Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Agricultural Hall Suits. Seeking Damages and Bents. Wheo the United - States district ?oort recs o tl y s as tai 9 ed the demurrer of the State of Soots Carolina io the matter of tbe suit brought by Edward B. Wesley to recover from B. R. Till mao, Wilie Jones, W. D Mayfield, J E. Ttodal sod J R*Boyles for back reo t itod damages to the mach fou gb t over Agricultural bail property, it was predicted that the soil would be re ? sewed io another form Tho former oase waa brought 00 the equity side of tbe court : the State de marred 00 tbe ground that the suite could sot be brought on the (quit? sids. Th* position waa sustained Now Mr. Ly lea cornea again bring? ing the suits OB the law sids of tbe same ooort. He brings one suit against Wilie Jones, tnether against Tillman and Mayfield and the third will be brought against Tindal later. Io the ?j- Bret the amount asked for ia $1,250 ; io the seeood $4,000. Mr. Tindal's bond ls aol i mi ted and his bond sri ll be ?ned ; fer about $15,<000or possibly more. Th? State bas already by un aet pro? tected these bonds men io the event tbe ?ase t* finally lost A Town Marshal Fatally Shot by a Prisoner,, Graofcebcrg, 0. C., Bec. 23 Special to Colombia Register News reached here thi8 afternoon that Mr Bob Jones, marshal at St. Matthews, who was shot while trying to arrest ?.negro named Green yesterday after u noon, died to day He was on his I- wriy to the lock Bp with Geen when the latter drew his pistol sod fired the ?Mr. Lawrence Bungerpiller, who lives a few miles east pf Orangebnrg, soot and seriously wounded ? Dudley Jackson to-day They became in? volved in a difficulty and Jackson started towards Mr. Bungerpiller witfe ? razor The latter used a shot gen, potting one load in the negro's legs and the other Tn bis side. The woouda are thought to be very dan ~ geroos ? negro boy oat at Claflin met deaih ia a rather peculiar way to-day. was a son o? Addison Mitchell, a&t improvised s Christmas cannon oat of a bicycle pomp Having fiaed it with powder, he held it in his ban d and '-toocfeed it off " The ex? plosion of the powder drove the pump through the boy's body and produced : instant death. i > I i C-i - War Losses in Criba. Por those people who do not think Cubabas been: or is now, in a state pf war, the record of losses that have resulted to the island and its inhabi tams from the devastation by Wey let's troops, acd the insurgent bands, may prove a rather startling argu? ment. W.Hhout any reference to the hnraan lives that have been sacrificed during the struggle by butchery, starvation and disease, the material losses show something of the terrors . of the situation in the Queen of the ' Antilles. Here is a list of the estim?t Od damages : One hundred thousand country houses and 50,000 dwellings in vil? lages and hamlets destroyed, $16, 000,000 ; 800.000 cocos trees cut down, $5,000,000; 1,000,000 palm trees destroyed, $10,000,000 ; 2, ?00,000 fruit trees destroyed, $1, 000,000 ; 5,000,000 banana plants destroyed, $125,000 ; 1,000 tracts of boniatas and yuccas destroyed, $2, 500,000 ; 4,000,000 coffee plants de- j atroyed. $480,000 ; 3,000,000 small cocoa planta destroyed, $1.500,000 ; 2,000,000 horned cattle killed ont right, $30,000,000; 2,000 horses killed, $200,000 ; 500,000 cordele of fencing burned, $3.000,000 ; 300.000 hives of domestic bees destroyed, $1,450,000 ; 650.000 head of sheep and swine destroyed. $2.300,000 ; 500,000 tierces of tobacco appropri ated. $5,000,000. Those interested in the future of this beautiful and productive island may wsll shudder at th? picture Under the most favorable conditions, who can tel! how long it will take to rehabilitate the land, and make it again a smiling garden of luxuriance and beauty ? But surely, none bot favorable conditions should be agreed upon. Under any other. Coba will not rally in a whole generation - Angosta Chronicle New Constables. It looks as if there will be as macy constables soon aa there was under the old regime, if the governor ap? points all asked for. Yesterday the county of Spartan borg asked for three aod the county of Colletoo two. Ali of these are to be considered later, bot, of course, it is presumed tbat tbey will be granted.