The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 01, 1896, Image 1
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