Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SEN?TOB iii EHKS LEADERSHIP. Elected Chairman o? the Democrat is Senatorial Gaooos. TBE KEW STEERINe COMMITTEE. Probable That Senate Committees WtJI ba Reorganized Before Crum's Nomination Comes Up. Was?ington/ March 6.-The Demo? cratic senatorial canons which met to? day organized by electing Senator Gor? man to his old position as chairman ol the caneas. This is a permanent place and assures him the occupancy of the Democratic conference room, one of the most commodious and best located committee rooms in the senate and of the capital. He made a brief speesh 5^ assuming the chair, and the confer? ence then proceeded to other business. There were present 28 of the 33 of the Democratic senators. Senator Gorman's nomination as chairman "was suggested by Senator Bacon and there was no opposition to his selection. In taking the chair he thanked the senators for the honor conferred but did not make an extend? ed speech. The remaining time of the. session was devoted largely.to the dis? cussion of the present situation in the senate and the necessity for Demo? cratic harmony and unity of action. There was a general feeling that the vacancies caused by the retirement cf Democratic senators from committees which have to deal with questions be? fore the present called session should be filled and it was decided that the designation of the members of these committees should be made by a steer? ing committee to be appointed by the chairman of the caucus, but that their selection should later be ratified by the caucus. The steering committee for the past congress has numbered only seven members, but Senator Gorman requested that the number should be increased to nine which was the num? ber in the days of his previous chair? manship and this increase was decided upon. The caucus placed in the hands of the steering committee authority to decide for the Democrats whether there should be a general reorganiza? tion of the senate committees oj, the mere filling of the vacancies on those committees, which deal with pressing v questions during the extra session. The committee is empowered to nego? tiate with the Republican steering committee with a view to entering upon a general reorganization, but so far as there was no expression of opinion on this point it was favorable to the view of leaving the question of reorganization on general lines to be determined by the Republicans, as they are in power. There is no doubt, however, that the Democratic steer? ing committee will insist, upon having some of the committees filled for the reasou that the Democratic party has l?st quite heavily in some of the com? mittees which are in control of pres? ent business. They will ask, for in? stance, that the vacancies on the com-, mittee on foreign relations be filled. Senator Bailey retired from'this com- j mittee before the adjournment of the \ last congress and by ' unanimous con? sent Senator Clark, of Montana, was appointed to the vacancy. It is ex? pected that the steering committee will confirm this action and also name a successor to Senator Rawlinson on the same committee. It is thought necessary ts have these vacancies filled immediately as that committee will I have to deal with pending treaties. They also will ask that the Democrat? ic vacancies on the committee on in teroceanic canals caused by the retire? ment from the senate of Messrs. Tur? ner and Harris shall he filled. It is also probable that they will ask that the places vacated by Senators Vest i and Turner on the committee on com- j merce shall be filled, before the nomi nation of Dr. Crum to be collector of j the port of Charleston, is taken up by that committee. A similar demand probably be made in all other cases, on which committees have charge of nominations over which there may be controversy. The caucus was in ses? sion for almost two hours. Later in the day the steering committee was named, lt consists o? Senators Mor? gan, Maryland; Cockrell, Missouri: Martin, Virginia; Bacon, Georgia; Dubois, Idaho; Money, Mississippi; Bailey, Texas; Blackburn, Kentucky; and Tillman, South Carolina. The new members on the committee are Messrs. Gorman, Blackburn and Till? man. NAMES OF THE KEW BATTLESHIPS. The States of Vermont, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ida? ho Will be Represented. Washington, March 5.