Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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?|e tlMcljm?nt ft?l Soutfjcon. tn SUMTER WATCHMAN, established April, 1850. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jane. 13*6 Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29,1897. New Series-Yoi. XTII. Mo. 22 %\t WM\SB?X m?t Smiijpit ..gnWWwfl. SY8T7 Wedaosiay, <3r. Osteenj SUMTER, S. C. TSRM8 : $1.50 per annum-io advance. ISTIRflSIXlIt: One.'Square first i oser t ion..$1 00 Every subsequent insertion.... 50 Contracts for three mouths, or tonger wil be oude at redo ced rates. \ Ait commun ications which subserve private intens?is will be charged floras advertiements. Obituaries sod tributes of respects will be charged for. New Departore in State Taxation Ths Law Goes lato Effect on Tlie First Day, of January Next-Law Sails Wanted. The last constitutional convention, ander tbs advice of Janies Norton, the? comptroller general, made pro? vision three instead of a single method of taxation To the ad valor? em method, ?hieb alone was constitu? tion al at tbe time, was added the grad? sated income and graduated license tax. While it bas not yet done so. it ts possible for tbe legis I store to com? bine the three methods ioto its system of taxation for the state Tbe general assembly bad two bills before it at its last session to bring about this end. The graduated income tax bill became law; the graduated license tax was laid over till the next session, when it may be takes op and perfected ... The income tax, which goes into ef feet in this state on January let, next, imposes 1 per cent, on incomes between $2.500 and $5 000 ; ?J p-r cent, op to $7,5Q0 ; 2 ppr cent ur> to $10 OOO ; 2J per cent, op to $15,000 ; aod 3 per cent on incomes over that amount. Persons outside the state, most pay taxes on incomes from investments in tbe state. Corporations chartered by tbe state are excepted beca ose the in? dividuals owning stock in such are taxed on their income from it. The gains, pre? ts or income, derived from any kind of property, rents, in? terest, dividends, or salaries, or from any profession, trade, employment or vocation carried on in this state, or from any other source whatsoever, are liable for taxation ander this law. The word 'income'* is defioed by the law to mean gross profits. In competing tba amount, only the necessary expense ia carrying on the business is dedocted from the gross income. Eemooeratioo for personal an per vision of the business expenses for permanent improvements, the amount osed for maioteoaoce of oneself and family are 5u cloded ia the gross profits and are tax? able wheo more than $1,500. For instance, ia a mercan ti Je bust BOSS, saeh expenses as clerk and por? ter hire, rent, insurance, maj be dedocted from the gross income of the .tore; bat wheo you a pe od your profits fora oew front, additional shelves or shelf room, a new desk or stove, it can? oe* be ded joted : aoder the defioitioo of tao act these form part of the gross profits of business The comptroller g?nerai has oot jet prepared the blanks for i&akiog retaras He has written to Washing? ton for copies of the blanks u?ed to make income tax retaros to tbe United States wheo there was such s oatiooai law. bot has oot yet received them So the complete detailsof the execution of the law cannot vet be had. Bot it is certain wbea yon gc to make joar retares darin g oext Jan? uary sod Febraary. you will be asked whether you bad during the year 1897 aa income of $2 500 or over. Whether io the ordioary retara of property for ad valorem taxation, the oath will be amended to cover this poiot bas oot been discussed ; bet it may be'the plan osed to get at the facts Wheo tbe lawyer bas reteraed bis hoese and lot. bis office and books, he must make another sworn statement of the total amount be has made by his wits last year and of {he amount paid bis type? writer A balance is drawn and if it amounts to $2,500 be is taxed $25. This tax is levied speeiallj for the sopport of ibo state government-no parts of it goes to tbs cono ties ; all to tbe state. It is collected sad aeeoooted for bj county treasurers, as ars all other state taxes. The provisions of the law relative to the taxation of per? sonal property apply : executions may issue for property, the income of over $2,500 from which bas not paid tbe tax. Whether a persooal process oao issoe for a lawyer withoot property, who