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RECALL LATE WAR LEADER COOUDGES GIVEN FINE CHRISTMAS Seventieth Birthday of Woodrow Wilson Is Observed At For* mer President's Home. 4 Presents From All Puts of the World Arrive. Delivered by Tracks. President Goes To Church. Staunton, Vs., Dec. 28.—Woodrow Wilson was the most dramatic figure among our presidents, said R. Gray Williams, president of the Virginia Stats Bar association, tonight at the anniversary celebration here marking the 70th birthday of 1 the wartime lead er. Mr. Williams was the principal speaker at a binquet in a local hotel to which about 200 persons came. “Wilson,** said Mr. WUliams, “did not, in a moment of victory, like Lin* coin, have the processes of his own immortality accerelated by an assas sin’s bullet; but he played boldly, on a broader stage, before h larger au dience v to the climax of the last act when he gave his own life in the brave effort to save the lives of others. “Had fate been kinder he should have died when he uttered that last moving appeal for the covenant at Pueblo. But he lingered on, wounded in body and spirit, to suffer most of all the knowledge that it was more hatred of his power and prestige than sincere opposition to the league and the treaty that animated men like Lodge in the fight to ruin his work. “Woodrow Wilson was hated by many men in high places during his life and the poison gas, spread on the wings of animosity, has clouded his shining face from the eyes of the peo ple he served. Charges conceived in malice or envy or wounded pride were circulated against him. Even yet the hostile gas hovers over the tomb of Wilson. But a majestic wind of elo quence dispelled these vile, vapors on at least one day when Edwin Anderson Alderman, president of the University of Virginia, stood before the president and congress of the United States, and spoke brave and brilliant words of af fection and loyalty of this old student of our university.” Mr. Williams said that the “fatt re mains that majority public opinion in America feels that* Woodrow Wilson both failed himself and increased the difficulties of his country at a time of peril.” “The most disturbing revelations of a weakness in Mr. Wilson was his suc cessive breaks with close friends,” said Mr. Williams. “I have been at some pains to gather information about bis breaks with Col. George Harvey, with Colonel House and with Secretary Lansing. “In the case of Colonel Harvey ,Mr. Wilson was brutally frank in admit ting that Harvey’s support was doing him more harm than good; but at best an intimacy between Harvey and Wil son was utterly unnatural. Wilson was an idealist; Harvey a realist. There was always a cynical quality in Harvey. that revealed itself when he said in London that America had fought only to save her own skin. “Harvey had his reward, one that doubtless consoled his wounded pride, for he was one of the most effective sappers and miners that blew up the league and the treaty in the senate. “Lansing was distinctly second rate and illustrated Wilson’s weakness in the selection of men for large places. His owiv book reveals that he was hopelessly at variance with Mr. Wil son’s views and that he should have resigned both as a matter of self- respect and loyalty to his chief. “No one can doubt the loyalty and love that Colonel House felt for Wood- row Wilson, and yet, Wilson had ele vated House to his high estate and it was not in the st*>rn nature of this Scotch-Presbyterian covenanter to dis semble his feelings where Colonel House conceded so much, for which Wilson intended to stand firm, be tween the time Wilson left Paris with the draft of the League in his pocket Washington, Dec. 25.—Christmas, judged by the variety and plums of remembrances received, excelled all previous celebrations of the kind for the President and Mrs. Coolidge. Vice President Dawes, who went home to Illinois for the holiday, un knowingly contributed to their yule- tide observance while thousands of others outside Washington’s offHial- dom, scattered in high and lor# places throughout the nation, were among those who remembered the chief ex ecutive and his family at the White House. The day could not be counted a holi day. President Coolidge worked pan of the forenoon preparing the address he will deliver nt Trenton, N. J., on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mrs. Cool idge, assisted