-Colombia Register, Dec. 24. According to estimates made by the dairy commissioner of New York, imitation bntter aa made in Chicago, costs at the factory-exclusive of the tax-$4.41 per hundred pounds. JOHNSON'S CHILL AND FEVER TONIC Cures Fever In One Day. STATE TREASURY. Seventy-Five Per Cent, pf the State Taxes Still Dne. Treasurer Timmerman Makes Some Suggestions as to Time of Clos? ing of Books. A week remains of the time iii which fazes roast be paid. County treasurers books wi)! close Decem ber 31, and an approximate settle? ment made with the State treasurer "The taxes for the support of the State government amount to about $800,000," says Treasurer Timmer? man. "Of this amount only some? thing like $200,000 bas been paid in, leaving about 75 pet* cent, of the amount due by county treasurers still unpaid. "This amount ia hardly sufficient to meet the payment of coupons on bonds and interest on stocks, payable ou December 31, aud aggregating about $242,000. Some of these cou? pons aro payable lo Charleston, some in New York a id some at the State treasurer's office. Arrangements are being; made, perfectly satisfactory to the owners, by which these coupons, as well ae the interest on stocks, will be promptly paid. This, outside of the probability that during the next week sufficient fonde to meet all lia? bilities will be paid in by the county treasurers "You may say, too, that I suggest that the time for closing the collec? tion of taxes might be made the 15th of December instead of the 31st with good results. This would give the state treasurer ample time not only to prepare hie report, close his books, etc , but, what is more < important, would put him in better condition to meet the obligations of the state promptly.-Columbia Record. Jackson "Tree Cotton?" Our valued correspondent, "Hey j Deo ver," last week gave vent to his ! misgivings about the famous Jackson ootron seed, which the men who are ; selling them at $7 a pound claim will revolutionize the sou:b's great industry We believe these misgivings are areli founded, and that bis advice to farmer?? j to lei the seed alon s until they have better proof of their valus, is wise. * * * * * There has been entirely too m ach i romance about bow the seed got into j the bands of the unsophisticated Mr. Jaeksou, and too many tales that didn't pan ont, about them afterwards, to suit everyday, common sense folks! About a year and a half ago the world was started by the statement that a com? mittee of Soufh Goorgia farmers had offered. $20.000 for the "little handful of seed/7 io order to destroy them and thus %ave the Sou th's great Moduatry from destruction. Strange it was that these diabolical sotemos were on foot and $20.000 raised before the Atlanta newspapers, who are not accused of undue modesty, bad discovered the presence of this marvel under their very nosea. Their presence was ac counted for, by an Arabian Night story of a philanthropic old Jew, who re? quited an act of kindness by bestowing upon the aforesaid unsophisticated agri? culturist a few precious seed brought from the Jungles of Africa, to make hi s fortune with. Verily. Sinbad the sailor would have stood io envy! There is no doubt but that Mr. Jackson has thaee acres of cotton that ts different from other cotton There is further no doubt bot that he will sell bia aced, and, make a small fortune oui; of them. But what the seed will do ifterwards is another question The cb an ces are ten to one that they will not turn out the cotton in any marvellous manner If they do. if they should prove better than other cotton they will sell at a reasonable price next year, and if they are worth? less they won't sell at all, for the fake will have been exploded. A few years ago. Col. Tobe Ferga son. of Spartaoburg, produced a "listless" tree cotton by grafting the cotton Btalk upon a persimmon tree, which developed boils chock full of clean cotton seed, in large quantities, sod Mr. Ferguson, by a mathemati? cal calculation, can ooo vince anyone that io a few years an immense for? tone oap be made by producing this marvellous plant, tut as Mr Ferguson did not have the imaginative and in? ventive genoias of the owner of the Atlanta prodigy, bs is clerking io the Spartanborg dispensary at a modest salary.