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COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE. TtiKWBY LJCTTKftS FROM OUR SPE? CIAL CORRESPONDENTS. of lntw?t From all Parts of iter sad Adjoining Counties. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mall your Utters so that they will reach this office not later than Tues? day morning. When the letters are received Wednesday It le almost an teipowalblllty to have them appear In file paper Issued that day. ASTIOCH. Anflooh, Dec. *.?We are having very changeable weather just but as a a-hole it has been fine ther for gathering crops. All of fall oats are up and looking well It. J. W. W>}ldon has returned Ms a visit to relatives and friends at O sorge town. .... Mr. a A. and Rev. T. J. White have returned from the 8. C. Annual Con fareaoe which convened In Lauren*. Several of th? young folks of this eesnraunity attended carnival In Blsh ejf/rtlle and ah report a line time. Mise Leila Powler of Woodruff, S. C. has accepted a school here and Is vow teaching In this community. She li liked very much by the patrons and saore so by the young men. Rev. T. L Cole has been called to Msspah Baptist church for another year aad filled nie regular appolnt saeat there on yesterday afternoon. Chrletma?) Is I early here and every lady le ex pee ting a pleasant time. The health of the community Is f*ery good at prevent. STATEBUHG. Stateburg. Dec. 10.?Mr. James ?Jalliard Simons, of Butawvllle. and Mis* Anna Parker Burgess, youngest daughter of the late Mr. John H. Bur of Stateburg, were married on ntght at the Church of the Cross, Stattburg, by the Rev. W. Barnwell. The old church was beautifully and tastefully dress ?*} sjej brightly lighted up for the oc? casion, and was full from the door to tsis chancel with the friends of the fjride aad groom The wedding party assure afterwards entertained at the residence of Mf. Frank P. Burgess seed his sisters Harrison Saunders, son of Mr. W. L. Saunders. of Stateburg, won the appointment to Annapolis at a competl ?Jee examination held in Columbia or ties ttth of last month. With the ex? ception of a few months at the graded aehooi tn gumter he has never attend as] any but the country schools around Utateburg People are always talking about moving to town to have theli children educated, but It will be found aeon examination that the boys and gdrls from country schools hold theii own with those from the towns. PI.HGAH. Ptsgah. Dec. 14.?The usual moving Ig going on. A number will have to eey the d?*bts of the negroes before ejecting th??m. Where they give five aad six first Hens to different ones on the same crop If the money Is not forthcoming for all, trouble ensues suid the criminal law Is Invoked. Those tseue Hens always take a first Hen ?n if th-v know other Hem exist on une crop. This will give them i ese of the criminal law If the debt not paid and affords them some ?tectlon. A number are hiding esntit to escape the warrants of arrest ?etil they can settle the debt. No ?eder with ?uch a state of affair* county voted against the contlnu of the Hen law and Mr. C. L. ittlno's position on it was endorsed hy the voters. 1 wonder If Mr. Taft himself be that the true Southern people such fools as to believe his taffy >ut his Interest In them. Why don't IV advocate the breaking up of the exrtld North In the Interest of th" Routh But none of that. He Is like the fsther I heard of who gave his e??v sugar plums with one hand and aaed the cowhide on his legs with the ether hand. Taft In too mu< h under Roosevelt* thumb to do much for the Seeth, except what he Is told to do. If MrKlnl.v had lived he would tsave done a great deal for the South ae he was a good mnn. So far as Roosevelt Is SjSJ M ? rro d. hl* t eatioent *%\t th* Florence people shout i he post office there, tr nothing rN? . brads him es an enemy to the South. I don't see how anv true Southern man can for a moment listen to an> thing this man eey*. RSJ he has ?hown Mm enmity to th*- Southern people ever since he hat eerii president I sincerely iope and trust that the South will remain irun aad more fixed In It* principles as now pranked until It can give the Ameri? can people a constitutional form ? f government ss the fathers left us. Adopting the advice of Taft -Mil only tie) our hands further and reconstruc? tion days are no*: so far behind as *o forget what we suffered. Why did -taey not help us then when we so bad? ly needed It from those who were try teg to take evety thing we had and till now we havo not recovered