makes $3 000 by his wits, has oot jet been decided. The last section of tbe act provide?? that the retaros made to county audi? tors most be kept secret. Neither the amount oor source of the iooome oao be made koo wo, except ss pro? vided bj law A punishment of a $500 fine or a six month* imprison? ment tad dismissal from office ia pro Tided for offense against this provi? sion. Opinions expressed as to this oew method of taxation woo Id iodicate that there ?ill be probably some difficulty io ea forcing the law at first ; hot that the on tooma will be, if the btw ts capably bandied, it will work cat geod to the state: Frauda? ient retara is subjected only to a peo-; alty imposed by the auditor. It is not made a misdemeanor like the discovery by the auditor of a frand aient property retara. The ex?cution of the law will be watched with interest by trained tax officers, shrewd business men, lawyers and newspapers, and especially the "votera'5' and small taxpayers v The extremely1' careful and painstaking comptroller general is already io ruin g law suits to test, as he says, the whole matter.-Colombia Be cord PARTITION OF CHINA. Berlin, Dec. 21 -The Cologne Ga cette, embarrassed the government to? day by declaring that the other powers would 3000 follow tbe example of Germany aod Russia now that the par? tition of China bas act nal ly commenced. Other p ?pers here expressed opinions io a similar veio It has been hinted that Priooe Henry'!? destination is another point than Kian Cnaa and that he will reoeive tba supreme com? mand in the China seas. The Nord Deutsche Ailgemeiae Zi? ?aog hastened to Usue a denial of these assumptions, declaring they were not warranted by the facts. The Cologne Gazette maintains the aocnraey of the statement that the Russian occupation of Port Arthur was connected with tb? visit there of tbe British warship Daphne about a week ago As a proof it points out thar there were neither Russian ships nor s Russian consul at Port Arthur at the time the Dahpne visited the harbor and it argues that Russia could only have learned of the visit through Chioars cotoplaia t. The Paris corresponden t of the Co logue Gazette telegraphed his paper yesterday that a week ago, io spite of the protests of. the Chinese, the British warship Daphne entered the inner bar? harbor at Port Arthur., allegedly to ascertain whether there were Russian ships there and that the Russian occupa, tioa of the port was connected with the V?8?t The Party Will Stick to Its Principles; AN ADDRESS IS ISSUED. The prohibitionists are going to make a great fight before the legisla? ture to have prohibition declared io the State. They have issued an address Rhowiog their intentions in the mat? ter The address begins by ^quoti ng a portion of another made by ?be State convention in 1892 as follows : "The prohibitionists of South Caro? lina, io con fen rion assembled, ac? knowledging Almighty God as the souroe of all power io government, do hereby, io the name of God and hu? manity, issue to the people of South Uarolioa this address. The liquor tr?ft?c, as now fostered by the go? ernmeots protected by laws, entrench? ed by long usage and tolerated be? yond the booods of endurance, impos? ing enormous, avoidable economic bur dens upoo individuals, families and the State; the mother cause of poverty, ?ice and crime, the nucleus for impur? ity, anaroby and death is in either high or low license, wbioh is nnsorip tura' in principal and contrary to good government, and should be utterly pro? hibited by law Therefore we appeal to the people who baye the inalienable right to government and who have the right to bc heard oo all measures affect? ing them socially, morally, financially and politically, but who have not here? tofore fully exercised this right io this question, to come to our aid We call upoo all lovers of righteous government io the State to use every effort for the prohibition of this traffic io this State " Oo tbe issue thus squarely presented, the people at the primary election August 30, 1892, voted voted 10,000 majority for prohibition Out of a total vote of 88,482, 70.035 votes were taken tn the prohibition boxes, 40,338 io favor of it aod 30,197 against it. Io the eight ooooties which gave major? ity against probibit'on. the majorities were small, ranging from 113 to 592* excepting in Charleston county, where ooly 284 votes were counted for pro? hibition and 3.938 against it The total majority io these eight counties was 5 797, the other 27 counties giv? ing ao aggregate majority of 15 738 The people asked for prohibition and were given the dispensary. The prohibitionists have not shifted the ground since, but .stand on the same platform as in 1892. and call upon tbe legislature to comply with the demand which wa? then made, and whieb bas never been modified by any vote of the people since. This ie the whole question Tbe people ask for bread, will the legislature continue to give them whiskey?