Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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riOC ?UMTKIl WATCHMAN, EMakM C?? ??liest?? Aug. 2,188 ?<bf 83htrl)?a? Nib 5 witljron. Publi?tuil Wednesday and Saturday ?BY? MTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY Sl'MTKR, & a Vnrms: $1.19 per annum?In advance. Advertisements: Oaa Mqaare Oral Insertion.$1.00 ?very subsequent Insertion.SO Contracts for three months, or longer will be mads at reduced rates. All com mu Moat tont which sub tares private Interest* will ha charged frv aa advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respects will he charged for. FIBE IN MABTSV1LLE. ??AR?K F.ST \HUMUMK\T OF J. L. CORFU * CO., DESTROYED. Store and Warehouse, Which Occspled aa Entire Block, Were Burned to the Ground Friday Morning}?Losa Exceed* gt.10,000, Owly Partially Covered by Incur* Passengers on the morning train from Darlington brought the news of the most disastrous fire that has ev ' sr oocured In the thriving town of Hartsville. Details of the fire were met obtainable, but the bare facts are that the large mercantile establish? ment of J. I* Coker 4k Co., which with adjacent warehouses, occupied an en-I tire block, was totally destroyed to? gether with the greater part of the largo stock of goods contained In the store and warehouses. Only one hulhtlng. a brick warehouse, In which fertilisers wars stored, was saved, this being a short distance removed from tha other buildings. No Information relative to the origin of the fire had reached Darlington, nor was an accu? rate sstlmats of the losa obtainable, bot H Is said that the tout losa will certainly exceed $150.000. with only partial insurance. VT-' OYjD DEWY I*me?<d M Million* to ?? In JStchsoa's Time. Washington. April 3. ? The publica? tion today over the country of the In? troduction by Representative Mur? doch, of Kansas, of a bill to call upon tha twenty-six States to rspay to the government $18.000.000 which was distributed during Andrew Jackson's administration, was followed Imme? diately with a flood of telegrams upon member*, senators and newspaper correspondent* for more light on the subject. "I Introduced that bill two years ago." said Mr. Murdoch Mtg today, "and ao one paid any attention to It. In lilt there aas a surplus In the federal treasury of 8S8.0OO.uO0 due largely to the aalt? of public land In tha Central West. Congress authori? sed tha distribution among the States I upon thslr premising to repay It upon demand of the secretary of the treas? ury. After $11.000.000 had besa dlsttlb atsd. but before the fourth Instalment had bean psld. congress passed an? other law postponing payment of the Anal Instalment and Incorporating as a Mjoher" s provision that the money 'ikttrtbutsd should be subject to the demand of congress Instesd of the secretary of the treasury. It Is said the mattter of the repayment was called to Mr. Murdock's attention b; the claim of Virginia's a few years ago to the fourth Instalment, still un? distributed. Ths twen? Ix States received the three Instilments In proportion to their representation in congre.t*. The dlatilbutlon amonif Southern Stales waa aa follows: Maryland. 8Mt.?00; Virginia. 82. 188.000. North Carolina, $1,444.000; South Carolina. 81.061.000; Ueorgla. fl.0S1.0000; Alabama. $60?,000; Ten? nessee. $1.434.000; Kentucky. $1.434. ??0; Missouri. $182,000: Arkansas. $187.000. \H4.YIjF, M<' ! I I s< >| n Col. TIm?mim<? Wilson Dispose* of III, HotH Property In Charleston. Charleston. April 1 ?Th. hotel passed tod;ty Info th.' him! <>' Its new owners, with James s. F.u num a* the controlling factor of the new company. The propert> has been owned by Col. Thomas Wl Ih. m. who bought It some years ago for $?8.000 and it la understood that he sold It to the new owners for 3120 - 000. Col. Wilson refused to say what ha got for It and the new owners wsr* also reticent shout the purchase It Is understood that the property Is ta he Improvsd and run In first class Ptyle. I shed April, 1850. 'Be Just ai 1. SUM' B9 COTTON PRICES HIGHER TEXAS DROUGHT ASSIGN KD AS ONE CAUSE. Many Hellene That Continued Ijack of Rain Will Counteract Comparative? ly Light Demand. New York. April 2.?Prices of cot? ton have advanced under the stimulus partly of the stock market. Rightly or wrongly the big rise In stocks 'is taken by many people here as mark? ing the return of better times. Stock exchange houses have been buying October, December and January cot? ton. So have Chicago people fired with their success in stocks end wheat. Liverpool has been undoing May and October straddles. The spot markets in the main have been strong, exports large and spinners' takings liberal. Meantime the New Tork stock is steadily decreasing and is expected to go on doing so. The Balkan trouble is settled. Brttlsh and German trader reports are more cheerful and there are some signs of Improving business In this country. And there Is the Texas drought. It Is supposed to be most severe in the southern part of the State, but from all accounts that