University of South Carolina Libraries
FERTILIZER RATES. RAILROAD COMMISSION AGAIN TO CONSIDER THEM. Commissioner Thomas Gives His Views on th? Subject. The Com mission Invites Everybody Interes'e? to be Present. The Railroad Commission is again to hear the railroad men and others interested on the question of fertilizer rates. The hearing will be held some time in November, the date not hav I m ing been decided on. The Commission held a meeting yesterday at which Commissioner Thomas introduced the following resolution and made remarks upon it, which are published below: "I move that the Board of Railroad Commissioners invite the traffic managers of the several railroads and the fertilizer men from each of the mills in the State to assist us in fix ing a 'just and reasonable' rate, mak ing each adjustment as commercial charges require to preserve our terri tory to our factories and - mines .and give the people the benefit of a healthy V and eq a i tabi e competition." Upon this Mr Thomas said: Mr ?Chairman: There is an old'adage "that a thing is never settled until, . is settled right." I protested against the fertilizer rates made by the ma jority of this Board last year and I have the satisfaction in the rate com ing ap again after a fair trial of say ing to you gentlemen, "I told you so." The rate against which I pro tested was in my opinion unjust and illegal . In order to show this I beg to review the whole matter The demand for a reduction i nutrie * rate came first from a large mercan tile firm in Anderson who manufacture and handle fertilizers extensively: they asked for a reduction of 25 per cent, in the interest of the farmers , Then comes Dr. Robertson of the Globe Phosphate Works in Co lumbia, and asks fora 50 per cent, redaction, on account of his great interest in the farmer and because cotton seed enjoyed a low rate Dr. Robertson advertised for petitions to be sent into the Railroad Commis sioners'office asking for redaction. His advertisement filled one quarter page in each iseae of the Cotton Plant for nearly, if not quite, a year and not a single petition ever came in this office except from one mer chant at ? Honea Path," and a resola tion from a meeting of the State Alli ance asking that the rate between fertilizers and cotton eeed be equali zed. This proves that there was no dissatisfaction with the old rate, which bad been fixed by agreement between the Commission of 1891, the traffic managers of the railroads and fcr fertilizer manufacturers, after days of di&cnseion in? the effort to put all sections of our State on a parity, the one with the other, and the fertilizer business had adapted itself to that rate. The old rate was '.'just and reason ' able" as the law required in proof of this. In making rates we classify all commodities that are related to each other in regard to weight, bulk and value. Compare corn, grits and meal in bags with fertilizer in bags These commodities are practically of the same weight, bulk and value The rate on corn, grits and meal in bags for the average haul :n this State, which is 70 miles, is $2.60 The rate on fertilizer in bags 70 mile haul, was $2.10?reduced to $1 60. Fertilizer was given the $2 10 rate and pat in a class by itself, because the consignor and consignee do the loading and unloading, for which the Commission allowed 50 cents a ton. I tried to find out ' the motive for redaction and offered a resolution. "That this Board give reasons for the extraordinary cut of rates on fertilizers since fertilizers were then below a parity with all analagous commodities " See page 45, No vember, 6th, minutes. The resolution received no second and the chairman of the Board ob jected to its being spread on the minutes, saying it was a reflection on the Board. I replied that I meant no reflection, but simply offered one .of the wise rules of the interstate Com mission, a rule which gives publicity and prevents the Board doing any arbitrary or unjust act under cover of darkness I found fault with the chairman of the Board for a letter written by*himself, on page 144, in our letter book, to the fertilizer firm in Anderson, giving this firm infor mation that the fertilizer rate would be reduced bifore the reduction was considered The letter bears date May 23rd, and on September 4th the Board invited the railroad officials, the fertilizer manufacturers, the mer cantile firm and all others interested to a discussion of the rate. Page 33 minutes The invitation to discuss" the rate after the chairman had com mitted a majority of the Board in writing to redaction appeared to me ! to be trifling with great and vital in terest8, for the records