The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, November 07, 1906, Image 2
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|| Beverly <
ip Graustai
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CHAPTER I.
EAR off in the mountain lands,
somewhere to the east of the
setting sun, lies the principali?
ty of Graustark, serene relic ol
?ure ?ld feudal days. The traveler
beaches the little domain after an ?r
'tSao&s* sometimes perilous, journey
twa the great European capitals,
Vkether they be north or south or wes j
_never east He crosses great rivera
*nd wide plains; he winds through fer?
tile valleys and over barren plateaus;
I? twists and turns and climbs among
Bomber gorges'and rugged mountains;
fee touches the cold clouds in one day
and the placid warmth of the valley in
^he next. One does not go to Graustars
ISor a pleasure jaunt. It is too far from
* the rest of the world, and the ways are
Often dangerous because of the strife
among the tribes of the intervening
mountains. If one hungers for excite
dent and peril, he finds it in the jour?
ney from the north or the south into
the land of the Graustarkians. From
Vienna and other places almost direct?
ly west the way is not so full of thrills
Sot- the railroad skirts the darkest of
the danger lands.
Once in the heart of Graust?rk, how?
ever, the traveler is charmed into
breams of peace and happiness and
paradise. The peasants and the poets
sing in one voice and accord, their
psalm being of never ending love.
&?wn in the lowlands and up in the
fcais the simple worker of the soil re?
joices that he lives in Graustark; in the
towns and villages the humble mer?
chant and his thrifty customer unite
tn ikig the song of peace and content
fcient; in the palaces of the noble the
35ame patriotism warms its heart with
Noughts of Graustark, the ancient.
Prince and pauper strike hands for the
love of the land, while outside the
^great, heartless world goes rumbling
tia without a thought of the rare little
principality among the eastern moun?
tains.
in point of area Graustark is but a
taite in the great galaxy of nations.
"Glancing over the map m of the world,
.one is almost sure to miss the in?ni tes
teca! patch of green that marks its lo?
caron. One could not be blamed if
/be 'regarded the spot as a typograph?
ical or topographical illusion. T?t the
people of this., quaint little land hold
ta their hearts a love and a confidence
that are not surpassed by any of the
?ordiy .monarchs who measure their
patriotism by miles and millions. The
Crraustarkians are a sturdy, courageous
iaee. From the faraway century when
They fought themselves clear of. the
Taits?t yoke to this very hour they
nave been warriors of might and valor.
T&e boundaries of their tiny domain
were kept inviolate for hundreds of
-years, and but one victorious foe had
Axwae down to lay siege to Edelweiss,
"^the capital. Axphain, a powerful prin?
cipality in the north, had conquered
<2?aastark in the latter part of the
nineteenth century, but ody after a
bitter war in which starvation and
?am-ine proved far more destructive
than 'the arms of the victors. The
treaty of peace and the indemnity that
teil to the lot of vanquished Graustark
Itave been discoursed upon at length
la at least one history.
* '3&ose who have followed that his
t>wy 'must know; of course, that the
fct?gnihg princess, Yetive, was married
'te^a young American at the very tag
te?d o? f?ie nineteenth century^ This
.admirable couple met in quite romantic
&sfekm while the young sovereign was
traveling incognito through the United
.States of America. The American, a
splendid fellow named Lorry, was so i
;-?e?rs?st?nt lu the subsequent attack I
apon her heart that all ancestral preju- :
Hees were swept away, and she be- !
same his bride with the full consent of j
ter entranced subjects. The manner j
? which he wooed and won this young I
?ad adorable ruler forms a very at- '
Sraetive chapter in romance, although 1
unmentioned ia history. This being !
tale of another day, it is not timely ?
.s? dwell upon the interesting events ?
valen led up to the marriage of the 1
~:?tiacess Yetive to Grenfall Lorry. Suf- j
Ice it to say that Lorry won his bride ;
-*S?iast all wishes and odds and at
'ile same? time won an endless love and
.?teem from the people of the little
dagdom among the eastern hills. Two
ears have passed since that notable
Nvedding i:-. Edelweiss.
