Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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?(* ?ia*fbman ;mi> Soutjjroa WtuNtaDAV, JUNE. 23, 1909. " 1 ?1 * f ? ? ? ? - The Sumter Watchman was found mm In ltftO and the True Southron In IM?. The Watchman end Sout iron e\ew haa the combined circulation and Igsfleonce of both of the old papers, earn* U manifestly the best advertising anagram in Sumter. JtLUOATORA FACE DOOM. Dumtrenl of Hide Hunters Now in the ??M ith??7&.0O0 Hides Tanned An siuslly and Placed on Ohe Market. A victor to this part of the South ?eo?ld see sligttors In almost every stream and hayou twenty years ago, tint now one msy frequently spend ?months trsvellng throtigh this region end not see s single alligator except In captivity. The killing of the creatures for sport or for their hides has been tho main cause of their great decease In nnssbsrs. In addition thousands of the young have been killed or shipped ?way. while enormous numbers of tho eggs hsve been gathered and sold SM curios. It was not until about 1855 that the esemaiid for alligator leather became of Importance The market was not Jong continued. In 18C5 fashion again celled for the leather for manufactur? ing hue fancy slippers, traveling bags. Veits, card cases, music rolls, etc. The -demand has continued to the present, and -many th >usands of the animals lmve been killed, while the prepara? tion ol' tue skins has given employ eoent to hundreds of people. Output of Tanneries. The output of the tanneries of this country approximates 275.000 skins auuuially. worth about 8425.000, part of which com? from Mexico and Cen? tral America. It Is estlmsted that about 11.800.000 alligators were killed la Florida alone between 1880 and let*, nearly 10.000 being killed In 1801. Iths earliest settlers In the Southern tStatvs found til Ig* tors or, ss they were then called, crocodiles, exceed tag*- sJmadant in almost sll streams, ?atvectally In Florida and Lioulaana. aiany marvelous tales are found In the early chrordclee of ths ravages of it ere nonater?. They were said to eel dog* and pigs and to consider the aegro i n especially succulent tidbit, awhile it was considered dangerous to ige /sals s stream where they were tcrsswn'te exist When such a stream hid to be erosssd hours wore spent sometimes la basting It to frighten of' the alligators. Ths researches of scientists have shown that there Is very slight foun? dation for such stories snd It Is prob ssule aSxal greater number of the Idars tost ry the plsaters could have 'been traced to other enemies particu? larly tao-toassd ones, while runaway i slave* fauM naturally encoi.rage the Hielte* than alligators had dined on Harem. Florida Furnished Supply. Ths greater part of ths lupply of lallljtdtor leather now comes from Florida, snd owing to excess ve hunt? ing the Industry Is profltiblo only In ths central part of the peninsula, to what Is called the Lake Olteechobee iwertsa und in the Everglade*. Here she principe) hunters sre Semtnole Indiens, who iave their homes far back Is the Everglades, and who ?on? to the set tlements only when In Bleed of article* themselves. The alligator Is most active at night smd Its dsya are usually sp?nt lylns on some l>w bank or log overhanging the water, where it can et,Joy the warmth of the sun and be able to re? treat to Its native element at the first Mian of danger. While on land alliga? tors are verv clumsy, In the water fgsey sre exceedingly active, and be ina strong swimmers are able to catch Ihr larger nsh with but little trouble. Wor snlmaln like the muskrnt and Ot? ts* swimming across lagoons they are l?WAAS on the watch. Os seising its prey the alligator link \\\\U it t.i tbe b Utoin und the-v remains antll all struggling has ?*T?s*d- it is then sble, with less trouble, to tear It into pieces. While tbc* BgUSBaerged ? pgggJIgf collar at i b? gggt a| the lostgae preveats the Water from pissing into Its lungs. Wb<!e the alligator Is ?ald to ni ike 'eery en?-etlve use of Its tall In V Vars. ths wldsly disseminated story llgM u gggfl Its tail to -veep animals s?f OSI banks Into Its Jaws app< its to lia\e but slight foundation. 9fgg ladles at the Civic League of >ia>l r. t/lth a number ??f prominent InisiiieSH men of the town have gf* ionised the Mulllns Llbnry Assoeln 1hre. A bo.ird of directors has been ? beted, and they will ggsjlg nt once on sebMtlng the place for the lib? rary. The location and arrangement tore verV de-dr.lble. Mr Peter Pitts, county supenlsor. left Thursday evening for Jackson Wille. Fla., to bring back Archie fj^jggarlr) . (<?!?? ed i on\ let. w ho es ?scaped from the ebalngnng about two months sgsg, This Is the second ?Bas ftrearley has escaped and been jbroaght ba< k Farmers' Union News ?AND ? Practical Thoughts for Practical Farmers (Conducted by E. \V. Dabhs, President Farmers* Union of Sumter County.) \ The Watchman and Southron having decided to double its service by semi-weekly publication, would improve that service by special features. The first to be