Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TEG3 SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the ends Thou Aims't at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Truth's." THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, 184* _ j - --_ , Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C . WEDNESDAY. APRIL 3, 1907. SewFeries-Yol. XXYI. So 37 Published Every Wednesday, -BY OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, SUMTER, S, C. Terms: v $1.50 per annum-in advance. Advertisements: Ono Square first insertion.SI.50 Every subsequent insertion.50 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub? serve private interests will be charged tor ss advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respects ??2* be charged ?or. SOIL MANAGEMENT, INTERVIEW WITH MR. FRANK I>. GARDNER OF AGRICUL? TURAL DEPARTMENT. He is the Expert of the Department 'Who Has Charge o? the investiga? tion of the Manaral or Fertilizer Requirements of Soils and Gutural Methods to Increase the Fertility of Farm Lands. Mr. Frank D. Gardner or the Unit ed States department . of agriculture, is stopping at the Jackson Hotel. Mr. Gardner is one of the representative men of the bureau of soils of which Prof. Milton Whitney is chief. He is j directly interested in and has charge ! of a line of investigations called "Soil Management," which has for its ob? ject a study of the manurial or ferti? lizer requirements of soils, the cultu? ral methods and the crop rotations best suited to maintain and incrase tte fertility of the principal types of' soils for the various classes of farm? ing that are dominant in different sections of our country. When asked what he thought of the outlook for agriculture in ; the South, Mr. Gardner replied, "I have been both amazed and greatly pleas? ed at the wonderful progress and de? velopments which has taken place dLuringr tne past seven or eight years. I have just spent about two weeks in Louisiana and Texas and was sur? prised to find hustling towns, rail? roads, cotton mills, oil wells, fertili? zer and cotton seed mills and broads areas of cultivated land where less than a score of years ago there was nothing but a wilderness. I haven't seen enought of South Carolina as yet to pass judgment on the develop? ment that has taken place recently, but I am told that it is fully as mark? ed as that in an,, cf the Southern j States. I have noticed from statistics ! that the value of live stock in the State increased about one-third ir. ? the -four years from 1900 to 1904 j while the increase in value of manufac- | tures for the same period was fifty j per cent. Men who are in a position j to judge of the development, tell me that it has been quite as marked dur- ! ing the past two years as it was in the four preceding. I doubt if any State in the Union can boast of a bet- ? ter record of development since 1900 ' than has taken place in South Caro- j lina." j How about the cotton boll weevil situation in Texas and Louisiana? ''Well: the outlook is a triflue gloomy ' at present. The winter in that sec? tion of the country has been excep? tionally mild and unusually dry, con? ditions, whicih our entomologists tell us are favorable to the successful hi? bernation and early emergence of the boll weevil. I understand that the first Weevils made their appearance nearly 30 daysearlier this spring than they did ?asi year. It is true that the conditions have also been fa? vorable to an early and thorough preparation of the land and as a re? sult thousands of acres of cotton have already been planted and much of it is now up. This has given the farm? er an early start as well as the wee? vil which is one of the essenial fac? tors in securing a crop in spite of the depredations. O? course it is impos? sible to foresee what the outcome will be, but personally! am inclined to take an optomistical view of the situation and look upon the boll wee? vil as a blessiug in disguise. Before the appearance of the weevil the rarmers through that section practiced a one-crop system of farming, cotton year after year on the same land, and by merely scratching the surface of the soil the./ managed to moke a fair living. The Agricultura' experi? ment Stations and our National De? partment of Agriculture advocated a diversified agriculture and better methods of cultivation and preached and published their views, but with? out avail. The advent of :*.c weevil, however, has forced the farmer? to practice just wh?'