-Union, S. C , New Era. A Fatal Railroad Wreck. Chattanooga, Teoo, December 25 - Vestibule passenger train Nc 6 on ibe Norfolk and Western Railroad, wbiob left Bristol, Tonn, last night at 9 05, came in collison with a freight at Clark's Summit at ll 30. The engine? of both trains wer? badly wrecked, as were a number of ?freight oars and the baggtge and postal cars of the passen? ger train. R. H. Ashmore, express messenger, was badly injured about the bead and chest, and it is thought he will. die. Postal Clerk Hoffman waa inatantly killed, his body being ground to pieces and thrown ander the second class coach. Firemon Collies had both his legs cut off and was otherwise horribly out and bruised and was thought to be dyiog from tbe effects of bis tojaries Engineer McCorty wat severely oat about the head and neck and suffered a number of contusions on bit body and is thought to be internally injured. He will die. Tbe Unique Game of Craps ; Its History and Its Terms. As indigenous to tbe south as the cotton plant are the dice in a game of craps, which has for its votaries in the main tbe negro population. A dozen or more reports where games are said to be in full blast night? ly have opened up in Memphis recent? ly, says Tbe Appeal, of that city. Players who were satisfied to shoot craps all summer in alleys and out-of the-way places now seek the fascinating ! glare of green baize nuder electric lights. With negroes craps may be described as a racial pastime. A town without craps has no enticement for the colored person, and is consequently not a good "nigger town." If it is doubted that negroes take an enduring interest in crips the doubt may be quickly dispelled by watching a game The colloquialisms of chaps are peculiar and numerous. Io an out-of doors game crap shoot era-no one familiar with the game would think of oalling them aoytbing bat "shooters''-squat upon the ground in a circle. A pair of dioe-more familiarly known as the "bones"-are tossed oo the ground. Eaoh player ii privileged to take them up and examine them This is done to prevent any one from "ringing in petties " "Peeties" are dioe with double numbers. There are two kinds of "peeties"-ibose with which it is impossible to throw seven, and others made so that they can turn up only seven. After examination of the dice the first players tosses a coin on the groan d. "Fade me, niggab," be exclaims. Another player "fades" him by cov? ering the money. The first player blows into his band, picks up the dice, joggles chem in the hollow of his band ?md rolla them co tbe ground in front of bim. He never fails to utter some thing., which he believes will bring bim good luck. The stock expressions are : "Conjure V "Seven 'leven !" "Lay bim down !" "Get me dat money, 'leven !" "Dis fo' a paih o' shoes !" .?Hock um die !" 4'Look out dar, nigger !" "Fade you !" ..Take my gal to Cairo !" A thousand other exclamations are indulged io according to the player's conceit. If the "shooter" throws seven or eleven be wins. He picks up the money sod the dice and says : ?^Come ag'in, black maur ' "I got you faded !" exclaims another player, in acceptation of the challenge He throws down a second ooio to match that of the shooter. The other players make side bets oo the result. The first man "shoota" again. If be throws two, -three or twelve be loses, or "craps out." If he throws four, five, six, eight, nine or ten the number thrown is called bis point and be con tiooes to throw until be either wios by repeating or loses it by throwing seven As long as the thrower contioues to wis he may keep the dice. When he loses be "passes" them to the next player, who throws. If a player sospects that loaded dice or *'peeties" have been smuggled into the game, be may at aoy time pick up tho "bones" when a player makes a first throw. When the dice falls he say s "My dice," as a meaning of bis intention. He takes them up examines them and if they are found . to be "square*9 he tosses them back, saying : ""Your dioe. Shoot " If the dice are "crooked" the game usually comes to atumultu?os end by the players "snatching cpstakes" sad using razors on the anatomy of the man who "rung in tbe peeties." If an at? tempt is made to examine the dice at any time exoept on tbe first throw trou? ble is likely to arise. The person who covers a thrower's money is a "fader " Nearly every point on the dice is named. Four is oalled "Little Joe"; five is called "Phoebe" or "fever"; six is known as "Jimmy Hicks;" nine is "Lex." aod ten sometimes is "Big Dick" and at others "Big Tom." All crap players indulge in charac? teristic negro actions when playing. They blow upon the dice, rattle them in the hollow of their hands, throw the dice on the ground, snap their Sogers sharply and utter a deep, aspirated "An!" When aplayer's mooey has been "faded" aod he is trying to malro a point by tbe aid of exc'amatior.s of "Come seven 'leven!" "Come tome Little Joe!" "Big Dick," or whatever his point may be, the "fader" tries to counteract the spell of the conjure in? voked by saying, "Cut bim off, seven ! Cut his throat, seven ! Come under him, seTcu !" The usaal accompaniment to "Jimmy Hicks," a ?brow of six, is "Big Six, take my gal to Memphis." A North Carolina paper says : "We notice that some one has found a remedy for five cents cotton. A bale was opened nt Henrietta the other day in which was found 20 pounds of iron." Walhalla, Dec. pr -Sheriff Moss was summoned to Lie Whetstone section last night, where Sam Wil banks had killed Charles Speed The deed was committed at a Christmas tree at Dooble Springs church Wis key was much in evidence. Wil bsnks will probably surrender to the STARVATION SURE IN THE KLONDIKE. Alarming Reports About Scarcity of Food. Skasuay, Alaska, Dee 17, via Seat? tle, Wo., Deo 26.