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*Wht j, fk* | | m / y ?? *3 VOL. III. NO. 47. CAMDEN, S.C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, ~I906. S1.50 Per Year^ A SPECIAL JESSAGE The President Transmits His Views on Porto Rico THINKS FUTURE IS PROMISING Teachers, Both American and Native, Endeavor to Train Students in Mind and in Citizenship? Insular Police and Porto Rican Regiment Should bo Perpetuated ? Full Am erican Citizenship Should be Con ferred Upon Natives ? Marked Progress Mode Under Present Gov ernor Toward Self -Government Elections This Year Were Abso lutely Orderly and Unaccompanied by Any Disturbance. ? Washington, Social.? The -Presi dent's message to Congress giving1 the result of b:s recent observations in Porto Rico and making recommenda tions concerning the government of that island was delivered to the Sen ate. It was read at length and re ceived careful attention. The mes sage was as follows: The President's Message. To the Senate anil House of Repres entatives ; On November 21 I visited the is land of I'orto Rico, landing at Ponce, crossing by the old Spanish road by Cayey to San Juan, and returning next morning over the new American road fro Arecibo to Ponce; the scenery was wonderfully beautiful, especially among the mountains of the interior, which constitute a ver itable tropic Switzerland. 1 could not embark at Sau Juan because the har bor has not been dredged out and can not receive an American battle ship. I do not think this fact credit able to us as a nation, and I earn estly hope that immediate provision will be made for dredging San Juan harbor. I doubt whether our people as a whole realize the beauty and fertility of Porto Rico, and the progress that has been made under its admirable government. We have just cause for piide in the character of our rep- I rescntatives who have administered tthe tropic islands which came under our flag as a result of the war- with Spain; and of no one of them is this imorc true than of Porto Rico. It ?would be impossible to wish a more ?faithful, a more efficient and a mora disinterested public service than that .now being rendered in the island of ?Porto Rico by those in control of the insular government. I stopped at a dozen towns all told, and one of the notable features in every town was the gathering of the school children. The work that has been done in Porto Rieo for education has been noteworthy. The main em phasis, as is eminently wise and propor, has been put upon primary education; but in addition to this there is a normal school, an agri cultural school, three industrial and three high schools. Every effort is being made to secure not only the benefits of elementatry education to toll the Porto Ricans of the next generation, but also as far as means will permit to train them so that the indusfi ial, agricultural and commer. cial opportunities of the island can be utilized to the best possible ad vantage. It was evident at a glance that the teacher*, both Americans and native Porto Ricans, were de voted to their work, took the great est pride in it, and were endeavoring to train their pupils, not only in mind, but in what counts for far more than mind in citizenship, that is in character. Troops in the Island. I was very much struck by the ex cellent character both of the insular police and of the Porto Rican regi ment. They are both of them bodies that reflect credit upon the American administration of the island. The in sular police are under the local Porto Rican government. The Porto Hican regiment of troops must he appro priated for by Congress. I earn estly hope that -this body will be kept permanent. There should certainly be troops in the island, and it is wise that these troops should be them selves native Porto Ricans. It woulj be from every standpoint a mistake not to perpetuate this regiment. In traversing the island even tho most cursory survey leaves the be holder struck with the evident rapid jrrowth (in the culture both of the Mignr cane and tobacco. The fruil industry is also growing. Last year was tin* most prosperous year that the island has ever known before or nnec the American occupation. The total exports ami imports of thj island was $-15,000,000 n? agin?:? $13, 000,000 in HUM. This is the largest in the island's history. Prior to the American occupation the greatest trade for any one year was that of 1800. when it reached nf>arly $23, 000,000. Last voar, therefore, there was double the trade that there was in the most prosperous year under the Spanish regime. There were 210.273 tons of sugar exported hist year, of the value of $14,180,310; $3. 