The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, October 27, 1904, Image 8
The divorce evil
Charged That livorces and Saloons
Arc Closely Linked
BUXTON HOT AFTER BISHOP POTTER
Winston Deputy at the Episcopal Con>
vention Attempts to Bring Up the
Liquor Question in Connection With
the* Debate on Divorce and Yields
Only to the Time Limit of the Session.
- .Hasten. Special.?A marked division
o! sentiment regarding the proposal
to prevent the re-marriage of the innocent
party to a divorce during the
jifo of the former partner developed |
at today's session of the House of
Deputies of the Episcopal General
Convention. The house, sitting as a
committee of the whole, discussed the
issue all day. aa4 many vehement addresses
were made on both sides.
Several prominent delegates expressed
the ooinion that in view of
the great difference cf opinion the
present conference would not act on
rjje- matter, but would, like its pre,l
decease r,. refer ' the problem to the
next triennial convention.
A commotion was caused by John
C. Buxon, of Winston, N. C., who.
attempted to link the divorce evil
with the liquor question. v
Mr. Buxton Is the deputy who, on
he opening day of the convention,
attempted to read a resolution censuring
Bishop Henry C. Potter, of
New York, for-opening the subway
saloon. In his remarks he express
?:d the opinion that it would be better
for the chinch to curb the liquor traffic
before changing the canons on divorce.
Continuing, he was saying: "If, instead
of a high official of the church
Tending his influence to the dedication
of sa loo-is?" when he was interrupt
od by a point of order. Mr. Buxton
was admonished by the chairman.
St'.l] he attempted to mike some further
reference, indirectly, to the subway
tavern, bat was promptly called
to order by the chairman. The time
limit of the morning session expired
before Mr. Buxton could continue.
r??~" James McConnell. of New Orleans,
opposed the adoption of the nt w canon.
in a dramatic speech. "In God's
name." he declared, "how can a
church legislate to take away the pain
of innocence? What right has anvcno
to change the meaning of the
words In St. Matthew's Gosne!?
Where is the man to expound away
the written word of the Son cf Gol
himself?"
Rev. T. J. Beard, of Birmingham,
Ala., was opposed to the adoption of
the proposed canon because it compromised
the church as a teacher.
George Foster Peabodv, of Brooklyn.
thought that all additions should
he voted down.
The debate was put over.
The House of Bishops presented
the Archbisop of Canterbury with a
silver loving cup. The English primate
wii! leave the city for New York
tomorrow and will sail for England
cn Monday.
Tfce resignation of Bishop Thomas
A. JamgjTar. of Southern Ohio, was
received and accented bv the House
of Rishops. and his coadjutor. Right
Rev. Boyd Vincent, becomes bishop of
tho diocese.
? I
Wood Alcohol Kills 16.
New York. Special.?When Herman
Sachs^dicd In Roosevelt Hospital, 20
minutes after he had been admitted,
another death was added to the long
list of fatalities which Coroner Schoier
believes were caused bv the use
of wood alcohol in the whiskey sold
in the saloon of Rudolph Fritsche.
There are now sixteen deaths on this
list. Sachs was seized with violent
abaomena] pains this afternoon CoroneT
Scholcr was notified and a hurried
investigation showed that the
stricken man had been drinking whis
key bought at Fritche's saloon just
beforo I be police took possession of
the place
Crane Succeed Hoar.
Boston, Special.-Governor John L.
Bates appointed former Governor W.
Murray Crane, of Oalton. United States
Senator to fill the unexpired term of
Senator Goorge F. Hoar, recently de
ceased. Mr. Crane has informed Governor
Batoa thai he will accept He is
one of the largest paper manufacturers
in the State and has been prominent in
State politics for a Bcore of years. In
3897 he was elected Lieutenant Governor
and in 1900 became Governor,1
which office he held for three years. Mr. J
Crane is a personal friend of President
Roosevelt.
Apprehension at St. Petersburg.
9t. Petersburg. By Cable.?It is now
midnight on the battlefield below Mukden.
and the failure to receive news
that the Russians achieved decisive results
in Wednesday's fight north of
Yentai. roupled with the Tokio report
that Field Marshal Uyama is gaining
<?aund, causes increased appreheusion.
Still Fighting Stubbornly.
