Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Time to Loosen the Purse Strings Our new and handsome stock has had a thinning out in many lines, which is noticeable, but lots of pretty and seasonable merchandise is being constantly received to take the ?lace of that already sold, thus creating an ever-changing picture of beautiful merchandise in Dress Goods, Cloaks and Millinery. We cordially invite you, if not already a patron of ours, to call at our store and learn the secret why our several departments are daily thronged with enthusiastic customers. Prospective purchasers of Blankets, Carpets, Linens and warranted Footwear are being offered a golden opportunity just at this time. Who does not prefer fresh goods to those several seasons old in these especial lines ? Is there any common sense or not in the asking of this question ? Your Friends, THE SUMTER DRY GOODS CO. SUMTER, - S . C . ARBOR DAY EXERCISES. Washington Street Graded School od Wednesday, November 26, at 2.30. Ever since the institution of Arbor Day by the Legislature of the State of South Carolina it has been the cus torn of the Washington Street Graded School to observe it. Seven years ago there was not a young tree on the grounds; now there are twenty-five. As the result of the observance of this day the graded school campus bids fair tcvbe one of the prettiest places in town. This day will be observed on Wednes day before Thanksgiving. A custom that has prevailed for several years. ! Program for Arbor Day exercises, Washington Street Graded School : 3.30-4?Appropriate exercises in dif ferent class-rooms. 4?Exercises on Graded School Campus. March?Second Regiment Band. Prayer. Music?Second Regiment Band. Address?The Rev. Mr. Fairy. Music?Second Regiment Band. Trees planted while this piece is I being rendered. j Benediction. The Clergyuaen of the city are re quested to sit on the rostrum on Graded School Campus with the mem bers of the City Board of Education. The city b?li will ring thirteen times on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth at 3:10 a signal for the pupils to leave home. The public is invited, and the patrons of the school are urged, to be present on this ooccasion. 48AYESVILLE NEWS LETTER. - Carnival Visitors?Engine Derailed Young People Dance. Mayesville, Nov. 17.?Our town was well represented at the Pythian Carni Tal last week. On Thursday over fifty Mayesville people were in Sumter "do ing" the Carnival shows and other at tractions. All had a very pleasant time and report the event a success. One noticeable feature was the good order that prevailed on all sides, which was quite remarkable for such a mixed crowd. One of the large engines used on the through-freights ran off the rails at the switch here on Thursday night After a few hours delay to the freight and passenger trains, the engine was replaced and trafile was resumed. The young people of the town will give a dance tonight at the tobacco warehouse. A band of music has been engaged and quite a delightful evening is anticipated. A number of visitors are expected from neighboring towns. The fatal " Texas Fever" has made its appearance, among Mr. J. F. Bland's large herd of cattle near this place and several have died from the disease, Dr. Neson, the expert from the experiment station at Clemson College, is here treating the disease Misses Lizzie and Bertha Pringle and Mr. Bam Pringle, of Sumter, visit ed Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Pringle yester day. Editor Cunningham, of "The Lee County Vindicator, " was in town last week. Mr. M. A. Strauss, of Charleston, was here last week for several days. G. Winter Tourist Rates. Beginning October 15, the Southern Railway "will commence sale of winter tourists tickets to principal resorts in the South under the same conditions existing in previous years. For detailed information as to rate?, resorts etc., apply to any agent of the Southern Railway. W. H. Tayloe, Assistant General Pass. Agt. Atlanta, Ga. R. W. Hunt, Division Pass. Agt. Charleston, S. C. J. C. Beam, District Pass. Agent, Atlanta, Ga. Newberry, November 17.?Mr. Julius J. Langford and his little son were this afternoon violently thrown from a buggy and painfully and seriously injured. They were attempting to drive across the Southern Railway track, just in front of Davis shop, when the horse became frightened by the shifting engine. Birmingham, Ala., November 17.? A fire which broke out in the freight depot of the Southern Railway at Pell City, fifty-four miles east of here, at i o'clock this morning, was followed by a terrific explosion, which resulted in two persons being killed and ten injured, two perhaps fatally. * New York, November 17.?The Standard Oil Company has declared a quarterly dividend of 810 per share, payable December 15. The dividend for the same quarter last year was ?S3. NEWS FROM WED S E FI ELD. The Top Crop Opening?A Qaiet Mar riage?Personal Mention. Wedgefield, Nov. 18.?Mr. W. T. Brown, one of Wedgefield's adopted sons, and Miss Fannie Nettles of Privateer will be married on Thurs day. on the same day. The weather of the past few days being warm has caused the top crop to commence opening, much to the delight of our farming friends. Miss Bettie Aycock left