big cotton field is supposed to need a good drenching in the near future. If this does not Oc? cam*, it is contended, the effects of the winter droughts and comparatively scanty spring rainfalls thus far must bo serious. The speculation has been as a rule quiet, but on Wednesday and Thurs? day there were Indications of a broadening tendency when it was seen that predictions of rains throughout Texas were not fulfilled. Thereupon, shorts In Wall' street houses became good buyers for "long'* account under the spur not only of the buoyant stock market, but also of the Texas drought The weather In the South? west will continue no doubt to be one of the most Important factors In the whole situation. On the other, hand business In most dry goods is com? paratively light. The tariff question still hangs over the country and It Is Insisted that the big stock Ir. Liver? pool must soon become burdensome unless the demand for the actual cot? ton there Increases materially. It has been light during the past week. The South has been a steady seller most of the time. Some large spot inter? ests have sold considerable May and October. Crop conditions east of the Mississippi seem to be improving. Floods are subsiding and It looks as though field work from now on will be pushed more vigorously. But to many cotton looks cheap at present prices, especially as all the chances and uncertainties of the sit uation are still to be faced. Some contend that with cotton cheap and prices for grain, mules and hogs ml lag high, there la at least the poasl blltty of some redaction In the acre? age. Others prefer to count on the normal area being planted but they think that the start will be late; that Texas, the biggest cotton field In the world. Is already handicapped, and that It will take remarkaby good conditions during the rest of the sea? son to produce even a fair crop. Be? fore long the tariff will be our. of the way and the Itock market Is supposed to be already anticipating the bene? ficial effects of a settlement of that question. That the counry has had Its panic and is now on the upgrade Is the reasoning of a large proportion of the cotton trade. That Is why buying the new crop months Is becoming Increasingly popular, large ly on the Texas drought. DHCMMEH KILLED UY TRAIN. ?I. \V. LIvingMton, of Greenville. Meet! Horrible Death at llutcshurg. Patcsburg. April 3.?This mornln as the 9:30 northbound pussengc krall <>n the Southern was thun'er.r. along, about two miles from th place, at Its usual ra.e of speed th lu-iueer saw a man walking on th !r;u l; facing the train. As he SSOm d to 1 > no notleg of t he i i iroach l.tsj ttala the engineer blew hti wins lb- to give warning, when the ma ned around and he was knock? from the traek by the locomotive. The train wus Immediately stoppt and MM man was picked up an brought to this plaee, where he dl? in I -ho t time. It looked like a eas of tale Ids from leiten found on his person was learned that his name was J. NN Livingston, an-l Iii - home S. neea, C. A solution of four ounces each hyposulphite of noda and sugar of lead to a gallon of water, used boil? ing hot. will impart a blue color, sim? ilar to that of blued steel to most metals. ad Fear not?Ix?t all ilic ends Thou Ain rER. S. 0.. WEDNES Umm OF BANK STOCK. COMPTROLLER GENERAL ISSUES CIRCULAR OX THE SUBJECT. Gives County Auditors Full Informa? tion About the Methods for Mak? ing Returns Extended to May 1. Columbia, April 2.?How banks and bank stock should be taxed Is a matter that has been giving the coun? ty auditors trouble for many years, am1 recently Comptroller General Jones has received a number of In- j qulries along this line. Today he sent out a circular letter to the auditors in which he set forth the method of bank taxation, according to the laws of this State. The time for making bank returns was extended to May 1, and In this Governor Ansel noted his approval. The letter of Comptroller General Jones Is as follows: ! Dear Sir: Answering numerous in? quiries as to the valuation of shares of bank stock for the purposes of taxation, I beg to advise: | 1. All shares of the stockholders In any bank or banking association, whether State or national, are to be listed for taxation by their true value in money. 2. The words "true value In money" shall be construed to mean I and include all surplus or extra I moneys, capital and every species of I personal property of value owned orj In possession of any such bank. 3. In ascertaining such value of bank shares, no deduction is to he I made for the amount of the bank's Investments in non-taxable securities, J except Investmente not exceeding 60 per cent o fthe capital stock In Brown consol bonds and stocks of the State of South Carolina, Issued under the Act of 1892, amended by the Act of 1893, 21, Stats. 