-Columbia Register. EXPRESS ROBBERY Ten Thousand Dollars Taken by the Thief. There bas been a $10,000 robbery io Colombia io the last few days. ? package containing that amount of cash has been tike o from the safe io (bc Southern Express company's office io thin city aod so far as is koowa DOW it is impossible to tell bow tbe robbery waa committed. The package has Birt ply disappeared and several of the officials of the company are here try? ing to solve the mystery. Th? big los? of the oompaoy was discovered at 7.40 o'clock Mooday moraine. Every? thing was kept perfectly quiet while the general officers were being notified Oo Monday afternoon Supt 0. M. Sadler aod several other important offi? cers, including Assistant General Su? perintendent P W Leary of Atlanta, came from Charlottes to Colombia over the Southern Railway oo a special train. It was noted also that Saperio teodent Crosswell aod other leading of? ficials were here. A representative of The State was advised of their coming and endeavored all night to get some faots that would bear publication yes terday mbroiog bot without avail, the officials remaining io dose conference at the oompaoy building uotil after 2 a. m and then declined to say any? thing Yesterday the careful investi? gation they have been making contin? ued, but they were very reticent about the matter. Io the afternoon they made the announcement that the pack? age containing $10,000 had disappeared from the office presumably during Sun? day night, and that the loss was dis? covered on Mooday morning at 7 40 o'clook. They declined to give the oame of tbe consignor or consignee. The package, it is ?aid, was eo route to Newberry. ?s to how the robbery wrs commit? ted oo ooe can toll, so far as the gen? eral public is advised. The officials pre? serve a strict silence in regard to the matter. All kiods of stories are afloat, bot it does not appear than an outside party bad anything to d) with it. If such wa% the case the mao must have been an exceedingly bold one. Mr Leary last night snated that the officials were convinced that the rob? bery was committed io the Columbia office aod that it was clearly not- a case or burglary or anything of that kind. He intends to remain here until the whole mystery is oleared up. He says that they have carefully examined every employe whose duty it was to haodle the money and to all appear? ances each bad done bis whole doty. None of the employes have been dis? charged; every man is discharging his usual duties Of course the robbery, wbieh is the largest of the kiod that bas oeeorred in Colombia io many years, was much talked of on all sides yesterday from morning nnrff night. Many expressed sympathy for tbs guiltless employes cf the company who have beeo put in an unenviable position by the disappear? ance of so large a som, whether from the aet of a dishonest fellow employe or through some misplacing of the package. * No time will be lost io fixing the rob? bery upon the guilty man.-The State. St. Louis. Deo. 19.-It is learned from private sources that one of the worst sleet storms io the history of Texas prevailed io that State to-day. It is impossible to get any information whatever from Dallas, tbe ceoter of the storm section, as all wires are dowo. As showing the estent of tbe storm, the telegraph companies can get DO nearer Dallas oo the sooth than Waco, Marshall oo the east, Eagle Pass on the weet aod some points in the south? ern part of the Indian Territory on the north, abo wi og that it 'covers several hundred miles of territory. London, Dec 21.