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WEDKCSOAV, DECEMBER 28,1904. The Sumter Watchman was founded in and the True Southron in 1866. The Watchmen and Southron now ban the oom bined circulation sad Inaoance of both ot ^fce old papers, and is manifestly the beet ?dvertiaiasp med?ais in Sumter. BUB BEST WISHES. The year 290? now rapidly drawing to ? close bas been one of exceptional prosperity and the people -of Sooth Carolina and Sumter, in particular, nave many reasons for welcoming this Christmas with feelings of fchankful aees and gratitude for the manifold blessings of which they have been the j recipients daring the past twelve tbs. "We have been blessed in ways and there are few who were aofc able to welcome the Christ? mas season with the true holiday spirit and participate in the innocent festivities with joy and giadnesss, re jawwing their youth by sharing tie ?cys and pleasure, of the children -SD whom Christmas is the happiest of aS days. . To many the day must of necessity iave been tinged with sadness for memories of other days will come crowding io, and those who once shared the pleasures of Christmas, Sm* have since passed across to the shining shores of the great beyond, were remembered with a distinctness that the associations of the day ?coen tn&tes. These recollections come with tile falling of the shadows of ?vening, after the day's festivities soe over and before the lamps are ?ghted, when in a silent hour the friends and faces of other years seem searer than those of the present. Hap noms and pleasant incidents are -recall fed and a long forgotten jest Jmngs & smile to the face. These mem? ories axe not always sad, for there ia more of gladness than sadness in every Se and afc the Christmas time one is peone to recall the bright and happy of the past, and if it were not-for tee never satisfied longing for the ^Dsch of a vanished band, the sound sf a voice that is forever stilled, ' there would be all joy and no grief at the Christmas tide. ' In this year of grace and general ?pOBperity we are better able to enjoy the good cheer of the season than for many long years and we should make Ike most of the? .present, not forget? ting the past, but jocking'forward with not? sLd confidence io 'the fcttise. fl m A LESSON TS ETHICS. The Daily Item Arraigns the Evening News for Piracy of its Telegrams. - **We regret very much, that through inadvertance, a certain- dispatch brought to the office of the Evening ' . Sews by messenger boy of the tele graph company, but really intended for our contemporary, The Daily Item, was published in yesterday's Evening News. The mistake was dis? covered by the Manager of the Even? ing News too late to make the cor? rection. While the telegraph com? pany was chiefly at fault in the mat? ter, we feel that we owe this state? ment both to ourselves and to The '.-..-Daily"Item." . She foregoing, which appeared in the Evening News yesterday, calls for a 'brief statement of the facts. Between 1 and 2 o'clock Wednesday, 'when a portion of our telegraphic pref s news was delivered by the West? ern Union Telegraph Company, we iSscovered that the first install -ment, which usually reaches the office between ll and 12 o'clock, bad gene astray, it containing a reference to m preceding dispatch. An immediate demand was made on the Western TJsion fer the missing dispatch. Mr. Bradley, the manager of the office, stated that the dispatch had been re aezved and sent ont by one of the mes? senger boys, and that be would ascer? tain at once what had become of it. Abon? an hoar later the missing sheet was turned over to us, with the state? ment that it had been delivered to the ?Evening News. This sheet which contained four press dispatches, was type written and plainly addressed to The Daily Item on the heading and signed "Publishers Press" at Ins bottom. The condition in which it was when received in this office showed that it bad been edited for use ia the Even? ing News. Bat it never occurred to ss* that a reputable newspaper would Tssko ase of another newspaper's mess report that had fallen into its ?ands through the mistake of a care Jess messenger boy, therefore we said .aotafag to the News office inreferoceto Use rutter ; for, while we did not under? stand how it was easily possible for a yeisoa to have failed to observe that the report was addressed to the Daily Item, still we realized that mistakes will happen and that the news editor of the Evening News might have over? looked both the address and Signatare. We icoogbt that, having been ia formed that the dispatches were the -property of The Item, they woald ac* as if they had never seen them. Oar surprise was great, therefore, Wednesday afternoon when we found siS four of oar dispatches published -verbatim in the Evening News, ander -S?e heading, 6'By Associated Press," aed ant a word of explanation. This proceeding gave evidence of .ach impudent and brazen disregard' of journalistic ethics and the rights of property that we decided to call the matter to the attention of Hr. Hugh C. Haynsworth, the managing editor, for we felt sure that he could not have countenanced the appropriation of the Daily