Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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coiton omiiik in 1 lie Matter of Cotton Statistics Gone Over Carefully ? * ? CONFERS WITH SECRETARY WILSON Representatives of American Cotton Manufacturers' Association Hold Conference With Secretary Wilson and Assistant Secretary Hays, Rata tive to Issuance of New June Crop Report. Washington, Special.? Tlio commit tee of t ho American Cot ton Manufac turer*!' Association had an hour's con ference with Secretary Wilson and Aa uistant Secretary Hays Monday after noon. After (ho mill men had taken their departure from lite Department, . a statement was issued, announcing that the question of issuing a new re port on acreage was to lo taken under consideration by the statistical board nnd that a tlnal decision will he reach ed Wednesday. Thu statement follows: "The Department of Agiloulture lias determined that, tlie statistical hoard shall meet Wednesday, .Inly 2t>. to con sider whether revision of the June cot ton acreage should he made from ex isting data or from a new inspection, and to make public their findings or estimate at 12 o'clock on that date or the earliest convenient dat^ hcreaf tei ." In addition to l'n^iilent Miller, the other members of the committee of manufacturers present at the conf<,Yr once were,: T. A. Rlythe, president Lin coln Manufacturers' Association. I'hil adclphia; Coo. R. Hiss, president Khod hiss Mills, Charlotte: J. W. Cannon, president, CiAinon Manufactuving Com pany, Concord: S. 11. Tenner, president Henrietta Mills. Henrietta, and C, R. Hryant, secretary Manufacturers' Asso ciation. Mr. T. .!. H'.okman. of the (Irani Mills Manufacturing Com pony, of Augusta. Ca.. tolegiaphel both Sec retary Wilson and President Miller thai he was unable to attend .Very im portant was the suggestion, advanced by the visiting committee, that the De partment Issue a weekly, ia place of th<i monthly, report. The committee is unanimous;, in the opinion that the ?weekly report would tend to prevent' . violent (lustrations in the price of e/u ' ton and would result in a steadier .mar ket. It. was pointed out. that cotton roso I cent in 5 minutes on the strength of the last report, resulting in a situation demoralizing lo large, pur chasers of spot cotton. Just how Secretary Wilson and Mv. ,Hays accepted this suggestion for the abolition of the monthly reports Is not Unowfi. Chairman Miller declined to discuss what took place at the confer ence. and referred the many newspaper men who called him over the 'phone at r his hotel to Assistant Secretary Hays. The committee agreed, before leaving the Department, that Mr. Hays should make public what took place. Evident ly Mr. llays was not Impressed with this assignment as mouth-piece of the conference. He talked rather vaguely about the conference and only in gen eralities. There is good rearon for be lieving that several matt(p*s'*of muolr Importance to growers and manufac turers of cotton alike were considered nnd that a statement reciting in detail these subjects may be made public la ter. All or the members of the com criittee had their lips sealed, and would ?not even discuss tills phase of the sit uation. The members felt that the task of making public such matters - a*1' should be given the public having been left |o Secretary Hays, it would be dis courteous for them to discuss what took place. Assistant Secretary Hays said, in speaking <j if the conference: "As 1 un derstand, the committee came here to ascertain the facts with reference to the cotton situation nnd that the de sires of the manufacturers are for making the government reports as sta ble as possible. The attitude of the committee with reference to the lssM am e of ja new report on .acreage was neutral.^ I believe many of the manu facturers are owners of cotton and th.y arnalso buyers. They did not tav> sides. They presented no facts bearinp on the Scandal, and that subject was not considered. v "The committee's object is to secure an accurate report and one that \sill establish ??Vyilideu-'O. i have no hesi tancy in saving this Is what they will A'et.' \ \ Trior to tne conference Mr. Miller Vnd the iuo'-> l\;rs^of the <ommltlee had ?n ?interview with Richard Cheatham, r.o.c votary of the Southern Coiton Crow ns' Association. They discussed the cotton situation at some length. i Tclccjraphic Briefs. The world's larcrst dynamite explo^ sion was sot off Saturday afternoon at .Portsmouth. N. I?... and was fired by lheadaughter of the superintendent in charge of the work of removing the most dangc:ous menace to river navi gation on tho NV-w Ensrland roast. For ty-five tons of