-A special dis? patch from Vienna says the Arabs along the Persian gulf, notably at Basrah, Kum ab and El Kalif, have revolted aod that troops are on their way tn er e. N Altoooa. Pa., Deo 21 -As a result of last night's wreck, which was caus? ed by a runaway train oo the Pennsyl? vania road, three meo lost their lives aod damage to the extent of $75,000 was done to rolling stook of the Penn? sylvania company. The dead are : S K?ster, Hagerstowo, Md ; C J. Namer, brakeman; S. G. Corbin Brakeman K?ster died a few minutes after being removed to the hospital Namer could be beard talking for four hours after the wreck occurred, but be could not be reached uotil after the mas& of debris bad croahed him to death. The body of Corbin was found in a pile of debris 30 feet io the air He probably was instantly killed. Three locomotives, four passenger coaches and 38 loaded freight cars were wrecked Besides this los? the dam age to the merchandise, with wbioh the oars were loaded, is heavy. Pocket Books, Card Cases and Bill Books for sale by H. G. Osteeo k Co. Ir. Mayfield Disagrees With Commission. Superintendent of Education May? field does not agree with the commis? sion of physicians io reference to the conditions at Rock Hill. Io speaking of the matter yesterday, he said : "I think the report of the commission is unfortunate in that it does sot state all of the facts oooneoted with the con? ditions at Winthrop. I have never seen a spring on the top of a bill ; all the springs I ever saw were on a slope, and I have never seen a spring on a slope that did not have the storm water of that slope. A spring is usually re? garded as furnishing the purest- of water, notwithstanding the storm water cf the slope, but in this oase, the four wells from which Winthrop gets its water, are 26, 28, 36 and 49 feet in depth, and are overflowing wells with an overflow three feet in height. The overflow goes throagh an iron pipe, which is based on a rock foundation. This system of piping is used for eaeb of the four wells. The pipe passes throagh the gravel strata through which the water flows. The bottom of ?be iron piping is perforated for a distance of six feet io the gravel strata, and through these perforations the water supply of the wells is derived. This water could cot be affected by the storm water. "Another reason for saying this sup? ply is cot affected by the storm water, is that the flow is not increased or diminished by the rainfall It is the same in wet as in dry weather. From these wells an average of 50,000 gal? lons a day is pumped The few drop? pings around the well, which are men? tioned, are the result of ao accidental stray cow, which chanced to get io to the yard to graze before frost came. '?Th* dre pings are few in number, have "e so long that they have dried np je surfaoe and it is a mat? ter of utter impossibility for 50 OOO gal? lons of water each day tobe contami? nated from this source. The cow lot, spoken of by the omis? sion, is a thing of reoeot occur? rence. It covers 63 seres of ground and adjoin's Winthrop's line, and is, as the commission state, 75 feet from the well, but it is down the bili on tbe ?ranch below the well. It is ut tealy Impossible for the water to be contaminated from this source, be? cause the contamination cannot ron op hill but would run down bil! There are only three small heaps of droppings io the pastare, which ap peared to be fresh, and it is impossi? ble for the pasture to have occasioned any contamination. For anything to work through from the pasture to the wells, it would hsve to climb perhaps a rise of two feet in a distance of 75 feet. "It is unfortunate tbat the commis sion did not give the history of the oases of sickness that have occurred at tbe college during tbe year. Had they done so, the public would have been better able to have judged for themselves. I will send for the re port of the matron to indicate what sickness there bas been at the institn. tion and the history of each ease.' Members of the commission on the other haod say Mr Mayfield is mis? taken.-Colombia Register. Tbe State's Cotton Sold. The State farm yesterday sold 1,022 bales of cotton made ou the State farms. The bulk of the cotton, 926 bale, sold at 5 07, and 96 bales s old at 5 516; alt of it was sold f. o b. The buyers were R. J Mc Carthy & Co., of Columbia. There were eight bidders, and the prices offered were as follows : A D. Haltiwanger & Co., Colum? bia, 96 bales at 5.20 ; 922 bales at 4 85 Augusta Cotton and Compress Company, 926 bales at 4 04 ; 96 bales at 5 24. R J McCarthy & Co., Columbia, 926 bale lot at 5.07 ; 96 bale lot at 5 5-16 Adams Cotton Company, Charles ton, 926 bale lot 4 7-8 ; 96 bale lot 415-16. B. F. Ford & Co, Columbia, 926 bales at 4 82 ; 96 bales at 5 20 Sanders, Orr & Co, Charlotte, 926 bales at 4.92 1 2 ; 76 bales 5 1 4 Knoop, Frenches & Co, Charleston, 926 bales at 4 7-8 96 bales at 5. M. C. Heath, for Heath Brothers, Charlotte, 926 bales at 4 7-8 ; 96 bales at 5 6 16 Shanghai, Dec 21.