The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 20, 1905, Image 2
Sm HENRY MORGAN,
BUCCANEER
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY,
Author of **The Southerners,** **For Love
of Country/* "The Grip of Honor,** Etc. j
COPYRIGHT. 1903. BY G. W. BILLINGHAM COMPANY
~The' news of the long wished for
downfall of the tyrant had been spread
abroad and formed the one topic of
conversation in Port Royal and the vi?
cinity that day. Now the work of the
dar was over. and. as usual, the Blue
. Anchor tavern was crowded with men
?rom the frigate and other shipping in
the harbor, mingling with others from
the purlieus of the town. Fumes of
rom and spirits pervaded the tobacco
. smoked barroom, which served as the
main parlor of the inn. It was yet
early in the evening, but the crowd,
Inll?med. with~fiqh?r7 was "alf eady~in
"uproarious mood. Over in a corner a
young Englishman was singing in a
rich, deep voice a new song by a fa?
mous poet of London town:
"Let us sing and be merry, dance, joke
and rejoice,
"With claret and sherry, theorbo - and
voice!
The changeable world to our joy is un?
just.
All treasure's uncertain.
Then down with your dust;
In frolics dispose your pounds, shillings
and pence,
For we shall be nothing a hundred years
hence.
"We'll sport and be free with Frank, Bet?
ty and Dolly,
Have lobsters and oysters to cure melan?
choly;
Fish dinners will make a man spring like
a flea
Dame Venus, love's lady,
Was born of the sea;
With her and with Bacchus we'll tickle
the sense,
For we shall be past it a hundred years
hence."
It was a popular song evidently, for
the whole assembly joined in the cho?
res:
'In frolics dispose your pounds, shillings
and pence, . .
For we shall be nothing a hundred years 1
hence."
They roared it ont in the deep bass
voices of the sea, marking the time by
hammering in unison upon the oaken
tables with their pewter mugs and flag?
ons. The sentiment seemed to suit the
company, if the zest with which they
sang be any criterion. Care was taken
to insure .a sufficient pause, too, after
the chorus between each of the two
verses, to permit the drinking-after
eil the essential part of the evening's
?tertainment-to be performed with
ut hindrance.
"There was one maru however, from
he ?ost of honor which he occupied
tit the head of the table evidently held
J2 high, consideration an^ug the ha?
bitues of the inn, who did not join in
the singing. He was a little man, who
made up for his shortness of stature
bj- breadth of shoulder and length of
arm There was an ugly black patch
over his left eye. No one had ever seen
him without that patch since the day
of the assault on the fort at Chagres.
An' Indian arrow had pierced his eye
on mat eventful day. Men told how
he had gone to the surgeon requesting
him to pull it out, and when the youri s
doctor; who had been but a short time
with the buccaneers, shrank from jerk?
ing the barb out in view of the awful
pain which would attend his action,
and hesitated, reluctant, the wounded
man had deliberately torn out the ar
At the Blue Anchor tavern
row and, with oaths and curses for j
the other's cowardice, had bound up j
the wound himself with strips torn
from hi; rhirt and resumed the fight?
ing. His courage there, and before and ?
after, although he was an illiterate :
person and could neither read nor ?
write, L id caused him to be appointe! j
boatswain of the ship that had car- ?
ried Morgan's fing, and he had followed j
his leader for nanny years with a blind ;
devotion that risked all and stuck at j
nothing to be of service to him.
It had been many years since Master ;
Benjamin Hornigp?d, ?coming down ?
from bleak New England because lie j
found his natural bent of mind out of j
harmony with the habits and customs |
of h's Puritan ancestors, had drifted j
into buccaneering under the flag cf his j
chief. Ile wa ; an old man now, but ?
those who felt the force of his mighty j
arms were convinced that age had not j
withered him to any appreciable de- j
gree.
Aside from Morgan, Homigold liad
loved but one human creature, his j
younger brother, a man of somewhat .
different stamp, who had been grad- |
nated from Harvard college, hm. im- I
pelled by som:? wild strain in his blood j
and by the example of his brother, had
joined the buccaneers.