. our scientists had advocated and last year, by the of early maturing: varieties of col early planting and thorough cult tion, Texas produced the unpr dented yield of nearly four mill of bales in spite of the boll weevil What about the possibility of terminating the weevil and what the probabilities of its ever : eacl South Carolina? Well, it is headed in this direct and in fact, in every direction wi cotton is grown, and is advancing vanguard at the rate of about s: miles a year. You can calculate ab when to look for his appearance this State. There is little hope of termination, ercept by abandonm of cotton growing: over the entire fected area for one year, and we c not hope for such a drastic meas except as a last resort. The farm have become reconciled to the pi once of the boll weevil and are go to remain in the field and. put u] hotly contested fight for suprems and I predict that they will be s cessful. AU are unanimously opp ed to the boll weevil issue and y fight it to a finish. The railroads z boll weevil specials and the gove: ment has established boll weevil p< itentiaries. The State officials, a the railroads, bankers and mercha: are all -lending their aid and world in the utmost harmony with t farmers. Tell me about the boll weevil p? itentiary? Oh, that is all a practical joke. Y see our government entomologists s making an elaborate study of the li history and hibernating habits of t weevil as well as the conditions f vorable or adverse to ita multiplie tion and dissemination. For this pu pose they have established in vario places large wire gauze insectaries breeding cages where great numbe of weevils are kept under observ tion. Now it is a significant fact th the colored man looks upon the b< weevil with considerable intrepid tion, and when the weevils becon too numerous in the fields the dari takes leave. It seems to be a case ? incompatibility of association. A fe weeks ago an old darky down in T?: as allowed his curiosity to domina his intrepidity and ventured sufi ciently- near one of those breedir cages to behold the great numbers < weevils that were under surveillanc and he at once concluded that it W? a bo1! weevil penitentiary and ? dubbed it on the spot. As a result ct name has been quite universal! adopted for all of the entomology boll weevil breeding cages throug that section of the country." "Mr. Gardner, what is your mis sion in South Carolina?" "Well, I have stopped off here fo a few days only to look into the us and abuse of the fertilizer practic?. I understand that the farmers c Sumter county and in the whole c South Carolina for that matter, hav become hopelessly addicted to th fertilizer habit. They have reache that point where they can no longe grow crops without the liberal use o commercial fertilizers or manure an* each succeeding year records an in crease in the fertilizer bill of th? State, which now aggregates severa millions of dollars annually. Whei one-fourth or one-third of a farmer'; capital is annually invested in ferti lizers, ?he* problem of their mos economical use not only justifies th< careful consideration of the farmer but also demands the best efforts ol men of scientific attainment, who ar? engaged in agricultural investiga? tions. "Most of your readers are doubtless aware that the bureau of soils is now making a soil survey of Sumter and Lee counties. The work has been un? der way for nearly three months, and it will require about three months more work for its completion. There are four trained soil experts in the field with Mr. Frank Bennett in charge. The other members of the party are G. W. Tailby, Jr., J. L. Bur? gess and W. J. Latimer. Similar soil surveys have already been made of Darlington, Charleston, Lancaster, York, Cherokee, Orangeburg and sev? eral other counties in the State. The results of these surveys are publish? ed as large maps showing in differ? ent colors the extent and location of the different soils as well as the ex? act locations of towns, roads, streams and othei land marks. Each map is accompanied by a report describing the soils, the crops to which they are best adpted and gives a general dis? cussion of the agricultural conditions ? which prevail in each locality, j "I understand that South Carolina j is deeply interested in securing a j good class of immigrants to become j useful citizens and efficient tillers of ! the soil. It seems to me that these soil survey maps and reports should ' be of material assistance in securing such settlers. A government report ; often carries more weight than ad ! vertising matter issued by local in? terests. "Mr. Bennett, in charge of the work, has stated in several of his communications to headquarters in Washington, that the most usual question asked by the farmers with whom he has come in contact, is what character of fertilizer should I use on my soil. Of course Mr. Bennett is unable to answer the question be? cause the same soil as it occurs in