Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FREE DELIVERY FOR PEOPLE ON FARMS. What Congressman Stokes Now Bill Proposes. IMPROVING M AI Ia SYSTEM. Hot KS a -Substitute for Free Bural Delivery, But on Star Boutes - as Stepping Stones. Washington, J so 14 -Repr?sent? ative Stokes was evidntly in a pleas? ant frame of mind this morning when your correspondent ran across him. He was jost coming from a conf?r? ence with thc sob committee on bis contested election case. He had had a very satisfactory interview, that was plain, though he did not care to talk contested elections jost trien. He? however, was. fol! of a bill which he will introduce to day-the text of which be showed your correspondent and talked freely about H. The title of the bi?? is: "A bill to extend free delivery of mail along star rookes " Under its terms all future contracts for carrying n ail on star routes will kejude this increased service. star route contractor will have this in mnr^ ?hes he pats in hie kid. The additional service will be slight, and the additional cost to the gov eminent correspondingly slight, bot the benefit to t he peo pie will be very great. Carriers, aa a general thing, deliver mail HOW along the line of their route by private contract for $1 or less per a anuru, to each family served. Of coarse, taking it in gross for everybody it could ne done for less still than for a few. It is con Sdent?y expected, however, that in? stead of such service as is provided in this bill being a charge upon the government, it would be a source of revenue. Thal; has been the history of all increases of mail facilities in the past. The increased cost of the -service bas invariably been more than ofiset by the increased revenue inci dent to better facilities. Mr. Stokes referred to the well * xnown result of reducing letter post? age from 3 per cent to 2 per cent. Those who had not studied sock matters carefully predicted an enor? mous deficit. The event proved jost the reverse The same state of facts was found after the inauguration of the free deliver for cities-the in creased revenas more than paid the increased cost of the service. This bill of Mr. Stokes provides that mai! boxes shall be placed along the star routes on the roadside, and . for convenience, numbered consecu? tively from the initial point of the route Those desiring their mail deposited in these boxes will leave with the nearest postmaster on each side of them a written request for the delivery of their mail to the carrier, designating the number of the box io which it is tc be deposited, and thereupon it becomes the doty of the carrier to deposit said mail in the box without charge to the addressee Thus every person living on or near a star route *oold get bis mail every time the carrier passed without expense er loss of time in ?oing to tlie postcffice It ia easy Ito see that by multipli? cation of the star roetes radiating from the several railroad offices, a very cheap aod effective free delivery sys tem cocid be realized-one that there is every reason to expect would be come at once self sustaining. For the present, the people who get this service woold have to furnish their own bose 3, bat the bill contem? plates that ultimately these shall be famished by the government, if the service justifies it The cost in large numbers would be small to the gov -er:: sent ; bot that is what is being done in many of the city districts, says Congressman Stokes, and "I am ia this asking oaly that the country residents be fed out of the same spoon that the government uses to dish oat benefits to our city cousins " Mr. Stokes doe? not offer this bill aa a substitute for the free rural delivery with which he has been prominently identified in the past, bot as a supplemental proposition-a sort of transition stage. A general system of rural free delivery is bound to come in the evolution of our postal system. It may be in the form already inaugu? rated here and there tbroogboot the United States, or it may be throogh acme modificat i oe of this star route ays tem? or it may be through a ays tem of postal wagons radiating from several railroad offices. But what? ever may be its final form, as approv? ed by experiment, it will be a perma? nent system and will be self sustain? ing. Washington, Jan 16 -The navy department bas designed the follow? ing warships to form the squadron of evolution which is to go sooth ander direct command of Admiral Samp? son : Flagship New York, Brooklyn, Indiana, Texas, Chicago, Newark. Machias. They will be accompanied by the following named colliers and supply sb i ps : Marcel los, Lebanon and ?apply. The ships are ordered to be at Habana prior to the 1st of j Tiley Ask For Recognition. Aguinaldo's Representative Files His Papers, Washington, Jan. 15.