Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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One Dollar and a Half a Year. BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1918. Established 1891. ' corny news leiteis SOME INTERESTING HAPPENINGS IN VARIOUS SECTIONS. News Items Gathered All Around the County and Elsewhere. J} Branchviile Brevities. Branchville. Jan. 5.?Mr. H. S. Byrd, from Camp Sevier, was at borne on a short visit this week. Mrs. J. E. Hutto, of Charleston, spent a few days with relatives here during the week. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Long have returned from a visit to relatives in North Carolina. Miss Mary Sturkey, of McCormick, is visiting Mrs. T. O. Edwards. Mr. and Mrs. Sollie Byrd have re turned to their home in Savannah, I after a short visit to relatives and friends here. Mrs. Nettie Watson, of Sellers, who has been visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Edwin Berry, has returned to her home. Miss Virginia Ayer, of Blackville, who has been visiting Miss Sallie Tyler, has returned to her home. Miss Alice Evans has returned from a visit to relatives in Holly Hill. Colston Clippings. Colston, Jan. 8.?Christmas passed off very quietly in this section. The k visitors have all returned to their ? work. Among those who were home for from school tne t^linstuiao tavauuu were: Misses Mamie McMillan and Easter Padgett, of Bamberg graded echool; Miss Annie Florence Fender, of Summerland college, and Miss Claire Kearse, of Winthrop. Misses Alberta Kearse and Evelyn Kirkland spent Saturday night and Sunday with Miss Mamie McMillan. Misses Sadie Boyd and Pearle Hutson, teachers of the Colston graded school, returned on the first to re^ same their school duties on the second, but on account of the snow there was no school until Thursday. La grippe holds the key to a good many doors at present. Miss Lottie Rentz, of Ehrhardt, is spending some time with her sister, Mrs. J. M. Clayton, of this section. The Sundav visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Fmk were: Misses Sadie Boyd, Bessie Kirkland, Mary Clayton, and Messrs. Sammie Clayton, Claude and Frank Kirkland. We are very sorry to say that Mrs. Jeff Kearse and Mr. George Beard are still very ill. \ Messrs. George and Gerald Kearse returned home last week after spend[ ing a short while with Mr. Ernest Chassereau, of Adams Run. Miss Mirtie Birt, of Elko, left Suni day after a short visit at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Clayton. Messrs. Jeter Hutto and Isadore TrorQ ri'aitnrs - AQUUiau, U1 Diav/aiia&, nw v in this section Saturday night and Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Zeigler spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Beard. Supreme Court Upholds Draft. Washington, Jan. 7.?Every contention raising against the selective draft was swept aside by the supreme court today in a unanimous ^ opinion delivered by Chief Justice White, upholding the law as constitutional. Authority to enact the statute and to send forces to fight the enemy wherever he may be found, the court held, lies in the clauses of the constitution, giving congress the powei to declare war and to rise and support armies. "As the mind cannot conceive ae army without men to compose it,' said the chief justice, "on the face ol the constitution the objection thai it does not give power to provide for such men would seem to be toe frivolous for further notice." The opinion then proceeded tc take up and definitely dispose ol each of the many questions raisec v by council for the convicted person* * * Al 1 1*^ wnose appeals urougiu me iaw uofore the court. No action was taken by the couri in the several pending cases in volving charges of conspiracy to pre vent the carrying out of the purposes of the law. It is understood thai j these cases, which include the appeals of Alexander Berkman, Emma Gold man, Louitf Kramer and Morris Beck er, convicted in New York, later ma? be made the subject of a separat* opiniorf. _j mm Watermans Ideal Fountain Pens a Herald Book Store. ?L * fc. STORY LED TO WEST POINT i How General Pershing Became 1 Soldier. It was a newspaper story that ( diverted John J. Pershing from his purpose to become a school teacher and started him upon the military career which led to his a.ppointment as general in the United States army and commander of the American expeditionary force in France, rne story is told by General Pershing's sister, Mrs. Butler and Miss May Pershing, who are residents of Lincoln, Neb., and who have given to the Associated Press intimate views of Pershing's character in his youthful days. It was while Pershing and his sister now Mrs. Butler were attending 'the Missouri State Normal School at Kirksville, Mo., that his attention was one day called to a newspaper announcement that examinations were to be held for appointment to the West Point Military Academy. Young