555,103 of tobacco, and 28,200,322 pounds of coffee of the value of $3, 181 ,102. Unfortunately, what used to j be Porto Rico's prime crop ? coffee? b?s not shared this prosperity. It las never recovered from the dis- ] l*ter the hurricane, and moreover, .ho benefit of throwing open our market to it has not compensated for the loss inflicted by the closing of the markets to it abroad. I call your at tention to the accompanying memo rial on this subject of the board 6f trade of San Juan, and I earnestly hope that some measure will be taken for the benefit of the excellent ami ?ugh grade Porto Rican coffee. In addition to delegations from the board of trade and chamber of com merce of San Juan, I nlso received delegations from the Porto Rican Federation of labor, and from tha Coffee Growers' Association. Question of Citizenship. There is n matter to which I wish to call your special attention, and that is the desirability of conferring full American citizenship upon the people of Porto Rico. I most carn eastly hope that this will be done. 1 can not see how any hann can pos sibly result from it, and it scorns to me a matter of right and justice to the people of Porto Rico, They ar? lojal, they are glad to be under our Hag, they are making rapid progress along the path of orderly liberty. Surely we should show our apprecia tion of them, our pride in what they nave done, and our pleasure in ex tending recognition for what has thus been done, by granting them full American citizenship. Under the wise administration of the present progress has been made in the diuicuii matter of granting to the people of the island the largest meas ure of self-government that can with satety be given at the present time.*1 It would have been a very serious mistakes to have gone any facter than we have already gone ill this direc tion. The Porto Rican*, haMe com plete and absolute autonomv all their municipal governments,* the on ly power over them possessed by the insular government being that of re moving corrupt or incompetent mu nicipal officials. This power ha.* never been exercised save on tho clearest proof of corrupt ioti or in competence ? such as to jeopard iza tlie interests of tho people of the is land, and under such circumstances it has been fearlessly used to the immense benefit of the people. It is not a power with which it would be safe, for the sake of the island itself, to dispense at present. The lower House is absolutely elective, while the upper House is appointive. This scheme is working well; no injustice of any kind results- from it, and great benefit to the island, and it should certainly not he changed at this time.^ The machinery of the elections is administered entire! v by the Porto Rican people themselves, I the Governor and council keeping, on- 1 ly such supervision as is necessary i in order to insure an orderly elec tion. Any protest as to electoral ' frauds is settled in the courts. Here again it would not be safe to make any change in the present system. The elections this year Avere absolute ly orderly, unaccompanied by any disturbance ; and no protest has been made against the management of tho elections, although throe contests are threatened, whoro tho majorities were very small and .error was claim ed; the contests, of course, to be set tled in the courts. In short, the Governor and council are co-operat ing with all of the most enlightened and most patriotic of the people of nf0r/i?- ^l?? l1n.educatin? tho citizens f this island in the principles of or derly liberty. They are providing a government based upon each citizen 's I self-respect, and the mutual respect | of all citizens; that is, >osed upon i rigid observance of the principles of justice and honesty. It has not been I easy to instil into the minds of pco- | plo unaccustomed to the exorcise of reedom, the two basic principles of i H??rt f.Inencnn ?.vsiem; the principle] that the majority must rule, and the ' principle that the minority has rights which must not be disregarded or trampled upon. Vet real progress has been made in having those prin ciples accepted as elementary, as the foundations of successful self-irovern merit. ? * I transmit herewith the report of ho Governor of Porto Rico, sent to the I resident through the Secretary ot State. J All the insular governments should be placed m one bureau, either in the Department of War or the De partment of Slate. It is a mistaka not so to arrange our handling of these islands at Washington as to be ; able to take advantage of the ex- ! perience gained in one, when dealing with the problems that from time to time arise in another. In conclusion let me express my , admiration for the work done by the Congress when it enacted the law under which the island is now being administered. After seeing the is land personally, and after five years' experience in connect ion with its ad ministration, if is but fair to those who devised this law to sav that it would he well-nigh impossible fo have devised any oilier which in the uctual working would have accom plished bettor results. Til EG DORK ROOSEVELT. I ho White House, December 11, 1000. ASSURING. "Pardon rap.'