University of South Carolina Libraries
/GINNERS roy Cotton Statistics, North of the Census Wau, Who "Expresses Sur prise and Concern. He Warns Growers. - Director of the Census North in a letter to Representative Burleson of Texas, made public Thursday, takes notice uf the situation presented by the cotton statistics given out for publication Wednesday and expreEses his surprise and concern at the recent alleged movement in tho southern States, "apparently approved and augmented by the cotton growers themselves,11 te destroy the census re ports by concerted refusal of the gin nera to make returns. Director North asserts that a continuance of the cot ton ginning roports ls impossible with out the sympathetic and whole-heart ed co-operation of the pinners of the south. Immediately after the receipt of the letter. Mr. Burleson, a mem ber of the house census committee, and who was the author of the provi sion making appropriation fer the gathering of cotton statistics, gave out an interview In which he upholds the director in tho work now being done by his bureau. The letter is as follows: Washington, D. 0., Dec. 29, 1904. Hon. Albert S. Burleson, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. My Dear Slr: It seems proper to invite your attention to certain ano malous conditions which confront the census offlco in carrying out the pro visions of seotion 9 of tho act to estab lish a permanent census office, direct ing the periodical collection or the statistlcsof cotton production through the agenoy of the glnners. This provision wes inserted in the law at our urgent request and that of other ?hern representatives, on the plea was necessary for the protec 5"?f lB8 Spttea pPKl3"cera_ju^^ the ?peuuiaiors and others mceresteai in depressing the price of the staple for their own profit. It was urged that enormous losses resulted from the untrustworthy estimates put forth every year by speculators and agents of the Liverpool market, and that early and trustworthy official Informa tion regarding the size of the crop would?protect the grower, disarm the speculator and market manipulator and permit the law of supply and de mand to regulate the prices. EXFENSIVK IN KO ll M AT ION. Since the law was passed congress has appropriated and this offiee has d|sbursed more than 8125,000 a year lu the collection and dissemination of this information. The system has been gradually perfected until lt has become more nearly perfect than any similar plan for obtaining esr.ct know ledge of the size of any agricultural crop during the progress of harvest lng. i_ No complaint has been made that ?the census reports are not accurate, indeed for a year or two past we have able to trace the crop so closely Tactically every bale has boen d for. ^atls*'"" mereaEe 5~ ??*??*e x; for lt becomes possible, by par ison of the Statistics of one year with those of- the same date In preceding years, to judge the alza of successive crops with an accuracy never before known or approximated. The ginning reports ol' the census . office have crowded out the specula tive and interested estimates referred to, and the single object which the southern representatives had in view, Iii urging this legislation, has been successfully accomplished In view of these facts, 1 have been surprised and concerned at the pres ent movement iu the southern States, which ls opparently approved and aug mented by the cotton growers them selves, to destroy the census reports, by the concerted refusal of the glnners to make the returns upon which they are based. Thus far the movement has not seriously affected our work, but If it continues and spreads, lt will necessarily destroy its value during the coming year. It appears to have been suddenly discovered that these reports, undertaken solely at the de mand of the cotton growers, are high ly detrimental to bis Interests. Mr. F. Webber, president of the Mern pbhTiiottOn exchange, ls quoted as de claring that "the cotton interests of the south have everything to lese and nothing to gain by their continuance; they put the manufacturing interests in possession of Information which works Irreparable Injury to the south." My attention bas also been called to the so called "National Cot ton Glnners' association," the purpose of which is stated to be "to gather accurate and reliable Information re garding the amount of cotton pro duced in advance of the government report." It also appears that "this Information ls to be sent in code; and the members of the association will be sworn noli to divulge lt." The in formation is still highly desirable, but possession of lt ls to be restricted to those who grjw and gin thc cotton. PISAl'FOINTMKNT OK OltOWKKS. I can understand?the disapolntod ment of cotton growers at the present prices of cotton, hud their feeling that these prices are due to the un usual Blze of this year's cotton crop, early and definite knowledge concern ing which ba3 berm given to the pub lic by the census reports. But 1 con fess myself unable to follow the rea soning which leads the growers, and through them the gluners, to Imagine that lt will be to their advantage, be cause of thin exceptional situation, to destroy the efficiency of the official maohinory t irough which they learned the present situation, early knowledge of whloh has undoubtedly extended the ohange in the price of cotton over a much longer period, and thus saved the growers and tho country from muoh larger losses than would other wise have been encountered in con nection with this year's