Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TRK STOpntB WATCHMAN, Kitabiiihod April,,1550. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Eit..bllshed jane, 1S66 Consolidated Aug. 2, ISSI. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1895. New Series-Vol. X1T. No. 28 %\t W???gm at? ?nrfjrm 3W. Gk Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. T8RMS : Two Dolhr* per annum-in advance. _D7BBTIS1XKKT: One Square first insertioa..$1 00 S very subsequent insertion..... 50 Contracts for three aoocbs, or longer will be made at reduced rates. AU common scat io ns which subserve private interests will be charged foras advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. The Fortunata Foss. The Italian Consul in New York Takes it np. The unfortunate "Fortunata," the Italian bark which was searched by the constables in Charleston harbor, concerning which proceeding consider? able bas already been said in The State and every other newspaper, is still a "casos belli'/' insofar as wars of words are concerned. The incide ut is growing a little more interesting jost now, asd it may get more interesting still before it is all over. The Italian Consul General sta? tioned at the port of New York bas now taken np the matter, and below will be found some interesting corres? pondence between himself and South Carolina's new governor. THE CONSULTS. COMPLAINT. The following is a copy of the letter which Governor Evans has received from the Consul General: NEW YORK. Jan. 25, 1895. To His Excellency ?he Governor of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C.: Sir: I have been informed by Mr. Cas tel lan o, the Italian consular agent, that in two seperate instances the po? lice of Charleston has, even in spite of his protests, entered the Italian ship '^Fortunata''now lying at that port. As a reason for soon proceeding it was given ont that the captain was sus? pected of either having actually sold or of wanting to sell the wine which be kept on board, as he had a right to do to the people of the place. If such has been the case, although proceed? ings of that kio*) are anything but con? sistent with the rights which the trea? ties and international laws secure to .foreign shipping in a friendly harbor, I would not appeal to your excellency. I am willing not to claim treaty rights when that might be considered as a protection to people who break the laws of a country where they are admitted to trade. But that the accusation brought against Capt. Espito was absolutely groundless it had been proved by the examination which the customs had made of the very limited quantity of wine which he kept on board, by the sealing of the casks, etc. The second visit then of the police bad DO possible ground of justification, and seems to have had no other object but that of making sure that the captain and crew of the vessel were observing themselves prohibition laws to which they are cer? tainly not bound to submit. Even with a good reason, such visit must be objected to, as it was made without ask? ing the consent of the consular author? ity, in the absence of the captain, and in spite of the protest of the officer who was in charge of the vessel. I have the honor to request that your excellency will investigate the case and inform me by whose order these steps were taken and oo what ground. If things are as I have been informed, your excellency will DO doubt issue in? structions that such proceedings of the police be not repeated again. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient ser? vant, G. BK AN IT A, Consul General of Italy. GOVERNOR EVANS*REPLY. The following is the reply of Gover Dor Evans to this rather sharp letter from the Italian Consul G?nerai : Executive Chamber. * COLUMBIA, S. C.. Jan. 29, 1895. G. Branita, Senor, Consul General of Italy. New York City : Sir : I bave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of be 25th inst., in which you ask for information io reference io the search by the coo stables, or "police," as you call them, of the Italian ship, "Fortunata," lying at the port of Charleston in this State. You have been misinformed as to the namber of searches made by the con? stables, as only one instead of two, was made. These proceeding* were had under my orders and under a warrant of a judical officer of this State upon information therein stated, to the effecc j that the captain or other officer of said j shiD were engaged in selling wines or j liquors kept on board to citizens of this State, which, of course, as you are : doubtless informed, is entirely contrary to our laws and cannot be allowed. The constables before making search, by way of courtesy only, asked for the ap- j proval of your consul at the port of Charleston and the same was refused, j ? The constables did not go on board, bat wired me for farther instructions, They were instructed to proceed al once to search the vessel, regardless of the consul, who, as i understand the law, had exceeded bis authority io at? tempting to preveot a search of the vessel. The constables boarded the ves? sel, searched it thoroughly and finding nothiog contraband, made no farther attempt at seizure or arrest of any oi the crew. The Assistant Attorney General of the State was ordered to Charleston to thoroughiy investigate the matter, and his report bas been placed before me. I am satisfied in ray own mind that the crew of the "Fortunata*' have been dealing in illicit liquor trafile, but the evidence to support this comes from persons of such characters