There were many men of gentle blood
who were well acquainted with the po?
lite learning of the day among these
sea rovers from time to time, and it is
related that on that same Panama ex?
cursion when "from the silent peak in
Darien" they beheld for the first time
after their tremendous march the glit?
tering expanse of the sou fh seas, with
white Panama in its green trees before
h -- cry of the famous T'*n
sea! The sea!" had burst"from many
lips.
All his learning and refinement of
manner had not prevented young Eben?
ezer Hornigold from being as bad at
! heart as nis brother, which is saying
i a great deal, and because he was
younger, more reckless, less prudent
than he of riper years, he had incau?
tiously put himself in the power of
Morgan and had been hanged with
short shrift Benjamin, standing up?
on the outskirts of the crowd jesting
and roaring around the foot of the
gibbet, with a grief and rage in his
heart at bis impotency, presenvly found
himself hating his old captain with a
fierceness proportioned to his devo?
tion in the past, for he had appealed
for mercy personally to Morgan by
the memory of his former services and
had been sternly repulsed and coldly
dismissed with a warning that he
should look to his own future conduct
lest following in the course of his
brother, he should find himself with
his neck in the noose.
Morgan, colossal in his conceit and
careless in his courage, thought not to
inquire, or, if he gave the subject any
consideration at all, dismissed it from
his mind as of little moment as to
what was the subsequent state of
Hornigold's feelings. Hornigold could
have killed Morgan on numberless oc?
casions, but a consuming desire for a
more adequate revenge than mere
death had taken hold of him, and he
deferred action until he could contrive
some means by which to strike him in
a way that he conceived would glut
his obsession of inexpiable hatred.
Hornigold had refomed-outwardly,
that is-and was now engaged in the
useful and innocent business of pilot?
ing ships into the harbor, also steering
their crews, after the anchors were
down, into the Blue Anchor tavern, in
which place his voice and will ? were
supreme. He bad beard, for Lord Car?
lingford bad made no secret of bis
orders, that his old master was to be
arrested and sent back to England.
The news which would have brought
joy to a lesser villain, in that it meant
punishment filled bim with dismay,
for such was the peculiarity of his
hatred that be wanted the punishment
Master Benjamin Hornigold
to come directly from him-through
his agency, that is. He desired it to
be of such character that it should be
neither speedy nor easy, and he lusted
most of all that Morgan should know
in' his last hours-which Hornigold
prayed Satan might be long ones-to
whom he was indebted for it all.
And, strange as it may seem, there
was still a certain loyalty of a distort
ed, perverted kind in the man's breast.
Xo matter what Morgan had done. no
one else should punish him but himself,
lie would even have fought for his
sometime chief, were it necessary,
against the ?ing or his law if need be.
Ile was therefore very much disturbed
over what he heard. Had it been pos?
sible he would have wained Morgan
immediately of his purposed arrest,
but he had been detained on the frig?
ate by necessary duties from which he
could find no means of escape until
too late. He had, however, a high
sens? of Sir Henry's courage and ad?
dress. He hoped and believed that he
would not be taken by such men as
Kawxherst and Bradley, but if he
were Hornigold made up his mind tc
rescue him.
There was a little islet in the Car?
il;'.ea:: just below Hispaniola in whose
woo lcd interior stiii lurked some of the
o.d time buccaneers, proscribed men, j
who from time to time did pirating in ;
:i small way on their own account- !
just enough to keep their bands in. If
tile worst came. Hornigold. who with
hi ; little pinnace had kept in touch
with them secretly, could assemble
- for the rescue of their old cap- j
t::i.!. Then the former governor, in his j
power and in theil- possession, could ;
h ? disposed ol' at their leisure and j
?leasure. Ali these things had busied .
