Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XXI, NO. 5. DARLINGTON, S. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1894. WHOLE NUMBER 991. LOCAL LACONICS. MATTERS IN AND AROUND PROS PEROUS DARLINGTON. A Column of Newt, Tersely Told, of Interest to Our Mkny Readers. Monday next is saleday. Judge Bassett, of Massachu setts, is visiting Capt. Paul Whipple. Mr. A. R. Lane, the well known contractor, removed with his family to Union on Monday. Mr. Peter I. Wilson will leave- very shortly for Atlanta, where he will take a course in sten ography in a business college. We regret that the rush of other matters prevented us from publishing in this issue interest ing letters received from several — of our correspondents. The next regular meeting of the Darlington County Colored Teachers’ Association will be held on the second Saturday in February at ll o’cloc^. It is advertised that the fire proof safe belonging to L. P. Pate 8c do., of Cypress, will be sold at public auction in Dar lington on Monday next. The president of Clerason Col lege has notified the School Commissioner that all of the seven applicants for scholar-, ships f*om this county will be received into the Institution. The yoUng men will give a dance to-morrow (Friday) eve ning at the residence of Mr. C. S. McCullough, in compliment to Miss Emily Nesbitt, of Georgetown, who is visiting the family of Col. E. R. Mclver. The second concert of the TorbettCompany, in the Guards’ Armory opThursdat night last, furnished a splendid musical en tertainment, which, like the first concert, received the unan - imous praise of our lovers of good music. We were misinformed as to throsme of the party who had his pocket picked of $32 at Flor ence last week. The gentlema n who met with the loss was' Mr. J. H. Mclver, of Cheraw, treas urer of the Cheraw and Darling ton Railroad, apd not Maj. J. J. Mclver, of this county, as we stated. * ‘ Wm. Heckler gave an exhibi tion of strength, in accordance with his promise, in the opera house on Monday. He present ed a very good entertainment, performing very remarkable feats. He is only a man of or dinary size and t^e great strength he possesses is most surprising. The great battle over the dis- g ensary law occurred before the upreme Court on Monday and Tuesday. An array of able-law yers made arguments, among them R. W. Boyd, Esq., in fav or of the dispensary and C. S. Nettles Esq. m opposition to,it. The Court has not yet reridered its decision. Deputy Internal Revenue Col lector Deas sold a lot of confis cated liquor at public auction on Thursday. The State Dis pensary, by direction of Com missioner Traxler, purchased eleven gallons of com whiskey at $1,95 a gallon and 'Mr. J. M. James purchased four and a half gallons at $2. Mr. H. Y. Scarborough has resigned the position of jailer andlias removed to the Land Improvement Company’s prop erty where he will engage in planting. His brother, Mr. J. C. Scarborough, succeeds him as jailer and last week re moved with his family to the residence portion of the jail! The State convention of the Y. M. C. A. will be heldin Sum ter from February 8 to ,11. 4rhe C., S. & N. Railroad will sell reduced rate tickets from Dar lington to those who wish to at tend the convention. The fare for the round trip will be $2 and the tickets wilt be on sale Feb- , ruary 7, 8 and 9 with final limit for return trip February It. j. The firm of Sanders & Co has * dissolved. Mrs. L. E. Joye will open a general merchandiss store at the old stand of Joye & Sanders and Mrs. E. E. Sanders will open a similar establish ment in the Ward 8c Nachman building on the northeast side * of the Square. Mr. T. 8. Joye ■; f will have charge of the former store and Mr. J. H. Sanders the ‘ latter. AN “AT HOME.” The Beautiful Wedding of Popular Young Darlingtonians. One of the prettiest “at home” weddings that has ever occurred in Darlington was solemnized on Wednesday evening of last week. The contracting parties were Mr. Henry Hennig and Miss Lena, daughter of Mr. W. Witcover. The residence was beautifully decorated for the oc casion. Rabbi Mendelsohn, of Wilmington, performed the cer emony. Mr. Julius Aronious, of Neumark, West Prussia, was best man and Miss Essie Witcover was maid of honor. A large number of friends were present to attest their best wish es for the future of Mr. and Mrs. Hennig. After the ceremony an elegant supper was served and the evening was wound up with a dance at