as would not warrant me in asking for a conviction before a jury of our countrymen. Yon si-ate in your letter the captain was suspected either of having actually sold or wanting .to sell the wine which he kept on board and, in parenthesis, you state "as he had the right to do to the people of the place. " I am sure you will not hold to such a conclusion after reading our statute upon the sub? ject, which I herewith enclose for your perusal and information. I recognize the fact, you state, that the crew of the "Fortunata" were not bound to observe themselves prohi? bition laws on board their vessel, but when it comes to making of their ves? sel a floating barroom, where wioes and liquor arc dispensed to the citizens of this State, or even where citizens re? sort so drink, under such circumstances, I shall not only arrest the orew, but would seize and confiscate the vessel as well. You further say in your letter "even with a good reason, such a visit must be objected to, as it was made without asking the consent of the consular au? thority," etc. I cannot concur in this opinion. I am satisfied that you will agree with me that euch consent is en? tirely unnecessary ander the circum? stances heretofore related. I have in? structed the constables to search any and all vessels suspected, apon reliable information, of violating the law known as the dispensary law of this State. Trusting that this will meet with your approval and satisfaction, I have booor to remaio I Your obedient servant, JOHN GARY EVANS, Governor. It is not thought likely that the cor? respondence will end with the letters quoted above. It may go further and become more interesting yet. A Charlestoniao, well up in ship? ping matters, says the business of the port will be seriously iojured. He says already the news of this search has gone forward aod no shipmaster f. om Italy or France, or any other wine growiog country, will bring their ves sels into a port where such things are done. He says the men of the crews of these vessels often save their daily al? lowance of wine and sell it on entering ports. To return to the "Fortunata,*' no liquor having been found aboard her, except that bearing the government stamps, she is now to be molested no more and she is at this time making ready to leave Charleston harbor. ---mmmwm*- ^tmwmm Again the Metropolitan Po lice Law Broached. For a mooth now very little has been heard about the metropolitan police force bill and it was generally thought that nothing more would come of it in the near future. The muncipal au? thorities of the cities and towns have been enforcing the dispensary law with much more effect than it has ever been enforced before, as the scarcity of blind tigers shows, and it has seemed that the eolation of the puzzling pro? blem of how to enforce the law bad been solved. But it appears that some towns are not doing this work to suit the State authorities. Here is what Governor Evans bad to say about it yesterday : "I am receiv? ing information from one or two towns in the State indicating a disposition on the part of the mayors and police to make a sham enforcement of the dis? pensary law. I want to say now if this thing keeps up and these reports continue to come to me, I will put them under the metropolitan police ?aw as certain as they are towns I am dealing with them fairly, honestly and sincerely, and I expect the same treat? ment ftom them. So far this informa- ? tion comes from two towns only. I will not mention them, for their autho? rities will know wheo they see what I have to say what towns are referred to." From what thc Governor had to nay subsiquently it. is judged that the towns referred to are small towns and not cities Just herc it might be mentioned that ' the blind ti?er has disappeared from Columbia entirely, so far as one can ascertain. Men who have tried to sell liquor here have gotten ir??--- so much legal trouble thar nearly ali of them have voluntarily stopped. Columbia is giving the State dispensary law a square trial and every violator thar the police detect is being handled by thc mayor. The Slate. ? Nebraskan Nakedness. A STATE AS DESTITUTE AS IP BAVAGED BY WAH. Tbere has been a great deal of talk here io Alabama about bard times. The financial stringency of the whole country for a couple of years followed by five ceut cotton io our own seotion. has made nearly everybody feel blue. The consequence is that nearly all of us have been shaking our heads and be* moaning our condition. The fact of it, though, is that here in Alabama we don't know anything at all about hard times. It is true that not many of us have any surplus cash, but ?verbody has plenty to eat, enough to wear and a fairly comfortable roof over his head. We don't appreciate properly the great blessings we have. Like health, we overlook it possession until we lose it. The best way for us to see how com? fortable we really are is to consider the condition of some of our neighbors in this great country. If we could but see the situation of some of the corn and wheat producers of the West, we would realize how fortunate are the raisers of cotton, even at 5 cents. Per? haps the Advertiser can assist its read? ers in these dreary times to see their neighbors and thereby to become cheer? ful and content-nay, more, to discover that of our actual abundance we can warm our hearts still more by the exer? cise of generosity. In opening our mail yesterday, we were surprised to come across a piece of wall paper, all beflowered and be gilt in the