The people. (Camden, S.C.) 1904-1911, November 26, 1908, Image 1
S1.50Per Year
552
SCENT;
Oft.
TRACED
BT
A
DIVINING
ROD..
By
LADY
MARGARET
MAJZNDIZ.
CHAPTER XIII. 11
Continued.
?It Is some years since she died,'*
he answered. "She had your very
eyes, your very look; every move
ment you make reminds me of her."
"I never knew my mother," said
? Antoinette, sadly. ".But, my cousin,
to return to what I was about to say.
You have Been something of my
father of late. Can you account for
the norvous timidity of his letters to
net Have you seen any change in
him? In the state of his nerves, for
instance?"
Paul paused; then said, hesitating
ly. "I cannot deny it. Yes."
"In what way?"
"He clung to me in a manner
rather surprising to me; seemed to
feel a distrust of those surrounding
him. Especially of ? patience, dear
cousin ? most especially* of old Bat
tiste."
"Ah! then it must have been alto
gether on the nerves," said Antoin
ette. "He has always had every rea
son to believe in the absolute fidelity
of old Battiste and Nanon."
"All will be well now that you are
come," said Arthur. "You will make
it all right."
"I hope so," she answered; "but
the beginning has certainly ' been
rather disheartening."
Paul Leduc rosft to his feet. '"You
are weary with your Journey, by
cousin," he said, "and It makes you
see things en nolr; and Monsieur here,
youA fellow-traveler, should see his
room. I think It would be well if
we were to take leavo. It grieves me
to the heart to be obliged to go so
soon, but in the course of a week
I hope to be baek again, and to find
you safely and happily settled with
your father."
Antoinette stopped him. "Before
you leave ub, Monsieur," she said,
"would you do me a favor?"
"Anything that Is in my power,"
he exclaimed. _
"It Is this. I want you to do me
this kindness. Knoek at my father's
door yourself, tell him that I am
longing to see him, uuliappy at not
being permitted to do so, and beg
him to let me in, for a moment, if
only to wish him good night."
"I will do my best," Paul said. "I
wish I could hold out any ho'pe that
my errand would be successful; but
you know he is very old. For no
one else in the world would I under
take to disturb him, but I cannot re
fuse you."
He left the room. He had no
sooner disappeared than a look of
great relief passed over Antoniette's
face. She caught hold of Arthur's
hand in both hers, and exclaimed, in
a quick, urgent whisper, "I distrust
him from the depth of my heart."
He was greatly astonished at her
extreme emotion.
"Do you not. then, bellevo that ho
1b your cousin?" ho asked.
"Yes ? no ? yes; I don't know. Oh!
Arthur, I have no one I can trust but
you."
"Ho put his arm round her. "You
may trust nie," he said. "You know
that, do you not? Tell mo every
thing. Have you heard anything
fresh?"
"Yes," she said, still holding him
fast, ns if to do so gave her courage.
"Battiste lias told me something very
strange. You wero right. My father
was vory rich, but he has turnod all
bis fortune into diamonds. That is
tho reason ho shuts himself up like
this. Ho has never known a moment
free from terror since he did it. Tho
terror amounts to a mania. He con
fided all to Hattistc one day, and since
then the poor old mnn says ho has
?eomod to fear him nlso." She stink
her voice. "Ho keeps them all in his
room. He 3pcmls all his time count
ing them.
"Dattisto told mo that he believes
no ono In tho world knows but*him
aelf. not Paul Leduc, ho thinks, but
he says that if I had not como ho
meant to confide tho secret to him
himself. He says rightly that some
one ought to know."
"Oh! yes, ho would never fail. I
am qulto certain of that. He says
that my father never shut himself up
?o early as he has since Paul came,
and the poor old fellow has a fancy
that he has done his best to make
his old master distrust him more
But I ought not to dotfiln 'you," sho
wont on, with nuch a midden chnngo
of tone that Arthur turned round and
saw that Paul Leduc had returned.
"It wav. of no avail, dear cousin,"
bo raid, shaking his head. "Alas!
My uncle answored me very hastily.
He said he would not he disturbed;
that he was busy. 'Tell Antoinette I
will see her In the morning," he alone
answered to all my entrcatios. Pa
tience, dear cousin; tomorrow you
will havo every opportunity of being
with your father, and 1 am convinced
that la your charming society ho will
very noon give up his solitary habits,
and will never anslu withdraw him
self from you like this. I wish I
could have done mor#."
