TIE FREE SCHOOLS.
Supt McMahan P.>ints Out De
ticlerciis in Syst rm.
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE.
Some of the N Beds A-e Crying
Ones. Shou'd ba Reor
giniz 4d en a Scien
tific Basis
The annual report of the State super
intendent of et.cation has been com
pleted and is now in the hands of the
public printer. The report is full of
information about education in South
Carolina and it is presented in an at
tractive manner. The ex ra.1ts found
below from the intrtductory rerion
will be found of considerable public in
terest: the recommendations made
have been given by Mr. MeMthan af
ter a careful study of existing condi
tions:
When we reflect on the complexities
of modern life in moral, social and in.
dustrial relations, and the problems
that are pressing for solution, we real
ise that one's opportunities ard obli
gations in life are measured only by
the equipment and training of the
mind and character iaco the State
has accepted her proper task of pro
viding for the education ot her people
she cannot discharge her responsiilih;
by anything s .ort of such an Education
as the timea cemind. Her ph dge is to
-pioide for all the people an education
adequate to the demands of life. To
redeem this pledge is now rccgniz !d
as the prime iuC.ion of a State. The
enlightened opinion of today gives to
it a broader and deeper meaning than
that understood when the pledge was
first given. The charity which in the
past generations give free school ed
ucation to the indigent helpless for
their own welfare was a seed which
has germinated and grown, until now
it is the recognized duty of society as
an organic whole to provide a succes
sor to itself fit to take up its burden
of human progress and rress onward.
It is a misnomer to *ay t hat we hav
a system of pubbc schools- In the ac
tual working of the great ma,. rity of
the schools in this State there is no
sys-em, no orderly organization. Each
county supports it own schools, with
practically no help from the State as a
whole. Each district has as poor
schools as its people will tolerate-and
in some districts anything will be tol
erated. Each teacher works along in
her own way, whatever that may be,
almost uninfluenced by theExistence of
any other school or school authority.
Isolation reigns. This is n -t in-paring
or stimulating. If. on the other hand,
a teacher were filling htr a-signed
place in a system, stee wtuld know
what was expected of it r asaii feel her
accountability to acc.n,.iit it, and
she could look with cot ti a nee fur the
aid and encouragement toa. she migiht
need.
If we had an adequate ge of edu
cation from kicier.prten to university,
or even such 's s3 stem as our financial
resources justify and the bebt thought
of the State app~oves under the cir
cumstances, it would not be in the
province of this report to recommend
legislation. IL n well enough alone'
is a safe rule where conditions are tol
erable, and time and growth will bring
the remedy. Uhat g 'sin the law should
not be made unnecessarily. Fully
recognizing these facts, and content to
trust to time for many improvements,
I am, nevertheless, convinced that our
educational system has certain fatal
defects, and that ali efforts at improve
ment must fail of substantial results
until by the necessary legaslation these
defects are removed and the system is
put on a sound and safe basis fo~r growth
and development.
The state superintendent of educa
tion might satisfy the public and make
life more agreeable to himself if he
would confine his energies to the cleri
cal and routine duties of his offie. He
might make no rec mmer'l-tions but
those for which putr ic epit-i >" is f'Illy
prepared. But then be would be of
lit tle service te the State. if he puts
his heart and his conscience into his
work-when the system he is dealing
with is as defective as in South Care
lina-he will flid himself face to face
with duties whose importance is be
yond computation or expression and
whose extent is perhaps beyond th~e
power of any one man to comprehend
or accomplish.
The law prescribes that "it shall he
his duty to visit every county in the
State as often as practicable for the
purpose of inspecting the schools,
awarening an interest favorable to the
cause of education and ddffusing as
widely as possible by public addresses
and personal communion with s::hool
offoers, teachers and parents a knowl
edge of existing defects and of desir
able improvements in the government
-and instruction of the said schools."
(Section 2 ) it further directs that he
shall report to the general assembly
plans "for the management and im
provement of the schools and for the
more perfect organization and eff
ciency of the Iree public schools."
(Section 3 ) Upon him is thus laid the
special duty to investigate the way to
better schools and to urge its conclu
sions upon the minds and consciences
of the legislators and the people. He ib
charged with leadership in educational
improvement and is recreant to his
trust of, through indifference or through
policy, he does not strenuously seek to
lead when he knows what is needed.
The law assumes that he is qualified to
lead in these matters. However in
ferior in personal qualifications, he has
by virtue of his position special and
peculiar opportunities as well as obliga
tions to acquaint himself with condi
tions and needs in his State and wi'th
the course of educational experience,
thought and improvement in other
States. Wiien one is thus appointed to
make a special investigation of a spe
cial subject, and is afforded the facili
ties for personal intercourse with ex
perts in that department and for study
of the literature of the Enu ject, he is
expected to speak with more authority
than others whose labors and .,tudies
and thought have not been thus direct
e4 into this particular line. it is p'
sible for a physician to be mistaken in
his diagnosis of a case and bis prescrip
tion of the remedy; but the patient
who has employed him will usualiv ac
cept his ju'igment.
It is, therefore, with a soXin sense
of duty to the trust cotaittad to ice
that I make recommendations to y.u
honorable body telnuhig the 'more
perfect organization and ediziency o:
the free public schoois." L believe
that as legislators of a sovereign State,
responsive to the progressive demands
6f the constitutiOU, you wil give earn
est thcuzht to :he question of provid
ic '-a liberal system of free public
jceol," wh'ch, now, we have not.
