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Ik ??aii|mait m?r ?ftnrijpon. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1904. _-~~*-: The -Sumter Watchman was .founded in 1850 and the True So?tftron in 1866. The Watchman and Southron no*r bas the com? bined circulation and influence of both of the old papers, and is manifestly the best advertising medium in Sumter. * ^ A glance at the list by counties, of contributions to the Hampton mona .aoent fand reveals the fact that the counties -that receive the largest amounts from the State Penison appro? priation hare not contributed at all to tho monument fund or have given so niggardly that. the , pittance collected serves but to emphasize their neglect bf the opportunity to share in the movement to honor the memory of Wade Hampton. Were the facts not as they are we would have been confi? dent that the counties that have the greatest number of old Soliders would have been the ; most liberal and the promptest contributors to the Hampton monument. The sentence imposed in the Mayor's Court yesterday on Solomon Lowry for disorderly conduct t and carrying concaeled weapons so well fitted the of ease that we wish to commend and endorse it . Lowry got drunk went into T. H. Bell's store at the cotton mill, cursed the proprietor, drsv a pistol on him and threatened to kill him. Bell was unarmed and that circum? stance alone, we believe, prevented ? tragedy. Lowry finally left the store without shooting anyone, and was subsequently arrested on a warrant taken out by Bell. When Lowry was arraignedfor trial in the Mayor's Court he seemed to think that his statement that he was drunk and had no recol? lection of the disturbance he created was an all sufficient defense and that \ he would be set free upon payment of & nominal fine. City Clerk Hurst w&o presided at the trial, by consent.of $11 parties, did not take that view of the case and in imping a sentence of 60 days on the chain gang or a fine of ?SICK) adopted the most effective means w i th in his reach of i mpressing upon Lowry the gravity of his offense and teaching him a lesson that he will not scon forget. Liquor ?hd pistols are the worst possible combination and are responsible fer more crime than airy other things we can.think bf. If ^1 police court judges would take the same view of such offenses that Mr. Hurst entertained, eentencss fitting the offense would be more of ten imposed and many salutaly' lessons would be taught. The franchise tax law, which was I: the only one cf the several bills intro? duced by the tax commission to pass I 'zz zhe' recent session of the Legisla? ture, tarns out to be defective and therefore inoperative for this year at leas:;. Thus the labors of the tax com? mission? from which so much was : hoped, comes to naught. All men are : agreed that our tax laws need remodel? ing so as to reach a great deal of pro? perty that now escapes taxation, but j ^the Legislature seems to be made up ? ?ar^ely of those who. are partial to the | ?c dodgers and are opposed to the 1 astment of laws that will force them contribute their just share to-the pport of the State Government. 7c? management cf the News and Courier announces that beginning wish March 1st the subscription price of that paper* w?U be SS per year for the daily and Sunday issues combined. This reduction places the'New sand Courier on'' the same footing as ptber. ; papers circulating io this section and should result in ac/.iing macy namt-s to rhe already large list of our con? temporary, which recently celebrated |ts centennial. The News and Courier -has been for one hundred years, and still is, an influential factor in the ? development of South Carolina and j this reductioa in price should increase ; its influence and opportunities fnr j ifood by the enlargement of its circula- j The State's Colored Supplement. The colored map, showing the Russian ipi re, Japan and the territory bor ?riag on these nations, which was is ted by the State as a supplement on iday is the best of the many maps the far e?st issued since the begin? ing o? the war, and will be preserved everyone for reference. It enables ie reader who is interested in folllow ig the daily accounts of battles, and i movements of the navies and armies .thoroughly familiarize himself with territory, and brings clear to mind te great disjtance at which the battle ind ?3 situated from Russia's bas6 supplies, and her greatest difficulty conducting the war. The State's iterprise in > furnishing its readers itu this map w'il?be appreciated. Columbia, March 1.