Lorry and his wife, the princess,
eade their home in Washington, b^t
;j>eat a few months of each year in
~$delwe:f;s. During the periods spent
;a Washington and in travel her affairs
Graustark were in the hands of a
capable, austere old diplomat, her
"uncle, Count Caspar ilalfont. Princess
'o?ga reigned as regent over the prin
' ipaHtv o'. Axphaln. To H-e south lay
VS?e pYiXrcipalily of Dawsbergen, ruled 1
gp young Prince Dantan, whose half
- roiber, the deposed Prince Gabriel, j
" ad been for two years a prisoner in
'i?austark, the convicted assassin of :
^^Ttarce Lorenz of Axphain, one time !
" nitor for the hand of Yetive.
tt was after the second visit of the j
3 ?ottys to Edelweiss that a serious turn i
? affairs presented itself. Gabriel had
-iwceeded in escaping from his dun?
geon. His friends In Dawsbergo I
- ?red wp a revolution, and Dantan was
-riven Crom the throne at Serros. On j
?s arrival of Gabriel at the capital j
Vg* ?wtr o* Dawshpriren psnoused the !
?>f 4hik ; riace ; bad spurned, and, !
j?&?*j\a?t- ? ??<!? his ?ape, he was on !
S throne, c?; . . aud ...(>???
?V?-...**.**.*.%*..*.."il*?5??"V.
..*..*.. ...if. .!."_.*..:..?.. . ....W.* - .
EH By
Mt GEORGE BARR
M'CUTCKEON,
|? ?3??V? CwrWrt. 1904. by Dodd.
Mead ?nd ?crr.&uty .?fCv?":??
........^/."?.;"-V.:....... ~../.....-.... -.. .. '*":?!
j a price roi- C?e ?iea?T?r the unfortunate
i Bantan, now a fugitive in ?ie hills
? along the Graustark frontier.
! CHAPTER II.
I ?TTiAJOR GEORGE CALHOUN was
j n/m I a member of congress from one
M of the southern states. His
; -LM j forefathers had represented the
same commonwealth, and so, it was
likely, would his descendants, if there
is virtue in the fitness of things and
the heredity of love. While intrepid I
frontiersmen were opening the trails j
! through the fertile wilds west of the
All?guantes a strong branch of the Cal- j
houn family followed close in their j
footsteps. The major's great-grand- j
father saw the glories and the possi- !
i bilities of the new territory. Ile struck
? boldly forward from the old Reyolu
j tionary grounds, abandoning the luxu
! ries and traditions of the Carolinas for
i a fresh, wild life of promise. His sons
I and daughters became solid stones in
tee foundation of a commonwealth,
and his grandchildren are still at work
on the structure. State and national j
legislatures had known the Calhouns I
from the beginning. Battlefields had
tested their valor, and drawing rooms
had proved their gentility.
Major Calhoun had , fought with
! Stonewall Jackson and won his spurs,
and at the same time the heart and
hand of Betty Haswell, the stanchest
Confederate who ever made flags,
! bandages and prayers for the boys in
I gray. When the reconstruction came
he went to congress, and later on be
; came prominent in the United States
consular service, for years holding an
i important. European post1 Congress
claimed him once more in the early
nineties, and there he ls at this very
time.
Everybody in Washington's social i
and diplomatic circles admired the I
beautiful Beverly Calhoun. According
j to his owu loving term of identifica
I tion, she was the major's "youngest."
I The fair southerner had seen two sea?
sons in the nation's capital. Cupid,
standing directly in front of her, had
shot his darts ruthlessly and resist
lessly into the passing hosts, and mas?
culine Washington looked humbly to
her for the balm that might soothe its
pains. The wily, god of love was fair
enough to protect the girl whom he
forced to be his unwilling, perhaps un?
conscious, ally. He held his impene?
trable shield between her heart and
. the. assaults of a whole army of suit- j
ors, high and low, great and small. It j
was not idle rumor that said she had !
declined a coronet or two, that the ?
/millions of more than one American j
Midas had been offered to her and that
she had dealt gently but firmly with a ;
score of hearts which had nothing but j
love, ambition and poverty to support
them in the conflict
The Calhouns lived in a handsome j
home not far from the residence of Mr. i
and Mrs. Grenfall Lorry. It seemed j
but natural that the two beautiful |
young women should become constant !
and loyal friends. Women as lovely j
as they have no reason to be jealous, j
It is only the woman who does not feel I
secure of her personal charms that j
cultivates envy. At the home of Grau
stark's princess Beverly met the dukes '
and barons from the far east. It was !
in the warmth of the Calhoun hospital- j
ity that Yeti ve formed her dearest love I
for the American people.
