The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, March 06, 1901, Image 1
THE OUTGROWTH OF CONVICT LEASES.
il\a<;<;i:i<athi) storils in a northern nhws^rkr
WIkU a Conespomlcnt Has Said About the Stockades in An
derson County.
An Attempt to Revive Sectional Hatreds and Prejudices
[Tito Philadelphia North American sont a cone nomlent to Anderson
County for the evident purpose of making a sousationul aft'air out of tin' ro>
(cut exposures of unlawful conduct at tho convict stockades, and the mission
of thy correspondent lias hcon faithfully carried out, us will he seen by the
following extracts from his account of the alleged slavery conditions existing
tliej^. A careful rending of this correspondence will show that iucls arc
Jowly woven with sectional bias and prejudice in order to produce the de
sired effect in the North, and these extracts are printed so that our rtadeis
may know to what extent this section is being uialigucd.]
Couir.Mma, S. 0., Fr1?. 24.?Slavery
exists in this Male to- lav and in as
barbarous" a form as before the war.
Tbo whole Iniquitous system lias been
re-established in cerl ?in counties?
ovorytlung excepting the -lave market
Hut without the market slaves are
bought ami sohl ?mono the planters,
who place a price upon l.io slave con
tract which holds the unfortunate ne.
gro in bondage
To tbo credit of South Carolina b?
it said that the OoVOrnor r the Slate
has raised his voice agai st this bai
barity. The Judges are aguinst it.
most of the Stale ollicials deplore it,
and the best citizens generally express
their condemnation of the methods em
ployed by many planters lo nullify the
thirteenth amendment to the United
States constitution and to lender void
the (emancipation Proclamation.
Hut in spite of this sentiment against
slavery negroes charged with no crime
are shut up in stockades, guarded by
ovorseors who frtquontly resort to tbo
lae-b , and when the uulortuuatcs escape
they are run down by bloodhounds and
armed guards.
In at least one instance a free negro
who had been shut up in one of thoso
stockades was shot dow n by the planter
wdio owned the conti act simply because
the negro desired to escape from the
bondage. Theie arc rumors of many
other such cases w here negroes have
boon killed in attempting to run away.
Those who are beta acquainted with
affairs in .south Carolina say that this
slavery system is the outgrowth of the
convict labor law of the Stale. It is
within the last live years that slavery
has been rcintroduced. Planters secur
ed convicts from the Slate penitentiary,
und this gave them the privilege to
build a stockade. Having the stock
ade they secured non-criminal free
negroes and shut them up with the con
victs, working all alike in the cotton
holds. ( Uber planters, envious of those
who got cboap labor in this way, built
stockades without any convict lease
and tilled these prison yards with free
negroes. Gradually the system has
spread over the Stale, although the
Governor and other ollicials say that it
exists only in Anderson County. The
North American correspondent is in
formed that in the adjacent State of
Goorgia ncgrm-s are similarly confined,
ami worked under labor contracts. In
other Southern Slates they have labor
Contracts, but are without the stock
ades.
Probably the planters have succeed
ed in placing their nogl'O laborers in
slavery because the negro has been
practically disfranchised in ibis state.
It is said that if the negroes could vole
they would be able to cast 10,000 more
ballots than the whites in South Caro
lina. Hut by providing rigid educa
tional and property qualifications for
registration, the whites have practically
obliterated the negro vole. Only8,500
colored men are qualified voters in
South Carolina this year.
Since the negro has no longer any
political power and is not believed
when a witness in the courts, he is un
ablo under the laws of the State to
protect himself.
Colored men arc as helpless in South
Carolina now as they wen in the old
slavery days, but the force of public
sentiment may be abb; to do something
without tho interposition of the general
gOVOmment. The grand jury in An
ileraon County is now investigating
the labor and stockade system, and has
been charged by Judge W. c. Benotto
lind out the true facts and bring in a
return showing what planters in that
county have been holding the negroes
as slaves. The planters themselves do
not seem apprehensive, however, as
they say the grand jury visited the
stockades a year ago and did nothing.
While it is true that the planters are
not frightened and will not believe that
the local authorities really purpose to
do away with the new slavery system,
they are notwithstanding much annoy
ed by the investigation that has been
begun. This is because the negroes
who have been held in tho stockades
and lashed by the brutal guards are
now looking forward lo another Kman
cipalion Day and running away from
the planters, seeking refuge in the
towns. In Anderson County, alone in
the last week, more than 200 negroes
have lied from the cotton fields and re
fused to work longer under the. con
tracts. This has enraged tho up-to
date slave-owners, who threaten ven
geance upon the men who, they say,
have incited the negroes to leave.
There are rumors of massacres to come,
und any day there may be a wholesale
attack upon the fugitive farm laborers
in that county.
The exposure .if tho slavery system
was brought about inn very peculiar
way. There arc in the town of Ander
son, the county seat of the county of
that name, two trial magistrates. One
of these got most of the work connected
with the. drawing up and acknowledge
ment of 'lie labor contracts, under
which the iicgroes are held as slaves;
the other magistrate recently weutiuto
the newspaper business, and being fa
miliar* with tho system in all its details,
determined to put a stop to the enslave
ment of tbo colored men, if possible,
lie published in his paper a carefully
worded editorial, which revealed ttic
facts in outline.