crop. It would seem to bc plain that In the long run, taking ono yenr with an other, only ono thing can decrease the speculative element in the business of cotton sedlng, and thus permanent ly benefit the cotton grower, and that is knowledge of the exact truth as to the size of thc crop, from an absolute ly Impartial and truthworthy source, it the earliest r/rsottcable daten. Thii ras the unanimous coatautlon ot the louthera representativo In congress ?Xhen the law waa passed. it. is not my purpoae, however," to irgub the matter. I simply desire to sall your, attention to the fact that Ute continuance o? the census cotton ??I?S??K ?ojjori? is impossible, without t?ry^omplete, sympathetic, and whole hartod-cooperation of thc 30,000 gin-, nc rs of th e .south: The oohttuB ' office cannot enter into competition with a cotton Kinnora* association which pro poses to gather the same data for private information only," Moreover it cannot contin?e to promulgate statistics of the quantity o? cotton ginned to certain date, after it has reason to believe that these reporta are no longer correct, in consequence of a concerted boycott hy the ginners. Otherwise lt would be guilty of the identical evil of misrepresentation its reports were established to pre vent. The census bureau bas no in terest in the matter whatever, beyond the discharge of its duty as establish ed by law, and the maintenance of its reputation for the compilation and publication of accurate statistics. ff AKNINO TO GROWERS. 1 have, therefore, decided to notify you in this manner, and throrgh you the cotton growers of the south, that the continuance of the movement which they have b?gun will necessari ly result in the discontinuance of the cotton ginning reports ot the census office, for without the hearty and general cooperation of the glnners those reports would become valueless and the compilation an unpardonable waste of public money. The situa tion would then revert to what Io was Qve years ago. But after the private and interested estimates controlling the market price have again for a few years been too high, as they undoubt edly will be, and tbe repeated losses of tho cotton growers in consequence have again convinced them that tbe change they demanded in 1001 was a wise one, lt will be far more difficult and may be Impossible to induce con gress to reestablish a BJ stein which the cotton growers set up once before only to tear lt down when it ohanced that a knowledge of the facts waa to their disadvantage. I deem lt my duty to acquaint you with the probable course of the cen sus o nice, in order that you may take any steps whioh may seem to you de sirable or necessary in connection with the matter. Very respectfully, S. N. D. North, Director. Upon receipt cf the letter, Mr Burleson gave out the following stater: ment: 3 "Believing that lt was to the in irrest ot tho producer of cotton to ol^hidnato as far as possible tbe speeu-' lau^e^rasaWi.om entering Into or affecting the market price of his pro duct, I caused tu be embodied in the act, making the census bureau per manent, the original item providing for statistics of cotton ginned during the current year, and the result of census bureau's labors in carrying into effect Ulis provision has materi ally aided in accomplishing this end. The result has not influenced achange of opinion on my part. A l-KU SO NAL ALLUSION. "If I may be pardoned a personal allusion, a grower of cotton myself, having frequently experienced the damage occasioned by tbe high esti mates and cocksure assertions put for ward by those aoting for speculators and cotton gamblers, I felt the neces sity of some impartial source of infor mation which would be as accurate as possible. This the census bureau has proven Itself to be. "I concur in every word contri nod In this letter of Mr. Vorth and feel c.-.utj it womer oe nothing short of a calamity if the ginners should at any time fall to furnish prompt and accu rate reports to the census bureau. To fail to report to the census bureau will only play Into the hands of the cotton gamblers and will serve to promptly reestablish alleged statistical agents, who are now, thanks to tho bureau of statistics of the department of agriculture and the oensus bureau, thoroughly disc-edited. If during nex*! year, as a result of decreased acreage and imperfect weather condi tions, there should be a short cn p, which is not improbable, tben the ?riuners' reports lasucd by the census bureau wouldjagaln be In high favor by the cotton growers. What ls wanted and what ls really always to the interest of the cotton grower ls a prompt knowledge of the exact truth. "It is my purpose to prepare an ?ffer at this session of congress and amendment to the cousus aot provid ing for the collection and publication jf accurate statistics the number of Dales of cotton consumed each year ind the Burplus of cotton held in the ianda of the manufacturer and the lumber of balee exported. This is iccessary and only fair to the grower )f cotton. Ile should promptly have ihls Information as the manufacturers )f cotton throughout the world are riven knowledge of the number of lalesof cotton grown. "I have discussed this with Senator Sallcy of my State, and he agrees vitia mo as to the Importance and lecessity of this amendment and igrees to lend a helping band in se iurlng its adoption." A Bad Man. At Thomas, Ga., after killing his nother-ln-law, Mrs. W. H. Parrish, naking a desperate attempt to kill ils 18-year-old wife and shooting limself twice with a Winchester