from ejke robbery of our rights. MAX Max. Dec. 14.?Mr?. M. R. Truluck Is spending some time at the home of her son. Mr. S. W. Truluck, of Shiloh. The ladles of Naaareth gave a party last Friday night at the residence of Mr. Henry McCollum of Olanta. Qu lie a F.am was realized from m.asuring, apron hemming and sell? ing, also from the sale of flowjts, which will be appropriated to church purposes. Delicious refreshments were skived. Mr. John Locklear's condition is not improved from a recent attack of pa ra'ysls. There Is to be a box party at the r>lhel school house next Friday night. There was a good rain Saturday morning. The weather is delightfully cold. FARMERS UNION NEWS. President E. W. Dabb* of County Union Glvee Practical Advice. To the Editor of The Item: Having been elected president of the County Union at the recent annual meeting on Dec. 1st. I ask the use of your columns to reach the farmers of the county on what I conceive to be the most Important work that the Union can perform. Heretofore it has seemed to me that too much stress ha.< been laid upon warehouses and cotton certificates upon which to bor? row money to meet the obligations In? curred In making the crop. This Is financing the crop backward. We need to begin now and continue through the growing period to finance, not the cotton crop but the farm. When we t have financed the farm for the first eight months of the year so that there h leas than half the value of the cot? ton crop with obligations resting on it, then we can finance the cotton crop. Then and not till then will warehouses and certificates be of much service. To this end would urge every local to at once begin t: make Itself a live farmers' club where discussions of how to make the farm self-sustaining, of all that pertains to farm economy, will be given more tim< than cooperation In buying and selling For how can men cooperate when they have nothing to cooperate with7 I believe that such a Union will soon he cooperating, Its members with each other, and It with other Unions. 1 would Invite every wide-awake farm? er to see that he has such a Union In his neighborhood. To inaugurate a friendly rivalry in the production of such crops as are suited to his soil and taste. When you get Interested in these contests, you will enjoy attend? ing the meetings. Keep in touch with your neighbors and find many ways to cooperate to the advantage of every one. We are working on such plans, end I trust every local union will have a full attendance at the meetings during this month, and send two dele? gates to the county meeting on 1st Tuesday in January. The January meeting will probably have to send delegates to a State Union meeting. Fellow farmers now Is the time to get together, If you expect to be an effective force in determining the price of the next cotton crop. E. W. DA BBS, President Sumter County Union. HORSES Kil l.I D BY HAD FORAGE Explanation of the Cause of the ])<ath Of Sto< k. To the Editor of The Item. I see In your account of "Horsci Killed by Bad Feed." a little misstate ment which destroys the purpose of the notice. This may have been my fault in stating the case. Th3 facti are, the hay was mowed in a cotton field that had to be planted over i;.ie on account of the first planting drown Ing out. All of this cotton did not mature and when mowed there were a lot of half matured bolls and forms. The stalks were green and covered with leaves. It was mowed about two days before the first big frost, and be ofre It was cured, this heavy fro>t fell on It while yet green, but wilted. Aftei It was well cured and dry It Was hauled Into the barn and fed to the stock. Tho hay was bright and su i t t but the cotton stalks and bolls of couise wir?* not. Now the point Is. the horses In eating this hay, ate these iwdls and twigs also, that had forst on them before dry, and you might say Billed hy fi ovt Tin- feed was not mold ?I In th*. least that 1 could detect. Dr. Jno. I. Brunson examln.-d tin hay ami gave it as his opinion that it was the front bitten cotton that OOUted their death. 