One of the lirstmcn lo build a stock
ade in Anderson County was W. A,
Xcal, who was afterwards made Su
perinteiident of the State penitentiary,
fie got his convicts from tho Stall
prison at Columbia, and confined then
j in a stockade built on bis farm, four 01
' live miles from Anderson.
Vour correspondent was unable to
learn whether or not Mr. Xeal placed
in his Blockade Willi his convicts ally
free negroes. At any rat his OX peri,
ence with this kind of che tp labor must
have been very salisfacto y, for his ex
ample was promptly followed by other
planters.
.J. 8. Fowler, who owns many farm*
in the county, and who now has be
twecn four and live hundred liegroe?
CI1 these plantations, hurried to I 'oluin
bin and got n lease from Ihr. prison * 1 i
rectors. He brought back convicts,
and soon improved tho system by shut
ling up in his stockade other negroes
who were not convicts.
Mr. Fowler is a model fanner, aud
if he had lived in South Carolina be
fore the war would have been gener
ally admired as a humane and consid
erate slave owner. He treats the ne
groes well. If they are ill. they arc
given the best of medical attention ; tl
they are well they get plenty of hearty
food, so that every one of them may
do a hard day's work. It is true that
they are shut up at night in a stockade,
or, at least, have been, until the grand
jurors began their investigation. It is
true that there are bloodhounds around
Mr. Fowler's stockade, and true also,
that his guards sleep with weapons
within reach. But for all that, he is a
careful aud kind man to his ucgto
laborers.
Mr. Fowler it was who originated,
with the aid of his lawyers, the con
tract ui der which colored men are held
in slavery. If he alone had used that
contract perhaps it would not have
been so bard upon the negroes. Hut
other planters got the blanks, induced
negroes to sign the agreement, confin
ed I hem in the stockades, Burrounded
llieni with guards and bloodhounds
and abused them shamefully in many
other ways.
When Mr. Neal secured the appoint
ment as Superintendent of the Stale
penitentiary, his friends in his home
COUIlty prepared lo reap a rich harvest
by getting their labor for a mere noth
ing and reducing their system of em
ployment 10 tho plan ui vogue before
the war. Mr. NeaPs nephew, A. L\
Newell, goi a few convicts and built a
stockade six miles from Anderson. Mr.
Neal'8 cousin, J, Helton Watson, was
able to get agroup of convicts aud also
built a stockade. Others who benefited
by these convict leases weie W. (j.
Hammond, Mr. Ncul's bondsman ; 1*.
H. Alien, and Julius Miller. Fach of
these men erected fctrong stockades,
placed their convicts under guard, got
other negroes aud placed them also
under guard.
There is much secrecy concerning
the names of the men who, not having
convict leases, built stockades and con
lined negroes in slavery without even
the color of the law. Hut one of (hose
illegal stockades has been visited by
the grand jury'. It is that of Flias Ma
gee, built on his land in Anderson
County, near the Georgia line. This
man has no convicts, but scores of
slaves. He gets his negroes ?most of
them imprisoned for debt?in Georgia,
taking them out on bond from various
Georgia courts and carrying them into
another Slato to work on his farms.
Persons who ought to be well ac
quainted with such matters inform
your correspondent that there are
scores of less extensive stockades in
Anderson County. The reords of the
prison at Columbia, however, show
that the only persons in that county
who are entitled to get State convicts
under lease are J, S. Fowler, W. <2.
Hammond, 1'. H. Allen, .1. I>. Watson
and A. T. Newell.
Only a few weeks ago W. S. Newell,
brother of the man who has the convict
lease with the State board of prison
directois, was arraigned in Anderson
County court for murder. He had shot
down one Will Hull, who had been for
months routined in his stockade by vir
tue of the terms of the remarkable
labor contract originated by Mr. Fow
ler. Hull was not a convict and never
had been. He was a free negro. New
ell secured his hold on the man by
buying up a claim for debt against him,
and held him in the stockade to work
OUt the money it. is alleged Hull owed.
According to the negro slaves on
No Well's plantation, who weie intei
viewed by the correspondent of The
North American, Hull wns shot down
by Newell without, any real provoca
tion. Hull's brother visited the fnnn
and delivered a letter to the prisoner.
This brother advised Will Hull that ho
was wrongfully held a slave and ought
to leave the Newell farm. A little
later in the afternoon Hull informed
young Newell that he was going to
leave. Tho negro slaves on the plan
tation, convict and free, who witnessed
lb :ooting say that Newell replied to
thib statement on the negro's part by
promptly drawing a gun and shooting
down the colored man.
There was a brief trial in the court
that took two hours to get the jury,
hear all tho evidenco and reach a ver
dict. Nowell testified that the negro,
, Hull, picked up a stone, was. in tho net
of throwing it and at the same 'imc
opening a knife with his teeth when
ho was shot. Precisely similar tcsti
i loony was given by tho armed guard,
Gray. Tho jury was out ton minutos,
? and .acquitted Nowoll on tt)3 ground
. that he shot in self-defense.
This W. 8. Newell, who escaped n
. murder charge so easily, was seen and
: questioned by tho correspondent foi
i The North American. He is a well
spoken young man, (tin) perfectly can.
(lid in talking about his slaves, both
COIlvict and free. As might be sup.
posed, Mr. Newell is of tin: opinion
that the uogro ought lo ho a slave, aud
that ho is better so.