All school authorities are agreed
that the one primary essential to an
rffi -ient school system is the guaran
tee of expert supervision, and they
are further agreed that a skilled pro
f-ssional superintendent or inspector
of schools c.nnot be secured where (1)
the salary is inadequat<: ('), the ten
ure short or uncertain, or, (3). the
choice is by popular election. Oir stat
utory law for county superintendents
of education combines all three of
these defects. Until they are removed
'he duties of inspection and sipervis
ion cannot be properly done through
out the State, and it would be a waste
to provide more school money. I know
that many friends of educaton d, not
see this. They have not studied the
question. But they ought to put som 3
faith in the conclusion reached by all
students of the scho)l promlem here
and in other countries. Lit the scho)l
system provide expe-t supervision and
all other wants will be supplied It
is the one thing needful, the overshad
owing need.
Salary.-The average salary paid
caunty superintendents of education
in South Carolina is $423 75; the usual
salary is $300 or $400, This is prepos
terous. The office is regarded and
made by law insignificant, subsidiary
to the incumbent's private business, or
a small pension for a g~od citizen.
' Poor pay, poor preach." In my an
nual report [ urged an increase of the
salary of this cfficer in every county,
and discusssed the qualities and work
of a capable superintendent, stressing
(1), his executive duties as a business
and financial manager; (2) his profes
sional work as an expert inspector of
schools and teacher and trainer of
teachers. I shall append to this report
some ex'.rac's from what I there said.
Tenure of Office.-The same argu
ment that holds f r the continuation
of a faithful and efficient teacher,
graded school superintendent, college
professor or presidents, applies to the
superintendent of the schools of the
county. A change of management ev
ery two or four years will retard any
systematic work. A new management,
however intelligent, req vres some
time to become acquainted with and
ad jisted to conditions. Meantime there
is friction, and friction is waste. Just
when a faithful and capable officer be
gins to get everything toned up, un
der control, ready to be brought to
high efficiency, he must abandon the
management to one to whom the whole
business is entirely new and strange.
Possibly he surrenders the work
though congenial and inspiring, be
cause he cannot afford to give his
time for so small a salary. Possibly
he is defeated because he 'has served
his two terms" or "has had it long
enough." It may be that he is defeat
ed because he his refused to prostitute,
the office to the ends of a politician,
and his opponent is a demagogue that
plays upon low passions and narrow
prejudices, or makes unscrupulous
combinations. He may be defeated
merely because he is known to b able
to make a living without the salary
and his opponent is in need of a pen
sion, or because his opponent has mcre
kin in the county, or he is a j >llir com
panion.
This is not the way a mill or rail
road or other successful bu:,iness is con
ducted. Nor is it the method for
schools in States where public school
education has proved most suecessful
Nor is it by this method that our town
schools are operated QOly our coun
try schools are thus sacrificed. Like
wise they are subjected to the fr. quent
chai gnig of teachers This is the
fatal wcakness in the country schools
This is the vital difference between the
country schools and the town schools
Are our country schools not worthy to
be given the same advantageous
management that is provide-d for the
town schools and the colleges?
An educational syi-em is a great
business. A business, although con
ducted by the State, should be con
ducted on business principles. The
fact that there is a tendency not to do
this but to let small politic3 control, is
the cause of the strenuous opposition
of so many intelligent citizens to the
conduct of any business by govern
ment. Improvement has always been
effected by aboli-hing the methods of
polities The efficiency of the Uaited
States scientific bureaus, and of the
postal service, has been obtained
through an organisation which ex
ludes pclitics and guarantees the per
mnent employment of competent work
ers In the dispensary system of South
Carolina the necessity has been ex
perienced for the application of the
same principles. Shall we do less for
our public schools?
Popular Election.-The law pre
scribes no tualifications for the office
of county superintendent. Only in a
few counties is there a sentiment
which insures that he must have been
a teacher. But he may he the poorest
white teacher in the county. Ic maby
counties it is not expected that he shall
be an educated man. In a few he is
utterly incompetent. He may be a col
lege graduate and yet by temperament
beitterly unfit for the work. In
Georgetown, where the whites have an
agreement to give some offices to the
negro majority, the offico of superin
tendent of education is selected as one
to b: given to the negroes-a fit indi
crion of -that county's conception of
the assistance the wh'te teachers
should receive from a superintendent
of education. The colored incumbent
is an intelligent man, and has done
much to benefi. the teachers of his race
in his county. In Bamiberg the super
intendent of education is the audi:,or.
This is consistent with the idea that he
has none but clerical duties. The rule
in the Sta'.e is that he shall be no more
than a business man; hut he may not
e even that.
As long as the position is eleotive, it
is political and expected to be rotated.
If the superintendent does his duty
strenuously he will frequently seem to
be hastening the rotation process. He
ought to settle, by authority where
that is the only remedy, the numerous
school squabbles that paralyze the ed
ucationat interest in many country dis
tricts. He ought to put his foot down
on the needless multiplication .of
schools, which fritters away the in
creased school fund and keeps .the.'av
erneZ school weak and worthless. He
ourbt to see that the districts are
ft rud andc the schools located in ac
eance with the dircetion of the con
-ttto in the best interests of the
pcr' ie, whether or not it suits every
body at the time. lHe ought to see that
evt ry necv school house is built upon
the beet plan for the money, and that
no trustees shall be imposed upon with
wrthless or neeilessly expensive
s-hoel supplies, but that they shall be
inormed and directed as to the best
for their particular circumstanets He
ought to see that no certificate of
quafication to teach shall be granted
or continued to an incompetent teacher,
even ugh she be the sister or the
the county. He ought to see that each
teacher shall make the proper reports
and leave a proper record of the wirk
accomplihed by each pupil -o that the
suec edine teacher may know wha' each
pupil has done and enould next begin
He should bri g pr ;su-e to btar up >n
the teachers to do b tier work, to im
prove thtmse!ves. l should discover
and muter o2t of service the uneon
scientimns teachers, the time servers,
who werely "keep scoti for the
Money." He should look after every d
tail of the school bu~iness of the county
and hold a tight rein, though with a
kindly heart and a broadly, sympathetic
intelligence. Bit, would he be re
elected? Wou'd there not be a host to
electioneer against him?-those whose
petty notions or selfish interests h,
with a large view of the educational
interests of the county, has crossed or
balked? Hardly does he g.t his duties
well in hand before the campaign for
re-elec-io t is in sight. He is tempted to
try to accommodate everbody, to be
polite rather than to do his duty and
make a few enemies. Policy dictates
inaction-do nothing, risk nothing and
you may b3 overlooked, and allowed to
continue in office.