-Senor Felipe Agoncillo, the representative of Gen Aguinaldo in Washington, has filed with the state department a memorandum setting forth at length the reasons for bis claim that the Philippine government should be recognized by the United States Accompanying the m?morandum is a letter in which Senor Agonciilo states he has received no reply to his communication of Jan.6, in which he asks that a suitable time be arranged when he could be presented to the I president and heard upon his claims. In view of the position in which the representatives of the American gov? ernment and the representatives of the Philippine government find them seives upon the islands at this time, he. urges that (be matter be given immediate attention. The letter aod the memorandum have been listed as official documents in the state department, and although the officiais themselves have refused to make them public, they have nevertheless expressed a willingness for. Senor Agoncillo to do so if he wishes. The papers are now in the bands of Secretary Hay. The mern orandnm is along the same lines as statements heretofore made public by tbe Filipino representative. GOOD NEWS FROM GEN OTIS' Dispatches Indicate Distinct Improvement. Washington, Jan, ?4.-The war de? partment officials were much encouraged to-day upon the receipt of news from Gen. Otis at Manila that indicated distinct improvement in situation there. The general's dispatch completely nega? tives the absurd story froai Madrid that the American troops at Manila bad rou? tined and refused to proceed to Iioilo, necessitating the withdrawal of Gen. Miller's expedition against that port. Although the statement has been made before, it is jest as well to repeat the fact that Gen. Otis is absolute m as? tor of the situation wherever be has planted bia foot, and undoubtedly is able to carry out any policy within rea? son aa to the treatment of the natives that the administration shall dictate Riordan's Cotton Letter. New York, Jan. 14 -Tee march ?towards higher prices, for cotton continues. In the early part of this week the rise assumed important proportions, but during the last few days, heavy foreign selling, presum? ably on straddles between this market and Liverpool, checked the advance and started realizing bere, which bas resulted in leaving bot a moderate net gain for the week. A sharp falling off in receipts bas encouraged the bulls, but it bas been robbed of much of its effect by the prevalence cf very bad weather in the sooth and the fear t?at this may be largely responsible for. the small movement. March closed to day 5 69 to 5 70, against 5 63 to 5.64 last Saturday It touched the high point, 5.78, on Tuesday. The Money Spent on Vol? unteers. Washington, Jan. 14-Senators Tillman and McLaurin of Sooth Car? olina called on the president to day relative to the recent decision of tbe comptroller of the treasury, that the States which expended money in raising volunteer regiments for ser? vice in the late war could not be remunerated by the Federal govern? ment. In the case of the southern States the money so expended is to be applied on the debt owing from the States to the Federal government. In the case of South Carolina, how? ever, this money was advanced by Gov Sllerbe out of bis pocket in order to facilitate matters The same thing was true of the governor of Mis? souri. President McKinley suggest? ed that the only remedy lay in special legislation by congress. He indi? cated .that he would approve a spe? cial bill if it were passed. Senator Mclaurin will introduce a special bill. Statement From Col. Neal. It is stated that as soon as Col. Neal is able to transact any business the $ 1 '.00.0 pi omised by tbe peni tentary board of directors will be paid into the State treasury. Bra. Taylor and Pope think that within the next three or four days he will be able to receive visitors. He bas informed a reporter that as soon as he is able, he will make a statement for the public in regard to some things that have transpired since he has been confined to his bed.-State, Jan. 17. '*Professor," said a graduate, try? ing to be pathetic at parting, "I am indebted to you for all I know." "Pray do not mention such a trifle,1' was the reply.-Tit-Bite. Would Give Them Indepenence The Way Mr. Hoar Would Deal With the Filipinos. Washington, Jan. 14 -A resolu? tion of more than ordinary signifi canoe and importance was introduced in the senate to day by Mr Hoar, of Massachusetts, lt is as follows : Resolved, That the people of the Philippine islands of right ought to be free and independent ; that they are absolved1 from all allegiance to the Spanish crown, and that all political connection between them and . Spain ought to be totally dissolved, and that they have, therefore, full power to do all acts and things which inde? pendent states may of right do ; that it Fs their right to institute a new government for themselves, lay? ing its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness, and that with these rights the people of the