The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, July 27, 1905, Image 3
I
^ 1 A HOATIMF.
Thousands Slept t,he Parks of New
i' \X
York I j Week.
I
The Heat Wan ?' ,^\teniie That the
^ i
Pe<>i-'o Had t f*?}egert Their
A V?
Wotiios ti ,JLJt Air.
TT
While it was prc.'^jr hot throughout
South Carolina3* It week we did
not buffer here as i h people did iu
New York and other large cities of
the North. There were hundreds of
deaths from the hn?^ in all of the
larger cities and there would have
been more had uot the people deserted
t.Hniv ? ?? ? ? il
wnvn uuima uuu lu ik iu LUC pUUHC
parks. Here is a Now York picture:
' lC rne and sle^p on the garss in toe
parks" was the lnvitatiou Manhattan
sent out Wednesday night, and
the people resporddd by thousands,
says Ti e New York Sun of Weduts
day. From the little triangle south
of Cooper ynion to the slopes of Riverside
park fcnd in all the down-to vn
small paika the gra s, the benches and
the band stands were populous. The
' Keep off the grass" signs were called
iu
"They won't be put out again this
summer, either, if I can help it," said
Park Commissioner Pallas lis sent a ,
letter to P dice C mmtssiouer MeAdoo
in tue afternoon offering the
park} within his jurisdiction in the
boroughs of Manhattan, and Rich- mond
to the weary and overheated, (
and tli's ord ;r from Commissioner
MoAdoo was read iu all the station
houses Wednesday night.
"By dlreotlonof Park Commissioner
Pallas you will permit the public to
wa k, .sleep and lounge on the grass
or benohe-n in all the parks within
your preoirVs. d ly and night during
the hot i pell, if they ho de-ire."
It did not take long for the news to
get about, lly 9 o'clock p. m., Mtil?n.l>
in t..i!
uc iiy uu uu m ui in liidiKtii quiirter,
looked like the beach at Cooey
w . Island on a hot day. There were
tovcrtwo thousand women and children
there, with a fair percentage of
ineu. The sleepers took to the grasuntil
there wasn't an available spot. ,
Th n they tilled up the baud stand.
Eve rybody in the park wore as lit (
tie clothing as the law allowed. A
shirt and a pair of trousers .-utile ?d for
the men, while most of the c dldren ,
slept under the stars in their birthday
dress. There were (vcr 6.000 wh
sought relief at the William II S^w
ard park, at East Broadway aud JeT
ferson street. Onty the benches at
Battery park were overcrowded. Few
sought comfort on the grass.
The permission appealed mightily
to dwellers along the North river. In
De Witt Clinton pars early in the
evening were at iaiast 4,000 persons,
most of them women aud children
A large number of them had made
arrangements to soe"d the night eu
of doors and had brought piliows aud
blankets. Coverings were unanimous
ly voted to b; unnecessary
On the bank sloping down to the
river from Riverside drive space wa>
at a premium in the early evening.
There was a breeze ctf the river and
weather conditions were quite co n
fortable. It was not observable that
many intended to spend the nighi
there, the. bank being too sleep In
most places to insure trar quil rest.
Nevertheless, in the late evening ten
bank was quite as crowded as earlier.
Those who went Into Ontral park
to keep cool were surprLed when the
police failed' to turn them out at midnight.
They hadn't yet heard of the
new order. Many of them, upon learn
Jng that they might stay there all
night if they chose, wo.it home and
got pillows. Through the aide streets
leading to the park entrances could be
heen many Bohemians and Italians
from the Bast Side making for tinpark
with pillows tucked under their
arms.
In some spots whole families were
stretched out on the grass side by
side. The favorite spots seemed to bt
places where there was an Incline or
embankme nt. Many who a~e nightly
homeless and generally sle- p In areas
and on doorsteps went into the park
when the police found them in their
usual haun.^ and told them of the
new order.
Morningside and M juat Morris
parks, in Harlem, were both crowdfd
At Jefferson park, 112th street ard
East river, Harlem, Italians werecele
brating the fets of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel and hundreds of thorn slept in
the park after the celebration was
over.