A MYSTERIOUS CASE
The Pitiable Condition of a Young
Man in Columbia.
The Columbia State says there is a
young man in one of the best rooms at
the Columbia hotel who will probably
have to account, as soon as he regains
his senses, for the appearance on his
person of checks aggregating in value
about $4,000. The name is not given in
view of the fact that he may have re
gistered under an assumed one. The
whole story is a peculiar one though
the police and others inter-s.ed are
keeping their mouths shut about it. Tne
young fellow, who is about 3) years of
age, and who is said to have oeen ii the
employ of Souther Express company
at Charlotte, N C, until rec ntly, came
here a day or two ago. The hotel people
say he had probably $1.000 in cash.
What has become of it none know.
On Thursday night from heavy drink
ing the young man got into a terrible
s-ale. He had been trying to commit
suicide. Some gentlemen who were in
the hotel about 1 o'clock Friday
morning saw him go out. They followed
him, and acquainted a police officer
with the statements they had heard The
man was soon in charge of the officer
and taken to police headq'aarters. Later
on he was carried back to his room at
the hotel, owing to his condition. Pre
viously a bottle of lau-anum was taken
from his pocket. On getting him to his
room an offiser was detailed to prevent
him from committing sucide. This ofil
oer proceeded to put him to bed. Tne
man seemed to be uneasy about a grip
that was locked, concerning the key of
wh'ch he told several tales. When his
trousers were being ;ul'ed off three
checks that be had stuff -d inide slip
ped out. One was f r $2,200 rother
for $1 00:) and another tvr $377 All
were signed by the president of several
Union cotton mills and wtre payable to
the order of the Souther railway agent
at Uoion, who had endorsed them.
Suthern railway offiras were sum
moned, along with otners and an in
vestigation started About all that
cou'd be Itarned as to the re-ut is that
these cheeks were turned over to the
Sou herm Express comp iny at Un'o
to be shipped to Charlot'e, on Decem
ber 3 They were addressed to a bank
in Charlotte, and, it is said, the record
show.s they were delivered. Row they
came to be found here is the all im
parant q'iestion. The matter is one
of mystery and some people are loosing
leep over it. It is certainly a csse of
many peculiar features. Trhe young
man has been able to say nothing since
the finding of the cheers, his condition
being pitiable Superintendent Sadler
of the ex; r:ss company arrived here
Friday morning, and he and Route
Agent Richards-,n, who reached bec re
at 9.30 p m, were in consultation
dcing the night
A Greater South.
"Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, the
Carolinas. Virginias, even Texas, are
rapidly rising to a position in the in
dustrial world rivaling that once oc
cupied by Massachusetts and other
New England States," says the Philh
delphia Manufacturer. This is an hon
et confession on th ipart of th-s Mann
facturer, which goes on t> say that
"the resources of the S 'uth, reaching
as they do, untold, almost untellable,
millions, make possible a position far
beyond the boundaries of our best men's
ambitions in the days before our coal,
iron and other mines were opened.
With all her natural wealth, the South
is not safe or secure. What is wanted
is being urged upon her by her best
business men and by her most thought
ful statesmen. The great need now is
teachnical, industrial art and commer
cial edneation. This is being urged by
te leading lights in the editorial sane
tums of the South. The building of
ilts will be a better paying business
by and by if the South is wise enough
o anticipate the rivalry and competi
Ition that is bund to come It is the
old story. Captains of industry, so
necessary for success, must come in
from the outside. This is irritating to
a proud people. Naturally tbey ask if
others are able to organize and intro
duce higher forms of industrial, induq
trial art education, why not the South?
The South situated as it is on the Gulf,
Atlantic, and not far in its western parts
from the Pacific, with its wonderful corn
cotton, rice, peanut and potato fields, of
their kinds the best in the world, wth
coal, iron and lime c~ntiguous to each
other, with a water snpply perennial
and powerful, with water-ways extend
ing far inland in one case, the Missis
sippi cutting into the heart not only of
this eontinent, but running through
one of the richest, if not the richest
valley on earth, must make great
eforts for the one thing it needs to put
it into a position to compete perma
nently with not only New England,
but with the outside world. What
others have done, say elcquent South
ern men, the South can do, and the
Souh will do. The textile, iron and
agricultural interests of the South
should see to it that all kinds of schools
necessary in the textile and iron lines
are added to the cities and towns of the
South. With them success, progress
and prosperity are certain; without
Ithem the South will have to crawl
while others move forward erec', with
constantly-celerating speed." The
abve is sound sense and the gratifying
part about it is we Southerners have
learned to understand, appreciation and
profit by such pleasant lectures.
Smashed Mirrors.
Mrs. Carrie Nation, presiderat of Bar
ber county Kansas WV. C. T. U . enter
ed the Carey Hotel barroom toaay and
with a stone smashed a $300) j ainting
and a mirror valued at $100). Mrs. Na
tion broke mirrors in two sakons at
Kiowa, some months ago and declar
ed there is no law uoder which sl e cau
be prosecuted. She was lodged in the
county j til this afternoon charged with
THE YEAR'S RECORD
Great Rush of C p ca l to all
K-nds e f Enterprises
FATS AND FIGURES GIVEN
C tton Oil Mills, Bank;, M inufac
tu'ing and O.her C-ncirns
Classified O'ficiai State
ment is Giv in.
