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mun cm outljron TBS 8UBIT15B WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. "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, Established June, 1366 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1896. Sew Series-Yoi. XV. No 23 Publis&od E?ery Wednesday, JV. Gr. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMS : $1 50 per annum-in advance. ADVERTISEMENT: One Square first insertion.SI 00 Every subsequent insertion. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All commaoicatioos which subserve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. Funds For the Future. The Ways and Means Com? mittee takes Action. WASHINGTON, Dec 23 -Four hours were occupied by the Republican mem? bers of the ways and meaos committee this afternoon in preparing a measure of relief for the treasury department. There was a satisfactory unanimity of opinion among the members as to the course to be pursued in order to meet the deficit in the national finances. Naturally, the first suggestion was to secure revenue in the line of Republi? can polioy, whioh is by a duty f)n imports. When the conference ended very material amendments were made to the present tariff law, which, it is estimated, will increase revenues about $40,000,000 annually. Another measure, whioh is still ncomplete, will also be reported at the same time looking to an issue of bonds and certificates of indebtedness, bear? ing a low rate of interest, to meet the present emergencies. The two meas? ures will not be amalgamated, but will be brought before the house separately. This oonolasion differs radically from the sentiments expressed at the secret caucuB of the Republican members held at the capitol on Saturday night last. At that time nearly all the Republicans present favored one general bill, which it was contended should stand or fall with the senate and the President upon its merits. To-day. however, the disposition was so general to report two different meas? ures that the agreement was reached without delay. The reason for this was obvious. It was explained by some of the members present that the silver Republicans in the house and senate .would vote with their party on the ?ariff measure while they would bc forced, by the very nature of things, to oppose the bond features of the measure. It was primarily to secure the support of the silver Republicans, and not put them in an antagonistic position to their party, that the decision was reached to divide the two propositions. The two bills will be reported to the house on Thursday of this week and will be pas? sed with little delay. One, and possi? bly two days, may be devoted to their consideration, but it is not improbable they will be passed before the close of the session Thursday, which may be prolonged to extend the time for dis? cussion. The substantial features of the tariff bill are these : Making a 60 per cent rate on wool, with a 60 per cent compensatory duty on manufactured cloth, over the act of 1894. A 60 per cent, rate of duty over the 1890 law (McKinley) on lum? ber. A 25 per cent, increase over the act of 1894 (Wilson bill) on live stock, cereals, and dairy products and a hori? zontal increase of 15 per cent, in the rates of duty on all other schedules over the law of 1894. In this connection a proviso is added that in no case shall the rates of duty exceed those of the McKinley law, ex? cept, in cases where the present rates of duty are higher than those of the Mc? Kinley tariff low. The proposed amend? ments will remain in effect until Ang. 1, 1898. The inorease of duty on farm pro? ducts was made at the request of the members representing distinctively agricultural States, their contention be? ing that the present law is ruinous to their granger constituents. The acompacyiog bill pt o vides for an issue of 3 per cent, five year bonds to protect the gold reserve in the treasury with a proviso that the currency re? deemed by the bonds shall not be paid out while a deficit exists in the treasury. This differs from the original purpose of the Republican leaders which was to give authority to the secretary of the treasu? ry to issue a 3 per cent, bond as a popu? lar loan, to maintain the gold reserve and for no other purpose with a proviso that the redeemable greenbacks shall not be used to meet current expenses, but be retained as long as necessary as a part of the redemption fund ; authori? ty to issue to national banks circulating notes in to the par of the bonds de? posited as security therefor, and to re? duce the tax on national bank circula? tion ; and authority for the issue of cer? tificates of indebtedness to meet tem porary dificieucy in receipts uotil the revenues can be provided. ID addition to the sale of the bonds, the bill will also authorize the secretary of the treasury to issue certificates of indebtedness bearing 2 per cent, inter? est, not to exceed $50,000,000 io amount, to meet curent deficieoeis of the revenue. Financial Fortifications. New York's Clearing House Prepares for Attack. NEW YORK, Dec. 22 -The Clear? ing House association held a largely attended meeting at noon to-day. Great interest was shown in the meeting, all the prominent banks of the city being represented. The ses? sion was very short, lasting only seven minutes. A number of the prominent members met at the house of President Tappan, of the Gallatin National bank last night, and decided upon a course to be pursued. This was to