the Armory. The following is a list of the guests: Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Witcov er, of Marion, Mr. and Mrs. Hy man Witcover, of Marion, Mr. and Mrs. E. Rotholz, Mr. and Mrs. A. Nachman, Mr. and Mrs. C. Alexander, Mr. and Mrs. A. Weinberg, Mr. and Mrs. S. Marco, Mr. and Mrs. S. Wol fram, Mr. and Mrs I. Lewen- thal, Mrs. Henry Taylor, of New York, Mrs. Aaron Wein berg, of Manning, Mrs. M. Manne, Mrs. S. Goldman, Miss Greenburg, of Wilmington, Miss Hannah Goldsmith, of Charles ton, Miss Goldsmith, of Flor ence, Miss Nettie Weinberg, of Manning, Miss Emma Witcov er, of Savannah, • Misses Hart, of Marion, Misses Weinberg. Messrs Joseph and I. Strauss, of Sumter, Isaac Strauss, of Mayesville, Isaac Kaufman, S. H. McGill, J. H. Early, S. Har ris, W. F. Dargan, H. Appelt, A. Hyman, H. McHodge. The famous Ferris ham on hand at all times, fresh. Cogge- shall & Co. Use “Yinolia” for the toilet, the finest goods in the world, made in England. For sale by J. O. Muldrow. THE CHERAW AND DARLINGTON. Maj. C. S. Gadsden, pf Charleston, Elected President of the Road. (News and Courier, Jan. 27.] Information was received in this city yesterday that Major C. 8. Gadsden has recently been elected president of the Cheraw and Darlington Railroad by the directors of that company Ma jor Gadsden has just recently succeeded the late Mr. Ravenel as the president of the North eastern Company, and the ad ditional trust and honor confer red upon him vests him with the full authority and office which his predecessor in the presidency of two roads exer cised. Mr. Gadsden’s appoint ment to the presidency of the Cheraw and Darlington Com pany was not unexpected by railroad men, but it was made the occasion of self-congratula tion bv all the employees under him wnb knew it. Try our new blended tea—best on the market. C. & Co. Try Muldrow’s Compound Syrup Hypophosphites if you need a good tonic; it is infalli ble in pulmonary troubles. Dol lar a bottle. GOVERNMENT SEED. A Communication from Congressman McLaurm on the Subject. The following letter from Congressman McLaurin is self explanatory: House of Rep. U. 8., 1 Washington, Jan. 21, ’94 j Editor Darlington News: Will you please state the fact that the se«d provided by the Agricultural Department this year for distribution is not so abundant as t h e supply last year. There is not enough to furnish those on my list, hence the policy of supplying those making personal request first will be adopted. Any who re ceived seed last year and fail to get them this year will please understand it is from no neglect of mine, but because the supply is inadequate. Jno. L. McLaubin. You can have a beautiful complexion by using Yinolia only. For sale by J. O. Mul drow. “Seourine” forcleaningevery- thing at Coggeshall & Go’s. MOTHER FIGHT. WILL THE STATE AND TOWN AU THORITIES LOCK HORNS ? The State Board of Control Refutes to Allow Darlington Profits from the Dispensary. The time having expired a week or so ago for the Town Council to take action upon the letter from the State Board of Control in regard to the town co-operating in enforcing the dispensary law, The News has endeavored to secure for publi cation some information about the matter from our “city fa thers,” but the latter have been DUMB AS OSYTERS and have refused to give out anything for publication. If any action has been taken the council has never made it pub lic and what will be done as yet remains a secret. The County Board of Control, acting upon the instructions of the State Board, endeavored to get a reply from the council but met with as little success as The NewS, as will be seen by the following letter, BRIEF, BUT TO THE POINT, which was forwarded last week to the State Board of Control: I am requested to write to you by Mr J P Kirven, a member of the board of control, that he had an in terview with Mr W F Dargan, as fol lows: “What is your authority in refer ence to my official duties ?” “A letter from the State Board of Control.” “I deny that such is sufficient au thority to interrogate me as to my re lation as mayor.” Mr Kirven failed to get a satisfacto ry answer from the mayor whether he would or would not join the State in suppressing the illegal sale of whiskey in the town of Darlington. Yours truly, A A Gandy, Clerk of Board. Thus the matter rested until Tuesday, when Mayor Dargan received a letter from Governor Tillman informing that the State Board would KEEP THE TOWN’S PROFITS after February 1. The follow ing is a copy of the letter : Columbia, Jan. 29,1894. Hon W F Dargan, Mayor. Darlington, SC: Some time since a circular from the State Board of Control to the munici pal authorities where dispensaries are located was sent from this office to you among others. No rep! y has been received. 