Pershing asked his sister's advice as to whether he should try for the appointment and she advised him to do so. Then followed a short season of intensive study in preparation. In a few days he was called before the examining board and, although improperly prepared, received the highest mark among the contestants and soon afterward was notified of his appointment. Up to this time his action had been a secret between his sister and himself and it remained so until he was ready to start for West Point. On his way to the military academy he stopped off at the home of his parents and for the first I tViom thov u'oro tn hnvp a lllilC LU1U lU^UJ IUVJ M v. V WW ? ? soldier in the family. Boyhood Days. As a boy, General Pershing, his sisters say, was of a quiet, serious temperament, assuming, as the oldest of six children, many of the responsibilities of the family. He was wont, during his early years which were spent in Laclede, Mo., his birthplace, to manage one of the several farms operated by his father, John F. Pershing, a merchant and farmer of Laclede. "John," Mrs. * Butler said, "although of a quiet disposition, liked a good time and enjoyed fun as much as any one. Yet when he started anything he wanted to get the result and he generally attained that object before he gave it up." While at the normal school at Kirksville, he was always in the center of student activities and never was content to be merely one of the crowd but he wanted to be head of tk? movement. His personal magnetism and generally likeable character quickly won him friends and supporters and soon became one of , the student leaders. After having been graduated from West Poinfc\and having served with General Miles in a campaign in New Mexico against the Indian chief, Geronimo, Pershing was stationed as military instructor at the University of Nebraska. His friends there remember him as a fun loving young man who enjoyed music and dancing parties and other social activities, and who appreciated a good joke. "Old Jack Best," the veteran train! er at the university remembers Per" shing intimately. "He was the finest ; man that I ever worked with," said ) Best. "It's true he was mighty " strict with his work but the result he got were so good that everybody he worked with loved him for it. When he was here he had a regiment * the university could be proud of. I " just worshipped that man and everybody around the university felt the * same way about him. If any of you newspaper men get a chance to tell 1 it to him, you just say that old Jack wishes him the best r f luck in the world and that he hop??s\i >. will beat - the Germans all alone.' * "Usually he was mighty dignified ) in his work but he had a way of get ?> i.' J ting next to new men, cunuuueu > Best. "The first time I evv.r saw him f he walked right up to me, slapped me 1 on the shoulder and said, 'Well, Jack, 5 they tell me you got along mighty " well with my predecessor. If you did I am darned sure we'll get along just t as well.' ? Had to Black Shoes. "The hoys at the university got a 5 surprise the first day Pershing drillt edvthem," said Best. "It had heen 5 their habit be'ore that time to come to drill with shoes blackened or not just as they pleased. When Pershr ing took hold, the first thing he look3 ed at was to see that all shoes were well blacked and that the heels lookt ed as good as the toes. He was just that thoroughgoing in everything al IN THE PALMETTO STATE I SOME OCCURRENCES OF VARIOUS KINDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. State News Boiled Down for Quick Reading.?Paragraphs About Men and Happenings. \ The Gaffney town council has taken charge of the fuel situation and has sent a messenger to the mines to see what can be done. Traffic had to be suspended over 11? XTT~L - ?? nnox Piimdon Tact 1116 WilLeitC 1 1 V CI licni uuuiuv/u i?u> Wednesday on account of the large Quantities of ice in the channel. General Duvall, of the army, and Admiral Beatty, of the navy, requested Charleston merchants on Monday J of last week not to sell fireworks of I any kind to enlisted men. The enlisted men became somewhat riotous on King street on Christmas eve. Sumter county citizens are making a vigorous protest against a recommendation of the county board of commissioners to curtail the work of the home demonstration and domestic science clubs of the county by cutting off the pay of the agents. The State highway commission has already issued 2,000 automobile licenses for the year 1918, although motorists still have a month in which to secure the new tags. License fees collected by the commission fo$ the past year amounted to $113,506.71. Of this amount $S8,62V9 was turned back to the authorities of the various counties of the State, this being 80 per cent, of the entire sum collected. The balance was turned over to the State. Ostriches at $5 Apiece. Until very recently the price of an ostrich was $500. It