"Thank you," said Antoinette.
"You could do nothing more. I am
satlafled of that."
Paul turned to Arthur. "I am at
your service, Monsieur," he said.
Arthur would willingly have spoken
a few more words to Antoinette In
private, but she made a quick, ner
yous movement, which he understood
as a negative.
"Go," she said, hastily. *'I have
been wrong and selfish In keeping
you both so long. We shall meet
to-morrow."
"I will come early if I may," he
said, holding her hand.
"I shall count upon it."
The emphatic words attracted
Paul's attention.
"Ah! Mademoiselle, my cousin,"
he said, as he took oft his hat at the
door, "If it were only In my power to
remain long enough to know you
better, and to feel that some day 1
might earn the privilege of having
addressed to me such words as you
have Just used to ? pardon me ? a
gentleman but lately a perfect stran
ger."
Antoinette drew back somewhat
haughtily, and the two men went out
together.
CHAPTER XIV.
The distance from Mon Repos to
Goucy was about three miles by the
road, but Monsieur Leduc conducted
Arthur by a series of paths through
the forest which were bawilderlng
enough. The paths were very rough;
the forest was dense enough to make
It difficult to see the rude track.
They walked fast and reached
Goucy before the landlady of "La
Pie Blanche" had shut up her shut
ters. They were too late for the
table d'hote, but dined together in
the general dining-room very com
fortably.
Monsieur Leduc introduced Arthur
to his landlady as a lodger for the
night, aad probably a tenant for the
apartment he was about to vacate
on the morrow. The rooms were com
fortable and clean, their price mod
erate, and matters were speedily ar
ranged.
As soon as that waa settled Arthur
went out and asked his way to the
Poste Restante, ' whence he expected
to find a home-letter. He was not
disappointed, for he found one in
Tola's characteristic handwriting,
much to his pleasure; for his mind
had been so absorbed in the affairs
of the strange family ?*ith whom he
had become so rapidly intimate, that
it seemed to him as if it must bo
years since be had left home and all
the familiar faces and Influences of
his former lite.
"Dearest Arthur," wrote Tola,
"you have beeu gone for such a short
time that you canaot expect any very
great nows. We are much as usual,
only more so, for Janet and her
attendant swain have gone to the
Marsdens'. Papa is not at all well,
and taika of seeing the doctor. 1
wish he would. But I must tell you
something that will amuso you. !
fancy that Reggie has met his fate!
At all events, it looks like it. The
lady is a widow, and she has come
to stay at Grimwood for a week. She
is what would be called a fine wo
man; broad, large, redolent of patch
ouli. She is very handsome, and, I
think, very stupid; but good-natured,
and kind, and soft. Don't you know
the sort of individual I mean? And
sho has two thousand a year. She
rejoices in the name tW Grimes ?
Maria Grimes ? and she is about live
i years older than Reggie. N'lmporte!
He thinks her the most perfect of
boings, genuinely, I do believe. He
met her at dinner, and took her in
the first day sho came. The second
day they met at church, and he
walked homo with her. The third
day ho prowled miserably about the
house ? that is to-day. To-morrow
I hear something about ruins, and a
party to see them.
"Sho has asked me to call her
'Maria* already, which is decidedly
premature; but sho is a good crea
ture, and 1 said I would. Aunt IJetay
has sent somo charming additions to
.lanot's.trousscau, and she writes that
Colonel Curds has given -h'er somo
diamonds, which enchant her, as you
may Imagine. I must not write any
more, for 1 hear my everlasting name
resounding through the house, and
must go on to see which of the lu
numerablcs are fn want of ma.
Your loving
"TOLA."
Arthur wan still sitting, smiling
over Tola's letter, when there came
a knock at the door, and without
waiting for an answer, Paul Leduc
came in,
"It is nearly eleven," he said, "and
I am going to bed; but I thought I
would glvo you a friendly word of
advice first. Follow my example and
lock your door. There are a great
many other gentlemen in the house,
and one of them, I am sorry to say,
sometimes comes in the worse for
drink. See, that is his door," point
ing to the ono next to Arthur's on
the farther side. "It has happened
I to me more than once that he has
mistaken my door for his and walked
In most unceremoniously ; so I locked
mine afterward. Knowing this, you
will not be disturbed by the sound
of moving about In tho night. But
stay, perhaps you are a very sound
sleeper?"