Miss Beverly was neither tall nor ;
short. She was of that divine and in-1
definite height know*n as medium; sien
der, but perfectly molded; strong, but i
graceful-an absolutely healthy young.
person, whose beauty knew well how j
to take care of itself. Being quite
heart whole ".nd fancy free, she slept ;
well, ate well and enjoyed every min- j
ute of life. In her blood ran the warm,:
eager impulses of the south; hereditary
love of ease and luxury displayed itself
in every emotion; the perfectly normal
demand upon men's admiration was as
characteristic in her as it is in any ?
daughter of the land whose women <
Her hearers stared at the picturesque rc- \
cruit.
are "born to expect"chivalry and hom?
age.
A couple of years in a New York j
"fir-ishing school" for young ladies had.
served greatly to modify Miss Cal- j
delightful ? way ?low ? south" phrases
and maunerismj were blighted bs the
"*""m""minM i -a- mi irrrwrwrTi-1 1 " ?* "
cold, unromantic atmosphere of a : .
inary conducted by two ladies fro;
Boston who were too old to marry I
penurious to love and too prim to t
that other women might care tc ?
both. There were times, however-:
she were excited or enthusiastic-whe
pretty Beverly so far forgot her trail
ing as to break forth with a very a
tractive "yo' all," "suah 'nough" or "g
'long naow." And when the hand
played "Dixie" she was not afraid t
stand up and wave her handkerchie
The northerner who happened to h
with her on such occasions usuall
found himself doing likewise before h
could escape the infection.
Miss Calhoun's face was one tba
painters coveted deep down in the'
artistic souls. It never knew a dull li
stant; there was expression in ever
lineament, in every look; life, genuin
life, dwelt in the mobile countenance
that turned the head of every man an<
woman who looked upon it. Her hai
was dark brown and abundant; he
eyes were a deep gray and looke<
eagerly from between, long lashes o
black; her lips were red and eve
trilling to smile or turn plaintive as oe
easio? required: her orow was broa(
and fair, and her frown was as danger
ous as a smile.
As to her age, if the major admitted
somewhat indiscreetly, that all his chil
dren were old enough to vote, hp!
mother, with the reluctance born li
women, confessed that she was pas
twenty, so a year or two cither wa]
will determine Miss beverly's age s<
far as the toiling of this story is con
cerned. Her eldest toother, Keith Cal
bonn (the one with the congressiona
heritage), thought she was too youn|
to marry, while her second brother
Dan, held that she soon would be to(
old to attract men with matrimonia
intentions. Lucy, the only sister, hav
ing been happily wedded for ten years
advised her not to think of marriag?
until she was' old enough to know hei
own mind.
Toward the close of one of the mos1
brilliant seasons the capital had evei
known, less than a fortnight befon
congress was to adjourn, the wife ol
Grenfall Lorry received the new?
which spread gloomy disappointment
over the entire social realm. A dozer
receptions, teas and balls were des?
tined to lose their richest attraction,
and hostesses were in despair. The
princess had been called to Graustark.
Beverly Calhoun was miserably un
happy.- She hadJbeard the story of Ga?
briel's escap e "and the consequent prob?
ability of a conflict with ?xphain. It
did not require a great stretch of imag?
ination to convince her that the Lorrys
were hurrying off to scenes of intrigue,
strife and bloodshed, and that not only
Graustark, but its princess, was in
jeopardy.
Miss Calhoun's most cherished hopes
faded with the announcement that
trouble, not pleasure, called Yetive to
Edelweiss, flt had been their plan that
Beverly should spend the delightful
summer months in Graustark, a guest
at the royal palace. The original ar?
rangements of the Lorrys were hope?
lessly disturbed by the late news from
Count Haifont. They were obliged to
leave Washington two months earlier
than they intended, and they could not
take Beverly Calhoun into danger rid?
den Graustark. The contemplated visit
to St. Petersburg and other pleasures
had to be abandoned, and they were in
tears.