showed that nine railroads in this State were unable, with economical manage meat, to pay their operating expen- j ses working the $2 10 rate. Un these nine roads the records showed a deficit of $155,737.68.. The law requires as to make a "just and reasonable" rate for each road doing business in this State. Section 1657, General Statutes. Now a rate re | ducing one of the most important commodities handled in the Slate 25 per cent is manifestly an outrage against justice, reason -and law, so far as these nine roads are concerned So it was an unjust snd unlawful dis crimination to give information to one mercantile firm as to ;lie action of thie Board before action was taken ! and withold like information f.om all other firms similarly situated I offered a resolution that the rule of the Interstate Commission be the rule of this Board: "That on request Of either the complainant or defend ant this Board shall make public the cases and the reasonR for the decision of the Board.'"' See page 47, Nov 9?Minnies. Your reasons for reduction were published in State papers, Dec. 20th, 1895 The main reason was that "A road passing through North Car olina, South Carolina and Georgia should serve all their patrons in these States on a parity in the rates used." Page 52?Minutes. This was a spe cious argument ca'culated to mislead, The conditions which obtain in these States are entirely different For in stance in South Carolina the average haul is 70 miles and the net income is $493 per mile In Georgia the average haul is 150 miles and the net income is $940 per mile. It is against every principle of taxation to tax a 70 acre farm worth ?493 the same as a 150 acre farm worth ?9?0, and so it is against every principle of "just and reasonable" rate making to fix the same rates for conditions eo widely different It is therefore unjust to fix the same rate for South Carolina as for Geor gia. My position in this matter was en dorsed by the Legislature. If the fertilizer rates should be the same as in Georgia then of course the pas senger rates should be the same. The passenger rates were thoroughly discussed in the Legislature and the first class ra$ee for South Carolina was fixed at 3j- cents per mile against 3 cents in Georgia for the same service. If the fertilizer rate should be the same as the Georgia rate, then why should tbe cotton rate not be the same ? The South Carolina rate on cotton for 70 mile baul is ?5 cents, and the Geoegia rate for the same baul is 22 cents In a speech pub lished iu State papers February 19, 1894, and again October 25. 1895, I urged on this Board a reduction of tbe rate on cotton instead of ferti lizer, if tbey muet reduce something ; because the rate on crude cotton was higher than the manufactured article: The weight and bulk of these two commodities are practi cally the same, and the manufactured goods are five times more valuable. (3rude material should have a lower rate than more valuable manufactured articles Th? reduction of the rate on cotton would have been altogether in the interest of the farmer for whom these fertilizer manufacturers were so solicitous. The reduction of the fertilizer rate was not in the interest of the farmer At the conference it was shown that the bulk of fertilizers was sold by the carload to merchants The parties who pay the freight and fix the price get the reduction. Fer tilizers are sold almost altogether delivered apd the price is fixed by the fertilizer manufacturer. The farmer "is not in it " What benefit ie a freight reduction of 50 cents a ton, when the price is raised 50 cents a ton. The truth is the reduction of the fertilizer rate was against the in terests of the farmer in that it de stroyed competition, increasing the demand and the price The rail roads which serve the people "were hurt. The fertilizer factories of Charleptou which competed with the interior mills were 6hut out of the most valuable territory in the State, and were injured The sole beneficiaries of the ferti lizer reduction were two or three in terior mills The many have been made to suffer for the benefit of the few. In communication to this Board of October 10th, Mr. W. A. Clark, President of the Columbia Phosphate Company, tells what interest the farmers ha*e in a freight reduction on fertilizer. He eays: "To illus trate: they have been offering acid, sacked and tagged F. 0. B., Charles ton, at $7.25. Now add to this $3 30 freight to the interior makes ?10 52 payable May 1st, 1897 Now deducting from this ?1.75, which would be an average freight from Co lumbia to points North of Columbia on any of the roads, would leave ?8.80 net to us at Columbia payable