The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 20, 1908, Image 2
IK STATE FINANCES.
PEUDITUKHH KXCKED THE
KM WITH EVERY YEAR.
H. AaM Maya There la Some
Radically Wrong aad the
Oasjbt to Know A boat it.
Mr E K Aull, ?dltor of the New
berry Harald aad News and a mem
bar of Mm leaislature from Newberry
wounty. write* as follows on a very
Importes i subject ?
Comptroller Oeneral A. W. Jones Is
out to the press of the state
from the annual report to the
assembly at the session
at lift. Theas extracts contain a
Cremt deal of very Important informa?
tion a* to the finance* of the stats and
taw. taaaoial system It la a great
pity that every taxpayer In South
Carollaa cannot receive and read
what Mr. Jonas baa to say and study
taw agmrea which he give*.
It Is uafortunately too true that our
people do not understand the finan?
cial system of the state aa fully aa
they might, aad It Is also a faot that
m great many members of the legis?
lature do not study these reports as
ahoy should, aad whan It cornea to en
laws which carry with them
?prtattona, or when It cornea to
the consideration of the appropria?
tion Mil itself they are not aa well
Informed as they ought to be, and
therefore, cannot consider theae
Intelligently as they
Jonea Is one of the hard?
liner of the state officials, and
one of the moat efficient officials
that the state has ever hsd. He has
weha endeavoring to lay before the
legislature from year to year the true
wonilttaw of our finances, and has
wtede wuggretttons sad recommend
%tk>rw which hare received vary little
Srttiatlia from the law makers. He
has urged frees time to time that
gftaspte Justice demanded that a
ihangT ahwaid he made so as to gel
mm sasaaUe busts ass methods in the
Sweats* of taxation and the collection
rthod oapsaoetere of the public funds.
4M hae oaeae la the conclusion after
rejuwfwl shady of the situation that
teethe state U tp get relief from thle
hue method It must come
p ioenaad on the part of the
aad taxpayers so that those
they sis et to represent them
mMOf mm* mm oa la the loose and slip
method which have boon In
dartag ssany years and which
latgety from a lack of proper
and study of the ques
Jttoxt by the lawmakers themselves.
mmm liiari la that the people shall bo
Weans tew used aad demand a change
lo'gaau* aad more just and more
SO end gpetsan of assessment and tax*
eaten Ha says that "no thoughtful
rain cats study the situation aa It es?
tate today without being iro pressed
with the ataia faot that any busi
aeea osatuotoi like that of the statt
aad oewety weald soon bo bankrupt
Urs ooawtltutlon of the stats says
that ail property must be saaesasd for
taxation at Its actual value. That ha?
done, and even the tax
te themselves when they domo
Ue assess corporate property have
teed at a basis of ?0 per cent or an)
other per cent la fixed aa the baals.
The Important question is to have all
the property assessed at the same
of per centage. Then the bur
will fall evenly on all property.
At oae time I felt that It would be
rat that all property should be as
at its actual value, but an ex?
perience In the legislature and
apxaewhat cloao observation of other
legdeiaturee ha? convinced me that the
iteadonc) to extravangance would be
mach greater If the asaeasments were
high than If they wars low. and s
comparison of the figures for the past
hen years will bear thla out. and the
taxpayer* cannot be crltlxed If they
do not Increaaa their assessments be?
am aa? an examination of the figures
will show ?hat as taxable values In
USweeed the to levy did not decrease,
vat the appropriation bill Increased In
at eater proportion.
The total taxable property In 8outh
Carolina In 1897 was In round num?
bers II7S.000.000. and the levy was
aaty ftvo mill*. The total receipt?
from all sources were I9K0.602.H9.
The total expenditures were $S?9.
112 t > which showed an excess of
revenue over expenditures of $101.
? 99 04 The receipts from the ogees
of aecretary of state end Insurance
fees for 1197 ware 920.?71.?2.
The taxable property has gradually
lacreased from year to year, and so
base the feea from the office of
secretary of ?tat?* In Insurance Itcenss
fwas. In 1906 there was added the
corporation license tax. which
unounted In that year to $63.345
10 In 19S7 the tax levy was reduced
op tour and one-half mills, but the In
jreeae In the aaaaasment of railroad
property amounted I? something over
111.900.ttS. and the Increase in other
property amounted to about $6.ooo.
let. making s total Increase of a*s? *?
ad valu***? for that year about $17.000.