1 am in receipt of a com munication from A A Gandy, clerk of the Couuty Board of Control, stating that Mr J P Kervin had approached you on the subject and asked what course would be pursued by the Dar lington authorities in enforcing the dispensary law. You gave him no satisfaction. Under Section 10 of the Act approv ed December 20, 1893, it is provided “that if the authorities of any town or city in the judgment of the State Board of Control do not enforce this law the State Board may withhold the part going to the said town or city and use it to pay State consta bles.” Our information is that the Darling ton police are doing nothing and have never done anything towards enforc ing the law, and unless we receive satisfactory assurances from yourself and the city council that you will obey the law in future I am instructed by the State Board to notify you that the city of Darlington will receive no further share from the Darlington dispensary after February 1. Yours respectfully, B R Tillman, Governor and Chairman of the State Board of Control. Upon receipt of Governor Tillman’s letter the mayor pre pared a reply, which was sub mitted to the Town Council at a meeting on Tuesday night, and which met with the approval of that body. The mayor’s letter is TERSE AND TART and will be of interest to our readers. Darlington, Jan 80,1894. Hon B R Tillman, Governor and Chairman State Board of Control, Columbia, 8 C: Dear Sir: Your communication of 28th inst has been received and con tents noted. I have carefully read the dispensary act and am familiar with its several provisions re- latillg ttPWir‘powers of mayors and policemen, and especially with the section to which you have invited my attention. 1 find nothing In the act in question, or in any other act of the Legislature, requiring the mayor, or the town council of Darlington, to give you, or Mr J P Kirven, satisfactory or other assurance that we will obey this or any other law. As there is nothing in the act giving either of you authority to require such assurance, and as I am not aware of any other law requiring me to give, or you or Mr J P Kirven to exact, promises as to my contemplated offi cial, or unofficial, intentions, it ap pears singular that either, or both, of you should allow your respective boards to delegate yon to exact prom ises from officials with whose business you have no concern whatever. I am sot aware of the fact which you have announced to me by Implication that the mayor and town council of Darlington have violated this particu lar law, or any other. As to the information you say the State Board of Control has received, I know nothing of its source or relia bility, as you failed to enlighten me, but 1 assert that it is incorrect, though in doing so I am fully conscious of the fact that it is not worth my while to say so to you at this time as it is very easy to believe what one wishes to be lieve. Yours respectfully, W F Daro'an, Mayor of Darlington. WHAT WILL BE DONE ? The above correspondence is all that the town authorities will make public. What action, if any, they have ever taken they will not state. Nor can we fore tell what the council will do, since Ben Tillman has jumped on the town with both feet, so the public will be left in the dark for a while. It is pretty safe to say, however, that the council will not sit quietly by and let the State authorities take the town’s profits. It will not tamely submit, but will probably make a fight. The question of authority raised by the Mayor would lead to the in ference that there is a probabil ity of ANOTHER LEGAL BATTLE between the town and the dis pensary, though this is only a supposition on our part, based on nothing authentic but mere ly on the way things look. The people may keep a sharp watch upon the affair, for sensational developments may arise from the refusal of the Governor to allow Darlington any share of the dispensary profits PROBABLY BEST AFTER ALL. The News has been in favor of the council acting favorably upon the instructions of the State Board that the town should co-operate in enforcing the law, but in view of the way other towns, that