Mnkden. By Cable.?Stubborn flghtis
Wtill in progress. Ihks being the
third day or the engagement. It is impossible
at this time to say what has
bees pccomplished. Hospital trains are
continually arriving from the south.
The wounded nre being sent further
r.orth. A dressing station has been es
lablished on the railway platform here
where nurses and surgeons give prompt
attention to the most urgeut cases be
for the trains proceed.
Ks'
SOLICITOR SPEAKS PLAINLY
Asked Many Pertinent Questions cf
Prominent People?Even Preachers
Figuratively Say "Amen."
Mr. J. K. Henry, solicitor of tho
sixth circuit, last week submitted to
Gov. Ileyward a report on tho Kershaw
lynching. Mr. Henry is very
outspoken in his condemnation of the
double killing and calls attention to
a state of affairs in Kershaw which
he says makes it almost impossible
rcr the State to get any evidence.
In view of the attention which has
been attracted to the ca3e as well
as to the strong statements in the
letter itself. Mr. Henry's official communication
to the Governor will be
very interesting reading:
Chester. S. C., Oct. 12, 1904.
Gov. D. C. Heyward,
Columbia, S. C.
Sir: In obedience to your request
I arrived at Kershaw, S. C., at noon
on Monday, October 3, to investigate
the lynching of John T. Morrison for
the killing of William Floyd on tho
Saturday previous. After conferring
I with the sheriff of Lancaster, John P.
Hunter. Esq.. who had preceded me
that morning. I conferred with and
interviewed the mayor, some of the
aldermen, the town marshal, several
of the citizens, the wife and son of
Morrison and two of Morrison's neighI
bors. From these I learned that the
I attitude of the entire town and surrounding
country was, by hand or
heart, "His blood be upon us and our
children." Not a single man ..among
them but what deplored lynching and
excused this one, "if one was ever
excusable." Everyone with whom I
conversed seemed to labor to Impress
me with the fact that this was the
msxc* nrfforlu nul?t and anhnr lvnrllinc
CAAWOV V? UV4*^| \|W*Vto v*uu ww* MO n
that ever occurred?a real pious
lynching, with the preachers in the
background, almost audibly saying
"amen." I did not get to see any of
the local preachers: but several spoke
to me after leaving Kershaw, on tho
sub ect of thi3 lynching, and to my
entire astonishment, they voiced the
sentiment, "If there ever was an excusable
lynching this was it." Where
are we going to end up?these horrible
midnight murders by lynch law
on all hands and public sentiment
fast heading the same way? A sense
of paralysis came upon me with tho
darkness of Monday night
On Tuesday morning I called a
special meeting of the town council.
Every member, with the town marshal.
met us (Sheriff Hunter and my.
self) in a special meeting. I explained
that the Governor had s?nt me to
investigate the lynching; they were
swrru officers, like myself; 1 wanted
their help; Morrison had been taken
from their custody; they were somewhat
responsible on this account; i
wanted tlicm to deal with me in a
perfectly honest and straightforward
manner; I would try to do the same
with them: there was no use in my
wasting offcrt if they were in sympathy
with the lynching or would obstruct
or refuse to help me in the
investigation. My appeal for help
was in the interest of law, and the
name or me aiaie aim UIU juaiwi.
After this I asked ea?li and every
one of them the following questions:
1. Are you in sympathy with, the
lynching?
2. Will you help the State's officers
in ferreting cut and bringing to trial
these lynchers, honestly?
3. Was this lynching* done by town
forks or from the surrounding coun
try?
Tc. *hese three questions I have ver
bctim answers on file. Two aldermen
mswered that they were indifferent to
the lynching and would net help to
ferret cut the lynchers. The mavor
and one alderman unswered that they
A _ 41 : !.
were not in sympmnv wuu mc i.ihiuing
and would lieln the State officers,
provided it did not interfere with
i their business (both of these had
much Dusincss.) One alderman had
done all he could to prevent the
lvnching r.nd would do nothing more.
The clerk was in sympathy with the
lynchers and would net help to ferret
It out and would cover up evidence if
he knew of any.
The town marshal was net in sympathv
with the lynching, did all he
could to prevent it and would help all
he could to ferret it out, but he was
busy collect'ng taxes.