The total assessed property fof
?7 wss in round numbers $J T",
l.tss. hbawl $100.000.000 more th in
m years before
la 1907 the totnl |SM ffl*S I
state taxes amounted to $1,228,630.
79; from the office of secretary of
state, $20,656.69; from Insurance
licensed fees $42,129.99; from corpor?
ation license tax, $78,382.83 from all
other sources, $22,391.73. making a to?
tal Income to the state of $1,392,192.
03. The total expenditures for that
year were $1,410,295.16 which shows
a deficit of $68,103.12. The appro?
priations bills for 1908 will exceed
the one for 1907 nearly $200,000, and
at the end of this year the deficit will
be probably twice what It was In
1907. So It will be seen that with an
Increase In ten years of $100,000,000
In the taxable property, an Incnease
of $47,115.06 In receipts from the
secretary of state and Insurance li?
cense fees end $78,328.83 from cor?
poration tax, the State was still spend?
ing nearly $70,000 more than was be?
ing raised, and therefore Instead of
getting on a cash basis she Is mov?
ing further away from It.
There is no encouragement to have
the taxpayer Increase his assessment
so as even to approach an actual val?
ue basis, and the taxpayer will con?
tinue to hold his assessment down un?
til he feels the legislature can be
trusted to be less extravagant in the
expenditure of public money.
I am almost ready to reach the
conclusion that if the taxable prop?
erty was twice what It is and it would
be that if it were assessed at its ac?
tual value, there would be no reduc?
tion in the tax levy. The legislature
would find some place to spend the
money thus raised. This certainly is
a correct conclusion If we are to
judge by the experience of the past
ten years.
There Is certainly a great inequali?
ty in the assessment of our property
not only as to Individual property,
but as amomg the counties, and there
is necessity for some changes in our
methods of assessing, and there
should be some change In the man?
agement of our business as a State.
It is not the purpose of this article to
suggest changes, but simply to call
attention to facts.
If the people cen get ths Informa?
tion which Mr\ Jones Is endeavoring
to give them I am satisfied It will re?
sult In a reformation, and men will
be sent to the legislature who will
give this subject thet thoughtful end
business like sttention which it de?
serves, and thsy will Inform them?
selves so es to be fitted to do this. It
Is really, In my judgment, ths most
Important question before the people
of the Stete today. It has always
been e question since government was
formed, end certainty business meth?
ods could be applied and a more
equitable assessment of the property
secured and e more judicious expen?
diture of ths public funds made.
Several efforts have been made to
enact legislation looking to e more
equitable assessment, but thsse Of?
ferte have met defect. Something Is
nssded, especially Is this true as
among the counties. The basis of
valuation varies In different counties
which makes the burden of State tax
beer unevenly. Sixty per cent, is
shout the maximum, end in meny
counties It Is much lower. In one of
the largest and wealthiest counties in
the State the amount Invested in cot?
ton mills alone Is as much as the
total assessed value of the entire
county.
Some persons seem to have an idea
that reducing the levy reduces the
taxes. The levy must be large enough
to raise sufficient revenue to meet the
expendu .res. The place and time to
reduce the levy Is when appropria?
tions are being made.
Manufacture of Postal Cards.
The output of postals manufactur?
ed in the United States now aggre?
gate about 900,000,000 a year, and
with the new machinery which is be?
ing put Into the Oxford paper mills,
at Rumford Falls, Me.?which con?
tain the three largest digesters In the
United States?a production of about
1.700.000,000 postal cards a year will
be made possible. The cards produc?
ed yearly at the present rate 'are
enough to circulate the earth three
times and leave enough to stretch
from Boston to San Francisco and
back. In one year about 7,000 cords
of pulp wood are used, of which 5,
500 cords are spruce and 1,500 pop?
lar. With the Installation of a big
press, which will almost double the
eapaclty of the print department, will
eggej a new design for the McKinley
series of postals now In use. The new
press is a rotary press, the places
from which the sheets of card re?
ceive Impressions being placed on a
revolving cylinder Instead of a wat
bed. The vpresent contract with the
' xford mills expires In 1909.
Dulls the scythe of Father Time.
The electric spark goes through every
part of your body, bringing new life
and hope. Holllster's Itocky Moun?
tain Tea brings back that feeling of
by-gone diiys. 35c.. tea or tablets.
gjhOFt'l Drug Store.