took favorable action, have been treated we now doubt whether any good would have come from it. Gov ernor Tillman is final judge of whether the municipalities are co-operating as they should and, as he has so much hostility to the towns and is so anxious to increase the whiskey fund and enlarge his whiskey ring of spies (a dangerous power to put in a man’s hands!) he can hard ly be fair in his decisions. Whatever the towns may do to wards co-operating with the State authorities he can easily find an excuse for denying them their profits. His actions to wards other municipalities show this. THE LAW TO BE OBEYED. On the other hand we regret, on account of the broad princi ple that the law should be obey ed, that the council has so far declined to co operate with the State authorities. Try our Salvador coffee. Equal to Java. Coggeshall & Co. Corn, 75 cents a bushel. Dean Bros. We buy grain and flour in car lots and sell at bottom prices. Coggeshall & Co. THE DOVESVILLE DISPENSARY. The Final Decision in the Matter will be Reached on Saturday. The County Board of Control held a special meeting on Satur day to near a committee from Leavensworth township in op position to the establishment of a dispensary at Dovesville. This committee represented the one hundred and eighty-three voters of the township who signed the E rotest. The Board gave a full earing. The question of dis pensary, or no dispensary, at our neighboring little village will be finally settled at the reg ular meeting of the Board on Saturday next, when a hearing will be given those favoring the State bar. CALLED TO ACCOUNT. Use Pratt’s food. For sale by Coggeshall & Co. We are headquarters for can ned goods. Coggeshall & Co. , *■ MARRIED. At New Providence Church on Wednesday evening, Jan uary 24, 1894, by Rev. F. M. Satterwhite, Mr. Charles Boze man, of Swift Creek, and Miss Carrie Coker, of New Provi dence. A new and handsome line of tin sets just in. C. & Co. Yesterday was the last day for paying State and county taxes. DEATH OF WHITTEMORE OF RE CONSTRUCTION FAME. The "Pareon” Once a Familiar Figure in Darlington—A Sketch of Hie Remarkable Career. In the town of Woburn, Mass , a suburb of Boston, on Thurs day last, the 25th inst., died “Parson” Whittemore. The removal of this character from the sphere of human action re calls to memory the dark days of Reconstruction in South Car olina, when the “Parson” was a familiar figure in our town and was absolute dictator ot Darlington county in matters political. THE GOOD OLD MAXIM. We appreciate most forcibly the wisdom and propriety of the old maxim, de mortuis nil nisi bonum. Respect for death should call for an exercise of charity and move us to forgive and forget, but in the present instance it is impossible to fur nish a correct history of a re markable career without touch ing upon the more important events, with which the man was connected and which made his name odious to the people of South Carolina, Darlingtonians especially. SKETCH OF A CARPETBAGGER. Benjamin Franklin Whitte more was born at Malden, Mass., on May 18, 1824. He was en gaged in mercantile pursuits until 1859, when he entered the Methodist ministry, a fact which in later days gave him the sobriquet of “Parson.” During the war he served in the Union army as chaplain of Massachusetts regiments. Af ter the cessation of hostilities he remained in the South, locating at Darlington, and commenced the publication of a newspaper called the New Era. He also acted as agentof theFreedmen’s Bureau at this place. The de moralized condition of affairs in South Carolina following the close of the war offered oppor tunities for gain which the “Parson” could not resist and he abandoned the sober voca tion of preaching for the fasci nating and more lucrative pur suit of politics. FROM PARSON TO POLITICIAN. It is said that before the war Whittemore was a Democrat. In South Carolina, however, he was an extreme Republican, serving during the Reconstruc tion period as State Chairman of the party. He first appeared in public life as a member of the State Convention of 1868, which framed our present Con stitution, and immediately fol lowing this he was elected State Senator from Darlington coun ty. In the meantime, however, upon the adoption of the new constitution South Carolina was given representation in Con gress for the first time after the war and Whittemore was elect ed a member of the federal House of Representatives. He resigned the State Senatorship, Dr. John Lunney, who still re sides in Darlington, succeeding him, and he took his seat in Congress on July 18, 1868. HIS CAREER IN CONGRESS. 