As to the third question, the opinion
of three of those present was that the
lynching was* done by country people,
and of four that the crowd that did
it was mixed: but bv four that the
country people predominated, because
nobody cou'd be missed from the
town after Morrison was taken from
the guard nouse. This last is liie
opinion of the great majority of the
townspeople to whom I talked. After
interviewing the town officers, I requested
the town marshal to go to every
business place and announce that
I would remain at the council chamber
until 5 p. m., (taking 30 minutes
for dinner) and wanted to confer with
any one who would give me any assistance.
I urged the marshal not
to pass by a single man, if possible.
As a result six persons called (Hi me.
one of them a member of the Inquest
r.n tho lvnrhinp of Morrison.
I Tbis member of that jury had taken
a hand In a lynching bee to the extent
of voting to hang the culprit;
hut this was for the usual (?) crime.
Of all six none knew anything except!
as "they say."
I tried to meet The State's corres-1
pondent, sent word to him and went i
tn his office. He was cut cf town !
I asked fcr end tried to find a friend j
of the dead man, outside of his own
family. If there was one he would
not own it. One man spoke kindly of i
Morrison, r.nd a man who had known j
I him longest and best.
The following aro my conclusions:
William Floyd was a good, average
citizen, sober and popular, and of a
popular and influential family. John
T. Morrison was cross-grained and
killed two negroes (excusably or inexcusably).
had been acquitted and
had had trouble with several other
oeople, drank, had no family nor influence.
His killing Floyd was an awful
murder and the community's killng
him was more awful still, in that
he conscience of the community is i
lebauched with his blocd which will
lot be wiped out for half a century.,
Morrison was a bad man, but not as
dack as painted. The jury of inueit
is from the country. Promthe
foregoing facts if the jury does not
take it into its head to vindicate the
law by ferreting it out, tlie Slate is /
powerless. There is nothing, it |
seems to me, to be accomplished by
the State's officers, unless the coroner
and jury invite them back. Wo
can assist the county; but can't take
charge cf it. I am trusting that after
the flrst shock of the lynching has
passed, the conscience of the lawabiding
element of that county will
revive, and something may be done i
yet to bring these parties to trial. '
When I hear from you I will instruct j
the jury of inquest to close up it3
work. I don't want to be a party to *
a farce. Very respectfully,
J. K. Henry,
Solicitor Sixth Citcuit.
TO OBSERVE ARBCI BAY
The State Superintendent of Education
Has Issued an Address to the
Teachers of the State.
Tho third Friday in November is
Arbor Day. a day to be observed by
the schools according to an act of the
legislature. It Is observed in Richland
end some of the other countries by the
planting of trees and shrubbery. Mr.
0. B. Martin, the State superintendent
of education, is very anxious for all the
schools in the State to observe Arbor
Day this year. The law on the subject
is as follows:
"The free public schools of this State
shall observe the third Friday in November
of each .year as Arbor Day, and
on that day the school officers and J
teachers shall conduct such exercises '
and engage in the planting of such '
shrubs, plants and trees as will impress
cn the minds of the pupils the proper
value and appreciation to be placed on
flowers, ornamental shrnbbery and
shade trees." j
Mr. Martin bos issued an address to
county superintendents of education j
and to teachers generally, in which he
calls upon them to have the schools to
r.'cke proper observation of the day.
In his address he offers the following
very timely suggestions:
"Allow me to sal! your attention to c
the statute providing for the observ. 1
ance of Arbor Day. The Programme in- i
eluded hereto is only suggestive. You r
ran easily supplement or abbreviate it, c!
Inasmuch as this day is so near to t
Thanksgiving day it might be well to c
rombine their celebration on the date J
Lest suited to your conditions. It will \
t'f an appropriate occasion to invito ' i
patrons and to take steps for permanent
school improvements. As a prep- r
aration for this day. it will be pro ta- c
hie to have the children collect in leaf g
r>r book albums as many different kinds I
of leaves as possible and in addition ?
to teaching them the various kinds o: {
trees that grow in South Carolina the c
ieaves may also be used for spelling T
er drawing lessons and an exhibit of c
this work will form part of your entertainment
of visitors. In many sec- C
tions al3o an exhibit of the various z
kinds of good might be collected and <
pupils might make some useful arti- }
ties of school or household furniture,
a? pointers, ink stands. rule3, gavels, t
Look eases, shelves, brackets, etc. j
"However, the chief object of the leg- d
islature seems to be to teach the value c
0! flowers, shrubbery and shade trees, f
There are hundreds of school houses In a
this State located in open fields with r
Meak surroundings and it is hoped that t
this number may be greatly diminished t
by the celebration of Arbor day. The s
address to the people of the south by
the Southern State superintendents emphasizes
this situation in the following
language: 'Surely, then, the house
iu which this sacred work of training
the children of the republic for citizen- r
ship and social service, a work that .
