The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 16, 1902, Image 3

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? ViHDGiTIOK OF SUMTER FIREMEN FROM CALDEN FIREMEN'S FALSE CHARGES. A Statement of Facts by the Chief of the Somier Fire Department Editor The Daily Item; It is not surprising that the. Camden Firemen would like to. drop the charge of fraud and discourtesy , they have brought against Sumter, for they know such charges are unkind, ungentlemanly and untrue. They are sore over their defeat, but can justly blame no* one but them selves, for they had an equal chance at all prizes, and would have won had their team.been faster than the . win ners;- and to attempt to espi?i s -their defeat by charging fraud is small and unbecoming In g?h??m?n. They assert that the water pressure was not good when they ran, and that they were forced to use mo:re hose than the rule? required, ancl "claim they easily., won first place, but were cheated out of it I deny each and every one of the above assertions, and will introduce in support of my assertions, state ments from^iit?emen ^hos? - standing j is well known and whose honor and integrity" cannot be questioned,- and challenge Camden to produce any tangible evidence -to- support-their statements. Xo visiting company received more | attention than did Camden, and they were tendered- the use of everything in the department, and when they were not satisfied, with what we had, Capt Hood borrowed for them, from | the No. 3 Company of Columbia, wagon, harness and hangers and further offered to secure horses, if necessary or desired. Camden was the only company ] detected in the attempt to enter anyj race in direct violation of the rules and regulations governing the contest. They, with all other companies, en tered into an agreement to. weigh , a&j wagons stripped, and to furnish the net weight of wagons alone, to the starting judge, yet within a few hours after they entered into this agreement, they came to the. .track . to enter the race, and it was discovered that they had 292 pounds of old iron concealed in their tool bos, .and the wago.i had been-weighed withthis iron. , "Why did they weigh this old " iron with their wagon when they had agreed to weigh the wagon alone? Then it was developed that Camden stated to the Chief Marshal that their hosehacH?een measured?by -the^tart ing judge, and found correct; he l&eteujm^recl^ them ter pla?r*thei hose in their wagon and come to the scratch, when objection was raised, by a representative of the Deigar team, and their hose was ordered measured, and found four feet and four inches shorter than - the rules prescribe. Why did Camden attempt to enter the ra with short hose? For obvious reasons, they claim their hose had shrunk, but such a claim is preposterous,- and can only mislead those who know nothing of the nature of hose. The Deigar team ran a clean, fair race, in strict compliance with all ; rules and regulations, and asked nor .received favors from no one, neither did they, receive any special conces sions, but ran a race totally devoid of all trickery, fraud or deception ; and any statement, or insinuation to the contrary is absolutely false. . In support of my position, I beg that you will publish the accompanying statements, which were unhesitatingly furnished, and vili explain them selves. Respectfully, W. S. Graham, Capt. Deigar Reel Team and Chie:: Fire Department. Samter, S. C, July 10, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: I was Chairman and Capt. Rbame, of the Camden team, was Sec retary : of the Captains' meeting, at which a resolution was introduced, and carried, to the effect that all hose wagons entering the races, must be stripped before being weighed, and th?. net weight of the wagon alone be furnished to the judges, and if any deficiency in weight should occur, then the Judges should supply the necessary weight by adding sacks of shot provided for the purpose by the Sumter Fire Department Very truly, R. S. Hood, Chairman. Mr. W. S. Graham. Dear Sir: You ask me for a state ment as to the facts as to weight of Camden hose reel wagon. I was asked by the Captains, or some of them, to weigh each and every hose wagon ; all wagons to be empty and stripped of all weight except such hose as they intended to use. While at dinner on the day of races I was told by one of our young men who works with me at stable that Camden wagon had been at scales and he had t .ken weight of same. He told me the.weight and I said,' "Ar? you sure you weighed that wag?n right, as, that seems ^pretty heavy for that small wagon?" He said, "I am sure I weighed it right." I said, "Did you strip the wagon, see that | everything was out of boxes?" "No sir, I did not," was his reply. I told him if he weighed it he should have done so. Some of the boys asked me the weight of the Camelen wagon. I told them I had not weighed it, but this young