inaugurated is this Department for the Farmers' Union and Practical Farmers which I have been requested to conduct. It will be my aim to give the Union news and official calls of the Union. To that end officers, and members of the Union are requested to use these columns. Also to publish such clippings from the agricultural papers and Govern? ment Bulletins as I think will be of practical benefit to our readers. Ori? ginal articles by any of our readers telling of their successes or failures will he appreciated and published. Trusting this Department will be of mutual benefit to all concerned, THE EDITOR. All communications for tl Is Department should be sent to E. W, Dabbs. Mayesville, S. C. Some Random Thoughts. Again let me urge the Importance of the cowpea and of the application of potash, and acid phosphate to pro? duce the greatest amount of peavine growth, and then the liberal use of these element* (Potash and acid phosphate,) to secure the best re? sults from the nitrogen which the peas have started in the soil. For the production of seed peas one peck per acre, equal to five or six peas in a hill two feet apart either in rows two and one half feet apart or In the corn field a double row of peas to euch corn row, and planted from June 15 to July 15 will give the greatest yield of seed. Earlier planting than June 15th or seeding of more than a peck to an acre will give vine production at ex? pense of seed peas. This for the old reliable mixed, Cow and Tory pea. The speckle pea or Whlppoowill, and seme other verities wf.ll take heavier ceding on account of size of pea, and may be planted earlier. My experience with May and first fifteen days of June sowing of peas has always been too much vine, and fieqently not the seed that were sown, especially. If heavy seeding was al? lowed. One reaion for the very high price of seed peas In the past few years was that too heavy seeding had caused vine growth at the expense of leed. It worked two ways: more seed were needed, and less was produced. Before leaving the subject one oth? er thought: on poor land the seeding should be heavy both in corn, or In ?lubble land. Tou will make very little progress toward improvement of very poor land with a peck or half bushel of peas per acre and no potash or phosphate. There should be enough peas to shade the land, and where It Is so poor there is no vine, Just the upright stems with a few pods of peas on each, the seeding should be from one to two bushels. E. W. D. Hpw to Cure Cowpea Hay. I have been fighting the battle for the cowpea for so many years that I am glad to welcome an efficient help? er in Mr. French. But what a change there has teen in this respect! Twen? ty years ago hardly any one thought of a field of peas for hay, but rested satisfied with some sown among the corn, and the peas gathered and sold for 50 to 7 5 cents per bushel. A friend recently wrote to me "When you began to write and talk cowpeas I could buy all the peas I wanted for 50 cents a bushel and could buy land for any old price. Now peas are worth anywhere from $2.00 up, and land has boomed in price, and It is all your fault." Well, it Is a good thing for a man to have been Instru? mental in doing some little good to his fellows, and I have no reason to re? gret the price of peas or the increased value of the land In his county. T am glad to see, too, that Mr. French cures pea hay without the fussy practices that so many adopt. With stakes, frames, scaffolds and all sorts of contrivances to lost- th ? leayef and make poorer bay. i have often tried to show that tbeiv is no buy more anally cured than peavine hay, n you win only let it cure, and noi go to monkeying with nil aorti ol ueeleos and expensive contrivances to spoil It. The man who piles hll hay on scaffolds or any sort of frame mas eure it dry. but he will los.- th.- best pari of u, tin- leaves, in handling it. (Jet the hay under cover us soon a U is thoroughly wilted, but still limp, and it will cure if you lei it alone ai d you p in hat ?? ? fine, in eel hay Instead of the tlry stiehl thai one oemmonl] tees By using n leddei after the mower to toes the nay up llghtl] and linsten tin- wilting, i have always boon this lo rake Into wind? rowi in the afternoon sll that wai cut in the forenoon, and b> turning the wlndrowi ihe nsxl morning could put II into oooki that afternoon, if nect ?? oi leave it to finish In th? win? drow, if the we ther was not three< enlng, and the next day Into thi barn I with It before the leaves get crisp. Alfalfa or Cowpea-*-? Mr. A. O. Myers tells In the Nation? al Stockman and Farmer of a conver? sation he heard between two farm hands after he had made o talk on alfalfa at an institute. ??Work all done, Bill?" "Yep," "Going to the meeting tonight?" "Yep." "Was you down today?" "Yep, the old man let me off, ami told me to go down to the meeting and hear that fellow talk on alfalfa." "Did you hear him?" "Clear through." "What do you think about it?" "Well, I'll tell you, he makes alfal? fa look like a national bank