TORT MILL TIMES.
VOL. XIII. FORT MILL, S. C., WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 21, 1904. NO. 39.
" Trans tared from
UP ON the hill, a short ?li^tuuce
from the hut stood in
lonely pine tree, that father
had promisee to out
down ou Christmas eve. It
was so beautiful, whore it stood, anil
stretched Its dark green branches oim
over the white snow. Unas walkell
round and round it and looked at li '
from all sides. It had grown so evot% I
iiiul was just high enough to tind rooul
under the low root of the hul. In hli i
imagination the little six-year-old sa\*
It in nil Its beauty, with gilt pnpetlj
stars, ginger bread hearts, rosy*]
. cheeked apples and lighted candles.
' Podr as I am. Hans." father hail
said, ".vou shall have a Christinas tree.V
atltl line It shall he that I nnimltai
you."
And liow the little child's heart palpitated
with pleasure and expectation!
Father had gone into town and was
not expected to return before noon.
Would lie be long In bringing back all
the beautiful tilings lie was to t?uy at
the same time he was getting the 1
other Christmas tilings for mother? |
Time and again Hans went out on the
doorsteps and looked down the long,
snowy road. At length father war. seen j
In the distance. Hans started to moel j
him. ami was permitted to curry the
package father said was ids.
But how tired and pale father looked. |
He did not feel well, lie said, but Hans
must not worry over that. It was,only j
a result of the hard labor Hint lie now
began to feel. It would soon jiass
away. And Ilans believed tliat. [too.
"Mother, father lias come," cried Ilia us.
nnd pnuhed the door wide open. '
The noonday uieal was ready. jBut
..-4 ? ' i' ....
oiuci viMiiu mil t'Ul illiyuilllg. JUKI pllll
himself down on the wooden bench
and rontplnined of pains in his ehi-st.
Mother laid aside the hag of rice iind
the eoffee and sugar father Ir.ul
brought home. Father was ill! fte
had to admit it; he was suffering m<?*
pain than he would tell. .Mother eoinpelled
him to go to bed and prepared
a flannel saturated with tnrpentiilie
that.she spread on the chest. It was
too had that he should lie taken sick,
and on Christinas eve. hut there wals
1.0 help for it. In his rejoicing over
the beautiful things for the fhristmafe
tree, little Hans for n few moments d'uf
not think of father. Hut when h<^
looked to the bed where father was
lying, moaning witli pain, Hans did nsl
mother had done. He pushed aside]
i m- in-iiin11111 i iinm mas tree limits anil
knelt down l?.v tlio bed.
"Poor father!" nml with his little
luinds lie stroked the bearded cheeks.
"Don't worry, iny boy; you shall
have your Christinas tree. Speak to I
Neighbor Jerker, and he will help I
you."
;. t. .-7. -!><- r. ^
'Two* the night before Christmas,
In each little house
The children were waiting
still as a mouse
To hear the buff nutf
And the nisli, cnugg and squeal
Ot good o)d St. Nicholas'
Automobile!
?Illustrated Bits.
jttle IZ&j
stmas Tr*ee
vecltsh oh Jenix/ tirown
This was all well ami good, but
father was ill. and ?he Christmas pleastire
spoiled. And sucli a Christians
that they had expeeted! Last year
they had no means to provide for a
Christmas tree or*an.v extra pleasure.
"I am going to the doctor." said
mother, as she tied the shawl over her
head.
"You stay with father. Ilans; I will
hurry hack soon."
nit* doctor did not live very fur
aw?y. He did not like to be disturbed
on Christ mas eve. but he wrote out n
prescription after finding out from the
woman what the symptoms were. To
visit the sick man was not to he expected
of the doctor on Christmas eve.
"Ciive him this every two hours ami
the pain will soon pass away. H'tti,
well, as it is Christinas eve. 1 will only
charge fifty ore"?he had the right to
demand a crown, hut lie felt eharltluhlo.
and the poor woman's last sil'ver
piece landed in the doctor's pocket.