481. The exemption is declared by the Legislature to bei a part of the contract with any in vestors In such bonds or stocks. But | for this special provision in the Act] of 1893, there would be no authority! for dedcutlng the amount of invest-1 ments in such bonds and stocks from the value o fthe shares for the pur-1 poses of taxation. No deduction is to be made of the! bank's Investment In any other bonds, stocks or personal property. By Sec t ion 1,758 of the Code such invest-1 ment by any bank cannot exceed one half of its capital In Brown consol bonds or stock issued under the Act of 1892. The deductions of real estate own-1 ed by a bank from the aggregate I value of the shares as assessed fori taxation is in no sense an exemption, for the bank Is required to pay the tax on such real estate, and the share-holders to pay the tax on the assessed value of the shares after de ducting the assessed value of the real estate. Thus the State Is to receive! the taxes on the full value of the! shares, including all property owned! by the bank. The only effect of the! deduction of real estate Is one of bookkeeping, and it places the tax on real estate as a charge against the! bank, and the tax on the remaining! value of the shares Is entered on the duplicate In the names of the share? holders, but may be paid by the bank. With the approval of the governor, I I have extended the time within! which the banks may make a correct ed or amended return until the 1st I day of May, 1909. You should notify all banks In your! county of this ruling, and give them a copy of this letter. Then in case j they refuse to correct their returns within the time limited, proceed! against them for making a false re? turn and add the penalty of 50 per cent. Y"ours truly. A. W. JONES, Comptroller General. I approve of the extension to May I 1, 1909, for banks to make correct re? turns. I (Signed) M. F. Ansel. ] April 2. 1909. Governor j It will be noted in Mr. Jones' clr- j cular letter that he does not look with I favor on the exemptions allowed on municipal bonds. The State Supreme Court has recently held that the ex? emption of the new issue of Charles? ton city bends, from all forms and olasaei of taxation, is perfeclty valid and proper, and the holders of these bonds will no doubt, as a part of their contract and In consonance with the decision of the Supreme Court an.l tha Ac ts of th?? Qtneral Assembly, al? low the credits in the matter Of tax? ation. While Mr. Jones may think that the banks are getting a bit too much In the matter of exemptions. Mr. T. B, Stack house, president of the State Bankers' Association, Is gathering statistics to show that the banks are really paying on a higher basis than other classes of property in this State, and the figures he has gotton from as't at be thy Country's, Thy God's an IDAY. APRIL 7, 190G SULLY HAS ? PLAN. i - famous cotton speculator believes he can control cotton prices. Ho Would Organize u Strong Syndi? cate to Finance a Holding Corpora - Uon Tliat Would Keep the Cotton Off the Market Until the Demand From Spinners Needed It?Tili? Would End Speculative Manipula? tion. Atlanta, Ga., April 2.?"When the farmers of the South and the business men of the South say the word, funds will be immediately available in suf? ficient volume to forever place the great industry of cotton production upon a stable foundation, free from the chance fluctuations of the market, relieved of the attack of manipula? tion and leaving the gigantic crop monopoly of this section to respond, unembarrassed and unrestricted, to the legitimate laws of supply and de? mand. The result should mean to the South an annual cash saving ranging from $15'J,000,000 to J250.000.000." In these plain terms Daniel J. Sul? ly, the man who drove cotton to its highest market price since the Civil war, today outlined the purpose of his visit to Atlanta and the South. Continuing, Mr. Sully said his plan ^contemplates "the creation of an im? pregnable business system which shall do away with the annual neces? sity of the farmer sacrificing millions of bales of cotton for pressing debt, congesting the market, hammering flown prices, upsetting the regula? tions of supply and demand and los? ing to this section the tremendous sums that are its due in return for the crop indispensable to the needs of civilization. - "I do not ask one penny from the Southern people, I do not ask the pledging of one bale of cotton until I have given ample good faith of suf? ficient financial backing, from sources that are unquestionable, to carry ev? ery detail of the plan into effect to safeguard .the Interest of every farm? er in the South, from the man who raises one bale to the man who ralges 1,000 bales. "A. minimum fund of $10,000,000. subscribed by the most conservative financiers of the United States, is aavilable to be invested in such iron? clad securities as shall insure the ability and the responsibilty of the plan's promoters to redeem their promises and obligations to the last detail. "The people of the South will be given the first opportunity to invest in this project, if, upon reciving it. it commends itself to their judgment. "The backbone of the plan is a chain of bonded warehouses through? out the South, sufficient in number and character to house one-third of