When Mr. Newell was asked if the
Bhoolillg of the free negro had not
moved tlie .Judge to charge tin: grand
jury and investigate tho modern slave
system, and was not really responsible
for the public outcry and the excite
ment among the planters, the farmer
answered :
44 No ; 1 don't think the shooting had
anything to do with if. 1 don't mind
telling you what I think started all this
fuss. I had here on my farm a nigger
woman for a cook. She was a nice,
likely young woman, and had a hus
band am! a boy about 8 years old.
One day the husband and the boy were
picked up by Quint Hammond and
thrown into h'a stockade. Of course,
I don't know why Quint look them,
but I suppose he might not have been
feeling well that day, and perhaps was
just a little mad about something.
Anyway, Hammond locked up the
man aud the boy in his stockade, and
kept them there. The woman was
naturally a good deal excited about it.
She wanted her hoy. I would have
liked to have got the family together,
but she v is thinking about the boy so
much she really couldn't work well ;
so I thought I'd try and get the father
and the boy from Hammond. I would
bave done it, too, but that I learned
Hammond asked $1(J() for them. 1
wasn't teady to pay any such price. It
was too much. So 1 just dropped the
matter.
u When the woman found that she
couldn't get her boy, aud that I
wouldn't pay so much for him, she
began to take on at a great r-dc. I
understand that she wrote to tho (Jov
srnor. If she did I have no doubt
that the Governor may have referred
Lhe letter to Judge Honet. This, I
lake It, is really what started the ex
citement over this thing, and what
auscd all the trouble to us planters."
THE ANDERSON SCANDAL.
[f Abuses Exist the Guilty Per
sons Will be Punished
The Charleston News and Courier
ias interviewed Governor M. I). Me*
Sweeney in regard to the stockade scan*
lal in Anderson County, and he replied
is follows :
" The matter was first brought to
ny attention by an anonymous letter
rom Anderson Countv. The letter
vas evidently written by some igno
anl person. It detailed horrors among
lO'Called slaves. I sent tho letter to
Solicitor BoggS, With instructions that
ie take the matter up at once ami make
i thorough investigation. This he is
loing. A few days after this the
iditorial in the Anderson Mail appcar
id. Now I am not in a position to say
whether the cditoiial or tho letter
laused tho investigation. Hut a fur
her investigation is going to be made,
lud I believe the proper parties will
ie punished. 1 do not know whether
he crimes said to exist should really
jc charged against the stockade owners
>f Anderson County. We must rc
nember that there are always two sides
oa question and this undoubtedly has
wo sides. Our opinions must now,
hcrofore, he drawn from ex parle
datcmcnls. When lhe trial comes up
hose men accused of imprisoning
mgroes under warrants of false arrest
,viil employ the best attorneys in the
?hate, and the complexion of the case
nay be entirely changed. 1 have every
eason to believe that Solicitor Hoggs
s going to do his duty, and all tho
?Iber officers, for that matter. If the
nnestigalion, however, is not what it
diotild be I shall conduct an investi
gation myself, paying for it out of the
contingent fund. The matter is a
lerious one and cannot ho cried down.
I look upon it pretty much as I do
lynching. I have always used every
[lower to protect a man from a mob
Mid will continue to do this. The
Legislature just closed appropriated
?.'i,MU() for expenses incurred in pro
Lectiug negroes from mobs, or moro
politely, harm. I am ready to give
twice that amount lo protect a man's
life. If the men ill Anderson County
nre guilty of doing what is charged
Against thom they should be hunted
down and punished. I believe that
some white men work negroes pretty
much as railroad contractors work their
mules or horses. In Anderson the
negroes have been imprisoned and
beat, not because they wero negroes,
but because they were ignorant. I be
lievo that if the thing is not stopped
white men will also be imprisoned.
" No more convicts, however, will
be leased to private parties after De
cember 31) I'M)I. In cases of this
kind where a person would lease a
convict or convicts a contract would be
drawn up between tho lesse and the
State. Tho lessee would bind himself
to treat the convict or convicts hu
manely. Hut 1 havo known theso con
tracts to bo broken. About two years
ago Superintendent Neal, of tho Peni
tentiary, reported to me that a convict,
who had been h asod to someone in the
upper part of tho Sla'e, had returned
to Columbia on account of had treat
ment. Tho convict was badly bruised
and maimed.
44 I believe in exposing crime, hut
(here is such a thing as giving too
much publicity to matters of this kind.
If the conditions are aired too much
before tho investigation begins, pre
judice may enter and the situation re
solve itself, in tho eyes of many, to
the view of p. wloto man against a
negro. Too often in inch cases justico
is not done."
The South Carolina Press Associa
tion will take a trip to tho l'an-Aiueri
Citi Imposition this summer.
CASTOR IA
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
THIS BETTER WENT OF LABOR
Pelzer an Exam le of Improved
ConditioiiH in Southern Cotton
BfiUs.
Mr. Kdward II. Sanborn, general
manager of the Naltcua) Association
of Manufacturers, has given in tho last
issue of tbo Manufacturers* liccord.
the results of his examination into the
conditions of the cotton mill industry
in the South, and in looking over the
ground in its many phases he has given
a fair review of the situation. His
deductions are as follows:
1. Factory employes are alums! ex
clusively native-born, and chiefly of
what are commonly known as the
mountain people.