(he man during the evening, anti he sa: j
v ; now ' : thc midst cf the revelry :
about h?si? pin:.3 In profound thought, i
?novt*.erved himself, he Inri taken ac- ?
count of every man who was present, j
Ile knew all the habitues of tho port j
enjoyed a wide acquaintance !
mu' the seamen whose vessels Ire- ;
qucnted the harbor. Ile decided there !
were then in that room perhaps twenty
men upon whom he could depend, prop
er inducement being offered, for almost j
any sort of service. Among these were !
live or six superior spirits whom he ;
knew to be tried and true. There was i
young Teach, the singer of the evening, j
a drunken, dissolute vagabond who had j
been discharged from his last ship for
insubordination anda quarrelsome at?
tack upon one of his officers, f-^r wn?ch
escaped hanging
nan was as bold as :
lion, though; he could oe trusT
There, too. was Rock Braziliano, a P
tug?ese half breed., and hobuobbi
with him was Raveneau de Lussan
Frenchman, prime seamen and b<
fellows both. Farther down the tal
the huge Dutchman Velsen? n<
ding stupidly over his rut?:-,
These men and a icr: ethers wc
veterans like Hornigold disraeli. Th
were the best o? t^e io>, %>Mt for t
most part the assemblage was made
of the sweepings of the town, men w
had the willingness to do anything,
matter how nefarious it might be. thi
only deterrent being lack of couraj
Hornigold's single eye swept over thi
with a fierce gleam of contempt, j
these were they with whom he mi:
work in case Of necessity.
One or two others in whom he
posed confidence, men who compos
the crew of his own pinnace, he h
sent off early in the evening to Spani
Town to. gather what news they cou
One of them came in and reported tb
the Squadron of horse which had go
up with the officers to bring back M<
gan had come back without him a:
without the officers. The spy's ins:
r-'^tnce prevented him from ieavai:
. v this was, but hope instanl
sprang up in Hornigold's breast up<
receipt of this news. Knowing Morg;
as he did, he was convinced that he h;
found some means to dispose of t
two officers and send away the cavali
He was not unprepared, therefoi
when he saw the tall form of the m
roon appearing in the doorway throuj
the smoke. No one else noticed the s
lent Carib's entry, and he stood m
tionless until Hornigold's eye fasten?
upon him. Then by an imperceptib
move of his head he indicated a desi
to speak with him without the rooi
The one eyed nodded slightly in tok?
that he understood, and the maroc
vanished as silently as he had com
Waiting a few moments, Hornigol
ro3e from his seat and began threadir
his way through the boisterous crow
toward the door. Thrusting aside d
turning hands and answering ruc
queries with an old sailor's ready bai
ter, bidding them on no account 1
cease the festivities because of his d<
parture .and, In fact, ordering a ne1
draft of rum for all hands, he succee<
ed in breaking away under cover c
the cheers which greeted this ai
nouncement.
lt was pitch dark outside, and h
stopped a moment, hesitating as t
what he should do. He had no dont
that the maroon had a message fe
him from his master. But a second ha
elapsed when he felt a light touch o
his shoulder. His hand went instantl;
to the seaman's hanger at his side, an
he faced about promptly. A ready ma;
was Master Hornigold.
"It's I, bo's'n," whispered a familia
voice.
"You, Black Dog? Where's you
master?"
"Yonder."
"Let me see him."
A tall, slender figure muffled in i
heavy riding coat sat in the stern sheet:
of a small boat- in ene deepest shadov
of one of the silent and deserted piers.
"Captain Morgan?" whispered Bc?ni
gold softly, as, followed by the maroon
he descended the ianding stairs towart
the boat
"'Tis you, Master Hornigold," an
swered the man, with an accent of re
lief in his voice, thrusting the pisto
back into his belt as he spoke. He, too
was a ready man with his weapons
and one not to be caught napping ir
any emergency.
"Me it is, sir," answered the boat
swain, "and ready to serve my old
captain."
"You heard the news?"
"I heard it on the frigate this after?
noon."
"Why did you not send me warn?
ing?"
"I had no chance. I'd *a' done it.
sir, if I could Lav e fetched away."
"Well, all's one. I've laid those two
landlubbers by the heels. Eh; Carib?"
"Where are they, sir?"
"I might make a guess, for I left
them bound and tie house blazing."
" Tis like old times."
"Aye. I've noi forgot the old tricks."
' "No, sir. And what's to do now?*' .
"Why. the old game once more."
"What? Do you mean"
"I do. What . else is there left for
me? Scuttle me, if I don't take it ont
of the dons! It's their doing. They've
had a rest for nigh twenty years.
