Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Stye uktdjmnn owD 3 o ntl) con, - -.---? -_ ,_ THi SUMTER 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 jone, 1366 Consolidated Ans. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1897. Sew Series-Vol. XVI. So. 39 Published E79T7 Wednesday, IM- G. Osteen, SUMTER, S. C. TERMSi : $1 50 per annum-io 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 communications which subserve private interests will be charged foras advertisements. Obituaries - and tributes of respect will be charged for. MAT CONSOLIDATK COAST LINE ACT BEFORE * THE CIRCUIT COURT. Columbia Register, 27th. 'The Atlantic Coast Lice consolida tion Act came np for a legal interpre tation yesterday in the Circuit Conrt It ia a very important matter to the railroad company as well as to its patrons. By consolidation the latter will get a "continuons" rate, which means a lower one, over the varions lines of the company over which a shipment is made On the other hand, if the consolidation Act is not constitutional, then the company did not want to go into it, as their vast interests, bonds, securities, &c, would be materially affected. The hearing of the case waa a friendly one and, although the snit was brought by the Commission, they ^really wanted the jory to decide in favor of the^ railroad, for it was at their instance that the - consolidation Act' was introduced and passed. There really was no contention be tween tlae "opposing" parties, as both wanted the jory to decide whether any of the roads included in the system were parallel or compet ing. If not, then there is no consti tutional prohibition against the con solidation. The State wa9 represent ed by Attorney General Barber and the railroad company was represent ed by Mr. J-T. Barron. The complaint in the case, after the usual legal forms and prelimina ries, sets forth : . That at the last session of the General Assembly of South Carolina, an Act entitled "An Act to incorpo rate the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina and to_ authorize the consolidation of cer tain railroads under that name" was passed and approved ; and that the first section of said Act provides "That it shall be lawful for the Wil mington, Columbia and Augusta Rail road Company, the Northeastern Railroad Company, the Cheraw and Darlington Railroad Company, the Central Railroad of South Carolina, the Manchester and Augusta Rail road Company and the Florence Rail road Company to be consolidated into one company, and each of the same companies is hereby given full power to do all such things as may be necessary to effect such consolidation under the provisions and terms of the Act." That in Section 5 of said Act it is provided that the said corporation "may make contracts and acquire and transfer property, both real and personal, including shares of stock in other corporations, but not a majority thereof in any paralled or competing railway companies"-to which said Act reference is hereby craved, as a part of this complaint, as often as may be necessary. That Section 7, Article 9, of the Constitution of 1895 provides : "No rai'road or other transportation com pany. .no telegraph or other transmit ting corporation, or the lessees, pur chasers or managers of any such cor poration shall consolidate the stock, property or franchise of such cor poration with, as lease or purchase, the works or franchise of, or HI any other railroad or other transportation, telegraph or other transmitting com pany, owning or having under its control a parallel or competing line ; and the question whether railroad or other transportation, telegraph or oth er transmitting companies are paral Iel or competing lines shall, when demanded by the party complaint, be decided by a jury, as in other civil cases Tnat some of the railroad companies which it proposed to con solidate under the aforesaid Act, to wit : The Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta, and Augusta, the Cheraw and Darlingtan ; the Wilmington, Columbia and Agusia and the Man chester and Augusta; the Cheraw and Darlington and Northeastern ; the Manchester and Augusta atid the Central of South Carolina ; the Flor ence and Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta, or some two or mope of the said railroad companies own or have j under their control parallel or com-! peting lines, and under the inhibition j contained iu the Constitution, as! hereinbefore recited, can be consolir dated, under the Act aforesaid. Wherefore the plaintiffs demand judgment : That it be submitted to a jory to d termine the question whether the said Wilmington, Columbia and Au gas'a Railroad and Cheraw and Dar lington Railroad or any other two. or more of the aforesaid companies pro posed to be consolidated are, or own, parallel and compering lines ; and io case any of said roads should be de cided by the jory to be par al led or com peting noes that the said Act, as to them, be-declared inconstitucional, and that a perpetual uojunction be granted to prevent such consolidation of said parallel or competing roads. At the bearing the following evi dence was taken. Mr. J. R. Keely, general manager of the