"I certainly shall be so to-night," ,
mid Arthur, yawning. -J mm sleepy I
already. Thank you for your
Tke."
"Good night, my friend. Bonne
nult," said Paul, as he left the room,
shutting the door quietly behind
him.
Arthur sat up till midnight, in
tending to write letters, but his
pen did not go fast. When the clock
struck twelve Arthur found thst he
had hardly got beyond tho date of
his letter to Tola, so he tore up the
sheet of paper, determining to post
pone It till the next day, and got
into bed.
But the hours passed by and he
could not sleep.
The clock struck three. Ho loit
his uneasy bed and went to tbp win
?jw. It was a bright moonlight
morning, not a living creature was to
be seen save a solitary cat noiselessly
gliding along from shadow to shad
ow. Arthur was parched with thirst,
and there was no water In his caraffe.
Ho thought that a refreshing draught
of cold water would enable him to go
to sleep, and with the intention of
going downstairs to look for some he
left bis room.
The thought struck him that he
should probably find it soonest In tho
room of his companion of the night
before, and going into the passage
he knocked lightly on the door. Ar
thur felt sure that it would be locked,
so that ho was greatly surprised when
it yielded at once to his touch. It
was evidently not even closed, and
caused his entrance into the room to
be somewhat precipitate. Ho began
quickly to apologize, but the words
died upon his lips. The room was
empty, Paul Leduc was gone.
The bed had not been slept In pt
all, and in all directions were the
signs of that final departure. Paul
Leduc had evidently changed bis
mind, and instead of waiting till the
morning train must have left in the
night. Arthur was puzzled. However,
it was, after all, a matter of no very
great importance. He found water
in the room, drank it, and returned to j
bed. I
After this, Arthur Denstone slept
soundly; so soundly that he did not
awaken until he was aroused by the
rustling presence of two Individuals
who had come Into his room without
any unnecessary ceremony.
"See how these English sleep!"
one was saying to the other, and the
words reached his ears and caused
him to open his eyes.
"Hu. b, Nanon, he awakes. Mon
sieur," exclaimed the landlady of "La
Pie Blr.nche," coming up to him with
an air of ezcitenienC and mystery
about her. "Monsieur, I hope you
will be so good as to excuse us for
venturing to awaken you, but "
But Arthur sprang up." He had
recognized old Nanon, the old wo
man from Mon Repos, and the sight
of her gave him a sudden qualm of
dismay. "Nanon!" he exclaimed.
"What is it? Has anything hap
pened? Madomoiselle Rigaud is ill?"
"No, no; but we are In distress.
Monsieur," Enid tho old woman,
whoso head was shaking with her
agitation; "mademoiselle sent me in
to ask for you, or for Monsieur Paul
to come out to Mon Repos at once,
and it seems that Monsieur Paul has
gone."
"Yes, Monsieur Leduc has indeed
gone," said the landlady.
Arthur was rapidly getting into his
clothe3. "Without a moment's delay,
Nanon," he said; "but tell me at
once, what is the matter?"
"It is past eight o'clock." said Na
non, beginning to cry. "Tho master
has always been an early riser, and
yet he did not come out, and wo
knock, and knock, apd call; and Mon
sieur Is all alone behind thoso hor
rible big doors, and has been like
that since four o'clock yesterday,
when he passed ine as ho went In.
and forbade that any one should dis
turb him. But oh! Ste Marie des
Anges! I wish wo had paid no heed
to his whims and fancies, for kittck
as we will he makes no answer, and
Mademoiselle is nearly beside herself
with fright, and Battiste shakes his
head, the old imbecile, and declares
he always knew how It would bo some
day. He says the master never an
swered him last night whon he
shouted that Demoisello had come;
but Monsieur Paul spoke to him
later, and he answered then, so he
must have been all right then."
"I am ready," said Arthur, who
had finished his toilette.
At that moment a gentleman whom
he had never seen beforo came hastily
into his room. Both the women curt
sied.
"Monsieur Ta3sot, our Mayor," said
the landlady.