We'll let it slip out quietly among'the
island.-? that Harry Morgan's afloat
once more and there's pickings to be
had on the Spanish main-wine arri
women and pieces of eight. Art with
me?"
"Aye, of course. But we lack a
ship."
"There's one yonder, man," cried
Morgan, pointing up the harbor, where
the lights of Hie Mary Kose twinkled
in the blackness.
"To be sure the ship is there, but"
"But what?"
"We've no force. The old men are
gone."
"I am here," answered Morgan, "and
you and Black Dog. And there are a
few others left. Teach is new. but
will serve. I heard his buii voice roar?
ing out from the tavern. And De Lus?
san and Velsers and the rest. I've
kept sight of ye. Curso it all. I let you
live when 1 might have hanged you."
"You did, captain, you did. Von
didn't haug everybody, but you didn't
spare, either."
"Listen," said Morgan quickly. "This
is my plan. In the morning when
Hawxherst and Bradley do not appear
the new governor will send more men.
They will hud thc house burned do wn.
No one saw us come hither. There will
be in die ruins the remains of three
bodies."
"Three?"
"Yes. My Lady Morgan's."
"Did you kill her?"
"I didn't have to. They'll think that
one of thom is mine. No hue or cry
will he raised and no search made for
me. Do yon si - - . ?
the Mary U ? i> gn - u lil erty for
* He's raine i " whispered Hornigold
the evening yonder at the Blue Anchor.
They've not been ashore yet, I take it?"
"No, but they will go tomorrow."
"That's well. Meanwhile gather to?
gether the bold fellows who have stom?
ach for a cruise and are willing to put
their heads through the halter provided
there are pieces of eight on_jthe_other
side, a?cPthe?-we'll "take Ihe"frigate
tomorrow night and away for the
Spanish main. That will give us a
start. We'll pick up what we can
along the coast first, then scuttle the
ship, cross the isthmus, seize another
and have the whole south seas before
us-Peru, Manila, wherever we will."
"The king has a long arm."
"Yes, and other kings have hacf*long
arms, too, I take it, but they have not
caught Harry Morgan nor ever shall.
Come, man, wilt go with me?"
"Never fear," answered Hornigold
promptly. "I've been itching for a
chance to cut somebody's throat
Where will you lay hid until tomorrow
night?"
"I have thought of that," said Mor?
gan promptly. "I think the best place
will be the cabin of your pinnace. I'll
just get aboard, Black Dog here and I,
and. put to sea. Tomorrow night at
this hour we'll come back again, and
you will find us here at the wharf."
"A good plan, Master Morgan,"
cried Hornigold, forgetting the title as
the scheme unfolded itself to him.
"What's o'clock, I wonder7U
As he spoke the- sound of a bell
tapped softly came floating over the
quiet water from the Mary Rose.
"Four bells," answered Morgan, lis?
tening; "at 10 of the clock, then, I
shall be here."
"Leave the rest to me, sir," answered
Hornigold. >
"I shall. That will be your boat yon?
der?"
"Aye. Just beyond the point"
"Is anybody aboard of ber?"
"No one."
"Is there rum and water enough for
one day?"
"Plenty. In the locker in the cuddy."
"Good! Come, Carib! Until tomor?
row night, then!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" said Hornigold, lean?
ing over the pier and watching the
boat fade into a black blur on the wa?
ter as it drew away toward th 3 pin?
nace.
"He's mine, by heaven, he's mine!"
he whispered under his breath as he
turned and walked slowly up to the
house.
It was late when Hornigold returned
to the parlor of the Blue Anchor inn.
Half the company were drunk on the
floor under the tables. The rest were
singing or shouting or cursing in ac?
cordance with their several moods.
By his orders the inn servants at
once cleared the room of the vainly pro?
testing revelers. Those whose appear?
ance indicated a degree of respecta?
bility which promised payment for
their accommodation were put to bed.
The common sort were bundled uncere
I
I moniously out on the strand before the
I door and left to sober up as best they
might in the soft tropic night. Teach,
Raveneau and the Brazilian were de?
tained for conference with the boat?
swain. To these worthies, therefore.