United States do not propose to interfere. "I should like to have it adopted immediately," said Mr. Hoar. "I object," said Mr. Davis, (Minn.), chairman, of the foreign relations committee, and the resolu? tion went over. MR. EDMUNDS WROUGHT UP With al! tbe traditional facility of polities for making strange bedfellows we have seldom seen more sodden oew associations than have been brought forth by the new poliey of territorial expansion. Mr. Cleveland and Mr. Bryan were never together before, ard with them we find no lees remarkable companions than ex-Senator Edmunds,^Cari Schurz, Andrew Carnegie aod many others that could be named None of these eminent anti-expan? sionists is more aotive tb an Mr. Ed? munds. He appears to have his whole heart in the opposition to the adminis? tration 's spread-out poliey. It is conceded even by those who do not agree with bim that Senator Ed? munds pots his views and reasons io a very forcible way. He does that oo every subject that he disociases. Mr. Edmunds sees even more danger io the proposed annexation of the Phil? ippines than the average anti expan? sionist. He calls attention to the fact that these islands have II population denser than that of Michie on and that of "all this conglomerate of races the Euperopeao and Americans compose less than 2 per cent after more, than 200 years of European occupation.7' Tbe Filipinos never have been to any con? siderable extent consumers of American produets and there is oo prospect that they ever will be When Dewey destroyed the Span? ish fleet and captured Manila nearly all the Philippines beyond that city and its immediate environments were in the possession of the insurgents. Mr. Edmunds is convinced that "the people of these islands who were carryiog on the rebellion in order to be free and independent do not de? sire to be annexed," and that they will resist annexation with every means they can command. A war of conquest would be contrary to all our traditions and to our avowed principles. How can we be justified, asks Mr. Edmonds, in "enforcing by the sword our particular and excel? lent idea of government, morality and religion upon these people as Mohammed did in bis religious wars, and as Spain did in her earlier opera? tions on this continent ?" According to Mr. Edmunds all of the Filipinos who were subjects of Spain wiil become citizens of the United States by the mere act of cession, and as such will have all the rights belonging to other citizens in the territoiies. "COSSOJSU, there? fore, cannot lawfully prevent the migration of any citizen residing in the Philippines to our states, any more than it can lawfully prevent the migration of the citizens of the states to the Philippines." Shonld the Filipinos fight us, as it seems certain that they will, it would probably require years and the loss of many lives to accomplish their subjugation, to say nothing of the enormous expense in money. Mr. Edmunds asserts the complete power of the senate over the treaty, to amend or reject, and suggests that it may be so amended as to provide substantially the same scheme that bas been devised by us for Cuba, so that the Filipinos may be left to gov* ern themselves The editors end politicians whe ?re attempting to dispose of Mr. Ed? monds' objections to imperialism have their hands full Paris, Jan. 16 -M. Loew, presi? dent of the criminal brauch of the court of cassation, in au interview pub? lished in the Journal to day, estimates that three weeks will elapse before the court of cassation will hold a public bearing of the Dreyfus case The judge also declares that the court is in possession of documents furnished by Maj Court Esterkazy is inexact. The White is king of Sewing Machine? INDIAN AGENT HAYES. Conpetroller General Derham has received a communication from two Catawba Indians, James and R Lee Harris, protesting against the way Indian Agent Hayes bas dispensed the $1,000 appropriated by the State for the tribe. They say his report of disbursements is all wrong and does not actually show how the money was disposed of They allege that the agent paid school teachers of the Indians in due bills and charg? ed them an exorbitant rate of in? terest. They allega that in many cases they, as teachers, had to trade out their pay certificates in the agent's store. The other Indians had to do the same thing, it is stated. The letter says : . "We -are somewhat surprised at the mistakes made by our present agent, Mr. J. H. Hayes of Lesslie, S. C. As you will see by examining our report with bis, there is quite a difference between ours and his Has be a right to use the Catawba Indians' money in his business and then charge commissions on the school fund ? Has he a right to pay our teacher in due bills. There are not 75 Indians on the reservation in all. As it is reported 75 half whites. This is a broad mistake. R Lee Harris, James Harris, Committee for Catawba