Here conies the spring winds to
chap, tan and freckle. Use I'lnesalve
Carbotlsed. (Acts like a poultice)
fOf cuts, sores, burns, chapped skin.
TILE CITY COUNCIL.
Business Transuded at Their Last
Meeting?Reports of the Various
Committees.
City council held a regular meeting
at 6 o'clock p. m. Wednesday.
Present?Mayor W. B. Boyle, Al?
dermen H. D. Barnett, Wm. Bultman,
P. P. Finn, R. F. Haynsworth, H. C.
Haynsworth. J. R. Llgon, W. G.
Stubbs and R. I* Wright.
Minutes of April 2 2d were read and
approved.
Mr. J. B. Barrett applied for per?
mission to make internal repairs on
a wooden building covered with cor?
rugated iron, within the fire limits
on Liberty street; and his request was
referred to the fire department com?
mittee, with power to aq$.
Mr. Barnett, for the finance com?
mittee, reported that the clerk and
treasurer's report for April had been
examined and found correct; that
the lessee of the Opera House had
tailed to pay rent for the current
quarter and recommended that re?
course be had upon his bond to en?
force payment; that a loan of $15,
000 is necessary to pay current ex?
penses and sewer work and materials
for May; and suggested the advisa?
bility of selling $25.000 sewer bonds.
The report was adopted as a whole;
and the mayor and clerk were au?
thorized to 3ecure the required loan
from the banks; and to execute prop?
er certificates of indebtedness there?
for.
Mr. H. C. Haynsworth, for the com
I mittee of public works, reported that
I work on Green and Ke/hdrick streets
I had been done as ordered by council;
I that the streets had been cleared in
I anticipation of the recent T. P. A.
I convention, and that the street force
I Is now engaged In repairing curbs.
I He stated that citizens on Kendrlck
j street had requested that the clay
I sidewalks be extended one block
I east of Magnolia street, and It was
Iso ordered on Mr. Finn's motion. Mr.
I Haynsworth further reported that
1 the 12-Inch drain on East Liberty
I street had been laid; and that the
I committee had granted permission to
I the telephone company to erect poles
I on Calhoun street between Church
I street and Salem avenue; but had
I subsequently ascertained that such
I privileges are to be granted by coun
I cil and not by the committee; and
I suggested that power should be given
I the committee to act in cases of that
I tort, In order to avoid unnecessary
I delays and the necessity of calling
I council together to pass upon them.
I The action of the committee was
I confirmed, but action was deferred to
I next meeting In reference to empow
I erlng the committee to grant similar
I permits. The committee stated also
I that permission had been granted Mr. 1
I J. J. Kolb to cross the sidewalk on
I Main street with empty wagons {
I which were hauling earth from a
I building excavation, and same was
approved.
Mr. Llgon, for the police comrnJt
I tee, reported that they had held one
I meeting since their appointment; at
I which meeting charges were prefer?
red against Sergeant A. H. Weeks for
I drinking intoxicating liquors on the
streets while on duty; that Mr. Weeks
I admitted the truth of the charge, of
I fered no excuse or justification and
I expressed no regret; and the commit?
tee recommended such action as will
I serve as a suitable reprimand. After
I free discussion the council adjudged
j lhat Mr. Weeks be reduced to the
rank cu* private; be suspended from
j service for ten days without pay;
j and that he be reprimanded and no
I tided that a repetition of the offense
I would result in his dismissal.
Mr. Finn, for the Opera House
I committee, reported that the iron
stairs at the rear of the building will
I be completed in a few days. The
committee was authorized to have the
windows serving as exits to the fire
escapes cut down to the grade of the
landings, and also to put In additional
lights around the building as may be
I necessary.
Council then went Into election of
city officers. Mr. H. C. Haynsworth
nominated the present incumbent C.
I M. Hurst for the office of recorder,
ex officio clerk and treasurer, second?
ed by Mr. Wright. Mr. Finn seconded
j by Mr. Llgion, moved to amend by
segregating the office of recorder
from that of clerk and treasurer.
Messrs. Finn, Ligon and Stubbs voted
for the amendment. Messrs. Barnett,
Bultmnn. R. F. Haynsworth, H. C.
Haynsworth and Wright voted against
It ami the amendment was lost
Mr. Hurst was unanimously elected.
Mr. ginn moved that the office of
superintendent of streets be combined
with that of city engineer, seconded
by Mr. Llgon. The motion was de?
feated and L. K. White was re-elect?
ed.