2. The conditions under which they
live in factory vil'ages show a very
marked improvement over tho sur
roundings of the homes from which
they enmc. A comparison hotween
the North and the South in the items
of wages, hours ol labor and tho em
ployment of child labor is apparently
to the disadvantage of the South, but
the truer basis for such a comparison,
namely, the condition of Southern mill
employes prior to their engagement in
the in ills, as contrasted with ihc condi
tions which prevailed in New ICughind
at a similar stage of the development
of the industry m that bection, is highly
creditable to the South.
."!. The relation of the employer to
the employe is more paternal in the
South than elsewhere, evidencing a
genuine desire to provide for the leal
welfare ?<f the mill help.
4. Recent factory construction in
the South embodies every recognized
requirement for the comfort, conve
nience and sanitary welfare of the em
ployes.
r>. The whole influence of the cotton
mill in tho South has been beneficial
to the population as a whole. It is dis
tinctly a marked civilizing agency, as
it has given comfortable living and an
elevating influence to thousands of
families who never before knew any
thing better than a cabin in the hack
woods.
Mr. Sanborn has taken the town of
Heizer as an example of the highes!
development in the improved condition
of the men and women at Iho cotton
mills in the South, and his accurate
description is herewith appended.
The town of 1'elzer, in South Caro
lina, where the great mills of the l'el/.cr
Manufacturing Co. are located, is a
very interesting illustration, and is
very instructive to anyone who wishes
to study factory conditions in the
South. Prior to the building of the drst
mill the town of Heizer did not exist.
The lirsf mill was built on the banks
of the Saliuln river, when there was
not a house of any description in sight.
There is now n population of about
tlOOU people, living in good houses
scattered about irregularly over a very
picturesque locution. The somewhat
brokeu country, an abundance of shade
trees and streets which follow the irre
gularities of ttie country form rather a
radical departure from the usual ar
rangement of factory towns, winch
are usually laid out upon level silo3
with straight rows of houses and noth
ing to break the monotony of ils re
gularity.
The pay-roll of the Politer Manu
facturing Co.^numbers "J.stiO names, al
though the actual average number of
operatives is only about 240O. This
difference points to a somewhat com
mon characteristic of the Southern mill
help, as it is usually found that tho
irregularities of the operatives require
the employment of a considerably
larger number than is actually required
for the operation of tho plant
Nearly all of the help employed in
Pelzer is from the mountain districts,
and this class of operatives can be
studied here lo excellent advantage, as
the conditions are quite typical. While
the town is under the absolute owner
ship and control of the corporation,
there is no unreasonable or unneces
sary restriction of the inhabitants.
The sale of liquor is not permitted
within the town nor within n radius of
three miles of the town limits While
the absolute prevention of the uso of
intoxicants has never been realized as
yet in any locality, this town is about
as free from this objectionable feature
as would be expected where human
naturo has to bo dealt with. Liquor is
occasionally obtained surreptitiously
beyond tho prescribed limits, and is
smuggled into the town, but evidences I
of its use arc so rare that it nugbt al
most be said to be an unknown clemeut
in the village.
When a family is employed in the
mills and takes up its residence in the
town a controct l mst bo signed, by
which tho parents bind themselves to
send their children uudcr twelvo years
of age to the school which tho company
provides, and it is similarly agreed
that children above the ago of twelve
years shall work in tho mills. This
compulsoiy educational requirement
is supplemented by the offer of a bonus 1
of ten cents per month to each child j
regularly attending school during the
mouth. How effective this system has
proved to bo is shown by tho attendance
at tho school, which averagen about I
700 out of tho total population of about
(5000. Under these requirements tbo
minimum ago for employes in tho mills
is twelvo years, and no children are
permitted to work who have not reach
ed that age.
Although the houses are owned by
tbo corporation, thoir rental is not a
part of the employment contract, as '
wages are paid in full semi-monthly in
cash. Tbo store buildings arc owned
by the corporation, but ore rented to
shopkeepers, and tho oporation of the
stores is ontirely independent of the
company, Employostnd residents in
Ihc village are entirely freo to tiadc
wherever they please. There is no
store-order evil.
Tho wages in these mills average
about seventy-six cents per day for all
employes. The company maintains a
himiii y and reading-room, which con
tain about (5000 volumes aad twenty
five periodicals, and a handsome build
ing is provided for this pttrpoio, which
is open during tho evening.* nud on
Sundays.
In order to encourage savings among
the mill hands, tbo company conducts
a savings bank, and when the writer
recoiltly visited I'el/.er tin; deposits in
this bank amounted to 9107,000. This
would mean an average of about #.'J8
eaeli for the 2800 names on the pay
roll. As it is very doubtful if 1 per
COtft. of these operatives ever suc
ceeded in laying by such a sum of
money prior to their employment in
the mills, this is one of the inosi. strik
ing evidences of the advancement 'hat
lias come to this class of people thro igh
the establishment of cotton mill, in
the .South.
The moral and toligious welfare of
the operatives is not forgotten, as IhciO
are three churches, Hnplisl, Methodist
and I'rcsbyteiian, in the town. This
factory settlement is an exceedingly
interesting study from many points of
view. The conditions which it pre
sents may be found elsewhere in the
South in varying degrees, but possibly
more thought has been given to the
welfare of the operatives in Pe'./cr
than elsewhere, as ('apt. Ellison A.