for Laurens yesterday to .spend some time with friends. Mr. D. B. McLaurin, who is sta tioned at Bishop ville, buying cotton for Alex. Sprunt & Son, spent Sunday at home. Arrested For Child Stealing. On Monday Dr. C. C. Brown pub lished a communication in the item concerning a negro named Robert Clinton who was wanted in Barn well County for child stealing. Yesterday Dr. Brown received information that led him to go, before Magistrate Wells and have a warrant issued for the arrest of a negro man who has been livig near Pocotaligo for the past few weeks. The warrant was placed in. the hands of Officer John Barwick and the arrest of Clinton followed as a matter course. Yesterday afternoon, Clinton was committed to jail and the little negro boy he is accused of steal ing from Sarah Duncan, of Barnwell, was turned over to Dr. Brown. The Sheriff of Barnwell was wired of the arrest of Clinton and he tele graphed Sheriff Scarborough to hold Clinton until this afternoon when he will come for him. Clinton admits that the boy is Sarah Duncan's child, but claims that she gave it to him, and that the charge of stealing is a pack of lies. He also admitted when closely ques tioned that he had been severely whip ped for stealing another child once be fore. He says, however, that when he was whipped he had not stolen the child as charged, but some people told a pack of lies to get him whipped. Clinton appears to be a silly sort of negro and it is probably true, as charged, that he is a monomaniac on the subject of cihld stealing. A Stolen Child. A negro woman, living in the town of Barnwell, writes that a man named Robert Clinton has stolen her boy, and brought him to Sum ter. Twice he has written to her, telling her that he will send the boy, if she will send him some money. He says to her that he i is living in a brush arbor in the sub urbs of Sumter. The mother is in a state of great distress, and begs the people of Sumter to aid her in finding her boy. Robert Clinton is said to have a monomania for stealing children, and has lately been severely beaten for committing the same crime in another place. Through my relatives in Barn well, I am in communication with the mother, Sarah Duncan, and I will take pleasure in transmitting to her any in formation that may be given me con cerning her boy. %C. C. Brown. P. S. I hope the white people will mention" the above facts to the ne groes, or else ?ive them the Item to read, so that they may be led to take an interest in finding the boy. Prof. Gustav Meyer, the young American astrologer, has sent to the navy department a commanca ti on to the effect that the stars indicate that some great, calamity will occur to naval vessels during November and December of this year. Prof. Meyer names November 29 and 30 and Decem ber 11, 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24 as the dates to be feared. In his communi cation the astrologer asks that the "warning'.' be "passed down the line." What is causing the alarm among the friends of the navy is that the dates named by the professor are those coinciding with the naval ex ercises and manoeuvres of the United States navy in the Carri bean Sea. Naval officials, however, do not share these fears, but the sweethearts and wives of the sailors and offiers cannot help but feel a little "creepy" as the dates named approach. A correspondent of the Birmingham' News writing from Jackson, Miss., says that much surprise has been oc casioned throughout the State by the action of the Farmer's Club of Amito County in adopting resolutions of a very radical nature on the negro pro-1 blem. The club is composed of lead- ! ing farmers of the county and passed a resolution declaring that it is bad policy to sell land to negroes and that the custom should be discouraged. j?? j tmmmm? ? ??? -cum- ? Toilettes, Harper's Bazar, Smart i Set at Osteen's Book Store. Journalism in Japan. There is not a town of 10,000 people -which does not possess at least one newspaper, and the two or three cheap popular papers in the capital have cir culations running from 100,000 to 150, 000. This describes journalism in Japan, which was th? subject of an in teresting lecture (pluckily delivered in English) given in the Japan Society's hall by Mr. M. Zumoto, the Japanese editor of the only paper in Japan print ed in English, the Japan Times. Apart from liability under the libel law, the fullest freedom is permitted, except when the country is on the verge or at war, when the reasonable itimation is conveyed that news as to the movements of ships and troops must not be published. Fiction fills the most important place in editorial policy ; but a fair proportion of space is given up to telegraphic news, includ ing cables from eastern ports and Europe and America. The most suc cessful and prosperous journals are so called "yellow journals," and there was much hypocritical denounciation concerning these, people who de nounced them buying three copies to one of the grave and accurate journals which they professed to support. But when these "yellow journals" ventured to meddle in affairs of state they ex perienced severe rebuffs; seven weeks I previous to the official announcement of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance one of these journals published* in command ing type a report that it had been ar ranged, but "thanks to its well es tablished reputation," "what was really a big 'scoop* attracted no atten tion. "?Westminster Gazette. imp ? ? 