by her son, John, divided her time between household duties and unwrapping presents which continued to arrive in bulk during th day. These labors, however, gave way shortly before noon to another engage ment, father, mother and soq attend ing church service. They motored through the rain to Foundry Metho dist Episcopal church on Sixteenth street, where the service was conduct ed under the auspices of the Washing ton Federation of Churches. The Dawes touch to the Goolidge’s crowded calendar was added during the service when the organist render ed the “Melody in A,” composed by the Vice President. The President and his family re turned to the White House after a half hour’s ride through some sections of the city, and after luncheon he and Mrs. Coolidge again tackled the job of opening parcels, reading hundreds of telegrams and as many as possible of the thousands of greetings delivered by trycks from the postoffice. White House attaches could only es timate these in thousands, explaining that there were too many to be count ed. Of the gifts received by the Pres ident, there was a great predominance of walking sticks, cigars and cigar holders, while Mrs. Coolidge’s share included a wholesale supply of hand kerchiefs, gloves, silk stockings, shawls candy and flowers. In the evening, the Attorney Gen eral and Mrs. Sargent with Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Stearns of Boston, White House guests, joined the Pres idential family for a turkey dinner. Elsewhere about the capital there was the usual celebration of Christ- mastide, despite the chill and gloom of overcast skies and intermittent wintry showers and the absence of scores of Congressmen and government officers who had gone “back home” for the holidays.- Only part of the President’s cabinet remained in Washington. One of its members, Secretary Davis, of the La bor Department, had a Christmas tree in his Markham Park Hotel apart ment for his five children, who had in vited a number of little friends for the festivities. The day was celebrated at the fifty- three embasies and legations here in a variety of ways representing a con trast in foreign tongues and yuletide customs. tartinfl cw Year Columbia, Dec. 25.—South Caroli na’s total bf taxable property assessed for taxation is reduced by the reas sessments of 1926 to $424,868,722, a New York, Dec. 27.—Beacons in the T , _ banking and industrial world point a decrease of $5,218,644' under the total fair weather course for the good ship of assessed values for 1925, the as sessment statistics for the state made public today by A. J. Beattie, Comp*, troller General, reveals. The reduction brings the total of as sessed values to a mark within $800,- business in 1927. Forecasts of opti mism, tempered with notes of conser vatism, were available today in state ments on the outlook for next years’ business from heads of railroads, banks and industrial corporations. The 000 of the assessed total for 1928—the navigable seas of commerce ar not LOCAL CONCERNS PAY DIVIDENDS SHOOTING AFFRAY HELD IN LAURENS Pender Seay Shot By Austin Wilburn. Caused By Quarrel Between Chil dren of the Two Families. Laurens, Dec. 24.—J. Pender Seay was carried to the Laurens' hospital yest^day afternoon in a critical con dition and Austin J. W’ilbum is in jail, charged with ' shooting the former times at the Laurens Cotton , Mill shortly after the noon hour. It and the time when he returned to find wa8 stated'that all three shots enter- the covenant separate from the treaty ^ ^ two on the i e ft side and in the stomach. “I think that much of the misunder- The . trou bi e between the two men standing of Mr. Wiisdn^ said the sta rted Wednesday, it is said, when Semi-Annual Checks Go Out To Stock holders of Local Banks, Mills and Corporations. Saturday is dividend day—a glad day for stockholders of Clinton banks, mills and other corporations paying their ustixl January first dividends. All of the corporations have just clos ed a satisfactory business for the year and are looking forward to a prosper ous New Year. The following is a record of the dividends that are being paid, aggregating $40,500. The First National Bank, 4 per cent semi-annual on a capital stock of $14)0,000—$4,000. The Commercial Bank, 4 per cent semi-annual on a capital stock of $50,- 000—$2,000. M. S. Bailey & Son, Bankers, is a private institution and does not pay a dividend, but reports