-Secretary Moody this afternoon reached a decis? ion as to the States after which the five battleships provided for in the new naval bill shall be named. The three 16,OOO-ton battleships are to be named Vermont, Kansas and Minne? sota and the two 13, OOO-ton vessels will be christened Mismsissippi and Idaho. That no time is to be lost in the construction of the new ships is evident from the action of the secre? tary this afternoon in directing the general board to prepare the circulars for the 16,000-ton ships which are to be of the Connecticut and Tennessee class. As there are no 13,000-ton ships on the naval lists it will, of course, take longer to prepare the plans and specifications for the Mississippi and Idaho. Montgomery Advertiser: "TU roar you as gently as any suckling dove" might have been the Shakespearian motto adopted by Senator Tillman as a prelude to his speech the other day. He really surprised the senate by making, for him. a very temperate speech. Laurens, March H.-The county ! board of control today elected*; Mr. ? James A. Austin to succeed Av R. Sullivan, removed on account Vf a rtage. ? SIVES THEM PLAIN TALK. Governor's Reasons, for Not Ap? pointing Delegates to Race Is? sue Convention. Columbia, March 6.-The Wisconsin legislature recently passed a resolu? tion calling upon the governors of the various states to appoint delegates to a convention to be held in Atlanta to consider the race issue. Governor Heyward has declined to appoint delegates from this State and for reasons that are strong and sound as are shown in a telegram to a Chi? cago paper asking for his views on the proposed movement. He asys: Your telegram requesting brief summary on the proposed convention asked for by the Wisconsin legislature, to discuss the race question, has just oeen received. I think, from every stand point, that this action of the Wisconsin legislature is worse than meaningless. Such a convention could not possibly bring any result, so far as the proper aspect of the subject is concerned. Of all available reasons for the con? sideration of the race question I know of nothing more directly aimed in ab? solutely the wrong direction, so far as the proper solution of the problem is concerned, than would be such a con? vention. The personnel of such a convention would be a heterogeneous mixture entirely without the proper knowledge of the subject they were supposed to discuss. The interference and ignorance of long-Tange-would-be philanthropists has done more to create a race question where none exists, than all other combined agencies that have come within my observation. I have always been a friend of the negro and never spoken with more sincere friendly consideration for his interests than in what I am now say? ing. Right thinking white men and right thinking negroes have always, with proper understanding, gotten along well together. The other type of negro needs to be dealt with. This outside interference involves many conflicting dangers and displays absolute ignorance of the fundament? al principles of the question. It is a charitable reflection, mildly express? ed, to remind these champions of such vapid nonsense how the streets of Jerusalem were kept clean. I shall take no official notice of the action of the Wisconsin legislature, and shall certainly not appoint delegates unless urged to do so by mv constituents. *D. U. Heyward. Charleston Exposition Claims. Washington, Marchi.-The treasury department has begun to settle the claims arising from the Charleston ex? position, for the satisfaction of which congress last spring appropriated $160, 000< Chief among the claims was that of Capt. F. W. Wagoner amounting to $144,428.45. Favorable action has al? ready been taken with all payments of this claim on a 40 per cent, basis, and a warrant for $57,771.58 has been made out in Capt Wagoner's favor. On the claim of the German Artillery for $390, $156 has been allowed and $46.16 paid. Additional evidence is needed before all the elaims can be'finally adjusted, and the secretary of the treasury to? day wrote to the master in chancery of Charleston for further testimony, upon receipt of which the claims will be paid. It is estimated at the treasury department that with-?160,000 avail ablye 6 per cent, of the claims can be paid. ._ . South Carolina Claims. Washington, March 6.-The treasury department today issued warrants ag? gregating $89,137 in favor of the State of South Carolina, in satisfaction of its claims growing out of the war of 1812. The payment was directed .by the gen? erar deficiency act, approved March 3, 1903. At the risk of offending the temper? ance sentiment of at least two States we may remark that there are a great many older people who will be pleased at the informtion that in the cyclonic -disturbancescreated in North Carolina by the Watts liquor law, the old Nick Williams distillery was not blown away. The famous distillery in the county of Yadkin was established away back in Revolutionary times before people knew anything about adulter? ating whiskey, and for all these years its history has been a no inconsider? able part of the history of the State. It has always been in the country, but now it is "right in town," the Legis? lature having passed a bill day before yesterday incorporating the town of Williams in Yadkin county. The "town" is made up of the distillery, the residence of Mr. Willims and the homes of a dozen or more of his em i ployes. The bill which passed makes ? Mr. Glenn Willims the mayor of the "town."