Smyth, president of the I'el/.er Manu
facturing Co., has devoted a great deal
of attention to these things, and has
always been an enthusiastic advocate
of the improvement of the conditions
of life in factory towns. The influence
of his advanced views and his personal
devotion to the interests of the people
who work in his mills are manifest on
every hand.
The study of the conditions in Pel
zet ami the numerous other Southern
factory villages where the same prin
ciples have been applied in varying
degree will abundantly substantiate
the claim that the inlluouco of the
Southern cotton mill and life in the
factory villages have been in every
way beneficial to the laboring classes.
The employment of people who have
always lived apart by themselves in
remote country regions, and who never
before have mid any of the conditions
of viilngc life, has brought many pecu
liar and often serious problems with
winch employers have had to deal, but
there seems to have been an honest
and very earnest endeavor to solve all
these problems, and to make factory
life beneficial to the employes, not
alone from a purely material stand
point, hut also with re&rard to their
moral and intellectual welfare.
II is not uncommon to llnd that the
corporation through its executive of
ficer maintains a strict censorship and
promptly excludes from the town limits
any man or woman of questionable
morals who may be discovered. The
summary action that is often taken in
such cases if quite surprising to those
who arc familiar only with factory con
ditions in the larger and older centers
of the North.
It is of interest to note that the help
employed in the cotton mills of the
South is almost exclusively native-born
American. It is a rare thing to lind
any foreigners in any of the mills, and
the few who are employed are mainly
stragglers who have wandered South
ward from Northern mill centers, in
this respect the cotton-manufacturing
industry of the South is in about the
same position as that occupied by the
industry in New England two genera
tions or more ago, when the daughters
of farmers and respectable town
families thought it no discredit to seek
employment in LhO mills. Since those
days New England has passed through
several changes. first came the1
Kreuch Canadian help, which quickly
supplanted the local labor ami took
complete possession ol most of the
mills. These, in turn, have been dis
placed by a great variety of nationali
ties. In recent years there has been a
continuous exodus of the French
Canadians from the New England
villages, returning to their homes across
the line, and in their places will now
be found a great variety of European
nationalities, even including Portu
guese, Creeks and Armenians. As
there is practically no European Immi
gration into the Soulh, and as the
supply of native-born labor scoms ade
quate to last for an indefinite number
of years, there seems little prospect of
any invasion of the. Southern mills by
foreign-born help.
Tim.man is IlAPPY.?The Washing
Ion Post says that. Senator Tilltnan is
happy. The pension bill in which he
was interested has been signed by the
President.
A few days ago Mr. Tillman swore
before Almighty Cod that he would
not let any pension bills pass the Sen
ate until his own particular measure
had been acted upon. He had a con
stituent down in South Carolina,
named Jim Thomas, who fought in the
Mexican wni. He was a brave man,
beyond a doubt, for he climbed the hill
of Chapultepec and helped to pull
down the Mexican colors ami raise the
Ameiican Hag. In another battle he
had his arm shot shot olt. He got his
ponsion, but, having in 1801 given his
aid and comfort to the Confederate
cause, his allowance was cut oil'. The
Senate, agreed to re-pension him, but
the House held up the hill. That is,
the holding up t .ocess lasted until Mr.
Tillman delivered his ultimatum, and
then the bill was passed. Now pen
sion bills go through the Senate as if
tluy were greased.
It sometimes pays, says Mr. Till
man, to show your teeth. But the end
is not yet, for the passage of the bill is
virtunlly a repeal of the law which dis
bars a Mexican veteran from receiv
ing a pension because he sympathized
with the Confederate cause. And there
are thousands of these old veterans in
the Soulh.
Ono hundred and sixty miles an
hour is the speed aimed at by a new
electric railway company in Oermany
under the direct patronage of the
Emperor. Cars with act ommodations
for lifly peisons euch arc now being
built and will be tried on a thirty
kilomett-r track. It is intended to use
; electricity only for the express pas
? sengcr service, as for freight and local
I tratllc steam is expected to remain the
power for a long time.
I l'a.ms never live more than 250
yoars. Ivy has boen known to live
450, chestnut 800, oak 1,000 and yew
2,H80 years.
I Be*rt. the _/) Ihe Kind You Have Always Bou#it
HI 1,1/ ARP WRITRS VERSES.
His Troubles lSegnu When He
Wrote Lines in a School Girl's
Album.