4 mm The Fairy Lamplighter. Affection often inspires ingenuity. In a life of Joseph Severn tbc narra tive of the artist's care of the poet Keats in his last illness includes a graceful incident. Severn, worn out with watching and tireless service, would sometimes drop asleep and al low i he candle to go out, thus leaving the sick man in darkness, which he Creaded. Realizing that this was lia- j tie to occur. Severn hit upon a happy device to keep the light still burning. One evening he fastened a thread from the bottom of the candle already light ed co the wick at the top of another unlighted one set ready near by. Not being sure the experiment would succeed, he had not mentioned it, and when later on he fell napping as the first candle was burning low the in- j valid was too considerate to awak* him. but lay patiently awaiting the ex tinction of the fluttering flame. Sud denly, just as he expected gloom and blackness, the connecting thread?too fine and distant for him to see?caught fire, and a tiny spark began to run along it. Then he waked the sleeping nurse with an exclamation of joyful surprise. "Severn! Severn!" he cried. "Here's j a little fairy Lamplighter actually lit up the other candle!" But it was only the good fairy of j many sickrooms?loving forethought? j that had lighted the candle. Flo were of the Cranberry., One of the daintiest of wild flowers of June is the blossom of that time honored concomitant of roast turkey, the cranberry. While, however, every body knows the berry, few are ac quainted with the flower, for the peat bogs where it blows in the choice fel lowship of the stately pitcher plant j and the golden club and of many a 1 rare orchid are quite remote from the be-aten paths of travel. The cranberry plant is a small, slender, somewhat trailing shrub, with the neatest of evergreen leaves, from amid which a few threadlike stalks lift their nodding Cowers. When fully expanded, the pink lobes of each corolla are curled back like a lily's, and from the heart ,m* th< ::? the compressed stamens pro trude in the shape of a spear point or beak. The imaginative may see in this long beaked little blossom a re semblance to a tiny crane's head, whence some hard pressed etymologist h;:s thought to derive the word cran 1: >rry?that is. crane-berry.?"Country Life In America!" Symptom? Dangcronfi, Mrs. Baldwin?That husband of mine is a most careless man. I expect he'll lose his head one of these days. Mrs. Bunn?I see lie's lost the next thing to it?his hair.?Stray Stories. It is a pity the baidheaded man can't transplant the unnecessary beard on his chin to the smooth spot on his pate. ?St. Louis Star. CATCH PHRASES. Their Utility In Advancing: the In terests of Business Men, There are many instances of where a suitable catch line well drilled into people has been of great value in build ing business. . The best catch line is one that fits your business best, and the discoverer of such a line Is apt to be due more to inspiration than to ef fort Pick the distinctive feature of your stock or business methods and en deavor to express it In a breath. If you can coin a phrase that ex presses your central business idea or emphasizes some feature that marks your store alone, you can make good use of it It puts into condensed form an idea that will get hold of people and influence them if persistently pre sented to them. One fact about your business well lodged in the heads of people is as good as a score that do not penetrate. You can make people believe about what, you like if you go about it prop erly. If a man comes to you today and tells you^there will be a panic inside of six months, you will pay no atten tion to him. If another comes tomor row with the same story, he will get no attention, but you will idly wonder what is getting into folks. The third man you will argue the matter with. The fourth will get more of a hearing; and you will begin to see signs of dis aster yourself. By the time the tenth man has made the statement you will be ready to tell folks the same story yourself. Probably you yourself could not be influenced in such a manner, but the common run of people are built that way and will believe what they are told often enough. That is why an expressive catch phrase does good. It comes to stand for you and your meth ods and of necessity is remembered when goods in your line are wanted. As ordinarily used such a phrase is of little value, because it is not proper ly hammered into people. Such a line should go on letter beads, billheads, stationery, envelopes, should go into every ad. or circular, should be seen about the store and should appear on labels. Put it on a sticker to attach to goods and packages. Let people see It everywhere. If it means what it says, people are going to respond to it ?American Druggist An Optimistic Cripple. ! A one legged newsboy had been hop ping about oa hfs crutch selling after noon "extras," and when there was a lull in the business, owing to a falling off in the crowds, be sat down for a brief rest "How did you lose your leg?" I asked. "Cable car," he said, with the street urchin's characteristic economy of words. "Too bad!" I remarked. "Oh, but it might 'a' been worse, sir," the boy replied. "The company paid the doctor and gave mother $800. That paid all our debts and left us $500 in bank, and it's all thon.? 