I Other officers were elected as fol?
lows:
Mayor pro tern, J. It. Llgon.
City physician. A. China,
chief of police, J. K. Bradford,
First sergeant, J. M. Berwick,
Second sergeant. Peter Gallagher.
Third sergeant, W. G, Pierson.
Privates, A. H. Weeks. J. H. Grady.
A. I). Owens, J. A. Boykin and II
il M,.|.' ..r?n Mr. Grady to serve :is R
uniformed officer or in citizens'
clothes, as the police committee may
deem advisable.
The question of continuing W. W.
McKagen In Joint service of the city
and the waterworks department was
referred to the police committee for
conference with the commissioners of
public works.
The election of a board of health
was deferred to the next meeting.
A proposal from the Osteen Pub?
lishing Co. to do the public printing
for two years was referred to the
finance committee with request to se
cure bids for the work.
A letter was received from Mr.
Thomas Wilson asking that the city
engineer be allowed to locate the
line of his fence on Broad street, ac?
cording to the proposed plan to
widen that street; and it was ordered
that the engineer give the required
line.
A letter from the South Carolina
railroad commissioners relative to
complaints against railroad compa?
nies for inadequate accommodations
for travelers, was referred to the po?
lice committee.
Two letters from Health Officer E.
I. Reardon were referred to Ifie com?
mittee ,of public works, one in regard
to cleaning out Turkey creek and
one suggesting that the city unite
with the county in building concrete
walks on south side of the Court
House square and on North Harvln
street the entire length of the Court
House square.
The clerk presented a sewerage
and plumbing ordinance prepared by
the Joint committee from the board
of health, sewerage commission and
cquncil, appointed to prepare the
same, together with a letter from Dr.
S. C. Baker of the board of health
asking that the sanitary portions of
the ordinance be submitted to his
betord before adoption. On motion of
Mr. Wright the ordinance was referred
to the board of health for any sug?
gestions they may deem advisable.
Mr. Stubbs suggested that the ho?
tels of- the city should be provided
with fire escapes. Action was de?
ferred.
Reports of sewerage expenses for
April and of water department re?
ceipts and disbursements for April
were submitted and received as In*
formation.
Mr. Finn moved that advertisement
be made from time to time for bids
on all manner of supplies and repair
work for the city; and that authority
to contract for such supplies and re?
pairs be given to the city ^engineer.
Mr. R. F. Haynsworth expressed the
opinion that the engineer would be
too busily engaged otherwise to at?
tend to matters of that kind; and sug?
gested that purchasing committee of
council be appointed for the purpose.
Mr. Finn wlthdrow his original mo?
tion and offered Mr. Haynsworth'*
suggestion as a motion, which was
adopted. The mayor asked for time
for appointment of the committee.
The following claims were referred
to the finance committee:
W. B. Boyle, $10.50.
DeLorme's Pharmacy, $5.85.
Durant Hardware Co., $27.34.
Parker Lumber Co., $45.67.
E. L. Vogel. $14.26.
Epperson Feed & Coal Co., $83.07.
R. W. Pradham, $2.
A. W. Glbbs. $3.
Herald Publishing Co., $2.75.
Von Ohsen & Shira, $18.95.
Pooth Live Stock Co., $6.93.
China's Drug Store, $4.10.
Boyle & Poyle, $1.
T. B. Jenkins. $4.65.
*Mr. E. Humphrey, who owns a
large general store at Omega, O., and
is president of the Adams County Tel?
ephone Co., as well as of the Home
Telephone Co., of Pike county, O.,
says of Dr. King's New Discovery: "It
saved my life once. At least I think
It did. It seemed to reach the spot)?
the very seat of my cough?when ev?
erything else failed." Dr. King's New
Discovery not only reaches the cough
spot; It heals the sore spots and the
weak spots In throat, lungs and chest.
Sold under guarantee at Slbert's Drug
Store, 50c. and $1.00. Trial bottle
free.
Ella Wheeler WUcox thinks Plato
didn't know much about love. Ella
could certainly have given the old
Greek a few pointers on that sub?
ject.
Biliousness and Constipation.
?For years I was trouble with bil?
iousness and constipation, which
made life miserable for me. My ap?
petite failed me. I lost my usual
force and vitality. Pepsin preparations
and cathartics only made matters
worse. I do not know where I should
have been today had I not tried
Chamberlnln's Stomach and Liver
Tablets. The tablets relieve the 111
feeling at once, strengthen the diges?
tive functions, purify the stomach,
liver and blood, helping the system to
do Its work naturally.?Mrs. Rosa
Potts. Itirmingham, Ala. These tab?
lets are for sale by all druggists.