-Richmond Times. Johannesburg, March 6.-A desper? ate attempt at highway robbery in the center of Johannesburg was made today. A couple of men attacked two customs officers conveying $25,000 to the bank, and throwing pepper in their eyes, secured the money bags which they threw to a horseman who galloped off. The horseman in his flight knock? ed down a man named Brandon, who was fatally injured and soon expired. Subsequently the horse bolted and unseated its rider, who was then ar? rested and the money recovered. Sadie Vale, a Holstein Friesian cow, owned in Utica, N. Y., has broken the world's record as a milker and butter maker. In a 30 days' test, end? ed a few days ago, she produced 27, 546 pounds of milk, from which were made 123 pounds 8 1-2 ounces of buter. This beats the highest world record, which was 112 pounds for the same period. ^ Panama, March 8.-A cablegram from Salvador states that the Hon? duras Government forces, under the command of Gen. Ezequiel Ferrera I and Gen. Lopez, have been defeated j at Taluga by tho revolutionary army j supporting Gen. Bonilla. Gen. Fer- j rera was killed and (Jen. Lopez and his I stair were taken prisoners. Birmingham, Ala., March 8.- While running at a high speed in an clTort i to make up lost time, passenger train No. 4, northbound, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was badly ; wrecked twenty-two miles south of : this place tonight. So far as known j only ?ve persons were inqured, three j of whom were members of the train ' ECONOMY i TREE PRODUCTS. lt Wit! Savs Millions Anni?aliy to the South. SOME FHOORFSS ?LBE?DY MM In the Production cf Commercial Articles From Sawdust, Slabs. Rough Ends, Etc. Baltimore, March 5.-Correspon? dence of. the Manufacturers' Record reveals an ever-increasing interest in plans for the economic utilisation of what has long been regarded as the waste of the lumber trade. Some ad? vance has already been made in the treatment of sawdust, slabs, rough ends, etc., for the production of com? mercial articles, and several plants are now in successful operation, and others are contemplated, for handling fat lightwood found in limbs, the upper part of the trnnk and the stumps and roots of Southern pines, by the pro? cess known as destructive distillation, which produces from a cord of fat lightwood between twenty and thirty gallons of spirits of turpentine, besides tar and a number of oils containing valuable medicinal and wood-preserv? ing qualifies. This industry of saving is in the infancy, and in the mean? time another saving is likely to be effected through the encouragement by the United States Government of turpentine operations designed to obvi? ate the present wasteful and destruc? tive system of boxing tho trees, the method being that devised under Gov? ernment auspices by Dr. Charles H. Herty, of Georgia. The need for such a reform moment in turpentine opera? tions is shown by official ;5gures. In the season of 1902 the production of spirits of turpentine by the old system of boxing amounted to 600,000 barrels, valued at $13,000,000, and the produc? tion of rosin was 2,100,000 barrels, valued at $4,200,000, making the total value of the crop $17,400,000. Had the new method been applied to the same area of timber, it is estimated that .the production of spirits of tur? pentine would have been 1,050,00 bar? rels, valued at $23,100,000, and of rosin 4,675,000 barrels, valued at ?7,350,000, the total product being valued kt $30,450,000. Here is shown a loss to the Southern naval stores industry of $13,000,000 in one year, to say nothing of the damage wrought by the old method to the forests. A writer in the Manufacturers" Record points out, That the price at which the long leaf pine forests of the South are now held makes it difficult for a man of small means to secure a location for the manufacture' of turpentine and rosin. The usual method of extracting the gum by box? ing the tree is considered by mill men damaging to the forests, for the rea? son that the box weakens the tree, so that the wind can blow it down easi? ly, and that if fire should unfort? unately get into the woods the tree will burn at tho box on account of the turpentine to such an extent as to cause the tree to die. The new process, which has been given an im? petus by the National Bureau of Forestry, will serve in some degree, I the correspondent notes, to diminish the possibility of such .injuries to the forests. Considerable capital is being invested in pottery works 'to make cups for turpentine producers to use to catch the gum, instead of boxing the trees, and if the operators who work on a large