1 had fed on it neatly a month. Feeling It my duty to give a note Oi warning to my brother farmers and also to all stork owners, was the cause of my giving your reporter the Item. Since my horses died I have talked with a number who are feeding on the same kind of hay. only it may have been mowed under different clr ' cumstances. Had the cotton stalks been dead and dry before mowing it may not have hurt them in the least, an I have known such feed used fre? quently without harm. W. O. WELLS. Sumter, s C. Dec. 8, 1908. SUND* V SCHOOL. MASS MEETING. Committees Appointed and a Large Fund Collected. The annual mass meeting of the Sunday schools of the city, which was held In the Presbyterian church at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon, was as usual attended by a very large crowd, the building was packed to the doors and still all who sought admission could not find a place within the building. Everybody in Sumter is in? terested in these annual meetings in the interest of charity at the Christ? mas season and they are always well attended and those who are pres? ent give liberally. Mr. I'artcw Walsh presided over the meeting, introduced the speakers and made the announcements. The meet? ing opened with a service of song, a number of familiar hymns being sung by the large assembly, led by a large choir representing all the churches. The programme which was carried out was as follows: ? Song Service?Presbyterian choir and singers from other church choirs. Scripture Reading. Song. Paryer?Rev. H. H. Covington. Song. Address?Judge R. O. Purdy. Song. Collection. Appointment of Committee. Mr. Purdy, in his address, gave a brief account of the beginnings and history of this Christmas charity, which is peculiar to Sumter, and ir which all the people of Sumter unite with so great unanimity. He showed how it has grown in magnitude year by year from a small beginning six ten years ago and expressed the be? lief that it would continue to grow In every way?in the amount contributeu and In tho good accomplished. The i'ollowing committees were an? nounced to take charge of the distrib? ution of the fund: Committee?L. I. Parrott, chair? man; First Baptist, Mrs. M. H. Tea don, Mrs. M. A. Flowers; Episcopal, Miss Martha Wilson, Miss Marie Rich? ardson; Presbyterian, Mrs. W. J. Mc? Kay. Mrs. J. H. Chandler; First Meth? odist, Miss Hattie Phillips, Miss Jane Purdy; Lutheran, Miss Lizzie M?ller; Bartlette Sw Baptist C.iirch, Mrs. Jn i L. Haynsworth, Miss Agnes Hayns? worth; Broad St. Methodist, -. ("iinn litte requested to meet the chairman 11 o'clock Wednesday, Dec 16th, In the grand jury room, county court house. The contributions announced at the meeting, as shown by the following statement, were greater than at any previous meeting, and when the sup? plemental contributions are all in it is expected that the total will exceed the gross amount received from all sources last year, when the high water mark was reached: Ca?h colectlons.$147.23 Claremont Lodge A. F. M... 15.00 Heulah Chapter R. A. M. 10.00 Woodmen of World.. . >.. .. 25.00 Beauclaro Chap. Eastern Star. 5.00 Eagles. 25.00 Delgar Reel Squad. 10.00 Jurors. u.O'i Knights of Pythias. 10.00 Odd Fellows. 10.50 O Donnell & Co. 10.00 Baraca Bible CL First Baptist. 10.00 A t'.t-rspnon Bros & Co. 10 llf Junior Older. 5.00 Totai.. .. ?.$-'H8.s'J A DISGRACEFUL CASE. A woman from the country from family of good stanllng came lo town during the carnival and was made beastly drunk and was taken Into a room over one of the stores and put on public exhibition. There was a doorkeeper and by paying 50 cents anyone could gain admittance. Such a diabolical deed was carried on for several hours before the police got on to it and sent the poor half dead degraded woman home. We understand that the huiman?! of the woman came over to take out warrants but for some cause he did not do It. For the ?ake of humanity, for the sake of the good name of BlfhOpVtUe and Lee county and for the caUSf of morality the Grand Jury should take the matter up and probe to the bot? torn. The last one of them having anything to do with it at all ihould he made to suffer the extreme penalty of the law. will the Grand Jury do It? Blshopvllle indicator. INSURANCE COMPANY FORMING. M AO, 000 Fire Insurance Concern Be? ing Organised at Greenville. Greenville, Dec. 12.?The new year In Greenville Will be marked by the organization of a $450,000 fire insur? ance company, the American Home, which will be the second largest In the South, with home offices in Oreen vllle. At first the business will be con? fined to South Carolina, North Caro? line and Georgia, and later extended to other States. Many a man is whole-souled whose shoes are worn through. SEMINOLE TO BE INVESTIGATED STOCKHOIiDEHS MEET AND AU? THORISE AN INVESTIGATION. Mooting Hold in Columbia Saturday ?Trustees Withdraw Resignations ?