the crop, and that one-third, as has been demonstrated, will be the bal? ance of power which will render mar? ket congestion Impossible and Insure the disposal of the crop in strict con? formity with the laws of supply and demand." In borrowing money on his ware? house certificates, Mr. Sully said, the farmer does not surrender- the equity ?n his cotton. "It is his to sell when? ever he pleases or to hold as long as he pleases, with the plain business exception that the certificate he may have used as collateral for the loan Is a prior Hen upon the bale, which must be satisfied out of the sale of the bale when that culmination is reached." The company would be paid a nom? inal fee for each bale of cotton hand? led and in this way. Mr. Sully figures, a fair profit will be realized on the Investment. CUTS IN FERTILIZERS. Companies Have Been Slashing Right And Left. Baltimore, April 2.?Attention is being directed to the fertiliser trade In which, it is declared, prices are being cut right and left. The principal battleground Is said to be the far South. Where prices of finished products have been slashed $3 and $4 a ton. Cuts are less drat tice In this territory, though prices have been lowered. Tuke advantage of the best oppor? tunities that come your way, but do so with the full sense ol responsibili? ty which naturally follows. the banks of the State he thinks are plain on this line, Indleatlna thnt the banks pay more than their pro rata share of taxes. One reason for this may be that they are required to and do publish sworn statements four or five times during the course of a year. id Truth's.' THE TRU ). Sew 8er BETIEB HIES At illh1~ HILL REPORTS STEADY 131 I'HOVK.MKXT IX BISINKSS. Tu tu re l-'ii 11 of Mope. He says, and Bees Country Stronger, Better Shape Than Ever. New York, April 2.?Optimism Is the keynote of the opinions on the business outlook of the country ex? pressed by two men of great promi? nence in the business world, James J. Hill and John W. Gates, who are both in this city, the former from the west and the latter from Texas. Both Mr. Hill and Mr. Gates profess to see a distinct improvement in geneial con? ditions, gradual, it is true, but none the less certain. Mr. Hill urges the paramount need of economy in business, and says the experience of the last year and a half has taught business men the truth of his theory. Mr. Gates says that the en? actment of the new tariff lav.' is the only thing necessary to assure the re? sumption of industry in full swing. When Mr. Hill was seen -it his of? fice, he said: "There is a steady but moderate improvement in business. One of the great things that hangs over the country is the enormous ex? penditure; not merely federal, but State and muicipal, and.constant ef? forts to produce revenues to meet these expenditures. Economy in busi? ness should be the watchword for the future. "With the recovery from condtions which prevail, the future is full of hope. The experience was severe to all the country, but I believe we have come out of it with more Intelligence concerning national powers and in stronger and better shape than ever. "The farmers in the West are turn? ing bankers. If a man wants to raise a loan on a piece of property there, instead of going to a country bank, he goes to the farmers in his locality, who have the money and gets his loan at f? to 6 per cent. As a result the country banks are sending their money to the Isrge cities in search of commercial paper. This abundance of money is one of the healthiest signs that I see in the West." Mr. Hill refused either to affirm or deny the reports thai all the differ? ences between the Hill and Harriman interests had been settled. Mr. Gates on his arrival here went at once to his office. When asked for his opinion on the business outlook. Mr. Gates said: "When the new tariff bill becomes a law, confidence will be restored rap? idly. I am not interested in the stock market, but it looks as if It would go higher. There are several stocks on the list I feel sure are going to ad? vance. Business is gradually Improv? ing, and will continue to do so. "I am largely interested in stee! properties, and I don't believe that, the elimination of the duty on Iron ore is going to affect the steel indus? tries in the least." STATE liEAGUE MEETING HELD. Representatives of Various Town* Gather lit Chester?Permanent Or? ganization Postponed. Chester. April 1.?The representa? tives of the State League towns met in this city Wednesday night: Messrs. W. B. Wilson and R. M. London wart present from Rock Hill, and Mr. Lon? don held the proxy of Sumter and Gaffney. It wus decided, at the re? quest of several of the towns, to post? pone the election of officers until next Wednesday night, at which time a meeting of the league will be held lit Rock Hill. At that meeting all town? must have representatives and pui up the forfeit money. The temporary organisation was continued. It would have been easy to organ? ise Wednesday night with four clubs, Gaffney, Rock Hill, Bumter and Ches? ter, as ?11 were