May 1, 1897." Now deduct from this no freight at all and this would leave $10 55 net at Columbia payable May 1, 1897. So it is evident that no matter wheth er the freight is ?3 00, $175, or nothing at all, the farmer has always to pay the same ?10.55. ThiVis proof from the best authority that the reduction of freight on fertilizer is altogether in the interest of the fertilizer manufacturer. The records show that many roads in this State were unable to stand the j reduction and the records show more ! complaints in our office than ever be fore against the inconvenient and un- 1 satisfactory service m; .iy of the roads j are now giving the people. Two roads have tried to cease operation during the year, but the Commission have forced them to continue. One road tried to tear up its track and tbe people are now appealing to the Commission and the courts to pre vent it. The railroads resisted the reduced fertilizer rate and the case was taken to the United ?tates Court where it should have been adjudicated and settled, but instead a majority of this Board entered into a trade with the railroad corporation as follows : | "That the railroads will immediately have withdrawn the pending bill in the United States Circuit Court in Equity, and will agree to put in op eration the reduced tariff on fertili zers," etc. At the request of the railroad companies the commissioners wi 1 take up at an early day with the traffic managers of the several rail road lines the consideration of the entire fieight traffic rates with a view to ascertain whether there are not seme other articles upon which they cs.n consistently with their offi cial duties grant raiees of rate, or so revise the entire tariff as to do justice and equity to all " Commissioner Thomas protested as follows: let That it is unjust and illegal to select fertilizers out of a lot of ana lagoue commodities and reduce it be low its kind 2nd That he had a resolution on file in the office to readjust the whole tariff for twelve months past, but the resolution had been ignored. 3rd That this proposition, how ever, it might be covered up in words was a trade and that he was not authorized no: willing to make any such trade in favor ofo.?e commodity against others, but that justice ought to be done by the board to the rail loads and people on a consideration of the whole schedule, and he refused to be a party to any trade whatever. VV. A. HENDERSON, . Chairman. The trade between the commission and the railroads strippedv of all its verbiage is simply this : You work the fertilizer rate whether it U just or not, and we will raise rates to recoup you When you agreed to recoup the railroads -you acknowl edge that you had made for them an unjust and unreasonable rate, else why agree to pay the railroads to work it ? The fertilizer reduction pre cludes even the consideration of a reduction of the rate on cotton, be cause the majority of this Board under the terms of the trade with the railroads are committed in a written iigre?ment to a raise of rate, thus you exclude the farmer from a reduced rate on cotton which he is justly and legally entitled. On page 12 in Georgia's Railroad Com missioner's report, 1895, the Com mission says: "That the people do not read think, and observe how this great ocl:opns, the Southern Railway, is getting its hold on our industries ?farming, manufacturing, jobbing, fruit raising, mining, etc., and suck ing their life-blood." Tbis great corporation whobe attor ney in a fiait with the State said that the capitalization of the Southern Rail way was larger than the whole taxable property of South Carolina is stretch ing its tentacle* into tbis State ?and bas pretty well gobbed up everything above Columbia If rates are to be uoade io tbis State by the Railroad Commission trading with tbis moostetr corporation outside of the law, then God help the people Not only i;he farmer but every other in dustry in this State will soon be taught the rule put by Wordawortb into the mouth of Rob Roy : "The simple rule, the good old plan, fhftt he eball take wbo has the power, And be shall keep wbo can." Under what law have you gentlemen authority to cut rates of any railroad below the cost of service and confiscate tbe property ? Uoder what law do you find authority for trading away the in terests of tbe great fertilizer manufac turing centre of South Carolina, and turning it over to a few little interior mills wbo sao't supply tbe demands of I even the Piedmont section. You gen tlemen have yourselves done that whiob the law iobtructs you to prevent, that is the reason why I bave published pro test after protest against a rate which I know to