S eretary of State Coooper's r2par: of
the eeneral assembly, the copy of
which will be p'aced in the hands of
the printer in a f ;w days, will not only
be the boat ever issued from that offi 1e,
but will make a remarkable showing
for South Carolina's business activity
during the past year. The incorpora
tion of private companies was placed
upon the secretary of State's offi %e in
1888. and during the 12 years about
2 300 charters have been isssued Ic
is a remarkable fact that one-third of
that number has been i- s led within
less than two years. The remarkable
showing of new c tpital in cotton mills
published several days ago, consequent
ly, is not the only evidence of progress
and enterrrise which it will show. mne
comparative statement of charters
granted during 1900, by counties is as
follows:
Num- Capital
ber. Stock.
Abbeville ............ 3 $ 85,000
Aiken ....... ...... 5 367,000
Bamberg......... ..1 25 000
Barnwell............. 3 40 000
Baufort............ 3 72 500
Berkeley ........... 1 10,000
Charleston ...........31 2 140 000
Cherokee ..... ....4 222 500
Chester ............ 3 105,500
Chesterfield ..... ..... 5 255 000
Clarendon .... ...... 5 78,000
Darlington ........... 4 292 500
Edgefield ..... ....... 2 1,000 200
Fairfield .............. 2 6,000
Florence .... ......... 2 27 500
Georgetown.......... 5 251,000
Greenville ...........22 862 600
Greenwood .... ..... 6 200 500
Horry...... .......4 18 000
Kershaw.............. 2 202 500
Lancaster............. 3 40,000
SLaurens.. ............ 5 237,0n0
Lexington............ 2 80,000
Marion...............10 223 000
Mar'boro ............. 5 265,500
Newberry ....... .... 7 265,000
Orangeburg ..... ... 5 222 200
Piokens ...........3 330 000
Richland.... .........22 1,476.000
Sumter ............... 4 208 500
Spartanburg ..........16 1,860 500
Union ............... 5 921,000
York... .......... 6 234,000
Total............209 $12 724.000
The above does not include, for 1900
charters granted to churches, railroads,
lodges, societies, or eleemosynary oar
porations; nor does it take into consid
eration those partially formed.
The ab ve array of fi ,ures represent
ing the birth of a number of corpora
tions that will become impnrtant fac
tors in the fu are prosperity of the
State. Included in the list are the fol;
Lowing manufacturir'g corporations
(- xeluiive of cotton mills)
Five with a capital stock of $202,000
Thie Percival Manufacturing co n
pany of Char'eston, $16,000.
Carolina Portland Cement company
Charleston, $10,000.
Carolina Door, Sash and Lumber
coempany, Charleston, $20,000
Intere'sangeable Window Display
company, Chesterfield, $100,000
Laurens Furniture Manufacturing
company, Laurens, $25,000
McC,41 Novelty Works, Marlboro,
$15 (009.
New1 e-y Handle and Shuttle cm
pany, New berry $10,000
Ua'on Hardwood Manufacturing
cmn.ipany, Union, $6 000
Three with capital stock of $13,000,
as follows:
Charleston Iron Works, $5,003
Cherokee Foundry and Machine
W< ris, $5 000.
,Conway lion Works, $3,ooo
T wo with capital stock of $240,000,
as follows:
Riverside Paper Box Fas'ory,
Charloston, $15.000
Royal Bag and Yarn Manufacturing
company, Charleston, $225,000,
T wo with capital stock of $30,000 as
follows:
Spartanburg L'oom Harness company,
Spartanburg, $15.000
Andrews Loom, Reed and Harness
Works, Spartanburg, $15,000
Willard Manufacturing company,
Richland, $10 000.
Citizans' Ice company, Charleston
$5o000o
Southern Harrow company, York
$50.00o.
Three notable companies e-eated are
the Georgia -Carolina Manufacturing,
Anderson, the Twin City Po.wer, e,m
oany, Edgefbld; and the Catawba
Power company, York, with a aggre
gate cspital stock of $1,200,ooo
Three mining companies have been
created as follows:
Standard Kaolin company, Aikena,
$15. ooo
New Cut Mining company, Cherokee,
$2 5o0
Palmetto Gold Mining company,
Spartanburg, $1,000,000.
The cotton seed oil and fertilizer
companies chartered are as follows:
McCormnick Cotton Oil company, Ab
beville, $15 000
Pendleton 0 1 and Fertilizer com
pany, Anderson, $20,000
Anderson Fertilis r company, Ander
son, $100 000.
Fanners 0.1 Mill company, Ander
son.. $25 000
Cotton 0,1 company, Bamberg, $25.
000.
E iwan Fertilizer company, Charles
ton, $125,000.
Manning Oil Mill and Illuminating
company, Clarendon, $30,000
Farmers' Cotton Oil company, Clar
endon, $30 000
Pee Dee 0 1 and Ies company, Dasr
lington, $30,000.
Farmers' Cotton Seed Oil Mill and
Ginnery, Greenville, $15 000.
The new telephone and electrical
comp anies are ten in number and have
an aggregate capital stock of $766,500.
They are as follows:
Sea Ibland Telephone company and
Island Telephone company, Charlestoz,
$10,000 and $1 000, respectively.
Ash worth Electrical company, Ches
ter fi 4ld, $100,000
Georgetown and North Island Tele.
phone company, Georgetown, $1,000
Ninety- S z Telephone company,
Greenwood, $1 0010.
Blenheim & Browuville Telephone
company, Marlboro, $500.
Consolidated Telephone company of
South Carolina, Richland, $100,000
S&u:h Carolina Lnmg Diataance Tele
phone company, Richland, $500,000.