Item report. Mr. Hayns? worth, as we believed, knew nothing of the matter and expressed surprised and regret, saying? among other things, that the boys in the office treated the matter as a joke and appeared to think it was smart to capture and nae tue report. Mr. Haynsworth assured us that no such mistake, or accident, should occur in the future, and" offered to make any amend the circumstances demand? ed. Therefore the paragraph quoted above. We would have continued silent con? cerning the unpleasant incident, bad the statement gone far enough, but as the responsibility was shifted almost wholly upon the shoulders of a young and ignorant messenger boy, we felt constrained to state the facts in their entirety. The messenger made a mistake in delivering the dispatch at the Evening News office, but some one in that office made a greater mis? take in receiving and signing for a dispatch addressed to The Daily Item, some one in that office made a still greater mistake in editing for composition this dispatch, addressed to The Daily Item and signed Publishers Press. These were all, possibly, mis? takes due to haste or carelessness. But the publication of these four dis? patches, for which The Daily Item pays, after the fact had been brought home to some one or more persons in the Evening News in office the most forcible manner possible by the demand of the Western Union manager that the said dispatches be returned to him for delivery to their rightful owner, The Daily Item, was neither a mistake nor inadvertence, bat the deliberate use of another's property without notice or consent Had the Daily Item been disposed to play the pirate, it could have seized the Evening News' reports a dozen times, for they have been brought to this office time and agate by the mes enger ' boyv who- is now called upon to be the scape goat of this transaction. However, we knew what was due to ourselves and to the property rights of others,' and promptly returned each dispatch to the Western Union office. -Daily Item, Dec. 23, ETHICS AND PERACY. Daily Item, December 27. The Evening News, in its issue of Saturday, makes extended reply to our editorial "A Lesson in Ethics," which, if boiled down, would amount to a confession that, having been detected in appropriating the news service of the Daily Item, it regretted being exposed fully as much as being guilty of the offense .against the pro? prieties. Taken as a whole, we have no fault to find with the statement of facts submitted by the Evening News, al? though in some particulars it is glar? ingly inaccurate, for instance the fact that four and not three specials were appropriated, but it is not the details of the piracy that we were discussing, but the principle involved. It is as wrong to appropriate a penny as to embezzle a million. Notwithstanding the minor depart? ures from the facts that the statement of the Evening News containa, we would have charitably ov?rlooked them, had this statement of fac$s, as they were made to the editor of the Evening News, appeared in the issue of December 22nd, instead of the par? agraph to which we took, exception. That paragraph was neither a state? ment of facts nor an apology, but ' an attempt to shift all responsibility to the shoulders of the messenger boy, when the fault was the fault of some one in the Evening News office. The messenger boy rectified his eiror when be notified the Evening News of the mistake and reclaimed the dispatches belonging to the Daily Item. we cannot abide to see a man, or newspa? per, seek to shirk a responsibility, and the imposition on the messenger boy riled cs more than the appropriation of our news. As we stated to the editor of the Evening News, any ex? planation he saw fit to make would have been satisfactory, but instead of an explanation and a statement of facts, he gave an excuse that did not explain. As we said on Friday, the statement did not go far enough. The whole matter in a nutshell is, the Evening News received press dis? patches belonging to The Daily Item and published them as thier's, after notice. If they are satisfied that they did the right and proper thing, as the editorial of Saturday implies, why any expression of regret, or promise that nothing like it should occur again? The effort to cloud the issue and distract public attention from their violation of journalistic ethics, by ac casing the Daily Item of news-pi racy, falls fiat. One of the two articles that were copied from the News and Cou? rier, and run in under a Daily Item special line, was properly credit? ed at the bottom to the News and Courier: The other was a matter of general news, and having been pub? lished in the News and Courier, was free to ail It was clipped and pub I lished as news, and the "Special" line which BO grievously offended the eth? ical sensibilities of the Evening News was inadvertently placed there by the devil or some other facetious or ignor? ant person, if we may adopt the ex? planation of the Evening Newa We will add, however, that the offending special line wonld have been omitted had we had notice of it. We should not have treated it as a joke, as we do not desire to sail under false