Hornigold unfolded Morgan's plan,
which they embraced with alacrity,
i promising each to do his share. Velsers
\ was too stupidly drunk to be told any
j thing, but they knew they could count
upon him without fail.
CHAPTER III.
HE next morning, after waiting
a reasonable time for a mes?
sage from the two soldiers at
I tte^LJ Spanish Town. Lord Carling?
ford, the new governor, who had taken
up his residence temporarily at Port
Royal, 'summoned his attendants and
himself repaired to the seat of gov?
ernment to ascertain why no further
report had been received from his of?
ficers. Great was his astonishment
when he found that the residence of
(he vice governor had been destroyed
by rire during the night. The fright?
ened slaves could tell nothing. Mor?
gan and Carib had taken care that no
one had marked their departure. Con- I
sequently when the search o? thc ruins I
! revealed the remains of three bodies so j
? badly charred as to be unrer jirmzao.e i
i ii; was naturally inferred at first that !
! they were those of the buccaneer and j
j the two unfortunate officers. It was j
; known among the peoole of the place, I
ii wever, that Lady M >~g::n had bee-: j
seriously iii, so ill that she could not
have been removed, and there wore
some who suspected that one of the i
bodies was hers and that the arch j
Send himself had by some means dis-1
posed of the officers and escaped, j
Therefore a hue and cry was raised .
f >r him and ti strict search instituted i
by order of the governor, who, after
setting affairs in motion, returned to
Port Royal.
Troops were accordingly ordered out. j
and even details of surly seamen. I
growling at being deprived of their !
accustomed shore liberty, were dc- j
tailed from the frigate, which bap- !
pened to be the only war vessel in
commission in the barbo?. Hornigold.
Raveneau and one or two nf the others
known t<> be former companions of the
buccaneer were closely interrogated,
but they stoutly declared they did not j
know his whereabouts and had seen
nothing of him. Later in the afternoon
it wi5< observed that Hornitrold's piu
I mariner liiiiiae?? c:i7. ~ -d'cnlTon to fli
fact, cursing the while his old cern
mander for his alleged theft of th
boat and declaring his willingness t
join in the search for him. It wai
known to the authorities that the ene
cution of the boatswain's brother b;
Morgan had shattered the oki intimac:.
which subsisted between tliem; cons
quently his protestations were given
credence, and suspicion of collusion
was diverted from him.
Lord Carlingford finally determined
to send the Mary Rose to sea in av en?
deavor to overhaul the pinnace In iii.1
hop" that iLie former vice governor
might be found on her. although the
chances o:" success were but faint. The
frigate, however, was not provisionei
or watered for a cruise after her long
voyage from England. There had been
considerable scurvy and other sickness
on the ship, and she was in no condi?
tion to weigh anchor immediately.
She would have to be resupplied and
the sick men in her crewr replaced by
drafts from the shore. Besides, in ac?
cordance with the invariable custom,
the great majority of the men had
been given shore leave for that after?
noon and evening, and those few who
were not on duty were carousing at
the Blue Anchor inn and similar tav
Ths frightened slaves could tell nothing
eras and would be utterly unable to
work the ship should they be called
upon to do so without being given a
chance to sober up. This would take
time, and Lord Carlingford upon tiie
representations of his sea officers de?
cided to wait until the morrow before
commencing work.
As he could do so, not only personal?
ly, but through his able lieutenants,
Homigold busied himself during the
day and the preceding night in en?
listing as vicious a gang of depraved
ruffians as could be gathered together
? in what was perhaps the wickedest city
in the world. It had been decided after
conference between the leaders that
there was no place within the confines
of Port Royal itself where so many
men could meet without exciting sus?
picion. He had accordingly appointed
a rendezvous for the night across the
narrow entrance to the harbor, opposite
the fort, under the trees which over?
shadowed the strand, some distance j
back from high water mark. Singly or '
in groups of two or three the men
had gone across in boats after sunset,
successfully eluding observation, for
tile night was moonless and very dark.
