WSBNESD?Y, DECEMBER 26, 1906. Ihe ?umter Watchman was founded in J50 and the True Southron in 1866. The Watchman and Southron now bas the com? bined circulation and influence of both of %he> cid papers, and is manifestly the best =:-lvertisisig medium in Sumter. ~~ IMPORTANT NOTICE. Subscribers are requested to ex mine tue label on their papers, vhich show the date to which the cjbscription has been paid. Those - -ho Sud that they are in arrears are -??aested to call and settle or remit t the earliest convenient date. The -^oount that each subscriber owes is sall, but in the aggregate the v-jBount due us for subscription is uite large-and we need the money. "Wha? ^as become of the Chamber ot Oom tuerce? We all know that it St22 ha.?; one live and active member -or. rho roll, to wit: the Secretary, "hut it is the other ninety and nine ti nt se^m to have been lost in the j -? . . A live, energetic, pushing \ ..secretary, and a typewriter, are- use? ful ana necessary adjuncts to a cham r of co r.^erce, but when the sec? retary ?s the only hve thing associated r ame, he becomes of little aaaore force and effect than "sound- ! lisg .r; ss or a tinkling cymbal." Surcar has gotten wise. That is to ty that Sumter has not been wisi a"! the time and will not con tinue to be wise until the end of the chapter, but she has been particularly -wise in voting bonds for a sewerage system. No town ought to be with? out sewerage when it gets big enough j to neo-I i: and it does not take long j ?or that. Whenever people have to j live so close together that nature can't take care of the situation nothing .etrnals se re for safety and con? venience, "e envy Sumter, but we 'will have wait awhile. We are 'wise enou. ' but not wealthy enough, we have ? i too many other things a?rst, v.-h ic e do not think was as ?wise as it gr have been, but we isave no r r. Jpo?y on the wisdom of the corrm ty.-Florence Times. \N TO : iNDUE COTTON CROP. ?MU S ?^rr>?s ?the Organiza o? ; -Ju: Ling Committee" to WIth Warehouses. *e j?i :er cent., we send him a statement ^vith a check enclosed to cover bal saace. t The farmer's part in thist ransaction ? to see that the warehouses are con? structed, store one-half his crop and ?.lace the other in our Lands to dis? pose of for him to the spinner. Our -e-cpense to be deducted from said sale, r?hs and ell cotton disposed thin that period will be disposed ol" our committee to the spinners di t at these prices, thus eliminating i third party or middle man. This tier, to be fully understood, re . .. res an article of mur-h louger geh than we are disposed to writ'' present, and if the f;jrn "rs are 'ly to oroteet ihems'^v^s and are < pared to enter into negotiations I . ing to this end, we will be glad! take it, up more fully, and wish io that I have assurances which ca- \ farine- is ready for . It is a well known fact that through the sampling on the streets , at the compress and ^elsewhere along the route, a considerable amount of cot? ton is extracted from each bale. Then the local cotton buyer is not working for fun and calculates on from 50 cents to $1 per bale profit. The man i he sells to on this side of the water has large expense to meet and he too must have a rake off. Again on the other side the middle man puts in his appearance and calls for his profit, thus between the farmer and the spinner we are taxed fully $5 per bale by these middle men to keep themselves going, whereas, if handled by our committee, we have a sample of one pound taken from the bale and the same graded and offered to the spinner at the price fixed by these committees, and the total cost for one-half of the crop is 25 cents per bale paid to us, for the one-half held in the warehouses the interest, in? surance and all other charges need not exceed $1.35 per bale, or an ex? pense of 75 cents per bale for the whole crop, thus saving $4.25 per bale to the spinner and farmer, and this alone would enable the farmer to secure 1 cent a pound more for his cotton thai, he otherwise would do, besides it makes the crop a staple one and we will no longer see the cotton speculator depressing values to Lhe extent of - many million dollars within an hour or two, as we see ev? ery cay. We would be glad to have all papers interested in the welfare v>f the sorth publish this item and send us paper with editorial comment, if any is made. We would also be glad to hear from any one who is interest' ed in this matter and are open to any suggestion from any one. Yours truly, P. G. Bowman, Sumter, December 18. MORE EQUIPMENT FOR A. C. L. Order fur Five Million Dollars' Worth of Rolling Stock Soon to Be Placed. Wilmington, Dec. 22.