was not always possible to obtain the birds for as little as that. But a few months ago, in Arizona, a cash buyer could get as many of them as he wanted for $5 a piece. Freakish fashion had a good deal to do with it. The demand for ostrich plumes had fallen off. The war was partly responsible. But there were other causes. One of the greatest ostrich farms in the world, maintaining a stock of 1,000 birds, was mixed up with a speculation in Arizona real estate and went into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, in South Africa, owing to the war and lack of demand by fashion, the domesticated ostriches have been allowed to perish by the thousand of sheer starvation. It did not pay to feed them. It costs money to feed an ostrich, though the huge fowl will eat almost anything of a vegetable nature. In Arizona and southern California (where the industry was formerly so thriving) the birds subsist chiefly on chopped alfalfa, cabbage and unmarketable oranges, of which last (fed to them whole) they are re.markably fond.?Philadelphia Ledger His Body Frozen. Georgetown, Jan. 5.?The body of Harry McNaron, who went duck hunting Thursday with two friends, J. P. Schroeder and D. Mishow, was froj zen in a boat drifting in the river I near Georgetown'Friday evening. It j is supposed that McNaron's ccmpan, j ions were drowned. Their bodies , have not yet been found. McNaron and Schroeder were both of Georgetown.. Mishow was from Conway. ! the time. He was A-l in every way - ] and you can ask any one who knew 1 him if that isn't the gospel truth." Odd as it may seem in a fighting I man, General Pershing's one fad, according to his sisters, is gardening. ! His father was an expert gardener - and the taste descended to the mili tary man. Whenever he was on I Vave, he - would immediately don work day' clothes, go into his I father's garden, seemingly enII joying the work over the veg', etables as much as he enjoyed social activities. The first time that General Pershl ing appeared in Chicago and was seen *. by neighbors, he was clad in overalls and was hard at work in a vegetable garden in the yard behind his father's L house in the south side of the city. . There was some surprise among the l neighbors that the man who then was ; entitled to wear the uniform and , brass buttons of a captain should be - willing to put them aside and hoe the - garden, but the incident is illumini ative of the character of the man - upon whom the country relies to t lead the American forces to victory I against the Germans in Europe. [ i MOTOR MAIL SERVICE IN SOUTH. New Mail Service Starts in Ninety Days in South Carolina. Washington, Jan. 6.?Within the next 90 days the entire South will be connected with a direct chain of motor truck routes, which could not possibly have been conceived of a few years ago. Progress in both city and country development has been such that the postoffice department finds it necessary to construct these quick arteries of commerce, connecting both the rural and city people. It is the belief of the postoffice department that the establishment of these routes will materially aid in the distribution and lowering of the cost of food products. The existing law does not provide for the employment i .... of government owned motor trucKs on rural delivery routes, nor does it require the rural carriers to use motor vehicles. In this star route service, however, where the mail is carried under contract, a recent law permits the postoffice department to designate the kind of vehicles to be employed, and in awarding the new contracts the department will specify that motor trucks shall be employed on all routes where the roads are such as to admit of their use. These contracts are advertised for bidders, and where payment asked for the service is deemed excessive the department is authorized to provide government owned motor trucks and to employ drivers for the operation of the routes. Routes in the South soon to be covered are: Charlotte, N. C., to Camden, S. C., to Columbia, S. C.; Florence to Columbia, via Darlington and Lydia; Columbia to Chapin and Lexington; Charleston to Columbia; and from Orangeburg, S. C., to Augusta, Ga. In Georgia the routes will be operated from Savannah to Statesboro, Augusta to Macon; Macon to Columbus; Columbus to Montgomery, Ala., and Birmingham to Montgomery. Another chain will connect Charlptte with Greenville, S. C.; Greenville with Atlanta; Atlanta with Birmingham or Montgomery; and one of the latter witn jacKson, miss. ** Further extensions contemplated embrace' Cincinnati to Louisville; Louisville to Chattanooga, and from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Miller Crushed to Death. Spartanburg, Jan 5!?William B. Ledbetter, sixty-five years of age and a resident of this city, was killed early today by being crushed under a water wheel at Johnson's mill, six miles north of the city. Mr. Ledbetter was