-John Lindsay of Olympia, Wn " who has just arrived from Dawson City, says there will surely be starvation there this wintor. He examined into the food situation in a thorough manner, be says acd after satisfying himself that there would be starvation, he sold out his outfit and in company with Fraok Ballaiue of Olympia, Tom Story of Victoria, B. C., and Bob Glynn of Seattle, started out on foot, each mao drawing a sled, carrying about 140 poonda of provisions. Lindsay says the Dawson people believe there is no great sipply of food at Fort Yukon, as bas been alleged The river rose suf? ficiently and remained open long enough to enable food soppliei to have been brougnt from Fort Yukon bad there been any there. The people of Dawson, believiog there was not ample food supply at Fort Yukon, refused to go there, pre? ferring to remain in Dawsoo. No more that 340 or 400 people took advantage of the transportation company's offer to take the people to Fort Yukon free of charge When the miners at Dawson found that no more provisions would reaeh the town by the river route (bey an? nounced that a meeting would be held to take steps for apportioning the pro? visions in the town. Those that bad plenty, they said, must share with those who bad none. Captain Constan tine of the northwest mounted police interfered and told the miners that such things would not he permitted. The meeting was not held. Lindsay says the output of the mines will be greatly curtailed this winter because of the sosrcity of food and light. Coal oil sold for ?45 a gallon, and candles are as high as {?150 a box of 100 Even if men were, able to work their claims they canqou get light to do so. These statements are borne out by ail returning Klondikers a number of whom have reached here the past week. Few of them, however, take as gloomy a view of the sitation as does, Mr. Lindsay Dr. B. L. Bradley, of Roseburg,, Ore., says that food is scarce, but he does not think that there will be any actual starvation. As an instance of the scarcity of food io Dawson, Lindsay relates the case nf Dr. Vaozandt, formerly of Spokane, Wn. Vaozandtisan elderly man, and being without provisions or money, he offered a gold watch for a sick of flour. He could not get it and remarked to Lindsay : "God only knows how I am to keep body and soul together '* Lindsay *ays 200 or more mioers are prospecting at the month of Stewart river, but nothing is known as yet what success they have achieved. The weather about the Steward and Big Salmon river has been bitterly cold, 70 degrees below zero being re? corded The Yukon river between Dawsoo and Fort Pelly froze completely over on Nov 18 The river is piled full of ice in great ridges as high aa an ordi? nary house and roadway will have to be cut through it before doggor horse reams can operate upon it. The out? look, therefore, for taking supplies down to Dawson in the- immediate future is not good. Inspector of Minea McGregor left here a week ago with a o umber of dog teams and horses to make the attempt to reach Dawsoo with about 20 tons of provisions, but nothing has since been heard of bim. Death to Officer and Prisoner Kiogstree, Dec. 24.-News reached here early this morning that a shootiog scrape took place io the Jonesville section of this county late yesterday afternoon in wbiob altercation two men lost their lives. It seems that Mr. Philip Postoo, who acts as deputy or constable for Magistrate Ard in that section, bad a warran?; for the arrest of a negro named Turner, and be went to Turner's hou?e fqr the purpose of making the arrest. From all we can gather herc some alter? cation roust have ensued, in which both Poston and the negro lost their lives. It is not known what crime the negro was charged with. A messenger came herc early this morning, merely gibing the facis ?bove set forth, but he did not know any of the particulars-all of which we hope to get to-morrow. Mr. Philip Poetoc wss a highly re? spected citizen of the eounty. HR wa? a son of Mr Simon Posto?, one of cur largest mercbaots. Pb?IiD Po*ron was about 40 years of age He leaven a widow and several children. He married Mist Nannie Orr Ervin of Charleston. No one here ki;ows anything about tbe negro th*t got killed-whether be was ? bad character or not-and all chat we have possibly been aolc to f-tri? er about the ?ffair up to a late hour to? night is that tho t wo mtn ?re killed and no particulars of thc ?flair can b* had. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt recommends that at least a million dollars be expended in new buildings at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. Foreign Warships Off Corea's Coast. British Consul's Protest Against Russian Interfer? ence. London, Dec. 27-A special dis? patch from Shanghai says : "It is reported that 17 British war? ships are offCheumulpo, Corea, sooth east of Seoul, supporting the British consol's protest really amounting to an ultimatum against the king's prac? tically yielding the government of Co? rea ioto the hands of the Russian min? ister. "The protset ia especially directed against the' dismissal of McLeavy Brown, British adviser to the Corea customs, in favor of the Russian nom? inee. The newe has produced con? sternation at Seoul, which is height? ened by the knowledge that Japan has a fleet of 30 warships awaiting the result of the British representa tion that Japan fully supports Ja? pan is irritated by the arrival of Ens sian troops in Corea, and it is be? lieved she will oppose them "According to advices from Tokio, Japan has offered to assist the offi eera at Peking in drilling the Chinese army and to consent to a postpone? ment of the war indemnity Many of the viceroys and Peking officials favor the proposal " According to a dispatch to the Daily Mail from Shanghai, jt is re? ported there from reliable sources that a British force landed at Chemul? po on Saturday and caused the rein statement of McLeavy Brown. The same dispatch refers to "a native ru? mor that the Union Jack has been hoisted on an island in the mouth of the River Yank Tsing." The Peking correspondent of The Times says : "The government refuses to place the Likisk under, foreign control as security for the loans proposed by the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank and asserts that unless the loan is procurable without this condition, ar? rangements will be made for a Rus sian guaranteed 4 per cent loan o 100,000.000 taels, to be issued at 93 net The security would be the land tax, which would remain under Chi nese administration. China in re? turn wonid give Russia a monopoly of the railroads and mines uorth of the great wall, open a port as a ter? minus of railway (trans-Siberian) and would agree thai; a Russian should succeed Sir Robert Hart as director of the Chinese imperial maritime cus toms If these conditions should be permitted. British trade interests would suffer severely." The Shanghai correspondent of The Times says : "The sloop Phoenix sailed to day (Sunday) under orders to join the British squadron. The secretary is reserved with regard to the latter's movement, but gossip here suggests that its destination is Tallen." Dur rant's Latest Dodge. San Francisco, December 25.-The long promised sensation in tbe Durrant case developed when Mr. Durraat, father of the murderer, presented an affidaT? to Superior Court Judge Sewell charging Juror Smyth with having koowingly used certain information Bot presented at the trial of Durrant in deciding the merits of the case in bis (Smyth's) mind. Durrant, Sr., says Mr. Smith talked of tb? ease to reput? able persons before the trial was con? cluded ; that Smyth told the persons that Theodore Durrani, bad been oo terms of criminal intimacy with near relatives, and that be was abnormally developed; that Juror Smyth had in? timated that Durrant, Sr. knew of these relations, and that Smyth had made up his mind as to defendant's guilt before the (rial was half concluded. Durrani's attorneys have formulated papers on a motion for a ?rit and pro? bable cause and presented them to Judge Bahrs, but he denied the motion, and save notice that au appeal for pro? bable oausc should be made before the Supreme Court Thc attorneys for Durrant, Jr , say that this will be done io a few days Moody OD Sunday Labor. "There are one or two principles which apply directly to the frequent difficulties which meet the Christian young mau," writes Dwight L Moody of "A Young Man's Religious Life" in the January Ladi<-*' Hom? Journal. "lu Sunday labor there i* a certain amount of work that must be don? oo Sunday, both for tbe needs and health of a cqmtnuoify. Bat