has to do with mind and soul and body,
with the moulding of character and the (
rreation of ideals, should be a place j
worthy in all respects of such a work? j
a home, not a hovel; a place j m
c? beauty, not a place or ugn< i
ness: a place of comfort, not a place of ' t
discomfort; a place of cleanliness, not <
a place of uncleanllness.. About It the I
rrass should grow green and the sun <
shine bright, the (lowers bloom aDd the f
birds sing and the trees wave their t
long arms, and the chil Iron while lis- ?
lening to the lessons taught by men *
and boohs may receive also from the 8
potent, silent influence of proper en- i
vironrvent. the sweet message of peace j t
nnd|lovc and culture and beauty.' \
"we ought to take advantage of this |
occasion not only to make sentiment
but to rai9e funds to improve and beautify
the schools. Eac^ child could
bring a coin, a collection may be taken, a
or refreshments served and the pro- .
coeds used to purchase pictures, buy T
shrubbery, point houses, fences, etc. It '
would be especially appropriate to raise 1
money .for libraries In those counties f
which have not secured their quota, r
under the library act, and even those j
that have 12 might anticipate next u
year's appropriation and get their
money ready by the time the appropria"?
* At all events
lion UCX.UUIC3 UIOIIUU.V. I
hope that teachers and pupils will I
make a pleasant and profitable ecca- c
fcion out of Arbor day." I
f
\
White Man and Negro Killed. f
Bishopville. Special. ? Saturday J
night about 9 o'clock a riot occurred j
a' Liicknow. a town about eight miles c
north of Bishopville. between Harvev s
Lang, a young white man. and several c
negroes, and as a result Mr.* Lang and I
one negro man named Szekill Aral t
died Sunday morning about davlight. t
there being but a short time difference
between their death*. s
Fine Crops dt State Farmg. c
Columbia State.
The superintendent of the penitentl-i
ary. Capt. D. J. Griffiin, is back from
the State farm and is wearing "the t
smile that won't come off." The oc r
casion of all this exultation on his j
part is the fact that never in the his- f
tory cf the State farms have such 4
crops been made. The corn will make
about 25 to 20 bushels to the acre I
and there are about 700 acres plante! f
in the cereal. The cotton acreage hac
nee enually as prolific and may pro f
dr.ee from a bale and a quarter to s I
bale and a half to the acre. t
PALMETTO AFFAIRS
Many Newsy Items Gathered From
all Sections.
Hoyt Hays Escapes Gallows.
Columbia, Special.?Governor Hey
CATAWBA HEARING
south Carolina Institutes Proceedings
Against Railroad
HANY WITNESSES ON THE STAND
South Carolina Railroad Commission
Takes Evidence at Columbia?Governor
Heyward Appoints New
Treasurer for Lee County.
Columbia, S. C., Special.?A hearing
vas had before the railroad commission
Tuesday in the matter of the
louble wreck on the 9th of September
it Catawba bridge on the Seaboard,
^hcn a number of lives were lost by
eason of the passenger train leaving
he bridge, shortly after midnight, and
i freight train following 10 minutes
ater, falling in on the wreckage. On
he part of the railroad, the witnesses
vore examined by Mr. J. L. Glenn, of
Chester, district attorney for the Seaboard,
and Chairman Garris conducting
he examination for the State. Among
he spectators was Mr. John Earle, of
jreenville, commissioner-elect Com
i.issioner Otugbman's report was read,
r which he pointed out the possible
ause of the wreck being the breaking
?f the bolt retaining the front trucks
>f the passenger engine. In this broken
>olt he had detected an old crack. He
tiso criticised the road for having the
eeond train run so close as to render
ts flagging impossible. He thought a
peed of 40 miles an hour too great for
his bridge.