on the farm, and I got to thinking since I went home to do my chores that If al? falfa Is as good as he says it is, and Id as easy to raise, it seems to me he can make more money raising it than he can in telling about it, for I don't think he gets so awful much for his talk." Alfalfa Requires Rich Land; Cowpea* Grow Anywhere. And I have often thought that if all the pains and labor and expense that have been spent In the effort to grow alfalfa in the South had been expend? ed in getting big crops of cowpeas, and using them for feed and :he im? provement of the land, we would be further ahead in farm improvement than we are. Not that alfalfa is not a valuable plant for a hay crop, but the time and expense that many have spent In the effort to start an alfalfa patch would have given them many times the amount of feed In cowpeas ?that require so much lese expense and give their returns so quickly. I believe that, as a rule, the Southern farmer can get more out of cowpeas and crimson clover than out of alfal? fa, and can Improve his land faster. Cowpeas will grow anywhere in the South and fit-in nicely in a short ro? tation of crops, and will build up the toll more rapidly and cheaply than al? falfa. Cowpeas are the natural legume forage for the South, and while on little pet patches the alfalfa may give large returns after several years of effort, the crop for the field, the crop that can be depended upon to feed the stock and improve the soil rapid? ly in the South, is the cowpea. The Cowpea is the South'* Main De? pendence. I have no objection to people ex? perimenting with alfalfa, but I do not believe that it will ever be in the Fast what it is In the West any more than I believe that the cowpea will ever take the place of alfalfa on the Western plains. Certain crops find their best conditions in certain sec? tions, and the condtlons in the South Indicate that the cowpea is the great? est of all legume forage crops for the South. In some sections of Mississippi and Alabama there seems to be a soil nat? urally adapted to alfalfa, and here the plant should certainly be grown to a much larger extent than it now |e. For the farmer who lias succeeded with alfalfa, We WOUld give no more discouraging advice than to go ahead and do more of it; hut over most of the South, while it may be Well to ex? periment with other crops, the cow? pea Ii the "old reliable" on which the farmer should place ids main depend? ence. There is main a farmer who of late years has Spent enough time and money in the ? ffori to gel an acre itch of alfalfa to have filled his barns eve > year with the best of pea vlne hay, while in- was falling with alfalfa. You may think me crank) on this subject, hut I Know that tlx pea has done, und la doing, more tor tin South than alfalfa e\ er w il'. li e t owpea: Past, Presen! and Fu? turs VICWB, when, over twenty years ago I be I in to talk and write peaa to the Southern farmera, an Issue of a farm paper ilka thoae of the preaent, would have heen an ImpOSBlble matter. At thai time i uaed to gel letters from the farm papers in the North: "Please send us a cut of this cowpea you write about; we want to know more about the plant." And year af? ter year the interest in the cowpea has grown. I am especially glad to know that in the South, especially in North Car? olina, there are fully one hundred acres of peas sown every year where one was sown twenty years ago; and It is one of the most gratifying things in my life that I have had some influ? ence in this increased culture of the cowpea. Therefore, the present issue of the Progressive Farmer is especial? ly interesting to me, since it shows so well how the pea is being appreciat? ed. One ton per acre of cowpea hay is a very moderate crop, and a crop that can be made on the poorest of South? ern lands, and $10 per acre Is a very moderate estimate of the feeding val? ue of such a crop. While alfalfa is certainly a valua? ble crop, where one succeeds in get? ting it, I believe that lor the average Southern farm the cowpea has a greater value, and that we can get more feed and cheaper from cowpeas than from alfalfa, unless on some particularly rich lot. But about the second crop from one sowing. I do not believe, that any one ever got a second growth of cowpeas if the first was mown for hay In the properly matured condition. If peas are cut l efore blooming, they will make a second growth, but both crops will not be worth as much as one well-matured crop. Mr. Tufts at Pinehurst made five tens of peavine hay per acre in two crops. But it was two sowings and not a second growth from the first sowing. But when one can make five tons> of peavine hay per acre* in one season, what need has he for spend? ing a lot of money trying to get al? falfa to grow? There are conditions of a climatic character and soli con? ditions, too, that make certain crops adapted to certain sections. The Western plains have the conditions for alfalfa. The South has the condi? tions for cowpeas, and in a series of years can get more feed