appoint a loan commission, with power to issue certificates to an unlimited amount at the rate of 6 per cent, with a 1-16 commission. After going into session the following reso? lution was immediately adopted : Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the chair, with the president, to receive from bank mem? bers of the association bills receiva? ble and other securities, to be ap? proved by said committee, who shall be authorized to issue to such depos? iting banks loan certifiicates bearing interest at 6 per cent, and l-16th on the face therefor, and such loans shall not be iu excess of the market value of the securities or bills receivable so deposited, and such certificates shall be paid in settlement of bal ences at the clearing house, and all the rules and regulations heretofore adopted in the issue of such certifi? cates shall be io force in the present issue. It was announced that no banks applied for any certificates. The committee of the Clearing House as? sociation, which met at President Tappan'8 residence last night, did not go into session until midnight. After agreeing upon the adoption of the foregoing resolution the sub stance of it was at once cabled to prominent London brokers, and to this action is- attributed the strong opening ot the American market there. After the adjournment of to-day's Clearing House meeting, President Tappan said : "Our action to-day was taken purely as a preventative measure. We want to show the business men of this country that there is a strong power behind them." THE DISPENSARY PRO PITS. Mayor Sloan and the County Board of Control It looks now as if Columbia is to get ber share of the dispensary profits after all. Yesterday the quarterly meeting of ! the county board of control was held and by request, Mayor Sloan appeared before the board. As the official head of the city government he assured the board that the city of Columbia, through her police, bad been endeavoring to the utmost to enforce the dispensary law as required by the act. There were cases of walking blind tigers and other ex? ceptional cases that could not be pre? vented from occurring from time to time, and that no police system could sup? press absolutely. The city had been and intended to contioue enforcing the law in every way io its power. The board thereupon unanimously adopted a resolution expressing its be? lief that the city authorities were hon? estly endeavoring to enforce the dis? pensary law and that the same is?be io g enforced, and recommending that the city's share of the profits be paid for the quarters ending June 30, and Oc? tober 30. 1895, and that the order to this board be rescinded. This will no doubt result in the pro? fits which have heretofore been with? held, and those for the quarter ending Oct. 31st, last, being t-urned over to the city The reports for the last quarter were received yesterday and examined by the county board. The net profits from the four dispensaries for the quarter amounted to $1130.24.-The State. STOLE THE BABY LIONS. ATLANTA, Dec. 27.-Two baby lions were stolen to-day by a negro from the Hageoback 6how on the Midway. The cubs were in a basket and the thief thought they were a fancy kiod of dog. When he found out what they were he was glad to drop them. He was arrested. Laurens, Dec. 27.-James H. Irby, senior brother of Senator Irby, died at his home in this city to-day. He was a planter and was 60 years of age. The Potato as a Daily Diet. BY JOHN GILMER SPEED. The common potato, which was not used at all io this country as human food till well along in the second half of the last century, is now so much a matter of course in every American household that it appears on every table at least once a day, and in many houses at every meal. Indeed many persons look upon the potato as impor? tant as bread and quite as necessary. The great -popularity of the potato is due to several causes-its negative flavor, its cheapness and its reputation for nutritive value and wholesomeness. The first two causes are al! in its favor. We tire of even the most delioious things that have a very decided flavor. And its cheapness is such that at al? most every restaurant it is served with each dish of meat as a matter of course and without extra charge. Considering these things it. is a great pity that the potato does not possess the other virtu?s with which it is generally credited. Indeed the potato as a food is not nearly so valuable as we have very generally esteemed it to be. It is quite deficient in nitrogen, and as a sole diet is there? fore unsuitable. It is hard to digest and therefore should be partaken of very sparingly by all save those who live active out-of-door lives. When a baby gris old and strong enough to take a little solid food, about the first thing prepared for the little one is mashed potato with a little gravy over it. The good mother is sure that this is extremely harmless and whole? some. More danger does lurk in a Welsh rarebit, it is true, and the taste of toasted cheese would probably Dot be as grateful to an infant's palate, but it may be that there is more lasting harm in the potato than in the cheese. The potato provokes our great national ailment, dyspepsia, and the sooner the consumption of the mealy tubers be? gins the sooner will the dread fangs of the dyspepsia appear. To be sure there are some digestive organs so strong that the fortunate owners of them can eat anything and everything with im? punity. The eating of potatoes will