Ilarper's "Week 1 v. A DRAGON HUNT. It Took Place in Turkey and Was a Great Succcss. " ^ es, I \"tinst hunted dragons, and the hunt wa> successful, too,*' said a sailor. ''It was in Kyoub, the native quarter of old ('oustanl inople. I lived there with my wife, a Circassian gal, I* at mail by name, and. comin' home from t lie cal f one niyhl ' *?"'Calf ''Sure! ('all. l)ou't you know what a call is? Kind of restaurant where \<?u eat ami drink" and smoke. I '.ill where was I ?" -'Noil were coming home." "Well, as we come In me '*)- ??n the call Fatmali grabbed my arm. pointed to I lie moon ami give a loud yell. I lie full moon behind the domes and minarets was goin' into an eclipse. I laughed hut Fat mail says: " 'A dragon, O, my beloved,' she says, 'is trying to devour ihe moon!' she says. Mf Ihe faithful slay it not, there will be no more moonlight.' says she 'never!' then, by lar, begun the biggest racket I ever heard. All Fvoub was on a dragon Intnl. From every housetop the faithful fired blunderbus-es at the moon in the hope of ki 11i11 I lie dragon. "When we go| home T tried fo explain In Fatmali what an eclipse was. but she thought 1 was laughin' at her. So I gave up my explanations, and, with a pistol, each of us joined in the hunt, hangin' away at Ihe dragon from the window turn and turn about. "My crinus we got him! The hunt was a success! The dead dragon dropped off Ihe moon, and 'die floafed. round and silvery, wunsl more, above | lie palms and minarets standin back atria the pale sky. "Fatmah claimed it was her shot what lauded him. but I alwn\s convinced i! was my own." ? New < >rleans Tiiuos-IVmocrat. CANNED THUNDER. Dynamite in the Making, as Soen at a Groat Plant. So thoroughly deceptive is dynamite in the making that you arc apt to be disappointed on viewing the surface of things. You could more readily fancy thunderbolts leaping and crashing from tender blue skies than that the most fearful forces in creation are hidden under such a peace!ul exterior. Nitroglycerine, a cupful of which would distribute you [oyer snuare miles of landscape.' is f diligently mixing around you in hundreds and thousands of gallons. It is making itsolf in big iron retorts, escaping down leaden guters ami mor-j I I'il.v tumbling in minute Niagaras in-; < In immense vats, where the~delif|uc-U scent yellow peril pursues its journey : powderward. Out of one receptacle I il lares luriously through special t lead coils, driven only by cooling . blasts of air, and is drawn off like j di aught ale and piped onto the next i perfecting stage, (laze with the ni- s I roj?lycerine expert inl<? one of tlio.se s big caldrons. The interior is blight- | l.v ilhmiiualed by elect riei<;/, Die onlv t i11 uini11atinn agency permitted in nrj ( about the danger houses. ( At the bottom is a molten, su'len \ fluid. Glancing cautiously at the 1 thermometer, the guide telis you that t the writing mass is nitroglycerine. ?' It is being fused with nitric and sulphuric acids, and you are casually informed, as the expert sends a cooling stream through the pipes, ; hat it is \eiy nercssirv to keep 'lie tc.'njura- c Iure below eighty degrees. Once T above the eighty-degree dead line, so to say, (he treacherous li<|iiid niiuht instantly voice itself in such a deafening explosion as those in close proximity may never h?a>- but once. Lot '.ho < ?mr>osilion be <|uio-<eoet for hut ? few ,v..ik1s, and its stillness sad- 1 .1"!". becomes t hat of d 'alh, in tv.n- I si- jio'uc" *.l which extreie.f v'ydinico is practiced in keeping it constantly _ Hgit.it"! as well as pro'x.rly tomper ituied Arii'r! you are oilier houses, al ! unifo") ?:'<lance< . par'. .nd connect- I y ed by a series of narrow-gauge tracks, j , wlieivii workmen use ra'.yoadni;* niIrogl -no from here ami pulp eotton : r ihere, to be compounded in- j : l<> ilyi. ut.'ie, and blasti. ,* goat;:;c. i (ireatc-: <are is taken in ro|li:.g (lie ; product fro in house to h ?u- >. As .< :?.m . ' as a loaded cart is roadv to pass out " j . ' J t? j of i !k- nitroglycerine 11< ?i >. for in-;*" I stance, a semaphore -i^na!