scale find that the system is all that is claimed for it, there is no doubt that millions of dol? lars will be added to the income from the turpentine "industry in the long leaf pine forests of the South and will prolong the life of those forests. In the meantime activity is main? tained in the lumber industry in the South, and New Orleans, rapidly be? coming the centre of the yellow pine industry, reflects the activity at all the mill points and adjacent to it. Ats Gulfport, Miss, and other Gulf ports shipments of lumber are great? er than at any time last year, large cargoes going to the United Kingdom and the Continent, to Mexico, to Cuba and other ports, At Savannah shippers for the coastwise business, have all the trade that they can take care of, and at Jacksonville there is a most pronounced demand from North? ern and Eastern sources and from West India ports, and the lumbermen there look forward to an exceedingly active trade during the next few years, based upon the unusual development of valuable tributary timber properties. Hundreds of carloads of lumber are in the yards at Memphis already book? ed for Europe, but because of the congestion of the railroads the hand? lers of export lumber have decided to send it down the river by barges to New Orleans. It is claimed that, al? though it will take a longer time to send the lumber by water than by rail, it will get started so much the sooner and will reach its detination much earlier than if it waits for the railroad congestion to be overcome. Death of a Notable Georgian. Macon, Ga., March 8.-The Hon. James H. Blount, member of Con? gress from Georgia for 20 years, from 1872 to 1892, died at his home in Ma? con today, aged 65 years, of conges? tion of the lungs. He liad been in im pared health for two years. His last public service was as commissioner paramount to the Hawaiian Islands during President Cleveland's second term. It was on his request that Mr. Cleveland reversed the policy of Mr. Harrison. Upon retiring from that position in November, 1893, Mr. Blount left public lifo and has since remained quietly at home attending to his private business. He was a law? yer by profession, but had not been in active practice for many years. Dur? ing the civil war he was lieutenant colonel of an independent battalion of Confederate cavalry in the Western department, lie was one of the largest land owners in Middle Georgia and a man of wealth. lie leaves a wife and four children-Judge James ii. Blount, Jr., of the Court of first in? stance at large in the Pilhippines: Joseph Blount, of Washington, D. C., with the Inter-State commerce com? mission: Mrs. Walter D. Lamar, of Macon, and an unmarried daugi^t^ MURDEROUS YANKEES. Vi?lense in its Worst Form Breaks Gut at Waterbury. A NOH-UHiOH Wimm SHOT. ! Georgs Weberndorfer. the Con? ductor, Pounded into Insensi? bility-Eight Masked Men At? tack Trolley Car. Waterbury, Conn., March S.-Vio? lence in its worst form has broken out anew in Waterbury as a result of the high feeling in connection with the strike of the motormen and conduct? ors of the Connecticut Street Railway and Lighting company. This time it is murder and Policeman Paul Men? delsohn is the victim. John W. Cham? bers, a non-union motorman, is shot and his whereabouts unknown and his conductor, George Weberndorfer, was pounded almost into insensibility. The scene of the crime was at Forest Park, the terminus of the North Main street line. The spot is an isolated one, and when the car reach? ed the end of the line the crew made preparations for the return trip. Immediately after the conductor turn? ed the trolley and the motorman re? versed his levers, eight masked men sprang from the bushes by the road? side, entered the car and discharged their revolvers, every man being armed. Officer Mendelsohn fell at the first report, and as a later ex? amination showed, the first shot was fatal, having pierced his heart. The motorman was also hit and leaped from his car with a cry of pain. Some of the men followed him, while the remainder turned their attention to the conductor. He was thrown to the floor of the car and > pounded and kicked until he was almost uncon? scious. The men then left him and join? ed their companions outside. From this point in the attack their actions are wrapped in mystery and are causing considerable apprehension. "Weberndorfer saw his motorman leap from the car when he was shot and he also was followed by the murderers. Whether he escaped or whether he was carried off by the attacking party, cannot be learned. The conductor regained his feet with difficulty and went to the side cf the wounded offi? cer, but he said that the cmcer was dead. Webendorfer hardly able to stand went to the controller and start? ed the car back toward the city with the "dead officer. On the way he met another car, the crew