In reply to this, General Superintenient
Huger read his report of tbe accilent
to President Barr, in which he
liscovered that the catastrophe was
robably due to a rail being unspikel.
he retaining bars of the ce t rail
eing found unbroken and their bolts
Hscovered in good condition nearby,
n the circumstances there was no time
o flag the second train and for that
cason it was impossible to prevent the
iouhie wreck. The physical condition of
he oridge. which was only two years
ild. was perfect, as was admitted, and
dr. Huger would not hesitate to run a
assenger train over such a bridge at a
ate of GO miles an hour.
These witnesses were sworn for the
ailroad: B. F. Luther, master meiianic;
A. L. Monroe, inspector of en;ines;
James Durkin, inspector oJ
iridges: .Genera! Superintendent Hu;cr;
R. F. West, conductor on wrecked
'assenger train; Pink Carpenter, colred.
flagman; (5. H. Meares, engineer;
\ C. Link and J. J. Duncan, of freight
rew; P. K. Sanders, train master.
The witnesses for the State were
'ommissioner Cough man and two citiens
of Reddy. a station near the scene
? the accident. R. W. Patton and T.
f. Geddys.
The testimony was all one way and
he railroad p?>ple had no difficulty In
iroving that the accident wa? probably
iue to a rail being ur.spiked. Disintersted
witnesses testified that they
ound angle bars and bolts untapped
nd unbroken on the ground just beicath
the first break in the trest'e.
bat the threads in the bolts were rnroken
and that a number of unbent
pikes were found near the same spot
Gasoline Engine Explodes.
Asheville. Special.?A gasoline engine
used in pumping tfater at the
esidcnce here of President R. S.
lowland. of the Atlantic ana i\oru>
Carolina Railroad, exploded Tuesday
ifternoon, painfully injuring an eni)loye
named Garner about the hands
md arms. Mr. Howland said tonight
hat he did not know whether it was
arelcYssness on the part of the em>loye
or a defect in the engine that
auscd the explosion. Garner was
fiven medical attention, and it Is not
hought that his hurts will result
:eriousfy. It Is said that a heavy
voolen shirt worn by Garner was reiponsiblo
for his comparatively slight
njuries; that otherwise his clothing
vould have p.-obably ignited and he
vould have been burned to death.
Russian Fleet to Lea^.
Copenhagen. By Cable.?The Aasocited
Press learns from an excellent
ource that the Russian Baltic fleet will
cave Libau October 14 and pass
hrough Danish waters Ocvtober 16.
figh Russian naval officers have arived
here and will Investigate the
tanisb waters before the passage of
be fleet.
A Divorce Discussion.
Boston, Spedlal.?A proposed
ihange in the canons cf the Episco>al
Church, whereby clergymen are
orbidden to re-marry any person
vho has boon divorced was discussed
or two hours by the House of Depltles
at Tuesday's session of the
Srfsconal General Convention. The
Mouse of Deputies was sitting as a
ommiftee of the whole, and the conadoration
of the subject, regarded as
>nc of the most important to come
>eforc the present convention, will
>e taken up from time to time, until
ho matter Is finally disposed of.
For some time theio has l-een a
tiong sentiment in the church that
he cleigy should rot marry the tnno
ent partv.
News by Wire.
The Imported stallion Meddler, of
Ue stud of the late William C. Whit
ley, was sold Tuesday night at Madson
Square Carden, New York, to
Matthew Corbelt for $51,000.
Bedouin, ridden by Shaw, won the
tancho del Paso stakes at Morris
'arte. Pasadena was second, Caii
:orm third. Tba time was 1:09%,
3edouin broke in front and raaklnt
he pace, won by a head.
ward has commuted the death sentence
of Hoyt Hayes to life Imprisonment
Hayes was convicted of the
murder of his young wife, Lula, In Oconee
county. The flrst trial resulted
in a mistrial, after Lu jury had been
cut all night and at the second trial
ho was convicted after five hours' deliberation
by the jury. The Supreme
Court last June refused him & new
trial. Hayes was' convicted on circumstantial
evidence, there being no
other person about the premises at
the time but the couple, yet a, strong
; sentiment hag grown up throughout
ho 11 nj>niintrv ncro Inst thA rinfend&Ht
1 since the first trial, although the
. State failed to establish any motive
for the crime, the woman's own fam
ily who liv^d near him, testifying that
' so far as they knew Hayes and his
' wife loved ?ach other devotedly. The
body was found in bed with the face
; 3hot away, tho husband notifying the
neighbors that his wife had suicided.