Glenn Springs Telephone company,
Citizens Telephone and Telegraph
company, Sp irtanburK, $30.000
Ten building and loin associations
with an acgregate cpital stock of
$1 355,000; eleven barks with an aggre
gate capital stock $415,000 and fi'
tcen real es'a:e, savings and invest
meet conpanies, ui:h an aggregate
capital stock (f $84i,6oo a-e included
in the year's re:ord.
Colors d College Closed
The Colu'ubi" Siate savs Friday
afternoon President Thos. E Miller
of the Sate Colored college at 0 -ange
burg called on Gov. McSxeeney and
iresente I the following for the g ver
nor's approval. it being given as soon
as the governor hai read De Lowman's
stat in ;n:
Hon Thomas E Miller, President
State Colored Culleg .
D.ar Sir: 0 sing to the presence of
festivo-autumnsl malaria in the teach
ing force of the State Colored college
and of la grippe among the students
and also on ace >unt of the insuffi-iency
of tie heating arra- g -ments in Morrell
Hill, pr~ducing a mueh more aggra
vated form of said ailments, I respect
fully r commend through you to the
board of trustees that the Christmas
vacation be Extended until F. buary 1.
1901 at which time I am cnvineed
that the atmospheiii irflienee causing
the extensive ind:sp )Siton will have
been di-sipated.
Sincerely,
J. W. Lwiman, M. D.
Physician t >the State Colored College.
Approved:
c. D. K->rtj 'hn,
W. 1 L'wman
Execu ive Committee.
M BI McSweener,
Governor and Chairman.
There have be'n three deaths during
the past month in the college, the first
to occur since the inrtitu-ion was open
ed The stulent bedy being somewhat
panicky, the f.culty being shorthanded
and the heating appliances bid, the
above action was deemed necessary.
Terrific Explosion.
One of the most disastrous accidents
in the history of railroad building hap
pened at Baker camp near Durbin, Po
cahontas county, W Va , on the line
of the Coal and Iran railroad now build
ing out from Elkins. As the result of
a dynamite explosion six men are dead
and several others are not expected to
live. The accident happened at noon
Friday while the men were at dinner.
Someidynamito hai been placed about
the stove to thaw out, and shortly after
a terrific explosion wrecked the camp,
killed threa men outright and injured
eight others, three of whom have since
died. The dead mere blown into atoms,
legs, arms and hands, and other parts
of their bodies being found in differ
ent directions from the little building
in which they lived among the wild
mountains. Physicians hurried from
Greenbank and worktd all night with
the wounded, some of whom begged
the doctors to shoot them instead of
helping them to live to b blinded or
maimed for life. On account of indi
rect connections with the camp it is
impossible to secure the complete de
tails.
A Rare Bird.
The most striking Christmas present
is said to have been that of Russell E.
G ardner, of St Louis, a local manu
facturer to his emnploye;. We are told
that in winding up the year's business
Mr. Gardnr discovered that the pro
fits for the twelve months exceeded his
ex pectations and needs by $10,000. Mr.
Gardner concluded to dovde that
amount among those whose industry
and application to his business had
made it possible for him to realze so
well on his investment. He announced
to them that he would like to make
them a present of the $10,000 on a
basis of the time they had oeen in his
employ and the worth they were to the
concern. There was no murmur of dis
sent. Drawing out his cheohbook he
gave away the entire $10 000) within 20
minutes, one employe receiving $1.000.
Mr. Gardner is 34 years old and has
accumulated a fortune of $250,000 in
14 years. Although rich, he scorns
great wealth. He says that money mak
ing is the easiest thing in the world,
and believes that every man at the age
of 35 should be able to retire with all
the money he will ever need. He does
not believe in people chaining them
selves to business after they have got
enough.
Pa's Chips.
"Maw, I guess I don't have to cut
any kinlin' this winter," ventured lit
io Willie.
"Guess again, son.
"iiell anyway, I heard paw tellia'
Mr. Blake tnat he bought $25 worth
of chips the other night, ad I thought
that ought to last quite a spell. '-Den
ver Times.
Too Suggestive.
First Theatrical Manager-I thought
you were going to put on "The Win
ter's Tale," and now you are billing
"Midsummer Night's Dream."
Second Manager-Yes; I didn't like
the name of the other piece. It sound
ed too much like a frost.--Philadel
phia Record.
Wireless Telegraphy.
In an ascension made recently by
Messrs. Vallot and Jean and Louis Le
earme it was found that it is possible
to communicate by wireless telegraphy
between the earth and a freely rising
balloon at great distances, without any
conductor from the balloon to the
ground .-Cosmos.
To See Herself.
Mrs. Glvem-Isn't Mrs. Loudleigh
rather ostentatious about heT charite
ble works?
Mrs. Roastem - Ostentatious? I
should say so. Why, that woman would
like to have a pier glass over her mantle
of charity.-Baltimnore American.
Clearer Vision.
She-Before we were married you
used to say I was the apple of your
eye.
He--Maybe I did; but I've had my
0ye peeled since then.-Philadelphia
Bulletin.
Public spirit.
"Mr. Biggleson is quite a philan
thropist, isn't he?"
"Yes. He always draws up the sub
scription papers other people are
asked to sign."-Chicago Times-Her
ald.
Verdi's Nerve.
Verdi in erecting a home for super
annuated Italian artists of all classes.
Although almost 90 years of age. says
the Washington Star, he is himself
far from being eligible to admissio
to such an institution.
The secretary of the treasury has re
eived from a town~in the south a con
eience contribution Cof $100. In']the
ourse of his letter the sender says that
e defrauded the government out of
evenue taxes on tobocco for that amount
n 1871-72 73. It is a pity that the con
ciences of those people who have
eaten us out of ..the subscription to
To Improve the Ltaple.