dynamite weie used in the explosion. f It is rumored that the /Var has font word to General^ Uirfevlteh t^at will figrrffct* linn anyNamount of ?rrn nndjfammunlt Jon he may neom nerp^^fy for attaining an ultimate vu forv? This action indicates ihat Rue* In is not efcncero in he? expres sions of a deaire for peace. ? One hundred aud seventy Italian la borers arrived at Sewalls Point ready to do the first work on the Jamestown Exposition. Alton Parker Hall, grandson of Judge Alton B. Jparkcr, ram? near losing hla life Saturday while swimming in the -'Hudson river with hla grandfather. The was on the back of bis or when tie suddenly became *?4 lipa choking hie t. He lost lite hold end fell water. II* ?a* rescued and t tt? ?hore eefely. PALMETTO CROP CONDITIONS Weather Condition* Given Out by the Department Observer. H?e South Carolina section of tin- I)e . partmont of Agriculture iwttue# the fol lowing official bullet in of weather und crop condition* for (ho pant week: 1 ho week ending Monday, July 24th, had a moan t*?mpt>rature about 2 d?? I gtotii day abovo normal, 'flip ex tremes wore a maximum of too de giccs at Hlackville ahd Florence on the | 20th and a minimum of CI degrees at ('harleston on the 10th and at Green ville on the fotb. it was somewhat eooler at i hp dose of the week, The sunshine was normal, or slightly above, and wag highly beneficial. Theie wu;e ^ f^fr local high winds, bui ny serious damage was done, There wan practically no itiln over the eastern half of the Slate; in the <ontial counties (here woio numorous loc*y showers. some of which were hoavy; there word also scattered light ehowfiis over the wostorn counties. What rain fell was highly beneficial. as it occur; pd in localities that needed (t. t voi Hip greater portion of the ccp'ral and southern count iOs tho ground has brcomo very dry and rain is needed! Where {ho rainfall was heavy last week eropa did exceptionally well, but where Jt was light last week and none foil his weok, crops .suffered and general ly deteriorated coition by wilting undOr the high temperature, and rusting, turning yellow and shedding; corn by nnng and wilting Cultivation made fair progreRS and over a largo portion o IhO State crops havo boon laid by although this work will not he com pleted for spveral weeks. Cotton continued to make rapid growth generally and has too a large weed and too little fruit over tho greater portion, while a number of re ports indicate that growth has stop j pod. and that the plants are blooming to the top. There are fewer reports of damage from insects, and more of rust and shedding and of plants turning yel | low. Cotton is beginning to open in lower T tarn well county. There is a general Improvement in both old and late corn, although the I formt't^ is too nearly ripe to benefited by the recent rainy ! odder pulling has begun. Some old corn ? fired" to the ears. Hottoni lands that, were Hooded are recovering slow i>. J he heat and insects have injured growing tobacco. Selecting and curing are active. Peas for forage are promis ing. Rice Is beginning to head in the Colleton district; June rice being cul tivated in the Georgetown district I'hs excellent, reaches are fa 1-1 y plen um! but many are rotting on the trees. Let. on to pears are ripening. Sweet po tatoes and cane are doing well. Proposed New Lines. | nennettsville. S. C.. Special? Tho talk which your correspondent heard during his recent trip across the State and n few days stays at White Stone Springs was not confined to newspa pers and polities. The industrial prog ress and prosperity of South Carolina, especially In the Pee Dec section. wPre topics of general discussion. The ques tion of railroad building and boat transportation along the l?ee Dee |3 receiving not a little attention. One of the important pNijCT ted rail roads is from Dillon to Gibson, con necting there witli a branch of the Seaboard to Hamlet. The promoters of this enterprise say that the road will be built. It is stated tha't Dillon has subscribed $10,000. l.ittle Rock $io 000. Clio $5, 0(H) and .McColl $10,000 fo'i ihlsM-oad. it will pass through the. besj, f-Vtion of Marlboro and Marion countie^:, and its promoters expect it to pay/ good dividends, besides enhanc ing the value of the already valuable property along tho line. I File licnnettsville and Chora w > road is also preparing to make an extension. A meeting of (he stockholders has bfon called to Increase the capital stock from ?1 00,000 to ^200.000. The direction of the extension has not been deter mined upon, it will probably go south ward by Klenhdm or Drake Mr Mathoson and the other financiers who are back of this road have South port