- S'ate Chair? man Wilie Jones has ?aiied a meeting of the executive committee of the Democratic party, to be held here on Tuesday evening, April 5, in the office of th9 Secretary of State. The State committee will fix the time for the State Convention, at which delegates will be elected to the National Demo? cratic Convention. The State Conven son will be held some time in May. THE GARDEN SPOT OF CAROLINA. What CarsweH Saw and Heard in Wedge 1ield-vA Thriving Business Centre Set Amid Fertile Fields. ' Wedgefield, March 2.-Ten miles from Sumter on the way to Columbia is in a glori?os farming country with the red soil famous for raising cotton, and which extends from away down in Georgia up to Marlboro county, S. C., the strip getting narrower as it points north. The Wedgefield plantations are too large, one estate being over 9, OOO acres -that of the Aycocks who are cousins of the Governor of North Carolina. From the station go generally 3,000 bales of cotton, but the 1903 crop was not up to the mark ; from 60 to 70 cars carry cotton seed, and the receivals of merchandise reach over 250,000 pounds per month. J. H. Aycock & Son$ estate, have an elegant mercantile house measur? ing 55x106 feet and warehouses thoroughly stocked. They also have two cotton ginneries one with 2 70-saw Van Winkle stands and the other 2 60 saws, the cotton gin and cotton house in same building. S. Weinberg, general merchant, does the biggest lien business in Wedgefield and carries from ??,0G0 to $5,000 worth of gooda He also buys cotton and handles cotton seed for the South? ern Oil Company at Columbia. He was born in Charleston and is a born merchant The six brothers are all successful business men. Aar?n W. Weinberg was a Florence pioneer who now resides at Manning, wealthy and retired. Abe Weinberg is doing a' big business at Darlington. Isaac Weinberg is farming success? fully in Darlington county. Henry Weinberg is doing a lien and cash boniness at Mayesville and Sam Weinberg at Wedgefield is doing well at Wedgefield and is a member of the K. of P. and Ladies and Knights of Honor. Two miles from Wedgefield with the Southern Railway, running through it are fine clay d?pcsits which on crude test hav,e proven first class brick material and it is thought that stratas of pottery clay are in the.region, and J. B. Ryan has charge of the lands. The liveliest all around business man of Wedgefield is unquestionably F. E. Thomas who personally superintends each of his varied enterprises. His plantation, 500 acres in a high state of cultivation, is at the village and he raises cotton, corn, oats, wheat and stock peas, and is a great advocate as to the manifold properties of the "cow-peas" popularly so called, and he ships pea seed to New Orleans and other distant as well as nigh points, and the pea hay is not only nutritious but as a fertilizer cow peas are valu? able. On his farm, which is near and in the village, Mr. Thomas has 21 build? ings. The F. E. Thomas Cotton ' Ginnery is according to the latest Munger sys? tem and has ? 7C:saw stands. Of the 1903 crop he ginned 1,020 bales, and outside of that raised, bought and shipped 350 bales, and he is the buyer and shipper of cotton seed fer the Independent Oil Co., at Darlington. With his ginnery he has engine of 60 and bciirr of 65 h.p., which'also propel grist mill and saw mill and j other woodworking machinery. The corn meal is made by a 3 foot French bdhr and the saw mill is well equipped with circular saw, 3 edgers, and band saw, and a lathe will soon be added for the rflnanfactnre of axe and other handles, and he is manufacturer and shipper to different markets of hard? woods-notably, hickory, oak, red gum and maple, and is now filling a con? tract for street car builders in Phila? delphia. The F. E. Thomas mercan? tile house carries up to $4000 worth of goods-has trade .from as far as a dozen mile?, and employs two to four clerks, and every department of his several industries is kept in constant harmony. F. E. Thomas was born in Thomas ville, X. C. lu 1872 he came to South Carolina and superintended; turpentine opera? tions for the late James H. Aycock who was tlie Turpentine and Rosin King of the county. Mr. Thomas also was associated with the same interests for'Mr. Aycock in Georgia. In 1879 he settled in Wedgefield and two years thereafter became merchant and has been extending operations ever since. Officially lie was County Commis? sioner six years ago and again for the last two year?, and for six years been I school trustee and whatever he under- | takes he does with a will, and he is ! ever the same affable and broadguaged gentleman who believes in the greater good for the greater number. J. B. Ryan bought 1,287 bales of cotton for Sprunt, Wilmington, and he buys cotton seed for the Southern Cotton Seed Oil Mills, Sumter and Columbia, and is a busy merchant with from 83,000 to $5,000 stock, according ; to season, doing a lien as well as a ? cash business, and employing two to i four able clerks. Mr. Ryan has his lovely home two j miles north of Wedgefield, and