rifle Wednesday. J. B. Barrow is lying In be city hospital Thursday night in a m carious condition closely guarded ?y officers. Barrow ls r:n engineer on he Atlantic Coast Line. He is 38 ears old and ha'! been married but wo years. His wife waa 20 years bis unlor. Domestic infelicity is given as he cause of the tragedy. The verdict f the coroner's jury dcea not say whether murder was committed or he killing was accidental. I.cit Alone to Die. The police are Investigating the aysterlous death of an unknown oung woman, found lying in tho now In the Riverside drive, New fork, Thursday and who died without iccomlng conscious. The suspicions f the police, were aroused by the faot hat her underskirt and bat were ouud nearly 100 feet from where the ody lay. The spot whero the body ..as found is a lonesome and deserted ne. The police suspect that the oung woman while unconscious was if t there by other persons to die of xposure. Bli Killed br Explosion. Six men were klll?d Wednesday fternoon by an explosion of four oilers at a Walville sawmill, 30 miles /est of Ohohalls, Wis. Two others ?eio badly hurt. TO COTTON GROWERS. I They Are Advised to Organize and Held Their Cotton. Ci??? trixi av Formed in t?vfrj Vot- 1 ins; Precinct In South Caro lina Without Delny. Mr. E. D. Smith, Pr?sident of the1 South Carolina Cotton dowers ABS o elation, issued the following address j last Saturday: To the Cotton Growers of South Car glin*. < ? would hare written an account of the Shreveport meeting before this, but bave been waiting to hear from | the president of the national organiza tion as to the final steps to be taken. This I gtve in today's issue. From t ie Bio Grande to th* Atlan tic tbe farmers are fully alive to the | situation. The old spirit that seemed to be prevalent; that every other bust ness was Our enemy is passing and the I cotton farmer fully realizes that the present condition In which he finds | himself is the result of his own do ings. Every State in the cotton belt ] ls organizing for tbe purpose of hold ing cotton and reducing acreage of I cotton and Increasing acreage for borne supplies. Let every farmer who has cotton hold it and not duplicate in noxt year's ! crop It ls manifest to him that if he stores this cotton, borrows the money on lt and does not duplicate lt, that another year he will real'ze enough to pay him 75 to 100 per cent, besides giving him an abundance of home sup plies. Again we must have a syste matlo reduction of aoreage; some plan by which we may have this done or ganically, officially, if those are the proper words. To this end we meet in New Orleans, Jan. 24-26. Let eaoh voting precinct in the State meet on Jan. 10 and organ'ze itself into and auxiliary club, elect a dele gate or delegates to meet at its ccurt house on Saturday, Jan. 14, to perfect a c: in ty organizition and to elect delegates to the New Orleans conven tion. It is urgently requested that this bo done in every county. Send me the names of tbe delegates eleoted to New Orleans, so that I may send them in. In the meantime I wish to warn every farmer against tbe schemes now being used to get bold of spot cotton. Don't lend to the mill man or export er. Hold your otton. We are able tc hold and we need tbe proat. E D. Smith, President South Carolina Cotton G rowe rs' Associ?t lon. Magnolia, S. O , Deo. 31, 1904. . BOMB COTTON FIGURES. That Will Bo Hoad With Interest Ity Our Farmers. We present below some cotton Hg ures that will be of interest to all in the face of the present cotton situa tion: TOTAL AMBUICAN CKOrs. Season. Bales in Crop. 1886 87. 6.505,087 1887- 88. 7,046,8.13 1888- 89. 6,938,290 1889- 90. 7,311,322 1890 91. 8,652,597 181.1-92. 9,035 379 1892 93. 0,700 3115 1893 94. 7 594,817 1894 95 . 9,901,251 1895- 90 . 7 157,340 1896- 97. ?,75,7 ?UM 181)7-98...11,199,994 1898 99.11,274,810 1899 19M. 9 430,410 190C-U1..10 383 422 1901 02. 10,680,680 1902 03 .10,727,559 1903 04*.10,011.374 HIGHEST AND LOWEST TltlCES. Year Highest Lowest. 1886. 9 9-16 8 13 16 1887.ll 7 10 9 7 16 1888.ll 3 8 9 5 8 1889.ll 1-2 9 3 4 1890. 12 3-4 ? 3 10 1891 . 9 12 7 34 1892.10 0 ll 10 1893. 9 15-10 7 1 4 1894. 8 5 16 5 9 10 1895. 9 3 8 5 9 10 1896 . 8 7-8 7 1-16 1897. 8 1-4 5 13 16 1898. 6 9 16 5 5 16 1899. 7 13 10 5 7-8 1900.11 7 9 10 1901 .12 7 13 10 1902. 9 7 8 8 3-10 1903.13 1-2 8 9-10 ' To August 31. WOKLD'B CONSUMPTION. World's Total. 1890 91 . 10,466,000 1891-92 . 10,471,000 1892 93. 10,247,000 1893 94 . 10,551,000 1894 95. 11,397,000 1895 90. 11,532,000 1896- 97. 11,880,000 1897- 98. 12,889 000 1898- 99. 14,015,000 1899 1900. 13,773,000 1900- 1901. 13,503,000 1901- 1002. 14,414 008 1002-1903. 14,351,930 Earnod Ilia Howard. A dispatch from Columbia says a striking instance of a "Trusty" ne gro convlot's loyalty, was brought to ihe governor's attention In a pardon petition from Aiken Thursday. The hero of story ls Andrew Washington, who y, as serving a two-year term on the gang, for killing a negro named George. The governor Thursday granted him full pardon on a strong petition, setting forth that on a ie sent occasion his heroism prevented the escape of all prisoners on tho orang. The guards were drunk and when the prisoners made a dash for liberty, Washing'?on seized a gun and held them at bay, till assistance came next morning, Washington had served 3vor a year, and was convicted after two mistrials. - Hilled Brother and Self. A special from Ozark, Ala., says: A. double tragedy occurred at Middle J i ty In ?heeastern part of this county Friday. Arch Pope and Jessie Pope, brothers, had a heated discussion and lib-agreement over aline fence and the lOrraer shot and killed his brother with a pistol. Atob Pope then went lome and committed suiolde by taking strychnine. The Popes are among the mot prominent and prosperous people )f southeastern Alabama. Both nun eave families. Traok Disappears. A seoMon of the traok of the New fork, New naven and Hartford Rail .oad, between Hopewell and Storm ,-Ulo, Conn., suddenly disappeared Wednesday by sliding into Storm dake, which it oreases. This was a lew traok over which trains began tu 'un last Friday. A section of the old ,r.ick disappeared at tho same place a 'cw years ago, FA&MERB WASHED Agaluot a j^o**"*' ?hat Will K??? ?