-President Garllngton ia Present And la Questioned?Committee Ap? pointed to Ix>ok Into Purchase of Southern Life Stock and to Report At Called Meeting, December 29. Columbia, Dec. 12?A meeting of stockholders of the Seminole Securi? ties company was held here today, lasting several hours, at the conclu? sion of which the following statement was given out for publication: 'In view of the various rumors and published statements in regard to the deal made by the Southern Securities company with the Southern Life In? surance company, a meeting of the stockholders, representing a large amount of stock and their attorneys, met at the office of Mr. J. Y. Garling ton, who was examined as to the fi? nancial condition of the company, and the sale and the transfer of the stock of the Southern Life Insurance com? pany to the Seminole Securities com? pany. Mr. W. A. Clarke, one of the trustees, was also examined. The ex? amination was exhaustive, and as a result thereof a committee, consisting of the trustees, Messrs. Clark, Jones' |and Bryan, (who have withdrawn their resignations as trustees) to? gether with a committee of the stock? holders, Dr. E. J. JBtheridge, of Lees ville; Huger Sinkler, of Charleston, and R. T. Caston, of Cheraw, were ap? pointed to examine into the sale and the condition of the company and present their report at a called meet? ing of the stockholders fixed for De? cember 29, in Columbia. The commit? tee was authorized to employ an ex? pert accountant to examine the books of the company and to get all avail? able data possible in order to put the stockholders in full possession of the facts. "A resolution was also passed re? questing a committee of the directors of the Southern Life Insurance com? pany to be present at the meeting to be held on December 29." Among those present today as stock? holders or attorneys representing stockholders, were the folowing: R. T. Caston, of Cheraw; E. J. Ethe ridge, of Leesville; W. A. Clark, Wilie Jones and F. H. Weston, of Columbia; W. T. White, of Yorkville; R. H. Pe gues, of Chef aw; Huger Sinkler, >I Charleston; W. S. Blakeney, of Mon? roe, N. C, and John Hickson, of Cheraw. President John Y. Garllngton and others prominent in the organization of the Seminole company were also present. COTTON CROP ESTIMATED. Totul Product ion for 1908 Placed at 12,920,000 Rales. Washington, Dec. 9.?The total pro? duction of cotton in the United States for the year 1908-09 will amount to 6,182.970,000 pounds, not including Unters, which is equivalent to 12.920, 000 bales of 500 pounds gross weight, according to the estimate announced by the department of agriculture to lay. The estimate of production by bales gives: Virginia 131,000, North Carolina 619,000, South Carolina 1,118,000. Georgia 1.844.000, Florida 61,000, Ala? bama 1,273,000, Mississippi 1,560.000. Louisiana 472.000, Texas 3,917,000, Arkansas 1,009,000, Tennessee 340, 000, Missouri 54,000, Oklahoma 640. 000. Florence to the Rescue. Sumter is going to show her appre? ciation of the good services that our friend Reardon has been doing for so long by throwing her whole strength to him as a candidate for the prize that the Columbia State is offering It is not often that the men who de? vote the best of their lives to the In? terests of a community get anything* but knocks and criticisms, so we know that the testimonial of hi* fellow citi? zens in this matter will be appprecia ted by Mr. Heardon, and if we have no one of our own in the race for the prise, we might square some part of ? the indebtedness account that we arc under to Mr. Reardon by helping them in this matter. We are not on to the rules of the game as yet but wo will study them up for the sake of our friend from Sumter.?Florence Times. Marriage in Colored Society. At the home Of her brother. D. W. Conner at Mats Bltlff, B. C. on Sun? day afternoon December 6th, 190S, Boyd A, DIrks. of Sumter. S. C. and Mrs. Sallie B, Thomas were united in marriage by the Rev. I. B. Lowery( pastor of the M. B., church at Mars Bluff. A number of the friends of the contracting parties were present to witness the beautiful service. The couple left on the evening train for their future home In Sumter.?Flor? ence Times. Each mother thinks she has the dearest baby in the world, and, as a matter of fact, none Is cheap. TEDDY'S BIB STICK. THREATENS LIBEL PROSECU? TION AGAINST CIRCULATORS OF CANAL STORY. President Declares Uio Only Tiling to Be Ashamed of Is ??Infamous False hood" About the Alleged Syndicate. Washington, Dec. 10.?