be uojust, unreasonable, dis criminative and illegal. - Fifty per cent, of the fertilizers in this State are sold in the Piedmont sec tion. In all that section there was a blanket rate of ?0 60 per too from Charleston,, which by agreement be tween the commission, tbe railroads and fertilizer manufacturers, after days of discussion was supposed to place Charleston and Columbia on a parity in that territory. It was worked for years without complaint until the An derson and Columbia Mills got so awfully distressed about tbe poor.down trodden farmer. Tho rate from Charleston into the Piedmont territory was cut about eight per cent, and the Columbia and Anderson rate about 25 per cent thus giving the Columbia a?d Anderson mills 17 per cent, margin of profit. Tho Columbia and Anderson mills sell all their goods on the Charles ton price and the 17 per cent profitj goes into their pockets instead of into j the pockets of the dear farmer. On Sept. 17th tbis Board issuec tbe following instructions tbe railroads as regards the cut rate war : ''That the same deferential which obtained be tween tbe competitive and local points before the war began must be pre served in any cut that is made." If the instructions of the Board were right io the cut-rate war, then why did the Board take exactly opposite grounds in the fertilizer rate war, and refuse to preserve the differential which obtained between Charleston and Co lumbia without assigning any valid rea son and without considering the com parative cOHts of production at. tbe two points, arbitrarily created a differential of 17 per cent iu favor of tbe interior mills. At one of our conferences the secretary of our Board stated that he sold 50 or 60 thousand dollars worth of fertilizers. I asked him from what point Hs replied from Columbia. I referred you to Section 1626 G. S. which forbids Railroad Commissioners from owning any stock or bocds of any railroad aod theo make rates for that road. I. stated that I saw our secretary make this rate aod that it was certaioly against the spirit of the law for tbe secretary to make rates to enable him to sell fertilizer at a profit of 17 per cent above bis competitors. Ths Charleston manufacturers have come before us with a just complaint. The discriminativo rate made by this Board have abut these complainants out of tbe most de sirable territory io tbis State, aod have closed up some of tbeir mills. Tbe most offensive aod dangerous of all discriminations io transportatioo is tbe preferential rate, that is, a rate that will destroy the business of one community aod build up another. That one community should be given an arbitrary advantage over another in the supply of a common necessity like fer tilizer is repugnant to every ootioo of equality, is offensive to the rudest con ceptions of justice, and above all it is diametrically opposed by the laws of our State. Tbe 17 per cent advantage which this rate has given Columbia and An derson will ultimately close every one of the Charleston mills and traoFfer the fertilizer busioesp \nto the interior or into some other c The Charleston ma^faoturers bave speot millions of dollars in develop ing the fertilizer industry aod have paid great euros of royalty into the State treasury. In the interest of the State, in the interest of fair play and in obedience to law their plant should be protected from these unjust and discriminative rates. Equal rights should be accorded them aod no special privileges be grant ed their competitors. Of what avail are industry, enter prise, integrity or any of the qualities which lead to success if one competitor is given 17 per cent, advantage over another? In such case the race is not to the swift oor the battle to the strong, bat to the one whose freight rates are lowest. I hope my resolotioo will meet the approval of tbe Board sod that you will join me in tbe endeavor to fix a "just aod reasonable" rate that will be just alike to the railroads, the ferti lizer manufacturers and to the farmers. Chairman Evans offered tbe follow ing, which being adopted, made the resolution read : "I move that Board of Railroad Commissooeas invite the trafile man agers of the several railroads and tbe fertilizer men from each of the mills io the State aod representatives of all or ganized bodies of farmers as well as iodividual consumers wbe are interest ed in this important question to assist us in fixing a just aod reasona ble rate, if tbe present rate is found to be unjust and unreasonable, making such adjustment as commercial chaoges require, if such adjustment aod changes be fouod necessary to pre serve cur territory to our factories aod our