There was rum in plenty under the
trees on the point, but care was taken
by Rock Braziliano, Raveneau and the
others, even including Velsers, that no
one should drink enough to lose entire
control of his faculties or to become ob?
streperous. Xo fires were lighted: no
smoking was permitted. Strict silence
was enjoined and enforced. It was per?
haps 10 o'clock before all were as- I
sembled.
When morning had cleared their j
brains of the rum they had taken, there j
had been ferocious opposition on the I
part of the older men. Not that they j
objected to buccaneering: They were j
eager for the chance once more. Bur j
the memory of Morgan's betrayals of j
his old comrades rankled deep. There ?
were many besides Hornigold who hail
promised themselves the luxury of
vengeance upon their old commander.
There wore none, however, who had so
dwelt upon it as the boatswain, nor j
were there any whose animosity and ?
determination compared to his fierce ;
hatred. Ile was therefore able at las.
to persuade them into a surly willing- j
noss to accept Morgan as their captain j
in Uris new enterprises Indeed, wita- !
out him they could do nothing, for j
there was no one who possessed the
ability or experience to lead them save j
he. The best men of the old stamp I
were now in lae south seas and far
away: they had boen driven from the !
Caribbean. It was net diilieult for
Hornigold to show them that it must
bo Morgan or no one.
Their feelings of animosity wore. ;
perforce, sunk beneath the surface, al- j
Though they smoldered still within j
their breasts. Tiley would go with
him, they said. But let him look to
himself, they swore threateningly. If
he betrayed them again there were
men among them who would kill him j
as remorselessly as the;?' would stamp i
on a centiped. If he behaved himself I
:.!:.! the expe lltion on which he was t ?
lead them proved successful they
might forgive him-all but old J??crm
goTd. Tn?iJ to tell, there was no one
among them who felt himself s.> j
wronged or so badly treated as tho ob?
eyed envenomed sailor.
Tiie bulk of the party, which num?
bered perhaps a hundred men. wore
simply plain, ordinary thieves, cut
throats, broken down seamen. land I
sharks and rascals. Not much was to j
be expected of them. They wen? not of
rho si nit of which the Old time 'tcca
n<'.TS had been made, bat they were
thc best to be obtained at that time in
Tort Royal. Even they would not have
been so easily assembled had they
realized quite what was expected of j
them. They knew, of course, that they
were committing themselves to some
nefarious undertaking, bm to each re
cruit had been vouchsafed only enough
information to get him to come to the
rendezvous^ r._> more.
[TO BE coxTixrmx]
Poor Polish.
"So he said 1 was a polished gentle?
man, did he'.'"
"Well-yes. It was the same thing."
"Ah! What was the exact word?"
Diversification vs. Over-Production.
The Southern Cotton Association
will not ask the farmers of the south
to reduce toe cotton acreage for 1906
less than that planted in 1905. The
Association does ask and insist with
ali tbe force at its command that the
acreage planted in cotton throughout
tne celt in 19 5 be not increased dur?
ing the plantiug season of 190b. Let
the watchword of every southern far?
mer be Diversification, and through
that agency produce an abundance o
j trod supplies to maintain each farm.
! Permanent independence, thrift and
I prosperity can only be enjoyed by
i southern cotton growers through the
j adoption and maintenance of a system
which will make each farm self-sus?
taining. It is the only medium
through which the present iniquitous
credit system, which has so long held
our people in bondage, can be elect?
ively broken up and relegated to the
past, it is the only medium through
which the great masses of cocton pro?
ducers can ever hope to control the
sale of their cotton in the markets of
tbe coantry and force consumers and
buyers to pay them fair and just
prices for the staple. Any system
which forces the producer to market
his crops rapidly in order to meet ma?
turing obligations to pay for supplies
that could be more cheaply raised at
home will ever tend to make a slave
of the grower, minimizing the lights
of manhood which every southern cot?
ton raiser should enjoy to the fullest
extent.
In the spring of 1905 a crisis serious
and potential faced the cotton growers
of the South bj reason of over-pro?
duction of cotton in 1904. The South?
ern Cotton Association at that time
waged an active and effective cam?
paign for a reductiou in the cotton
area to be planted in 1905. The ad?
vice of the Association was loyally
supported by cotton growers through?
out the entire cotton belt and a re?
duction of fully five million acres
was stricken from the cotton area for
1005 and planted in other crops. The
result of this display of good judg?
ment on the - part of the farmers is
today seen in bringing the produc?
tion of cotton within the legitimate
demands fer consumption, good prices
for the staple and well-filled corn
cribs and smokehouses from North
Carolina to the Bio Grande River.