colors. With renewed assurances of our highest consideration, and thanking the editor of the Evening- News for the bouquets he throws at us, we are content to let the matter rest with the. public, leaving him to settle the ethical principles involved with the jokers on his staff, whom he seems to feel called upon to defend in a hard case. ONE ATTRACTIVE FEATURE. The jolliest thing we now have in Sumter, Mr. Editor, is our system of incandescent lighting. The*'dim re? ligious light" furnished to the pat? rons of the system is worthy of high mention in the papers. There are ?tome uncertainties in our mortal life, but we never live in doubt of the as? sured fact that our struggling lights will go out on us once or twice or oftener each nipbt. The men who are at the bead of the system oiler no ex? planation, apology or excuse. We dj not know whether the trouble is caus? ed by incompetent management or by inadequate machinery, or by careless? ness. All we know is that we who pay for the lights in our places of business are counted as a set of fools who will patiently endure this abuse, and never say a word nor raise a com? plaint. It seems that the time is ripe for some man or corporation to come in and take hold of the matter of fur? nishing lights for our citizens. A stockholder, to whom complaint was made, declared that the company en? gaged in making the lig.hte had never, declared a dividend. Is it to be won? dered at? Is it not patent to all that the gradual loss of patronage is cut? ting down the income? Is it to be hoped that the income will grow larger in proportion as the lights grow poorer? Is it not farcial for men to be asked to pay for the little half red strings which bang night by night in the incandescent bulbs? Will no one come to our relief? There are towns in South Carolina where good lights- are furnished, and really . we shall have to discontme our boasting of the glories of Sumter until this one flagrant annoyance can be remedied/ Who can point a suffering public to a means of relief? b Since beginning to write these lines, the glowing bulbs of red hav^e gone out on me twice, and I am now using a flickering candle, which gives about as much light as the two incan ! descent lamps for which I am, solemn j ly called upon to pay once a month. IA friend suggests that we call a meeting of interested citizens to con j sider aud discuss the whole matter of i lighting our homes and places of busi? ness. We cannot much longer endure the farce now being perpetrated upon I us. We need lights-lights that will give light, and lights which will burn ali night. It is an unrighteous im? position to have to pay for 16-candle power lamps which, while burning, give only half the light they are said to give, and which, while at their best, suddenly go out, - and compel the patrons to keep candles and lamps constantly on hand and ready for use. lt might be that a fall and free dis? cussion of the matter by the assem? bled patrons would either result in giving life to the old lights or in get? ting a new and effective system. If the citizeus concerned will express themselves in any way at ali, there are some of us who are ready to give the time and labor necessary to bring [ ing them together for consultation. One in the Dark. How Edward Markham Suppressed a Book. Recently a man called at the Staten Island home of Edwin Markham, author of "The Man with the hoe," and introduced himself as the writer of a book on which, he said, he had spent twenty-five years of study and research. Mr. Markham who is un? usually kind in listening to and coun? seling amateur authors, immediately felt that one who has spent a quarter of a century on his product is rare,and be invited him to his study without delay. v "-What is the nature of your work?" asked Mr. Markham. "I have written the greatest book of the ages," began the new author; "I have loved the mystery of the world. I know all about it. I am prepared to prove my" statements. I know just why the world was made, who really made it, and I have laid bare the mysteries of creation. I-V ? "My good man," said Mr. Mark? ham, interrupting him, "if you have come to me for advice, let me tell you to take your manuscript at once and burn it. If yon have solved the mys? tery of this world, you are its greatest enemy. Why," continued the poet, "if you have solved the mystery of the world you have robbed men of their greatest joy. You have left us noth? ing to work for, you have destroyed our ambici?n, you have reduced ns to mere auimals. It is the mysteries of the world that have made it great, and I, for one, don't want to have them solved." ^ Mr. Markham's visitor sat dum founded for a moment. The vision of his twenty-five years of labor flitted before him as he said: "1 guess you're right,-I guess you're right."-From "Success Maga? zine." __ Assaelt Without Damage. At eight o'clock Friday night a con? certed attack was made upon the Bart lette Street Parsonage, without malice aforethought however, and with no intent to kill. It was successfully car? ried by storm, surrender being prompt, and without resistance. Childhood and maturity mingled fully in the ranks and carried off equal honors. The forces dispersed quickly and quietly, laving their baggage in pos? session of the happy inmates. Supplies may be short at Port Ar? thur, but at Bartlette Street Parson? age they are flush. CHRISTMAS AT STATEBURG. Many of the Young Folks Spend the Holidays at the Old Home. Statebnrg, Dec. 27.