- In the three Tenderloin parks the
men acserieo mo nencnes ror me
grass, but the few women sleepers
stuck to the benches. In Madison
square, where there were more women
than both the others, the men kept
to the west side of the p??rk, giving
up the east side to the women and not
disturbing them in the least.
In the big parks in the Bronx, es
Ipeclally Pelham bay and Bronx parks,
hundreds of people have been sleeping
under the trees nightly. In Pelham
bay park last bight a large part of
the Italian population of Williamsbridge,
learning of the new order,
took bed clothing, pillows and, In
some cases, cots, and slept beneath
the trees. There was a similar oondi.
tion in Bronx park. The only interference
from the police came when the
sleepers camped tooolo^e to the botan*
leal gardens or the zoo.
Seaside park, Coney Island, was a
large dormitory. Thousands of people
^ came from the city with the intention
i
of sleeping on the beach. Between five
thousand and ten thousand of them,
according to an estimate of Capt. PooIcy,
did so.
Hundreds of others, learning that
the park grass was available for beds,
preferred it. A large number of the
sleepers were women, and nearly all
brought shawls, quilts or capes on
which to rest their heads. Cant. Pooley
had extra men petroling the beach
and park as a protection against pickpockets.
At midnight train* from the
city were still coming in packed to the
doors and the number of sleepers was
constantly increasing.
DI8PEN8ABY INVESTIGATION
People Who Charge Corruption Have
(Submitted No Testimony.
The state dispensary Investigating
committee will get down to work on
Tuesday, August 8. The tirst session
will be at Sp utanburg. Spartanburg
is chosen because it. Ik thought it will
save txpemes and the committee
finds that it has a tight hold thereon
witnesses and has already material
enough to b< glu work.
The purpose is to do what work Is
necessary at S artanburg and then
move to Columbia, where the public
Investigations ate to be continued as
long as there are witnesses available
who know anything. The Idea of the
committee Is to meet wherever It will
be cheapest to handle the inquiry.
Some of the members of the committee,
and particularly Chairman
Hay, said Wednesday that it was very
disappointing to see people on the
stump and in the pulpit denouncing
the dispensary and charge corrup Ion
and fraud and not iff ring the com
mittee evidence or suggesting it to
the state. For himself, ard for the
Committee, he said that evidence or
Information that is ottered the committee
will be fairly dealt with, am)
the committee Is anxious to get any
b'ps it can. Any member of the committee
may be addressed or be may
be advised at Camden S. C., and the
information will be given to the com
mittee. He thinks it unfair to the
committee for people to be charging
things and not offering to help prove
the charges.
The chief work of the committee
todvy, in fact about the only thing
that was done other than canvass the
situation and the work done, was to
arrange to borrosv additional money.
The committee was voted $3,000
out of the dispensary funds when it
began work. It has spent nearly all
of this money, but the committee
thinks that it has now gone so far
iu must eieuer turow up me
sponge or borrow money with which
to push the work and pay the expenses
of the witnesses it is expected to
suramin, and the other expenses that
have been provided for.*
Tire committee feels that it is warranted
in arranging for additional
money on the ground that it is nec
j-siry and that what money has thus
far b en spent has been c uiservately
xpend-d, and that whatever may be
he result of the investigation the
people of the state want it thoroughly
done.
Kcat Uuaucy.
A reply which was at once wise and
witty is ssid to have been by a gentle
man to whose decision in regard to a
certain matter two pretty young girh
ippealed. They were discussing ttie
question as to what constitutes beauty
in a hand and differed greitly in
opinion. At last tney referred the
m itt> r to the old man, of whom they
were both very fouud. "My dears"
>.aid the old man with a kindly smile,
"the question is too hard a one for me
to decide. But ask the poor, and
they will t.ell you that the m jst beau
riful hand in the world is the hand
that gives the m >st freely."
Met His Funnrsl,
Thomas McNelus. of Ilazelton, Pa.,
Wednesday, met what purported to
be his own funeral. It was only a
h?arse driven from the morgue by an
undertaker, who, when he saw MoNclus,
nearly fell from his seat.
Wuen he rtc >vered he turned his
horses aiouud and drove back to the
morgue. The body had been sent
from the K treat hospital labled, by
ome mistake. Thomas MoNelus,
who had recently been discharged as
cur<d. It looked like him, and his
friends mourned him as dead. The
authorities are now trying to discover
whose bodv they have.