He did not inquire if she had any
unouey left for the medicine, and she
did not care to tell him that it was her
last niece of inoiiev m??t timt
.
fMRM
THE DAY BEFO
; had spoilt lilnst crown for tlio tilings
to decorate little linns' Christmas tree.
She also hud her pride, and she know
what remarks would he made. Poor
men's children have no ri^ltt to pleasure
or luxuries. The gingerbread and
j candies anil apples would bo considered
: an aw ful waste and oxlravalance. To
ilio doctor"'- children it would linvo
j looked a pool pleasure, but for lior own
I little bov ft "|yis a sinful luxury. How
. different Uoii provided for the people
iit this world, was the poor woman's
TikotiKin, ;is. ueavy hearted, she xvaTKvu
homo wl;h the prescription in her
' hand. Had the poor :io rljtlit to have
1 a henrt that could feel and suffer?
"The doct^ ffftt-e me this prescription,"
Mild, mother, "nnd the turpentine
cloth was to remain, and you will
soon be well, rather."
"OU, I <loh't believe the medicine
will do'HieVtnV Rood, and we will just
let it alone."*?
$ \
The mother understood, and she
could not keep back her tears. Father
had no money left for the medicine.
"Don't cry. mother, don't cry." exclaimed
little Hans, as lie tried to pull
the mother down to him by her dress.
"Father should not have bought the
tilings for the Christmas tree, then he
could have got the medicine. 1 understand
that well enough." remarked little
Hans, with a precocious mien.
? IT...w. (* 1.1 I
*1", I II UUIIIU IIUl IliltV
helped mo." Interrupted father from
liis place in tlio l?e<l. "Hut thank you
for your kinil heart. You shall have
your Christinas tree as I promised
you."
Little I In lis went out of the hut and
ran to his tree on the hill, lie walked
around it. and the tears name in his
eyes. Hut he wiped them away with
the hack of his hand. No. he must not
cry; lie must no? feel or show any sorrow
over the sacrifice that would bring
gladness and blessing to the home, input
his hands in his pockets and tried
to look glad and free from care w hen
lio ntitnrml flirt iinioliliMi*'^ lint
children had for weeks heard him brag
about his Christmas tree, and he had
promised them that they should see it
in all its beauty and splendor on '
Christmas eve. Now lie would affect
indifference and pretend that he did
not care for a Christinas tree, nut
would sell it in town so father could
get money for medicine.
ierken. the eldest of the neighbor's
children, cut down the tree. Hans was
crying, but stoutly swallowed his tears
and made .lerker promise him to tell
his mother that Hans had gone to town
to buy a Christmas present. The
mother was very much surprised.
Where could Hans have got the money.
She could not understand it. .lerker
did not know, lie only told her what
Hans had told him. and that he would
not return before evening, and they
must not worry about him.
* *
How cold little Hans felt, and how
that little heart of his folt heavy ami
sorrowful. Young as ho was, ho had
already learned a lesson from life's
story?the lesson of self-denial. He
felt oold. his coat was short and
threadbare, the shoes in poor eoudi
RE CHRISTMAS.
tion und Ids mittens full of holes. Hut
lie knew that Christinas eve would
bring him a new pair of mittens. From
liis bed in tlie Inn ait night lie bad seen
mother knitting at paiir of mittens that
were too small for father. So, surely,
they must be for him.
Hut with aill his sorrow there was a
warm slow at his heart. Was he not
wealthy? He had sold his Christmas
tree for two large silver erowns. Had
bought llio medicine for father and
l.nd a large silver crown left as a
Christmas gift lor mother, tied had
helped him. Had not mother said that
Cod watches over little children, and
had he not sent a wealthy lady that
had given him two largo silver crowns
for his tree, notwithstanding he had
been tol'l it was not worth fifty ore?
A little golden-haired girl had met
him in the beautiful richly furnished
room where he had brought the tree.