*rioo ?.f Cotton Dow??. To the Editor ^.t* I h-ive uotled the propo?ltlorrSil. cortal:- cotton merchants In which they solicit shipments of cotton from the farmers, offering free storage with the privilege of using the cotton tn their business and agreeing to settle for it at any time desired by the ship pers at the current prpj* at time of settlement. 1 have no criticism to make of the cotton men making this proposition, but I wish to warn farmers against accepting it if they hope to realize any benefit from holding their cotton. I am informed that a number ot mills in this country and also In Europe have been pursuing a band to mouth policy, buying only cotton for present needs and having only a small supply on band. If this ls tho c&se and the cotton now in farmers' hands ls abso lutely withheld from the market a demand will soon be created, stacks will be depleted and spinners will be forced to buy cotton or close their mills. Now If the cotton Is consigned to exporters under the proposition re ferred to above, these exporters oan go right on supplying th* mills as they need lt from week to week and I month to month, there will therefore be no withholding of the cotton, no pressure on the spinner, In fact noth ing to create an (,'ctual demand or cause any advance 'in tho price, the farmer will simply be spiking bis own gun. If any pressure is brought to bear on the market the cotton must be kept at home or stored In the near est warehouse. To illustrate, suppose the price of cotton seed was down at a flgue .to tally unrcmunerative and unsatisfac tory to the farmer and the oil mills were to send out circulars agreeing to take all tho seed and promising to settle at current prices at time re quired during the season, and the seed was delivered to them under these conditioni, is it not manifest that with the seed in their posset alon, their mills running on full time, there would be no incentive to force an ad vance in price, but, suppose the seed were hauled away ?rr m the gins, car ried back to the farm and a deter mination shown to put'them in the ground as fertilizer rather than ac cept unsatisfactory prices, the effect would be almost instantaneous, mills would bo obliged to pay(!remuneratlve prices or shutdown, and the chances are that they would pay. The same principio applies to cot ton; it ls true that it cannot be put I Dacie in tne ground as fertilizer os the seed, but it will keep, and it ls cheap er to keep lt than to raise it at pres ent prices. Tho crop last year was a little over fearing a cotton famine, went wild. This year'sorop is estimated at 20 per cent, over last year's crop and they go equally wild in the other direction. There was little reason for last year's extreme advance and less for this year's decline. The bears la tho mar ket, basing their opinions on the gi li ners' report, estimate that the orop will be over 12,000,000 bales and they sot as if they thought that every bale of this cotton would be thrust on the market, that there would be more than enough to go around,] and conse quently there is nc necessity for them to p ty even cost of production for it. T ley forget that fjfyV? /about as ohei: p to buy cotton at posent prices as 11 raise it where commercial ferti lizers are used, and while the orop :iiaj equal or exceed the'^overnment estimate, it won't} be soki at current neverj and probably will never be counted in the crop of 1901-1905 unless there is a material advance In the price, because rather than accept cur rent prices It will pay better to store the cotton and borrow money on it. A 500 pound bale of cotton at present price, at Initial point, ls 6 3 4 couts, equals 833-75. To carry this ono year at 8 per cent, would be less than 7 1 2 for the cotton, while such action, if at all unanimous, would adrance the price probably two or three cents per pound. My advice ls to plant the lands in tobacco, corn, oats, peas, sugar cane, raise hogs curtail cotton acreage and walt till the world wants cotton at remunerative prices. B. Marion, Deo. 23, 1904. A Valuable Glit. Greenville's greatest Christmas gift was the donation by Dr. Cnaa. Hallet Judson of his home and grounds to Furman university. This property, which is located on McDaniel street In West End, is given asaspeolal in centive to those who have subscribed to the endowment fund to pay their notes, and in order, too, that the noble old Institution may have its fund complete at the earliest possible timo. The papers conveying the prop erty have been made out to the exe cutive committee of the college, and the transfer hos been effected. The Judson residence is fairly valued by a prominent real estate man at $7.500, but In making over the property to the university Dr. Judson, with char actcristlc modesty and conservatism, places the value at 95,000. This moBt recent