Yetlve's maids were packing the
trunks, and Lorry's servants were in
a wild state of haste preparing for the
departure oi\ Saturday's ship. On Fri?
day afternoon Beverly was naturally
where she could do the most good and
be of the least help-at the Lorrys'.
Self confessedly she delayed the
preparations. Respectful maidservants
and respectful manservants came of?
ten to the princess' boudoir to ask
questions, and Beverly just as fre?
quently made tearful resolutions to
leave the household in peace-if such
a hullabaloo could be called peace.
Callers came by the dozen, but Yetive
would see no one. Letters, telegrams
and telephone calls almost swamped
her secretary; the footman and the
butler fairly gasped under the strain
Of excitement. Through it all the two
friends sat despondent and alone in
the drear room that once had been the
abode of pure delight. Grenfall Lorry
was off in town closing up all matters
of business that could be dispatched at
once. The princess and her industri?
ous retinue were to take the evening
express for New York, and the next
day would find them at sea.
"I know I shall cry all summer,"
vowed Miss Calhoun, with conviction
In her eyes. "It's just too awful for
anything." She was lying back among
the cushions of the divan, and her hat
was the picture of cruel neglect. For
three solid hours she had stubbornly
withstood Yetive's appeals to remove
her hat insisting that she could not
trust herself to stay more than a min?
ute or two. "It seems to me, Yetive.
that your jailers must be very incom?
petent or they wouldn't have let loose
all this trouble upon you," she com?
plained.
"Prince Gabriel is the very essence
of trouble.'' confessed Yetive plain?
tively. "H< was born to annoy peo?
ple, just li ce the evil prince in the
fain- tales."
"I wish we had him over here," the
American girl answered stoutly. "He
wouldn't be such a trouble, I'm sure, j
We don't let small troubles worry us
very long, you know."
"But he's dreadfully important over ;
there. Beverly; that's tho difficult part
of it," said Yetive solemnly. "You
seo. he Is a condemned murderer."
"Then you ought to hang him or
electrocute him or whatever it is that
you do to murderers over there," spoke
Beverly promptly.
"But, dear, you don't understand.
He won't permit us either to hang or
to electrocute him, my dear. The situa?
tion is preciselv the reverse, if bo is
correctiv quoted my :ii< le. When
Uncle Gaspar se) I ai envoy to laform i
Dawsbergen respectfully that Grau-'
... would hold it personally respoi
? . if Gabriel were not surrenderee
el himself replied, 'Graustark t
tanged!'" "
"How rude of him. especially whe
your uncle was so courteous about il
He must be a very disagreeable pei
son." announced Miss Calhoun.
*T am sure you wouldn't like him,
said the princess. "His brother, wh
has been driven from the throne-an
from the capital, in fact-is quite di:
forent. I have not seen him, but m
ministers regard him as a splendi
j young man."
K"Oh, how I hope he may go bac
with his army and annihilate that ol
Gabriel!" cried Beverly, frownin
fiercely.
"Alas," sighed the princess, "h
hasn't an army, and besides he is fine
lng it extremely difficult to keep froi
being annihilated himself. The arm
has gone over to Prince Gabriel."
"Pooh!" scoffed Miss Calhoun, wh
.was thinking of the enormous annie
the United States can produce at
day's notice. "What good is a ridie;
lous little army like his anyway? .
battalion from Fort Thomas coul
beat it to"
"Don't boast, dear," interrupted Y<
five, with a wan smile. "Dawsberf e
has a standing army of 10,000 exce
lent soldiers. With the war reserve
she has twice the available force I* ca
produce."
"But your men are so brave!" erie
Beverly, who bad heard their praise
sung.
"True-God bless thom!-but you foi
get that we must attack Gabriel in hi
own territory. To recapture hil
means a perilous expedition into th
mountains of Dawsbergen, and I ai
sorely afraid. Ch, dear, I hope he'
surrender peaceably !"
"And go back to jail for life?" erie
Miss Calhoun. "It's a gocd deal,t
expect of bim, dear. I fancy it's muc
better fun kicking up a rumpus on th
outside than it is kicking one's toes ol
against an obdurate stone wall fror
the inside. You can't blame him fo
fighting a bit"
"No, I suppose not," agreed the prir
cess miserably. "Gren is actually har.
py over the miserable affair, Be veri j
He is full of enthusiasm and positivel;
aching to be in Graustark-right in th
thick of it all. To hear him talk on
would think that Prince Gabriel ha
no show at all. He kept me up till -
o'clock this morning telling me tba
Dawsbergen didn't know what kind o
a snag it was going up against I hav<
g vague idea what he means by that
His manner did not leave much roon
for doubt He also said that we woul<
jolt Dawsbergen off the map. I
sounds encouraging at least doesn'
it?"