an entirely satisfactory year’s business. Lydia Cotton Mills, 3^4 per cent semi-annual on $500,000 serial notes— $17,500. The Clinton Cotton Mills, 4 peY cent semi-annual oh capital stock of $350,- 000—$14,000. The Peoples. Bonded Warehouse, 10 per cent r unnual on capital stock of $20,000—$2,000. The Clinton Bonded Warehouse, 10 per cent annual on capital stock of $10,000—$1,000. This dividend was paid in June. Young Bros. Live Stock Company is paying its usual annual dividend on a capital stock of $25,000. OSAGE INDIANS’ STOCKINGS FILLED Z. H. Tinsley Laid To Rest Sunday Each Indian Given $2,300 for Christ mas Shopping Purposes. Children Enjoy Santa’s Visits. Pawhuska, Okla., Dec. 25.—Ele phantine stockings were required to day to hold the Christmas presents among the Osage Indians—the weal thiest race on earth, per capita. Each Indian on the tribal rolls was allowed $2,300 with which to do his or her yuletide shopping. I Recent sales of fur coats, diamonds * and expensive motor, cars by local merchants indicate that giving was lavish and widespread. A great feast was in progress today in the Indian village on the outskirts of Pawhuska. It was followed by a dance, or series of dances, whiph lasted far into the night. The Osages, despite their af fluence which would give them entree into any of the white man’s restau rants or gilded ball rooms, prefer their feasts of beef and buffalo meat, bar becued over smoked camp fires or “jerked” and allowed to dry in the sun. Likewise they cling to their tri bal dances. One element, “firewater,” was con spicuously absent' from their celebra tions today. Enforcement officers of the Osage agency not only have dam med, as far as possible, the flow of liquqor onto the reservation, but are using strong persuasion to restrain the younger men from ioing outside in search of refreshments. To the children of the Osages, Santa Claus is a very real person who brings them wonderful gifts and they await his coming just as eagerly as their little white cousins: record for the previous assessment pe riod—and marks a decline in property assessed of approximately $28,000,000 since'1921. The loss over the reas sessment year—once every four years, all property.in the state is reassessed for taxation—fails, however, to equal the reduction made four years ago when by reassessment approximately $20,000,000 was cut from the taxable property total. Hie fluctuations of the total assess ed values over the two assessment years, 1926 and 1922, and the inter vening years are shown as follows: 1921, $452,490,600; 1922, $435,999,- 839; 1923, 424,015,714; 1924, $428,601,- 724; ’925, $430,082,368 and 1926, $424,- 836,722. The cuts, Mr. Beattie’s figures re veal, are distributed generally throughout the state, reductions being made in thirty-six of the state’s forty- six counties. The greatest reductions are in Anderson county, where valuee fell $1,608,675; in Union county the assessment total dropped $852,090; in Marlboro county values were reduced $755,035, and Aiken county $740,430. The one major increase is in Spartan burg county,. the assessed values of which gained $1,129,673 by the reas sessment. Reductions were made in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Calhoun, Charles ton, Cherokee, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Edgefield, George town, Grenewood, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, McCormick, Marion, Marl boro, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Saluda, Sumter, Union, Wil Hamsburg and York. Increases are shown in Berkeley, Chester, Chesterfield, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Jasper, Richland and Spartanburg. Statistics as to the proportion of real and personal property included in the assessment totals are as yet un available, Mr. Beattie said, but the figures already on file at his office seem to indicate, he said, that the greater proportion of the reductions are due to the several banjt failures of the year. The assessed values by counties— including $75,000 in the total - for Rich land county, .which amount is on the Columbia canal property and as such available only for state and school taxes—are shown: speaker, “was due to the fixed incli nation of men of affaire to assume that Candidates for office mean only a little of what they say. “Woodrow Wilson was the best pres ident in our history to accomplish a great program of