on an eminence 80 feet above the village On j the place of five acres of orchards and j gardens, he has a coterie of buildings, with his two story inviting residence j granting beautiful views of the sur j rounding country and thc Ryan home has the pure air and the exhilaration of. a mountain resort. The gentleman was born at Barnwell Court House, S. C., and began busi? ness as mercantile clerk and came to Wedgefield in 1880, and took charge of the E. T. Moore Company stores became member of the successors (firm H. J. McLaurin & Co. ) and in 1887 became sole proprietor. Mr. Ryan has been 3 years ou town? ship board of education and been school trustee 8 years, but is not ambi? tions for political preferment, and he is a good business man and gracious gentleman. His right hand man at the store has been with him 15 years. Reference is made.to J. H. Burgess who has a good farm and nice home at Stateburg. The Wedgefield school has as Principal, R. L. Goff and assistant I Miss Edith Fooser and ihe numerous pupils are making rapid progresss. J. R. Ham, the railway agent has only been two years railroading, but he conducts the business equal to a veteran and is a young gentleman who will succeed in whatever he under? takes. James Cars well. News and Comment From Pisgah. "f Pisgah, March 1.-Our climate has got to be so changeable that it takes quite a large wardrobe to be comfort? able. One day freezing the next sum? mer. As a consequence our section is full of colds, coughs and grip. I hardly know of a family but what is afflicted in this way. Farm work is progressing as well as it could be expected. Guano haul? ing is now going on. All of it is not going to be used under cotton. The oat crop in general is poor. The severe winter has thined the stands to so few that it is a qustion whether to plow up and plant something else, or save what few remains. Spring oats rarely amount to anything, and I know of none being planted. The high price of provisions is mak? ing itself felt, and this crop will be a costly one, economise as much as it is possible to do. , .Labor conditions are not satisfac? tory, and no one knows this as well as the farmers. The organization of labor ?nions in your city will add nothing to the betterment of your city, t believe in free thought and action unhampered by any power, and the president said that the govern? ment of the United States could not recognize organized labor. Good for him. What you said about McDonald Furman is all endorsed by those who knew him. His death is a distinct loss tc his county and State. Like Judge Early, he left this world all too soon for the good of his State. Mr. Tommie Hatfield and son, of your city visited friends and relatives here, Sunday. Mr. Hatfield lived here many years and has many friends who are always glad to see him. Our Methodist friends in seme sec? tions are upset over the ?changes in circuits and preachers for . the same. It would be wise if the presiding cid? ers would consult thc wishes of the churches before changes are made. so as to not antoganize or hamper the work. Often unsatisfactory apoiut ments kills cut the interest and work Oi a church for the time being. Pisgah church has a fine pastor and he is exerting his influence for t}\e good of his church and neighborhood. In its defence the State hoase com? mission cannot explain away the fact that the State has received a poor job in finishing the State house. The writer and others went up the. dom? two years ago, and* was struck with the poor work there exhibited. If there was not enough money to do a decent job, the commissioner should have referred the matter back to the legislature, rather than attempt to do the work with less than it would take to do it in harmony with the original design. Senator Marshall should have gone into the courts and tied the. matter up until an invstigation %mld be had. So it seems he was as re? miss in his duty, except protesting, as what he has charged on the rest of the commission. No one is above the law, and the commission could have stopped if they were pursuing a course inirni-' cal to the State. J. E. D. ? - "Hil ?- '>#? -O-- ? Interstate Beer Traffic. Special to The Daily Item. Washington. March 2.