-Miss Julia V. Frierson is spending a few days at home. Miss Mayo Rees, who is teaching at Goodwill, is spending two weeks at home. Mr. Frank P. Burgeess is at home for the Christmas holidays. Miss Emma E. Barnwell, of St. Mary's college, Raleigh, is at home enjoying the Christmas vacation. Mr. Singleton Moore, of Sumter, spen* Thursday and Friday at *11 The Raina,''9" Miss Hallie Nelson, who is teaching school at Ashton, is at home for two weeks. Mrs. J. S. Pinckney, Miss Aimee Moore and Miss A. N. Burgess are spading several days in Sumter. Miss Ina Mellett leaves today to visit relatives in Privateer. # Misses Emma and Bettie Frierson are at home for several days. Miss Sadie Find is enjoying the festivities of a Christmas house party at Gadsden. Mr. William Rees is spending a few days at Winthrop College with his daughter. Miss Anna P. Burgess lefc last Tuesday afternoon to visit friends in Berkeley county. Miss A. M. Barnwell is at home for a few days. Mr. Temple Frierson, Jr., spent Christmas at home. Miss Bessie Murray is spending two weeks at home. Mr. Charles E. Cabaniss is the guest of Mr. W. D. Frierson. Mr. J. R. Weatherly, manager of The Dixie Stalk Cutter Co., leaves today for the factory at Philadelphia, Pa., in the interest of the new Dixie cutter. MAGISTRATE REESE'S RECORD. Within Five Months He Turned Over to the County $452.59 in Cash and Labor. Mr. W. J.* Reese, Magistrate at Wedgefield,, bas,made a record, for effi? ciency and prompt attention tu the business of his office that all magis? trates should emulate. While discussing the magisterial question, as relating to the numerical strength of the chain gang, with Sup? ervisor Seale a few days ago, he cited Magistrate Reese's record. The state? ments made were so interesting that the following notes were jotted down. Between Jene 1st to November 9th, wh?i the last report was filed by him, Magistrate Reese collected and paid over to the County Treasurer $132 for costs and fines, and $3 to the Clerk of Court for license tax. He sentenced prisoners to the chain gang for a total of 270 days, whose labor or fifty cents a day was worth to the county $1%. He sent one prisoner to the sessions coan for trial, who was tried, con? victed and sentenced to the chain gang for one year. This convict's la? bor at fifty cents a day was worth 8182.50. The total proceeds of Magis? trate Reese's office in cash and labor between June 1 and November 9th amounted to $135.00 cash and $317.50 in labor, a total of $452.50. TAKEN BACK TO COLUMBIA. Walter Weston, Who Assaulted Con ductor Black. Arrested By Po? lice and Delivered to Sheriff. On the night of December 21st, Walter Weston, a negro, made an as? sault on Conductor Black on an A. C. L. train near Eastover. He made bis escape at the time, bnt the police of this city were notified to keep a look ont for him and on Thursday he was arrested here. Sheriff Coleman, of Richland coun? ty, was notified Firday of Weston's arrest and next morning Deputy Sher? iff Cathcart came over on the 8.20 train and carried him back to Colum? bia on the 9.45. Jailer Hancock made a' mistake when the officer went to the jail for Weston and gave him the wrong ne? gro, and the error was not discovered until the depot was reached. Then a hack was secured and a record break? ing trip was made to the jail and back to the depot with the right man, the conductor holding the train a few minutes for Deputy Sheriff Cathcart. The mistake of Jailer Hancock was due to the fact that two negroes nam? ed Walter were committed to jail the same day. ORGANIZING THE FARMERS To the Cotton Producers and Bnsiness Men of Sumter County : After consnltation with others who are interested, we have decided to ask the farmers and business men of each township to meet at their usnai polling places on Saturday the 31st of Decem? ber, to organize each township for the purpose of holdiug the cotton now on hand until a fair price can be realiz? ed, and takes steps to reduce the crop next year to the point where it will bring a fair price. Township meetings will send one or more delegates to a county meeting for Monday, January 2d, in the Court House at ll o'clock a. m. E. W. Dabbs, W. H. Seale, Levi Bros., H. D. Barnett, W. A. Bow? man, P. M. Pitts, J. G. Tisdale, R. C. Tisdale, O'Donnell & Co., A. B. Stuckey, A. J. China, H. Harby, Richard 1 Manning. It is most refreshing to report among the various Christmas inci? dents the generosity on the part of O'Donnell & Co. towards their em? ployes. Each was presented with a twenty dollar gold piece, accompanied by a pleasant note boping that each ic spending would derive as mncb pleas? ure aa the donor i in giving. Such ac? tion speaks well for a firm, and in this instance is only in harmony with that broadminded, liberal spirit which bas ever characterized O'Don? nell & Co., in all their dealings. THE NATIONAL OAP'T?L THE PROPOSED CORPORATION LICENSE LAW. It Is Not Original With Secretary Gan? field, But Was First Suggested and Advocated By W. J. Bryan. (From Our Regular Correspondent.) Washington, D. C., Dec. 27.