"It sounds very funny for you to saj
those things," admitted Beverly, "ever
though they come secondhand. Yoi
were not cut out for slang."
"Why, I'm sure they are all gooc
English words," remonstrated Yetive
"Oh, dear, I wonder what they are do
ing in Graustark this very instant
Are they fighting or"
"No; they are merely talking. Don'1
you know, dear, that there is never 2
fight until both sides have talked them
selves out of breath? We shall have
six months of talk and a week or twe
of fight, just as they always do now?
adays."
I "Oh, you Americans have such a
comfortable way of looking at things,"
cried the princess. "Don't you ever
see the serious side of life?"
"My dear, the American always lets
the other fellow see the serious side of
life," said Beverly.
"You wouldn't be so optimistic if a
country much bigger and more power?
ful than America happened to be the
other fellow."
"It did sound frightfully boastful,
didn't it? It's the way we've been
brought up, I reckon-even we south?
erners, who know what it is to be
whipped. The idea of a girl like me
talking about war and trouble and all
that! It's absurd, isn't it?"
"Nevertheless, I wish I could see
things through those dear gray eyes of
yours. Oh, how I'd like to have you
with me through all the months that
are to come. You would be such a help
to me, such a joy. Nothing would seem
so hard If you were there to make me
see things through your brave Ameri?
can eyes. The princess put her arms
about Beverly's neck and drew her
close.
"But Mr. Lorry possesses.an excel?
lent pair of American eyes," protested
Miss Beverly, loyally and very happily.
"I know, dear, but they, are a man's
eyes. Somehow there is a difference,
you know. I wouldn't dare cry when
he was looking, but I could boohoo all
day if you were there to comfort me.
He thinks I am very brave, and Tm
not," she confessed dismally.
"Oh, I'm an awful coward,'' explain?
ed Beverly consolingly. "I think you
are the bravest girl in all the world,"
she added. "Don't you remember what
you did at"- and then she recalled the
stories that had come from Graustark
ahead of the bridal party two years be?
fore. Yetive was finally obliged to
place her hand on the enthusiastic
\-isiior's lips.
"Peace," she cried, blushing. "You
make me feel like a-a-what is lt you
call her. a dime novel heroine?"
"A yellow back girl? Never!" ex?
claimed Beverly severely.
Visitors of importance in administra?
tion circles came at this moment and
the princess couid nof refuse to see
them. Beverly Calhoun reluctantly de?
parted, but not until arter- giving a
promise to accompany the Lorrys to
the railway sta lion.
. ..**..
The trunks had gone to 1J? checked,
and the household was quietsr than it
had been in many days. Thew was an
air ot depression about the place that
hftd its inception in the room upstair*
where sober faced I Ia Ik ins served din
nft" for a not. ovcrtalka" ive ynu*?-?
couple.
.Ti will be ai! right, dearest," said, i
. ?rry, diviu ug bis wif a thoughts ag I
she sat staring rather soberly straight
ahead of her. "Just as soon as we :
get to Edelweiss the whole affair will j
look so simple that we can laugh at
the fears of today. You see, we are a j
long way off just now."
"I am only afraid of what may hap?
pen before we get there, Gren," she
said simply. He leaned over and kiss?
ed her hand, smiling at the emphasis i
she unconsciously placed on the pro- !
noun.
Beverly Calhoun was announced just j
before coffee was served and a mo- j
, meut later was in the room. She stop- j
ped just inside the door, clicked her j
little heels together and gravely brought \
her hand to ""salute!" "Her eyes were j
, sparkling and her lips trembled with j
' suppressed excitement.
"I think I can report to you in Edel
I weiss next month, general," she an- !
; nounced. with soldierly dignity. Her j
j hearers stared at the picturesque re
I cruit, and Halkins so far forgot him- !
j self as to drop Mr. Lorry's lump of !
j sugar upon the table instead of into !
the cup.