man had, and also his weight of same. They expressed sur prise at weight and said that would not go, but Camden must weigh over and I must weigh it. Some of the firemen went off and brought Camden back, with a young white man driving. I was told that he was the Chief of Camden's Fire Department. I asked him if he would open up and show his boxes, which he readily did. 1 foand one of his boxes near the rear step full of old iron weights, and pieces of iron and brass, which I had him to take out and then I weighed it over and found his weight 1620 pounds. His .first weight was 1912 pounds. Making a difference of 292 pounds. Now, Mr Graham, I am not prepared to say that there was anything wrong in this weight, as Camden still had the weights in wagon when she came back to me, and I ask ed, her Chief what connection they had to the fire wagon. His answer was we use them to help us ? when we have to put on more weight to get a" certain amount of weight. * Now, I am sorry that there is some bad feeling in this matter and I don't care to have anything to say, but these are the facts in the case. Respectfully, C. W. S tensili. Charleston, S. C, July 14, 1902 Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: My opinion is ? that Tournament was absolutely fair and square, and each team had a fair start. M. J. Grace, Starting Judge. Columbia, S. C, July 9, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: During the hose wagon races held in your city, June 26th last, I was stationed at hydrant, as hydrant judge, and I am positive that -every team received the same treat ment, and so far as I was able to see, .there was a total absence of every .thing that, bordered, on trickery or Hfratttdf * I am confident that the water pres sure was the same throughout, and the winning team won. on its merits. Very truly, W. J. May, Chief Columbia Fire Department. Columbia, S. C, July 15. W. S. Graham, Chief Fire Dept. We have no complaint, everything fair and square. " Chas. Narey, Capt. Columbia Ne. & Columbia, S. C, July 15. W7 SrGrrahaia, "Sumier, "BTCT' Your courtesy all that could be ex pected and I have no complaint. Jno. B. Rodgers, President Ind. Fire Co. Columbia, S. C, July 15. W. S. Graham, Chief Fire Dept., Sumter, S. C. I consider the tournament held in your city as fair as any we ever at tended, both with courtesy and fair ness to alL Geo. A. Shields, Prest. Palmetto Fire Co. Sumter, S. C, July 10, 1902. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: Following" the wishes of the local firemen, I instructed the en gineer at the pumping station to keep the standpipe running over during all the races held here during the recent tournament, and I am positive tha? my instructions were carried out to the letter. The maximum pressure obtainable at the hydrant at which all connections were made during the races, is from 53 to 55 pounds. Very truly, H. L. Scarborough, Supt. Sumter Water Co., and County Treasurer. Sumter, S. C, July 10, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S C. Dear Sir: I am chief engineer at the pumping station of the Sumter Water Company, and a practical plumber. At the request of the chief of Fire Department, I placed a water gauge near she hydrant to be used during the firemen's tournament, held here June 25-26 last. I had instructions from the superin tendent to have the stand pipe run ning over during all the races of the tournament, which instructions were very rigidly followed. On the day of the hose wagon races, I started the pumps and had every thing in good order, so left my assist ant in charge of the pumps, and I went to see the races. When I reach ed the track I went immediately to the pressure gauge to see that it was all right, and to see that the pumps were working. I very carefully watched the gauge throughout all the races, and I know the pressure was the same. The maximum pressure was from 53 to 55 pounds, and the gauge at all times during the races, showed that the pumps were slowly working and the stand pipe was full, so there could be no difference in the pressure. Very truly, W. K. Epperson. At the request of Chief Graham of the Fire Department of Sumter, I make the following statement in regard to the action of the Camden Hose Team in the recent Firemen's Tourna ment held here. I was Chief Marshall at the request of the Fire Department, and showed the same treatment to all the teams here. The only deviation from the orders given me was just before the Camden team ran on the second day. The judges on the stand called upon me to hurry up matters as it was then growing late. I went to the starting point and found the start ing judge (Mr. Grace) trying to get off the Columbia team. I found the Camden hose then not in the wagon, and I asked the Captain if his hose had been measured and if it was cor rect, and he said "yes." I then said if you will state upon your word that your hose has been