usual way. It seemed a curious thing to be carefully folded up and mailed. Finally, in throwing it down, the thing was turned over to the blank side, and then we were still more astonished. It was fooud to be an ex? cuse for a copy of the Weekly Tribune of Callaway, Neb., dated January 18th, and upon that lone page of print was found this appeal signed by the editor : To Brother Printers : Aid is being sent here for the farm? ers, but we can't issue on a barrel of flour or a side of meat, and having run ail our white paper through we are using up the wall paper given us, which is about exhausted and only the office towel is left, which has not been washed for seven years. So ask our brother printers to consider our situa? tion, with a family to support, with nothing comiog in, and we know their ever-generous disposition will see some way to contribute a little paper or a couple hours' work to keep my paper going, for the good it will do the out? side world in telling them how thia afflicted, drouth-stricken - district is getting ?Uoog, also to enable us to get shoes aLd proper wraps for our wife and our children. All communications will be cheerfully answered and any donation will be ack? nowledged in the press, wi ether for us or to be divided with other printers in this district. If other information is needed write to Wm. Van Winkle or the Tribune, and I can assure any little gift, if no more than a dime, will be gratefully received. FRANK W. CONLY. That is sad enough, but an examina? tion of the news items in the paper shows in what a desperate condition that section of country is. One of the first items is a harrowing detailed account of the occurrence published already in this paper about the suicide of a young wife in childbirth, followed by the self-destruction of the husband, because of their destitution. Another death at Arcadia, almost as distressing, is also found. Then tbere is a tabu? lated report of receipts aud destributioo of food and funds by the local relief committee. Finally there are such significant paragraphs as these : This week we send about fifty cop? ies of the Tribune asking help. We would seud a personal letter if we had the money to mail them, but we haven't, so do the best we can. To have all you want to eat is a luxury in this country nowadays. This setting type with your toes out and the thermometer ten below zero, with a fire of old exchanges, is rather tough on a half fed printer. The relief committee at Mason City deals out the food to the farmers io that community now twice a week. A fellow northeast of here stole a sack of flour and when the officer got there to arrest him the children were eating it raw. It is now estimated that over 12,000 have left this county last fall, in fact, all who could get away went. The f.)od trains from the South to the drouth sufferers of this State will furnish the sort of uuion that is ueeded j bet ween the South and West. Ir begins to look like the "bloody j shirt'' chestnut would be buried for? ever under pyramids of provisions sent bv the ever hospitable Southerners, who are rushing tho oecessarii s of life ?:t^' as steam f:rin t>rin<r them by thc train loads t-i their drouth stricken I<r. . *?i. is in thi)? district Now caines thc good I>1<1 State of Georgia with twenty-one cars full of provisions to be distributed among their less fortu? nate Western friends, soon to bc fol lowed by a traio made up at New Or? leans. The Advertiser thought that possi? bly this sheet might be the iogeniou? fraud of some hard up printer aod so to guard against imposition we ezamioed Rowell's Newspaper Directory with this result : Callaway, Caster Go., 500 pop., 25 m. from Broken Bow, the county seat. Agricultural section. Tribune; Satur? days ; Democatic, four pages 15x22 ; subscription $1 ; established 1887 ; Frank W. Conly, editor and publisher : circulation, smallest edition issued within a year, 500. So there can be no doubt of the genu? ineness of the paper, or of the truthful? ness of its statements. That the editor is truthful, is shown by bis certifying to Rowell a circulation of only 500. That he is brave, would be plain from his printing a Democratic paper in that country ; that he has grit, by printing any sort of a paper, when his toes are out, the thermometer 10 below zero and with no fire but that from old papers. He is as noble a figure as the physician who stays in a fever hole tojhelp suffer? ing humanity. His appeal is a most worthy ooe and the Advertiser hopes that every newspaper worker, espe? cially those who read this, will respond to his cry for relief. This paper is making up a fund for him in its own office and will add anything that any reader may send. And DOW, who can deny that we cot too-beriddeo people here in sunny Ala? bama - rolling in 'luxury compared with tb irouth-stricken corn raisers of arctic Nebraska? Shouldn't we give thanks and stop croaking ? The Business Man's Wey. The New Richland Mill Will Hum by September. Wuhout the waving of flags and beating of drums, Mr. W. B. S. Whaley and the gentlemen associated with him in the organization of the Richland Mills Company jave, daring the last few days, been perfecting their arrangements for the construction of Columbia's latest and most promising enterprise The books of subscription have been open for several days and the entire capital stock of ?i50,000 has been secured. Mr. Whaley returned this week from a flying trip to New Eng? land, where he had been to perfect bis arrangements. Yesterday the purchase of