-Before the judiciary committee of the Hous;e to? day public hearings were begun on the Hepburn-Dolliver bill, which seeks to change the interstate commerce law so that all intoxicating liquors shipped 1 from outside States may be subject j to the laws of the State to which they are shipped or through which they may pass. Thc measure, in eiTect, is intended to aid local option and pre vent any city or county subject to that l law from receiving intoxicants of any j kind or character in broken or un broken packages, from outside setcions. Ever since the measure was framed j the liquor interests and their organized ? opponents have been girding for the fray and the liveliest contest of tin kind that Congress has witnessed since the anti-canteen legislation is expected ; to take place. The hearings begun j today will probably continue until the | end of the week., Thousands of ! memorials, protests and petitions, in- I eluding several hundred froiri Texas j and as many from Iowa, have been re^ i coived by the judiciary committee, j Petitions requesting the passage of the bill have been received from countless church organizations and ' temperance societies, while an almost equal num? ber of protests against the measure have been received from various parts of the country and particularly from the German-American element. fi MOST ??E AFFAIR. Apparently Inexcusable Lynching of a Helpless Negro. Holly Hill, Feb. 29.-What seemed on Saturday to be a common "drunk and disorderly" arrest, proved on yesterday morning to be a mysterious murder, which for pure fiendishness seems unequalled. Saturday morning a negro who claimed to be a railroad hand from Summerville, and who gave three different names-Richard Johnson, John Brown and Joe Swinson-wa3 ordered from Holly Hill because of disorderly conduct. Later in the day he returned and continued his abusive language, telling the marshal that "strange niggers sometimes kill buckra. ' ' He was arrested, and as he was unruly was handcuffed and tied with plow lines and left in the guard house, seemingly safe. The story from this point is mere connected in the man's own words: "In the night two white men came and took me out and down the rail? road near cuhert; shot me and threw me in the ditch for dead, but I wasn't dead: I got up and came here." This he told one Manuel, a colored man, at whose house he stopped and asked to stay, but as he was stlil handcuffed ; Manuel was afraid to give bim shelter, but directed him to a vacant house, where he could spend the night. Manuel then notified the marshal, who made no effort to recapture his prisoner. The wounded man pushed on to the vacant bouse, about three quarters of a mile distant, arid yester? day morning was found dead in a sit? ting position in one corner of tire out? buildings of the vacant place. , An inquest brought out that he had received seven 38-calibre pistol shots, one entering at the small ol the back, going completely through him, being cut from just beneath the skin near the nipple ; other shots were received from the fjont and one arm was broken. The door of the guard boase was unlocked, the lock being found where the tracks of two persons have been traced aero.-s a field leading directly away'from where the man must have been shpt, as the bank shows where the body slid into tho ditoh. The man walked about OOO feet in the ditch, and fully three-quarters of a mile from where he was shot. His hat and a new pair of shoes were found near the ditch bank. In the absence of any apparent motive, it is a "horri? ble affair. The coroner's jruy, composed of the best men of our county, are now in? vestigating tho affair. Independence Day in Texas. Special to The Daily Item. Austin, Texas, March "J.-Sixty eight yeajs ago today, at Washington on the Brazos, the Texas declaration of independence was signed, after Santa Anna had begun the historic siege of the Alamo. In accordance with cus? tom the anniversary was generally observed throughout the State. Public offices were closed and appropriate exercises in commemoration of the day were held in the public schools and in the colleges and universities. The day was also the lllth anniver? sary of the birth of Sam Houston, the hero of Texas' struggle for independ? ence, and there were special services at his grave at Huntsville participated in by the faculty and students of the Sam Houston Normai Schcol. World's Fair Stock Dividend. Special to The Daily Item. Chicago, Mardi 1.-People who helped to make successful the great Chicago exposition cf IS93 by buying stock in the world's fair company to? day received checks for amounts repre? senting a final dividend of 4.65 per cent on their holdings. Altogether the stockholders have received 14.60 per cent of their investment, or $1.46J?j on every $10 invested. The payment of the final dividend practically closes un the business of the company which financed the great exposition. A Sudden Death in Camden. Camden, March 1.-Mr. A. Witt- | kowsky died suddenly tonight, ile j was at his store up to ? o'clock, but j became so unwell that lie had tu be taken home. He was T? years of age j and had been engaged in the mercan- ; tile business in Camden for a number j of years. He was a gallant Confeder ate soldier ;;nd was an upright citizen. The hog question which was the issue of (irst importance in the muneipal cam? paign in Sumter a half dozen years H%O is now the bone of contention in several South Carolina towns that are beginning to grow and eat.?h tf.ep with progress. h GOAL F&MINE ?SAIN ? j Operators Say there Must be a Re- j duction in Wages-Miners Say j that if Wages are Reduced they will Strike. j -? ! Indianapolis, Ind., March 1.