gift of Dr. Judson is in addi tlon to the 821,000 given last year. Dr. Judson's connection wltn the un iversity extends over a period of 50 years. Ile entered the faculty and was one of the building committee which erected the main college struc ture a half century ago. With Fur man and its alumni Dr. Judson will leave the memory of an Imperishable personality. A Peouliar Acoldont. Max Silverman, travelling salesman for a New York house, ls In the Grady hospital In Atlanta in a sorlous con dition, with thc paper nada lng from a blank pistol cartridge In his right lung, as a result of having been acci dentally shot by Sol Oroodrlnsky. The accident is one of tho most peouliar tho hospital authorities Lave had to deal with for some time. The pistol was tired at close range and so great was the force of the shot that the wadding from the shill wont entirely through Silverman's thick clothing, tore through thc body and penetrated the right lung. Physicians aro not yet ? ble to tell whether tho wound will prove fatal. Tho Unloaded Plitol. A dispatch from Holly HUI to The State says Jim Bussell, tho 14 year old son of Mr, T. S. Ruaiell, nho re resides nearHolly Hill, accidentally shot himself Thursday morning with the proverbial ''unloaded pistol." In taking his father's old pistol, which was believed to be unloaded, from a bureau drawer it was acci dentally discharged, the ball pa-alng thr ugh his band and'entering hlsleS just above the knee. Tho ball was not taken out bub the b?y is resting quietly Thursday night. iThe wounds are not thought to be'serious, but will be so mo time in heal og. A PECULIAR CASE. I A Mum'Herring ? Lifo t?outauoo At l'ouitoutlury Wanta ?teloaoe. Governor Hey ward bas received f - om Senator Tillman a letter in re g^tfd to tbe pardon pf George annis, Dow"aa*vlng a lifo sentence in the penitentiary fr^mBarnwell oounty. The case ls a very peculiar one, and the request for the pardon came In from Representative Yeaplan Warner, of Illinois, who ls chairman of the committee of the revision ot laws of the national bouse of representatives. Governor Hey ward will look into the matter at once. The letters which were sent the governor ar? as fol? lows: Gov. D. O. Hey ward. Dear Governor: I enoloee. you a let ter whioh explains itself. The writer is a member of congress from Illinois and a very fine gentleman and lt seems that this man in whom he is interest ed ls at least worthy cf having you examine into his record and into the circumstances of the crime and see whether he ts being held in prison un justly or at least longer than the crime would warrant, supposing bim to have been guilty. Please look ibis up and do what you can as a personal favor to me and ob ll g.-. Tours ulucerely, B. R. Tillman. The letter lnclosel ls as follows: My Dear Senator: You will remem ber that I spoke to you yesterday in re'atton to one George W. Bonis, who Is now serving a life sentence lc the penitentiary In South Carolina. Sa nis enlisted In the Federal volunteer army at the commencement-, of the oivll war in my county, where he then lived, and where bis people now re side. At the close of the war he set tled in South Carolina, in what coun ty I do not know, and was afterwards indicted for setting fire, as I am in formed, to a small Bhed containing, a. mule. The shed and mule were burn ed. Ennis was tried and found guilty and sentenced to be banged and on' the recommendation of the judge, prosecuting attorney who tried him, hts sentence was com nut te d to life Im prisonment. Ennis insists that he is Innocent, and it bas since been ascertained that some other perton, colored, I believe, set tire to the shed. Ennis has now served in the penitentiary more than twenty five years' and I submit that his punishment has been amply suffi cient, even though he did not set Ore to the shed. Hts relatives live tn my home county, DeWitt county, ill., and he bas not a relative or friend of my knowledge in your state. If you will kindly ask your governor to bave Ennis' record in the penitentiary ex amined, and if he flads that bis con duct bas been good and the circum stances justify, I, as well as his many friends tn DeWitt county. 111., where yr u certainly know you have many friends, will be sincerely gratified. Very respectfully, V. Warnt r. JAS UAR Y WEATHER. What It HRS Been In Columbi* For Pant Seventeen Year?. The following data, covering a period of seventeen ye*rs, have been compiled from the weather bureau re cords at Columbia, S C. They are issued to show the conditions that have prevailed, during the. mouth In question, for the above period of years, but must net be construed as a forecast of the weather conditions for the coming month: Month of January for seventeen years: Temperature-M>. an or normal tem perature, 40 degrees. The warmest mouth was that of 1890, with an aver age of 54 degrees. The coldest month was that of 1803, with an average of 38 degrees. The highest temperature was 78 degrees on January 15th, 1808. The lowest temperature was 10 de grees on January 28tb, 1897. The earliest date on which first "killing" frost occurred In autumn, October 19, 1890. Average date on which first "killing" frost occurred in autumn, November 8t<h. Average date on which last "killing" frost occurred in spring, March 23d. The latest date on which last "killing" frost occurred In spring, April 10, 1899. Precipitation (rain or melted snow) -Average for the month 3 80, luches. Average number of dais with .01 of au Incti or more, 10 The greatest monthly precipitation was 7.03 Inches in 1892. Tho least monthly precipi tation waa 1.07 inches in 1190. The greatest amount of precipitation re corded In any consecutive twenty-four hours was 2 93 inches on January 18, 1892. The greatest amount of snowfall re corded In any twenty-four consecutive hours (record extending to winter in 1884 85 only, was 5 Inches on January lb, 1893. Clouds and Weather-Average num ber of clear days, ll; partly cloudy days, 8; cloudy days, 12. Wind-The prevailing winds have been from the northwest. The aver age hourly velocity ot the wind is 9 miles. Tho highest veloolty of the wind was 38 miles from the south west on January 7. 