as their ^objective point, and hope to reach that splendid port In the not distant future. Quarantines Against New Orleans. Havana. Hy Cable. ? On account of j the existence of yellow fever at New I Orleans, quarantine has been declar- | ed agninst that port. The Southern Pacific line steamer Excelsior, whieh : *is duo hero Monday, has sixty young women students from Texas Colloeco on board. The officials ray that they ' will ho required to remain 0:1 the ves- 1 vol or to undergo the usual Ave days' detention at the quarantine station. Colonel Lamont Dead. Pnnghkec|.sic. N. Y., Special. ? Col. Daniel I. anient. Secretary of War under President Cleveland, died at 9:15 Sun day evening at his county residence, at Milhrook, Duchess county. N. Y., after a brief illness. Heart failure was the cause l>f death. Col. and M:s. Lamont weie or.i driving thU afternoon and Col. Lament appeared to be enjoying fthe best of health. After dinner he rom f/lalned of feeling ill and f)r. Stewart, of New York, who is a guest at' the bonso, immediately went to his aid. The physician diagnosed the case as an at tack of heait failure and in upite of the heroic treatment. Mr. Lamont passed A way within half an hour. Caught With the Goods on Him. Greenville, Special. ? Constable Alt om returned to the city Monday after noon from the upper,*ectlon of the county wlv?ro he appeared before Mag istrate J80uth<?rn as a witness against llarvc Cox. indicted for violation of tho dispensary law. During the trial a witness named Jesse Brooks, rotored, was placed on tho, stand. OkaUbl* Attorn noticed a very fall hip po<%et on the witness, who was dlacorertd to hava'% pint of blockade liquor oiAWi peraon. Occurrence.} of Interest In Various Parte of the State. Geneal Cotton Market. GalVcstoit, 'quid 1<itm Now Orleans, quiet 10% Mobile, dull ?' , , I"% Savannah, quiet 10% Charleston, quiet H>% Norfolk, steady IOTJj Haltimorc, nominal II New York, quiet 11 Boston, quiet . . 11 Philadelphia, quiet 11.23 Houston, easy 10 1 1 - 1 ?? Augusta, steady l"% Memphis, steady 1 <> '4 St. l>ouin, quiet 10% Louisville, firm 10% Charlotto Cotton Market. These figures represent prices paid to ?gons: Strict good middling lOVfc flood middling 10 Vis Rt rift middling 10% Middling lO'/fc Tinges to 10.10 Stains 7 to S7? A Sensational Report Current. A Darlington special to the Charlotto Observer of Saturday, gives the fol lowing strange story: "1 don't know what went with the money, *' confessed the attorney for Uoherl Keith DAt'gai), the mail tvhom a eo roller's jury pftfiiounced a suicide on July llili. "\Ve have not been able to discover intieh but dolus. It does not seem that he had $100 when ho died." This whole section of South Carolina Is under intense oxoitoinent over the report that the supposed suieide is not dead at nil and that the alleged awful tragedy of July 10th was a faive. They say thai a man who was connected with the imlepemltht Cotton Oil Com pany and who is now ill Franco, ear lied (lie iqoney away with him. The Company was capitalized at $1,000,000 and was supposed to be worth more. H was a tremendous concern. The im posing 'sign, hung above the first stair landing to iis offices. read: "Ceneral. Offices the Darlington Oil Company. Anson Oil and Ice Company, Chesterfield County Oil Company, the Mai ion Oil Mill Company, Manning Oil and Illuminating Company, Farmers" Cotton oil Company, Robert K?dil? Dargan. (leneral Manager," Mr. Dargan has been general mana ger for years. ^ The by-laws, adopted by ?ho director^, gave him virtually un limited power, and nobody knew much about the, business except himself. At each successive meeting of the direc tors, even at their late meeting in June, they adoptt^l resolutions affirming and iv affirming their complete confidence in Dargan. The stockholders thought the big combination Immensely pros perous on account of the handsome dividends they received -dividends. It is said, which invaded the capital stock. This history, together with the re port that Dargan went to Paris two years ago and had a waxen imago made of himself, and another that his broth er. peer am, had been for several years studying hypnotism .and occult arts i.n'the North; the fact that the kro ner did not go In with his jury to view 'the corpse and the rumor that he said after the burial that he could not swear that Dargan was dead: that \V. F. Dar gan ordered out of the mansion two men who had come with the Jury to see the body:" ffiaf the grave was bricked and cemented; that there was a gener al effort to avoid publicity on. the night of the tragedy, and other rumors and reports too numerous to recount, con stitute the basis for the