-The German admiral oomanding at Kiao Chou bay refuses to admit newspaper men within the German lines. There have beer) no further developments at Kiao Chou BUCKLEN'" ARNICA SALVE. The best Salve in the world for Outs Bruises, Sores, Ulcers. Salt Rheum, Fever Sore, Tetter, Chapped Hand?, Chilblains, Corns and all Skia Eruptions, and positively cure Pile? or DO pay required It is guaranteed to give perfect satisfaction, or money rounded priao 25 ce nts per box? For sale bj Dr J. F* W- DeLorme. Small Pox in Greenville. Colombia, Dec. 21.-Several stud? ents of the Pnrman university passed through the city yesterday afternoon on their way home to spend Christ? mas. One of them stated that two cases of email pox bad broken out in Greenville ; that the announcement was officially made yesterday morn? ing He further stated that botb the female colleges and Forman Univer? sity bad closed s few days earlier than intended for the Christmas holi? days and that every Stadent had gone home as quickly as possible. The afternoon mail from Green viii not having been received, The State wired its Greenville correspond? ent for a brief statement of the facts of the matter, stating to bim what bad been beard here At about ll o'clock last night the following reply was received which should be read in connection with the special pub lished elsewhere : "One negro bas smallpox,two others in same bouse suspected The board of health bas taken every possible precaution to prevent a spread, and a strict quarantine of the house is in force. Eveaybody nearly hts been vaccinated The schools have closed for Christmas, but not on account of smallpox There is no desire on the part of anybody to conceal the facts " Yesterday a statement which seems to come from a reliable source was heard which indicates that there are a couple of cases of smallpox near Blackstock, about 50 miles from Co lumbla on the Charlotte, Colombia and Augusta division of the South? ern railway. It is to the effect that Dr. Hanabau of Winnsboro was cal led to see the patients and had pro? nounced the disease from which they were suffering smallpox For several days there has been a io mor of two cases at Simpson's, near Rockton What truth there is ia these two re ports remains to be seen -The State Small Pox in Greenville. Fornicases Officially Declar? ed to Exist. Greenville, S C, Deo. 22 -The conflicting opinions of physicians con? cerning small pox io Greenville result? ed in a meeting of the board of health thu morning. After consultation, the board directed the ohairmao, Dr C. C. Jooes, to secure the services of other physicians and make a careful investi? gation of the Stenhouse case, to ascer? tain if there was small pox in Green? ville Today Drs Jones and Perry visited the Stenhouse tenement and made a oritical examination They arrived at the conclusion that there were four cases of small pox of a very mild type. Luther Stenhouse was pronounced con? valescent and the other three members of the family doing weil To-night the board requested the city couooil to provide a pestbouse at onoe, and also a quarantioe station for all who have visited the Stenhouse bouse except those who went there officially under the direction of the board and have taken proper precaution to dis? infect themselves. The locality where the oases are said to exist is in the outskirts of the city, and no citizens will necessarily come in eontaet with residents of the section. Everything has quited down and there is no probabality of other oases outside of the Stenhouse residence It is the belief of many of the peo pie that the cases pronounced small? pox are only aggravated cases of chiokeopox. Stenhouse bas been teach io g school below the city, where a ca*e of smallpox was never known. He came borne sick. The theory ts that he took chickenpox and exposed himself to ioolement weather before comiog home. Business goes on, and there is no evidence that there is any fear on the part of citizens or visitors to the oity. The Register. Fall River, Mass , December 22 - The cotton manufacturers are con fronted with the prospect of a strike, as many of the operatives are de? termined to oppose the reduction of wages. A section of the Union offi cials and members