1903. Boy Confesses Terrible Crime. A special from Newport, Ark., says: Before tho coroner's Jury Investiga ting the murder of Mrs. Amelia Maul din, Newton Allwhlte, a 19 year-old boy, bas confessed to being a party to tho outrage and murder of the wo man and her mother, whose body, he says, was thown into White river near the scene of the Christmas crime on the Jacksonport road. The boy im plicates his father, Louis Allwhlte, aged 43 years, who he says first shot the girl and then tho mother. He de clares he was told by bis parent to fire the second shot whioh killed the young wom&n and together they car ried Mrs. Kinkannon's body to the river and were returning to tho scene of the cl in e to make similar disposal of the other body when seme people were seen coming down the road. Tho older Allwhlte maintains hts lnncoence and together with relatives testified to a story implicating Arthur Bunch and Walter Burgess, white farmers, but these men were able to prove ali bis Tried to ?soapo. Whllo a train carrying 130 convicts lu the employ of the Tennessee Coal and iron Railway oompany was going from Mine No. 3 to the prison, Will Filler a negro convict, exploded a stick of dynamite In one of the coaches with a view of effecting a wholesale roleaso. J. Dawkins, a oan vlot from Henry county, was killed, Guard Pickett lost a leg and an arm. Geo. Delaney, one of tho trainmen was hurt, and several convlots ware slightly injured. During the stam pede guards from the other cars rush ed forward and prevented the eto&pe of any of the convlots. The explo sion blew out the end of the *oao --- TEACJHJSB A HEN TO LAY. dearly Vive Times ai Sfany ?ggi a? ? Bho Usually Lay?. The average hen In the United States lays only sixty eggs a year, or a little over twice her weight, but now comes tbe sci entino hen who without dosing or stimulating, lay H seven and one third times her weight in eggs, or 251 eggs each year, and this ls by no means tbe limit. Tue Hew York American says: Tut tbe past six years Professor George M Gowell, agricultura' expert and poul try specialist at the experiment sta ti?n of the University of Maine, at 'Orono, has been conducting ex perl - j menta with the view of producing a breed of hens that can and will lay more eggs than tbe ordinary hen, whose laslncBS or lack of capacity 1B responsible for the high price ot eggs tn the American markets today. Pro feasor Gowell bas made wonderful pr. greas In bis experiments, having thus far developed more than forty hens that exceeded 160 t g*s In a- year and one whose record is 251. People who understand omelettes better than they do hen history and who have a better appetite for eggs than they have for statistics do not realize the imp?rtanos of this effort for poultry improvement. Some idea of the benet! rs to flow from even par tial success of Professor Go well's work may be gainedMtom a few figures. In 1900, according to the United States census, tbore were on the farm of the United States: lnoluding Alaska and Hawaii, 233,598,085 1 chickens and hens over three months old, and the egg produotlon in the prev ous yeal was 1,293.(19,186 dozens, va'ued, on tbe average at 11.2 cent? per dozen, a total pf 8144 289,158. Each chicken laid, on an average, 5 05 dozens ol ?e^gs in the year 1899, ur about one ^^tin six days. Now. this sh->w{ ' i * f h?rfhlcks were either very las; ?.e.iso tDaEfr?-y^r lacked capaoity foi egg laving. Profess ir dowell says ll was all lack ot capacity, and to reme dy that condition be bas set about his experiments for the produotlon ol a better, a breed of more proliQo lay era. Even if the experiments now ii progess at Orono shall accomplloh nt more than to produce a breed o: chickens that shall surpass the pres ent breed in egg laying by one dozei per obloken a year, then for the wboh United States, with its nearly 234, 000,000 chickens; the increase in val ue of the egg product would be about $25,GOG,OOO ? year. Professor Gowe'd'o experiments art conducted for tbe purpoa?, simply, ol ascertaining which individual hen: are the best egg producers, and to usc them for the breeding of more of theil kind. As a means of securing the needed information, flftv-two "trap nests" ol Professor Gowell's own devlsion and construction were placed in the thir teen pens of the breeding bouse. The trap nest ls simple, inexpensive, cer tain in its action and requires little attention. It ls a box like structure, without front or cover, 28 inches lons 13 inches wide and 16 inches deep, in side measure. A division board with a circular opening 7i Inches In diam eter is placed across the box, 12 In ches from the rear and 15 inches from the front end. The rear section thus formed is tbe ne.it proper. Instead of a close made door at the entrance, a light frame of lxll Inch stuff ie covered with wire netting of 1 inch mesh. The door ls 10x10 inohes, and does not fill the