different localities has a fertilizer re? quirement which depends more upon the agricultural practices and local conditions than it does on mere soil formation. So far as our present knowledge goes the only satisfactory' solution of the problem will be se? ed by testing the different fertilizer ingredients and combinations in the field, for the crops that are grown and under the conditions that prevail. It is. true that methods of examina? tion and testing haye been devised that are of assistance In determining what character of fertilizer should give best results and we will arrange to have large samples of the princi? pal soil types collected and shipped to Washington where they will be tested by the. best method known to science. The results obtained are only preliminary and will necessitate further investigation in the field. I will venture to state that there are a hundred farmers in this county who would be glad to make field tests of fertilizers for their own satisfaction, if they knew just how to proceed in order to procure definite results. "The secretary of agriculture is I an intensely practical man and he strives to have his workers obtain practical results of the farmers . In view of this fact he assigns his field workers to those localities where the demand is most urgent and where the hearty co-operation of the farm? ers is assured. If the farmers of this locality would organize an ' experi menters' league and secure a suffi? cient number who would conduct some field tests with fertilizers great good would result from it. "While I am not authorized to make the statement, I feel confident that the secretary of agriculture would assign an able man to assist such an organization in its efforts to secure results if it should so desire and request. The soil survey now be? ing conducted is che basis for fur? ther investigation without which its full value can never be realized. I shall be glad to meet as many of the termers and business men as I can during the few days that I can stay here in order to become familiar with the problems that confront them." RESOLUTION OF RESPECT. Brother W. S. Graham. Whereas, a Providence whose ways are past finding out has removed from our midst our brother, W. S. Graham, who, in the loyalty of his friendship, the courage of his action, and his devotion to the interests of fellow-men, was one of the brightesc exemplars of the principals of our or? der; and Whereas, che God whom we wor? ship has vouchsafed unto him that his passing should be that of a hero and a patriot, laying down his life in the service of his fellow-citizens; Therefore, be it resolved, 1st. That we render thanks unto God for a life that modeled itself so closely upon the lofty conceptions of public and private life duly inculcated by our tenets, and for a death such as is granted to few among men, making fragrant his memory and honoring the order of which he was a member. 2nd. That the sympathy of his brethren of this lodge be tendered to the family of our beloved brother in this the hour of their sore bereave? ment. 3d. That a copy of these resolu? tions be sent to the family of our de? ceased brother; that they be spread upon the minutes of this lodge and published in the papers of chis city; j and that a blank page in our minutes J be inscribed to his memory. Hugh C. Haynsworth, L. I. Parrott, Geo. D. Levy, Committee from Game Cock Lodge No. 17. K. of P. NEW FEDERAL JUDGE. Oscar Ii. Hundley Will lie Appointed for Northern Alabama. Washington, March 30.-lt was learned today at the White House that Oscar H. Hundley will probably be appointed United States district judge for northern Alabama. THE NEWBERRY FIRE, RESIDENCES, BUSINESS HOUSES AND CHURCHES BURNED. Water System Fails at Critical Mo? ment-The Property Loss is Esti? mated at From $125,000 to $200, 000. Newberry, March 29.-Perhaps the most disastrous fire that ever visited Newberry occurred today. It was a spectacular and desperate fire. Five full-sized blocks of buildings were de? stroyed and parts of other blocks went up in smoke. Newberry has a very good fire department and she prides herself on her excellent water system, which can run on over a hun? dred pound pressure. It also has a stand pipe that holds 280,000 gallons and offers a seventy-pound pressure, but when the crisis came today the water system fell down and the citi? zens had to stand idly by and see their homes and property consumed. The fire started from a little stove, that was used by Mr. B. C. Williams, who lived over his furniture and car? riage store.' The fire department thought it had the fire under control when the water failed. There was no apparent cause. The firemen were helpless and when the flames