ready. But it was pointed out that a six cornered league would be beth r and hence the meeting was postponed one week In order to give Camden and Gastonli time to come In. Bonds win be mailed to the town desiring to come in the league it or? der that they may have their forfeit money ready, The organisation will take place OD Wednesday night in Rock Hill. Mr. .bo ! w. Bailey of Greens i was suggested gs ? god man for pres ld< nt of the league at the meeting here on Wednetda) night. Mr B Is a thorough baseball man and Is well known ??n over the State, He can have the office If he wants it. He i* the assistant editor of the Greene >od Index and would make i mighty | < > i president. The trouble with the upstart is that he never feels downcast. E SOUTHRON, Established June, 18SS les?Vol. XXIX. .? 13 PBOHIBiTIOH^ PROMOTES GRIME MORE MrtX)NSIII\E ESTAI', LI Si I ME NTS IN "DR\" STATICS. R??\? nue Officials Say Tlutt With I*ro hi bit ion Tliere ft* More Incentive to Illicit Distiller* V Profite Are Greater. Washington, April 4.?Officials of the internal revenue bureau of the treasury department are of the opin? ion that the temperance movement which has taken such a strong hold of certain sections of the country, particularly in the South, has result? ed in increasing the number ?f viola? tions o| the revenue laws in the dis ttlllng of illicit whskey. Recent re? ports indicate that in many Southern States, especially Alabama. Georgia and North aCrolina, there has beeen greater activity on the part of the lawless mountain element, who al? ways have been troublesome to the revenue I gents, than in many years, these three States now have laws pro? hibiting distil lSfiSS from operating within their borders. In Alabama the law went into effect in July 1, 1906, in Georgia on January 1, 1908, and in North Carolina January 1. 1909. Many legitimate distilleries have mo\ - ed tc Florida and other States where the inhibition does not exist. Whis? key being more difficult to obtain in a legitimate way, the profits of illicit |Vlistilling have greatly increased, with the result that the activities off the internal revenlue bureau at this time are largely directed towards the mountain sections of these three States. In 1908 there were 1.130 illicit stills destroyed; in 1907 there were 1,139 and in 1906 there were 1,376, but the returns for the nine months of the present fiscal year show a decided in? crease in the number destroyed, the number so far reported this year be? ing 1.017. with the probability that by July 1 that number will have been Increased to approximately 1,300. The section of the South where there is mos. activity among the so-called, 'nioonshiners" embrances %hm Atlan? ta c istrict where it is reported 130 stills were seized and destroyed in December last. The Ashevllle, N. C, district is another section that has to be constantly looked after, as do thus- of Columbia, S. C, and Louis? ville Ky. At Atlanta the collector has 17 dep? uties; at Ashevllle 15 and at Colum? bia 2S, most of them constantly em? ployed in raiding work. In addition: nearly 800 possemen have been em? ployed from time to time fa the last few months, with a number ef guid?s. The records off the last eight years show that casualties to officers and men employed in raiding were only 11. :!our of the raiders kaving teen killed. During this same time about 6.700 persons were arrested, and a. large proportion of them sentenced! to prison. Since July 1 there has been only one casualty, tr at of Dep? uty Marshal J. C? Multm* ef Ken? tucky, w ho was killed durfcag a raid? ing expedition on - Christmas day,. 1903. GIRL BURNED TO DEATH j mmm mmm > Miss Virginia Carter Meets Terrible Late In F?arorw Which Drwuwy **Yellow House." Winchester, Va.. April 4.?Isis* Vir? ginia Carter, the young daughter of Reese B. Carter, was burned to death this morning in a fire which destroy? ed her home, "Yellow House. ' at Rest, this county, one of the mort his? toric structures in the State. Both* Mr and Mrs. Carter were badly burn? ed In a futile effort to save their daughter. They are expcited, to re? cover. ' Yellow Ho,,st Wmi more than 200 jeers old arid was the rcene of many notable events during Revolutionaiy and Civil war times. Gen. GeOfgS V." .f?h!:.s;;.?n stopped there while on h's way I i Braddoek's retiel at Port DtlQUesns, and during the conflict be twi on th?? States It was the home of MISS Rachel Wright, whose informa ttoa to OOS). Sheridan was of such value to t",.e federal aimy durirg his valley campaign that ooas^ess voted her a gold medal in appreciation ot her services. Tht y: ig in of the fire which de? stroyed this historic pile is unknown Havana April 2.?The decision of the I 0U11-martial, w hich tr?od S? i * | ?'?!?? s ;:nd his son. Vlmerte, on a Charge of military rebcll on. and Corp) Ricftdo on a charge of con? spiracy in connection w ith the r? v? Sj revolutionary u prising at Vu^itas. wa? announced today. Sorgt. Cortes and hie s >n were found guilty, and the deatb. penalty imposed. Ricardo v, .??? <?< quitted.