of which re? lieved the injured man and huried to the city for assistance. The body of the dead officer was carried into ( police quarters and Weberndorfer was also taken there. Shortly after midnight the searching officers came uopn Motorman Cham? bers, who is a young fellow not over 20 years of age. His head was covered with blood but it was found that he had not been struck with a bullet but had been pounded on the head with a butt of a revolver. The young man told a startling story of his experience. He said that as soon as leaped from the car four men followed him firing their revolvers. He ran at top speed for the swamps nearby and when he discovered that his pursuers gained on him he laid down. The murderers rushed by but did not go near the highway. They soon gave up the search, whereupon Chambers hurried from his hiding place and started for the city to give the alarm. He fell in with a policeman, who conducted him to the car barns where Chambers had his injuries attended to. 172 jjgJJK MINUTES. George Gould Trying to Catch Coast Line Limited on Special. Atlanta, Ga., March 8.-A special to The Constitution from Savannah says that George J. Gould who reach? ed Jacksonville, Fla., this afternoon too late to catch the train for New York, secured a special train, the fastest that the Atlantic Coast Line could supply, paying the sum of $1, 500. The special moved out of Jack? sonville prepared to make record time and overtake the trian which- Mr. Gould had missed. In actual running time, according to the official figures, the 172 miles between Jacksonville and Savannah were covered in 152 minutes. Engines were shifted at Savannah and the train started northward. In the Gould party were the multi? millionaire himself, his wife and children and some 20 others. They expect to catch No. 32 at Weldon, N. C. It is said that Mr. Gould's great anxiety to made record time was due to the fact that one of the members of his party had a dinner engagement in New York tomorrow evening. - - .. mm The Augusta Electric Road. Columbia, March 9.-There are a great many people who have been of the opinion that nothing much would come out of the proposed electric street car line between Augusta and Columbia. It seems to be a stupen? dous undertaking for this section of the country, but in these days there is nothing too great for Columba and those interested. Notice was given thirty days ago. as required, of the intention to apply for a charter for the proposed railroad between Colum? bia and Augusta. The formal appli? cation for the charter today and the opening of the books of subscription give the highest evidence of the pur? pose of going right ahead with the road. The application states that the new road is to be fiftv miles long and that no part of this fifty miles has yet been constructed. The company asks that the capitalization be fixed at not less than 8500 vcr mile, and at not more than ?20,000 per mile. The cor? porators named are: James U. Jack? son, W. 1!. Smith Whaley, Wm. EL Ly les, Henri Buist, W. M. Jackson and Ed Ii. Clark. The road is to be known as the Augusta and Columbia Ra i 1 way Com pan y. It is announced that it is tho pur? pose of the company to orgnaize just as soon as possible and to get to work with as little delay as is practicable. fi WEST VIRGINI? OUTRAGE. Report of a Miners' Union Offi? cial on the Killing of fiegro Miners at Atkinsvilie. Indianapolis, Ind., March S.-The official report of'Chris Evans, who was sent to the West Virginia coal fields to investigate the killing of the colored miners at Atkinsvilie has been received at the headquarters. of the United Mine Workers. The report says that Gen. St. Clair, the attorney for the coal company, created an agitation to have the men arrested and taken to Charleston, W. Va., and that immediately afterward arrangements were made" with the United States marshal by the Mine Workers' officials to give bond for. all who were arrested, but later, on ac? count of the agitation created by Deputy Marshall Cunningham, the agreement with the marshal was broken and Cunningham was sent to arrest the men. According to the report there was great feeling against Cunningham and the men decided not to allow him to arrest them, and he was driven away. Mr. Evans says that he sent a telegram to the men to submit quiet? ly, but that the coal companies, who own all the telegraph and telephone lines entering the town, refused to deliver it, and before he could get any message to the men Cunningham and his deputies, who, he says, were the worst characters he could collect, went to the town a second time and killed the miners in their beds at night. The next day, he says, forty-eight men were arrested for consipring to kill Cunningham. He asserts that three negro miners were killed by the de? puties without being given an opor tunity to surrender, and says a coron? er's jury has returned a verdict of felonious killing against Cunningham. THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD. Warnings Sent From Cairo to all Places South to Prepare for at Least Fifty Feet of Water. Cairo, 111., March S.