Bay Shore, L. I., took a mean ad?
vantage of the sea-serpent towns by
catching a devil-fish.
?For a burn or scald apply Cham?
berlain's Salve. It will allay the pain
almost instantly and quickly heal
the Injured parts. For sale by all |
druggists.
The American navy Is still the un?
tested wonder of the world.
HUMAN ON CLEVELAND.
DECLARES THAT HIS OPINION
HAS UNDERGONE NO CHANGE.
Talks About Instructions?Says He
Was Misquoted In The News and
Courier?South Carolina WIU
Favor Bryan.
Washington, Miy 12.?Senator Till
man declares that it was not his in?
tention to say anything further on
the subject of politics but being, as
he said, so widely misquoted on the
subject of Grover Cleveland, he broke
over today and expressed himself free?
ly. . "You may set all minds r4 rest
as to my opinion of Cleveland by
saying that it nas not changed one
lota since my first speech In the sen?
ate denouncing him. , I would rather
the Democratic party would now be
defeated than to be victorious with
Cleveland or any man like him at its
head, and I was quite sure that no
matter what the condition of his
health, should he be nominated he
would be beaten worse than Parker
was. I am at a loss to understand
how a man usually so acurate as Mr.
Kohn is, should have so misquoted
me. So far as I now recall I never
mentioned Cleveland to him the other
day. I certainly did not say that un
der any circumstances I would favor
his nomination or the nomination of
any man like him. What I did say
was that Wall street would welcome
one of the old plutocrats as the Dem?
ocratic nominee, preferring to sup?
port such a so-called Democratic
than Taft, who will be the Republi?
can nominee, or Bryan who will be
the Democratic nominee, and that if
the Democratic party could unit? up?
on one of these Eastern plutocrats,
which it will of course not do, then
Taft would be easily defeated.
"I am, of course, for Bryan as the
nominee of Denver, and I am satisfied
that South Carolina's delegates will
be for Bryan, but I am opposed to In?
structing them because our convent?
ion is not going to send men to Den?
ver who can bamboozled or bought
and instructions are necessary.
"Now, having been goaded Into
this thing, I am going to tell you
what I think about this tempest in a
tea pot about instructing delgation.
Gonzales wants to make it appear
that he is the biggest Bryan man in
.the State so that if Bryan is elected
the editor of The State can control
the South Carolina patronage. The
trouble with Hemphill is, that he has
never been able to see anything in
Cleveland but a demigod and he op?
posed Bryan' in 1896, and he is of the
kind who never changes his mind.
Hemphill was in the wrong then and
to support Bryan now might appear
an admission that he was wrong.
That's the whole cause of the mighty
over instructions." Zack McGhee.
LANDING PLACE FOR IMMI?
GRANTS.
Work on the Charleston Station Is
Soon to Commence.
Washington, May 14.?The immi?
grant station at Charleston at last
seems about to be built. Col. Watson
was today informed by Commissioner
of Immigration Sargent that Mayor
Rhett was prepared to give a clear
title to the property given the gov?
ernment for the station and work will
begin within the next few weeks.
Commissioner Sargent will meet Com?
missioner Watson in Charleston and
all arrangements will be made.
Col. Watson goes to New York to
confer with some English steamship
people about steamers stopping regu?
larly in Charleston, a thing which
has been held up on account of the
delay in the immigrant station. Col.
Watson is also trying to get a plant
in Charleston which will bale cotton
according to the East India system,
recommended by Mr. C. C. Moore of
Greenville, who went to England for
the Farmers' union.
Concerning immigration Col. Wat?
son says that he is not turning a peg.
and has not for IS months, devoting
himself in this direction to getting
the immigrant station settled and the
line of steamers established. The
agent whom he has had advertising
South Carolina in Kent and Shrop?
shire. England, is here at present,
coming to confer with Col Watson
and others interested in the same
line. He will return to England Sat?
urday.?The State.
Its wonderful power goes to the
seat < f your trouble, vitalizes,
strengthens every part of your body
There's nothing just as good; H<d
lister's Rocky Mountain Tea never
fails. IKc, tea or tablets. Bteert'f
Drug Store.