The agricultural, commercial, indus?
trial and financial interests of the
south are today enjoying an era of
prosperity far in excess of any period
experienced within the past half cen?
tury. To maintan our present posi?
ton, and forge ahead in the achieve?
ment of greater successes, it is imper-.
ative that no serious mistake be made
by the planters who are now making
their arranements for the spring
planting of 1906. Let every man
pause and calmly consider his future
even while enjoying the flash of a
victory which has been the most mar?
velous ever won in modern times. ,
The present estimated twenty-seven,
million acres planted in cotton is
sufficient under normal climatic con?
ditions to produce enough cotton to
meet the demads of spinners for the
American staple. Any material in-.
'crease in the cotton acreage for, 1906
will tend to stagnate the cotton mar?
ket and depress prices below their
legitimate value. The legitimate
laws of supply and demand is the only
true medium of regulating fair and
legitimate prices fer our great staple
product. The Southern Cotton Asso?
ciation through all its sources of
strength and co-operative mediums of
disseminating, information to its loyal
and patritic supporters, with an eye
single to the future prosperity of all
cotton growers and business interests
I of i he south, earnestly makes this
appeal for broadening the splendid
! aovautages thai are to be ga:ued by
I diversified argiculture on southern
larras. Plant an abundance ot small
grain, corn and side crops. Raise
more hay, cattle and hogs
Let well filled corn cribs and smoke?
houses be tbe great bulwarks of safety
between the farmers and the. world
of trade with whom they have to deal.
Kotate yonr crop, intensify your acre?
age fertilize liberally, cultivate well,
produce plentifully on the acreage
planted and enjoy those ie wards
which should be the fulsome portion
of thos* who lill cur southern soils.
Study tlie possibilities of our soils and
climate, and leam to appreciate and
develop tbe wonderful resources at
our command in the ixe ld, carden and
orchard ot southern agriculture. Be?
come depositors m your banu- rather
than borrowers. Gei on a eash I asis
as rapidly as possible and break up
tu* ruinous credit s\s?eu; which in
tbe past has bren so ix rsl to cotton
^rowers. -As soutbv-rn farms become
earn year more self-sustaining uaoer
the adoption of a diversinV? a:id in?
tensive system of culture and proper
r<?tallou ot crops, the groweis of the
south's great -tapie can quickly regu?
late its maik^tinsr to meer the i^iti
mate demands of consumption and
maintain its price at such figo res as
w?l always give v to the producers
profit on its production. Bu;id ware
?enses with your surplus-mon? v, and
secure adequate storage facilities for
tbe?;roper handling cf yeer cotton in
the markets of the country. hvt us
?each out and broaden the markets
and uses for Ameriean c Hon. Let
us bring about direct trade berween
t"n producers and the spinders of the
WJrld and in saiesrnardhii: our mag
uififtent and valuable stacia ?rom the
grtod of speculative interests, enjoy
the blessings of its monopoly and
through co operation rapidiv develop
our beloved southland into the richest
and most prosperous section of the
entire union Pausp, reflect and
make no fatal mistake in intering
upon the new crop year for !90Cj The
san of peace and pipnty is shining on
the loyal and patrotic heads of >nntb
eru planters today. Provider^e has
blessed our country. Thee! nos may
Un. ken aud darken our boris in .c. the
si ring if we grow heedless ot our
duty. The Southern Cotton Associa?
tion sounds its note of warning and
i-^ues its appeal to the people.
Yours truly.
Harrie Jordan,
Pres. So. Cotton Association.
A Fearful Tate.
*It is a fearful fate to have to endur
the terrible torture of piles. " I ca
truthfully say." writes Harry Colsor
of Masonville, Ia., "that for blinc
bleeding, itching and protruding piles
Bucklers Arnica Salve is the bes
cure made." Also best for Tti