measuied and is correct, I will order you to put it in the wagon, whereupon he answered "itjs;" I then said go ahead and hurry up things, whereupon Mr. Earnest Buitman, of the Delga r team, objected, saying "the hose must be remeasured." I then went to Mr. Grace and asked him if he had the measurements of the Camden hose in bis book and he said, "I have not measured it, but will send my assist ant, Mr. Daily, to do so at once, as I am starting this team." When I ask ed the Captain of the Camden team if his hose had been measured, I meant had it been measured by the judge as all the other teams had. been done and was surprised to find that Mr. Grace did not have his measurements at all. He probably understood me to say had his hose been measured, meaning by himself, but in either case he had no reason or any right to say that they were correct, and when upon remeasur ing they were found to be between 4 and feet short. On my return to the starting point after the Columbia team had run, the hose were stil?not in the wagon, and I asked why, and was told that they had been measured and found about feet short ; asking why, was told that the hose had shrunk up. I then offered to procure some hose from the Delgar team for them, but was told that it would not fit. I did procure a, section of hose j from the Columbia team and lent it to the Camden team immediately. They complained of no discourtesy on my part then, [as it was procured at once. In my opinion a length of 300 feet of hose might shrink some, but hardly to the extent of 4 or 5 feet. In the capacity of Chief Marshall I was thanked by many of the visiting teams for the fair treatment they'had received, and the exceptionally clear track they had to run on, which they said reflected great credit "upon Sum ter and her* firemen. All this being contrary to the statement made by the C?mden team. Yours respectfully, Irving A. Ryttenberg, Marshall. Sumter, S. C, July 10, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir : I was on the track during the hose wagon races held here on June 26th, and I very frequently examined the water guage, and at all times found the pressure practically the same. Very truly, J. K. Bradford, Chief Sumter Police. Sumter, S. C, July 10, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: I was stationed by the Mayor, at the hydrant to watch the water gauge, immediately after Delgar team ran ; I then found the pressure to be fifty three pounds, from which point it never moved more than one to three pounds. I carefully watched the gaage while all teams were run ning, and I know that Camden had fifty-four pounds, which is as much as can be had at the hydrant to which all connections were made. Very truly, L. E. White, Street Commissioner. Sumter, S. C, July 10, 1902. Mr. W. S. Graham, Sumter, S. C. Dear Sir: Immediately following the run of the Delgar team, in the recent tournament, held, here, my attention was called, by a Camden man, to what he claimed to be.a difference in water pressure. I thereupon examined the pressure guage and found it then registered fifty-three pounds, which I believe to be the maximum pressare obtainable at that particular hydrant. Mr. L. E. White, a sworn officer of the city, was then stationed to watch the guage, and I requested a Camden man to assist, and also watch ed the guage, and know the pressure remained the same, or practically so, throughout ^ the remainder of the races. Very truly,' W. B. Boyle, Alderman. Fine Fishinq in the Catawba. The Chester Lantern tells of a fish erman who caught in the Catawba one day last week a sturgeon which weighed 236 pounds. The Lantern also says that the river seems to be literally filled with a fine variety of fish this summer, and that the same fisherman recently caught in his fall trap a wagon load of the denizens of the deep. Our reports go to confirm the Lantern's statement. While none of our fishermen have been able to fill a5,wagon body with their catch, they have had anything else but "fisher man's luck" this spring. The seiners have all been rewarded by the hauling in of large quantities of fish.?Rock Hill Herald. BIOT IN 0RAN6EBUR8. One Negro Killed and Another Seriously Wounded. ???? Orangeburg, July 13.?An incipient riot participated in by whites and De grees in which knives were freely used, held a portion of the main street of the city last night between 10 and 11 o'clock and ?s a result there is one dead negro today and several others are under treatment for wounds. It is not an easy matter to get at the primary facts what caused the row and by whom particularly it was started. It is supposed, however, to have originated in a difficulty between white men and a negro, the former being the aggressors; who are here under Foreman Eaynes of the Atlanta construction department of the Bell Telphene "company stringing cables for the local exchange. It is freely charged that the same