"At your service," said Monsieur I
Tasset, a close-shaved, Intelllgent
looking man of about fifty years of
ago. "Monsieur," he said, civilly, to!
Arthur, "I heard of tho anilety nt
Mon Repos and hastened to place my
services at your disposal. In cases
like this It is most desirable that
there should be witnepscs. especially
as I understand that Monsieur Leduc
it; gone."
"Yes. Is it not strange?" cried the
landlady. "He was to have gone by
tho six o'clock train, but when Mlt
turin cjimo for his luggage it was
gone. He must havo carried It to
the station himself."
"That being tho case," said Mon
sieur Tasset, "1 havo no doubt, Mon
sieur, that you will be glad to have
my support, as I understand that
you are no relation to tho faintly at
Mon Repos."
Arthur acceptod gratefully; ho felt
that it might be as woll. Even in
that quick moment he thought how
rapidly gossip spreads in tho little
provincial place. Monsieur Tasset
seeded to know all about him an-J
his position.
To be Continued
PALACE TO GOnAGE
? ?
Mayor Tom L Johnston Goes
Into Bankruptcy
HE WAS ONCE VERY WEALTHY
Mayor of Cleveland, For Tears
Credited With Possessing a Largs
Fortune, Announces That Ho Has
Lost Everything and Will Be Gomr
pelled to Move Into Smaller and
Less Expensive Quarters.
Cleveland, O., Special. ? Mayor Tom
L. Johnson, who . for years has been
accredited with possessing a very
large fortune announced that he
had lost everything and would be
compelled to give up his beautiful
home on Euclid .avenue and move in
to smaller and less expensive quar
ters. The mayor also stated that he
would givfe up his automobiles and
other luxuries, as he could no longer
afford to keep them. His fortune
was wrecked, the mayor declared, by
his devotion to affairs of the estate
of his dead brother, Albert, who was
heavily, interested in traction prop
erty in the East.
After Albert's death a question
was put up to bim whether he should
resign his office as mayor and take
up the management of Albert's es
tate.
"I decided that I would not. I had
entered the fight in this city with
certain ideals before me. I wanted
to fight privilege and special interest,
and I had already decided to give up
working for dollars. So I concluded
to stay right here and do what I
wuW to help my brother's children
a1 long istance.
"Why did I choose the course I
didf I'll tell you. I wantod happi
ness and nothing else when I closed
up my business affairs and took up
civic activity.
"Ana l ve Doen happy, too.
"I'm going to be happy yet, loo.
We may have feo go back to a cot
tage, but that 's the way we started,
and we can look upon life just as
joyfully there aa we did in the big
house on Euclid avenue.
"They tell ine my enemies are
planning to bring financial trouble
upon me. I've been expecting it.
"My enemies are cauable of doing
that. % One may expect nothing else
from special privilege. Let them
make any sort of attack upon me
that they choose. I'll never give up
and they'll always find me at the
front.
"If I had boon a coward ? if I had
run away fro inthis fight for the peo
ple of Cleveland ? 1 could have saved
ray fortune and built it up. But I
had chosen my course. I haven't
been laboring as mayor with the ex
pectation of being rewarded by the
gratitude of the people. One cannot
count on that. It's pleasure in doing
work that I like that ha* kept me
in the fight.
"I have never made a single penny
out of the street railways since I be
came mayor. I don't feel discourag
ed. I'm a free man, and that means
a great deal to me. Don't you sup
pose it will be worth something to
me to have my friends realize that
I entered the mayor's officc rich and
loft it poor?
"I'm going to keep on just as I've
.started. I going to be a candidate
for mayor ngain when this term is
over. ' '
Chauffeur Killed in Auto Orash.
Washington, Special. ? Noble Davis
a chauffeur, was killed and several
others were injured by the overturn
ing of an automobile near Hyatts
ville, Md. The automobile was own
ed by Joseph Strasburger, a mer
chant of this city, and Daivs, who
was his chauffeur, had taken out a
party of his%friends in the machine.
Frjnous' Federal Ssont Dioi at Mount
Vernon, N. Y.
Mount Vernon, N. Y., Special. ?