-The observer at the weather bureau has sent out warnings to places south of Cairo to prepare for at least fifty feet cf water. Rain fell yesterday and last night over the watersheds of the Ohio, Wabsah, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and in many places where the rivers were falling yesterday they are rising again today. A vast territory around and below Cairo is now covered with water and many of the families have been forced to abandon their homes. While there is no im? mediate danger at Cairo there is danger in the lowlands between Cairo and Memphis. The Cairo levees are expected to stand a stage of 55 feet, as they have been raised and strength? ened during the last few years. The gauge tonight shows 45.S feet. THE VIEW FROM MEMPHIS. Memphis, Tenn., March 8.- The riv? er, after remaining stationary for two days, began to rise slowly again to? day. The gauge tonight marks 3.44. feet and more water is coming. The levees remain intact, although a large area o? lowlands south of Mem? phis is submerged. Crittenden and Lee counties in Arkansas are inundat? ed and some distress is reported from there especially among negro farmers. The most serious difficulty the rail? roads are experiencing from the en? croaching waters is the delay to schedules, many trains arriving from one to three hours late. . Thousands of people lined the bluffs here today, gazing on the vast expanse of water. Excursion boats were run* five miles inland. Fatal Fracas in York. Yorkville, March 7.-William Lucas shot ?nd killed Tom Johnson about 2 o'clock yesterday morning on the farm of Mrs. S. J. Clinton, of Bethel Town? ship, in this country. Lucus is a negro as also was the victim. The facts as related to your corresondent are as follows : Several months ago Lucus at? tended a negro frolic across the State line in North Carolina, which is four or five miles from Mr. Clinton's, be? came involved in a row, did some shoot? ing and was himself hit by a bullet from another negro's pistol. Since that time he has been staying close home, nursing his wound. Last night I the North Carolina negroes came down ! to do Lucus. The row was started without unnecessary delay and after getting a double-barrel shotgun Lucus entered a house. The North Carolina negroes opened fire with pistols, shooting through the door, windows and weatherboarding. Lucus decided that the place was too warm and climbed out a w:indow, gun in hand. No sooner than he had set foot on the ground his eye fell on the form of what he supposed to be one of his North Carolina enemies, and without unnecessary delay he levelled his gun and fired.. After the smoke cleared away it was discovered that he had shot Johnson, who also lived on Mr. Clinton's farm, and was a friend of Lucus. Johnson died shortly after being shot, the load entering his head, destroying one eye. Mr. Clinton estimates that during the fusilado on the house as many as seventy-five shots were fired. Nobody else was hurt. The coroner held an inquest yester? day. Lucus is in jail. The Cotton Market. New York, March 9.- Tho cotton market opened weak today at a de? cline of from 9 to ll points, with the loss mainly on the nearer months. The general weakness was the result of disappointment in the Liverpool cables. Later in the session the market ral? lied no covering following the appear? ance of clique support. In the early afternoon the marker was from S io 10 points above the low point of the session. Everthing that Cannon said about < the outrageous Senate rules was true, and everything that Tillman said about ( tho outrageous House rules was true, j 1 Plain truth-telling is the usual result j< when pot and kettle fa!] out.-Courier j Journal. ] j < i. HOPER IIS DECLINED, rle Will Sot k President of Fran. Br. Ramsey Says Dr. Roper's De? cision Will be Hegreited by Baptists Throughout State. Dr. Lewis M. Rooper has declined, ko accept the presidency of Forman University, which was tenderend him oj the board of trustees of that insti? tution last December. Speaking of the natter to a Reporter for The News ind Courier, Dr. D. M. Ramsey, of mis city, who is a member of the Doard, said that Dr. Roper's declina non would be a sore disappointment ..o Baptists throughout the State. He would have brought to the high position peculiarly strong qualificatiors tn every way. He enjoys the confi? dence of the brotherhood of the State, and they would have cheerfully follow? ed his lead in the great and enlargirg . work of Furman University. Still ail who know him will be assured^ that his concluiscn was conscientiously reached, and those who know him best will pobably be a unit in the opinion that his marked gifts as a pastor and evangelist fully justify his determination to remain in he pastor? ate. Dr. Ramey has received the follow? ing letter from Dr. Roper: Spartanburg, March 6, 1903. Rev. D. M. Ramsey, D. D., Chair man of Board of Trustees of Furman University.