* If they can be reached for criminal libel I shall try to have them reached," said Pres? ident Roosevelt In speakin,? this after? noon about "those Americans who have been guilty of infamous false? hood concerning the acquisition of the property and the construction of the I (Panama) canal Itself." It was to the committee of 100 of the Lakes to the Gulf Deep Waterway association, headed by Gov. Deneen of Illinois, who were received by the president in the east room of the J White House, that he made this dec? laration. Gov. Deneen had presented a copy I of resolutions adopted by the associa? tion and made a remark to which the I president replied as follows: I "I have felt, as the governor has j well put It, that no more important I service could be rendered to this coun I try than the building of the Panama I canal, between the Atlantic and Pa Iclflc, and one thing I am preud of In I connection with the building of that 1 canal Is that there has not been legiti I mate cause for the breath of scandal I connected with any feature of the pro I ceeding. We have cause to be asham I ed of one set of Americans In connec I tion with the building of the canal, I and that Is of those Americans who I have been guilty of infamous false I hood concerning the acquisition of the I property and the construction of the I canal itself. If they can be reached I for criminal libel. I shall try to have I them reached. If not, at any rate all I the facts we know or ever have known j are at the disposal of each and every I one of you here, and of any one In I congress or of all congress If they j wish to see them. "Next only in importance from the j physical standpoint to building the I Panama canal comes the question of I developing the use of our own water I ways. That must be done by the pol I Icy of Irrigation at the head waters J up in the arid region; and where you j come from, gentlemen, it is to be done j by making our sea coast take a big I loop In from the Gulf of Mexico to the I Great Lakes, and we will see that that J work is done: and no work could have I been done from beginning to end more I honestly or more effilently." CROMWELL'S DENIAL. -1 Declares That Whole Story of Purchase Of Canal Securities is "a Fiction and A Concoction.*' New York, Dec. 10.?William Nel? son Cromwell today authorized a statement which follows In part: "My attention has bc*m called to a statement issued by the editor of the Indianapolis News, in which he at? tempts to reply to the charge made by President Roosevelt that certain state? ments made in the Indianapolis News, both before and since the recent elec? tion, and relating to the purchase of the Panama canal by the United States were false. "The president said: 'The News gives gives currency to the charge that the United StatM bought from Ameri? can citizens for $40,000,000 property that cost these citizens only $12,000, 000/ The statement is false. The United States did not pay a cent of the $40,000,000 to any American citi? zen,' etc. "From the statement issued in re? ply by the editor of The News, I quote the following: 'The only man who has paid attention to them (that is the criticism referred to, etc) was Mr. Charles P. Taft, who did deny that he was in any way related to the affair. We had no word from the president or Mr. Taft. The other men, such as Cromwell and Morgan, who were believed to have full Informa? tion in regard to the business, said nothing.' "... .We expect during a heated po? litical contest all kinds of stories which are not worthy of notice but this one I wish to denounce in the strongest terms as a lying fabrication without a show of truth in it. "Neither I nor any one allied with me, either directly or indirectly, at any time or in any place In America or abroad ever bought, sold, dealt In, <>r ever made a penny Of profit out of any stocks, bonds or other securities of either the old Panama canal com? pany o ? I he new Panama canal com? pany, or ever received tor the same a single dollar of the $io.?00,000 paid by the United St.it? s. I make this the most sweeping statement that lan? guage can convey, "As everybody connected with the affair knows. 