shot across Friend street "and then worked from house to house on the block of origin they were hopeless. They stood by waiting for water and vainly watched their houses burn, thinking the water would soon come, but too late. When the water supply is available it is all right. The plan is to cut off the standpipe pressure when the j pump is put on for fire purposes. This was done today, but suddenly the valve broke. The pump stopped and there was no water. It was some time, in the excitement, before a cou? rier went across to the stand pipe to turn on the pressure from there. Some say it was fifteen minutes. Those at the fire thought it an hour between the breakdown and the flood of water that can come either from the stand pipe or the pump. Super? intendent Floyd says it was not more ?han fifteen minutes, but while the valve was being fixed the fire was spreading. The valve was fixed and the pumps soon began to work. The total gross loss may reach $150,000. Some suggest even $200, 000, but it is more likely to settle down to a gross loss of from $110,000 to $123,000. Of this about 60 to 75 per cent is covered by insurance, and the net loss to the community will be about $50,000. Of course it could have been a worse fire from a financial standpoint, if it had worked but a little distance further into the Court House area. Most of the buildings destroyed were of wood, some of them mere shacks, but many beautiful homes, including those of Col. O. L. Schumpert, Dr. Van Smith, Mr. F. L. Long and the Presbyterian parsonage, were de? stroyed. It is somewhat difficult to give an exact statement of the losses tonight. I arirved here late and, although ev? ery one was kind in volunteering in? formation, it is hard to get complete data, but a very adequate idea of the losses may be derived from this lit? tle summary: Stores Destroyed. Comer & McGraw, grocers, owned by Copeland Brothers; Paul John stone's store, owned by Copeland Brothers; vacant store, owned by Copeland Brothers, $5,000. R. C. Williams, furniture, owned by R. Herman Wright, $2,500. Shelley & Summer, double brick building, owned by R. C. Williams, $6,000. Shelley ?fe Summer carried a stock of about $12,000. E. C. Sonnenberg, bakery, owned by himself, $1,200. J. H. McCullough, drugs, two-story frame, owned by himself, $3,500. A. C. Thomason, grocery building, owned by M. L. Gantt, $2,000. Racket store of Ray Watts, build? ing owned by G. S. Mower. The Livingston, Lomance Compa? ny, building owned by G. S. Mower, double store, $$2,500 damage. Salter art gallery, Salter art and va? riety store .owned by H. E. Todd, An? derson, $2.000. It will be noted that the list does not undertake to give the valuations of the various stocks, as that information is not available tonight. Residences Burned. Residences: J. A. West, tenant, es? timated value $2,000; J. F. Todd, $2, 000; J. F. Todd, $3.OOO; S. J. Wooten, | $3,500, insurance $2,000; Col. O. L. j Schumpert, $5.000, insurance $3.000; ; S. P. Boozer, $2.000; J. E. Norwood, j $2.000; B. M. Dennis, $2,000: W. H. \ Day. vacant. $2,000; E. H. Leslie, $3.- ! OOO; Alex. Singleton, $1,500; J. A. j Burton, vacant, $3,000; H. H. Kinard, . occupied by Miss Holand, $2,000, in- . Hot Biscuit MADE WITH BAKING POWDER are the most appetizing, health fol and nutritious of foods Mucb depends upon the Baking Powder surance $1,500; G. P. Long, $4,000, insurance $2,050; B. L. Jones, owned by J. A. Simpson, $2,000; Dr. Van Smith, $3,000; B. F. Goggans, $2,000; Mrs. E. F. Blease, $4,000, insurance $1,000. Presbyterian parsonage, the Rev. J. lu Williamson, Aveleigh Church, $2, 500, insurance $1,500; Aveleigh Pres? byterian Church, $9,000, insurance $4,700; Seceder Church, owned by Jack Brown,. $1,500, insurance $1,000. Two negro cottages, B. F. Goggans, $400. Barn and outhouses, L. W. Floyd, $500. F. N. Martin, barn and cottages, $1,000. Dr. J. M. Kibler, outhouses only, $200. A. C. Jones, outhouses),,$500. S. B. Aull, damage $500. Episcopal Church Escaped. In the rush tonight the list cannot be made complete. It is somewhat noteworthy that the Aveleigh Presby? terian Church and the Seceder Pres? byterian Church were destroyed and that the Episcopal Church, which is in the very heart of the burnt dis? trict, was unscarred by fire. The Pres? byterian Church has been recently overhauled.