"An album's pages tslJ ol many a friend
Lost to the sight, but to the memory
dear. '
Those lines are the beginning of
SOino verses I wrote in a school girl's
album lifty-four years ago. The little
book is near me now. 11 is old and
war-worn and iL makes me sad 1?? turn
its leaves and read the pretty verse*
thai adorn its pages. Tbo authors
were her best friends ami nil are dead
but one the one now writing this
letter. " Friend after friend departs
-who has not lost a friend?" This
album was captured during the uncivil
war and carried away to Babylon and
kept a prisoner in n strange land for
twenty -one years and then was return
ed through the mail. It takes con
science a long tune to bring repen
tance to some people That school
ojrl is my wife?she is now sillim; by
her window sowing, making a little
dress for a grandchild. Will she never
stop making little garments ? I asked
Jessie last ulghl bow many garments
it took for her little Caroline in
each and every year, and she count
ed them up ei^hi little dresses, ten
petticoats, lour pair day diawers, two
pair iii^hl drawers and one. cloak?Say
twenty-rive garments for winter and as
many more for summer, and she makes
most of them herself. My wife has
done all this for ten children until they
weie lifleon years old. Fifty times
ten makes?00, and 500 limes 10 makes
7,000 garments and she still keeps
working on. But she is not worn out
nor thin nor pale nor haggard nor is
her eye dimmed when she has on her
gold-bound glasses. Oh. these good
Old mothers. Mine did the same thing
for her llock and my wife's mother the
same for hers and BO do th ;y all?ex
cept some. 1 h ved my mother dearly,
but it grieves tnosometimes that I did
not love her better, for 1 did not re
alize how much she did for rue and
how her very soul was wrapped up in
her children, stop young man, stop
and think, when you are faraway from
home rollicking and frolicking with
your gay companions stop sometimes,
stop and think ol your good mother
and write lo her a loving letter. Hope
ful and sail she waits for every mail
and never despairs.
Hut about albums. A friend lias
loft bis with me for persual one of
these old time mental photographic
albums with about twenty questions to
be answered. 1 have seen thciU be
fore and was amused at the answers,
but this one interested me for its pages
contain an autobiography of many
noble and notable men. It tells a con
densed story of llicir emotional and
mental character. When a man of
thought is asked to write an answer lo
a question he is both cautious and sin
cere. He knows that he is making an
exhibit of his inner life to every one
w ho reads it,
This album begins with Alex Steph
ens in 1S74 and Iben follows with
Robert Toombs, H?rschel V. Johnson,
General Kir by Smith, .lames 15. Bau
dall, Richard Malcolm Johnson,-L. Q.
C. I.amar, Bichard II. Clark, .lohn H.
Cordon, Thomas M. Norwood, Bcv.
B. M. 1'aimer, Henry s. Foole, Logan
10. Blccklcy, Robert J. Burdelte, Paul
11. Haync, Joel Chandler Harris, Wal
lace. P. Becd, Mrs. Oclavia Walton Le
Vert, Judge Book, Richard A. Proctor,
the great astronomer, and others.
Every name is noble and notable, and
their answers are indexes to their cha
actcts. Stephen s favorite books are
Milton, Pope and Shakespeare, his
heroine. Rebecca in "?lvanhoe;" his
hero Washington ; his occupation read
ing, and farming; bis best trail in man
is truth and in woman modesty.
TOO 1U 1)8' favorites are Shakespeare
and Tom Moore, Gibbons and Macau
lay; his characters in dot ion Bienzi,
in history Socrates; his favorite ?.'e
cupation building air castles; best trait
in man justice, ill woman charity ; the
sum of human happiness is to make
others happy.
Govornor Johnson likes Pope, Mil
ton and It > run and Swedenborg, knows
nothing of romance; his best, characters
Washington and Jefferson; his uccupa
tioil reading and writing; the highest
traits Iruth and bcnovoloiico; his watch
word duly.
Kirby Smith likes Gray. Young and
Tennyson, Scott, Irving and Macau
ley; his favorite characters Sir Galla
had and St. Paul; his favorite occupa
tion "making love to my wile;" his
best trails in man are truth and honesty,
the sum of happiness contentment.
James II. Randal likes Shakespeare
and Byron, Bulwor, Thackeray and
Macaulay; his favorite character in
romance is Warington in " Pendcnnis,"
in history I'cnelon; occupation reading
and writing; the highest trait ill man
devotion to principles, in woman
modesty; the. sum of human happiness
is resignation.
R. M. Johnson liked Byron, Scott,
Keats and Mrs. Hemaiis, Macauley,
Bulwor and Goldsmith; historic char
acter Aurellus; occupation scribbling;
sum of happiness consciousness of
God's favor.
I.. O. (J. Lamar liked best Byron
and Burns, Macaulay, Hulwcr and
Plutarch; best characters Orcalhoarl
in " Pilgrim's Progress," in history
Washington and llnmpdcn, Ids favo
rite occupation teaching in collogo; the
sum of human happiness the love of
(Jod.
Bev. B. M. Palmer preferred Shakes
peare, Milton and Wordsworth, Bacon,
Bulwor, Scott and Goldsmith; best
characters William, prince of Orange,
Washington und l.ec; bis favorite oc
cupation preaching the gospel; best
trait truth; sum of human happiness a
good conscience.
II. .1. Burdelte liked Mrs. Bl'OWIlitlg,
CarlylO, Thackeray; his favorite char
acters Colonel Newcome and Cromwell;
best trait sincerity; sum of happiness
a home full of friends.
Henry S. Footo liked Shakespeare
and Byron, Macaulay and Tacitus; his
favorite characters Old Mortality and
Washington; the sum of happiness,
conjugal felicity.
I., v). Blccklcy chose Shakespeare,
Byron and Tennyson, Hamilton, Mill
and Poscal; his favorite characters Hon
(,>uixoic and Marcus Aurelius.
J John B. Gordon preferred Shakes
pearc, Macaulay and Carlylc; his favo
trite characters Washington and Cato;
Iiis favorite occupation raising lino
stock; bott trail in man, integrity, in
woman londcrnoss.