"Explain yourself, sergeant!" finally
fell fro ai Lorry's lips. The eyes of j
j the princess were beginning to take on j
a rapturous glow.
"May I have a cup of coffee, please, '
j sir? I've been so excited I couldn't !
I cat a mouthful at home." She grace- j
i fully slid into the chair Halkins of- j
j fered and broke into an ecstatic giggle !
i that would have resulted in a court j
; martial had she been serving any j
! commander but Love. j
j With a plenteous supply of southern i
I idioms she succeeded in making them j
j understand that thu major had prom- j
i ised to let her visit friends in the le?a- ?
I tion at S :. Petersburg in April, a montai
j cr so after the departure of the Lorrys. j
j "He wanted to know where I'd rath- J
j er spend the spring-Wasbin'ton or j
i Lexington-and I told him St. Peters- ;
! burg. V.'e had a terrific discussion, ?
j and neither of us ate a speck at din- j
: ner. Mamma sr id it would be all right \
; Tor me to go to St. Petersburg if Aunt \
! Josephine was still of a mind to go too. !
j You see, auntie was scared almost out:
of her boots wnen she heard there was !
. prospect of war in Graustark, just as j
though a tiny little war like that could j
make any difference away up in Rus- j
sia, hundreds of thousands of miles j
'.away"-with a scornful wave of the ?
j hand-"ard then I just made auntie
I say she'd go to St. Petersburg in Aprii,
j a whole month sooner than she espect
'?? ed to go in the first place, and"
"You dear, dear Beverly!" cried Ye- j
tive, rushing joyously around the table
to clasp her in ber arms.
"And St. Petersburg really isn't a
hundred thousand miles from Edel
I weiss!" cried Beverly gay ly.
"It's much less than that," said Lor
j ry, smiling. "But you surely don't j
' expect to come to Edelweiss if we are
! fighting. We couldn't think of letting
; you do that you know. Your mother
j would never"
"My motlier wasn't afraid of a much
! bigger war than yours can ever hope
" to be!" cried Beverly resentfully. "Yow !
' can't stop me if I choose to visit Grau
I stark."
j "Does your father know that you
contemplate such a trip?" asked Lorry,
returning her hand clasp and looking j
doubtfully into the swimming blue j
i eyes of his wife.
"No, he doesn't," admitted Beverly a
trifle aggressively.
j "He could, stop you, you know," he j
suggested. Yetive was discreetly si?
lent.
"But he won't know anything about
If' cried Beverly triumphantly.
"I could tell him, you know," said
Lorry.
"No, you couldn't do anything so
mean as that," announced Beverly.
"You're not that sort"
[TO ns CO-NTLLN un>.]
MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL FUND.
Dispensary Officials Promise to Remit
$10.000 a Week on Last Year's Ac?
count.
Columbia, Oct. 31.-The authori?
ties of the State dispensary have
promised to remit to the State treas?
urer $10,000 a week for the school
fund until about $60,000 is paid in.
It will be recalled that at the session
of the dispensary investigating com?
mittee last year it was brought out
that the dispensary then owed the
school fund $114,000 in round figures.
Since that time there has been only
one settlement. On March 2, $25,000
was paid for distribution, and of
that amount about $9,000 yet remains
to the credit of the fund. In the
statement rendered bv the dispensary
for the quarter ending August 31, the
amount due the school fund is placed
at $79,834.41. and the capital stock is
placed at $400,000, "belonging to the
school fund.'" The cash in the State
treasury is placed at $44,637.95. but
this cash statement varies from day
to day and cannot be checked up to
the school*.fund.
Commissioner Tatum requires all
retail dispensers to file their reports
;nnl send to the Stat?"* dispensary every
week the amount due the dispensary.
There is no check on the school fund
which is sent to the treasurer at any
lime and with which the State treas
urer has nothing to do except receipt
for and turn over t<> the comptroller
general for distribution by counties.
?Tcnkins Motor Co.
Columbia, Nov. 1.-The E. A. & T.
B. Jenkins Company of Columbia,
was chartered today, the corporators
being p:. A. and T. B. Jenkins, the
well known automobile mon, who
thc Reo car. The capital '
Q. The concern wi!! sell and j
: ' pi ir automobiles. {
COTTON MUST GO HIGHER.