> from an j adjoining station, to which the con-i siginnont is carefully hurried. Around |e you are long store-houses packed j d with pulp in tons of innocent white-j I I . . |1 'resenth this pulp will assume al Ian color under the nitrating process, j and then, suddenly becoming carbon-J d tic. red cross, ImtciiIos, judson, and 1 ?V giant powder, I'orcite, or what you ; t order, it develops the quasi virtues of p dynamite?dynamite or blasting gelatine in which more natural forces are condensed to the cubic inch than exist anywhere else in creation. Heath curbed and sleeping, encircles yon in ' | gallons and tons. Annihilation threat-!e ens al every turn, in the form of po- J j tential pulverizing forces. But the I j man and the mercury are there also,! i alert, responsive, reliable.?Leslie *s ! , ! Weeklv. I ! ' . j i I SNAKES' EGGS HATCHING. j ~~ : Tip on the Young Reptile's Snout j With Which It Breaks Its Way Out. ri i _ ( Because of the popular aversion to n j the serpent family there is a surprisj ing amount o| ignorance about even ' j the simplest of snake habits. It is I doubt tul it many correct answers v j could bo given to the ijucslion whelhor snakes lay eggs or bear I heir young alive. As a mailer of fact, I some species are viviparous ond oth-J | ers oviparous. Most of the poisonous I snakes, as well as many of our harm- j i less varieties, belong to the former i i class. il j The I'uropean ring snake is (dose- I S j ly allied to our common water snake I al other members of the genius TropI idontus are vivparous, and this spe- j , cies alone lays eggs. Furthermore, according to (Jadow's i A mpulbia j J and Koptilos, the new laid eggs usually show not the slightest visible sign of an embryo, unless oviposit ion is delayed, when the embryos are ( more or less developed. ' The eggs are laid in Julv or August ^ in a soft bed of loam or decaying * vegetation, or in a heap of manure. The older snakes sometimes lay as * many as a do/en eggs or more and ! ' they usually slick together so thai the j' entire (duster can be picked up at j' 1 once. Sometimes, however, if the!' proi ess of laving is slow, I hey will be! separated. The eggs are about an inch | long and of a iwtish yellow color. The I shell is I liiii and flexible like parch-!' niont. ' * The young hatch in lire summer 1 or autumn. Before hatching they develop a sharp calcareous growth on the tip of the snout known as the egg tooth, with which I he shell is slit i open. Unlike hatching chicks, which j are suddenly dispossessed by the i breaking of their brittle shells, the ] young snakes may make many incisions in the parchment envelopes and take tnanv peeps at the outside , I world before venturing forth into the , j new environment. Shortly after hatch- ' . j i i\ the egg tooth is lost. At first the young live on insects L and worms, but within a few weeks hey arc s|r??n?r enough to attack and levour young frogs. Strangely nough, although the adults are ] strong swimmers, and spend much > imc in ponds and streams hunting j he fish and frogs on which they sub- , is!. the young arc unable to swim, j ind they will son drown if they fall , nlo tlic water. The Kuropcan ring . nalic, as well as the American water ( make, makes an excellent pel ; if is , terf'ectly harmless, becomes very ante, and learns to know the differMice between friends and strangers. Sadow (ells of a pet ring snake that vould eat from his hand, crawl up ^ lis coat sleeve and coil itself eon- ( enledly on his arm.?-Scientific American. TEACHER WANTED. The undersigned trustees will re- 1 eive applications for teacher of the ^ iCheay school in No. 4 township M. A. Renwick, T. H. Brock, S. A. Rikard, ^ Trustees. ? ANNOUNCEMENTS 'OR UNITED STATES SENATE. J 1 beg to announce my candidacy 1 or the United States senate in the pproaching Democratic primary, and respectfully solicit the support of he Democratic voters of this State. . R. G. Rliett. j 'OR CONGRESS, 3RD DISTRICT. ) Julius 13. Bogus, of Pickens, is a andidatc for Congress in (lie prilary, subject to the rules for the overnmcnt of the election. v Wyalt Aiken is a candidate for re- i lection to congress from the third isfrief, subject to (he action of the democratic primary. I 'OR RAILROAD COMMISSIONER. ' I I hereby aunouneo myself a eandilale for Wailroad Commissioner >(ate of South Carolina, subject to he rules governing the Democratic irimary. s James A. Summersett, Columbia, S. C. FOR THE STATE SENATE: Alan Johnstone is hereby nominatd for the State Senate, subject to the ulcs of the Democratic primary. I announce my self a candidate for he Senate of South Carolina, sub- ( eit to the rules of the Democratic ( rimary. 