Coast Line, stated bow the roads were operated. No regard is paid to the feature of competition ; they are opt considered competitive roads. All are operated as one.road They are practically one road, through the expense accounts are kept separate. It would be impossible for ooe road to compete again tsan otb er, as tbe com pany can't compete against itself Tbe total mileage io South Caralba is between 550 and 600 miles. Three roads run into Sumter, three into Flor ence and two into Darlington. Mr. T. M. Emerson, traffic manager of the Cast Line, testified that no two of tbe roads are competing in any sense of tbe word. The sbor; 8t or more convenien* line gets, business without competition from the other line. If the consolidation is effected there would be oo change io competition. Tbere is none now and would be cone theo. It would result io reducing some of tbe rates ~ President W. G. Elliott testified that consolidations grew out of the fact that while tbe roads were controlled by one system, jet they were operated as sepa rate corporations. Tbe Legislature passed an Act requiring all railroads under the same ownership to make a coo tin nous rate. -Under oar system, wheo shipments were made over two roads, the rate was a local rate on both with a redaction of 2 per cent. Tbe Commissioners called our attention to tbe Act aod we protested that these roads actually bad to depend oo their owo revenues for payment of expenses. If one road didn't make expenses, tbe o:her was not drawn on to help it. The continuous miileage Act would be a serious redaction of our revenues. The Railroad Commission suspended the enforcement of the continuous mile age rate until ao Act was passed by tbe Legislature allowing consolidation and giving the company an opportunity of curtailing expeoses. He testified that the qpmpany could not consent to a consolidation until the constitutional ity of the consolidation Act was passed opon, as too g rest interests are in vol ved. x Mr. W D. Evans testified that Mr. Elliott bad testified correctly as to the history of tbe transaction, and gave some farther details as to rates, speak ing more particular by of fertilizer rates He showed that by the consolidation lower rates would be obtained. The jury was out only a short while and returned a verdict that none of the Hoes were competing, which settles the matter, aod tbe consolidation will pro ceed forthwith. Several of the Hoes, by reason of being ruo as separate roads, have ha j separate presidents and other officers, bot under consolidation they will be relieved and tbe salaries paid for figure heads will be abolished, it is said. St. Louis May be Flooded. St. Louis, April 29.-The Mississippi River bere has risen a foot in twenty four hours and licking off the marks on the river gauge io a way that threatens to send the water over tbe danger point before morning. At 6 o'clock this evening the gauge marked 29 OS. and at 10 o'clock 29.08. The official dan ger point is 30 feet. The outside rail road track oo the levee was abandoned this afternoon, as tbe river was two or three inches deep over it io places. A comber of the merchants are moving their goods out of tbe cellars, as the waters is being to seep through Washington, April 27,-Prof. Berk ley, of Claflin University, S. C., is an applicant for the consulship at Stutt gart, Germany. Prof. Berkley enjoys a prominent reputation as one of the best educated negroes io the country. He graduated in French in Paris and in German at Heidelberg. He speaks both languages fluently. Among those who ask for his appointmentment are business men of Stuttgart and Heidel berg. A colored man as co:>?ui to a German city would bc unprecedented, hui tho fae's arc interesting Prof. Hork icy has had an interview wkb thc Pret-ident and presented his papers JOHNSON'S j CHILL AND ! FEVER TONIC Cures Fever i In One Day. j S T f TM IN GREECE DANGER OF REVOLUTION NOT SO IMMINENT. London, April 28 -Nothing of im portance bas happened in Athens ap to the timethe latest dispatches were sent from there to-nigbt These dis patches show that although there was considerable excitement in the city, the general giuation wa$ not so threatening as it had been, and that there was no dis order of any couse qnence The boule, which was summoned to meet in extraordinary session this morning, held no meeting, owing to the fact that no quorum was present, and to night's dispatches do not show whether there was a session held this afternoon. Later-The legislative assembly met again this evening There were only 95 members present. One hun dred and four are necessary for a quorum, and as nine members were lacking, the house again adjourned. There was a great crowd outside the building, but there was no disorder. The city is generally quiet Athens, April 28 -Upon the re ceipt of the telegram from M. Koro raki*8, the naval officer who yesterday sent a message to the ministry of marine declaring that daring the four days the fleet had spent at Shiathos "We have been betrayedV M Le vides, minister or marine, sent a mes sage demanding au explanation of his telegram He replied that the ships had been kept idle for four days, which, under the