-When ! the conference of miners and operat- j ors of the central competitive district opened today, W. H. Bassett, an Ohio j delegate, moved that the scale now in effect he readopted. The Ohio, Uli- j nois, Indiana and Western Pennsylva? nia operators voted "no," and the miners from the States "yes." President Mitchell then presented the demands of the miners, and F. L. Eobbins made the demand for. the operators of a 5 per cent, reduction in wages. He said : "Present conditions demand a re? duction in wages. We ask you to arbitrate as to what your share of the reduction in the price of coal shall be. I tell yon now that I and the compa? nies I represent will never sign a scale except it be a reduction in wages." President Mitchell replied to Mr. Robbins. He confined his remarks to the arguments for a reduction made by Mr. Robbins and then said emphat? ically : "It may be the parting of the ways," as Mr. Robbins says, but for my part I know what I am going to do." This statement was interpreted by the Convention to mean the demands of the miners would be adhered to. The remark was applauded by the miners. A recess was then taken. During tiie recess Fl L. Robbins, leader of the operators, said: "It looks like a strike. The operators will make no concessions-absolutely none. It is a reduction or strike." President Mitchell said: "On Mr. Robbins' statement before the Con? vention Lt 'q.oes look like a strike." ?/W. S. Bogle, of Indiana, made the j closing address for the operators. The j question was then called on the adop? tion of Mr. Robbins' resolution fer a reduction of 15 per cent, in wages. On motion of Mr. Robbins the matter was referred to the scale committee, to? gether with the entire question of fixing a scale. The Convention then adjourned till Thursday. The scale committee will hold its first session tomorrow. Des Moines in Commission. Boston, March 1.-The' new United States sheathed cruiser Des Moines was placed in commission today at the Charlestown navy yard, the occasion being attended by the nsnal ceremonies. Rear Admiral Mortimor L. Johnson, commandant of the navy yard, formally turned over the vessel to Commander Alexander McCracken, U. S. N., who is to be her first commander. Officer and crew were mustered on deck and a salute was fired as the Stars and Stripes were hauled up to the mast head. The cruiser Des Moines was con? structed at the yards of the Fore River Ship and Engine company of Quincy, Mass. She is similar in de? sign to the Cleveland, the Tacoma, the Chattanooga and the Galveston. Her length over all is 308 feet 9 inches and her full load displacement, 3.500 tons. In the construction of the Des Moines and her sister ships corn pith with an estimated capacity of 6,720 cubic feet has been used as an obturat? ing material for the water line protec? tion, so that if the hull should be pierced by a shot the swelling of the corn pith placed between the outer and inner plates will' prevent the ingress of the water. FOR SALE-One very fine, full blooded Poland China Sow ; also Berk? shire Pigs. Address E. B. Col? clough, Heriot, S. C. Mch 2-lt WANTED-Applications for small loans at 8 per cent and larger ones at 7 per cent with good real estate secu? rity, or to take up mortgages now bear? ing 8 per cent with agreement to carry them at 7 per cent where securities are very good. A. B. Stuckey, Atty. Feb 25-lw. FOR RENT-One storehouse, with three room dwelling attached, with necessary out buildings, for five months. Three and one half miles from Sumter in the fork of Providence and Stateburg roads. For terms apply ' to R. M. Edens, Sumter, S. C. July 29-tf. THE LOUD TALKER SAYS - ^^r?xff?C Bl THE NEW KIND OF CHEW mm THAT WON ENOUGH CHEWERS J1? IN A YEAR TO mm^A THE LARGEST COMPETITIVE BRAND MM OF SCHNAPPS TOBACCO. WA. BOWMAN, Frost. O.W.BOSMEB, See.a?reas. umter, 3. O. -Capital Stock $50,000 Wholesale Grocers, Ferti!iz= ersand Farmers' Supplies. Sole agents for the celebrated brand of Wil? cox & Gibbs Fertilizers. We are prepared to quote the very closest cash or time prices on all lines of Groceries, Fertilizers and Farmers' Supplies, And invite your investigation before making your arrangements for another year. Come to see us. We will save you money, and give you a hearty, courteous welcome. Sinnier Banking 4 Mercantile Company, Masonic Building, 2d door from the Postoffice. Sumter, S. C. ni M 11 II mn II HI ni minim i HMM IIII Southeastern Lime & Cement COMPANY. CHARLESTON, S. C. Building Material of all kinds. High Brade Roofing "RUBEROID." Feb 2 o