1 l'v. II. Anil. FOR LEGISLATURE. I hereby announce myself a candilate lor tIio house of representatives, ind pledge myself to abide the rcs.nlt ( 'I 1 lie Democratic primary. t Os. Wells. I am a candidate for election from sew berry county to the house of repescutatives, subject to the action of , lie Democratic primary election. -| John M. Taylor. . Arthur Nibler is announced as a andidale for the house of represent a- j ives, and is pledged to abide the ro- | ult of the Democratic primary, and o support the nominees of the party. C. T. Wvchfe is hereby announced or reelection to the House of Rep esentatives, subject to the result of ? he Democratic primary election. j I hereby anounce myself a candilate for the House of Representatives from Newberry county, subject to the rules of the Democratic < larty. I am for good roads. T am against ' ill unnecessary hi<_'h appropriations mder :ill circumstance^. T am for he belter facilities of the common ;,'hool. I am ntrains! the fertilizer ax for Clemson collece. H. II. IIvans. I hereby announce myself a candilate for the lie,use of representatives, mbject to the rules of the Democratic. >rimary. Godfrey Harmon. J. Simpson Dominick is hereby an- ] uouneed as a candidate for the legislature from Newberry county and ivill abide the rules of the Democratic party. I hereby announce myself as a candidate for membership in the house 1 >f representatives of the General Assembly of South Carolina from Xewberr.v county, subject to the action r>f tiic Democratic primary. F, W. Higgins. i $ FOR SHERIFF. ?J t Being conscious of the fact that I the have discharged the duties of the sheriff's olliec to the best of my abil- I ity, and believing that I have the indorsement of the majority of tho people of Newberry county, to this ru't jnd, 1 would again annoucne myself i candidate for reelection, subject to tlie decision of the Deaiocratic pri- ^ nary. I M. M. Buford. N1?; ed 1 T " ty1 am a candidate for Sheriff of dewberry county, subject to the rules )f the Democratic party. Cannon G. Blease. ^ _ as ii FOR CORONER: ^ J. N. Bass is hereby announced as i candidate for coroner of Newberry y ;ounty, subject to the rules of the CUUi Democratic primary. 2^ of t W. K. Felker, (better known as Mose), is hereby announced as rr i candidate for coroner of New- non <r?y . ivr.ty and wii! t.bi :e the rules ! (jat >f tin- "Oeu.o<?ratie par,-. i lJV ( Jj. I. l.-Ipting is hereby announced i is a candidate fur coroner and will 'bide the rules of the Democratic >arty. (,(1 Kiln FOR COUNTY SUPERVISOR. Tj. I). J [orris (better known is Bobo) is hereby nominated j or the olliee of Supervisor of New- C(j' ] Jerry county, subject, to the action ^ ' )L' the Democratic primary, the' J. Monroe icker is hereby nomi-1 lated for lvelection to the office of [ Mipervisor lor Newberry countv, and| ,ls,! vill abide the result of the Democrat-1 l!ni<' c primary. J '"r ' rule j Jack B. Smith is hereby nominated or the olliec of Supervisor for New- j >erry county, subject to the Demo ratic primary election. I t ren j will 1. hereby announce myself a candi-> pari late for the olliec ot county Supcrvi ;or and will abide the rules of the lemocratic party. II. H. Abrams. ?OJ.' of ( I announce myself as a candidate sub; 'or Supervisor and will abide the re- priii 'lilt of tire Democratic party. ? L. I. Feagle. * V I hereby announce myself a candi- od ; late for Supervisor for Newberry lire ounty and will abide ii;e rules of the Cou Jemoeratic party. n,|p Benj. Ma If acre. FOR MAGISTRATE. j Townships Nos. 1 and 8. and 1 hereby enitounre myself as a can- 0I lidato for Magistrate for Nos. 1 and > townships and wili abide the rules >f (lie Deiuocralic pari v. S. G. Carter. j] I". JI. Lindsay is hereby announced <,IHc is a candidate for magistrate for Nos. s'?h, L and 8 Townships and will abide the P?