A note was found in the room, wnicb
was signed at the top instead of at'
the bottom. This declared that she
was treated well by her husband, but
preferred to die rather than undergo
the pain of motherhood,
i The question of guilt or innocence
of Hayes seemed to hang upon the
authorship of the note, and Governor
Heyward submitted this phase of the
matter to David N. Carvalho, one of
| the most distinguished handwriting
. experts in America, who gives it as
his Strong conviction that the note
was not written by the woman. The
ease has attracted a great deal of attention
throughout the State, and the
Governor hat received many ?trong
letters for and against the prisoner,
from Oconee county. The petition
for commutation was signed bv over
1.000. and thorc was a strong counterpetition
signed by over 500.
South Carolina items.
Some two weeks ago Wade Hartley,
a negro* was convicted before Magistrate
Waters at Johnston, in Edgefield
county, for 'dotation of the dispensary
law. and sentenced to the countrychain
gang for thirty days. He was
delivered to the propperauthorities and
placed on tie gang, where he cjieri
soonafter being received, and bis body
was sent to the county alms house for
burial; no not'ee of his death being
given to his relatives or any one else.
Tne nrgro was complaining of being
unwell and It is said that he was given
a severe lashing and required to do
duty. His hasty burial aroused the
suspicion of some of the citizens of
Johnston, who had the body exhumed,
and upon examination, it is reported
it was found that there was a hole in
the back of his head, his back terribly
lacerated and one eye gone. County
Supervisor Self, it seeni3. made an Investigation
and reported that no violence
had been done the negro; but the
matter has aroused the Indignation of
the people of that community, and the
body will he taken up again and an
inquest held, as It is believed thn the
negro wos beaten to death. When exhumed
the shackles were still on the
body.
Mr. Goldsmith Thompson, a well
known young man and son of Judge 0.
G. Thompson, of Laurens, committed ,
suicide Monday uight at the home of
his father, five miles south of that city,
hv shooting himself through the head
with a revolver. He occupied a room
alone and upon investigation after the
startllrg report of the pistol at 1
o'clock at night, a member of the family,
found the young man in his bed in
an unconscious condition with a wound
in h!s right temple. Dr. A. J. Cbristonher.
of Laurens, was hastily summoned.
but the wounded nr>n never
rallied and died shortly before 5 o'clock
Tuesday morring. He had been in ill
health some time and had become despondent.
a fact that is attributed as
Ibe cause of his act. He was about 32
years old and unmarried.
The new dam at Clifton on Pacole?
river, just above the high trestle on the
Southern railway, is now about com
pleted. The work has been in charge
of Engineer Pearce who has expended
his host efforts in building the big dam
on the most scientific plan. The dam
is 28 feet high, and will afford ample
on nppria it is anticipated.
The mill located-.above on top of the
hfll to the west, will be run by electricity.
the power developed through an
electric drive placed at the dam.
Hoyt Hayes, the white man In Pickens
county who was recently convicted
of the murder of his wife and sentenced
to be hanged, has been respited for two
weeks by Governor Heyward. The gov
ernor granted the respite in order that
he might have time to fully investigate
the fncts of the case.
Monday night near Richardsonville
In the western part of Saluda countv
M. M. Morse was shot end instantly
killed and W. L. Henderson w'
wounded in the right hani, in the lef:
arm, and sprinkled with shot in othc
parts of the body. Both parties were
white and the weapons used were shoteuns.
Just how the aifair was started
and who did the shooting which re
suited so tragically will probably never
be strair,Mene.d out.
Last Thursday morning about nine
o'clock while ginning on the second
bale of cotton J. W. and D. W. Anderson.
of Woodruff, lost by fire on J. D
Darbey's old stand, a gin house, press
scales, etc., with engine and saw mill
The fire was caused by friction of toe
shaft that ran the fan of the blast sue
Mon. When the fire was first discover d
it was a small blaze, but before the
machinery was 9topped the fire had
''ashed over the lint room, through the
I indows and doors. Soon everything
".is burned to the ground and int'
shes. There was no insurance. Thi
loss of machinery was about $1,000.
' 1$?
i
Plljljjlpl
For th? Middle WmU
N many parts of the Middte
kj West Itierc 4s as great
J need of road improvement
,?. * _ as anywhere else in ih* l!i
HA world, and it ia no wonder
that the people of this section
hare gone into the good rood*
movement with enthusiasm.