economic reform. He did accomplish such a program and he might well have had a second term equally as successful, had the greatest of wars not broken clamor ously in upon his studious *.calm. “The World war was a horror to Woodrow Wilson. He recognized in his moving war messages that it was a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into W*r, into the most terrible and disastrous of aU ware. eyes too often beheld him the children of the two families, who are neighbors in the Laurens mill vil lage, became involved in a quarrel. It was further stated that Seay went to the Wilburn home Wednesday night and accused a negro woman, employed by the Wilburn family, of punishing one of the Seay children. As a result of this disturbance, Seay was arrested and tried here in the Mayor’s court yesterday and fined ten dollars, five of which was suspended by Mayor Long. Shortly after beginnig their work at the mill in the afternoon the trouble between the two men was renewed. After the difficulty Wilburn came to town and surrendered to officers, stat ing that he had shot Seay in setf de- tic, harsh, /item, unfeeling;. fense while the latter was approaching of but not one re and doubt the quick hie heart to human sufferings. “Woodrow Wilson said ho preferred to play for the verdict of history. (Continued on Page Eight) speech* him with ah open knife. Both men ihbted here from Tennes see 15 or 20 years ago. Seay is said to be about 55 years old and is much larger than Wilburn, who is also sev eral yean the younger. Laurens, Dec. 27.—Funeral services were held today from Friendship Presbyterian church, Sullivan town ship, for Zach H. Tinsley, 66, well known citizen and farmer of the coun ty, who died at his home in the Trinity Ridge section early Saturday morning. M.r Tinsley was a progressive farmer and had only, recently completed a handsome new home. He is survived by his widow and several sons and daughters. Bank of Mountville Pays Dividend HARRIS SPRINGS HOTEL BURNED Building and Furniahings Go Up In Smoke Friday Night. Manager Absent In Florida. Depositors of the Bank of Mount ville, which closed its doors in the tall of 1924, were mailed dividend checks of 15 per cent of their deposits last week. A dividend of 25 per cent was paid some time last year, mak ing the total recovery by depositors of 40 per cent to date. SCHOOLS TO OPEN ON NEXT MONDAY The city and orphanage schools will reopen next Monday moming after a two weeks’ vacation period for the Christmas holidays. The Presbyterian college will resume class-work ou Tuesday. nishings were destroyed by fire of un known origin at midnight Friday while Manager V. A. Purvis and his family were absent in Florida. Cottages recently built on the hotel property were endangered, but were saved by timely arrival of aid. Mr- Purvis bought the hotel proper ty, including the springs, several months ago and had spent, it is said, about $10,000 on improvements. The eld hotel building had been r^nodeled and was being conducted again as a resort hotel. Mr. Purvis, who went to the springs from Orlando, Fla., is said to have carried some insurance. The Harris Springs hotel was a fa mous resort- about 25 years ago, but f<jr a number of years, until Mr. Pur vis bought the property, H had not been open. The; bottling works located at the foot of the hill on which the hotel stood was not touched by the fire Fri day night and will continue to be op erated by John D. Seago of Green wood. Cpunty 1925 1926 Abbeville ....$ 5,7971,237 $ 5,397,637 Aiken 12,485,490 11,745,000 Allendale .... 3,115,428 3,048,855 Anderson .... 21,105,805 19,497,130 Bamberg .... 3,943,670 3,784,590 Barnwell .... 4,574,880 4,490,900 Beaufort .... 4,206,420 4,160,745 Berkley 3,902,919 4.035,415 Calhoun 3,342,370 3.203,240 Charleston .. 3g,935,001 36,413,110 Cherokee ..... 9,609,637 9,438,729 Chester 10,889,023 10,923,190 Chesterfield 5,676,440 5,800,420 Clarendon .... 4,291,390 4,140,750 Colleton 4,947,500 4,829,010 Darlington .. 10,215,308 9,988,694 Dillon 5,539,545 5,537,120 Dorchester... 4,169,685 4,226,125 Edgefield .... 4,055,090 3,883,790 Fairfield ..... 7,446.621 -7^68,769 Florence 12,527,440 12,940,210, Georgetown 4,781,242 4,76^114; Greenville .... 29,530,120 30,798,830 1 Greenwood... 10,455,732 10,263,409! Hampton .... 3,985,171 3,931,575! Horry 4,174,597 4,090,3671 Jasper 3,178,084 3,550,443 Kershaw 7,091,205 7,643,094 Lancaster .... 