'cept $40 we had to take out when mother was sick, and I sell more papers than most -of the boys, just 'cause I've a crutch. There's one of my customers now."? New York Times. Merely a Joke. Gusher?You may not believe it but I've never -had an unkind word from my wife in all my lifo. Henpeck?Oh, don't try to spring that old chestnut on me. Gusher?What old chestnut? Henpeck?You want me to say, "How did you manage that?" acd then you'll say, "I never got married."?De troit Free Press. llozv It Happened. Mrs. Xoxdore? My daughter wr.s practicing her new concert piece ls:>r night Did you hear her? Mrs. Pepprey?Oh, yes. Mrs. Xexdorc?How was it? Mrs. Pepprey?I simply couldn't got away: that's how it was.?Philadelphia Press. Not I?^ady to Arbitrer. "Stop.' Don't fight, boys! Can't wc arbitrate this thing?" asked one of the bystanders. "Yes, sir." panted the fellow who was on top. "Just as soon as I've blacked his other ovo!"?Chicago Tribune. Fruit tarts and cakes are serred out five times a week to the crews on board steamers trading between Aus tralia and New Zealand. Tarts arc topless pies. Cotton Growing in British Pos sessions. Measures are being taken by the British Cotton Growing Association to improve the quality and increase the yield of Indian cotton by encourag ing modern systems of cultivation, the more careful selection of seeds and bet ter ginning and packing. It is from the west coast of Africa that the most I siatisfactory results are expected by the association, and the governors of the various districts interested, as well as other government officials, have been approached by the associa tion, which has succeeded in securing their support. The resuls of these negotations is that the association will dispatch " expert expeditions" to the various colonies and protectorates in that part of the British empire for the purpose of conducting practical ex periments on the land provided by the respective governments. Special efforts are being made to enlist the cooperation of the natives by inducing them to grow cotton on their own plots, and factories are to be erected on the coast for the purpose of gin ning, pressing and baling the cotton and afterward shipping it to Liver pool or Manchester. Where railways exist the government has promised to convey the cotton to the coast free of charge for two years, but in most cases the crops will have to be brought from the interior by means of the rivers. Sir Alfred Jones, who has shown great interest in the scheme, has undertaken to convey all West African cotton to England, freight free, for a perid of two years. In one portion of Sierra Leone?the Sherbro district?an experiment has already been made with Egyptian seed, which was distributed in March last, and, as the cotton shrubs have al ready matured, the harvest is looked for at Christmas. It is said that a large industry can. be built up in the Sherbro district if the natives are taught according to modern methods. In British Central and East Africa also the prospects are considered to be promising. The only difficulty to be overcome is the question of trans port and freight. James Wilcox's New Trial. Charlotte, N. C, November 17.?A special to the Observer from Elizabeth City, N. C, says: ' "James Wilcox, the alleged murder er of Nellie Cropsey, who was convict ed of that crime some months ago and sentenced to be hanged, and later granted a new trial by the Supreme Court, was arraigned in the Superior Court here this afternoon at 3.50 o'clock for the second trial. The prisoner's demeanor was cool and self possessed. He was neatly dressed and he entered the Court room with a smile on his face and his appearance was none the worse for his long confine ment. His attorney, E. F. Aydlet, said that Wilcox was not ready for trial, and that he would present an affidavit in support of a petition for a removal of the case. Solicitor Word said' that the present was "he time to make the motion, as he had counter affidavits to present. The question whether the case will be tried here at this or a later session of the Court or moved to another county will be argued before Judge Moore tomorrow. No demonstration is expected." New Professor at Ciemson. Clemson College, -Nov. 17.?Joseph Hidy James, Ph. D., is the latest ad dition to Clemsou's faculty. He comes as professor of organic chemistry and dying, succeeding Prof. Raiford, who recently accepted a similar posi tion in the Mississippi Agricultural college. Dr. James has had the very best educational advantages combined with extensive practical experience, and comes to Clemson well equipped for his work. He graduated from Buchtel college, Akron, 0., in '94 with the degree of B. S., and served the follow ing three years as instructor and as sistant in his alma mater. He then spent three years in post graduate work at Columbia university of Penn sylvania, receiving from the latter the Ph. D. degree. During '99 