Indians. Sorghum for Stock. Any soil that will grow a good crop of corn is suitable for sorghum and without any special fertilizer This crop is fast becoming popular in sections where droughts are common and more or less prolonged. It is used for hog and general stock pasturing and the stalks are fed in winter with good results. The best results are usually obtained if the plant is grown in drills three feet apart but thick in the row, requir? ing from six to eight quarts of seed per acre For stock food the Early Orange is preferred owing to the size and strength of the canes The great value of sorghum is shown in times of drought when it retains all its green and fresh look even when corn and grass are burned yellow. It may be cut and fed in the pasture at such times with good results The yield of seed is frequently more than 50 bushels per acre and the kernels are eaten readily by all slock. Hogs thrive on the heavy stalks which they break and strip io getting to the pith, reducing the stalk te a con? dition in which it makes good bed ding. Horses thrive or sorghum and will eat the large canes, although the hay is preferred A small plot of sorghum should be put in the coming season by every farmer who grows corn, and, especially if be is located in a sectioa j where droughts are common - I ? T Stackey Granted Bail. Colombia, Jan. 17-The State supreme court, yesterday heard a motion to grant bail to John K. Stuckey, who shot and killed John Sevier, former bookkeeper, in Spar tanburg. Bail was granted in the sum of $3,000 and there is no doubt that the bond can be easily made as Stuckey is a man of means and has always stood weil in Spartanburg business circles. Wedded a Convict. Atlanta, Ga , Jan. lo-A special to the Constitution from Mobile. Ala , says Miss Iona Lay of Mont gomery, a young woman of excellent family, was married at Dolive, a con? vict camp a few miles north of here, yesterday to Dr. W S. Baldwin, a convict. Baldwin is a member of one of the most influential families in the State. He killed a young man named Edson, in Bullock county, two years ago, and was sentenced for two years. He is a highly educated and a polished fellow, and has, since his incarceration, been serving the State as a convict physician. Last year Miss Lay had charge of a school near where Baldwin was stationed, and a mutual ii "aiuation ensued. Ail efforts on the part of relatives to break up the affair were futile. On Saturday Miss Lay boarded the train in Montgomery and came to Dolive, where the ceremony was per? formed. _ To Our Subscribers-Important. Tbe Quaker Valley Mfg. Co. of Chicago bare requested as to announce that tbej bfiive eeTeral thousand sets of the finest coin silver plated War Memorial Spoons made to retail at$3 a set. Tbej wilt mail, postpaid, a full set of six of these spoons to ever j subscriber to the Watchman and Southron, who will send oaose aod addres-a postal card will do. If, oo receipt of the spoons, rou f?od them the most exquisitely beautiful specimens of the silversmith's art jou ever saw, aod worth $3, remit 78 cents, as payment io foll, within 30 days ; if not pleased, return spoons im? mediately. Each spoon is of a different de? sign-after-dinner coffee size--showing sol? diers in camp in Cuba, Morro Castle and four U. S. Battleships They are imperishable mementoes of the late war, aod every sub? scriber should accept this most remarkable offer, and obtain a set before it is too late. All that's necessary is to say you're a sob. scriber to the Watchman and Southron (this is important) aod that yon accept .Memorial Spooo Offer. Address Quaker Valley Mfg. Co., 357 W Harrison St., Chicago. Dec 21 When you eaooot sleep far coughing take Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. It always gives prompt relief. It is most excellent for colds, too, as it aids expectoration, relieves the longs sod preveo ts soy tendency toward pneumonia. For sale by Dr. A. J. Chios. SHIPS SAVED AT SEA. WHAT IS MEANT BY "SALVAGE" AND HOW IT IS PAID. There Ia Ko La.rr That Signals of Dis? tress at Sea. Must Be Heeded-Ifn'b lic Opinion Alone Enforces Re? sponses to Calls For Help. Salvage on ships saved at sea by oth? ers in the majority of cases is paid by the underwriters, although the big steam? ship companies insure themselves. The insurance companies think that a board of arbitration can moro satisfactorily adjust salvage claims than can the courts. The word salvage, ??s defined by that celebrated admiralty anthority, Roscoe, is "the reward which is earned by those who have voluntarily saved or assisted in saving a ship or boat or their apparel or any sort thereof or the lives of persons at sea or a ship, cargo or any part thereof, from peril ur a wreck from total loss. " The last part of the definition is a trifle puzzling. I In discussing the merits of salvage cases it must be remembered that there is no obligation, written or