T. M. Norwood, Shakespeare and
Byron; host trait in man honor.
Wallace I'. Heed likes Shakespeare
and Macauluy; bc&t character is. Napo
leon; best trait, justice; sum of all
happiness is a happy homo.
Joel Chaudlcr Harris prefers Shakes
penre, Scott ami Thackeray; best char
acters Jefferson and Lincoln; favorite
occupation lookiug after my roses; best
trail in man is honesty, in woman
modesty; sum of human happiness to
be at home.
All of these men name, the RWCCtesI
words in our language and also Um
saddest. Amoug the last are lost
forever lost it might have been
friendless hopeless forlorn, ami one
sa\s most of them begin with the letter
1), as disappointment, dismay, destruc
tion, despair, debts, duns, death, dam
nation nnd the devil.
TheiO are ether w riters in this al
bum, but spue forbids. These are
OUOUgh for a young man to ehooiO
from. From these he can make up a
good library, for there is not a ques
tionable book umoug thorn. Shakes
pcaro aud Macuuloy are in the lead i<>
authors and Washington for character,
truth for the best trail in man and
modesty in woman. About half ihcse
men liked the early morn and the
OtllOl half the twilight, excopt, bow
ever, L. q. ('. Latnar, who says his
favorite Hour is 1 o'clock at night. (I
never knew beton- that he played
poker.) Of these sixteen notable men
just half are de.nl. Their record is
made up and the hook is closed. Their
millionte upon the present generation
cannot he estimated nor over-estimat
ed. No great or good mil i or woman
has an adequate Idea of what he or she
is wottb to mankind. Last Sabbath
we heard a very grand discourse upon
environment from Lev. Mr. Mumford,
who has established that industrial
school near Macoil for the rejected
children of the. State, Ihoso who are
under the ban and who nobody wants
and nobody cues for the children of
drunken or disreputable parents and
whom no orphanage. Will receive. The
eloquent and enrnusl preacher declared
in words that binned: "Men and
women are not born, they aro made!
Made by their environments, their
parents oi their early associates." He
is going over the state gatheriugup
the friendless and pleading with the
good people to give these children a
i bailee. 14 (.Jive every friendless child
a chance,"' he earnestly exclaimed.
His text was "Hour ye one another's
burdens and so fulfill the. law of
riiust." It is a hardened heart who
can listen to him ami not give soinc
Ihing, There should be auolhor ques
tion in that album, what is the worst
und most prevalent trait in mankind ?
And 1 would iituwcr, " selfishness."
Hill Am?,
the TERMS STATED BY CUBA.
The Conditions on Which Relations
Are to be Had With United Stater
The constitutional convention at
Havana has completed the work of
drawing up the clauses in tho constitu
tion referring to ilu- relations between
Cuba and the United Slates. The fal
lowing relations were adopted:
ul. The government of Cuba will
not make a treaty or ngrccment with
any foreign power which may com
promise or limit the independence of
(. uba. or which may permit or authorize
any power to obtain, by means oi
colonization, or for military or naval
purposes, or in any oi her maniior, fool
hold 01' authority or right over any
portion of ('uba.
l,2, The government will not permit
IIS li rritory tO be used as a base of
operations for war ngaiust tho United
States, or against any foreign nation.
'?:'>. The government of (Una accepts
in its entirety the treaty of I'aris, in
which arc filllrmcd tho rights of Cuba,
to the extent Of the obligations whit h
nre explicitly indicated in those, and
especially those which the interna
tional law imposes for the pr ilection
of life and properly, and substitutes
itself for the United Stales in tho
pledge, which they assumed in Hint
sense according to articles 12 and Id
ol' the treaty of I'ai is.
"?I. (Juh.i recognizes as legally valid
all acts of tho military government
during the poihxl of occupation, also
the rights arising out of them, in con
formity with the joint resolution and
the Porakor amendment and the exist
ing laws of t be country.
"?. The governments of ibe United
Stale? and Cuba ought to regulate
their commercial relations by means oi
a treaty based on reciprocity, ami with
tendencies toward free- trade in natural
and manufactured pioducts, mutually
assuming ample special advantages in
their lespectivc markets.'1
The scheine, of relations was pub
licly approved by the convention. Two
hours previous to Ihc public meeting
an executive session was held to lll'UW |
up a preamble and revise the report i f
the special Committee Another volt
was then taken on the preamble and
the scheint: o( relations, only three
dissenting. Sonor (iiberga and Sonor
Quelitz favored tllO adoption of the
scheme Of relations recommended by
the. United states Senate committee.
Scnor Cisuoros opposed this, on the
ground Hint Cuba was independent ami
should not enter into any scheine of
relations with tho United Slate.
The preamble, which is lengthy, sol
forth the receiving of the letter Ironi
(Ion. Wood outlining the Wishes of the
Washington executive regarding future
rolatfcns. It asserts that the conven
tion understood the desire of the execu
tive to bring about l liest- specified re
lations with tho object of preserving
tho independence of Cuba, and that
the suggestion as to naval stations was
made oil thine lines.
"But this in itself," the preamble
goes on to say, "would militate against
tllO independence which both parties
desiro to preserve."