operating the mill and is thought to have been attempting to clear the wheel of ice when caught in one of its cogs and drawn beneath it. He is survived by his wife and a number of children. AMERICAN STEAMER SUNK. Eight of Crew Reported Missing.? Thirty Men on Vessel. New York, Jan 7.?The American steamship Harry Luckenbaclj has been torpedoed and sunk with loss of life, according to word received by the owners of the vessel today. Eight of the crew are missing, the owners were informed. The crew consisted of thirty men, not including the naval guard. The Harry Luckenback is the fourth ship of the Luckenbach line lost through submarine attack since the war began. The others were the Jacob Luckenbach, sunk July 7th, 1916, the Lewis Luckenbach, October 14, and the D. M. Luckenbach, October 27, last year. Five members of the latter were killed. Another ship ol the same line, the J. L. Luckenbach, had a four-hour running fight with a submarine the same month, but escaped, although a number of her crew were killed by shell fire. The Wai crrnQs tnnnafire of the four ships bVUUA Q* VW ww ? ? _ sunk is 12,508. 15 Per Cent. Wear Shoes That Fit Figures from examinations made by Army and civilian shoe experts al ; Army camps show that only about IE | per cent, of the men wear shoes whici fit properly. Of the several groups of men examined 28 per cent wore shoes one-half size short, 26 per cenl j wore shoes a full size short, and S per cent wore shoes two sizes short Reports ascribe the high proporti-or of misfits to the inclination of mer ! to choose shoes too small, faults I I of method and supervision of fitting j insufficient numbers of larger anc narrower sizes, and incorrect markings of sizes by manufacturers. MANNING PUTS WAR FIRST GOVERNOR URGES CITIZENS TO GIVE PATRIOTIC SERVICE. Various Recommendations Are Made by State's Chief Executive. Speaks to Legislature. Columbia, Jan. 8.?Listened to with the closest attention this afternoon for nearly an hour by members of the joint assembly, Governor Manning, . with firm voice and without oratorical eneci, reau ms aunuai message, which is perhaps the most far reaching document that has been transmitted to the legislature since 1876. It was essentially a "war message," recommending unprecedented legislation to enable South Carolina to more effectively, as he stated, coordinate with her sister States in the conduct of the war. The economic, industrial, educational, agricultural, penal and other internal peace time problems of the State were touched upon with a promise of special messages as to the major of these problems, such as taxation, State Hospital for the Insane, etc. At the conclusion of the message there was an outburst of applause and the house adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, after various sections of the document had been rererred to specific committees, Governor Manning delivered his message in response to an invitation from the general assembly, both branches of which at the morning session today passed a concurrent resolution requesting him to address oocomhlv at a session to be inc juiuv u?j ? held at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon. Undeviating, unselfish and patriotic service should be rendered by every South Carolinian to his State and his nation during the continuance of the war, said the governor, who scathingly arraigned those sinister forces working at home to undermine the government. "These are enemies without the excuse of blood relationship binding them to the Teutonic cause," asserted the governor. "They take no risk in battle, they lack the physical courage of the kaiser's avowed retainers and followers; they are sneak thieves far from the front, probably taking bribes from Germany, trying to do behind our armies what they dare ijot do in the open." Again: "These men are traitors, the constitution gives them this name and they should receive their punishment." The governor recomended the following as war legislation: War Legislation Proposed. The passage of the bill legalizing the State council of defense and ap| propriating $50,000 to it. Appropriation tor tne equipment and maintenence of the State troops and the amending of the military code regulating these troops. Passage of a bill protecting the civil rights of South Carolina's soldiers and sailors. An act providing for compulsory . employment of all able bodied male citizens of South Carolina, between the ages of eighteen and fifty inclusive, who are not regularly and con' tinuously employed. That the governor should be given authority to suspend the labor laws of the State upon the advice and consent of the executive committee of the State council of defense and upon the recommendation of the national council of defense. The passage of five laws governing the vice situation: A reformatory | for girls, making vagrancy triable in the sessions courts, submissal of a | constitutional