he was substitute pro fessor of chemistry and physics at Buchtel college, since which time he has been chief chemist for the Lake Superior Power company at Sault Ste, ! Marie. Dr. James comes to Clemson because he feels that teaching is his life work. He lias already entered upon his duty and has made many friends already. Il II ? ? The State board of agriculture of North Carolina is making special efforts to establish silk culture in the State. They are disributing silk worms' eggs free and have arranged with a nursery to supply mulberry trees for providing leaves to feed the worms at the cost of the transportation, which is one cent for each bush. TAXATION. Mr. Harvie Jordan in the Atlanta Journal has written an interesting article on the subject of taxation and its inequalities and the difficulties of equalizing them so that the burden shall rest on all nearly alike. It is a question that has engaged the atten tion of legislative bodies from the beginning and it is almost as difficult as ever, and a good part of the difficulty grows out of the innate desire of every man to avoid paying taxes at all or to pay as little as possible. The difficulty is not so much with tangible as with intangible property. Real estate, horses, mules and cattle are always visible and tangible and always get on the auditor's books and rarely escape taxation. The difficulty with that class of property is not so much in getting it on the books but in getting a proper return made But with in tangible property it is different. Notes and securities of various kinds, stocks and bonds are not open to inspection and the assessor does not know of their existence and if the owner does not return them they go untaxed. And every dollar of property that goes un taxed makes the burden that much heavier on that which is taxed. What Mr. Jordan says on this subject is so well said that we reproduce it here : The escape of intangible property, that is property which is not open to public inspection, such as notes, money, bonds, accounts, etc., from taxation, makes the burden doubly hard to bear upon the men who own realty, live stock, etc., which cannot be hidden from the eye of the public and the tax collector.* Our constitu tion says that every species of property having a value is subject to taxation at its fair and just valuation, except such classes of property as are exempt by the constitution, snch as the prop erty of the State, churches, colleges and public libraries, etc. Nothing else of value in the State is or can be exempt from contributing its pro rata hare to the burden of our State and county governments. It is a notorious fact, however, that only the tangible property of the peo ple is reached fully by the tax collec tors. Millions of dollars worth of notes, merchandise, accounts, money, bends, stocks and other property of value which can be concealed annual ly escapes the just burden of taxation. Every dollar of taxation saved to the cwner of this intangible property who Sail to make full and proper returns must be made out of an increased rate on the tangible property which can not escape. This intangible property is largely owned by men of wealth, hence the reason why the heaviest bur den of maintaining . and supporting the various establishments of our gov ernment falls heaviest upon that class of our people who have only moderate means and possess only tangible pro perty. Every corporation doing business in the State under a franchise grant ed by the State shoald be taxed ac cording to the value of the franchise. The property of a railroad ought to be taxed according to the full value of its bonds, upon which it is pay ing a fair interest annually, and not simply upon its roadbed and rolling stock. Again, corpora tions are in the habit of deducting their indebtedness from the gross value of their property and paying taxes on the difference. Farmers often owe as much as their lands are wcrth, but they are taxed the same as those who own lands and owe no money. There should be no distinc tion made in the interest of any class or classes, all should be made to bear their pro rata part of the burden alike, according to the amount of property owned and assessed at its fair value. There should be an amendment to our present tax laws by which the owners of intangible property could be forced to return such property for taxation at its fair market value-. Irish Agrarian Question; London, November 17.?A poll of the Irish landlords, which was under taken by a committee composed of the Earl of Mayo, Lord Dunraven, Capt. Shawe Taylor and other gentlemen interested in the Irish Agrarian question, on the proposal to call a conference of landlords and tenants with a view to the sale of the land to the latter, has resulted in a vote of 1,128 to 57S in favor of holding the conference, for which arrangements will be proceeded with immediately. A circular announcing the result of the poll has been sent to four thousand land owners who possess five hundred acres and upwards. Gaffney, Nov. 1G.? Jerry M. Martin, a lumberman, has been "drinking'1 several days and yesterday afternoon ended his life by drinking laudanum. Seeming quite honest and inoffensive^ his only trouble, the cause of so man ruined lives.