-News and Courier. ATTENTION FARMERS. Expert of Department of Agriculture Will Discuss Fertilization. To the Farmers of Sumter County: | Prof. Gardner, of the Bureau of Soils of the United States, desires to get in touch with the farmers of this county in order that he may con? fer with them as to the proper use of fertilizers. We, the undersigned, deem this one of the most live sub? jects that can be discussed, and we hereby call a meeting >.o be held in the Court House in Sumter, at 12 j o'clock on Saturday, the 6th instant, ] and we would respectfully urge upon the farmers of this county to take ad? vantage of this opportunitj- to begin the study of how to get the best re? sults from fertilizing and what fer? tilizer to use on different soils. lu L Parrott, Peter Pitts, A. B. Stuckey, Bartow Shaw, Willie Shaw, E. C. Haynsworth, H. C. Hay ns worth. Rural Delivery for Lee County. At a called meeting held last Satur urday Postmaster J. E. McLure urged that steps be taken, at once, to pre? pare and have published a road map of Lee county. Such a map has been requested by Fourth Asst. P. M. Gen? eral P. V. DeGraw, "with the view of the department, of undertaking an investigation of the practicability of completing the rural delivery service In this county. Already Lee county is well nigh covered by the K. F. D. system, but i the idea is to perfect the system by in? augurating a plan whereby the vari? ous routes now in operation may be connected in order to facilitate the delivery and collection of the mail in ? all parts of the county.-Bishopville j Vindcator. I Mr. M. Eugene Zeiglor, who ha? j been private secretary to Congress- j man Lever for several years, has re- j turned to Sc nth Carolina and will, ii ! is understood, locate at his home j town, Orangeburg, for the practice of law in partnership with Representa- j tive Thos. F. Brantley. - NEGRO VS. ITALIAN LABOR. Observation as to Relative Merit? of Negroes and Italians in Field. The movement for the encourage? ment of Italian immigration to the canefields and cotton plantations of the South has not attracted the atten? tion it deserves, probably for the rea? son that the great majority of people in this country share the belief that the South is absolutely dependent upon the negro labor, and that with? out the negro the supremacy of the South as a cotton growing secion could not be maintained for a day or a year. In a genera! way these prem j ises are true, but if they mean that ; other labor could not be substituted i succcessfully for that of the negroes^ j the prepositions are more open to j question. I It is not to be supposed that immi? gration will solve the labor problem in the South within a few or many years. The question of numbers and of the increasing demands of the country as the undeveloped tesourc^s are opened up and exploited is a fac? tor that must not be overlooked. In? efficient as the negroes admittedly are, in comparison with white labor*, the coming problem is not so . much* how to replace the inefficient labor as how to train and stimulate it to - better efforts, to fit it to meet the eco? nomic competition that is inevitable. . It is in this light, therefore, that the * immigration of Italians into Lftui?r ana and Mississippi and into other sections of the South must be cosider-. ed. Alfred Holt Stone, in aa article inn the American Review of Reviews: takes che view that it is through im? migration that the South is to realize the ultimate development of its ut? most resources, and he presents somer facts and figures" concerning a com? parison of the fitness of the negro and? the Italian as cotton growers which are absolutely convincing that under present conditions the former woulcfc not have a ghost of a chance if the? Italian ever becomes a serious compe? titor in that field. The test was? made on a cotton plantation in Ar* kansas originally started by the latet Austin Cobin as a sort of foreign? col? onization scheme, and ultimately/ turned over to practical Southern cot? ton growers to be operated by tenant, farmers-negroes and Italians. The figures show that in the same? climate and under exactly similar con? ditions the Italians produced 72.9 per? cent, more cotton per acre than the negroes, and cultivated 5.1 acres for the negroes. Moreover, the Italian* accumulated live stock while the ne? groes did not, of the former only 2.8; per cent, failing to share the commu* nity properity, while of the negroes. 44.7 per cent, found themselves at the close of the period no better off than when they began. Whatever tho prophecy based on these statistics, the lesson is obvious enough. If the negroes of the south: are not to be swept aside by the re? lentless competition of better labors they have got to fit themselves to?, compete on something like ^qual: terms. At present they have the ad? vantage of position and numbers, but that advantage they will not hold: for many years against greater ihfft, in? telligence and industry.-Philadel? phia Ledger. C. C. Featherstone of Laurens has been appointed by Gov. Ansel to pre? side over an extra term of court fn Greenwood.