* sale] the housekeep er on a marketing expedition, "but ore these egi^s strictly fresh laid?" "Absolutely, mn'ara," replied the grocer promptly. "The farmer I pur chase those egss from won't allow his liena to lay them any other way." ?Milwaukee fleotinel. T0 SPELL AS BEFORE Congress forces President (o Revoke Spelling Order HOUSE HOLDS TO OLD SYSTEM Will Withdraw Order to Public Print er end Documents Hereafter Will be Printed in Gld-Fashioned Style ? Resolution Adopted by the House Passed Without ? Dissenting Vote ? Considerations Governing Action of Committee. Washington, Special. ? Simplified ?polling received a final quietus in the House. The subject has been under more or loss continuous discus sion iu the House and in committee ever since the convening of the pres ent session of Congress, but it was brought to a sudden- termination by the adoption of a resolution favoring the return to the old standard of or thography, just before the House ad journed. It was understood that this action had been taken as the result of an interview with the President, in which he had said that if the House should go on record as against the new system he would abandon his effort in that direction. The House was prompt in meeting this condition and the resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote. The Resolution Adopted. Representative Landis, of the joint committee on spelling, had a confer ence with the President when the President said that he did not wish to have spelling overshadow matters of great importance and expressed a willingness to revoke his order for the new spelling in case the House of Representatives should go on record as opposed to the system. According ly late in the afternoon Mr. Landis introduced the following resolution in ' the House: Kesolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that hereafter in printing reports, docu ments, or other publications author ized by law, or by Congress or either branch thereof, or emanating from the executive departments, their bu reau or branches, and inde]>eudent offices of the government, the Govern ment Printing Office should observe and adhere to the standard of orthog raphy prescribed in generally accept ed dictionaries of the English lan guage." The measure was passed without a dissenting vote, although Mr. Gillett, of Massachusetts, who made a fight \ for simplified spelling before the I House committee on apropriations and has been regarded as the cham pion of the President's attitude, ex plained that he did not wish to give xthe impression that ho had changed his mind. Mr. Gillett said that ho saw the House wa9 overwhelmingly against the innovation and conse quently he bowed to its will. The lyitem of reform spelling was put into effect by the President dur ing the recess of Congress and all puDlic documents supplied to the ex ecutive departments have been printed in the simplified way. The committer on printing in its favorable report on the Landis resolution stated that the committee had been governed by the following considerations: "In the various reprints of the con stitution of the United States adher ence to the original spelling is found in the majority of cases. The spell ing in the original statutes reflects | the forms of spelling in vogue at the time of their enactment. The various I codifications of the statutes reflect the ( spelling in vogue at the time of the adoption of such a condition. Tho last codification adopted was in 1878. The subsequent statutes now number 14 volumes, covering a period of 28 years. Each volume reflects the spell ing in vogue at the time of the enact ment of the statutes embraced there in. "A new codification is about to be presented to Congress. Until Congress shall see fit to order the printing of this pro|>osed codification of the sta utcs, embracing all the enactments of the law-making power of tho gov ernment now in force, in some form of spelling other than that generally accepted by tho people, it would ap pear to oe the part of wisdom for the government in all its branches, in the 1 interest of simplicity and economy, ti adhere to a uniform system of spelling, and this system should be the one already most generally recog nized and accepted by tho people. "If Congress