circumstances, was a betrayal of the country. M. Levides then demanded an explanation from Com modore Sanchctouri. the commander or the fleet, asking why the vessels had not been employed on active duty instead of lying at Shiathos, which place is at the entrance of Volo, Commodore Sachtouri telegraphed that the heaviness of the sea had prevented the departure of the fleet M. Levides thereupon tendered his resignation to the king and refused to resume his duties until Commodore Sanchtouri had been removed The above is the explanation of the crisis in the ministry of marine yesterday. A WARNING FROM FRANCE London, April 28 -The Paris cor respondent of the Daily News tele graphs that during: the conference to dey between M Hanotaux and Munir Bey, the Turkish ambassador, the foreign minister urged the latter to advise the sultan to hold out an olive branch to Greece He added that if the Ottoman troops advanced the consequences would be incalculable France would be compelled to come forward as a defender of the cause of Chistianity Continuing, M fiano taux declared that if the powers in tervened in the Levant it would not be to prop up the Ottoman empire In conclusion be said the overthrow of the dynasty at Athens could not fail to have far reaching conse quences FIGHTING AT PREVESA. New York, April 27 -A special to the Journal says says : The left wing cf the Greek army in Epirus, under the command of Colonel Gol phinopulpns, is advancing on Pre ve8a, which must be captured before the Greeks attack Janina. The right wing of the Greek army, under Col onel Manos, is advancing on Janina, but will not attack the place until it is joined by Golphinopulos* army. The garrison of Prevesa, consisting of 2,500 Turks, still holds out, al though for two days we have heard the roar of the guns of the Greek ships bombarding the place. The people of Epirus are extend ing a welcome to the invading Greeks and the Turks are panic-stricken On the march to day the army which I accompany captured a camp of the Turks. The cause of this panic is the deserion of the Albanians, the bravest troops in the sultan's army. Kalli is Premier. The Cabinet ChaDge Effected In Greece. Athens, April 29 -All doubt as to the overthrow of the Delyaoois minis try was dispel 1 fd this evening when I Kiz)g George instructed the leaders of | the opposition to form a cabinet to re p-Jace hor of wbicb M Delyanois was ' the hoad. The only Stipulation made by fee king was that Thotaki ehould be given a portfolio in the ncr/ cabinet. Subseouently the --.'adors of the o;:}.; Fi i ;n went to tho legislar ire chamber I and summoned a meeting of their fol- ' loweri) The question as to whom should be selected as ministers wen1 ; fully discussed, and it was fir1211'? ar* j randed that the new cabinet sh0.. j madr up as follows : Primo 'nwt r j and minister of marine, M. "3H' i j oiinititer of war, Colonel Tsamovos ; minister of finance, M. Simopvule ; I minister of public iostructioo, M. Car psnas ; minister of interior, M. The taki This leaves but one vacancy to be filled, that of minister of justice. This list was submitted to the bing, aud will undoubtedly meet with bis approval. The new cabinet will present itself io the chamber to-morrow, wheo it will demand a vote of confidence. If the chamber expresses its confidence in the new government M. Kalli and Col onel Tsamovos will start for Pbarsala, in Thessaly, where the Greek army is now stationed. The avowed policy of the ministry to obtain an booorable peace through war London, April 29 -The Athens correspondent of The Daily Telgraph bas bad ao interview with M. Ralli, the new prime minister, in which be said that his policy would consist of reorganizing the army and raising it to its maximum strength ; equipping and forwarding numerous recruits and vol unteers from Athens to the front, re establishing order io the interior, and obtaining a satisfactory solution of the foreign questions affecting Greece. He added that he would not accept any definite mandate from either the king or chamber, and would not be hamp ered by a programme. He would be guided solely by the data supplied by a careful study of the situation Athens, April 29-M. Delyannis, when questioned this evening regarding his refusal to accede to the request cf tbe king for his resignation, said that he refused to resign because if he had done so bis action would have been misunderstood. He added that be had advised King George to dismiss his government, aod this has had done. Continuing, M Delyannis said that if he bad remained in office be would have rescued the country from its em barrassment without prejudice and he could have obtained a ratification of the Grecian frontier by abandoning Crete. FIRST IN CAVALRY. The Organized Militia of the United States is a book published each year by the war department, and contains all information possible to obtain about the militia of every State of the Union. This book for 1S96 has recently been issaed, and includes among other matter interest ing statistics concerning the fighting force of South Carolina Comparison between the militia of the Palmetto State and that of other States is very favorable to the former. In number of cavalry South Caroli na ranks far ahead of any other State. She has a total of 1,070 cavalrymen out of a total of 4.945 for the entire Union, and over twice as many as the State having the next highest number, which is Georgia, with 532. Of the entire militia cavalry of the United States, then, South Carolina has about a fourth. She ranks low in artillery, but in infantry comes sixteenth, with a force of 2,391 en listed men. In the aggregate of all the branches of the service she is seventh. The States having a great er number are : New York, with 13,242 men ; Pennsylvania, with 8,250 ; Ohio, 6,229 ; Illinois 6,228 ; Massachusetts. 