Col. John (\ Babcoek, who was one
of the principal scouts for the army
of the Potomac during the Civil war.
died ni his home here Colonel Bab
cock was 72 ye ?' rn of njro. At the
outbreak of the war he enlisted at
Chicago in the Sturgis Rifles. He
was later assigned to the secret serv
ice of the army under Major Allen,
and it was he who discovered Gen
eral lice's forward movement which
ended at Gettysburg.
Many Die la Explosion.
Now York, Special,? Twenly-flv?
persons are believed to have lost, t hoi t
lives in an explosion of gas which
tore n great section of Gold street,
Brooklyn. It is definitely > known
that fifteen persons were buried un
der the hundreds of tons of earth and
timber that were thrown into the
air by the explrsion, and ten more
persons are reported ns missing. The
exact number of dead canuot be de
termined.
CHANGE AT WATTS MILLS
loiipiiaqa of Mr. laomatt Accept
ed ud Successor Named.
Laurens, Special. ? At a meeting of
the directors of the Watts mills
Mr. J. Adger Smythe, of Pelser was
elected to succeed Mr. W. D. Ham
mett, of Hones Path, resigned. The
resignation of Mr. Hammctt was
made necessary because of his recent
election to the presidency of the two
Anderson mills, making his duties too
arduous. Mr. Smythe will at an
early date move his family to Lau
rens. It is understood that the mat
ter if issuing some preferred stock
was considered at the meeting last
week. Upon siifrgestion of Mr. Smy
the it wns decided not to issue any1
more stock.
Incendiarism Alleged.
Lexington, Special. ? Sheriff Corby
was informed that the barn of Mr.
James Oswald, who resides near
S?te3dman, a little station on the old
line of the Carolina Midland rai'
road, had been burned on Thursday
nifjht about 12 o'clock and that ic
war thought that the Are was the act
of nn incendiary. Sheriff Corley im
mediately sent Deputy Sheriff Mil
ltr to the scene to make an inve^ti
gation.
State News Items.
Gen. J. C. Boyd said recently that
the CQSt of the militia for defending
the negro, John Irby, at Spartanburg,
would mount up into several hundred
dollars. Qen. Boyd thinks that Gov.
Ansel did exactly right. On account
of tliQ conditions immediately follow
ing the crime, he thinks that Gov.
Ansel would have done wrong had
he failed to provide protection. Bet
ter to have too much protection than
none at all. The expenses will be
$1.50 per day for each militiaman on
duty, in addition to traveling ex
penses of Laurens company to and
from Spartanburg on two occasions
and the squad to Columbia and re
turn.
Comptroller General Jones and the
State superintendent of education,
Mr. O. B. Martin, are at work on
their annual reports and will have
them ready for the printers soon.
Gov. Ansel has not yet commenced
work on his annual message but will
begin shortly. There is much specu
lation as to his attitude on prohi
bition since three of the counties vot
ing out the dispensary makes the
State exactly divided in number and
representation on the question. It is
probable that the governor may re
new his recommendation of last venr.
He has the matter now under advise
ment.
The Rutledge county commission
ers have been appointed with the ex
ception of one from Clarendon and
one from Florence opposed to the
proposition. H. B. Smith, of Kincrs
tree is the commissioner from Wil
liamsburg opposed to the plan. J. J.
Kaddy, of Leo, Williamsburg count v,
J. H. P rosscr, of Hannah, Florence
county and W. D. McFadden of Lake
City, R. F. D. No. 1, Clarendon coun
ty, are the commissioners favorable
to formation.
Gov. Ansel has not as vrt made
any decision on the petition for 'lie
pardon of Mrs. Carson. ? ho white
woman who is serving a life sentcieo
from Spartanburg on the charge of
killing her husband Kl years ago. He
has the petition under advisement
and may render a decision or ma\
refer it to the State pardon board.
Oov. Ansel has not yet appointed
two members of the State dispensary
commission to till the vacancies creat
ed by the resignation of B. F. Ar
thur and C. K. Henderson, who are
receivers for the dispensary fund.
The governor has the matter under
advisement and may make his ap
pointments Inter.
Oov. Ansel has appointed on the
Calhoun dispensary board T. T. I lane,
vice W. G. Peterkin, resigned. Hane
was recommended by the commis
sioners.
(lov. Ansel has appointor A. T.
.Johnson of Taint ha magistrate for
Aiken county, vice Jesse Croon, re
signed. Green was recently elected
supervisor for Aiken. Johnson was
recommended by the delegation.