-The president is evincing the greatest in? terest in the plan of federal licenses for corporations engaging in interstate business which has been suggested to congress by Commissioner of Corpora tion Garfield and it is announced ,that a biii'incorpbfating 'thecommissloner's recomennedation will be framed by an officer of the department of justice and submitted to congress at no distant date. In substance, it is proposed by Mr. Garfield who is a son of the late President Garfield, first to procure a federal charter, there would arise dif? ficulty when the State attempt?:;! to tax their property as it would t.; claimed that such institutions possessed a na? tional and not a State existence. To obviate this difficulty he proposes that creatures of the States, but shall be compelled to secure a federal license before engaging in int?rstate busi? ness, agreeing, of course, to aoide by certain regulations decreed by con? gress among them being a prohibition of watered stock. -o Although Mr. Garfield's proposi? tion has been treated by the 'press' as a new invention, it is by no means orig? inal wih him having been first exploit? ed by William J. Bryan at a banquet given by the Civic Federation in Chicago somewhere between 189? and 1900. In fact, the Democratic plat? form of 1900 contains a clause strong? ly suggestive of the proposed plan. That some form of legislative control of corporations is desirable is admit? ted by leading thinkers in congress and out of it, but that Mr. Garfield has hit upon a plan which would prove expedient, or even constitution? al, is seriously questioned by some who have given this subject the most careful study. * * * The fear of the several States which first adopted the constitution of the United States, that too, extensive pow? ers might be vested in the national government, and th?ir apprehension .of . centralization-of power resulted in filling the federal constitution with provisions which serve as mighty ob? stacles in dealing with the highly or? ganized and extensive corporate busi? ness institutions of the present day. For instance it is well recognized that the federal constitution is limited to the special powers granted by the States. State constitutions on the other hand, require when construed only the construer shall ask. Is this not prohibited by the consitution? This is one of the potent reasons why compre? hensive federal laws are liable to be pronounced unconstitutional by the supreme court. Praiseworthy as appear to be the president's objects in seeing to en? large the powers of the interstate com? merce commission and, now, in rec? ommending federal licenses for inter? state corporations, he is in danger of exciting serious opposition in congress by his method of asking executive of? ficers to draft such legislation as he may recommend. Congress is extreme? ly jealous of its prerogative as the legislative power; already members of congress are beginning to suggest that the president should content himself with suggesting desirable leg islaion and leave them to frame the bills for carrying his suggestions into effect. Of course the president's desire is to accomplish results without delay. In support of their positions members of congress submit that while it is easy to propose legislation and even to draft the bills, senators and represei - tatives are, after all, responsible toi the results and it requires carefu. con? sideration and thought to enact im? portant legislation, which, when tested before the supreme court will not re? flect on ' the intelligence of thc :nen. who enacted it. While the superficial observer may be inclined to conclude that the ef? fects of Secretary Hay to bring about anohter peace conference have failed, such conclusions being based on Mr. Hay's letter announcing that it is in? definitely postponed and that the president believes that the Hague council should now take up the active work of the propaganda, such is not the view of Secretary Hay or of i be president, both of whom regard the acquiescence of the powers, includ? ing Russia and Japan, to the princi? ple enunciated by the United States as a long step in the right direction. Acting on the suggestion of congress Mr. Hay suggested that steps should be taken for the protection of the rights of neturals in time of war and all the powers have signified, at least, tactitly their- assent to this proposi? tion. Under hese circumstances f it her Russia or Japan would now find it difficult to defend the seizure of American ships even during the pres? ent war -o Ex-Secretary Root's declaration that the United States must exercise police duty over the nations cf South America has occasioned considerable interest in Washington as it is believed to be a frank expression of the views of the president expressed by a private citizen, no longer in the cabi? net. There are just now two situations in South America which are calling OSTEOPATHY Corrects the cause of disease and cures