5,288,625 5.177,340 Laurens 9,991,423 9,678,125 Lee 5,627,872 5,541,142 Lexington .... 7,273,539 7,180,684 J McCormick .. 2,029,450 2,429,260 Marion '5,378,785 5,307,335 Marlboro 8,693,050 7,938,015 Newberry .... 9,934.710 9,632,830 Oconee 6,460^30 6,313,320 Orangeburg 12,163,870 11,713,900 Pickens 7,158,541 7,038.972 Richland 28,467,280 28,525.015 Saluda 8,467,033 3,223,148 Spartanb’g .. 36,260,692 37,390,365 Sumter 9,959,350 9,675,060 | Union 9,408,370 8,556,286’ Williamsb’g - 5,955,260 5^47,280 York 13,398,226 13,304,330 Totals $430,082,366 $424^63,722 threatened by dire storms as far aa can be seen, the prognosticators say. High pinnacley of prediction follow: James Simpson, president of Mar shal Field and Company: “In my opinion business will con tinue during the next six months sub stantially on the level of 1926. Bus iness and government have been con servatively, although progressively administered during the past year, and fundamental conditions are left in good balance, auguring well for the period immediately ahead. Merchan dising activity generally has been suc cessful. The retail sales of Marshal Field and Company have been the largest in our history.” . Elbert H. Gary, chairman, United States Steel Corporation: “If business shall be seriously di minished during the coming year, it will be the fault of ourselves, and not the fault of natural conditions or the lack of consideration and fair treat ment by the national administration. The opportunities for success in bus iness have been better than ever be fore,” he added. “These opportunities are rich in resources, including cash balances in banks; yearly improve ment of banking facilities since the creation-of the federal reserve board, little disagreement or dissatisfaction in industrial and labor circles.” Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., president of the General Motors Corporation, says it now seems reasonable to expect that the 1927 production of automobiles will be equal if it does not exceed the previous four years average. He pre dicts that 1927 will be a good and sat isfactory year for the automobile in dustry. . - Lammot DuPont, president of the E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Com pany, says: “As the year 1926 draws to a close, we do not see any element in the in dustrial or economic situation which would indicate trouble or depression ahead.” William Sproul, president of the Southern Pacific company, has this to say: “The indications are that railway traffic volume and financial results for 1927 will compare favorably with those of 1926.” Patrick E. Crowley, president of the New York Central lines, says that in dications are that 1927 will be a year that might be termed generally satis factory so far as the railroads are concerned in that the prospects for the volume of traffic do not, at this time, present any unusual outlook. YULETIDE TAKES TOLL IN SOUTH Over Forty Dead. Firearms More Deadly Than Fireworks In Ex action of Life. The South’s celebration of Christ mas was not without its tragedies, it was shown yesterday in.reports re ceived. Forty-two persons are dead from accidents and shootings and equally as many more injured. Deaths and injuries attending the discharge of fireworks were reported to be at a minimum, althougt fire- 4 , 765‘114 ■ 80n8 ' * our wh* 1 * a^l three negroes, -— were shot to death in Florida while Mr. Tom Seaae spent the past week end in Prosperity with his parents. nited by matches with which she was playing and a Negro man crushed to death brought the Peninsula state’s death toll to U- Alabama’s death list mounted to 10, one death and five injured being re- L18o|684^P orte< * b y Mobile, four by Birmingham and Montgomery one, while many per sons were injured to varying degrees over the state. South Carolina reported five deaths and five injuries * attributable to Christmas celebrations. Four of those injured in that sta^e were victims of a bomb explosion. Georgia had five each, although the latter bad 13 per sons injured. Mr. and l|rs. V. D. Ramseur and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Poe and children of Greenville .spent Sun- She has as her guest, Miss Evelyn Miss Melenee Thornley of Anderson, is spending the holidays with her pa* rents, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Thornley. day with Mrs. B. M. Dutton. | White of Anderson. \ SL / \ -A tMMrkkik. SC * .