not bring dyspepsia to so.ch as these, but even to them potatoes may be dan? gerous. That hideous uric acid which provokes the rheumatism and the gout, these dread diseases which attack the gtroDg with a greater ferocity than the weak, is more surely produced by a potato diet than by any other. If these things be so, conservative and health-loving persons will not need any labored argument to convince them that they ought to be moderate in their use of potatoes. The early naturalists differed greatly as to the origin of the potato. In England it was held to be a native of Virginia, and in Spain it was said to have originated in Peru. Modem opiuion holds that it is indigenous to the elevated tablelands of Chili, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico and south? western United States. It probably got to Virginia by the hands of some early Spanish explorers. It is certain, how? ever, that it was not cultivated in Vir? ginia till far into the eighteenth cen? tury, and then it was introduced in the American Colonies on account of the esteem in which if was held in Europe. In its cultivation it has been very great? ly improved within fifty years, and the big mealy potatoes with which we re? gale ourselves unduly are very different from the watery tubers our grandfath? ers grew. This reminds me that there is an amusing anachronism in the play Mr. Joseph Jefferson bas ma.de classic. "Kip Van Winkle," it will be recalled, when he returned to the town of Fail in g Waters after his long sleep, said of his surly successor, "Give him a cold potato and let him go." Potatoes were not io general use in America at that time thatcold ones should be in every house as a matter of course. But they are now, and a pity 'tis 'tis so. I am not a potato prohibitionist. I only counsel their very moderate use except by those who work actively out-of-dcors. By students, by office workers, by women in all the ordinary employments they should be eaten of most sparingly, and by invalids, especially those of deranged digestion, they should not be touched at all. The skillful cooks have devised many ways to make them at? tractive; and for this we should bc grateful. But at the same time we might find it profitable, as well as ex? tremely healthful, not to exhaust the varieties in a single year, but spread them over a lifetime. BY DR. CYRCS EDSON. I must quite agree with Mr. Speed ia his condemnation of the potato. I ? am sorry to have to say anything against the humble tuber, but the truth, espe? cially when it is scientific, a?d more es? pecially medico-scieDtific, must be told. I have often thought that a very good ; motto to go with the potato, for any potato-eating country, would be "iVemo ( impune lacessit v It is certain no one | can at ali times eat the potato with the ? assurance that it will do him no harm. , There is, probably, no other single ? article of food so often forbidden a pa- , tient by his physician as the potato | This is because it is largely composed j of starch, which is difficult to digest and also on account of its lack o porosity? Starch cannot be absorb?e nor assimilated by the system until it i changed into a form of sugar, wbicl can only be accomplished by the actio: of the diastase io the digestive secre tiens. Now, if the digestive organ are not up to concert pitch they canno promptly effect this chemical chang* and the absorptive process following it The result is that the starch, instead o undergoing the chemico-vital chang?e of digestion, decomposes, evolving noxious gases which distend the stoniact and intestines. Daring thia decompo 8?tion unwholesome compounds are formed which irritate the intestina caoal and frequently cauee diarrhoea This we might call the acute effect o potato dyspepsia or of starch dyspepsia for the potato wheo dried contains abou eighty-one per cent, of starch. The lack of porosity of the potato substance is another factor that enormously io creases its indigestibility. It is diffi cult for the digestive juiceo to permeate its substance and act advantageously from a digestive standpoint, it is pre cisely like a heavy bread, and cao.onlj be acted on slowly from the outside The chronic effect of potato dyspepsis results io intestinal disorders affecting both the stomach and intestines, and are followed by a train of symptoms, in? cluding those of nervous exhaustion. Chronic dyspepsia is the direct outcome of repeated attacks of the acute' form, and is due, first, to the preeeoce (of un? digested food in the stomach and intes? tines, which acts a6 an irritating foreign body ; second, to the irritatiog sub stauces, the products of decompoition to which I have referred ; third, to the failure of the digestive organs to furn? ish the body with its necessary nourish? ment. The potato is, perhaps, most import? ant of all the vegetables we cultivate. It grows orer a wider range of latitude than any other plant, but its value is less, weight for weight of dried material as a streDgtb supporter than any other article of diet in general use. For the purpose of enabling the body to un? dergo fatigue it bas not even the value of rice or the banana, both of which it closely resembles io point of analysis. The dried substance of each of these when analyzed is found to contain : BICB POTATO BAKANA Gluten 9 5 7 Starchy matter 89 81 85 Fat ?13 Salts ?31 The tribes or k,inds of people living on a diet in which starcbey foods pre? dominate bear a physiological resem? blance iu one respect : they