shall adhere to the form of spelling already in vogue as applied to the statutes, it would ap pear anomalous to employ some other form as applied to all of the prelimin ary stages of legislation, including the proceedings of Congress, up t<? the point where thes? proceedings nro crystalized into law, and at this point order a change in t lie orthography of the original statutes. Made Palse Entries in Timber Land Purchase. Now Orleans, cial. ? Admission that he swore falsely in makiug en* tries of a large L'?uisiuna timber lan.l purchase from the United States gov ernment, was made by .John W. Smith, principal government witness in tho conspiracy case against "Wil liam A. and Tied P. Brewer, wealthy Michigan lumbermen, aud Joseph Punlap. CONGRESS JT WORK What Our* National Lawmakers Art Doiaf From' Day to Day Salaries Increased. By a rote of 106 to 188 the House of Representatives refused to increase from $5,000 to $7,500 the salaries of Senators, members and delegates. The House, however, by an over whelming vote, increased the salaries of the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and members of the Pres ident's cabinet to $12,000 each. In an anticipation of the question of increasing salaries coming before the House there was an exceedingly large membership and the debate on the several amendments for increase, which were offered by Mr. Lit tinier, of New York, to the legislative ap propriation bill, was followed with marked interest. After disposing of the salary question, the House passed the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill. Mr. Littauer, of New York, opened the discussion by presenting an amendment raising the salaries of the Vice President and the Speaker of the House to $12,000 per annum. lie spoke of the dignity of the posit ion "of Speaker of the House and said thai everybody recognized that the duties are arduous and that tye pay is un equal. Mr. Underwood, of Alabama, op posed any further increase of salaries along the line of legislative and exec utive offices. He believed the salaries of the minor clerks of the govern ment should be increased on accouut of the increased cost of living. After several speeches the amend ment was adopted by a vote of 214 to 151, the opposition failing to se cure votes enough to call the ayes and noes. Having won a most substantial vic tory Mr. Littauer introduced another amendment as follows: "On and after March -1. lfH)7, the compensation of heads of executive departments, who are members of the President 's cabinet shall be at the rate of $12,000 per annum each." Miv Littauer held up a large pic ture of a president of a baseball asso ciation, whose salary had been in creased from $10,000 to $15,000 a year, and contrasted that with the salaries of the cabinet. The amend ment was adopted 204 to 00. Mr. Littauer who retires to private life with the close of the present Con gress, offered a provision raising the salaries of Senators and members of Congress, delegates ami the resident commissioner from Porto Rico to $7, 500 and on agreement the time for the increase to begin was fixed on March 4, 1000. Salaries May Be Increased. The House reached an agreement under which it looks as if there would he a vote on the much moote.d ques tion of an increase in the salaries of members of Congress, cabinet officers, etc. Mr. Littauer sought to have the question taken up but Mr. Underwood objected at this stage of the proceed ing. Ho said, however, that he would agree to consideration at tho conclu tion of the reading of the bill and when it shall be reported to the House from the committee of the whole. During the morning hour in the House several resolutions were pass ed, one aiming at the lumber trust and calling upon the Secretary of Commerce and Labor to investigate the high prices now prevailing in lumber, and another calling upon the Secretary of the Interior for a de tailed description of the coal lands withdrawn from public entry since July ], 1000. The House agreed to vote on the resolution increasing the salaries of Senators and Representatives to $7, 500 and making other increases in ollicial salaries, when the legislative bill is reported to the House from the committee of the whole. The resolution also tlxes the sala ries of the Vice President and Speak er at $15,000, and of cabinet officers at $12,000. Senator Dubois on Mr. Smoot. The Senate listened to the second speech which has been made this ses sion against the continuance of Heed Smoot as a Senator from I'tali. It was delivered by Senator DuBois, of Idaho, who after reviewing in detail the working of the Mormon Church, and Mr. Siuoot 's prominent connec tion therewith, concluded