It was placed on a table, and the lit
tie girl was greatly pleased ?>v??r in>
tree. He wondered if tli*? little glr1
had known why he had sold his tree,
atid that all of his Christmas pleasure
was lost, would she have been just a?
highly pleased? He followed her with
Ills eyes as she ran round the large
room and elapped her sum!! hands, full
of pleasure. She handed him a large
sugar cake and tilled his pockets with |
apples and nuts and raisins. She had
so much. A table in the room had sev- [
era I large dishes filled with more beau-:
tifitl things than he ever had seen be
fore. Ami the kind lady gave l.im
uvii shining silver crowns. 11.11 before
ho loft the room his eyes wont haek, to
the tree. Ho would never see it again.
It was as if lie had separated front a
dear friend ?from a playfellow. lie
sat down on the staircase and tears
streamed front his eyes, llis mother's
words ram; in his ears: "Poor men's
children must learn to practice selfdenial."
?. t.
Hut now Hans was clad again as he
ran through the snow as fast as his
little feet could carry him. pulling the
sleigh after liiiu. He felt cold ami
tired. It was dark ami the stars shone
in the heavens. He knew tliein all.
Father had told him all about them.
ami tie lliotnrhl of the little Christ !
chihl. and how the whole Christian
worhl celebrated Christmas with trees
ami candles ami Christmas gifts. I'ut
little Hans hml neither the one nor the
other. True, the forest wa> full of
Christinas trees, hut it was not his. the
one that hail grown on the hit', near
his home, ami over which he hail rejoiced
so much. Rut it was gone: another
child hail lbs tree, lie thought
of his tree as a living being, and that
it felt tlf separation as much as he.
Rut now he was home Father
slept ami mother was at the hearth
preparing the evening meal.
"Hans, where have yon been?" iuiptireil
mother.
"Into town, mother, and I have a
Christin?.s present for father."
"You? Where did you get it? Have
yon money. Hans?" inquired the mother
in iter astonishment as Hans placed
the hot tie of medicine 011 the table.
"Where did you get it. hoy?"
Hans inclined his head, and smilingly
pushed his mother toward the window.
Ife drew away the curtain and
pointed to the hill. Mother could look
out in the starlight night and at once
noticed that the tree was gone. Yes.
sin' saw piaiuiy mar nine nans
Christinas tree was not there. She understood
it all: she con 1<1 read it in the
big blue eyes that sparkled tip toward
her. She lifted the child in her arms
and pressed him toward her. too deeply
moved to find words for her feelings.
Hut she felt so happy, so proud
that this was her child, and the poor
mother in all her poverty and humility
would not have exchanged her lot
for a oneen's coronet.
"Mother. I have a Christmas present
fo? you also." whispered llans. and
placed the silver crown in her hand.
Hans had renounced much, had denied
himself all. and therefore his gift
was above ordinary value.
CIIUlST.M AS IN DAWSON CITY.
Klondike Ike?"Wot did yer lind In
yer sioekln' this niornin'V"
Chilkoot l'ete -"'1"rust-bitten toes."
A Kiiuny Dream.
I had a funny dream Ids! ni^ht.
As s|range a* ??trnuj;i" <*<?* ??l
I ilrtMitied tlint I wan S.mtii Clans
And Santa Clans was me.
And when I came to Santa's house,
(Where we live now. \ou know)
I uiok out near a hundred thingf
And laid them in a row;
A bicycle with bevel-gear,
\ IMIII I Hit I l?IIOOl* ll'ill shot:
.\ pair of skate*. a new canoe,
Wri-e some thing* that I brought
Ami then I said, "Kdr I'ear I've missed
A little tiling or two,
I'll have this |?ooketl>oi>k well filled,
That'* just what I will do."
Ot course it only wa* a dream,
1 tnt Mil! I think 'twould be
.1 n-t great it I was Santa Clam
And S?ntu Clatlfl Van mo.
?-Johnstone Murray.