are all noted tor the size and prominence of their stomachs. The Hindoo, the Chinaman and certain negro races all present this charactertstic, which is to be ascribed in part to the large amount of food which they find it necessary to consume io order to get sufficient lite-sustaining elements. Of course, the potato is a useful article of food when properly prepared and whan eaten with other food by strong, healthy persons who are able to digest it. I know of no food that can be more unwholesome when improperly cooked than the potato. The practice of feeding potatoes to in fants and youog cbildreu cannot be too severely condemned. A potato diet may not kill them outright at once but it is certain to injure their digestive organs permanently and effectually, so as to make their lives a burden to them? selves and those who are brought in contact with them. Unfortunately, Americans are peculiarly subject to dyspepsia, and this is due above all other reasoos to our tendency to follow a sedentary life and our distaste for out? door exercise.-From the Ladies Home Journal. South Carolina and Augusta. In accordance with the require? ments of their charter the stockhold? ers of the South Carolina and Au? gusta Railroad Company met in the office of Messrs. Smythe & Lee, and orgauized by the election of a board of directors. The following gentle? men were elected members of the board : August Belmont, M. EL Smith, J. D. Probst, A. T. Smythe, A. M. Lee, Frank R. Frost and J. Lamb Perry. The board held a maeting later and elected Mr. August Belmont president of the Company. The charter for the South Carolina an Augusta Road was obtained from the Legislature some months since by the gentlemen whose names have been mentioned. lt was gotten shortly after the Louisville and Nash? ville system failed in its efforts to ob? tain control of the South Carolina and Georgia Road, when that company passed from the hands of the receiver into those of its present owners. It was said at the time that both the Louisville and Nashville and the At? lantic Coast Line systems were be? hind the charter, and that the new line would be built at once. A party of surveyors were put in the field and 3urveys of the proposed road were made. Many people hope that the organization of the company will re? sult in more work on the proposed road. The gentlemen who are inter* ssted in the enterprise here say that there is nothing new regarding it for publication.-News and Courier, The Flood in the West. Great Floods in Missouri and Arkansas. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., December 24. -The Arkansas River has continued to rise during the past forty-eight hours. At Fort Smith, between, 8,000 and 10,000 feet of bridge timber were washed away, the water rising so rapidly that it was impossible to save it. Traffic on the Kansas and Arkan? sas Valley Railroad has been aban? doned because o? the washing away of the steel bridge at Fort Gibson, I. T. THE DELUGE IN MISSOURI. St. Louis, December 24.-Yester? day's subsidence of the floods throughout the State was only tem? porary. Rain and snow fell over a large area last night and this morn? ing again fL^ded the streams. A rescue party left Seneca this morning to aid Walter Hennis and Dave Bee man and their families, who were forced to take refuge in tree tops in the Spring River bottoms. The Osage River for two hundred miles is again over its banks and rising. The damage throughout the State has airead}* reached the million mark. A GREAT STORM IX TEXAS. Dallas, Texas, December 24.-The worst storm for years prevailed over North and Central Texas from mid? night until 6 o'clock this morning The wind blew a hurricane and rain fell in torrents. Much damage has been done to railways and all trains are late, ?ig washouts are reported on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad and the Gulf. Colorado and Santa Fe, in North Texas. The Indian Territory and Arkansas trains are reported from seven to twelve hours late, and trains on the Sante Fe are entirely lost so far as ability to hear from them is concerned. Telegraphic communication between Dallas and Kansas City and Dallas and New Orleans is badly crippled. There is a bad wreck reported on the Santa Fe system to the North, but where it is and how serious has not been learned. TUE OVERFLOW OF THE OSAGE. Kansas City, Mo., December 24 - Kain began falling last evening, and has continued uninterruptedly since. Throughout Missouri the storm has been unusually severe. At Jefferson the heavy rain last night caused great alarm in the Osage and Moreau River valleys. The already swollen streams are rising, and it is feared that the high water of last week will be greatly augmented. On the bot? tom farms fencing, haystacks, shock corn and many outbuildings have been swept away and many animals have been drowned, and if the rain continues for twenty-four hours longer the river valleys will be de? vastated Several lives are reported to have been lost along the Osage valley. Word from Tuscumbia, sixty miles up the Osage, is that more than 100, 000 bushels of corn within a small radius of bottom land was washed away last night, and thousands of railroad ties and bridge timbers have floated away. The Osage River is now higher than it was in 1882, when it broke the record. A tele? gram says that the Meramec is higher than it was before. The Mis? souri is not dangerously high, but is rising and promises to be booming soon. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas tracks have been washed away in Vernon County. During the flood two families camped on the White farm, near Smithfield, Mo., were missing and were supposed to have been drowned. The Russel boys, the older under 16 years of age, began a search for them and finally found them, thirteen men, women and children on a wagon box on a haystack with a mile of water around them in every direction. The lads conveyed them two at a time in safety to land. Lockport, Ul., Dec. 27.-The powder magazine at Smith & Eastman's section of the drainage canal containing 2,000 pounds of dynamite, blew up at 4 o'clock this morning. No one was in- ! jureo. The w?^bmaD had left the magazine and supposedly an ember from the stove fell upon tb-; floor. The stock was the severest ever felt here and re? ports state that it was felt at a distance of 30 miles. Many of the buildings at the works were badly shattered. Highest of all in Leavening Pow The Siege of Zeitoun. CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec. 24.-An offi? cial telegram from Zeitoun reports that the Turkish forces which have been advancing for some time upon the latter place made a successful ambuscade and were victorious, but withdrew to Marash, which place of? fered better facilities for the encamp ment of the troops Other reports of the engagement have it that the Armenians won a victory over the Turkish troops and took about a hundred of them prison? ers. A letter received in Constanti? nople from the interior 6hows that orders have been issued to the Turk? ish soldiers not to spare man, woman or child. A Protestant clergyman, asptor of a church in Zeitoun, has acted in the capacity of envoy in the parleying that has taken piace be? tween the Turks and the Armenians at that place, the latter being in pos? se: ?ion of the town A division of the Turkish army has advanced-to Geben, two day's march from Zeitoun. Upon the appearance of the troops the inhabitants of the town, about 2,000 persons, fled and took refuge in Zeitonn, leaving their cattle and other property. The sol? diers are burning all of the houses and their contents, provisions, etc., as they go along. Terrific rains have prevailed, causing the roads to be knee deep with mud. The wood, the only available fuel, is green and water soaked and the men are eating meat that is only half cooked, in conse? quence of which a large number ot them are sick. The sick ones were' returned to Adana and others who were uufit to march further were left at Geben. When the soldiers arrived at Geben they ordered 8,000 loaves of bread to be supplied by the Christians. The bread was furnished and the ravenous soldiers ate every loaf before the last animal bearing the food was unloaded. Another division of Turkish troops is advancing upon Zeitoun from Marash, but the prevailing floods make the fording of streams difficult! A third division is advancing from Coekoun. This division must tra? verse a difficult pass, which a hun? dred men can defend. The general opinion is that the Armenians in possession of Zeitoun have nothing to fear except hunger. An official telegram dated Decem? ber 24 says that the Armenians at Zeitoun have made an attack upon the village of M ebel, killing two men, five women and three children, and cariying away all of the cattle and the goods in the shops and the houses. The inhabitants of the vil? lage fled to Genksuti. HIGHER EDUCATION. It will be interesting to note that the Winthrop Normal College expects to ask the General Assembly for an appro? priation of ?52,000 for the manage? ment of the College and the paymentof back indebtedness. The trustees have gone beyond the appropriations in their desire to have everything completed for the opening of the College and to have it finished in the best style of workmanship. The accounts show that the trustees have spent $22,000 over the appropriation, and together with the ?30,000 which will be asked for the running expenses for the current year the appropriation to be asked for will be $52,000. The Citadel Academy will ask for ?21,400, the South Carolina College for ?30,000 and ClaSin for ?5,. 000, and the Clemson College will run on its regular income from the Govern? ment and privilege rax funds Last year the anpropriations were : Clemson $35,000, South Carolina College $25, 000, Citadel $18.000, Claflin $5,000, Winthrop ?70,5i0. It will be noted that the amount to be asked for this year for the higher edu? cational institutions is much less than it has been io some time.-Columbia Cor. News and Courier. How To Prevent Croup. Some reading that will prove interesting to young mothers. How to guard against the disease. Croup is a terror to joung mothers and to po9t them concerning the cause, first symp? toms and treatment is the object of this item . l'he origin of croup is a common coid. Children who are subject to it take cold very easily and croup is almost sure to follow. The first symptom is hoarseness; this is soon followed by a peculiar rough cough, which is easily recognized and will nerer be forgotten by one who has heard it. The time to ac; ia wi.en the . ' h i 1 d first become? hoarse. If Chamberlain's Cough Remedy is freely giren, all tendency to croup will soon disappear. Even alter the crcupv couch has develot >A it will prevent the attack. There is no d? " r in gi viag this remedy for it contains nott.z% injurious. For sile by Dr. A. J. China. er.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report Powder ?KV PURE