mioes, aod to give the people the bendfi: of a healthy and equitable com petition. " Mr. Wilboro offered the followiog amendment, which was, however, re jected: "Resolved. That the said investi gatioo on fertilizers be held with a view of reducing the joint rates north of Columbia, S. C. You may eat ebeap food ?md not be seri ously hurt by it ; but you cannot take cheap medicines without positive i?jury. If you use any substitute for Ayer'e Sarsaparille, you do so at the peril of your health, perhaps of your life. Insist on having Ayer'e and no other. COTTON MARKET. New York, November 17.?Market opened barely steady. Closed steady. Opening. Closing. Nov. 7.52 ' 7.54 Dec. 7.56 7.58 Jan. 7 65 7.67 Feb .7.72 7.74 Mar. 7.78 7.81 Apr. 7.82 7.85 May 7.86 7.90 June 7.93 Liverpool, Nov. i 7.?Market opened steady. Closed quiet. Opening. Closing. Oct. and Nov. 4.20 4.20$ Nov. and Dec. 4 16 4.17 Dec. and Jany. 4.15 4.14 Jan.,'and Feb. 4.13 4.14 Feb. and Mar. 4.13 4.!2* Mar. and Apr. 4 13 4.12J Apr. and May. 4.13 4.12 Sumter spot market?7 1-16. Beware of Ointments for Catarrh that Contain Mercury, as mercury will surely destroy the sense of smell and completely derange tbe whole sys tem when entering it through the mucous surfaces. Such articles should never be used except on prescriptions from reputable phy sicians, as the damage they will do is ten fold to the good you can possibly derive from them. Hall's Catarrh Cure, manufactured by F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, 0., contains do mercury, and is taken internally, acting directly upon tbe blood and raucous sur faces of the system. In buying Hall's Ca tarrh Cure be sure you get tbe genuine. It is taken internally and is made in Toledo, Ohio, by F. J. Cheney & Co. Testimonials ree. pg~'r -Id by Druggists, price 75c. per bottle. PRIVATEER PERSONALS. I ! ? ! Privateer Township, S. C, Nov. 16,'96. ? Owing :o some hitch in the mail, our j j Personals did not arrive iu time Tor publica- j lion last week, eo will rewrite som.i of tbem | and add new ones. According to appointment the Amusement : Club met at tbs Furmen residence on Friday night, Nov? 6, and the following programme i was curried out: Music, Miss Talulah Rtm- ! sej; Readiug, Miss May De?e Mellett; Music, j Messrs. Spurgeon arid Jervt-y Kolb; Reading, ? the Rev. G. T. Gresham; Reading, Mr. Drane ; I Tindal; Music, Messrs Haywood and Hamp- j ton Ramsey. The C'iub wiil meet nest Friday night, j Nov. 20th, at Mr. WbitSeld Wells's. Yesterday forenoon Mr. Gresham preached i a fine serman at Bethel Church on tbe impor tance and duty of people attending cbureb oq Sunday. Last week he assisted in a meetiog at Elloree. We mentioned recently in tbe Personals that during tbe session of the Charleston As sociation at Bethel that tbe Rev E. Wells, of Charleston took a kodak picture of tbe church j and a number cf our people who were stand- j ing near tbe building at tbe time. These ! pictures are now complete and tbe work is remarkably well done. Tbe church makes a pretty picture and tbe likenesses of our peo ple are very good. The price of the picture is only 30 cents and anyoce who wishes to obtain a copy can de so by hatidiog their names and tbe money to Mr. Gresham or Miss Calley Wells before cext Sunday. Tbe picture is well worth the price, it ?9 not only tbe picture of a church around which are clustered many consecrated memories, but it is also tbe likeness of many of our people; in addition to all this, it forms an interesting souvenir of a delightful meetiog of tbe old historic Charleston Association. Mi83?oa Wells, Bethel's organist, resign ed, as she was teaching ?chool out of the county, and her successor was chosen by bal lot, resulting in the selection of Miss Hattie Wbilden, with Miss Susie Bradford as assist ant organist. Rev. A. S. Wille'ord, who is engaged part of the time in evangelical work in Charles ton and part of the time in canvassing for the Columbian Cyclopaedia, paid a visit to our community not long sioce. Miss Edith Wells is visiting in Columbia. .Mr. Burt Beckham, formerly of our com- | munity, but now a commercial traveler, is visiting bis old home. Mr. Pendergrass, of Kiogetree, bas been visiting in tbe community. Mies Julia Nettles is visiting at Wedgefield. A number of our people attended tbe State Fair. Two of Privateer's young men, Mes?re. Henry and Willie Wells, are descended from tbe Mellicbamps, which family name bas been made prominent in South Carolina literature as tbe title of one of William Gilmore Simms' Revolutionary romances. Mr. Harley Welch bas a cow that had two calves born within ten months of each other. In tbe Baptist Courier's