Comptroller General Jones is send
ing out through The S'ate printing
otfice the blanks nn l bocks to be used
in connection with the paying of
taxes*. Mr. C. C. Muller, manager
of the printing office, states that all
records as to early delivery havo
been b-oken.
Mr. R. W. T). Rowel!, auditor and
county superintendent of education
of Bamberg county, was in ( olum
bia as the mesrfontror fot* the election
commissioners. Tie paid an official
visit to Comptroller General Jones.
The supreme court will meet on
November 24 with a very large, long ^
list of appeal case*.
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS ITEMS
News off Interest Gleaned From All Sections of the State and
Arranged For Busy Readers
Court Martial at Spartanburg.
Spartanburg, Special.? Private3 C.
Mac Quinn, Lester Holt and W. A.
Holt, members of Company I> 1st
regiment, South Carolina National
Guard, pleaded guilty before a court
martial here last week. Mac Quinn
and Lester Holt pleading guilty to
the charge of desertion and \Y. A.
Holt to the charge of disobeying or
ders. Privates W. S. Rogers, James
Wilds and Clarence Cobb, who were
court martialed on the charge of de
sertion, pleaded not guilty and were
tried, the case taking up the entire
day. H. L. Bomar appeared for the
defendants. The officers of the court
were Capt. P. K. McCullcy, Capt. P.
C. Hundley, Capt. F. I. Watson and
Capt. J. Frost Walker, Judge Advo
cate. The trial attracted great inter
est, the chamber of commerce rooms
where the court was held being crowd
ed with military men and private
citizens. It was the first military
trial ever held in Spartanburg and
the first of the kind ever held in
the State. The Court martial was
ordered by Col. Lewis, commander of
the 1st South Carolina regiment, and
was the result of the above named
privates refusing to respond when
Company I was called out to protect
the jail on October 10, when n mob
attempted to storm the jail and lynch
John Irby, colored, charged with at
tempting to rape Miss Leila Demp
sev. Irby has since been convicted
and sentenced to serve thirty years
in the penitentiary. When the court
convened the privates, under charges,
nil of whom were in uniform, to
gether with the witnesses were
brought into court. Privates Lester
Holt and C. Mae Quinn pleaded guilty
to the charge of desertion, and W. A.
Holt entered a plea of guilty to the
charge of disobedience. Quinn in
making his plea of guilty broke down
and cried, lie said that it was his
intention to respond, and that he went
to the armory for his uniform and
arms, but found the armory locked.
Privates Cobb, Wilds and Rogers in
their defense claimed that they were
of the opinion that their term of en
listment expired October 1, and that
thev had turned in their uniforms
and equipment and were not there
fore subject to cull to arms. The po
sition of the company was that since
they had not received written dis
charge from the colonel of the regi
ment they were subject to duty at
any time. The court adjourned and
the papers and findings of the court
will be forwarded to Col. Lewis, com
mander of the 1st regiment. It will
be ten days before Col. Lewis will
make a report on the case.
Monarch Mill Meeting Held.
Union, Special. ? The stockholders
of the Monarch Cotton Mills met here
? S. M. Millikcn and his party of
nothern capitalists being present. 11.
A. Hatch, of Now York city, son-in
law of Mr. Millikcn, was chosen pres
ident, in succession to P, K. Kant,
deceased, and Mr. Nicholson, of this
city, was reelected treasurer and gen
eral manager. A semi-annual divi
dend of 3 per cent was ordered paid
on .January 1.
Geologists Gathering Data.
lllaeksburg, Special. ? Mr. A. L.
Ktcrilt, of the ecological survey, is
here with Prof. Sloan, gathering data
of this quadrangle to till in the map
of this section being made by tli"
geological survey. The topographi
cal men were here in 190(5 and they
have the map all ready now e.xce pt
ing th<> geological data. When that
is worked up the map will be com
plete.
IIt&7y Ecntcnco Givtn.
Spartanburg, Special. ? Vim heav
iest sentence ever imposed in this
county for conviction on the charge
of selling liquor was that imposed
by .Tudg? K lough oji Col. Aaron
Thompson of this county, who was
convicted on three accounts, lie was
given a flue of .fl ,f><)0 .or eighteen
n onths in the penitentiary or at iiatd
labor on the public works of t lie
onnty. The case will be appealed.