entire space, a mar gin of 2 inches being left ab tbe bot tom, and 1 Inch at the top and sid-, s, to secure free action. The door LB hinged at the top and opens up inte the box. When the neat ls ready foi the entrance of the ben the wire dooi ls held up, or opeu, by means of a wire rod so bent that one section of it rests directly across the oircuiar opening ol the nest section. When the hen en ters the nest seotlon, ber back strikes and lifts this rod, thus releasing and dropping the door, making her pris oner until she has laid her egg and an attendant eames to set her free, the do r when lt drops, being caught by a spring and thus held firmly in place. Each hen in the experimental olas? carries upon either leg a broad metal lic band bearing her number. When the ben is released from the trap tbe attendant tak- s her number, and then upon a board fastened on the wall over tbejnest, whereon the records are systematically kept, she is credited with the egg laid. At the end of the year the results are figured up, and the good performers are known by tbelr records and separated from the rest. All that nave laid less than 100 eggs In the year are disposed of. Tbe others are congregated in differ ent pens, according to their produc tive capacity, and the experiments continued, both as to the laying capa city of the selected performers and as to the productiveness of their eggs, all duly labelled with tho number of the ben laying them, In the incubation of ohickens. The experiments began In Novem ber, 1898, fifty-two trap nets being used. When the dati from the first year's testing were secured the birds that yielded 200 or moro eggs of good shape, size and olor were selected for i "foundation stocks," upon which, with additions made to them in suc ceeding y ot rn of birds of similar qual ity, the breeding operations were based. It is known that the laws of inheritance and transmission are as true with birds as with cattle, sheep and horses, and when the wonderful changes that have been made in the form, feather and egg produotlon of bens since their domestication com menced is considered, tbere seems to bo ample ground for assuming that a higher average of egg produotlon than the present can b? secured, br breed ing only from birds that are them selves great producers. The experiments began with about 1,000 bena. Barred Plymouth Bocks and White Wyandottes. During the first four years In whloh Professor Gowell selected breeding stock by use of the trap nests he found thirty-five hens that yielded from 200 to 251 eggs in a year. Several yielded only 30 to 60 eggs at all. The Plymouth Books have far outstripped the Wy andotte* in laying, all through the six years of the experiments, and to day the champion bens, all Plymouth Bocks, are: No. 617, who laid the first year 251 egtrs eggs; No. 1,003 laid 240 eggs; No. 1,001, 213 eggs per an num. They Oared Ulm, John Clark, a negro five years old, is dead at the homes of his parent at Lyndon, Ky., cf acute alcoholism, in consequence of excessive doses of wine and a mixture of wine and whiskey administered to him by his stop-fa thor and mother in the effort So keep bim from ever having a desire for drink by making him sick of lt. Tell Me How An Original System of Curing the No Matter Where They Resit Specialist of a Quarter of EIGHT MEDICAL BOOKS FREE ONE YOU Wi Reco?nizecT as the Oldest Established and MoBt Reliable Specialist.^ Af tar 25 yean of nett vo practice, laboratory I experiment and scientific study, I, Dr. J. New ton Hathaway, appear beforeiyou as th? origina ? tor of a new system of caring disease, oompris i ing noteworthy discoveries that have a bear ing on every form of chronic disease of both sexos and which have already done much to revolutionise the old-style pmctioe of medi I chio os followed by most doctors. By thin j new system I am onablod to cure disease 50 per cent quicker than was heretofore thought possible: I am enabled to cure diseases that I other doctors have given up as incurable; I am it. specialist's exrerienced'BtandpoYnt as to your disease really is and also inolnso or my booklets going into the details of thu i j wot. 1 wont to hear at once from men women who i, utter from any discaso of generative organs, of tho generativo org I rom any gen i to-urinary disease from any di ease of the lungs, throat, heart, stomach, liver? blood, kidneys, rheumatism, bladder, womb or ovarian troubles, variencelo, stricture, urinary disorders, enlargement of the prostate, speciQo blood poison and so forth, ra for theso I hnvu a positive cure and wont you to know, about better able by thia new system to locate the cause of the disease, bettor able to compound a treatment that will banish tt, better able to so vitalise the treatment that it will not only cure the disease but all complications os wefi and nive you puror blood, ationger muscles, I have written eight Interesting medicar books on th? subject of how I euro disoaso ana which tell ali about the disenso, os follows: 1. Diseases of tho Vital Orgium; 2. Throat and Lung Trouble?; 3. Peraa'c D\%o IBOS (new edition); 4. Stricture; 5, Varia"co'e; 4, Blood steadier norves, better appetite, sounder sleep , Poison (in d- tnii); 7, Kidney, Bladder, Rhou and more perfoot functions of heart, ?tomaen ! matism; 8, Nervous docility and Woakno'ses of and kidneys. I have this system to such a ' Men (^margoo new edition). I will send you nnint. of n*rf/w>(tr>r; th*t I ***** SCCOaplish "tbs -J Sr rr.zrz cf th??? books upoii n-nitri cure ?qu?l'y as thoroughly