*1 Arao I
I Ml YOUM hrr i I
iSSr ni' "oJ"* *"3rrt. I
1 H.
SECRETARY WILSON'S REPORT
Figures Shcwinn the Astonishing Values
of This Year's Crop.
The Secretary of Agriculture has
transmitted his eighth annttal report
to I he Presi lent.
in opening his report the Secretary
on'imrrati'! J.imn #>f t....
portanl features of the year's work, j
Among them are extensive cooporatton |
with agricultural stations; the taking
of preliminary steps to conduct feeding
and breeding experiments, the
war waged against the cotton boll wee- |
viI and against cattlo mange, plans
for education of engineers In road
building* liie production of a hardy
orange, a oybrid of l he Florida orange
and the Japanese tnfoltnta; valuable
research in uu cessful snipping of ;
fruit abroad; the value of nitrogen- i
fixing bacteria; successful introduction
of plant-, suited to light tnmfall
areas; establishment of pure food j
rtandards; the extension of agricultural
''duration in primary and secondary
schools; ihe extension ol instrue
tion to Our island possessions to en- j
able them to supply the country with
$2lHi.0f)0.000 worth or domestic pro
duels, now imported from abroad
Ho then proceeds lt> discuss tho j
place of agriculture in the countrv's
imiustiial ni<
The. coin i nip nf 1904 \ i< Ids a '
farm value vreater than ever before.
Tito farmers could from the pro- J
ceeds ol lIm- imp pay the national j
debt. I lie interest thereon foi one year, '
ami still nave enough left to pay a |
considerable portion ol the govern
rnent's yearly expenses. The cotton I
crop, valued for linl ami seed at $t>00.000.000.
i onu s second, while hay anil
wheat contend for tno third place
Conihined. these two crops will about
equal the corn crop. Notwitnstanuing
the wheat erop shown a lower production
than any year since l'.tutt. the
farm value is tin- highest since 1881.
Potatoes ami barley reached their
highest proiiu-tion in 1904; save in
1902 tlie oat crop was never so latge
by ii0.000.000 husliels The pr? sent
erop of riee promises a yield ot 900,000,000
poiuels?:i00.000.000 more than
ever before.
Horses and mules reach tin Ingo
r:.t point this year. wilii an a^n'Kaii !
value c.\<-ceding l.a.VI million dollars j
On 1:7.? other hand cattle, sheep and j
hogs .ill show a decline
The steady advance m poultry leads
to some, astonishing figures. The tnr- I
mors' liens now produce one and twothirds
tnllioa . of dozens of eggs and
at the high average tone of the year
he hens dm in,; their husy season
lay enough "ggs in a single month to
pay the years interest on the national
debt.
After n careful , -liinate ul the val
ne of tin* products of the farm dining
1001. made within the census scope ,
j il is safe to place? ihc amount at l.hoti
million dollars, after excluding the
v ;i 1 Hi: of farm crops fed to live? slock
| hi ordt-i to avoid duplication of values
I This, is h.(' .*? per ccnl. above the pro
I dia l of lltn:!, and ;>1.2K per c<?iil above
I hat of the census of lsit!)
Some comparison?' arc necessary to
I the rc 1li7.it ion of such unthinkable
I value. aggn gating nearly live billions !
j of dollars. The farmers of this eoun t
I try have in two years produced wealth
! exceeding the output of all the gold ;
iiiiicm <m mi' mm win iii since t'ol
u minis discovered America. This
year's prodm I is over six times On
amount of Hie capital stork of all n<? '
lionnl hanks; it larks luil Hirer
I fourths of a billion liollars of the value
[ of the iiinniifartnirs of l!tOO. less the
I eost'of in.iti rials used; it is three
times the gross earnings from the
| operations of the railways and font
| inner, ilio value of all minerals pro
I dined >it ihis ronnlry The veai of
1JI01 keeps well up to the average of
exports of farm products during the
ftni /cats 1800-1003. umoniiiiiig
vcr Srdl millions, while the average
for the five yearn was nearly St>.*> mil- j
lions During the last la yeats the
balance of trade in favor of this eounIry.
all articles rotisidered, exi erded
1.384 million dollars, but taking farm
products alone, these showed a hal
ancc in our lavor of mote than *>.300 ,
millio.is.