amendment raising the age of consent limit from fourteen to eighteen years, an injunction and 1 abatement law to reach those property holders who rent their houses for immoral purposes, and making the provisions of the Mann "white slave" 5 statute intrastate. Relative to equal suffrage, Gover, nor Manning takes the position that it should be a matter in which the > individual States should deal with, : when he said: ? "In my judgment the question of 1 granting the suffrage to women is 5 one that should be under the juris} diction of the^tates, and not the fedt eral government. The right of the > State to regulate the suffrage is a . fundamental principle of local selfi government, and the State of South i Carolma should reserve this right to ; herselV , Australian Ballot System. I Contending that "in a democratic - form of government it is essential that the untrammeled, independent I \ SUSPEND PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. Action Taken liecause of Russia's Request to Move Conference. London, Jan. 6.?An official statement issued at Berlin yesterday and forwarded by the Zurich correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph company, announced that because of the Russian request to transfer the peace pour parlers from Brest-Litovsk to Stockholm, the central powers had . temporarily suspended the negotiations with Russia. The message, which was filed at Zurich on Saturday said: , "Another crown council was held today at Berlin, at which Field Marshal von Hindenburg and Gen. von Ludendorff attended. After the meeting the following statement was issued: " 'In consequence of the request of the Russian government to transfer the seat of negotiations from BrestLitovsk to Stockholm the central powers have temporarily suspended the negotiations with Russia.' CHICAGO'S STREETS IMPEDED. v.-C Traffic Confined to Paths Made by Street Cars?No Relief in Sight. Chicago, Jan. 7.?Twenty-four hours after abatement of the unprecedented Sunday blizzard Chicago's streets were still badly impeded. Traffic for the most part was confined to the paths made by street cars which made uncertain progress jthrough canyons of snow heaped on either side. By offering bonuses the city obtained 2,000 laborers for the street :49 cleaning department, but although private firms lent men and carts the snow piles had not perceptibably decreased at nightfall. Many an automobile, stalled last night, remained fast tonight and taxicao companies confined their services to streets made passable by the street cleaners. No milk trains arrived and it was a question if they did during the night whether the wagons would be able to make deliveries in the morning. Newspaper deliveries were curtailed probably 25 to 50 per cent. The weather bureau offered no relief. It predicted snow flurries and a low temperature in this vicinity. Passenger trains arrived from 1 to 8 hours late and the schedules of freight trains were obliterated. The great steel mills which fringe the southern end of Lake Michigan were practically idle owing to snow in the switch yards and inability of thousands of their workers to reach . { plants. There was only one delivery of mail. -1 Vigorous campaigns are on in several States to increase the use of wood for fuel in place of coal. In Virginia convict labor is employed to provide wood for fuel. will of the electors be Expressed at > the ballot box," the governor recommended the adoption of the Australian ballot system. He also advocated that the registration law be so changed that the registration certificate be delivered to the registrant in nprcnn *** f ~ Governor Manning recommended that the educational agricultural activities of the State be concentrated at Clemson college, and that the practical phases of the problem, like the enforcement of the law, inspections, etc., be left with the State depart! ment of agriculture, commerce and industries, but that its name be changed to the "department of commerce and industries." The governor recommended that the administration of the game department of the State be devolved upon the board of fisheries, who shall appoint the chief game warden of the State. He also advocated the combining ' of the State bank examiner's and State insurance commissioner's office and the duties of both departments be devolved upon the State bank examiner. The governor recommended the passing of the bill now on the senate calendar establishing a State custodial training school for the feeble minded, adequate appropriations for carrying on the work of suppressing and treating infectious diseases, continuation of the work, on a larger I scale, at State Park being done for the treatment of tubercular patients and continued attention to the needs and wants of that fast dwindling body, the Confederate veterans. The governor urged the ratification of the amendment to the federal constitution making for absolute prohibition. /