account of tbe re cent session of tbe Charleston Association, is the following interesting item : "Tbe parson age of the Bethel Church has been painted recently and it is a beautiful aod convenient house, only^ few hundred yards from the church in a large oak grove.'' McD. F. The Leap Year Ball on the evening of Thanksgiving Day will be a brilliant affair. The work of putting the machinery at the cotton mill in running order was commenced last Friday afternoen and it is expected that tbe mill will be started tbis week A large number of orders for yarn are on file now, and the demand is sufficient to keep the mill employed for several months. A new schedule on the Atlantic Coast Line went into effect on Sunday. a.'be morning train from Charleston to Columbia leaves Charleston at 7 a. m., leaves Sumter at 9.43 a. m , arrives Columbia at 10 55. Afternoon train leaves Columbia 5 p. m., arrives Sum ter 6 20 p.m. Tbe evening train for Flor ence leaves at 6.30 p. m. The night train for Columbia leaves at 8 30. Tbe morning train for Augusta leaves at 4 33 a. m. Tbe evenin train for Darlington, connecting at Eliiott for Bisbopville, leaves at 7.20 p. m. Tbe Mason Electrical exhibit, which was in charge of Mr. W. B. Peebles, was spoken of very bigbly in the State. In reviewing tbe leading exhibits of tbe Fair, Tbe State says: "The Mason Electrical Works, Sum ter, S. C , is a comparatively new enterprise, but it is turning out an excellent line of goods. It bas in systems, in many of the larger towns of this State, and also, in some other States. Tbe exhibit is a novel one and is attracting a great deal of attention, and tbe visitors to tbe Fair should not fail to see it. The Mason Electrical Works, of Sumter, is tbe only telephone factory south of Balti more." The Graded Schoo! has a larger attendance tbis jear than at any time since tbe graded school system was established, and as a con sequence tbe present corps of teachers is un able to cope with the situation and maintain tbe high degree of efficiency required by Superintendent Edmunds. On tbe recommen dation of Superintendent Edmunds the Beard ? of Commissioners has decided to elect anoiher i teacher. Tbis will give nine teachers j in the Washington Street school in ad dition to the superintendent himself, who J has charge of the tenth grade. The schools ! are in a flourishing condition and in both the j white und colored schools the average attend ance is decidedly larger than at any time heretofore. Anotber?act in connection wi'b the school should be a source of tbe greatest satisfaction to every patron of the school and that is tbe higher standard of scholarship that is now required. The standard of the school bas been raised systematically during tbe last and present session, acd the pr?s- j ent ninth grade will complete a part cf | tbe course that was in tbe coarse of study previously required of the tenth grade, j j Within another year the standard of tbe j en'.ire school will bav-3 been so raised that the i graduating class will complete a course I of study that is the equivalent of another j year's work. The election of an additional j teacher is a wise step, as it will result in tbe ? greatest possible benefit to the entire school, for it wiil give the teachers of several grades j more time to devote to the grades which they bave in charge and will conduce to greater j jhoroughness. Cctton Robbery. - The gin house o? Messrs. E. M. and Peter Pitts, of the Jordan neighborhood, was broken open on Tuesday night and five or six hundred nounds of seed cotton stolen. The losa was discovered early tbe next day and tbe cotton has since been recovered. No arrests haveren made but strong evidence has been d' ered as to the identity of tbe thieves. THE MAYOR'S COURT. Sundry Sinners Sent to the Street Superintendent. Major Bossard had a very interesting meet ing in bis court room yesterday rooming; there was a house full of law breaking sinners on the mourner's bench, and Clerk Hurst had ibeir names ?nd the catalogue of crimes and misdemeanors entered in bis book of record in his best ?nd compietesi style. Jost to hear Clerk Hurst read an indictment and enumerate the charges against an occupant of the mourner's bench is sufficient to strike terror to the heart of the most hardened wretch and cause cold chills to run . own the spinal column in th* month of July. All of the crimes are raennoned-without exception or reservation and the climax is reached when it is announced that said crimes are in viola tion of an ordinance of the said city of Sum ter. The mourners this morning were Charles Blacfr. John Xinlocb, Samuel Kinloch, Caro lina Plowden, Alice