-Dear Sir and Brother: I am deeply sensible of the distinction tha'G your honorable body conferred upon me in electing me to be presi? dent of Furman Univeristy, and I thank you for this token of your con? fidence and esteem. I regret very much that I cannot accept the place of trust and usefulness to which you have called me, for I love Furman Uni? veristy,- and I am willing, if it were right, to give my life to her service. I decline this call to be president of my alma matter for one, and only one, reason ; I feel that it is my duty to continue my work as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Spartanburg. I have been here only three years andr my work is in no sense complete. We have begun to intensify and enlarge oar activities in many respects, and God has blessed us with much success in all our forward movements. The church has heartily endorsed and sup? ported my plans, and I feel that I should be guilty cf neglect of duty if I left this work for any other work, at least for several years. I have enthusiastic confidence in tbe future of Furman University. I believe heartily that the brightest day in her history is now dawning. Brother J. I. Allen will succeed in his plan fer raising 8100,000 endowment; the trus? tees will find the right man for presi? dent, and in five years we shall hardiy recognize the old College, so much will she be changed for the better. I believe all this because I am convinced that the Baptists of South Carolina will labor, pray and sive for the suc? cess of our denominational college, which has already proved itself to be one of the first agencies for the estab? lishment of the Kingdom of Christ at home and abroad. While I decline this offer of the presidency, I pledge my heart and hand as pastor to this great work of Christian education. Yours most truly, Lewis M. Roper. -News and Courier. MORGAN BUYS HOTELS. New York, March 7.-Various re? ports concerning the Flagler Hotel system in Florida were circulated in the finiancial district today. One re? port was that the hotels and the Florida East Coast railways had been turned over to J. P. Moran, presum? ably for the Southern Railway. An? other report was that the properties would be owned jointly by the South? ern and the Atlantic Coast Line. Wall street believes that it is J. P. Mor? gan's plan to build up a larger tourist business to Florida and Cuba, and in this connection the establisnment of an up-to-date line of steamers between Florida and Cuba is looked for. Washington. March 7.-R. F. Pat? terson, United States consul general at Calcutta, reporting to the State denartment upon the cotton crop of India in 1902-03, estimates it at 3,500, CC0 bales, an increase of 100,000 bales over the crop of the year previous. Attention was called in the report to the extension of the area placed under cotton. Marked progress in the culti? vation in this year's crop has been made in the united provinces, as also in the Punjab and the northwest frontier provinces. Records are estab? lished for the central provinces, Berar, Hyderabad, and there are large increase in Central India, Rajpuntana, Madras and Burma. New York, March 7.-In the presence of three thousand spectators, including officials of the State of Tennessee, the city of Chattanooga, the city of New York and many naval officers, the United States cruiser Chattanooga was launched today at the ship yard of the United States Shipbuilding Com? pany at Elizabethport, N. J. The Chattanooga was christened by the young daughter of the mayor of Chat? tanooga, Lilian Chambliss, who broke a bottle of champagne against the prow with the words: "I christen thee, good ship, in honor of Chatta? nooga. The maids of honor were Miss Frances Bond and Miss Rieta Faxon. Mazatlan, Mex., March 8.-There were no deaths from the plague todav. There are only thirty-seven patients in the lazaretto, two cases grave and Eve doubtful. Cases of plague have been discovered at Siquieros, near the village of Yilla Union. The local health board here believes the disaese will be stamped cur at Siquieros, also it El Oso. Tallahassee. Fla., March S.- Gov. Jennings yesterday received a tele? gram from Wisconsin advising him that tho legislature cf that State desired that a convention be held in Atlanta, Ga., on July 4, 1903, to dis :uss the race question and requesting :he governor to appoint delegates to men convention. Gov. Jennings re? fused to appoint such deleagtes unless so directed by the legislature.