parties have on several occasions here tofore raised disturbance with negroes on the streets without the slightest cause. And it may be added that the negroes were at no time the aggress ors nor did they give any cause for the attack last night. This is the evidence of those who saw the most of the row. A NON-COMBATANT KILLED. Isaac Smith, the man who died to day, from wounds received is said not to have been a participant in the row, but was peacefully and quietly walking the streets when, he receiv ed his death wound. It is also charged that some of the local white people were abettors of the strangers in last nights' disgraceful affair. NEWS ITEMS. Seattle, Wash, July 13.?Notwith standing the general, belief that Tracey is on the verge of collapse as the result of buckshot wounds and illness result ing from exposure in the wet brush, he managed to keep hidden from the officers today. This was especially disappointing to the four sheriffs now on his trail, as they had led him an exhausting chase up to last night, and hoped to push the pursuit toan actual encounter today. The search will be continued with renewed zeal. Berlin, July 13.?A private dispatch here from Warsaw says that the agricultural societies of Poland are negotiating with American manufac turers direct for the purchase of ma chinery, excluding the German mid dlemen. This step is believed to be aimed also at German machinery. Several newspapers publish the above dispatch as illustrative of the efforts of Americans to' supplant German manufacturers. New York, July 13.?The Peary Arctic steamer Windward arrived at Jersey City today and will go into commission and depart for the north tomorrow. Pek?n, July 13.?The foreign minis ters to China have agreed upon the conditions for the restoration of the government of Tien Tsin to China, and these conditions await the signa ture of the Italian minister, * the Marquis Salvaog Raggi, who is absent, for presentation to the Chi-i nese Government. According to the conditions the thirty kilometer .radius from which Chinese troops are exclud ed is reduced to twenty kilometres, the limitation of the number of police which the Chinese may maintain within the radius is eliminated and the concessions granted by the Pro visional Government are ignored. King Edward Goes to Sea. London, Julyfl?.?The specially con structed ambulance in which King Edward is to be removed from Buck ingham palace to the railway station was taken to the palace this afternoon. Six blue jackets who have been selected to remove the king went through a rehearsal by removing the couch on which the king has at times been rest ing to the ambulance, under the direc tion of the nurses. His majesty, when he is taken from the palace tomorrow will be accom panied by Queen Alexandra, Prince and Princess" Charles of Denmark, Sir Francis Knollys, the king's private secretary, and the attending physi cian. It is understood that no bulletin regarding the king's condition will be issued until his majesty shall be safely on board the Victoria and Albert to morrow evening. All the Jews engaged in the iron ore and coal miDing industries in the Gov ernment of Elkaterinoslaf, Russia, are, pursuant to a gubernatorial, edict and during the course of the current month, to be expelled from their em ployment, and those having no lawful right of domicile are to be expelled from the Government. Some excep tions are made with Jews holding ap pointments on the clerical force of the mining companies, but these are also liable to subsequent expulsion at the pleasure of the Governor of the province. Elkaterinoslaf is the largest mining government in Russia. The expnlsory edict will probably affect between 40,000 and 50,00 Jews. In his recent oration at the centenary of West Point Academy, Gen Horace Porter uttered this epigrammatic ad vice, good for soldier and civilian alike:" Never underrate yourself in a battle, and never overrate yourself in a dispatch" f. John W. Abercrombie, a native of Alabama, and relatively a young man, has been elected to the presidency of the State CJniversity. Mr. J. N. McElwee is responsible j for the statement that a hen that was sitting on 13 eggs recently came off her nest with nine chicks, leaving four eggs unhatched. Ten days afterwards three other chicks appeared in the nest, having been batched by the sun's heat. Now, the perplexing ques tion arises as to who is the mother of those chicks.?Rock Hill Herald. Tissue Paper. Just received at II. G. Osteen & Co.'s book store a large stock of Crys tal Crepe paper; assorted in all the most popular shades for hats. This is a new and superior quality of paper, looks better and retains its color and freshness longer than cheaper grades. Full length rolls, 12 cents. CAMPANILE OF VENICE IN RUINS. The City Mourns the Loss of this Landmark and the Statutary it Contained. Venice, Italy, July 14.?The Cam panile (detached bell tower) of