A State good roads convention ham
just been held at Springfield, 111., antfL
although it is the bnsy season wit*
the farmers, there was an attendance*
of about 200 delegates, besides ma ay
visitors. Senator Latimer, of Soatk
Carolina, was the principal speaker,
and he delivered an able and eloquent
address. Naturally he devoted considerable
attention to the principle ?t
National aid as embodied in the bit*
introduced into 'Congress by himself
and Colonel Brownlow, sf Tennessee.
The Senator is strongly of ^be oplaratu
that the Government sbonldi contribute
some of Its surplus revenues i# ski ins
States In building good roads, -wife
be bas many cogent reasons to
in support of that proposition. At (to
close of bis address Senator Latimer
asked all present wbo agreed with bis .
to stand up, and all but three or four '
sprang to tbeir feet There was some
opposition, however, led by Professor
Baker, of the State University, and m.
protracted discussion followed in whicfc
the professor came off decidedly second 1
best. ^ .jm
One of the great obstacles to
Improvement In some parts of tb?^
Mississippi Valley Is the scarcity ?t \
material for building roads. In largo
portions of -Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas
and several other States, there id
neither stone nor gravel. All the material
used in surfacing hard roads aas
to be shipped in, which adds considerably
to the expense. But the bottomless
mud roads of these sectious are
such a burden that people are willing
to tax themselves heavily to secure relief.
If the National aid plan shoald
be adopted, the next few ypars wilt
see au enormous improvement in tb?
roads of the Middle West.
Where there is good local material
considerable progress has already been
made. In Missouri there are hundreds /
of miles of tine hard roads. The same
may be said of Minnesota. Iu some lo?
caiiti.-s excellent roads have been built
of mining slag. Gravel is employed
where available, and i:i Southern^
Illinois deposits of noraculite an
drawn upon ana some very nne rasas
huve been constructed from this material.
On tbe whole, however, it most
be said that only a beginning has bees
made, and the agricultural industries
of this section arc greatly hampered
by the expense and difficulty of get
jug farm products to market, f
s.
Tetter HoAdi and Better Schools*
The farmers of East Tennessee am
aroused on the subject of road 1m- ;
provement. and especially enthusiastic
for the plan of co-operation betweea ^
the State and Natiou. The Brownlodt
hill is unanimously indorsed. The
measure is especially commended as a
a means of improvement in the country
schoois. This is one of the strongest
reaso :s for the systematic h*?"
provemcnt of the country ro;fda. Unimproved
rords are. perhaps, the greatest
drawback to the success of rural
schools. When the season of bottomless
ronijs arrives the attendance at
school becomes small and irregular*
the classes become discouraged, and.
bnt liltie nro2rcss can be made.
Oue of the principal reforms of
day consists in the consolidation of
rural sehcols so as to do away wHh
the greater number of small unsatisfactory
schools and replace them wltfc
larger centrally located schools. Thtv
would reduce the expense and greatjj.
Increase the efficiency of the conntrj;
schools. In many places the people
have adopted the plan of sending out
wagons at public expense to bring 1?
the children on the various roads. Bat
this plan is only feasible where theroads
are uniformly good. Hence, tt?
find roads which prevail In most sections
are a great bar to edacatloui
progress. <
Wide T'rn Fei Farm WipM.
The subject of wide tires Is one of*
great interest and Importance, and it
is licIiiT thoroueblv discussed by thi*
office i:i connection with various road
associations and others interested. Important
investigations of the University
of Misrorrl will soon be;given to the
public, and will show ve:y clearly Ute
advantag.s of wide tires 0:1 the farm
as well as on the road. The Office, of
Road Inquiry, being asked to recommend
legislation upon the 6ubect, hot
proposed that the width of the tin*
equal to the square of the diameter of
the iron or steel ax'.e at the shoulder,
and exactly the same width for tbo
wooden axle of the same strength. A*
one method of enforcing the change, M
Is suggested that after a certain date
all sales of new wagons whose tiro*
fall below the standard established'
shall be taxed, and that a rebate of
taxation be allowed for eld wagon*
altered to this standard. Ibis woott >
l>ring,no additional tax upon the farmers,
but would place the burden upoo
the wagon builders. Under this plan,
they would promptly build up to tfco
standard, and their agents would bocome
advocates of wide tires. Ther*
is already very general progress
throughout the country in this direction.