Mouriutl ao IJoAtl,
Goaded to desperation by the harsh
treatment of ber parents, wealthy
Jews of Memphis' Tenn., who, she
says, have us>.d her as a slave for
years, M ss L'na Plesofsky eloped
with her Gentile sweetheart. The
parents were In close pursuit, and, as
they could get no one else In time,
the couple were forced to obtain the
services or a negro preacher. After
cursing the bride, the family held
funeral services over her name, which
will never be spoken again.
He Oajght to Know.
Senator Piatt of New York has
celebrated his 72 dtrthday and he de
clares that as he looks back over his
pollltcal career he is convinced that
It has not been worth while and If he
had to do it over again he should
model his career along other lines,
But he won't say what changes he
would make in the record.
UiKxl Advice.
The Florence Times says brace up
and look bright and do something for
your community. The world is not
going to the how wows, cotton is still
ten cents and tobacco is making &
new record. Young corn looks bright
and fruit is ripening. There will be
good business and plenty of money in
the South this fall.
.
UNSAFE BOILER
On the American Gunboat Ben
nington Exploded Friday.
THIRTY-NINE DEAD.
Capt. Lucien Young, in Command. Wat
Ashore at the Time. The Vessel is
Almost a Complete Loss, and
it Was Necessary to
Beach Her.
Thirty-nine members of the crew
of the Uuited States gunboat liennington
were killed and nearly 100 sailors
were injured, some fatally, at lOo'olock
Friday forenoon by a boiler explosion
that disabled the vessel. In San
harbor, Cal. Fifteen sailors are missing.
Tiiere were more than 250 men
aboard the war ship when the accident
occured and many men were
buried or forced to jump Into the sea
by the territic explosion, which lifted
part of the deck and compelled the
beiohiDg of the ship.
Tae Bennington at the time of the
accident was lying in the stream, just
otT the Commercial wharf, at II street
The war ship bad received orders frcm
tire navv department at Washington
to sail Friday morning for Port Hartford
to meet the monitor Wyoming
and convey the monitor to Mare Is
land navy yard, San Francisco. Steam
was up and everything was in readiness
for the departure of the Ben
nington, when the starboard forward
boiler exploded with a deafening roar.
The explosion was terrltllo People
standing on shore saw a huge cloud of
steam rise above, the Bennington.
Columns of water were forced high
into the air.
A dozen or fifteen men were blown
overboard by the foroe of the torrllic
explosion. Capt. Wentworth, who
was looking at the Bennington when
the disaster occurred, says he saw human
Unrl(..a V 1 ? ,1 1 1 ? '
| innLi uu<iir.n iluUOil UVCI (V UUllHItJ 1 ItBl
[upward! The air was clouded with
suaoke, which enveloped the ship.
When the haze cleared away only a
few men oou'd be seen on the decks,
while a number were floundering in
the water. A boat was lowored from
the vessel's side and most, of the men
lu the water were picked up and taken
ihoard.
On board the Bennington were presented
terrible scenes. The force of
the explosion had torn a great hole in
the starboard side of the ship and the
vessel was already commencing to list.
A section of the upper deck was car
ried away from stem to stern. Blood
and wreckage were distributed over the
entire ship, the after cabin and thai
part of the ship adjacent to the ex
ploded boiler resembling a charnel
hone.
The shock of the explosion penetrat
ed every section of the ship, blood and
ashes being found as far as the stern
of the captain's cabin. Great damage
was done in all parts of the vessel. The
boiler which exploded it is stat? 1, was
regarded as uma'e. Commaudei
stated that during a recent return
from Honolulu the steam pressure waf
kept reduced In that particular ono.
At the time of the accident Cum
mander Lucien Young and Surgeon F
E. Peck were on shore. Tne two officers,
as soon as they learned of the
disaster, hurried to the water front,
Commander Young, as soon as Ik
reached the ship, gave orders that the
air tight compartments be closed tc
prevent the listing ship from sinking
and that the magazines be fl >odec
to avert further explosions. lie ther
beached the ship at high tide.