Reviewing Hie increase in farm rapilal.
the secretary estimates it eon
eervatively at. 2,000 million dollats
within four year.- tills without rerog- '
tiizmg the marked increase in the i
value of land during Hie past two
years. The most startling figures
show as iliiodiating the farmers' prosperity
are those presented i?y deposits
in hanks in typical agn nltnral States.
The See ret a i" y selects for this illus
tralion Iowa. Kansas an?l Mississippi j
Taking all l imls of l? nks. national. ;
Sta'e. private and avmg-\ the depos 1
11*= incria-ed from Juno JO. IN?n>. to
Oi toher 31, 1004. in Iowa. 1M per I
eent; in Kansas. JIM pe: cent; and in !
Mtssissippi 301 pi r t? nt - in the Itnitc.v
I St aits 01 per eent. A similar fav
orable comparison may he made as ;
to the number of depositors.
Tl?c? secretary rnncliiacs that the
farmers' rate or financial progress
need fear no comparison with that of
any other class of producers.
THREE MEN KILLED
A Serious Accident Occurs On Tlte
tfauleship FltiladeMua
THREE BOILER MAKERS \RE KiLLEC
The G'vinct Away of o Cr.s*st o - R^o
be* Washer. Ccive">-. the F re-rocrr
of the Massachusetts 1t.< Geet
no Pit or Steam Hot Water?
Four C'jrvivc'"*; Te r fc Scalded?
uicutcna >.' ^o ? -,. ci n iaHort
'v ^oscl'^o he C"d .1 3c ed Men ?
3od?' Sad ?o Have Geo ' .oroyQh)
y Tested.
Philadelphia. s3 p?*l : a i Cnoglit in ?
I rap nd ! I p! < ss ii *-a\> i! ? niselv? throe
tin n lo<l tluvi itvps and fo >
others. nn' injj Lie it. nam Wm
('. t'oli . %v terribly s- altird Thir
'lav by ?i i of am and tioili? .
water in * iti lii i'-rvnn f tl.?- Iiaf
slllp Ma -a', a'l tts, lying at C.
League Inland navj vain Phc ?l? .?*i
aro: Kdward Hub. boih n akor in< i
civilian: Andrew tiami't m. mam v
boilor-iuaker: Cliarlrs IC,- '. Imp t
maktn Injured Lieutenant Willi;-., u
Coit1 I' S N . assistant < ln< f onglii' > r
of I ho Massai imsotts. scald d ah.<> 1
Hit' ilea l tuiil body, taken t? Ihr Na
val Hospital; William Anders* ?
ship's boiler maker. badly Hcaldcj.
Taken in the naval hospital. J.inn*
Wilson. boiler maker's helper ami
villan employe. scalded. iak<n to u <
Methodist Hospital; Joseph A hi
ami, boiler maker's belpei ami ri\
ian. scalded, taken to Si Apnes H< pital.
With the exception of l.te
enant Cole, all the killed and injur-?>
tedded in I'iniailelphla
Lieutenant Cole received nls
juries in a heroic ett'oit to res: tie : i
others.
The art ident was caused Uv the t
in? way of a nusket. or rubber an
or. on a boiler on the starboard ^.c*
of tin ship.
The Mr.ssa husctts has been at r.?
navy y.tul fot some tune, untlet Koit.>*
extensive repairs, particular to i!
hoileis and machinery Aithouv
Captain Kthvarh H Taussig and i
complement of otlit ers and men -.?
.tligaii'. the ship. I tie .Miv-sat husett*\>ri|iin
doinn business in the state i
initially ni < har^e 01 ihe nuthmiti
o| I lie n.n\ vtird The holler >.n u I. .