widespread suspicion that it was a put-up job. So frantic has gossip grown thnt a tel ephone message went abroad thty th^ rravo had oeen opened and found empty.j ? The coroner tells me that on the night of the 10th, when he got to the office where the deed was done, ho found the front door and partition door locked.' In the back room were Pegram Dargan. Dr. 10 d wards and the deail man. The dead man's jaws were tied with a towel to prevent his mouth from falling open. He was sitting in an easy chair with his feet, upon a book care. Dr. Ed wards said that lie was dend when first examined by him. Itoth W. F. and Pegram Dargan asko.i t lie coroner if he recognized the corpse, and he replied that ho did. and that it was liobert Keith Dargan. They told him that they did not want a crowd to collect or any publicity, and he agreed that they might remove the corpse to the mansion. When they were taking It up to hear it to the car riage al the door, the coroner offQiod t<> assist them, but Pegram ohjeclkd. The coroner thrust, an arm under I fie lody anyhow while they were lifting ii into the carriage . It had not yet, h* said, grown cold. This was the last time l he coroner saw the dead man. ' If l?itad l^?e 'authority." ho ?jaid, "1 would have the grave opened. "It's the shortest way to stop all this talk." Must Serve His Sentence. The State supreme court last wbek handed down a fiecision iii the capo of tho State. against John Iteecior. charged with muidcr. The accused was tried for having shot and killed How ard Stevens in the city of Newberry on the 14th of June. 1904. The. case was tried before James V. Culbroth. special judge, and the accused was eonvictel and, upon re,??mmendntion to mercy, was given a life sentence. A motion for a new trial was overruled, and an ap peal was taken. The supreme eom-t yes terday handed down its decision sus taining the lower court, and Ihe con victed man will be brought to the Stare piison to serve his sentence. 30 Ye?n For Attempted Assault. Sumter, S. C\, Special. ? Jes?c.Ne!3on. the negro who was arrested Mond?y for an attempted criminal assault oi a white woman Sunday, was foun \ guilty and given the extreme limit n? Ihe law, 30 .ream, besides the unex^;c I part of a sentence from which he: cV c?p*d recently for another ?*rU?o. 'i be tMal lasted the entire day and Ne>on was represented by counsel. Ne!|m was hid In ttie woods Monday by hh captors and kept In concealment nntti the jud?? promised as immediate trial. TOSHIP SCaPPERNONGS An Effort Will Be Made to Create ? New Market For These Grapes. Columbia Cor. charlotte Observer: Commissioner Watson r efforts to Hni) a market for South Carolina a? up pornongs as initial step toward devel oping the scuppernong industry on a largo Acalo, (his State growing tho Hu es! typo ?if (hofje grapes in dia world, from the mountains t?? (ho ne aboard! has just resulted in an order for the first ear load from a I.Ik champagne and wine-making concern ai Hermann Mo. "Of course, on the sticc osh of (he maikoting of this first car load." said Commissioner Watson to The Observer correspondent, 'largely depends the fu ture of the industry, and it is of the highest Importance to not (he fruit to its destination in koo<| shape. Put 1 have no fear of the results. The finest scuppernong grapes in the world are grown right here in South Carolina, and the crop can he produced in great abundant e anywhere mi either the ? oast, middle or Piedmont sections. If Hie fruit can be gotten to market in t;o.)d condition splendid prices can be obtained, | have every reason to be lieve." I his fit fit ear is to be made up from two well known South Carolina vino yaido. and it the experiment proves successful Commissioner Watson ex pects to see a general revival and ex tension of the industry. Sciippernoiig grow in i; has never been an extensive industry in this State, though tho fruit grow:; luxuriantly almost anywhere in the Slate. Since the dispensary law ? went into effect, forbidding the manu facture ami sale of wine, the few pay ing vineyards that existed then have been allowed to run down to a great extent. The Missouri people intend to use t lie Soi'tli Carolina scuppernong as a basic mape in the manufacture of -')? i'nd ii the hopes of tho m luufac t ures are realized to oven any reasonable extent a market will be promptly opened for all that South - I o.iii.t cell grow, and it is expec ted t>!.:t the ? 