16 ge vember or the same year he was re-elected to Congress for the full term. During his incum bency he sold his appointments of military and naval cadetships to young men at the Nortn. The matter was brought to the attention ot Congress. Proceed ings against him for the offence were actively pushed by Gen. John A. Logan, of Illinois, then a member ot the House and sub sequently United States Sena tor and candidate for Vice-Pres ident on the Blaine ticket. Res olutions were introduced for his expulsion from Congress and to avoid this Whittemore resigned his seat on June 21, 1870, $nd sought vindication at the hands of his constituents, who gave it to him by immediately re-elect ing him. But Congress refused to admit him and Joseph H. Rainey, colored, of Georgetown, was elected in his place. IN STATE POLITICS AGAIN. Foiled in in his efforts to re main in Congress he had him self again elected State Senator from Darlington county in the fall of 1870, the term of Dr. Lunney, who succeeded him two yean before, having expired. In 1874 he was re-elected State Senator for the term ending in 1878, but in 1876 the people elected the Hampton ticket and this was the “beginning of the end” of Whittemore’s career in South Carolina. As soon as the Democrats came into power pro ceedings were begun against all who had participated in the public frauds of the Reconstruc tion period and the “Parson” came in for his share. Several charges were preferred against him but the one upon which ac tion was especially directed by the Legislature was that he had been appointed chairman of a committee of the Senate to pur chase for the Senate chamber portraits of Senator Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts, and Hon. Fenry Wilson, then Vice- President of the United States. The portraits were never pur chased and the money appropri ated for the purpose has never been accounted for. Pending the investigation of the matter by the Democratic Legislature, in 1877, Whittemore resigned the Senatorship and suddenly, between two suns, disappeared from Columbia. He returned to Massachusetts, his native State, and never again set foot on South Carolina soil. After he fled the State the proceedings against him were dropped. Capt. W. C. Coker was elected as a Democrat to succeed him in the State Senate. THE PARSON AND HIS SCANDALS. Whittemore flourished during the “era of good stealing” when fraud was rampant in South Carolina, and was charged with often having his finger in the pie. His name was connected with many of the political scan dals of those days. He partici pated in the refunding of the State debt in 1872, was a pro moter of the scheme for issuing the Blue Ridge Railroad script (subsequently declared fraudu lent by the State Supreme Court), had a hand in the elec tion of “Honest” John Patter son to the United States Senate, was a member of the committee which awarded the iniquitous contract for furnishing the State House to J. B. Dennis and a member of the committee that made the deal with Josephus Woodruff for the public print- lug. He was also a stockholder in the S. C. Loan and Trust Company, of Columbia, (Hardy Solomomon’s bank) that plun dered the State Treasury of large sums of money. HIS LATER LIFB. On his return to Massachu setts he engaged in the book and stationery busines and also controlled an interest in a small newspaper. We cannot state with exactness his pecuniary condition at the time of his death, but he was doubtless in easy circumstances. He owned a small place in High Hill town ship, this county, and some property in or near Charleston. Whittemore died of consump tion, having been very ill for some time before his death. Few who remember his lobust frame would have supposed that he would fall victim to this disease. His wife died about two years ago and an un married daughter alone survives him. A MAN OF GREAT ABILITY. The “Parson” was a man of unusual ability and as a stump speaker had few equals. He was a shrewd political organi zer as was shown by the com plete control he had over the negroes, who followed him like sheep. Among them he was king; they worshipped him and his will was absolute law in Darlington. He incurred the bitter enmity of the white peo ple by leading the negroes in their mad rule and ruin