The ferryboat Romona, which wai
crossing the bay at the time of tin
accident, changed its course and hurried
to the aid of the siricken wai
ship. The Government launch Gen
De Russey, and a large number of othei
launches and water craft which wen
about at the time, also rushed to the
assistance of the Benninuion.
By the time the lUmona reached
the Bennington many of the Bailors ol
the Bennington, who had jumped intc
the bay to escape the scalding steam
had been rescued by small craft. Th?
removal of the wounded from th<
ship was conducted In perfect order,
The crows of the I)a It jssey and th*i
other boats aided in picking up the
wounded sailors and transferring there
to shore. The bodies of m&ny of th<
men taken from the wrecked interioi
of the ship were mutilated almost be
yond recognition. Tiie faces of many
were covered with blood and ashes
Some of the bodies may never be idcu
titled.
Temporary quarters ashore were ar
ranged for the wouuded and sixty
citizens volunteered and hurried lr
launehftH hn t.hft r^Hnf nf rhnt,> nr? M-w
ship. Some of the volunteers were
unable to stand the slckenir ^ sighl
which met their naze on the "Hennlng
ton. As fast as the wounded coulc
be removed they were hurried in am
bulances, carriages, wagons and aut<
mobiles to hospitals. Por a long tlm<
the hot steam prevented aceesi to thi
space between decks where tnost o
the dead bodies lav, and it was noi
until late In the afternoon that tin
last were removed from the botlei
rooms. Several bodies were so tightlj
wedged In by a bulkhead that th<
woodwork had to be hewed Sway U
free them.
When tbe explosion oo&urred, th<
engineer was inspcotlng the* boilers
He was not sariously Injured. Officer
and men who were able tg assist ic
the rescue acted in a brave and col
(s
'vi ? ?f
leofced manner. Pumps were manned
to keep the water from the upper
compartments, the magazine wan
Hooded and men fought their way
through the steam Into the darkened
. hold. Many slightly Injured sailors
remained lu the ship and assisted In
rescuing the more severely Injured.
18 IT THU8 WITH YOU?
The Worker's Dream that Game to
Change His Way.
"Aooordlng to the grace of God
which Is given unto me, as a wise master-builder,
I have laid the foundation,
and another bulldeth thereon.
Outlet every man take heed how he
bulldeth thereupon.
"For other foundation can no mau
lay than that Is laid, which Is Jesus
Christ.
"Now if any man build upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay stubble; evrrv man's
work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare It, because it shall
be revealed by lire; and the tire shall
try every man's work of what sort it Is.
If any man's work abide, which he
hath built thereupon, he shall receive
a reward.
"1? any man's work shall be burned,
he shall sutler loss; but be himself
shall be saved; yet so as by tire."?1
Cor. III. 10 15."
1 sat down in an arm chair, wearied
with ray work. My toil had been
severe and protracted. Many were ]
seeking Christ, and many had found
him. As for mysdf I was Joyous In |
my work. My brethren were united. <
My sermons and exhortations were <
evidently telling on my hearers. My
church was crowded. <
Tired with my work, 1 soon lost I
myself in a sort of half-forgotten i
state. Suddenly a stranger entered |
the ro:>m, without any preliminary
1 "tap" or "come in." lie carried about
his person measures, chemical imple- i
rncnts, which gave him a very strange i
appearance. I
The stranger came toward me, and |
extending his hand, said: "ILow Is
1 your zeal?" I supposed that the ?
qU3ry was to be for my health, but <
was pleased to hear his final words; <
for I was q lite well pleased with my ?
1 zeal, and doubted not the stranger
whould smile when he should know Its j
proportions.
Instantly, I conceived of It as physical
quantity and putting my hand to \
my bosom, brought it forth and pre j
sen ted it to him for inspection.