1 1 ' 'c(>sg_uf <- thi; experiment in (his Stale w j>f promptly result in an extension yf tfir gra ,ic* industry into North Cayoljna and Georgia. partieu larl.v fint> sciippornonrs bcjnrr growing in North Carolina, where, it is said, there is one vineyard whose ramifica tions covers nearly ten acres. Cue of the largest and most prolific senppcniong vineyards in the State is that near Columbia, now the property of Lieut. Gov. .John T. Sloan. I'p to KSOI this was operated with great suc cess by Mr. K. M. Stevber. but with the coming of the dispensary he had to abandon the business. The Seaboard now splits the plantation in twain. fu Darlington county there are a in ml. or > if large and productive vines, as t her? are elsewhere throughout the Stale . i,t, ( there are few vineyards now. t he sruppernong grape was introduced into Aiken county over fifty years ago by Dr. J. 0. W. McDonald, who plant ed several large vinoynrdo, but his busi ness was practically wiped out by the Civil War. There are mc.ny handsome single vines at dwellings in that eoun \ty. however, the largest in the State fyj.'ng that at Mr. A. J. Soldier's place, oirynt miles from Aiken court house, near Croft station. Commissioner Watson has a grati fying report from his Belgium and Holland special representative. Mr. C. ?J. C. van Wyngaarten, who went over the first of Hie summer with steroopti eon and literature to give lectures. He wrilrs from The Hague that he has suc ceeded in arorsing a lively interest and ? s ro'ning to America in a few weeks to prepare for tho coining of the Immi grants. Commissioner Watson has ap pointed a fcpocial representative at Tho Hague in the person of Oscar P. Sctau Jor. and Mr. l-\ w. C.rauert will sail in a very few days on the Hamburg American Line for extensive work in Germany. For Better 'Phone Rates. Columbia. Special. ? At a recent meet ing of the railm-id commission, Maj. .!?*!> II I'.irle Introduced a resolution mviiinj; the i em eseiwativos of all in (?ep--*nde n; telephone lines in the State, as well as t lie lepnsentativcs of the Pcil company, to appear before, tho commission on the 1st clay of August to give their views on certain matters. I he principal reason for issuing this summons is t<> .-et the charge of $2.50 ;>f r annum per "phone whenever they make conn* <?! ion with the Pell com pany's long distance line. Fifteen Injured in Collision. Ports inou! h. N. II., Special. ? l'iftoen persona we ." injured, eleven of them serioualy, ^in<l three of (hem probably fatally, in a collision between two dec I* it- ears on lh<? line of the Portsmouth ele.trii Railway. near this city, parly Sunday evening. The cars crashed to relher on a meep urarte antj wh|_)| rounding a firve. neither motornr seeing the other car in time, to p? v?.nt a collision. Spartanburg Postoffc?, Spartanburg, Special. ? There much interest being taken by In : unt ractors in the Federal build which will be orected in thin city j which will cost ?Jf>0.000. The sea bids will bj opened by the governm architect, James Km.x Taylor, on ?! 26t.h, and the contract awarded. I far there have been 16 bids tubmir and these come from all over country, thin city Included. One . Is from New York, another Trom \V.' ington. Rt 111 another from Rlchmq one from Greensboro. on rfrom <ir?j ville, and so on. The. plans and si? ficationa call for n modern posto buildinR. one s?orv, with basemen. Death of Mr. Thompson. 1 Rock HH1. Special.? Mr. Jack Tho< r,?;n. r.on of I'rof. J. W. Thompson, > at the family home here Satin night of fever, after ? brief Illness. ; news of his rtrath brought n shoclj the frlendu of the faintly. The rcnK wjll l>e taken to Ah.1?evillo for In* ment. It was known t"h?t the youth \ suffering from fever and It was thoi that he was recovering. Just before* death, however, there was a sucl change for the worse and, despite ev effort, he succumbed. i iffliif ims of mm I Note* About Cotton Mills and Other Southern Industries. Tho Colum liiit State says: Mr J. A. j Clarkson, of Hopkins. brought to tin' 1 lily some (qieclments of eoitou which i appear to have been wither*".! l,y "f'1' Mug or to Iiiivo been Scalded l?y I he { hiiii. Hut the cause of this I > 1 i k 1 1 1 Ik tin1 i pretence of myriads of small while ! moths which in 11 week destroyed a | patch of five acres belonging to a negro. j Tho mollis were -first noliccd oil a pokeberry hush whieh they dooii do- 1 storyed, and from there l hey spread j over tho cotton Held, Another patch ' of one acre hap also boon ruined. Mt/j Clarkson. being the magistrate of that j place, wan appealed to, and In: br/n'^ht specimens t?f the ruined cotton /o he city. Mr. J. W\ Ihtuer, section director, upon seeing tllO cotton stalks, states that tho mailer should be referred to Dr. Charles K. Chamhliss, of Clciuson 1 College, the Stnto entomologist. Mr. j Clarkson wiN meet at the station any | teprctjentsMve of the government or of Clemson