Ginning Report Shows a- Considerable
Shortage-Mr. E. D. Smith's Ad?
vice to thc Farmers Based Upon
Recent Figures Prepared by Gov?
ernment.
Columbia, Oct 28.-Mr. E. D.
Smith of the South Carolina Cotton J
association issued a statement con- T
cerning the recent ginning report
made by the department of agricul?
ture. Mr. Smith says that the figures
show as predicted by the association
that the crop is a short one and the
farmers should obtain 12 1-2 cents
per ?pound for the product if they will
only hold their cotton. Mr. Smith in
his statement says:
'The bureau's report on ginning
makes the total amount of cotton
ginned up to the present 4,910,000
bales. South Carolina is 396,000 as
against 639,000 last year. I think all
agree that at least 50 per cent, of
South Carolina's crop was ginned up
to the 18th of October. This being
true, we will not make much over
700,000 bales of cotton. Last year's
crop was about 1,125,000. This will
leave South Carolina something like
400,000 bales short. Georgia, Alabu- j
ma and North Carolina all show
about the same percentage shor;.
Texas makes up in excess lacking 80,
000 bales of bringing it up to last
year's ginning.
/The next ginn?rs' report, I am
confident, will show that our conten?
tion that the crop is short, is true.
Last week and the week before, the
mi'ls and the cotton buyers gave ll
cents readily for cotton. If they
could afford to buy it then at that fig?
ure, it is worth that much now, for
the reason that they had placed their
contract months ahead and could af?
ford to give, ll cents and show a
hancsome profit. ?.v
"There is no reason why you, the
farmers of the South, should sacrifice
what cotton you do sell them, be?
cause somebody predicted there was
a much larger crop. Demand from
them that they shall give for what
you do sell them from now on, what
they have been paying fer it for the
last two or three weeks at least. Cot?
ton is worth today on the markets,
in view of the price and the scarcity
of goods, 12 1-2 cents a pound. If
the farmers will just absolutely refuse
to sell it for less, this price can be
obtained for the talan-re of this
ere p.
"Of course . v< rything depends up?
on the unanimity with which they
hold cotton. I am still convinced
that on account of the frost and
storm making anything like a top
crop is impossible; that this, crop will
net appreciably exceed last year's
and therefore cotton is bound ulti?
mately to go very much higher. The
world will need 12,500,000 bai es and
one of the best posted men i:: thc
cotton world wired me that if the
crop should turn out 12,000,000 bales,
it would readily bring 7d. in England.
I do not think anyone looks for a
crop as great as 12,000,000 bales. Let
the farmers of the country settle this
question and settle it now by abso?
lutely refusing to part with their
property, except at a value satisfac?
tory to themselves The break in the
market of one cent a pound within
three days entailing a 'oss of $5 a
bale compared with K'oor of the far?
mer for 12 months zn make the bale
of cotton, is enough to arouse him to
a sense of his duty in the premises.
To work 12 months to produce that
which speculators and gamblers can
take 10 per cent from its value in
33? hours is enough to either make a
man quit growing cotton or show that
he is a man. The world is waiting
to see whether you are men."
Mr. Smith is now at work on the
plans for the organization of the
mammoth holding company which is
to buy and hold all cotton offered at
less than the agreed price. Some
time ago a full statement of the pur?
poses of this company was given in
The State and since then the associa?
tion has reecived many letters seek?
ing information about the company.
Another statement will be given to
the press in a few days.
How's This?
We offer One Hundred Dollars Re?
ward, for any case of Catarrh that
cannot be cured by Hall's Catarrh
Cure. F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo,
O.
We, the undersigned, have known
F. J. Cheney for the last 15 years,
and believe him perfectly honorable
in all business transactions and finan?
cially able to carry out any obliga,
tiens made by his firm.
Walding, Rinnan. & Marvin,
Wholesale Druggists, Toledo, O.
Hall's Catarrh Cure is taken inter?
nally, acting directly upon the blood
and mucous surfaces of the system.
Testimonials sent free. Price 75c. per
bottle. Sold by all druggisti.
Take Hall's Family Pills for con?
stipation. S 10-lm
?Good for everything a salve is
used for and especially recommended
for piles. That is what we say of De
Witt's Witch Hazel Salve Or. the