Dozier, Maggie Johnson, Eliza Lewis and Samuel Suggs, charged with disorderly conduct, fighting, wrangling, quarreling, cursing, using profane language and disturbing the psace on Railroad Ave uue, within the incorporate limits of the City of Sumter on Sunday night, November 15tb, 1896. The whole crowd entered a plea of not guilty, but their explanations did not explain and they were sentenced to pay a fine o? S4, each, or work 8 days on the streets of the City of Sumter under the di rection of the Superintendent of Streets. Charles Black made good his plea of not guilty and was discharged. Isaac Spann, colored, tfas up for riding a bicycle on the streets after dark without a lighted '.antern. Fined S2. Calendar of the Sumter Graded Schools for 1896-1897. First month?September 7 to October 2. Second month?October 5 to October 30. Third mon.tb?November 2 to November 27. Fourth month?November 30 to December 29. Fifth month?January 4 to January 29. Sixth month?February 1 to February 26. Seventh month?March 1 to March 26. Eighth month?March 29 to April 23. Ninth month?May 3 to May 28. It was considered best by the Board of Commissioners to take December 24 and 25 as holidays and make them up during the Spring holiday. The holiday in the Spring will therefore begin on April 28, 1897 and will last for three, iostead of five days. PAT ON THE BACK. I feel inclined, Mr. Editor, to pat the Del gar Reel Squad on :be back. That was a fine victory they won in Charleston"; but not so fine as the last mastery they gained in being able to treat with a silence that borders upon contempt the banter of the Floreece meD, who are seeking to dishonor the manly con test by reducing it to a gambling game. To *fly up in a sort of spiteful way, after honest defeat, is a common practice with some peo ple ; but I cannot see how this atones for the defeat when a banter is added concerning the giving and taking of money Gacobliog is wrong and indecent, and a great threat in the papers does not rob it of its vicicusoess. I am glad that tbe Sumter boye have bad the good sense and manhood to say nothing. Silence is sometimes tbe best answer. Nov. 10, 1896. C. C. Brown. , Heart Disease Cured By Dr. Miles' Heart Cure. Fainting, Weak or Hungry Spells, Irregu lar or Intermittent Pulse, Fluttering or Pal pitation, Choking Sensation, Shortness of Breath, Swelling of Feet and Ankles, are symptoms of a diseased or Weak Heart. MRS. N. C. MILLER. Of Fort Wayne, Ind., writes on Nov. 29,1894: "I - -as afflicted for forty years with heart trouble and sufiercd untold agony. I had weak, hungry spoils, and my heart would palpitate so hard, the pain would be so acute and torturing, that I became so weak and nervous I could not sleep. I was treated by several physicians without relief and gave up ever being well again. About two years ago 1 commenced using Dr. Miles' Remedies. One bottle of the Ecart Cure stopped all beart troubles and the Restorative Nervine did the rest,and now I sleep soundly and at tend to my household and social duties with out any trouble. Sold by druggists. Book sent free. Address Dr. Mites Medicai Co., Elkhart, Ind. Dr. Miles' Remedies Restore Health. SALE OF REAL ESTATE. By J. E. Jerve/;, Auctioneer. WILL BE SOLD AT PUBLIC OUTCRY in front of the Court House, iu the town of Sumter, County of Sumter, State of South Carolina, on Monday the 7th day of December, 189J: at eleven o'clock in the forenoon to tbe highest bidder, the following described property to-wit: "Ali that piece, parce' or traci of land sir nated in Sumter County, State of South Car olina, on the waters of Black River, known as the Ced?r Grove tract, containing eigbr hundred and nineteen acres, moro or less, bounded on the north by lands of W. L.' Wilson and W. E. Mills, on tbe east by Isdcs uow or formerly of D. D. Barber, and on the west by lands now or formerly of H. W. Bradley. Also all that piece, parcel or tract of land situated in Sumter County, in the State of South Carolina, on the east side of Black River, containing seventy acres, more or less, bounded on tbe north by lands of W. E. Mills, on tbe east by lands of W. L. Wilson, on the south by lands of A. J. Sa?ia:is & Scss.' on the west by lands of Walter L. Wilson. Both the above described tracts of land to be sold as one tract. Terms: One half cash, balance secured bv bond and mortgage of the purchaser, payable in one year from date of purchase with in terest at tbe rate of seven per cent per annum purchaser to have tbe privilege to pay ali cash; and purchaser to pay $25 for papers. Possession to be given purchaser on the first day of January 1897. A. J. SALINAS JfcSONS. Nov 18. \