St. Mark's church, 98 metres high, col lapsed at 10.40 this morning and fell with a great crash into tlie piazza. It is now a heap of ruins, piled to a height of 100 feet. In falling it carried away the San sovino Logetta and the library of the royal palace. There were no fatalities but a few persons were injured. The disaster caused an immense sensation. The town and communal councils have been summoned to meet this evening. A little before the collapse of the tower a noise of falling stones within the bell tower warned the shopkeepers, workmen and tourists of th? impend ing disaster and all fled for their lives. Venetians were- seen in the streets bemoaning the destruction of the oldest art treasure in the king dom, j Four of Sansovino's statues of Venetian nobles were demolished in the Sansovino Logetta, while a beau tiful example of a Paul Veronese painting was destroyed in tha palace. The wing of an angel from top of the bell tower was thrown down to the front door of the cathedral, ismashing the Bando column, which was hurled 35 feet, just escaping the column sup porting the south angle' of the cathe dral and thus averting a more serious disaster. The fall of the tower pro duced a thick red dust which spread like a hanging cloud over' the city. This, with the rumbling, volcanic noise startled the inhabitants of the most remote suburbs. Thousands of soldiers and police aided in allaying the panic. The deputies of Venice have tele graphed to the government for au thorization to establish a lottery to raise funds to rebuild the tower. TRAIN ROBBERS IN COLOBADO. A Reminder of Stage Coach Days in the West. Salida, Col., July 14.?The west bound Denver and Eio Grande narrow gauge passenger train was held up by four masked men at 8.50 o'clock this morning near Chester, Col., a moun tainous locality at the foot of the west slope of Marshall pass. The engineer was compelled at the point of a revol ver to stop the train by masked men who had climbed over the tender. Two safes in the express car were blown open. The passengers were compelled to alight from the cars and line up alongside the tracks in the canyon where they were relieved of all iheir money and valuables. There were many tourists and it is presumed that the losses were heavy. The bandits disappeared in the ravines- that lead into Marshall pass. The sheriff at Selida and sheriffs of adjoining counties and a dozen posses are in pursuit. FIRE IN ED6EFIELD. Boarding House of the Female Students of the South Carolina Co-educationa! Institute To tally Destroyed. Edgefield, July 14.? Edgefield suffer ed a severe loss by fire this morning. The Institute building, occupied by the female boarders of the South Car lina Co-educational Institute, witli all outbuildings, was totally de stroyed. The building was originally built as a hotel for Northern tourists and cost about twenty thousand dol lars, being the most imposing edifice here. It was owned by Mr. D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte. It was in sured for $8,000, besides $3,000 on the furniture. When the fire broke out, which was about 11 o'clock, the sum mer school was in session in the build ing. No fire had been on the premises for a month, and its origin is attri buted to rats and matches. It was only by the hardest work that the Bacon mansion was saved?it having caught several times. Kis Dyspepsia. "You say vor. take half an hour for luncheon every dayV" "Yes." "Well, you ought not to have dyspep sia." "But you see. 1 spend twenty-five of those minutes deciding what 1 want to eat"?Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. A Windfall. "You say his money fell to him?" "No. He fell to it?tumbled through a coal hole and sued the city."?Chica go Herald. Attention, Democrats! Pnrsuant to rpsolution of the Coun ty Democratic Executive Committee, county campaign meetings, at which the candidates for county offices will address the voters, will be held in Sumter county as follows: Privateer, Tuesday, August . Providence. Tuesday, August 12. Shiloh, Tuesday. August 19. Sumter, Friday, August 22nd (night), and Saturday, August 23rd at 11 o'clock a. m. Each candidate for a county office and for Congress is required to file his pledge with the County Chair man and pay the preliminary assess ment of $1.50 on or before Monday, August 4. Magistrates will be voted for in the primary as heretofore. Members of the County Executive Committee who have not yet sent in names of three Managers for the pri mary election, will do so at once. JOHN M. KNIGHT, County Chairman. H. L. B. Wells, Secretary. Sumter, July 16. A CARELESS CONSUL. The "Way Bret Harte Came to Lo His Position at Glasgow. When Bret Harte was consul at Glas gow, he was seldom to be found in that, city, as he spent most of his time in the London drawing rooms, where he was a general favorite, and delegated the consular business to assistants. One day while