1 abstained from receiv? ing the $40.000.000 In my own hands at Washington or New York as the general counsel of the company and myself arranged for the payment of the entire $40,000,000 direct from the treasury of the United States through the bankers of the government into the Bank of France at Paris to the credit of the liquidators of the two companies. There it remained sub? ject to the order of the liquidators until distributed by them to the hun? dreds of thousands of beneficiaries, and not one dollar of it ever came to me or any one in any wise connected with me. Of course I do not refer to our regular compensation as counsel. "Since the recent publications I have made inquiries in Paris and am informed that the distribution of these moneys is a matter of public record; that the amount received by the liqui? dation of the old Panama Canal com? pany has been distributed by him as an officer of the court to the holders of the obligations of the company; that these persons appeared in person at the office of the liquidator to re? ceipts for the money paid to ther*:, that they numbered 226,296, the larg? est number of individuals probably ever appearing in person upon a sin? gle business affair, and that the av? erage amount paid was $156. The complete and detailed record of these payments, together with the names of . and receipts of every person to whom 1 payment was made and the amount - of such payment, is in the hands of the liquidator at his office at 50 Rue Etienne Marcel, Paris, which is a prominent and frequented part of the city near the Bourse, easily found by any one desirous of doing so. Neither I nor my law firm nor any one connected with me ever owned, directly or indirectly, any share of stock in the new Panama Canal com? pany nor never bought or sold any of the shares or securities of either one of said companies nor were directly or indirectly interested in them. "I am also positive not a man in public life in America in or out of congress had the least pecuniary inter? est in the Panama canal. "I do not know and never have known of any American citizen who has \ ever dealt in any of the shares of the new Panama canal company or the shares or bonds of the old company.. "The story of Americans or some American syndicate buying up the Panama canal securities1 at a low price or at any price and then turn- ' ing them in upon liquidation at a profit is a fiction and a concoction. The money of the United States went to France and was distributed to the hundreds of thousands of foreign own? ers, none of whom, 30 far as I know, were Americans." ^ FOREST RESERVES URGED. Executives From All Quarters Testify Before Committee on Agriculture^ Gov. Guild's Remarks. Washington, Dec. 9.?A distinguish? ed assembly of witnesses today testi? fied before the committee on agricul? ture to the need of the federal gov? ernment's establishing forest reserves-' in the Wfhite mountains and in the Southern Appalachians. It marked the opening of the fight in th s session of congress for the creation of these reserves to protect the navigability of navigable streams, a purpose which the committee conceded is constitu? tional. Besides Gov. Guild of Massachu? setts, who was the spokesman until he was compelled to leave the city and turn his duties over to Col. William S. Harvey of Philadelphia, Governors Chamberlain of Oregon, Ansel of South Carolina, Hoke Smith Df Geor? gia, and Johnson of Minnesota, Form? er Governor George E. Parde.* of Cal? ifornia, and Blanchard of Louisiana, and Dr. Edward Everett Hale, chap? lain of the senate, were among those who appeared. Chairman Scott of the committee said the committe? appre? ciated the public sentiment in favor of the project but that the problem of obtaining the desired end was difficult. Representative Scott explained that the house committee on the Judiciary had questioned the constitutionality af legislation on the part of congress looking toward the purchase of land for the conservation of forests, what? ever it might do toward protecting the navigability of the streams of the country. Gov. Guild, in responding, laid em? phasis upon the ability of the general government to undertake projects f??r the general welfare of the country, saying the appeal came from all quar? ters of the nation. "It is probably the first time in Ivs lory that the governor of South Car? olina and the governor of Massachu? setts have Joined hands to appeal to congress for the enactment of a law for the general welfare of the peopV *' said (Jov. <iuild as he bowed to Gov. Ansel of the Southern State. To Bridge the Suntoe. Washington, Dec. ll.?Represents tive Lever today introduced a bill au? thorizing the Santec River Cypress Lumber Company to construct a bridge across the Santee River near Ferguson, close to the Berkeley and Clarendon county lines. He will prob? ably secure its passage at an early date. William F. Down?, head machinist of the Tavora Cotton Mill, Yorkville, was instantly killed Thursday by com? ing in contact with a live wire In the power house.