Language is the vehicle of thought,
but a lot of times It travels empty.?
Puck.
ManZan Pile Remedy comes ready
to use. In a collapsible tube, with noz?
zle. One application soothes and
heals, reduces inflammation and re?
lieves soreness and itching. Price 50c.
Sold by Blbert'e Drug Store.
Charity begins at home, yet should
not snd thero -Ormnn
BUILDINGS HILL PASSED.
House llu*lics Through Measure Pro?
viding for Federal Buildings.
Washington, May 15.?Under sus?
pension of rules the House to-day
passed the public buildings bill,
carrying an appropriation of $23.
100,000. Mr. Bartholdt briefly ex?
plained its provisions, which, he sa'd,
would result In giving work to many
now unemployed%
In opposing tv:e bill Mr. Fitzgerald,
of New York, of the committee on
appropriations, protested against the
lack of opportunity offered to con?
sider it in detail. He charged that
the spoils had been evenly distributed
so as to forestall the veto with which
he said President Roosevelt was cred?
ited with threatening congress.
"The bill," he said, "will go through
to the cohesive power of public plun?
der."
Mr. Jenkins, of Wisconsin, vigor?
ously resented the statement of Mr.
Fitzgerald. The effect of his lan?
guage, Mr. Jenkins charged. was
that the members of the hou?e had
been purchased. He wanted to know
how many "Democratic Indians" the
Republicans got yesterday on the cur?
rency vote through knowledge of the
fact that in the matter of public
buildings they were equally as well
treated as the Republicans.
With corresponding vigor Mr.
Fitzgerald disclaimed making any
such suggestion.
GREENVILLE CRITICISED.
Two Trustees of Female College
Claim Little Interest in School is
Shown.
Greenville, May 15.?During the
college day celebration here today,
Dr. C. C. Brown, of Sumter, and Mr.
J. J. Gentry, of Spartanburg. both
trustees of the Greenville Female
College, took occasion to criticise se?
verely the apparent lack of interest
on the part of Greenville people for
the educational institutions here.
Mr. Gentry declared that there were
other places in South Carolina who
would like to have the Greenville Fe?
male College, and he felt sure they
would take a closer interest in the
welfare of the institution than it
seemed to get in Greenville. He ask?
ed where three absent trustees were
and why there were not more visit?
ors in the auditorium. The trustees
happened to be Greenville men and
President James explained exactly
why they were not present.
Greenville people are rather indig?
nant at this criticism, for, as they
point out. both Furman University
and the Greenvillle Female College
have always received very liberal
financial support from the people of
this city, without regard to denomi?
national lines.
TARIFF REVISION PROMISED.
Republicans Spring a Shrewd Scheme
In the House.
Washington, May 16.?Steps look?
ing to a revision of the tariff were
taken by the house today when it
passed a resolution authorizing the
committee on ways and means to sit
during the coming recess of congress.
Mr. Payne (N. Y.), who introduced
the resolution, said that in order not
to disquiet the country before elec?
tion the committee would make no
general inquiry involving the question
of rate schedules. After the elec?
tion, he said, much would be gone
Into.
Mr. Underwood (Ala.), a member
of the committee, said that the reso?
lution came as a surprise to the mi?
nority. "The resolution," he said,
"shows the usual Republican hand.
Undoubtedly It is brought as a subter?
fuge to extend to the country in one
hand a promise to do something ard
with the other withdraw it whenever
desired."
AX ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
Mr. Thos. C Martin. Father of State
superintendent of Education. Tries
to Drown Himself.
Anderson, May 16.?Mr. Thomas
C. Martin, father of State Superin?
tendent of Education O. B. Martin
and Mr. B. F. Martin, a leading An?
derson attorney, made an unsuccess?
ful attempt at suicide this morning
by drowning. He jumped into a
small pond on Mrs. Eva Murray's
place in this city and was discovered
soon afterwards. He was dragged to
the bank by Mr. Duff Murray, who
was attracted to the spot, and medi?
cal attention was quickly secured.
Mr. Martin tonight is recovering from
the severe ihOCw at the Anderson hos?
pital.
Hlg Farmers' Mooting.
Washington. May IS,?Representa?
tive Ellerbe has arrai.ged for a big
farmers' conference at Georgetown
on May 26. He has been conferring
with the officials of the department
of agriculture for a number Of ex?
pert* In various lines to go down. He
\\a< today assured that St least three
specialists will be present In Gc rge