a site for the mill and its village was completed. The property consists of tweuty acres five squares-lying about the railroad junction at the southern edge of the city, in such close proximity to the maio line of the Southern, Atlantic Coast Line and the South Carolina and Georgia Railroads as to give freighting facilities at the doors of the mill. A contract for 2,000,000 brick was also made yesterday with Mr. Gr. A. Guignard, of Lexington, near Columbia, who supplied the brick for the Columbia Mills. This brick is the fioest, per? haps, in the South, and impresses every one who sees the great mill already con? structed with it. Mr. Whaley expects to get the work of coostruotion fully under way by the 15th instant, and to complete the mill in the early part of August. The machinery has been engaged to be delivered by June. This machinery is all American, of the best type, and with the very latest improvements, and has been secured at rates lower than any mill io this section has obtained. In fact, this mill will receive thc fullest benefit, in ali departments, of bard-times prices for material and equip? ment. The main building will be 308 feet long by 76 feet wide and will be practically four stories high-three re? gular stories aod a full-height base? ment. It will be located east of the main line of the South Carolina and Georgia Railroad on Tobacco street. The mill village will have about forty houses and w:ll be located near the mill. The mill is designed for *20,000 spin les It will have an instalment from the first of 10,000 spindles and will fill up to its maximum. The full comple? ment of looms-550-measuring 40 inches each, will be put io at the start. Seven hundred horse power of steam will be used. Mr. Whaley feels sure that the mill when completed will not cost more that ?15*50 a spindle, which is far less than the average cost of steam mills in thc South. One hun? dred aod fifty haods will bc employed from the first. The goods to be made by the mill will be the finest ever manufactured in the South, and a make which has only recently been attempted by one North? ern mill. The product will be fiuo sheetings, fully equ?l to the "Fruit of thc Looa?," and it is assured by the Northern agents of a large and profita able trade. A meeting of the corporators was held last evening, ar which many details we? e arranged. - The Stud . Kv- n in the kingdom of Korea there ;..! !. Jews, and one of them keeps a hotel, at which his co-religionists can get kosher meat when they travei as far as Tschi Moe'-Po. ? Terrible Casualty. lr The Steamship Elbe, With 350 Souls, Sank at Sea. LONDON, January 30.-The North German Lloyd steamship Elbe, bound from Bremen for New York, was sunk in a collision with a small steamer, 50 miles off Lowestoft early this morning. She carried 380 souls. But 21 sur? vivors have been landed, but a few others may still be afloat io one of the ship's small boats. At 10 o'clock this evening, the number of lives lost was given out at 350. The survivors of the wreck were landed at Lowestoft by the fishing smack, Wild Flowers, at 5.40 o'clock this evening. They are : Stollberg, third officer ; Neossel, first engineer : Weser, paymaster, Schultheis?, Link meyer and Sitting, assistant paymasters; F?rst, chief stoker; Vioebe, steward; Wenning, Singer and Seibert, sailors ; Dreson and Batko, ordinary seamen ; Debarde, German pilot ; Greenham, English pilot; Hoffman, Lugen, Schlegel and Vevera, of Cleveland, Ohio, saloon passengers; Bolthen, a steerage passenger, and Miss Anna Buecker. Hoffman's borne is in Nebraska, His wife and boy went down with^the ship. All of them were io a pitiable condition. The passengers were but half clothed. Their few garments were frozen stiff, their hair was coated with ice, aod anxiety and effort had exhausted them so completely that they bad to be helped ashore. The officers and sailors were fully dressed, but their clothes had been drenched and frozen and they had been almost paralyzed with cold and fatigue. They had been ashore three hours before they bad re? covered sufficiently to tell the story of the wreck. Their accounts agree upon the following points : The Elbe left Bremen on Tuesday afternoon. The few hours of the voyage before the disaster were un? eventful. At 4 o'clock this morning the wind was blowing very hard and a tremendous sea was running. The morning was unusually dark. Num? erous lights were seen in all directions, showing that many vessels were near by. The captain therefore ordered that rockets should be sent up at regular intervals to warn the craft to keep out of the Elbe's course. It was near to 6 o'clock and the Elbe was some fifty miles off Lowestoft, coast of Suffolk, when the lookout mau sighted a steamer of about 1,500 tons, ap? proaching. He gave the word and as a precaution, the number of rockets was doubled and they were sent up at short intervals. The warning was without effect The steamer came ou with unchecked speed and before the Elbe could change her course, or re? duce her speed noticeably, there was the terrific crash of the collision. The Elbe was hit abaft ber engine room. When the small steamer wrenched away, an enormous hole was left in the Elbe's side. The water poured through and down into the engine room in a cataract. The room filled almost in? stantly. The engine? were still and the big hull began to settle. The passengers were in bed. The bitter cold and rough sea had prevented j an early rising, and noue except the officers and crew on duty, were ou