Regarding the other conditions sug
gested for preserving independence,
such as raising loans, the preamble
points out thai those are fully covered
by the constitution, which document
in tin: opinion of the convention, atnph
protects Independence, Including liber
? al laws as to the rights of foreigner:
tp " ^canbc
?grown
frj?j without
?<w<'7 Potash.
T LgT Supply
^Wi"\IEf enough I'ot
^' : .? W ?ish and your
Y "' profits will bo
\ V.<:N \> ' large; without
. Pot a s h your
crop will be
'?scrubby.''
Our lx>oks, it lliiiK .iL in i-otii|HiMtimi ol liTtili.-.-rs
i .i,l.i|.t.-.l |..: ..II , r0|,S| ,,,.. ,?u|| |,ir?lcls,
OKKM \\ K \I i WOK Kit.
-,t NasMiuSi.. Now Voifc.
and individual lights.
Itcgardiug the sanitary question, tho
preamble declares thai thu future gov
ernment should make satisfactory nr
raugcmenls with tho United Statos to
protect thai couutry as well as Cuba.
The convention clearly implies that
its action would n it hind the future
government, for the last part of the
preamble reads:*1 The convention con
siders that relations might exist [f the.
first government under' the republic
thinks ii advisable."
Mits. Nation on Social IOquai.im .
The Wichita (Texas) Herald says:
" There is something real ironical ill
tho career ol Mrs. < arrio Nation, who
is just new playing a Btar engagement
in blessed Kansas. While in Texas
during reconstruction days, she and
her husband published a paper in Rich
mond, in which they advocated the
pious New England doctrine of social
and political equality. They were not
destined to see Ihc fruition of their
dear hopes for Texas, as the people of
Ltichmotld, whose minds were probably
too dense ami whose souls were loo
narrow to see the real beauties of tins
advanced doctrine, served some Strange
notice on these apostles, and they
folded their tents like the Arabs and
silently stole olt to Kansas. Here.
Mrs. Nation is realizing the dream of
her younger days for tho equality of
the whites and the blacks. Since she
began her role of salo >n smashing, she
lias twice been prosecuted by a UCgro
assistant county attorney and once has
been compelled louccept a negro saloon
keeper as her bondsman, or remain in
jail. Well, it does .,eeni that one can
pretty near get what be wauls in
Kansas. *
Tin; Sn i.tf. A writer in the Coun
try Ucntktnan, comparing English and
American mutton, says:
"No country ha- mutton like that of
Groat Britain, in whose breeds there
are heavy, lleshy and excessively fill
Lincoln, tho tender Leicester, the solid
Shropshire and the high llnvorcd
Southdown. We Americans are rapid
ly becoming mutton eater-, especially
in the North; but in the South it will
ho sometime before the slab sided ra
zor-back will bo ousted from its fust
position by any sheep whatsoever."
The reason of this condition in the
South is farmers cannot afford lo Keep
respectable breeds of sheep on account
of the ever-present dog. TeilU08SCe
can grow as line a quality of sheep as
was ever reared in England, both for
million and wool. Practical men
know this to bo a fact, but a fact which
will nol eventuate so long as the dog is
mr lor. ? \u8hvilla American,
I?ltOCItKSS <?l S< IKNCH.?The rapid
advance of one of our most useful
sciences is brought vividly to mind by
tho following item which is going tho
rounds of the ncWSpapcl'8:
" August llrassart, a silversmith,
w ho made the plate on which HagUClTC
made the fust successful photograph, is
living in St. Louis at the age of eighty*
one."
We are accustomed to regard da
guorrco-types as very antiquated pro
ducts, and yet only a lit lie more than
llfiy years ago not a daguerreotype bad
over been made. Out of D.iguorre's
?nvonlioii came modern photography
with its many and increasing wonders.
The a unco of photography has been
80 rapid in the last few years that th'J
old silversmith In St. Louis, who made
the plate for the fn-' daguerreotype
musl feel that he has bvod lorn; in
deed.
Soiling grain and bay from Ihc farm
in bulk reduces tho prolll in IWO ways,
ll is expensive to handle and haul, and
it lakes away elements of fertility that
shottld 1)0 saved and returned to the
soil. l'e ill llOgS, sheep and cat
tle, and so market your product ill the
nio?i condensed form and ill the easiest
way, on tho hool, and keep lip the
land while you are cropping It.
In 187H l>. Tennyson, a Mar-hall
County, Kansas, farmer, built a barn,
uid to add to its weigh! so that it
would not be blown UW'Vy by a cyclone,
is the old one was, be stored twenty
tons of clover hay in the loft, where it
remained untouched until rccontly.
lie is now feeding it to his slock, and
it is as bright and w holesome as if ii
were out of this year's crop.
OASTOniA.
doara tho X? ^ K?'.il Kl IUh AiW.iys |; . !
WANTED TO LEASE.
A FURNISHED HOTEL In a to*n
or city of Soi'tn Carolina. s:?tj num
hor of rooms, location of hotel in rela
tion to business soction, the length and
terms of leaso. Kjforoncos glvon if
I required. Address,
MIts. E G. P., Rddivllhv N. (!.
MONEY TO LOAN
I On farming lands, rcasy payments. No
, commissions charged. Borrower pays ac
i mal cost of perfecting loan. Interest 7 per
cent- UP, according to socurity.
.i NO. IS, I'AI.MKlt A HON,
s Columbia, b- c j