He took it, and placing it in his |
scale, weighed it carefully. And 1 i
heard him say, "One hundred pounds ' \
I could scarce express an audible <
note of satisfaction; but 1 caught hi: j
narnAof 1 A/.1r w* J -1^ ?? *
taiucou iuu& tut l to UUI/CU UUVVI1 liIK
weight; and 1 saw at once that he had
drawn no final conclusion, but was intent
on pushing his Investigation
fie broke the mass to atoms, put it
1 into his ciuclble, and put the crucible
into the tire. When the mass wa?
fu-ied, he took It out and set it to
c ol. It congealed in cooling, and <
when turned out on the hearth ex- 1
niblted a series of layers of strata; (
I which all, at the touch of the ham
1 mer, fell apart, and were severally (
' tested and weighed, the stranger ,
> making minute notes as the process
' went on. Wheu he had finished he 1
' presented the notes to me, and lie
1 gave me a look of mingle d sorrow ai d
J compasdon, as wlt.houta word, exc ?pt,
' May God save you!" he left the room.
Toe ''notes" read as follows:
"Analyslsof the zeal of Junius, a
" candid ite for a crown of glory.
* Weignt en masse, or total weight 101)
pounds. On this, on Analysis, there
5 povestobe ?
* bigotry 11 parts "J Wood,
) l'or-ional Ambition 22 " i I lay
r Lovo of I'raiae 11) " j ?>n<f
I Pride of Donom'tuition..15 " r Stubblo,
Pride of Talent 11 " 1st Cor.
1 Love of Authority 12 " I ill: 10-10
Love of God 4 " i ,. ? ,
s , , 0 .. Puro /eal.
* Lovo of Man 3 J
I had become troubled at the peeu
I liar m inner of the stranger, and especially
at his parting look and man*
ner; hut when 1 looked on the ligures,
my heart sunk like lead within me.
I made a mental effort to dispute
; the correctness of the reooid. But I
was startled into a more honest mood
1 by an audible sigh from the stranger.
I cried cut, "Lord, save me! ' and
> knelt down at ray chair, with the pa
* per in my hand, and my eyes fixed
* upon it At once it became a mirror,
> and I saw my heart redacted in it
* The record was truel 1 saw it! I
! felt it! I confessed It! I deplored it !
J and I besought God to save me from
1 myself, with many tears. With a
5 cry of anguish I awoke. I had once
r prayrd to be saved from hell, but
oravvtr to he savfd frnm nnai
' was Immeasurably more fervent.
When the tolls of my pilgrimage
* shall be at an end, I shall kneel in
heaven, at the feet of the Great
Alchemist and bless him for the reve
' lation of that day.?Selected.
j ,
j a had gaho.
j Five hundred dollars, which Mrs.
t Knapp had raised through hard effort
for the defense of her son, John
1 Knapp, who is awaiting trial at Rich
- mond, Ind., for murder, has been lost
- In the wreck of the Commercial bank
i at Hagerstown, Ind. Knapp stands
a accused of murdering Lennie Gelsler,
f marshal of Hagerstown. Knapp is
t now in jail there, and his mother had
a directed her energies toward procur*
r Ing enough money to employ attor*
7 neys. She finally collected $500 among
a relatives and placed the money in the
[> Commercial bank with John Bowman,
the cashier, who killed himself after
b looting the bank. The money Is gone
. and Mrs. Knapp Is perhaps the most
s wretched and despairing of the 800
i deposltliors who lost their savings in
the institution.
j "* \ ^ \
V
A FATAL ETBAT WAVF.
Many Proatratlona and Dnatha In thi
Larger CltlOR.
A dispatch from New York says ai
area of oppressive heat, that brings t<
mind with unpleasant vividness thi
record-breaking summer of 1901, ha
settled down over the eastern an(
New Knglard States, already num
bering hundreds among its victimi
and causing Indescribable Hufferlcu
for thousands In this and other cities
From all points Wednesday nlghl
came the story of the hottest day 01
the summer, attended with frequent
prostrations and not a fow deaths,
Philadelphia reported a maximum
temperature of 98 3, the highest tig
ure otllolally rioted. In this city the
weather bureau's high mark was 96,
while in Boston, where the sun's ray*
are wont to be tempered by an cast
wind, a temperature of 94 was recorded.
Following are the maximum temperatures
( Hiclally reported in the
larger cities, with the known cases of
prostration and death:
Maximum ProRtraTem.
tlons. Deaths
New York 90 187 23
Philadelphia 98.3 60 6
Baltimore 87.3 H 1
Washington 95 6
Piston 94 4 1
Pittsburg 93 20 13
Buffalo 78 2 1
(In the above table the total of
pros trail ?ns Includes the fatalities )
"Jake" (look, keeper of the monkey
house at Central park, famous as an
elephant trainer and the Idol of the
3hlldren. woo frequent the zoo, was
imong Wednesday's victims. The
ither knopers had complained of the
heat and Cook, volunteering to help
bhem with their duties, overexerted
himself, was stricken and died.