5,227 ; New Jersey, 4,258 ; California, 3,836. Georgia comes next to South Carolina, with 3,193 or 337 less The appropriation made by the dif ferent States for the support of their militia is uo less interesting. In this she falls to the twelfth place from the bottom. New York leads with an appropriation of $448,000, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts and New Jersey come next in the order named Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma make no appropria tions whatever for their forces. South Carolina gives to her militia $8,000, while Georgia appropriates $15,000, Florida $12,000, North Carolina 6,000. South Carolina comes twenty-eec in the number of men liable to mili tarv duty. Her number is 152,000. Illinois is first, with 700,000.-The State. i^- -- The State board of metropolitan police commissioop'-s consisting of Gov ernor Elierbe, Comptroller General Norton and Secretary of State Tomp kins met yesterday and selected the old board of commissioners for Charles too, the members of which are, B. J. Simmons, T. Campbell and A. S. Thomas. San Luis Potosi, Mex., April 27. Advices have reached here of a terrific hail storm m the Kio Vetde valley, this State. Some of the hailstones weighed as much as three pouuds, and ; 42 persons are reported to have been killed lr* one hacienda 12 farm lut nd s were killed Numbers of horses ar:.] ! cattle were destroyed James Lewis, colored, has been found guilty of rape at Fairfax, Vn , .iiiii sentenced to death. He lias been j tiicvi i. n.njes within a wei1!: - .-iii found gui i ry each time, hut on the- ftrgW two trials the jory was divided DU ihM penalty. Code of Ship Signaling. Common Language Between Vessels When They Meet at Sea. Most landsmen have a very elemen tary knowledge of the methods by which vers is meeting each other on the high seas make known some argent need, such as the want of water or pro visions, or exchange items of news. The stay-at-home public read in the newspapers that a vessel was spoken in given degrees of longitude and lati tude; but of the manner io which that was done not one in a hundred bas a knowledge. And yet this matter of communication between ships that baye each other in sight, and are yeJ out of hearing, is a matter, of supreme impor tance, not only to seafarers, but to the commercial world. The safety of a nation might hang upon a message sent from one vessel to anoth er ; the warnings sent bereen ships wheo one is seen to be on a dangerous course have freqaently been the means of saving many lives and much valu able property. To England mpst be given the credit of being the first nation to complete an intelligible and general code of signals for use ot sea. The book was first is sued in 1857. Irs success was great and from the first. it was adopted on board ships of ali nations where our language was spoken or understood. Some seven years later, io 1864, a French translation was given of the sig nals, and three years afterward Ger man was added, so that the internation al signal book is now printed in the three tongues. Since 1869 every other nation has signified its adhesion to the code invented by England, so that the work is practically the only one of its kind io use afloat. The methods cf signaling are of two kinds. When two vessels approach each other and one wishes to speak it hoists a black ball on tbe mainmast. This, with the addition of a penaoo and a flag, constitutes the three long distance signals, and they are read ac-, cording to their position on the yard. For a fal -stop the ball alone is shown. The international signal book con tains tbe interpretation of the letters shown by the combinations of tbe three signals. The latter are 18 in number, each ooe representing one of tbe con 8onsonants of the alphabet. They are of four colors, red, white, blue aod yel low, used in various combinations. Taat these would be too numerous to meotioo wi ill be seen wheo it is stated that no fewer thau 70,000 signals can be made according to the signal book, and of this total no fewer than 20,000 are sig nals for questions, answers oames. numbers, etc. In addition tc, the above, there are the two flag words -a white pennon with a red bali in tbe center, meaning "yes,'' and a blue pennon with a white spot, signifying -no" To prevent confusion, a rule is laid down that not more than five letters shall be uaed at once, as being too diffi cult to read. Signaling with ooe flag is also contrary to rule. For most pur poses, not more than two signals are requisite. Most important mes sages oan be transmitted by two flags, for example: "Man overboard." "Danger ahead,v "Illness on board," or "We are io need " In fact, although the work is so com prehensive as to include expressions and terms adequate for every conting ency that could arise at sea, it is at the same time sufficiently clear and simplp as to be understood by all likely to use it.