favor a strike at seven mills on January 3. The mills which they suggest are the Union, Sagamore. Border City, Shove, Dur fee, Chance and American These mills employ about 11.000 opera? tives. Another plan of action pro? poses a strike at all of the mills on March 1 The manufacturers are waiting to hear from M C Borden, of New York, owner of the Iron Works Mille, who bas as yet taken no action the wage question. Atlanta, Ga , December 22 -Miss Ada Elem, one of the best known young women in Georgia, locked herself in a little room at the State capital to day and attempted to take her life by taking morphine, because she was not appointed assistant State librarian. Liquor Shipments. Atlantic Coast Line Issues A Circular. The Atlantic Coast Line baa issued a very ioterestiog circular concerning shipments of liquor from without the state. The management of the road seems to be willing and anxious to fol? low the law as it exists on the statute books. Io a circular to the agents and con? nections of the Coast Line without and within the state, the traffic department says that the prepayment of freight is reqaired oo all intoxicating - liquors, beers, whiskeys, etc, shipped from points outside of the state to points io South Carolina, other than that consign* ed to the state commissioner at Colum? bia. Agents are required to notify ship? pers that all shipments of alco? holic liquors to points with in this state will be at the owner's risk of seizure by . the authorities of the state acting under the dispensary law. Agents of the road within the state are instructed not to accept for ship? ment from their stations to points ia or beyond the state of South Carolina any intoxicating liquors unless accom? panied by the formal certificate of the state commissioner attaohed to each anet every package as required by sections o and 15 of the dispensary law. All agents are strictly enjoined cot, on any accouot to aid or abet, knowing? ly, any person in the sale of iotoxicat ing liquors or io procuring the same for sale in violation cf the law. The following classification of alco? holic liquors apply from the date of the circular, December 20. No. 1-whiskey, in glass paoked io barrels is classed 1 ; if released, 2. No. 2-whiskey, in glass, packed io boxes or baskets. each package weigh? ing less than 20 pounds, class 1 ; if released, class 2. No. 3-Whiskey, ic glass or stone, packed in boxes or baskets, weighing less than 20 pounds, in carloads, mini? mum 10.000 pounds, accepted only ii released, is classified 1 J. No. 4-Same io less than carloads is cot taken. No 5-Whiskey, io glass or stone, in bulk, carload or lese is not taken. Under this circular it certainly looks as if the original package establish? ments along the Atlantic Coast Line roads will find their freight bills pret? ty high The wagon trade may in? crease and water routes be used, but anyway this circular is a blow to the illicit and tolerated trafile in liquor along the Coast Line. ul ? I wmmm Constantinople, Doo 21 -It appears that when the U. S S Baoeroft ar rived at Smyrna on the nigbt of Deo. 4, ehe was greeted with a blank can? non shot and rifle bullets from the fort of Yenikale. A boat from the warship sent shoreward to ask for explanations, was fired upon and compelled to return. Thereupon the Ameriean admiral lodged a protest with the United States minister here, Mr. James B. Angeli, and demanded the punishment of the guilty parties and an apology from the Turkish government, which was given on Sunday last. In addition, two Turkish officers were dismissed and sentenced to a week's arrest. Carroms, the new parlor game, played like Crockinole points count as io pool. The greatest thiog out. For sale by H. 6 Os leen & Co. Something to Know It maj be worth something to know that the very best medicine for restoring the tire i out nervous system to a healthy vigor is Electric Bitters. This medicine is purely vegetable, acts by giving tone to the nerve centres in the stomach, gently stimulates the Li* r and Kid? neys, and aids these organs in throwing off im? purities in the blood. Electric Bitters improves the appetite, aids digestion, and is pronounced by those who have tried it as the very best blood purifier and nerve tonic. Try it. Sold for 50c or $1.00 per bottle at Dr. J. F. W- De Lorine's Drug Store. 2 Royal makes the food pare, fi wholesome and delictoes. 1 POWDER Absolutely Pure BQVAt BAKING POWDER CO., NEW VOQK.