The Boston Journal of Con m re- is
authrity for the statement that the
Unted States d'eparrin.t of akri
cuitnre is n iw -oiaga in a -eries of
experiments with a view to produaint
a specie of hybri . cott:n that will have
s staple of a fine- giality and gream'~r
length The experiments a-e t"ing
carried on at Unarleiton, S C The
ofj ot of the tests is to produce a c't
tou that will have a staple as 'og a .d
firm as Sea Island and one that can be
grown in the cotton belt. Test are alao
being made with all varieties of Egyp
tian cotton. The department is very
reticent in regard to the success of the
experiments, but it is rumored, with
how much truth we cannot say, that the
tests are meeting with fair success and
should they be as suecessful as is hoped
will be the the case, our southern
planters will be able to produce a co:
ton that will have a staple the equal of
any now being grown in Egypt or in
any foreign country. From what we
have been able to learn, saye the Jour
nal of Commerce, we ascertain that the
new variety of hybrid c itton will not
only have a longer and finer grad3 sta
ple than our upland cotton, but that it
will also possess several other advanta
ges over our present staple. It is re
ported that these plants possess much
wore vigor than do the present ones.
That the bolls have much more cotton in
them, and that these boils are muca
easier to pick. All of these advanta
ges, if correct, should make the cotton
the superior of the present Egyptian
varieties. The necessity which has
led to these experiments is the alleged
fact that our uphnd cotton is of such
short staple that it cannot be succese ful
ly used in making the finest lines of
cotton goods The tendency of cotton
manufacturing is towards finer grades,
and it is stated by the Journal of
Commerce that "we have not got a
single truly American co tin that aan
be used to spin good yarns above 80 s
Sea Island cotton can be used for yarns
as fine as 400's; and Egyptian can easily
be spun to 180's; but when we come to
the best grade of what is classed as
true American cotton it is hard for the
spinner to go over 75's to 80's." The
Augusta Chronicle says the desire for
finer goods has made the demand for a
cotton of finer fibre, and manufactur
ers it is claimed, look to Sea Island
cotton or to Egyptian cotton to get the
staple that is needed. It is in the ef
cultural departmen- is now experiment
ing. It is very certain that the vast
buik of cotton in the world is our
American cotton, and it is used not
only in this country, but in all c)un
tries where cotton manufacturing is
known. Can it be possible that it is
not suited for the finer grades of cloth?
The Terrors of War.
The Augusta Chronicle very truly
says people who were unable to find
words in which adequately to
express their o ndemnation of Sher
man's burning of (t lumbia and
Atlanta, and many houses along his
"march to the sea,'' hear with much
complaisance of the looting in China,
the work of desecration and devastation
in the P'hilippines, and the brutality
and incendiaiism in South Africa
Winston Churchill defends the destruc
tion of homes in South Africa, and
says "if you have a right to kill a man
you certainly have a right to burn
his house." War doesn't give the right
to murder he'p ess non-combantants.
and though savages massacre women
and children, it is not regarded as leg
imate warefare by enlightened nations.
To say that soldiers have the right to
burn homes and devastate lands, leav
ing women and children, hou seless and
beggared, to die of want, is to carry
modern war back to the standards of
barbarism. Charles Williams, who is
a veteran war correspondent of eleven
campaigns, and one of the most dis
guished military journalists in E agland,
writing in a recent number of the
Speaker, has this to say: "It has per
haps escaped notice how many senior
officers begtn to c'me home just as soon
as they understood the new policy of
"denuding" the country; or burning
hemesteads because a sailroad several
miles off was broken in the ordinary
course of war; of looting farms of all that
could be carried and burning or blow:
ing up the rest; of leaving women and
children on tne bare, cold veldt; of
forcing folk against whom somethirg
was suspected, but nothing could be
proved except the absence of their male
adults, to concentrate in the towns
where they had no means of subsistence;
sending out bands, without an offi r,
with orders to burn every home they
came across-for all which there is
abundant evidence over the signatures
of the very men who were so disgusted
with the j )bs put on them that they
complained to their fathers and moth
ers at home. I do not say all the of
ficers referred to came iome because
they declared they could not stand that
sort of work; but there were some.
And I say, with some experience of half
barbaric warfare, that many a Turkish
general in 1877 would have been
ashamed to carry on a campaigu as
some part of ours has been carried on
in S.,uth Africa.
Talking Through His Hat
Victor Smith-"Tip of the Tongue,"
in the New York Press-came south on
a Christmas visit to bis father, "Bill
Arp," at Cartersville, Ga., and sends
to his paper, a Republican organ, some
Georgia impressions. We give the fol
lowing samples:
Wherever I go men are discussing the
new white man's Republican party in
the south. It is the settled belief that
all the negroes are to be turned out of
offie next March and that their places
are to be given to respectable white Re
publicans. The whole south is alive
with good citizens who will join the Re
publican party as soon as the disfran
chisement -of the colored brother is
completed. This is no idle therory;
it is a condition.
Gecrgia is a state of a single party,
and her legislature is perhaps the rot
tenest aggregation of ambitious states
men this proud republic could furnish.
A member of assembly from Gwinett
county is so ashamed of himself and
so disgusted with the late session of
this body of law breakers (not makere)
that he has refused to ascept his hono
rarium of $4 a day from the state. Ha
declares he has not earned it. This is
a proceeding hitherto unheard of in
Georgia polities- The strange man's
name is Perry. To rescue Georgia from
herself and her 80.000 democratic ma
jority is the ambition of many demo
crats who will join the republican tar
ty in the near future. Whenever a
cotton mill or a factory of any kind is
built in the south the democratic ma
jority is reduced.