*In csult of the Democratic primarv. V T am a candidate for Magistrate !l 01 or Nos. 1 and S Townships, and will ('?m >c governed by (he rules of the De- <'?<* nocratv party. Jtio. Henry Chappell. FO 1 1 hereby announce myself a candi- "j? late for Magistrate for Townships v STos. .1 and 8. r(>si; C. B. Tidwell. Magistrate No. 3. I hereby annnouncc myself as Can tu lidato for Magistrate for No. 3 y fownship, subject lo the action of ho Democratic party. John Henderson. Magistrate No. -1. j I hereby announce myself j|S a candidate for I he ol'lVe of mnirisfrnto 1,1 N'??- I ToWeshiji, I |t, (!,? su ' h ,. . coir I 'cmnfrnt\c primary. H. M. Auirhlry. For Magistrate No. 6. U J. \. Floyd is hereby announced for magistrate for No. (i and will D nbide the rules of flic Democratic " party. T For Magistrato No. 7. "ou W. R. Keith is hereby nominated abi( is a candidate for magistrate for No. pan 7 township subject to Democratic primary. Citizen. ri did: _ _ . will Magistrate No. 9. ic f ft. B. Kibler is hereby announced is a candidate for magistrate, for No. ownship subject to the rules of Egfl Democratic primary. hereby announce myself a candi- ll i for reelection as magistrate for W fl 9 township and will abide the Rfl is of the Democratic party. I or Magistrate Township No. 10.- ! am a candidate lor Magistrate for fn 10 1 ownship, and will be govern- j >y the rules of (he Democratic par- 1 P. Ii. Ellesor. b For Magistrate No. 11. ) l. Graham is hereby announced i i candidate for Magistrate for No. fownship and will abide the rules the Democratic party. > L. Kibler is announcwl as a dfl [lidate for Magistrate for number fl township and will abide the rules M "C Democratic party. lie voters of x0, 11 Township (flj "nalo W. B. Graham ns a candi 3 for Magistrate. Ho will abide lie rules of the Democratic party. ^^fl sup't of education. flfl arney L. Jones is hereby nominat- flB l* .Position of Superintendent of Hi ica I ion for Newberry count v, sub- >H >rima c,0cision of 1,10 D?mocrat- Kj ? fl^fll B. O'Neall Holloway is annonnc- SB is a candidate for County Super- ? idont of Education and will abide MM iiilcs ??f th? Democratic party. jfl S. "\\ heeler is hereby announced U ? candidate for re-election to the fl V s"l^i-intonrront of location I , p '^'"ry County subject, to '.he fl s <> the JJctnocrntic primary. for treasurer m r p 's announced as a fl ,e f<"' i'e-election as wunty fl iMirer of Newberry count; and vfl ^ abide the rules of the De^ -ratio for clerk of court. j 'O.C. Goggaiis is hereby nominated 0 re-election to the office of Clerk fl -ourt for Newberry county, S. C SS |^vto th* n'le.s of the D-- era tic M for auditor. ~~ m ' m" Ci;?mer is hereby iinnounc- fl ,s(Pa candi<rate for re-election to 1 "Tice ol Auditor for Newberry 1 nl.v. and is pledged to abide the S| s c.. t/ie Democratic prici^.fv. ll ;"M ;,4 '-a^dida/e for the ?tfice of j nty Auditor of Newberry county "nl abide the rules of t)><* Demo- * ic party. Eugene S. Werts. fl for master ^ IT. Rikard is hereby announced < i candidate for re-election to the e of Master for Newberry oonntv |e lo 1,10 r?'e? of the Democratic) , nary. i |f' :A; lril1 is hereby announced ns indidate for Master of Newberry "l.v and will abide the rules of Democratic party. R COUNTY COMMISSSIONER. M am a candidate for reelection to fl olhce of county commissioner for fl ;?'rry n.uuiy. aml wj? nbid.e ^ M "I ol fire Democratic primary. Very Respectfully, 1 Thos. J. Wilson. A am a candidate for reelection to 1 olhce of county commissioner for 1 ' berry county and will abide the } Ht of the Democratic primary Very respectfully, W. II.' Wendt. hereby announce myself as ? lj? ndate for County Commissioner dS ' 'oil I in' llu' ",I<S nL M . Dickert is hereby announced *#! candidate for county commission- *frm and will abide the rules of the v/< io era tic party. l.o friends of T? C. Livingston an- J nco hint ns a candidate for conn- <L eommissioner. We pledge him to J lo by the rules of the Dcmocrnlio h * ? Kg hereby announce myself a can- A ife for county commissioner, and jIE abide the result of the Democrat- V?fl >rima ry. i"H Very respectfully, fl G. H. Cromer. \ fl