with the charge that President Rooscvlet has used the weight of his administration to assist flic Republican-Mormon vote in the last election. Rayner Talks. Much interest was manifested in the Senate in the position taken by Senator Rayner in his discussion of flic Japanese question. He contended that tlie inherent rights of a State could not be violated bv treaty nny more than they could ??e volated by Congress. To support this he cited many adjudicated cases before the Supreme Court and arrayed long lines ? ?f eminent authorities. Mr. Rayner also gave the enses and the; nutori ties of the other nde to the proposi tion. Smoot Should Get Out. At the conclusion of the morning business in the Senate Senator Bui rows, chairman of the Senate com mittee on privileges and election?, called up t lie resolution from that committee declaring that Hon. Reed Smoot is not entitled to a seat as a Senator of the United States from the State of I'tah and addressed the Senate on that subject, NO FOREIGN BIDDERS American Contractors to Get Panama Canal Job MANY CHANGES IN CONTRACTS Many Changes Agreed to in Form of Contract for Construction. But Moat Important is Announcement by Chairman Shonts That Only Proposals by American Firms Wil Be Received. Washington, Special. ? Foreign con tractors are to ze barred from compe tition for the completion of the l'au ama Canal. Chairman Shunts, of the Isthmian Canal commission, made this announcement. Many changes have been agreed to in the form of contract to be' entered into for the construction of the canal, but the most important is the limiting of projx.sals to American lirms. The right will hi* reserved by the commis sion to reject all the bids submitted; in case nouc of them is satisfactory and the commission will then either throw the competition open to for eign bidders or proceed with the work without contract. January 12 is the date set for the opening of proposals. A substantial reduction in the bond of the successful bidders was also made by the commission, in compli ance with the request of prospective bidders. The bond will be* only $2, 000,000 ami the total liability of the contractor is to be limited to the loss of percentage ami premiums other wise payable to the contractor and $3,000,000 in addition. Chairman Shonts indicated other changes as follows : "To relieve the coutractor from re sponsibility for the use of defective materials, or for the preparation for use of the same, provided he has re quested the chief engineer in writing for the definite approval of the ma terials, or the preparation for use thereof, and the chief engineer after a reasonable time fails to act upon such request. "To provide for a later change in the estimated cost and time of con structure, as originally agreed to by the engineering committee, in case the plans and specifications for the con struction of the canal shall be ma terially altered in any respect; or it it shall be made to appear to the President of the United States that the estimates are based on physical data so erroneous as to affect the es timated cost and time of construction or that the estimates have become substantially inequitable by reason of the intervention of an act of God or a public enemy; or for any other ma terial causo which shall not have been taken into account by the en gineering committee in makirn? their estimates, and for which the contrac tor is no responsible. "It was also provided that in case minate the contract, when the con tractor is not in default, the contrac tor shall be paid the cost of the work performed by him to date, and $250,000 in addition to such percent age as may have been earned by him upon such cost up to tlint time. "The responsibility of the contract or to the commissioner for all in juries or damages inflicted upon the plant, canal, or its auxiliary works, is limited to negligence of himself, or any of his employes, or subcon tractors, or the employes of such sub contractors." Two Killed and Two Injured. Donaldsvillc, La., Special. ? Four persons were killed and two serious ly injured in a head on collision be tween n passenger and a freight train at a long curve n?ar here on the Tex as & 1'acilh* Railroad. All the fatali ties were among members <>1 Ihe train crews, no passengers being seri ously hurt. Green and Qaynor Appeal. Macon, (la,t Special. ? The appeal for a new trial in the flreene an 1 Gaynor case, now before the Vnited States Circuit Court of Appeals, will be heard at New Orleans, on .January o, 3007. They have been in jail here for several months (tending appeal for a new trial. Oaynor suffers aecute pains from asthma and loconiotot I ataxia, and under advice of physic ians is petinitted to take i i<les into the country where fresh air and ex ercise s?cm to give hiin relief. Hotli men are kept closely guarded within prison limits and n?