-It was an? nounced today from the Atlantic Coast Line headquarters here that orders will be placed for the earliest possible delivery in 1907 for 100 lo? comotives, 3,250 freight cars and 50 passenger cars, the appropriation for the equipment being practically $5, 000,000. Orders for twenty of the lo? comotives have already been placed for February delivery. The directors have also authorized the purchase of 26,300 tons of eighty-five-pound steel rails, deliveries to begin in January. This is 300 miles of new rail, addi? tional to 200 miles laid during the last . year. There are overdue on contracts ? placed ?(arly in 1906 between 2,500 md 3,000 freight cars and 20 locomo- ? tives, which the builders were unable ' to furnish. ' It is also announced that January L five new operating districts will be 1 added, making seventeen in all, the main object being to reduce the size ] )f the districts in order to get the * maximum of efficiency in operation. : In connection with the increase of 1 .ho nuT^b^v of operating district "rom twelve to seventeen tne fol- 1 lowing appointments of division su- 1 perintendents are made public by Su? perintendent W. A. Anderson: i Wilmington district, from Wilming- ' ton to Contentea, X. C., including 1 branches, and Atlantic and Yadkin livision to Stanford, X. C., E. Phen- 1 aenger; Chadburn district, between 1 Wilmington and Pee-Dee, S. C., with branch lines, J. A. Fountain; Colum- i bia, Si C., district is divided into two J 3istricts, to be known as the Colum- 1 bia and Darlington districts, with C. ] Li. Porter in charge of the Columbia J iistrict and B. J. Hare of the Darling- 1 ton district. George B. McClellan, ] trainmaster Charleston district, is ' made superintendent of the Xorfolk ?istrict. W. M. Dove, trainmaster * Charleston and Western Carolina, at ' Augusta, is made superintendent Sa /annan district. MORGAN BACKS PRESIDENT. Senator Morgan Sustains President Roosevelt in the Disbanding ol' the Negro Troops. Washington. Dec. 24.-Senator Morgan, Alabama's veteran Democrat, who opposed the president on most every is:.ue cv r ad vanc. d. political or otherwise, now says that Roosevelt's action in dismissing the Brownvil'e negro troops i~ absolutely right. Mr. Morgan says: "Dismissal was lawful 1 ?'vt 1 ? . rr^ r''re rnost en .. ; . . defamatory, i threatening denun .:. n. While pol? iticians have taken up the hue and cry. and are assailing th< president with bitter reproaches, l.'nder such cond:??ov;s it will require disbanding all negro regiments if the act or the president is not sustained.'1 Accord in - to the C.'diz (Ohio-) ! Oemocr; - n of that town j ..s*. ]>.. . ? OM . ' .. heob, and it threw him, ri: lo. ai ag ... . Shoulder." Since j Th*> discovery thal it <-<>n?ains aTco Kr.i th,, humble corncob is showing CAROLINA UNIVERSITY NOTES. Students Go Home For Holindays Ga reu tand Black Will be Issued on Time. University of South Carolina, Co? lumbia, Dec. 21.-At 2 o'clock today, with the discontinuance of all classes the holidays were begun. Already che campus presents a deserted ap? pearance and during the entire after? noon students, suit case in hand, could be seen departing for their homes.- Work will be again resumed on Thursday, Jan. 3. From that time until February every student will be particularly hard at work, preparing for the approaching and much-fear? ed mid-winter examinations. Last year the publishing of the an? nual, the Garnet and Black, was greatly delayed, some of the students not receiving theirs until a month after the close of college. This ses? sion the staff has determined to put the annual in the hands of the stu? dents before commencement. To hasten the work as much as possible on Monday the pictures of the second and third year academic students and on Tuesday those of the first year academics, the first and second year normals were taken. The editor-in chief of the annual is F. W. Bradley, j '07, Abbeville, and the business man-? ager, L. W. Perrin, 'OS, Abbeville. On Wednesday evening ai: S o'clock in ,the University chapel the Rod dey medal debate was held. This is an annual contest between representa? tives of the two literary societies for a gold medal donated by Mr. John T. Roddey, of Rock Hill. The query j selected by Mr. Roddey was, Resolv? ed, That South Carolina should have a compulsory 'education law. The debaters on the affirmative were M. Hardin, Law, '07, Cherokee from the Euphradian society, and E. H. Blake, '07, Greenwood, from the Clariosoph ics. The negative was upheld by C. C. Smith, Law, '07, Charleston, Eu? phradian, and V. E. Rector, '07, Spar tanburg, Ciariosophic. The debate was of an exceedingly high order