College who will make an ex animation. I ho stockholders ot the laimhcrtou Cotton Mlll.s, of laimbertoii. N. C., hold their annual meeting last week. They found the reports of the management satisfactory, and a 'J per cent, quarter Iv dividend was derlared. The com ] puny is now preparing tho site and I building materials for its addition, j to bo erected. As previously slated, i this additicn will bo one story high. 78xLM;7 feet, to contain 1)2-10 spindles, and its cost will be about $100,000. Contracts for the machinery have been placed with tho leading New Kugland machinery builders. A cotton waste mill is the largest industry planned for Spartanburg and is the outcome of the visit of Messrs. Corr, AyerS and Hoffman, well known Host on and Philadelphia capitalists and mill factors to that city. To party inspected several available site^ for the proposed factory and expressed themselves as being highly pleased with the place. The building of the mill will likely be the result of their visit. The plant will be something new in tho,-* cotton mill industry for this secttffm and the estimated cost is $2P'J,000. Its products are rope, twine aud various other articles that can be made from col ton waste. l'htt Dixie Cotton Mills, Lagrange, (la., held its annual meeting of direc tors and stockholders last week. The report of the management for the year's business ending June 30 was found to be satisfactory. Besides charging a largo part pf tho earnings to tho purchase of machinery installed during tho year, an amount was wet aside to pay tho 3 per cent, semiannual dividend on October ;l, and 5 1 0,000 was added to the surplus fund. At. the animal mooting at Wara Shoals of tho stockholders of the Waro Shoals Manufacturing Company, of i^aurens, S, C., tho following directors were elected: J. O. C. Fleming, N. B. Dial, of I^aurenr,, J. T. Johnson. Spar tanburg. Benjamin B. ifVegol, John S. Ftiegol, George E. Hiegel, Howard Riegol, E. YV. Sparks. New York. Sub sequently (he board reelected Mr. Dial president and Benjamin li. Hie gel treasurer. A charter has been granted the Po mona Manufacturing Company, of Greensboro, capital stock. $ur>0.000, fo make yarns. cotton goods, etc., among the stockholders being J. E. Serlce, J. E. Southerland. and W. p. Southerland, of Greenville, S. C.: A. T. Wing, of Palmer, Miss.; Kee H. Battle, Greensboro, and several others from that town. TEXTILE NOTES. (Krom the Manufacturers' Record. ) Tro limner IS. O.) Cotton Mils hnp declared an annual dividend of 3 per cent. 'Tro Clover (S. C.) Cotton Manufac turing; Co. has declared Its usual an nual dividend of 10 per cent. It is reported that the Chinnnhco iciteu. yni ectfully , 1 . You]lg. > Ashcr&it's idition Powder es i nd mules fat without bloating, kils it tl oroughly cleansing the system Homing perfect assimilation of fOi tho sol d muscle and fat. los* [am A. ns 1 00 be 160 ICC ?.ff ihV fltO ino null ? improve in appetite and spii 8on. iv cljses, the hair sheds, and the sBlue sek and glossy. ? nidi .ion Powders are packed in dos idle* and good for horses and mules oijp^1" vernal tqnic and appetizer, being )nn ixia i of over a quarter of a cental inj>. orenost remedy in its class on^ * ? i ta mws/m cfcage* >i <?? 3h rr. aigf ^ VIEWS OF MH. McLAUKIN Ex-8enator Score? The State Liquor Institution in Strong Terms. Columbia State. A Krt'Mt meeting was held ni Dillon Tuesday. it wax a fanners' meeting, and wan addressed by several promi nent speakers. who discussed the questions of tho day. At length the dispensary came In for a shun- of in teresting lurk. This was occasioned by th<> r? ? p I y of former Senator .Mci.auriti to some questions whic h were submitted to him during the course of his speech. H was understood by some llmi tho meet lug was to he hold tinder t lift aus pices ami in the interests <if t )i < * South < rn Cotton AhKociat ion, with politics entirely ollnilnat ed. This rulo had been adhered to by Mr. It. I*. tinnier and Senator 11. I. Manning, the two first speakers. The Dispensary. Korine. Senator McDaurin had spok en for about ten minutes, following these lines also, when a gentleman from the audience approac'jied the plat lorm and handed the speaker a paper. Ilaviiu; finished Ills sentence, s Mr. Mc liiiuriiT Tvai tho paper, then read It t < > the >'iu?icu< e, and the paper in ques tion way as follows: "Senator: At our committee meeting yesterday we decided we were all of one acord on the cotton question, hav ing read much on the subject and hav ing many able speakers who will fol low you here today. For that reason we decided that we Would remind you that the burning question of the hour with Ms is and will lie for tin* immedi ate future, dispensary or no dispen sary, and if yon iiave no serious ob jections* we would like to hear >our views on the subject/ What do you think of i'.iu dispensary laws :is ii Is writ on the statute books of this State, km! as it has boon, "Ms, and probably will be, as Ion ^ as !