Early In the day the hot wave Invaded
the stock exchange, and Its effect
was quickly apparent upon the
braders. Many of the leading operators
deserted the floor and the marcot
became listless and dull.
To add to the unavoidable physical
lutferings, Brooklyn was threatened
with a water famine, while the whole
ilty was startled by a prospect of a
itriko of the ice men. An expected
itrlke In Manhattan did not matirlalze.
A few Ice wagon drivers stopped
work, but deliveries continued.
Prompt measures were taken by
the police and park commissioners to
Bloviate In some degree the suffering
)f the public. Orders were issued
keeping open throughout the night
;be park gates and thousands of men,
women aud children deserted crowded
md stifling apartments for a bed upon
ihe cool grass.
POISONED THE WELL.
V Diabolical Attempt to Kill a Family
and Servants.
News of a most diabolical attempt
it poisoning the members of a promt
lent family, consisting of Mrs. Mag
<le Ferguson, her son. Mr, E. W
Ferguson, and wife, 1h reported to th<
Jolumbla iState from the vicinity o
Jilnton In Laurens County. The re
port says at about the same time Tues
lay morning Mr. Ferguson, his moth
3r and a negro servant became verj
ill, the symptoms indicating poison
ing. In a few hours, however, the1
had almost entirely recovered.
Meantime an Investigation led b
the discovery of a big In the well con
tainlng a horrible mixture of portion
of a snake, frogs, llzzards and a quan
tlty of stuff resembling pounded mate!
heads. However, a physician who ha
examined the contents of the bai
states that there was not present an;
mineral poison.
Jake Carwile, ex-convict and al
round bad negro, who until last Sat
urday week was In the employ of Mr
Ferguson, his time having expired, 1
suspected of the deed, as he had glvei
Mr. Ferguson a deal of trouble and 1
understood to have made threat
against ins empiuyer repeaieuiy to tit
other hands on the placs.
A vigorous search was soon lnstltu
ted and a posse of determined mei
have been scouring the country fo
the negro since some time Wednesda;
morning, but he st ems to have madt
good his escape. Carwilo Is about 40
black, medium size, partially bald an<
wears a rr ustache.
Moil Kills Negro
At Newhramfels, Texas, a mot
Thursday nig tit battered down thi
doors of the county jail and lyncher
Sam Green, a 10 year-old negro boj
who attempted criminal assault al
this place Tuesday night on the 4
year old daughter of William K vrhach
a German farmer who lives on the
outskirts of the town. The mot
could not break Into the cell where
the prisoner was kept, so the leaden
thrust their guns through the opening
of the steel walls and tired three shots
The negro sank to the floor dead anr
the mot) ouicklv dlsnp.riipd. TO in noirn
protested his innocence to the mob
but during the day bad confessed hii
guilt to the sheriff.
Hard to Play On.
The experiences of George B. Cor
telyou, chairman of the republics)
national committee, during the reoen
campaign were many and varied
With keen relish lie tells of one tha
came under his notice. A countr;
club about to give a parade was debat
ing as to the number of transparenoie
to be had in line. It was atx>u
settled that twelve would be the prope
number, when an old fellow with bli
trousers tuoked in his boots arose am
said, "Iguss two will be about right
Tain't at all likely more'n two wll
know how to play on 'em."
\ VIP *
f
<
HYDE RESIHNS.
e
He Declares That a Powerful Organization
is Against Him.
i _____
0
A? AM?ortH that Etflrr Tim? His Aos
ouraov IIah noon <^ueatlon?<l It
1 Hah Heon HuatAlncd.
The resignation of John Hyde,
* statistician and chief of the bureau of
' statistic of the department of agrlcult
ture, was handed to Secretary Wilson
r Tuesday of last week and promptly
j accepted. Wlllett N. Hays, tho as,
slstant secretary of agriculture, has
[ been placed In charge of the bureau
. temporally and will continue to act
i pending the Investigation of the cotr
, ton scandal and until a competent
i statistician is found.