implied, ? upon the master or crew of any vessel to heed signals of distress. Public opin? ion alone enforces the idea that "a call {for help at sea must be obeyed." The I laws of salvage are merely framed to encourage the saving of life and proper I ty on the deep. There is avarioe in the mariner as in landsmen, and the laws ( are made to overcome and curb these mercenary ambitions. For that reason a master and his crew cannot expect salvage f or saving their own vessel. It is the natural assumption in law, as well as in fact, that they must do everything they can to preserve their charge a nd under an agreement with the owners keep it from danger when? ever possible. In salvage one of the first laws is that the peril must be actual. The bargain made in time cf danger by the master or agent of the imperiled craft with an? other volunteering aid need not of neces? sity hold in court, and generally does not. Asa rule the bargain is exorbitant and made at a time when the victim would be willing to guaran tee the pay? ment of millions for proffered assist? ance. This point has been decided hun? dreds of times, the courts taking the stand that the peril made an exor? bitant bargain necessary. As a general thing, the salvage award is equal to about one-third the value in the case of sailing craft and from one-third to one-half in the case of steamers. The owners of the salving craft, whose money was wasted by de? lay, wear and tear, are of course en? titled to the bigger piece of the plum. The master of the salvor gets about twice the sum that his mate receives, and the mate is paid something like double the amount of each eailor. Should the latter have been a mem? ber of a lifeboat crew used in running hawsers or in going aboard as a prize crew he and his mates are entitled to an extra compensation. Naval officers cannot claim salvage when the work accomplished is in the direct line of their duty., In the case of a abandoned vessel there isa peculiar lawas applied to ownership. No matter where the dere? lict be found and towed or assisted in by a prize cre^v or otherwise the court holds that sue is still the property of her original owners, although abandon? ed by her crew, their agents, and that . no effort has been made by them to re? cover her. It sounds peculiar to the average mariner, but it's the law. To make a successful salvage claim it is necessary that the pr?Pertv must be actually saved and saved by those claim? ing to be salvors. In other words, the salvage services must ibe rendered by persons not bound by contract to render them. If the mariner or other encoun? ters the danger or misfortune or dam? age which might possibly expose the ship to destruction uni BES assistance is rendered and does all he can to save the vessel, and his services tend in some de ? gree to save or preserve her, compensa? tion will be awarded him, although the vessel i s mainly preserved by other means. The longest time that any one steam? er has been at sea with disabled ma? chinery before reaching port was 77 days. This was the United States cor? vette Iroquois in 1890. She was bound to Samoa from Honolulu, and had only seven days' rations left when port was reached. In 1897 the steamer Indralema was towed into St Thomas after hav? ing been at sea for 47 days. The Glas? gow steamer Strathness, after drifting 32 days out of the range of steamers, was towed into St. Michael's in Janu? ary, 1897, by the British steamer Han? nah M. Bell. Another Strath, the Strathnevis, drifted helplessly on the Pacific for two moDths. and over in 1895, and was finally towed into Puget sound. The Disptach in 1864 was out 61 days with crippled machinery, and four years ago the British cruiser Ca? lypso broke down 2,000 miles from port and sailed in unaided, much to the de? light of the dwindling band of naval experts who maintain that every war? ship ought to be provided with ample sail power. The owners of those ships that were obliged to drift for weeks, and in sev? eral cases for months, wculd not have found fault with the question of salvage had a helping hand come along-at least there would have been no com? plaint just then.-New York Mail and Express. Work of Helpmates. I was driving through one of the best farming districts in western Ontario a few years ago. I expressed my admira? tion. "Yes," said my companion, who knew th9 country thoroughly, "nearly all the farmers around here have second wives." " Why?" was my surprised inquiry. "Oh," he answered, "they killed their first wives making the farm!" - Perth Expositor. SHE GOT HIM BACK. How tlie Dog's Mistress Retained Her Pet Spaniel. When Mrs. Marie Nevins Blaine was married to Dr. W. T. Bull, ber pet spaniel, Lion, was banished. After th8 couple had been married a year Mrs. Brill persuaded her husband to let Lion return for a week, promising to keep him in the stable. Three days of Lion's visit had passed when as