-Cincnoatti Enquire. -->?? --? THE WAH IN CUBA. Fierce Fighting in Habana Province Revolution Strong. Habana, via Key West, April 29 -The insurgent, Rafael Fernandez, adjutant of the Cuban leader Roban, has been captured by the Spanish troops. It is said that he is an American citizen. The war is going on fiercely in Habana province. The insurgents captured the town of Sietecite. Gen Roderiguez, commander in chief of the Cuban army in Habana province, says in a report to General Gomez that never before has the revolution been so strong as it :s now in this province. KITE FOR REFORMS, SAYS WEYLER. Habana, April 29 -Dispatches from Madrid announce that at the cabinet council to-day Prime Minister Canovas del Castillo read a telegram from Captain General Wey 1er, affirm- ! ing that the condtton o ' thc western : provinces of Cuba were such as to ' permit the promulgation ot' the re forms recently decided upon ami that . the queen regent signed a decree ordering their immediate enforce ment in t hesept^nnces. The decree 'viii i^g^gg^l B"c:i!-. i hy tho first costa Pcarz and ; iz Fernandez were ! Matanzas for the "and incendiarism. GREAT DANGER STILL THREATENS The Lower Mississippi Valley -No Courts This Spring Suffering Refugees. New Orleans, April 29.-Severe rains and wind storms yesterday and today throughout the lower Mississip pi valley did great damage to levees entailed great suffering among those refugees camped on the levee with out shelter of any kind Nearly half of the people in the overflowed sec tion of Louisiana are either altogeth er without shelter or what they have is insufficient. Another break in the bnreau levee district occurred last night below the Melrose plantation The new break is at the Gufcznard place. It is only 25 feet wide, but more serious than the Melrose crevasse, because the base of the levee has been wash ed away. A large force of men at work expect to close both breaks to night. State Engineer Perilliat, who re turned to New Orleans to-day from the Gbafalya district, issued a state ment warning the people from Red river down not to lull themselves into a feeling of false security that the danger is over. It is very great, be say 8, bat there is a fighting chance of preventing an overflow in the sugar district of Louisiana if the en tire, population will tum out and work on the levees. Proclamations are being issued by all the police, juries, boards and local officials. It has been decided in nearly all the river parishes that there shall be no term of court in May as usual, as jury duty and ser vice as witnesses wouid take men away from the levees. There is now every probability that the river will cot hrough Cowpen Point levee by way of Lake Con cordia. Should this occur, it will create a cut off leaving Natchez, Miss , an inland town as Vicksburg was left in 1876. Thousands of dol lars have been spent to prevent this cot off, but apparently in' vain, as the river shows a disposition to re turn to its old bed of 250 or BOO years ago The water is falling on the Yazoo Delta, but more slowly than expect ed. Every fall of an inch, however, puts many acres out of water which are immediately sowed in cotton. There will be a return of the refugees to the smaller towns, with the fall of another half foot. SEVEN THO Cd AND IN DANGER OF STARVING Helena, Ark , April 29 -There is no money with which to close the Arkansas crevasses on the levees and the farmers refuse to feed their idle bands The merchants decline to carry them, and the chairman of the relief committee reports that 7,000 persons are in danger starvation. Dr. King's New Discovery for {Consump tion. This Is tht rest medicine in the world for all forms of Coughs and Colds and for Consump tion. Every bottle is guaranteed. It will cure and not disappoint. It bas no eqnal for Whooping Cough, Asthma, Hay Fever, Pneu inania. Bronchitis La Grippe. Cold in the Head and for Consumption. It is . afe for all ages, pleasant to take. an*l, above all. a sure cure. It is always well to take Dr. King's New Lifo Pills ia connection with Dr. Kings Kew Dis covery, as they regulate and tone the stomach and bowels. We guarantee perfect satisfac tion or reurn money. Free trial bottles at Dr. J. F. W. DeLorme's Drug Store. Regular size 50 cents and S I-00 6 Backlen's Aratca Salve. The Eest Salve ia the world for Cute, Braises Sores, Ulcers, Salt Rheum. Fever Sores, Tetter Chapped amis Chilblains. Coins and all S* n Eruptions, and positively ciraa Piles or no pay required. It is guaranteed to give per fect satisfaction, or money rotunded. Price 25 aents per box. For sale by Dr. J. F. W*. De Lorne. Celebrated for its preat leavening strVngth and healthfulness. Assures the food against ali:m and ail forms of adulteration common to the cheap brands. Royal B kicg Powder Co., Xew York.