>t allowed liherti?*> outside of prison rules. Cruiser Montana Launched. Newport News, Ya., Special.- ? The United States armored cruiser Mon tana wi\s sucessfully lauuehed at Newport News ship yard in the pres ence of a large number of people. The vessel was christened by Min Minnie Conrad, daughter of \V. 0, Qonrad, of Montana. Governor Toole, represented by Martin Maginnis, the former territorial delegate to Con gress, The navy was not officially represented. PLAN IS INADEQUATE Bankers' Scheme of Currency Reform Not Sufficient SECRETARY SHAW GIVES IDEAS Sec. Shaw Appears Before House Oommlttee on Banking and Curren cy in Advocacy High Tax Credit Currency Suggested Five Per Cent, as Desirable Rate. Washington, Special. ? Secretary Shaw appeared before the House com mittee on. banking and currency in advocacy of a high taxed credit cur rency, suggesting per cent, as a de sirable rate. He emphasized the need for greater elasticity in currency, ut expressed the opinion that the plan framed by the American Bankers' As sociation will not bring out sufficient' to be very useful, (iraut ini* that tho bankers' plan results in the issuance of $200,000,000 additional in national hank notes, Mr. Shaw said that in his opinion not more than .+"20.000,000 worth of these will be redeemed. Mr. Shaw thought the bankers' plan wholly inadequate to meet the requirements of the commercial world and said it was encumbered with too much machinery for the limited good results he feels it is capable of ac complishing. lie would not want to he regarded as an opponent of the measure suggested by the bankers bo cause he felt that any step toward relieving the demand for greater elas ticity at certain season* of the year was desirable, but urued that the committee strive to frame a more ef fective measure. It was urged by the Secretary that af? effort should he made to make all our currency elastic, rather than to impart elasticity to a certain amount of emergency currency. Vn der the .bankers' plan, he said, only the credit currency which goes into redemption. There would be no rea son why private hank* should seek e redemption of national bank notes and consequently they would maka no effort to do so. In the hankers' plan national hanks are to be permitted to issue $2~>,000 additional notes for every $100,000 of their capital at an interest rate of 2 l-.'l per cent, and an additional $12, 500 with interest at the rale of f> per cent. Episcopalians Withdraw. Norfolk, Ya., Special. ? It develop ed that the Episcopalians, as a de nomination, have withdrawn from the proposed inter-denomination evan gelistic campaign to be conduetel during the Jamestown Exposition period, A meeting of tho Virginia State Baptist, Presbyterian and Meth odist committees has been called for December 18, when tho local commit tees of these denominations will dis cuss with the State representatives tho situation as prescribed by the withdrawal of the Episcopalians. It is stated for the Episcopalians that their withdrawal was because of no disinclination to co-operate, hut be cause of the rather unsettled condi tions in two of the leading Episeo pal churches here, and further he cause it was not regarded that there was as great need for the evangelistic campaign as some thought. For Ship Subsidy Measure. Washington, Special.? Thai Presi dent Hoosevelt will send to Congress a special message advocating the pas sage as a ship subsidy measure at the present session, was stated by scvcr:|l members of the House. It was said that the President had declared that the recommendation in his annual message was misunderstood. In that message he said if it was found inex pedient t<> pass the Senate bill, a measure should !)<? passed to provide for a few lines to South American ports. He <li<l not mean to ii/minti/.'' ? h r* improtanee of fit her features of the bill, it is said, and now purposes to correct any false impression that may have been gained by I lie House. Twelve Business Houses Burned and Their Contents Destroyed. Sharon, (in.. Special. ? Sharon was Friday nwrninp visited l?v a disastcr oiis tire. Twelve business houses and contents were (otaJly consumed. There was a loss of $.">0,000. with insurance of $10,000. The lire stalled in (In* drug i?torp of Dr. L. H. Brown. The flames spread rapidly, inakinu a ch'an sweep of everything except two hitick stores, the hank and the <?eor;:ia Hail road depot. Contract Has Been Awarded. Not folk, Va.t Special ? The contract 1 for .'he building to be erected ?l tli