of the State and using our unfortunate condition to his own profit. In disposition he was grasping and vindictive. After he entered politics he sometimes conducted religious fervices for the colored people and was noted for the length of his prayers on such occasions. “REQUIKSCAT IN PACB.” Such is, briefly told, the career of a remarkable man, cordially disliked by his own race and idolized by the colored people— a man “considered by his friends « hero, by his foes a Ju das or a Nero.” Now that death has claimed him gladly would we draw the veil over the re cord of his past, but the cause of truth and history compels the chroniclii.g of these facts in the life of one of the most prom inent of the horde of “carpet baggers” that wrecked South Carolina. DARLINGTON’S PRIDE. THE FLOURISHING CONDITION OF THE SCHOOLS. The Important Proceedings at the Citi zens’ Meeting on Friday—A Levy of Four Mills. Pursuant to a [call published in The News a meeting of the citizens of the school district of the town of Darlington was held in the Court House, on Friday, to decide what tax should be levied for the support of the schools for the ensuing year. THE MEETING ORGANIZES. Mr. J. E. Norment was called to the chair and R. W. Boyd, Esq., chairman of the board of trustees stated the object of the meeting and said that in addi tion to determining the tax levy the meeting should elect two members of the board of trus tees to fill vacancies caused by the removal of J. E. Nettles, Esq., to Austria and the resig nation of E. Keith Dargan. THE TRUSTEES’ REPORT. Mr. Boyd then made a few re marks, showing the satisfactory condition of the schools. The many difficulties that were first encountered in the establish ment of the schools are being gradually but surely overcome. The rapid growth of the town has, of course, made a great in crease in the school population. This necessitated additional ac commodations at St. John’s and, therefore, two rooms were added to the building during the past year and the services of an additional teacher were procured. By this arrangement the superintendent was also given an office, which has here tofore been greatly needed. All the pupils can be accommoda ted comfortably aud the facil ities for enforcing dicipline are thereby greatly improved. At Mayo the teaching is most effi cient, but there is a great lack of room and for this reason many pupils had to be turned away. The board can not at present remedy this drawback but hopes to do so in the futu.e. STATISTICS THAT TELL. Mr. Boyd submitted the fol lowing statistics to show the flourishing condition of the schoo’s: St. John’s (including the factory school) has 8 rooms and 8 teachers, Mayo, 4 rooms and 4 teachers; number of pu pils at St. John’s, 284, Factory, 25, Mayo, 250, total, 559; high est number of pupils iu attend ance at one tinie during the present session, 592; number of volumes in the library at St. John’s, 1,032, at Mayo, 317. The speaker declared that Darling ton had one of the best white schools in the State and certa' i- ly the best colored school. This, he said, is due to the efficie it and painstaking management of the worthy superintendent, Mr. Patterson Wardlaw. FOUR MILLS GRANTED. In closing his remarks Mr. Boyd said that the board found it necessary to ask for a levy of 4 mills, the same as last year, and by a unanimous vote the meeting granted the levy. TRUSTEES BLBCTED. Mr. S. A. Woods and Rev. John Stout were then elected by acclamation members of the board of trustees in place of Messrs J. E. Nettles andE. Keith Dargan. AN OBLIGATION MET. It will be remembered that at the meeting of the citizens last year a committee was appoint ed to look into the ’ois incurred in placing the schoo’ bonds and to take what action appeared proper in the premises. The loss was unavoidable aid fe’l personally upon the members of the board of trustees, woo, there were no funds avail able to meet it, generously paid it out of their own pockets. The community thought, and right ly so, that the trustees should be reimbursed and for this rea son a committee was appointed at the meeting last year to look into the matter. The commit tee made its report at the meet ing on Friday, which showed that the loss by the sale of the bonds and the difference in in terest amounted to $1,320. The committee stated that it had au thorized the reimbursement of the trustees for this amount and that $1,000 had already beea (paid, Maying $330 due,