deck wheo the ship was struck. The shock and crash roused everybody. The steerage was in a panic in a moment and men, women and children, half dressed or in their night clothes came crowding up the companionways. They j had heard the sound of rushing water as the other steamer backed off and | had felt the Eibe lurch and settle. ? They had grasped the fact that it was ? then life or death with them, and almost to a man had succumbed to their terror. They clung together in groups, facing the cold and 6torm, and cried aloud for help or prayed on their knees for deliverance. The ! officers and crew were calm. For a few moments, they went among the terror-stricken groups trying to quiet them and encouraging them to hope that the vessel might be saved. It was soon apparent, however, that the Elbe ! was settling steadilv. The officers D rn? were convinced that she was about to founder and gave orders to lower the j boats In a short time three j boats were got alongside, but the seas ; were ureaking over the steamer with i great force and the first boat was ? swamped before anybody could get into j it. The other two boats, lowered at about the same time, were fillfd quickly with members of the crew and some j passengers, but the number was small, j as the boats held only twenty persons each To Re-Adjust all Rates. Railroad Commission Decides to Revise all Rates. The agitation of the matter of re? ducing the freight rate on fertilizers bas stirred the new railroad commission up, and as a result of the whole thhg the new commission intends to inme? diately put into practice rate reform in other words it has resolved to turn the present system of rates, under which the roads have been operating for many years, upside down and pro? ceed to re-adjust the entire classification of freight rates. The commission, after a wrangle of a whole day over the fertilizer rate problem, yesterday announced its action as follows : "Believing that the changed condi? tions in this State necessitate the read? justing of all rates, and fully realiz? ing the far-reaching effects of any change we might make, and realizing the fact that any reduction of freight on fertilizers now would be too late to be of any material benefit to the pub? lic, if made this late this season, as thirty days notice has tc be given under the provisions of the law, therefore be it "Resolved that the board will, meet on Febraary 5th, for the purpose of be? ginning to revise the whole fre? ?gb t rates now in force in this State." Mr. Wilborn made this endorsement on the paper : "I did not vote for the above resolution for the reason thzx I am in favor of settling the question of rates on fertilizers at once. 99 It will thus .be seen that the com? mission will begin the important work decided upon next week-practically at once.-The State. AN ANECDOTE OF LOWELL. The following is a new anecdote of Lowell, gays the New York Advertiser. The incident occurred in early spring, when as all housekeepers know, the course of household affairs is apt to be more or less disturbed. As Mr. Lowell was leaving the bouse in the morning, his wife said to him: "Now, James, I beg of you noe to bring any one home to dinner to-day. We are too much distracted with house cleaoing to cook, and the consequence is that there will be little for UE to eat." Mr. Lowell promised to heed her re? quest, but as ill luck would have it, he met during the day the eldest son of an English family with whom he had been on terms of friendship while minister to the court. ID fact. Mr. Lowell's park? ing words to the vouug man. culy s few months before, had been: "When you come to America, be 6ure to visit us. A hearty welcome is always ready for you/' Naturally, therefore, he now forgot his wife's admonici?n, aod insisted up? on the youog Englishman's goi?g with him to dinner. The meal consisted of "picked :5sh"" aud potatoes. The guest was evident? ly puzzled. He bad never eateD "picked fish" before. Mrs. Lowell,, meantime, was haunted by thoughts of the apple pie that was to finish the re? past. Her sensations may be imagined when the Englishman, after playing daintily with the contents cf his plate, remarked iu the m<-st courteous manner: '.I kuow that Mrs. Lowell will par? don me if I omit the fish course." Fight About Freight CHARLESTON, Jan. 31*-John A. Smith, of New Ot leans, has been se? lected as manager uf the Charleston freight bureau and will begin work within ten days. Ile was assocated with the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad for several years, beginning as depot agent and ending as general freight agent of the lines in Texas, and comes to Charleston with the highest recommendations. The Char? leston freight bureau is under the special patronage of the city council and the live commercial bodies of the city and will make a fight to the fin? ish against the discriminations which have been practiced against this city and other South Atlantic perls An abbreviated edition of the Tal? mud is to be prepared for use in this country, says the New York Svu. The unnecessary digressions and apparent interpolators will be omitted. The text will be improved by the addi? tion of punctuation mark? while the runuing commentaries of Kashi and others will be printed in 'he ordioary -anare characters TRK STOpntB WATCHMAN, Kitabiiihod April,,1550. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Eit..bllshed jane, 1S66 Consolidated Aug. 2, ISSI. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1895. New Series-Vol. X1T. No. 28