Ihc ; < < i<It i f on ini.'il had rcom ?
been < leant <1 and Ilu.roupiily le-tr-i
and tin hoih r makers \\ei> ledai
work on another hnil.-r Will u
warning. 11? casket between il.? 1>
i r plate Imiwi en the boiler gave w.and
a tori ifit i ush of steam and Ii
v.aii i in cm it TJic do.ii- of tlx t?i
loom w ii ( !( i d al tin- linn.' ?>f il
aicidi iit. and i'ae ?.11?!\ avi nuo of
ta|>?- wa> a -alilv ladder i>nl\ -i
man. Itraniiiit, a snip's lu.ro.m
thought id' (In- ladder. and In- est apt
witliont .. ar low mi tin- np| 1
mcUs km vv what iuiil lidppimil un?
ih<* st< am cairn rushing up from ?
Mcihillg pit In low Tke win k ol ?
cue w.i pio.npl. and to this piont)
in s those who v.aped il"ath i.w?
I lien i i.ai.k
TIlO 111 I I liter t he til e hole v
l.i< n ton;! iii f'oh Wiinonl I., -ila: ii g
and in ink - aided by the wai.-i a?
rl- am. In- :i id < | -. 111 k'v .mil tpin <
iy dragged tin men to pi.no win *
I In y w. 11 : a ken hi h..i > . tt\ oil <
Hull i ml Hamilton \\<ic ilead w
lonnd. and rii/i I lied a few mimi
afii r In nig taken on ileek
Wlielln r I In- packet was ! n o*,
or whs i. i 1 !. pin in plu< <
mains fi.r an utlici.il eninf i.f inrpr
in don i iniin Ii n- aid I In- Ik..
had In n ?In ? ? .ills ov< I Inn le.l ar
n t".| under a in on inline ;.n
i f si. am AI I lie I inn* of i In adenl
lie* on i . tin w.i i<
sufficient in i hi il.. nip In.or i*
plant
Tin* in i idi 'ii t w i i I i n * lit 11 i
delay In pupating. I'.n liatili ship :
yea
r.irmcr Killed by licllcy Crr
Sji.n i.iiihi ii", Spi't i.il Itn
I'eihofl. a.i aged maidenl ol tin . >
ty died at an r.iih hour Thttmi.
inor.nii a i in- n-iiit of Injur
tained 11\ being siriu-k l?V > trollev . i:
oil Milglinli.1 silt i*l. lie .littered ..
criissio > of ihe brain and le d will* t
iiavirj if^auiPd run rioi:-a.? I
foron ; !>- ! 1 ;ni iinjim i anil i In- jm *
turn' -I a \ ; .i I im i< > ni'lnin 0 u '
t!l?* ! I' l!
Britiye Falls. Killing Tlirr-e
Cltsirl- a. W\ V.i Sji' ial Ti .
persons wmv KiI!? ) mil fo.ii ??t! '
serio isls mini' I li?- tin-roll,i|jk<- of
snypr nsiou In Hue a loss iln- I CI f c i
u hi h ' <!!,.< t - i;.t. ,11 I \vv . (thai'
tun. <III i il' l,i lirt' \ ( 1 It v. it .|m ' .
wtfrt- v hil.Ii -n . n tliiir u.1 \
school and i !. .in! i' <>t ut lift {,''!
tri;iii - topi the: with -,i\ l? mr T
deu<; Mamie H.tpr.inbul h.un. ape i
van; A tun Uttnijlmi a ! '' < I t?. 4
lie fJihli . ap <1 In i li? nijtii? cl ?
Smith, ape,! |7. n .ipuiind liaclnje
elbow; William il.'lm.'S iidoi'd
ver. (til and l>: iti-rd. Ib rtty l*"io!<!. ;
driver, serious lute,mil inline-. Kir ?
Tucker, up?d I >. both ^ini> and i
b/oken.
i