and showed much prepa? ration and earnestness on the part of the speakers. It was by far the most interesting and instructive contest that has been held on this campus re? cently. This question has been be? fore the public for a number of years and has been frequently debated in the State legislature. Despite the stormy weather the chapel was well filled. Mr. Rector on the negative won the unstinted applause of the audience by his humorous passages and a thrust at State Superintendent^ O. B. Martin, who was present After hearin fthe rebuttal the judges retired and formed their de- '. cisi?n. This committee consisted of Associate Justice C. A. Woods, Capt. D. J. Griffith, Dr. J. W. Babcock, Dr. Hall and Mr. Will Evans. Dr. Hall ; 3f the Presbyterian Seminary on be? half of the committee announced the winner, Mr. Rector, and presented the medal to h'm in a short speech. The presiding officer was L. W. Per? rin, '08, Abbeville, and the chief mar- < shal J. M. Hemphill, '08, Chester. The music for the occasion was furnished by the niversity Glee club. The annual Christmas dance will be given in the steward's hail to? night by the University German club. ; This is the pricipal social event of the * winter season among the students and bids fair to be a most enjoyable oc? casion. In the reception room of the steward's hall, where the supper will be served, elaborate decorations have been made, consisting chiefly of the University colors, garnet and . black, 3raped around the walls and inter- 1 sperse^l with pennants of the different southern colleges. The ball room presents an even more picturesque scene. The chandeliers and the tops 3f the windows and doors have been festooned with an abundance of smi? lax mixed with holly. Beginning /promptly at 9.30 ten sard dances will take place, then aft? er supper the german will be danced until 3 o'clock, led by R. Dozier Lee, '07, Sumter, assisted by H. McGowan Holmes, '07, Charleston. The chape? rones will be: President Benjamin Sloan, Professor and Mrs. Yates Snowden, Dr. and Mrs. G. A. Wan ehope, Mr. and Mrs. Christie Benet, Mr. and Mrs. Harry X. Edmunds, Dr. and Mrs. William Weston, Prof. and Mrs. A. C. Moore, Dr. and Mrs. G. B. Moore. The officers of the German club who form the executive com? mittee in charge of this dance are: President, X. B. Hey ward, '07, Co? lumbia; vice presidnet, P. R. Moore, '07, Lancaster; leader, K. D. Lee, Jr., '07, Sumter; treasurer, T. M. DuBose, Jr., '07, Colombia, and secretary, J. XT Gibbes, ' Columbia. ' The next ?:'? !. given by this club will )>'. the mid-term german Feb. ll'. The Marlboro Methodists are "up in arms" against tin- action <>f the Methodist conferefice in tit" Creigh? ton matter. If this Creighton war continues to be agitated it would not surprise us te see an organization of Methodist seceders in this Stale with ' W. Creighton made bishop. Jonht that the conference Cr eli, .?..U matter has brought ???? division <>f sentiment not cali to harmonize the church int? LAYING CORNER STONE. f Interesting Ceremony at Lutheran Church at Florence. The corner stone of the new Luther? an church was laid yesterday in a very pretty ceremony and in the presence of a fair crowd of people considering the inclemency of the weather. The exercises were held at the church on the corner of Palmetto ..and Railroad avenue at 4.30 p. m. Rev. T. B. Epting, who has been a most faithful shepherd of this little flock during the past year, conducted the ceremony. A small organ had been brought to the church and the choir, led by Miss Carrie Cronenburg, sang the hymns of praise and thanks? giving. The main address was delivered by Rev. C. A. Freed, pastor of Ebene? zar church, Columbia. Rev. Mr. Auld of Lone Star, who assisted Mr. Epting in reforming this congregation last year, was present again to rejoice with them that their work had borne such fruit. The Lutheran congregation here now numbers 31 members. This church enterprise was first under? taken about 10 years ago, but through discouragements it was al? lowed to lapse after the purchase some five yeo rs ago of this desirable, building lot, so near the center of the city. A year ago Mr. Epting came over from Sumter and began tc re? vive the congrega* ional interest among the faithful members of the Lutheran church here and so suc? cessful has been his work and their work that they will soon have a i church costing four or five thousand dollars and being one of the most modern and attr ?t;vo in the city. The - ladies have worked haid for the fand . and have increased it dollar by dollar, \ each dollar, -representing work and provers and ,sacrifice. 