The Augusta Chronicle, from which
paper we clip the above says it gives it
without comment. None is needed.
This Georgia born gentleman sees
through a glass darkly. We should
like to have a photagraph of "Bill Arp"
when he reads some of the son's pro
volution of the Pocket.
The ancient wore a single pouch at
his belt; the modern has-how
many pockets in an ordinary costume
for outdoors? Let us count them: In
the trousers, five; in the waistcoat,
six; in the jacket, five; in the
overcoat, four, making 20 in all
-a full score of little pokes or bags. and
arranged so conveniently that they
dre scarce noticed. Truly, this is an
evolution! How long may it be before
we have pockets in our hatbands,
where the Irishman carries his pipe,
the American soldier his toothbrush.
and, internally, the pettifogger his le
gal papers, the papers that his prede
cessors in England thrust into hi
typical "green bag?" How long be
fore there may be pockets in oui
gloves-for there are. I believe, pat
ents covering this invention-and in
our shoes? The cane also. with it
screw top. cegins to be a useful re
ceptacle. Two centuries from now, se
the man with a long forsight can
clearly see, the main idea underlying
the wearing of clothing will have en
tirely changed. The chief purpose of
garments will not longer be consid
ered to protect the body. They will
be regarded, first of all, as textile
foundations for innumerable pockets.
-Tudor Jenks, in Woman's Bome
Companiof.
Pigeon Service in the French Army.
Special attention has recently been
paid in France to the use of carrier
pigeons by the cavalry. The pigeons
are carried in a basket attached. to the
rider's shoulders in the same way as a
knapsack, says a foreign correspond
ent. Each bird is placed in a tube made
of wicker and lined with hair. the elas
ticity of which deadens the effect of the
jolting. One, two or three such tubes
can be carried in the basket. The birds
are in a numbed condition when first
taken out of the tubes, but t.hey speed
ly recover unless they are left several
days In the tubes, when the numbness
ends in death. To prevent this, a light
form of folding cage is carried, is
which the birds can rest and recover
themselves during a halt, and partake
of nourishment. Twelve men belong
ing to the cavalry are sent every year to
attend a course of instruction in the
handling and treatment of pigeons at
the military pigeon station at Vau
girard.-Detroit Free Press.
Ocean Winds and the Long Swell.
That winds have - been blowing
across the North Atlantic is proved
by the long swell that lifted the pro
peller screw of the St. Paul out of
the water and wrecked the machin
ery. The "long swell" is caused by
the piling up of waves by the winds
blowing continuously for days from
one direction. A long swell is often
formed in the North Atlantic by the
different temperatures of the gulf
stream and the arctic waters to the
north. This is one of the dangers of
crossing the ocean in steamers which
captains are always on the lookout
for. Fogs often accompany these
ocean-wide winds and add the danger
of collisions to the danger of the long
swell.-Little Chronicle.
Cultivated Roosters.
The village of Brackel, in Belgium,
enjoys the fame of having originated
one of the most celebrated races of do
mestic fowls. The Belgians do not hes
itate to assert that the Brackel hens
are unequaled for the excellence and
number of their eggs, while the
roosters have developed, thanks to
generations of cultivation and the
influence of "crowing tournaments,"
a power and rhythm of voice equally
unrivaled. The breeders have a theory
that the musical contests in which the
Brackel roosters are trained serve to
develop the peculiar qualities of the
race. However this may be, it is eer
tain that cultivation has differentiated
these fowls from all others.-N. Y.
World.
Reekiese Fishing Methods.
"Our fishing methods are absolutely
reckless, and we allow the young to be
destroyed, not only in thousands, but in
millions. It i not only that the Chi
nese and Japanese line their seines with
mosquito netting, and thus capture
every thing that Is not microscopic, but
the shores of the bays and lagoons of
the island are swarming with ducks,
which eat up the small fry of the mullet
and even. pursue them into the shallows
far distant from the coast line."-Ha
waiian Star.
Hot Water in Cuba.
Hot water is very difficult to obtain
in Cuba. Water is heated in small
vessels, and a surprisingly meager
amount seems to be needed in the
day's work. Cuban cooks have ddvel
oped the system of washing dishes in
cold water to an art, but American
servants find it difficult te get accus
tomed to this hot water scarcity.
N. Y. Sun.
Hard.
Miss Rosa Dawn-Don't you think
those hills are lovely, Mr. Tire? You
should see them in the early morning,
when the sun is climbing grandly over
them in his fiery chariot.
Mr. Plumpford Tire (who has just
ome over them)-It may be all right
in a chariot, but I'd like to see him
do it on a bicycle.--N. Y. World.
Keeping the Subject Uppermost.
"My daughter's young man went
home on time last night."
"Did you go In and remind him?"
"No; but I had our parlor cloclk
fixed it so it cuckooed every ten min'
utes."-Detroit Free Press.
Africa's Largest City.
Cairo is the greatest town of Af
rica; its inhabitants number 500,000,
25,000 being Europeans. - Chicago
Chronicle.
Sure to Be Fooled.
If you expect a lot of wonderful
things to happen you are going to be
fooled.-Atchison Globe.
An Awful Crime.
Mrs. Dave Birdsong, wife of a well
known farmer living about six miles
from Maeon, Ga., was murdered Wed
esday morning at her home. The
murderer is supposed to be John Bat
ie, a negro laborer. Posses are now
earcbing for him. Mr. Birdsong and
friend went hunting Wednesday
morning and on their return home the
body of the woman was found lying
partly on her bed with her skull frao
ured and stone dead,
By the census of this year the
State of Nevada, which is entitl
d to equal representation in
he Senate of the United States
ith Pennsylvania or New York,
as a population of 42,334, ex
lusive of 1,605 Indians.