' IIYDK'B LETTER.
The following Is the text of Mr.
Hyde's letter of resignation and Secretary
Wilson's reply thereto:
Washington, D. 0., July 18, 1905.
Dear Mr. Secretary: During the last
four years, or since I succeeded In
making the crop reports of the department
reasonably accurate and correspondingly
valuable to the agricultural
and commercial Interests of the
country, my administration of the office
1 have the honor to hold has been
constantly under tire from one side of
the market or tho other. Five time it
uaft neon Investigated and on every occasion
1 have been vindicated. In January,
1903, I was awarded $2,f>00 damages
In a libel suit against a prominent
firm of cotton brokers by a juiy
of their own friends and fellow citizens.
These results have been very
gratifying to me, but 1 have the
highest medical authority for the
statement that the continued tight
upon me has already considerably
shortened ray life. At the present time
it is an accepted fact that a powerful
organization Is bent upon bringing
about my retirement, by one means
or another. Now, I do not think the
position I hold Is worth the light necessary
to its retention, and the organization
In question Is welcome to
whatever satisfaction It can derive
from my withdrawal from the unequal
struggle. If any of my friends think
that I ought not to retire under tire.
I would have them remember that
there is never a time when I am not
under lire. I have the honor therefore
to tender you herewith my resignation
of my appointment as statistician
and chief of the bureau of statistics
of this department.
With much appreciation of the uniform
courtesy and kindness you have
shown me and of the many tokens of
contidence 1 have received from you,
I am,
Most respectfully, yours,
John Hyde.
Mil. WILSON'S REPLY.
Mr. John Hyde,
Statistician, Department of Agriculture.
Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your
resignation as statistician of this de.
partment. In accepting It. I cheerfully
testify to tbo ability with wnioh you
have discharged the heavy and diftl'
cult duties of the cilice since you were
tlrst appointed. The accuracy of your
reports has been recognized by tbo
public generally, and I am glad to be
able to testify, with regard to the
^ charges made against the integrity of
the bureau of statistics that no facts
^ have been brought to my attention implicating
you In any way. I am fa11
miliar with your devotion to your
work and with the uitlrlng efforts
8 ycu have made to render the bureau of
" tiie highest service to the growers.
' manufactures and consumers of farm
products In our ct intry, and I regret
* that falling health should compel you
Y to bring your work to an end.
. Very truly, yours,
James Wilson,
Secretary.
Mr. Hyde said that he felt he hud
s cast olT an immense burden from
1 his shoulders. He had fully intended
8 to resign some time during the com8
lug autumn, lie said, and tnerefore ho
u liad only advanced his resignation by
a few weeks. Mr. Hyde spoke of how
congenial the work had been to film,
1 no withstanding its laborious charaor
ter, and expressed regret at having to
^ part "from the etllolont clerical force
0 in the bureau of statistics." "Their
' loyalty and their personal regard for
myself," he said "of which 1 had evidence
today, is extremely touching. I
shall have very few recollections of
3 my eight years work that will not be
3 highly gratifying to me as long as 1
1 live. The secretary has always been.
f extremely kind to me as I stated In
^ my letter of resignation "
As regards the investigation now
being conducted by the district attor,
ney, Mr. Ilyda s:\ld that he had calj
culated to assist in every possible way
> in getting to the bottom of the case,
i and that even now he was out of ortlce
. he would, if called upon, be only too
happy to contribute in any way his
1 aid in the Investigation.
J Aflor Hljttj V?*rM.
T. M. Fields, sixty-two years old,
8 of Hloombarg, l'a., has just discovered
that his brother Abraham, who T.
jyi Fields had believed died before he
. was born, is alive and well at Fort
1 Dodge, Kansas, at the age of etghtyt,
one years. The knowledge oame In a
letter from Abraham Fields to the
^ postmaster asking If there were any
y Fleldes besides himself alive. He ran
. away from home in 1841 to go west,
H his family never heard of him again,
t, It was supposed he had been killed by
r Indians. Two years later T. M.
K Fields was born. The old man in
j his declining years decided to write
la and see if any of the family survived,
lj and bis brother will now go west and
see him.
r