Motion was made for a new trial but
was refused by the court.
Report on Insurance.
Columbia, Special. ? In liis forth
coming first annual report to the Leg
islature Mr. McMaster, the new State
Insurance Commissioner, will have
some interesting ami encouraging re
marks to make concerning domestic
mutual insurance doing a lire busi
ness, showing the remarkable saving
to policy-holders on both city and
country property these concerns char
tered under the 44 mutual protective
association act" have made over
"old line" insurance. They "tell a
story of honesty and fratenity that
entirely over shadows the failures of
the few which have attempted to
cover the whole State." Mr. Mc
Master mentions one Charleston com
pany, the Carolina Mutual, which is
.">7 years old, has $130,000 in cash and
investments. It weathered the groat
Charleston lire of 1SU1, through the
loyalty of its members meeting all
its heavy losses then, which have
been fully saved back to them in re
duced insurance since. He also men
tions favorably the Hibernian Mu
tual, the Qermania Mutual and the
Merchants' Mutual, all Charleston
companies con tilling themselves to
Charleston City property. These
Charleston companies, the rejiort
says, "have been the means of sav
ing, I believe without exaggeration,
hundreds of thousands of dollars to
the citizens of Charleston." Mr.
McMaster 's comments are most en
couraging to the movement that ho*
started in the South to do the
South's insurance business at homo
at loss cost to poliey-holders and
keeping all the money at home.
Corn Contest Not Dccidcd.
OalTncy, Special. ? A large number
of farmers came to (JafTney on the
date tixed for deciding the corn con
test which has excited so much in
terest anion? the fanners of Cherokee
county this season. A number of
them was disappointed, however, as
the committees were not ready to re
port as to the yield for the reason
that some of the contestants have .not
finished leathering their product. Tlio
fanners were met by Mr. C. L. (Jood
rich, from the ollice of farm inanage
ment of Washington, I). C. ; Mr. ('.
1'. Hartley, of Washington, who is
in charge of corn investigation from
the bureau of plant industry, and Mr.
Ira Williams, also of the bureau of
plant industry. These gentlemen
siioke entertainingly and instructively
along their particular lines, and after
the speaking Mr. Goodrich awarded
the prize of $5 to Mr. T. C. Petty
for the best display of seed c<?rn.
The prize off-. -red by the Merchants
and 1 Milliters' Hank for the largest
yield will }*? awarded later sifter the
various committees on measurements,
etv*. , have reported.
Mill Meeting Held.
Spartanburg, Special. ? The annua!
meeting of the Spartan Mills, Ix>ck
Imn Mills and the ( inincsville Cotton
Mills were held Inst week. The old
board of directors and officers of all
three of the mills were re-elected and
the usual dividends declared. The
meetings were attended by S. M.
Millikcn and party of New York mil
lionaires, who lire making their an
nual trip of inspection to the mills
in this section, in which thev are in
te rest cd.
Firo in Bambcr? Cctton Oil Mill.
CVIumhia, Special. ? Kin? destroy
ed the gin house and erasing mill of
the Bamberg Cotton Oil Mill, causing
a loss of approximately $7(1,000, par
tially covered bv insurance. Til?
building* and machinery of the mill
nre veined at ?.'1(5,000 and the raw
material destroynl at about $ 10,
000. The insurance as stated by Mr.
W. B. Hrabham. manager of the mill,
is about JjG5,000.
Explosion at Fock Fill.
flock 1 Till. Special.-- The i nirl in
the I{ock Hill Steam l,anndrv explod
ed, wrecking the rest of the machin
ery, blew a hole eiirhl f'-ct square in
the side of the brick building, forced
nit all the doors and shattered the
glass ir the windows. Xo one was in
the building except Mr. Kartliiug, the
manager. He was badlv stunned, but
not otherwise hurt. The damage to
the machinery is estimated at abnnt
fifteen hundred dollars, hut that to
the building was not estimated.
SURE CURE
For All Diaeuai off
STOMACH,
Liver ? Kidneys
LECTRIC
ok R?U?fandCoM for H?ad*
aoho, BacRaeho, DltflnaM,
Irw3ig??tlon. Malaria, ?to.