in oeeeasary work it ahoold be dispatched a? quickly a? poa*ib'e4 ^od not be used as an ex cute for 0?i?eVjft'*arT work. "When the L'-'td ordained a day of i rest it wai for man's best interests, > physicially, mentally and ?piritually, and aoy mao who barter? the day of ' rest to gratify the >elfi*b ioterea'i < of another i* always the Io*er Man i needs tor the welfare of bis sou), ae well as ni? body, ?t least one day io ' seven to devoto to in? special oeeds. I I know, from personal experience, that no mau cai: work seven day? ii; the i week, not even to religious work, and i do the best work he is eapable of, '. either for God or mao. And I have no t right to take (rom my neighbor what I < priie myself." I Fooling With an Old Cannon. A Christmas Salute That had a Fearful Result Asheville, N. C., December 25 -A crowd of coe hundred or more men and boys were firiog a Christmas salute from an old canoon on the outskirts of tbe towo to-day when a can of thirty pounds of ponder exploded io the thick of the crowd. Thirty or forty persons were injured, but oooe, it is believed fatally. The cannou wa? fired several times, and then Joseph Finche, ao employee oo the Southern Railway Company, picked up the powder can and began to reload the cannon. The gun had not been swabbed, and the moment the tiny stream of powder struck the heated metal there was a flub and the powded exploded with a report that made the earth tremble. A moment later there was a scene that made sick the hearts of those watching from a nearby hill. Io the smoke that rose from the explosion they saw human beings run blindly here and there over the hill, falling and rising only to fall again as they frantically rushed about, blinded and powder burned, madly trying to extinguish their flaming cloth? ing. Those who were unhurt ran to the aid of the unfortunate ones, smoth? ering garments or cuttiog the clothing from their bodies. One man was blown or rolled completely down the high bluff, two hundred feet, nearly to the river. Down to Three Per Cent Proposal of New York Banks to Reduce Interest Paid. New York, Dec. 27.-With the an j nooncement of the dividend to be \ paid next month by the .various sav ! ings banks of this city there is a gen? eral tendency to pay a lower rate of interest than heretofore. A few years ago practically all the older banks were paying interest at 4 per cent, per annum, but gradually this has been changed so that next year the rate of interest in many instances will be 3| per cent. President McCann of the Emi grant Industrial Savings bank said to day : j "Conditions are such now that the various banks are not earning as much as a few years ago, and conse? quently it is impracticable to pay a rate of interest that would perhaps tend to reduce the surplus The tendency is even toward a lower rate, say 3 per cent., not this year or even next, perhaps, but eventually. Most of the 6 per cent, government bonds have matured and but a few years can elapoe before they are all re? deemed While banka held these bonds it was possible to pay 4 per cent, but now in taking care of our new business it is not possible for a bank to earn more than 3-J per cent on its capital. Money on call is at present very cheap and there must be of necessity a retrenchment of some kind Real estate cannot be counted on too strongly and to day we cannot get in some instance more than 4J per cent on the very best bond and mortgage." President J. H. Rhoades of the Greenwich Savings bank, said there, was a general feeling, especially up the State, that under the present con? ditions of investments and returns 4 per cent, was too high and undoubt? edly the bankers would welcome any general movement to reduce the rate. Indeed, Mr. Rhoades had been ask? ed to lend his influence in this direc lion. Mr. Rhoades thought that ultimate? ly all savings banks would redjueerheir rates to 3? per cent, and possibly to" 3 per ceut Take JOHNSON'S CHILL & FEVER TONIC, ^-g^^ A HANDICAP. The Carolina Spartan, a Conservative paper which keeps a level head, re? marks : "It ts said that George D. Tillman wtll ruo for governor on the taloon ticket, provided the legislator does not abolish the dispensary. The Tillmans are generali j runner* wh tbev get a fair start But tbe p.op af ihi* state will not vote to return tbe old ?alooo system.v Tb ere is no discounting tba fae "uncle" George Ttllmao is one biggest meo in South Caralie .will be sadly handicapped into a gubernatorial campa ng retrogression io liqu Bis theory that "et he right to go to hell aili not hold the vote ;o cast their ballots.