1 The building is of c'oncrete. It < will seat several hundred people and will have a Sunday school room that can be thrown into the main audito? rium by the opening of folding doors. I The contractor is J. J. Whilden, of Sumter, a most painstaking builder who has a p~ide in his work. The building is already assuming shape 'j and comliness and it will soon be one , of the buildings in which the city ; may take a just pride and which will be one more center of good and " wholesome influence in the communi? ty.-Florence Times, Dec. 19. ? Arrested in Florence. ? Florence, Dec. 22.-Allen Nelson, alias Mansfield, alias Smith, a white man, was arrested here last night by Police Officer Joe Turbeville, upon in? struction of R. C. Hardwick, a detec? tive, upon the charge of breaking into and robbing a store at Denmark. Nel? son was locked up in the* city station house, and i^as carried back to Den? mark this morning on the early train. . While at the station house Nelson | was called upon by a woman, who . knew him, and when he left in charge ' of a deputy for Denmark the woman accompanied him to that place. It is sa.d that Nelson is wanted in a number of towns in this State, as well as in Augusta and ocher .~c .\r'-. towns. Shortly after being p:aced in fhe station house there was a great , commotion by the other prisoners, and j upon investigation of the disturbance i they reported that Nelson was at- ' temping suicide by choking himself . with his necktie. He w*as considera? bly excited and seemed to worry very j much about , being arrested. California Miner Rescued From Death Tomb After Fifteen Days. Bakersfield, Cal., Dec. 23.-Lindsay B. Hicks, released last night from an entombment of 15 days in a caved-in l tunnel, today appeared well and hap? py after his gruesome experience. He received the congratulations of friends and neighbors, to whom he related as best he could the feelings 1 he underwent within the dark close quarters in his tomb-like prison near < the dead bodies- of five less fortunate 1 companions, while scores of men < worked like beavers day and night for more than two weeks to save him from death by digging through many feet of earth and rock. ITALLVNS MURDERED. Mafia Again Coming Into Lawless No? toriety. New Orleans, La., Dec. 26.-Six Italians were found dead in a tene? ment hSuse which was fired today, some burned to death no doubt. They were the victims of Mafia which has serioa 'y worked hero many years. X..t since the lynching of Italians by wholesale several years ago has the foreign populace been in such an ex rited state. The police are unable to cope with the situation and firemen have been pressed into service. These murders it is believed were committed early Inst r:i^':t. and undoubtedly were planned. No screams wore heard, leading to the theory that the j ..; iitered wit bout a y nt a given signal. ; hat the work was >ciety, and that the ?1 Half Million To Sav< Five hundred thousand a conservative estimate o] shooting down of Stanfo Harry Kendall Thaw on Square Garden roof will 3 n y e e Thaw family after White's slayer will have been tried by a jury of his peers. Of this amount fully $200,000 has already been expended in the vast j preliminary preparation for the fight j to be made to save Thaw from the electric chair and the madhouse. A world-wide search has been con? ducted for every scrap of corrobora? tive evidence that will tend to show justification for Thaw's deed. Besides evidence of the sort that may acquit the young Pittsburg millionaire on the ground of justifiable homicide through the "unwritten law," hun? dreds of affidavits has been secured from persons on both sides of the ocean to support a plea of insanity. Detective bureaus in Europe and throughout the United States are at work in an exhaustive search for evi? dence. Great law firms are receiving large fees for private investigation and ad? vice. Special agents have been sent by Clifford W. Hartridge, the chief counsel for Thaw, to every quarter of the gk be. The cable has been -used with a prodigal disregard of expense, and the preparation for the murder trial is being manipulated like some j great business concern. The centre of .all this activity is, of course, the offices of Hartridge & Peabody, the two youthful friends of Thaw, who are acting as his chief le? gal advisers. Mail pours in daily from every part of the world. There Delphin Michael Delmas, the Napoleon of the Californa bar, who is said to have received a $100,000 fee io devote his great abilities to the Thaw case, is in daily consultation with Hartridge.-New York Ameri? can. Dally Market Keporc By Private Wire to the Sumter Cot? ton Exchange. Spots 10.55; unchanged.