( Is a law. executed by those 111 authority?" Signed: \V. T. Met hea. W. Al. I lamer, K. !,. Moore, Ii. H. Hamer, Wade Stack house. V Mr. Mc|,aurin said that ln'vl.iad been charged by some as being a politician, and this subject was one that politi cians are now dodging pretty skill fully, but. thut. ho had stayed in Wash ington long enough to get above that. He had never failed to expressed his opinion upon any public question, and If they wanted to hear him discuss the dispensary law he would do so. The crowd at once vociferously sig nalized a desire for this .very tiling, and the speaker warmed up so In stantaneously that he began by say ing: "If you'll excuse 'mo, 111 shed a collar." Collar and tie at once came off. and all the forces at the speaker's command \yero brought to boar upon the subject. Mr. Mei-anrln, in un measured terms, condemned the entire system, from its very beginning. Ilo had no good word for It, but condemn ed It as a reproach upon the State, a reproach that tlmo could not efface. He paid sarcastic reference to "the sage of Tventbn and his quiet dairy farm,'' and drew a parallel from Louis XV and his guillotine to "our 'grand monarch' whoso destruction is before him." The chairman called tlmo on tho speaker twice, but amid great ap plause ho was asked to continue. The second time he was called the crowd again shouted for him to continue and when Mr. F. H. Weston gav? him flvo minutes of his time and Mr. F., II. Hyatt followed with ur, similar state ment, tho speaker continued amid re newed cheers and applause. Farmers Rally at Aiken. Aiken, Special. ? There will lie rft meeting of the Cotton Growers' Asso ciation of Aiken county at the court house next Saturday at 11 o'clock. All -the Aiken 'county clubsjire inylted to attend and every citizen, no matter what his calling may be, who Is inter ested in the prosperity of the South, Ik Invited to attend and join the as sociation, the cost of doing; no being only 25 cents per annum. The matter of building a cot ton warehouse in Ai ken will bo discussed and It Is believed that the plans for doing so will be perfected. If this warehouse can be built, it will greatly reduce the chances of a repetition of the losses recently sustained by the farmers of Aiken county. Other matters of vital Interest to the people will be discuss* i d. Mr. \V.<j\V. Woolsey, president. of the association, extends a cordial In vitation to all and hopes that every farmer in Aiken county ^tolll be pros < nt. It is hoped that president Jordan and others will address the meeting. Wofford's New Building. Spartanburg, Special. ? Work on tho new building, which will be an ex tension of the Wofford College Fitting school, has begun. This will be a very attractive and substantial struc ture, two stories high, of brick, con taining Ave class rooms and an as sembly hall. The old building will be nsed as a dormitory. Tho attendance of the fitting school for the past sev eral sessions has been so decidedly increased as to necessitate more room, and the college authorities wise ly decided to have adequate facilities ! furnished by erecting the new billM I lng. Cotton Warehouse Companies. A charter waa issued . to the Dillon. Storage Company, which is ca^tallied at $3,000. R. P. Stackhouse isp&sl dent and Wade Stackhoose secretary and treasurer. The purpose of thb company Is to store cotton. Another organisation having the satfae purpose la the Orangeburg Warehouse. Com pany. capitalised at ??, 000. Tfcts com pany waa cftutttfd jwtwjv, the of fleers being J. * Karhy, prWtat, Robert U4*. socreUry sM t % . * V, STATE AFTER EQUITABLE New York to Invcst'gate All Life In surance Companies. LEGISLATURE NAM ?S COMMITTEE Oo vernor 1 1 1 kk 1 >i m a S|><M'lal M??