by correspondence ! according to the disooso you have and also a aa when the patient cornea to my ornoo, and in symptom or question blank. Havo no heat proof of this I am prepared to send you copies taney whatever in writing mo for thom as thor of letters from people who war? cured in this aro f roo to be given away to sufferers. Ad war. 1 dross me J. Newton Hathaway, M. D , 88 In What I want yon to do right now is to aend man Bldg. 22} 8. Broad Ht. Atlanta, Ga. ' roe a description of how you suffer so that I Please write, ti mo as a ion as you possibly can have time to compound a treatment to can aa I want to hoar from all of yon without euro you. Not only this but 1 will study your d-lay, knowing fall well that I have a caro for lotter carefully and writo you a lotter from a your very disease. iWi? LOOKING >S FOR YOUR ORDERS COLUMBIA LUMBER & MFC CO COLUMBIA S C. THE GUINARD BRICK WORKS, COLUMBIA, gjjjU c^r/->,,:?i Building and Rxj-Pres-c?VBrick. Speoial Shapes to order. Fire Pro?,. Terra Gotta Flue Linings. Prepared to fill orders for thousands or for millions. Whlske I Morphine I Clgaret I AlhDrug and. Too woo Habit, I ' Habit | Habit | - Habita. Cured by Iteelejr Institute, of O. 1320 Lady St. (or P. O. Box 75) Columbia, 8. O. Confldeniir.l correspond ence solicited. ""KILFYMTilLm That is exactly what it is, a F Ire Killer. Demonstration every day at the State Fair showing tts tiro fighting qualities. Every Farmer, Oil Mill, Baw Mill, Ginnery and any one owning property should have them. For sale by COLUMBIA SUPPLY 00.? Columbia, ?. O. The machinery Supply house of the State Southeastern Lime & Cement Co. CHARLESTON, S. C. Building Material of all kinds. High Grad ? Roofing "RUBEROID." Write for prices A LITTLE WAR BTOBY. A. Gun Captured from a Federal Of floor Returned at Lam. The Columbia Record s\ys a rather pretty little story bas just developed in the past few days, in which Bishop Capers takes a part and which brings back recollections of the days in 1801 1885 in a very vivid manner. The story bas in it the capture of a Fed eral prisoner by the bishop, then an officer in tho Third South Carolina regiment, aud the part played by other members of the same regiment, the names of whom have been forgot ten by all. The Incident happened on James Island when a detachment of soldiers from the various South Carolina com panies, ju.st raised, were stationed there. Blsbop Capers and three sol diers were coming over from the headquarters of the offioers toward the line where sentries had been thrown out. Just aoross the lino a Northern sol dier was seen and it was evident that the> had landed for some purpose not for the good of the men on the island who wore the grey. He was approach ed so rapidly that be had no chance to escape and told to surrender. There was some parley at first ts the man, evidently a brave soldier, did not wish to be taken in this way without baving a chance for a fight, but tho folly of such procedure was quickly shown and he turned over bis gun and marched baok to camp. The gun was kept by Bishop Capers for years and several efforts were made to find Its owner. Finally by searching over the records lt was found that the gun belonged to some member of the Fi rao Connecticut vol unteors. From thoro the tracing wa a little easier and finally the man wMo owned the gun was located. His arante is Franois G. Cope and he llvearIn a small town in Connecticut. 7iho gun ls now being fixed up and vef?ll be re turned by tbe bishop at otffce. It is still a dangerous looking/weapon, al most a breech loader, which shot a paper shell loaded with/ powder and an explosive bullet. Nail and At Charleston in tli#teJn7ted States circuit court Friday aftewchtyi Judge Brawley handed down hl9 tr?P,8'on de daring tho act of tho last ?J?lon of the legislature forbidding fte *hip ment of shad out of South OarV'?a to be in conflict with the Intorst* moree act and therefore unca ttonal, null and void. T. S. HOJ.LEYMAN, M. D.t The Specialist. Cures all diseases of m?n. Lost manhood, syphilis (blood poison), gonorhoea, gleet, strlobure, varlocaele, hydrocele and all private diseases ot men. Catarrh in all forms cured quickly. Plle3 cured without opera tion or detention from business. Under guarantee. Rooms 421 and 422 Leonard building, Augusta, Ga. Write for home treatment. Ofilia ours: 9 a. m. to 7 p. m. Sundays, a. m. to 2 p. m. Kvl?Tlv?TB>Mlt9WWW?Mli SB . S Make Home Happy. S Qood Music Will Do This. You want a aweot-tonod Piano, or you may pr?>ffrr a fino Orgiui. Wa represent tho Hmndard H*ak>-ra. Our prices mid terms will appeal to you. Cull on or ud dross ? MALONE'S MUSIC H0U$E, In Opera House Block, COLUMBIA, S. C. itnneHcg<aWB?e?wi $5,000S? 'JAB* JV \?Ek0 Ott DEP0? 4^*8 Paid. J&Z+R Ccu!?s Offer j Board nt Coat. Vi ir " ??SIHESSCOtLEOE.Maoo? Jumped to Dr nth, 'At New York a woman of 21, ycart 1/nown as Cooli Hall, bas killed bc 'self instantly by juro plug from third story window. Her act croat a commotion In the tirbighoorhoi where it was declared the girl \? screaming for help when she was sc to fling herself In a rude condltl! bead formost from tbe window, coroner took chargo of the and immediately gave it as bl?, lon that tho girl was not a but had been. detaint d against^ will and was attempting to es?; Later he modified bis statement! what, pending further luvestigi The woman's clothing wa&&uuc.' tercd about tho room from leaped. _ Ex Gov. J. P. Ein e home In Little Rock, day. He was a proL the Baptist church, years the president Baptist oonventlot