Dr. Bull was taking off his overcoat in his office there came a rap afc the inner door. It was so faint that at first he did not notice it. Then when it was repeated he said, "Come in." No one came, but the rapping went on. He opened the door, and there stood Lion. He had been knocking the door with a little wooden box he held in his mouth, addressed to Dr. Bull. The doctor took the box, and Lion, too polite to intrude, turned and walked in a dignified man? ner back up stairs. The doctor opened the box and read the tiny note contain? ed therein, smiled and threw it in the scrapbasket The next day Lion knocked and left another note. The third time be came there was a reply for him. The doctor said, "Lion, wait." He took the box, abstracted the note, put one of his own in its place, and handing the box back to the dog gave him a pat and sent him up stairs. Here is a copy of Lion'a notes and the reply they finally elicited: DE AB DOCTOS-I arc enjoying my visit to my mistress very much. It was very kind of you to invite me here, and I have tried to behave the best I know how. It will be hard to lea vd my mistress again. I wish you would like mo a little bit LION. The letter which Lion carried back co his mistress read: LION--You are such a respectable, well bred fellow that your visit is extended indefinitely. W.T.B. -Boston Journal. . MOIST WEATHER. ; A Description of a Spell of Humidity . on the Wabash. "Talking about rainy weather," said the westerner, "I remember once out in Indianapolis meeting a farmer who took the most cheerful view of damp? ness of anybody I ever saw. I asked him if they had had much rain down on the Wabash that spring. " 4 Well, it has been a little damp, ? he answered. 'The day before I left home I had to hang up 24 of my ducks. They had got so water soaked that they couldn't swim any longer. I planted my corn in two feet of water, and I don't expect over 30 bushels to tho acre. My wheat is looking pretty well, but the sturgeon and catfish have damaged it considerably. There was about 15 minutes' sunshine one day, and I thought I would plant my potatoes, so I loaded them on a scow and anchored the scow in three feet of water, when it began to rain again. " *I wanted to go down on the bottom lands next the Wabash to see if the grass was growing for my hay crop, but my wife said that as we didn't have any diving bell she'd rather I wouldn't I should feel kind of discouraged w: th all the rain, but I've spent my odd hours ol' leisure time-and the even ones, too, on account of staying in out of the wet -building us an ark. If it will only rain another week or two until I get her ready to sail, I'm going to take my family out to Missouri by water for a trip to visit our folks that moved off out there because they didn't know enough to stay in a place where they were comfortable.'"-Boston Tran? script. His Concern. A commercial traveler on his trip called upon a well known chemist. He was nervous as he put his hand in his pocket and handed out a card. "I represent that concern," said the young man. "You are fortunate," replied the chemist. The commercial traveler was encour? aged and said : "I think so, sir, and the chemist who trades with us is even more sa My firm has the finest line of cosmetics in the country." "I shouldn't have thought it," slow? ly responded the man of medicines. "Her complexion looks natural." And be handed back the photograph which the young man had given him by mistake. He took it and left without waiting to make any farewell* remarks." -London Sketch. Worship of the Tiger. The carcass of the tiger was carried to the adjacent village, where a hen was decapitated in front of it by the Gonds as an offering to the tiger god, while all the women assembled and did obeisance to the monster, bringing also their children, and placing each a small coin on the tiger's body or in front of its jaws; for these primitive people look on the tiger as their god, and small marvel seeing what a wondrous crea? ture he is, with matchless symmetry of form and mighty strength, before which man seems an insignificant pup? pet-"Tropics and Snows, " by Burton. Why She Was Sad. It was in a little out of the way place in the country, and as the recent arrival passed some asked who she was. "She i s a society woman who has been wishing for tbs last tea years tbat she could get away from the triais *nd anxieties and bores and superficiality of society, " wes the answer. "But why is she so sad?" "Because at last she has got away from them."-Chicago Post. The seeds of the Philippine bean from the coast near Manila so closely resem? ble the quartz pebbles, among which they fall, in shape, size and color, lus? ter, hardiness and stratification as to be almost indistinguishable. The first gold coin called a sovereign wss coined in the reign of Henry VIII The present sovereign, as current at 20 shillings, was first issued in 161?.