*? ?nil" ami Hmiiilii autl Amtonilily .loin In a Kt'nol ut ton to M aim an Inquiry IjiIo l.Mo I n nii railed MrllioilHanil Draft Now I.O|(il>ll) t lull , 4 Albany, N. V. tJovornor lliggins hy n message to the Legislature caused tln> appoint nicnt of a joint copimit too of both hotixes w hjoli will at Kin a t borough investigation into tffAfe kquifahlc Lif?? A Hntii'ii nee scandal, as^ well UN into the business methods of the other life insurance companies, misuse ami mismanagement < f tho III i h I ij of the polit y holders. Senators Armstrong, Tully and lUor* dan havo boon appointed to tho joint committee front (lie upper house, The sum of $AO,ihio was appropriated for the use of the eommlttoo in con* tltiel I n>< its Investigations, file Joint committee is^ii-di'tiotoiVto prepare antt roooinmontf^u the iivit Legislature, whloli meets In JanuaryT^* "stielt proposed legislation as, may bo adeipiato and proper lo restore public confidence ami to compel life insur a nee companies to conduct a safe, hon est and open business for the lienelit of their policy holders." Those who have been contending that v savings banks safeguards bo thrown -? around Investment* by insurance eom pantes of ' money belonging to the pol icy holders are plea sett exceedingly by that portion of the Governor's message which, refers to remedial legislation needed, lie says Investments must be restricted, salaries must be kept within the limit of the commercial Value of i lie services performed, policy holders must lie vested with greater power in the government of the companion and trustees must, he hold to strict account* - ability. "Tin? State cannot pi,rmll*>the sub-. Joels of its supervision to exist as li censed prodigals of other people's money without becoming an accom plice to the offense," said the Governor. "We cannot judge all life insurance companies by the sins of one. We should not destroy the edlftcn to rid our selves of the vermin that Infest it, nor should we kill the patient to stop the progress of the disease. A revision 'of our Insurance law Is n^cepsary, but It should be made with t'almness, dellb oration and Intelligence and aftercare* - ful investigation." ? , It is admitted the task put upon the special committee Is one of great mag* nitudo. Doing business in New York . State at this time arc forty-two old lino or level premium life insurance companies. Fifteen work under New! York charters^-* It Is Intimated tlici committee scafwly will attempt to lnJ | vestlgate more than these Netv Sol's companies, which Include the Equit able, the Mutual Life and the Newj York Life. Six of these lift eon hofnej ' companies within a few mouths haver been criticised for their methods of"" doing business. The gross assets of these fifteen com panics are * 1,480, 480, 100.34; liabilities, $1,250, 807, 770.22; surplus and special ? funds. ? 128, 723, (K52.ll; income ip 1004, Vil44.400.284.04. It is asserted Jhat even to investigate thoroughly the tUteen hoiue companies; to- say nottiIng"olU'v those chartered outside ' the State, would require more tlipe than iuter? veucs between now and the next ses sion of the Legislature. . Several ? mouths would l?o required for a slngl* big 'company like the I5quitable. The preamble of the Ariustrbng reao* hit Ion declared that the Kgy I fo_blQ situ-. - r.tion had disclosed that tho ptesent lii- . sura nee laws wct!e inadequate to pafe* guartl the policy holders, and that a re vision of the Insurance laws should be undertaken. It was asserted that <{.??? : Inquisitorial powers of the SuperintCn-, ? tlcMt of Insurance were limited, ' and that a legislative Investigation was needed to &ulde the Legislature in for mulating new legislation. The resolu? tion proper provided: "That a joint committee l>o appoint ed, which, after the adjournment .of tho extraordinary session, shall pro ceed to examine into the affairs of life insurance companies with reference to Investments, the relations of officers to such Investments, the relations of com? panics lo subsidiary corporations, tb* ? government and control, the contractu* nl relations of snld companies to thel* <; policy holders, the cost of life Insur ance. tha^expeiises. of companies and any other phases of the life insurance? business doomed by the committee to be proper, for the purpose of drafting ontl reporting to the next session .oftbe Legislature revision of the laws." The only, debate upon the .resolution was upon tho amount of the appropriat - ion. Tho original amount was. $25, .100. ThtvFfftartco Coipmlttee*ncroalea it to ?5< WOO. (J OWNS FOB JERSEY BENCBU . All tlio Judges to Follow Example of - Court of Errors." Trenton, N. J.? The deternrtnatJton_OX.^I (lie .Imlgcs of the Court of Error* and Apju'iils fij^woar Mack silk oowus situ- " Hav lo .'Uolmjif the Federal Judges. b*r*; resulted InxHie decision to weA&gO' lu all of tire Htate courts. lililor .Justice (iumnifre says that elTrt t will he especially beneficial criminal cases. Where the aim !g? linpre*K the criminal clasae?' "^IguTty and majesty or ins tate." rCIAN'CJHAI BEGINS BOYC p&l&iuhurf Oil to Be Banwrt \ o l*y the Chlueae^t Khaugliaf, China". ? Tfce African goods is now wr*" ha* brMI agivri IhatlhaM a'!l running contracts flu* ho allow oil. Mranw* nerc shop* refm>r WmSUm jrofh f-^TyU ^ W, . , . ,