making one of his rare vis its to Glasgow he scraped acquaintance ' with a stranger on the train. Each, seemed fascinated by the other's per sonality, and time passed quickly. At last they reached the outskirts of a large city. "What place is this?' inquired the stranger. "I haven't the slightest idea," replied Harte, after looking out of the wmdow; A few minutes later the railway; guard opened the door of the compart ment and announced that they had ar rived at Glasgow. When Harte showed up at the con sulate the next morning, the first per-' eon who advanced to greet him was the agreeable stranger, who introduced himself as a special agent of the home government sent to investigate charges of neglect of duty on the part of the consul. The agent may have been affable, but he was lacking in a sense of humor, for he evidently cabled his government an account of the train incident, as Harte's successor was soon after ar> pointed Food and Character. One might almost say that the recipe for a happy home was what has been aptly called a "bland" diet While it is not literally true that eating hog: makes a hog of a man, yet it is true there is a large connection between it and character. Bloodthirsty, lustful races are those that eat meat?largely rare meat?freely, whereas the gentle^ industrious, persistent races are most ly grain and fruit eaters. While the controversy over vegeta rianism Is one for scientists to set?e* even the humblest of us can afford to* try for himself the advantages of a "blind" diet It is a most interesting experience to see how acute and sensi-! ttve the sense of taste can become 03 avoiding food that has a strong taste. No one knows the delicate sweets and acids, oils and bites in our com mon cereals and fruits who eats huge chunks of fish, flesh and fowl highly flavored and deluged with biting sauces. Simplicity of life can be as much a part of diet as of furniture or clothes. ? William Noyes in Good Housekeeping. Did as He Was Told. An impecunious constituent of a Chi ,cago alderman called upon the latter, at his office last week and requested^ the loan of a dollar. A two dollar bfit was the smallest the alderman hacL This he handed to the caller with the remark: "Go to the cigar stand down stairs* get a fifteen cent cigar, keep a dollar and bring me the change" In a few minutes the visitor reap peared, puffing contentedly at a cigar, and handed the alderman 85 cents. No ticing a peculiar expression on the al derman's face, he withdrew the cigari from his lips long enough to inquire: "Did you mean that the cigar was ? for you or me?" "Get out of here!" was all the dis gusted politician could say. TRAMPS' GATEPOST SIGNS Explanations Which Will Help Ton to Understand Them. The rude drawings hardly need a key. When on some white gatepost I found the sketch of a gun, I stole far ther down the road. I had a strong ob jection so early in my career to being riddled full of holes by some intrepid farmer. The outline of a dog of war like proportions, with wild eyes and ferocious teeth, was wont to make me go breakfastless. My summer ward robe was not in condition to allow of further mutilation. If I felt brave enough to kick a yelping cur, I saun~~ tered in recklessly at the gate which bore a portrait of a toy dog. Once past him one could usually get a bite. A big round "O" did not make one wild to approach the premises it adorn ed. It generally portrayed a hostess with a nature of adamant. A single "X" stood for a cross saw, which with small manipulation might earn a meaL Two X's made a tramp of none too vigorous a makeup go farther down the road. It suggested considerable wood cutting in exchange for a meal. . The sign every tramp looks for anx iously is a crudely drawn table, with a lopsided coffee cup and a plate upon it Beyond that gatepost dwells a sweet simple, motherly soul who will wel come the most dilapidated hobo into her spotless kitchen and set before him a good square meal. She may sit be side him, inquiring as to the safety of his soul, and she may give him a mother's gentle advice or she may ft&ve a story to tell tearfully of a wayward boy lost somewhere in the great world, and all the fee she asks for her gra cious hospitality is a simple request that in the wanderings of her guest he may look about for her absent boy and. give him a loving message of a moth er's longing and watching. ? Good Housekeeping. Forewarned; * Agent?Let me show you something very neat in the way of artificial limbs Mr. Busyman?Nonsense! Don't both er me. I'm not a cripple. Agent?Of course not but it's alwa well to be prepared for emergencies, e pecially here in New York.?Brooklyn Life. The Worst Tronble. Is there anything harder to bear than real trouble?" I asked the intellec tual man who sat next to me in the smoker. "Only imaginary trouble," he replied. ?Judge. If you get rich, you must make mon ey during dull times-Atchison Globe