when nothing else will. It? cures are per? manent lH-'cause Natural. All diseases treated Oiseasts of Women a Specialty. Ai. R. V. KENNEDY. Office over Bultman Bros.' Shoe Store. Sumter, S. C. - ConsulMtiffi Jb>er. ' I loudly for American interference andi both of which are Hkely to feel the weight of the "big stick" in the near future. One is Venezuela where what appear to be high-handed outrages have been perpetrated on American citizens and the other is in Santo Do? mingo where this country is likely to assume control at an early date. The United States has already taken pos? session of two Domingan ports and will take two and perhaps four more soon. The receipts of four will te de? voted to paying ? American ci editors and of the two others to defraying Eu? ropean indebtedness. .European cred? itors are urgnig this country to take this action and present indications are that their prayer will,be. granted. CONDUCTOR WELLS INJURED. Captain Henry A. Wells Caught Be? tween Cars and Severely In? jured. Conductor Henry A. Wells was se? riously injured yesterday afternoon by being caught and crushed between coaches at Pinewood. His right arm was broken between wrist and elbow, his right shoulder broken and several ribs crushed. He was brought to this city as soon possible and taken to the Baker In? firmary for treatment His injuries are of a serious nature, but unless his lungs were perforated by the broken r?b? when they were crusher*, it is hoped that he will recover in time. Today he was suffering a great deal of pain but was doing as well as could be expected. His wife, who was Miss Nettles, of Mayesville, is with him, having been summoned from her home in Florence by telegraph last night. Captain Wells has been in the At? lantic Coast Line service for many years and is one of the best known and most popular conductors in thew passenger service. His many friends here and elsewhere wil?N hear of his accident with regret and wish him a speedy recovery. GHRIS??T?WKDEII - JAPANESE CELEBRATE THE DAY IX HONOR OF FOREIGNERS. Field Harshal Oyama Gave ? Great Banquet, Lasting All Night-At? tended By Foreign Officials ^ and Correspondents. Special to The Daily Item. Rome, Dec. 28.-A dispatch to the Carrier Della Sera from Fusan says the Japanese troops celebrated Christ" mas in honor of the foreigners who are with the army. Gen. Oyama en? tertained at a banquet all the foreign cfricials a ?id newspaper corresponder;ts the festivities lasting all night with an artillery accompaniment. Mr. D. J. Wi DD, Jr., has resigned his-position with the First National Bank, which he has filled acceptably for a nraber of years. His resigna? tion will take effect on January loth, after which date he will be associat? ed with bi9 father in the manage? ment of the cotton mills. Willie Michan, the jail" breaking negro, who was arrested about ten days ago for stealing from the Sumter Dry Goods Co., and made his escape from the guard house twice and the jail once the same afternoon, was ar? rested Snndav bv Officer Weeks, and is still in jail. Care was taken this time to put him where he could not get out. TAX RETURNS FOR 1995. Office of County Auditor, Sumter County. Sumter County, Dec. 14, 1904. Notice is hereby given that I will attend, in person or by deputy, at the following places on the days indicated. respectively,? for the purpose of re? ceiving returns of personal pnoperty and poll taxes for the fiscal year com? mencing January 1st, 1905. Tindales Store, Monday, January Urb. Privateer, (Jenkins's Store 1 Tues. Jan. 10. Manchester, (Mr. Gardener, Levi's) Wednesday, Jan.- 11th. ' Wedgefield, Thursday, Jan. 12th. Statesburg, Friday, Jan. 13th. Hagood, Manday. Jan. 16th. Rembert's Tuesday, January 17th. Dalzell, Wednesday, Jan. 18th. Gordon's Mill, Friday, Jan. 20th. Mayesville, Monday, Jan. 23rd. Shiloh, Tuesday, Jan. 24th. Norwood's X Roads, Wednesday, Jan. 25th. Oswego, Friday, Jan. 27th. The law requires that all persons owning property or in anywise having charge of such property, either as agent, husband, guardian, trustee, ex? ecutor, administrator, etc, return the same ander oath to the auditor, who requests all persons to be prompt in making their returns and save 50 per cent penalty which will be added to the property valuation of all persons who fail to make returns within the time prescribed by law. Taxpayers return what they own on the first day of January* 1905. Assessors and taxpayers will enter the first given name of ?the taxpayer in full, also make a separate return for each township where the proper? ty is located and also in each and ev? ery case the number of the school dis? trict must be given. Every male citizen between the age of 21 and 60 years on the first day of January. 1905. except those incapable of earning a support from being maimed or from other causes, are deemed taxable polls, and except Confederate soldiers 50 years of age, on January 1st, 1905. All rturns must be made on or be? fore the 20th day of February, next. I cannot take returns after that date and all returns made after the 20th day of February- are subject to a pen? alty of 50 per cent. J. DIGGS WILDER. Auditor Sumter County.