Ja.iuifctowu Imposition by I lio l)au,^h tfis of the Confederacy all over the country, has been awarded. The building will cost $.">,000 nnd will be a reproduction of ''Keauvoir," the home of Jefferson l)avis, President of the Confederacy, at Gnlfport, Mia#. PALMETTO AFFAIRS Occurrences of Interest From All Over Sooth Carolina MANY ITEMS OF STATE NEWS A Batch of Lire Paragraphs Cover ing a Wide Range ? What is doing On in Our State. Tri-County Fair Association. Batesburg, Special. ? A very en thusiastic meeting was held, the pur pose of which was to set in motion the Tri-County Fair Association of Batesburg. The nieetin.tr was called to order by Dr. W. I'. Timmermau, \V. W. Watson ami Barrett Jones ncre elected president and secretary protein, respectively. The following hoard of directors was elected with I he understanding that the number ni^hl b? later increased to 15; .T Frank Kneece, A. C. Jones, W. W. Watson, J. \V. Dreher, Iv L. Hartley, John Bell Towill, M. K. Hut laud, J. J liawl and J. Waller McCarthy. From these the following olliccrs were elect - cd : M. K. Rutland, president; J. Frank Kneece, vice president ; J. Wal ter McCarthy, secretary; W. W. Wat son. treasurer, and .1. Walter Dreher, general manager. The association proposes to be capitalized at $5,(M)0 with the privilege of increasing sumo to $8,000. Two Ruial Stations Proposed. Laurens, Special. ? I'pon the re quest of Postmaster (leorge S. Mc Cravy, the postolli<-<> department has had I'ostoflice Inspector Roberts, who is working in tffis scdion at present, lo visit tlu* Laurens and Watts mill village, the former located within the city limits, (lie latter a mile beyond, >\ilh the view of establishing rural mail stations at these points. The in spect ion was made this week. Post master McCravy visited both mill of liccs with the inspector. Mr. Huberts was pleased with the prospects of making these postal improvements and it is understood that lie has reo mnnended the establishment of both stat ions. Auto Explodes and Injures Two. Columbia, Special. ? The boilers of an automobile exploded, blowing lit tle Malcolm Hichard, the four-year old son of Mr. J. K. Kichard, high in* to the air, breaking his left tliight and rendering him unconscious for many hours. Mr. Harry Kichnrd, an older brother, who had been driving tho machine, was thrown violently to tho ground ami stunned. The machine was torn literally into fragments, parts of it being thrown on the roof of the house next door and others be? ing hurled far into the air and lodg ed in trees higher than the roof of the house and the yard in which the explosion occurred was strewn with parts of the machine. Tho shook of the explosion was felt throe blocks away and the denomination was heard as far as Main street. An Eijht Per Cent Dividend. Bateshurg, Special. ? At a meeting of the directors of the First National Bank held on Tuesday afternoon, it was decided to pay a dividend of S per cent to the stockholders. This amount will be paid out about De cember dlst. The bank has made a remarkable record in spile of the fact that this h;is been a "tight" year with farmers. The undivided profits for the year show a totnl of a little more than 'JO per cut of the capital invested. Alter payinir out the dividend of S per cent, a nice sum will be left to augment the surplus, which is already .fti.OOU. Killed by Falling Limb. Marion, Special. ? A negro laborer named Kennedy, an employe of the Marion County Lumber Company, was accidentally killed by a limb from a falling tine while at work cutting logs about a mile from Marion. Cor oner Lassitcr was promptly notified jiimI held an impicst over the body, th-' verdict of the jury being that his death was the result ol' an accident. Shop Girl Had Exciting Time. Columbia. Special.? Miss Elizabeth Yopp, one (if tin- young ladies who works at the candy counter of the Cobb " F'iv<> and Ten ('rut Store," was held up on Laurel street, near the Shield.-. Foundry. Monday night bv ii negro man. who took her poeket book and several dollars. The young' lady was on her way home, unattend f d. when the negro approached her in the dark and. seizing her by the arm, threw her to the ground, and after yetting po.-session of her poeket book escaped in the darkness. Drowned in a Washtub. . Greenwood, Speeial. ? The little ,r? year-old daughter of l\f r. and Mrs. ?J. H. Kllis who live 1 0 miles south of here, was drowned in a washtub. The little child < limbed up in a wheel barrow standing by the tub and fell in the tub of water. She was there lit) minutes before being discovered. Dr. Ward, the nornct physician, wan telephoned lor. but t!?e little child was dead before he coult} get there,