THE Constitution follow the
flag said Mr. Bryan in the late
ampaign, and ex-President
arrison now says the same now
hen Mr. Bryan was right
hing. If Mr. Harrison is right
wo months ago, and Mr. Mc
A Carious Ineident.
One of London's papers, presum
ably well informed as to the mental
peculiarities of its readers. gravely re
cords that not long ago there lay on
the table in a West end club a list of
members who had put down their
names for an approaching house din
ner. A workman on a ladder, who was
putting the finishing touches to the
decoration of the ceiling. let fall a
single minute drop of red paint. This
dropped on the first name on the list
and obliterated it as if with the
stroke of a pen. "Some of the mem
bers who observed the incident," con
tinues the impressive narrative,
"thought it a very bad omen; others,
like Hamlet, defied augury. But,
curiously enough, the member whose
name had thus been struck out was
taken ill next day, and died in the
club on the night before the dinner was
to have taken place." We fail to see
in this sequence of events anything
that is "curious enough," or even
curious at all, but opinions of such
matters differ widely, and it is well
known that our dear cousins are much
more easily interested in the psuedo
supernatural than people with shorter
histories.-N. Y. Times.
Genuine Gratitude.
The portly statesman in the black
tutaway coat lighted his cigar, leaned
against the bar and puffed away con
tentedly. Like most New York bar
rooms. it was a cosmopolitan place,
full of many sorts of people. A lean,
hungry-looking individual with grimy
hands and the beard of an anarchist
approached the portly gentleman cau
tiously.
"I say. boss, could you not let me
have a nickel?" he began, tentatively.
"What's the trouble?" asked the
other.
"Well, you see, the fact is I haven't
a cent, and I was out on an awful
spree last night-and I want a beer."
He got the nickel. He looked at the
coin meditatively for a time and then
at his benefactor.
"Say," he ejaculated at last,
"you're a good fellow. I wish I had
another nickel so I could treat you."
-N. Y. Mail and Express.
Carpeted Rivers.
The -search for convenient ways of
transportation by which the products
of the Sudan may reach the - outer
world has called attention to a remark
able phenomenon of vegetable life on
some of the head waters and tribu
taries of the Nile. This consists of
enormous growths of papyrus and
other plants, completely covering the
streams and forming carpets of vege
tation two or three feet thick, beneath
which flows the water. Navigation by
small boat is, of course, entirely inter
rupted by this obstruction, which is in
places supplemented by vines and
clinging plants which arch the streams
from bank to bank. Heavy floods occa
sionally sweep away the accumulations
of plants, but they are quickly re
formed.-Youth's Companion.
Women Convicts in Austria.
Austria is the one country in the
world which never puts a woman in
prison. Instead of giving the female
criminal so many months in jail she
is sent, no matter how terrible is her
record, to one or other of the con
vents devoted for the purpose, and
there kept during the time for which
she is sentenced. The convent is not
a mere prison in disguise, for ,its
courtyard stands open all day long,
the only bar to egress being a nun
who acts as portress, just as in other
convents.-Buffalo Express.
More Remain, of Ancient Man.
In some grottoes in Algeria-French
explorers have recently discov'ered
stone implements mingled with the re
mains of extinct animals belonging to
Quaternary times. Further explora
tions indicate that during the age
when the grottoes were inhabited the
coast of Algeria had a configuration
different from that of to-day. Among
the animals associated with the an
cient inhabitants of Algeria were the
rhinoceros, the hippopotamus and va
rious species of ruminants.-Scientileo
American.
Let Her Wait.
Jeames-Did you ring, mem?
Madam-Yes. If Mrs. Do Smythe
calls, ask her to wait.
"I thought you wasn't coming back
till late, mem.
"Of course I'm not. But Mrs. De
Smythe can wait till she gets tired.
It'll do her good. She wasn't at home.
to me last week, and I'll get even tihat
way.-Pick Me Up.
Kind of Him.
Her mother (sternly)-Mary com
plains that you won't help her at all;
that you never even hold the baby.
Her Husband-That's not so. Why,
I held him last night for awhile.
"Oh! you did! How long, pray?
"Well-er-long enough for Mary to
bring up a scuttle of coal."-PhiladeI
phia Press.
A Long War.
For the last 27 years a war has been
going on between the Dutch and the
people of Acheen, in north Sumatra.
Since 1573 up to the present time this
war has cost the Netherlands some
thing like $100,000,000, and over 100,
000 lives have been lost on the . two
sides.-N. Y. Sun.
Fresh Inlustration.
"It is the unexpected that happens,"
remarked Collingwood, who, by the
way, put forward no claim to origi
nality In making the remark.
"Quite true," said Goldsborough; "it
rained the other day after rain had
been predicted."--Detroit Free Press.
An Unpardonable Ofrense.
"Adeline and I haven't spoken since
Last winter."
"What was the matter?"
"Why, she got a coat for $10 just
sxactly like the one I paid $25 for."
indianapolis Journal.
Remarkable Case.
The State says Mr. McElrone,.
Columbia's centenarian, if he lives.
through next Tuesday will have aehiev
ed that which is given to the lot of few
men. He will have lived in three een
tues. Mr. McE!rone was born in 1798.
Thus he has lived in the Eighteentb
during all of the Nineteenth. and .houlJ
he be alive after Tuesday next will
have started out on the Twentie hi cen
tury. Many men have lived to <v a a.
greater age than this without touching
dates in more than two centuries. The
case of Mr. McE rone is irdeed a rare
A New Jersey soldier now in
service in the Philippines writes
home that the clirnate out there
is "healthful and pleasant-for
mosquitoes, snakes and alliga
tors." He has not seen a great
deal of native society, but he is
impressed with the marriage
eremony, "especially that
clause which gives the wife the
privilege of doing as much work
Sas he husband deAsnires."