from these, and do more good to the soil than ever can be done with alfalfa. a mixture of sorghum and peas is all right for soiling or for silage, but a very poor mixutre to make hay with, for the peas will cure better without the sorghum than with It. In fact, I have never seen. any mixture that was any improvement on clean pea hay, except the natural crab grass. Save the Manure and Grow Silage. Haul the manure out to the field as fast as made and spread It, and if the land needs mineral matter, soread some acid phosphate and potash, but do not waste time, manure and labor piling up a lot of stuff and mixing it. Composting is all right for the mar? ket gardener, whose valuable crops can make him afford to lose some ma? nure In order to get it fine. But for the ordinary farm crops, composting never pays. Use the floats in the sta? ble gutters dally and get the manure cut on the land at onoe and with only one handling. You cannot keep ma nure without losing value, and a ma? nure pile is something that should never be around the place. e e ? Mr. Williams Is right as to corn be? ing the best silo crop. I have tried clover, and It kept well till opened, and then I never saw anything mold faster. I have made and stored corn in rich bottom land for less than Mr. Williams, or $1 per ton, and I got a crop of clover hay every spring be? fore planting the corn, and sowed clover among it again at last work? ing. I had some very rich bottom land, that was very foul with all sorts of weeds, and I worked It In this way to clean the land so that I could finally get clean hay from it. On land of that character, a deep alluvial, one could keep up this annual cropping of clover and corn indefinitely with? out damage, and in any land it would be well to have the crimson clover crop precede the corn planting, and thus increase the amount of forage foi it will be easy to save a crop >f crimson clover hay before time to plant the corn, and the clover hay will help wonderfully in balancing up the silage.?Pud'. Massey in Progress? ive Farmer. Prom ail present Indications the in t> rotate firemen's convention and .tournament which is to be held at Union, July 81 T and 8 la t<? have the largest attendance ever known In the history of that association. Much In? terest Is being manlfeated. Prise? amounting to 1675 will be given t<? contests nts. Sam l/?n^. a young man living near Westminister, committed suicide late Thursday evening near his home, ii left hoim- presumably to ^o hunting hut did not return. A party which went to look for him Friday found hie dead body about 500 yards from his house. The cauae of thi* suicide la not known. The first dance Of ths season at Providence Springs Pavillop will be given Thursday evening. July 1st. EDITORS TO HAVE GOOD TIME. GREENVILLE MAKING READY TO ENTERTAIN NEWSPAPER MEN. Tin* Coming Meeting of the State I^oss Association Is Expected to l>e One of the I>arge.st Ever Held? Brilliant Social Features Planned? Some Fine Speakers on the Pro? gramme. Greenville. June 20.?On the 6th. Tth and 8th of July the State Pres3 -Association meeting will be held in Greenville and, in view of the exten? sive arrangements which have been made for the entertainment of the visiting editors, the occasion will be one of the biggest meetings which have been held in Greenville in recent years. Brilliant social features have al? ready been planned. The new hotel has been opened to the public and the Ottaray will be the meeting plac? cf the guests of the city. President E. H. Aull, of the Association, has been in the city several times recently in the interest of the coming meeting, and he reports that the plans have been arranged so that the editors v\ ill have the greatest pleasure possible in the visit to Greenville. Among the speakers and writers of note will be the Hon. James R. Gray, the editor and general manager of thn Atlanta Journal; Lucian Knight, the managing editor of the Atlanta Geor? gian; Frank L. Stanton, of'the At? lanta Constitution; Evelyn Harris, of the Southern Bell Telephone Com? pany; R. W. Hunt, of the Southern Railway Company; Dr. Lee DavJ.? Lodge, the president of Limestone College, and some of the best known editors of the State, as Major J. C. Htmphlll, the editor of the Charles? ton News and Courier; Capt. William E. Gonzales, editor of the State, and the Hon. J. P. Caidwell, of the Char? lotte Observer. This list of speakers i contains many of the most brii'iant lights in the journalistic world of the South. One of the most pleasing features of the meeting, and one which the people of the city will no doubt find thoroughly enjoyable, is that of open sessions of the Association. The peo? ple of Greenville and the visitors to [ the city for the meeting of the Asso? ciation will be given the privilege of j hearing the addresses of the editors. A brilliant banquet has been ar I ranged for the last night of the Asso? ciation by Miss Quinn. This will be held in the Ottaray and the well i known hostess of the new hotel prom? ises the visiting editors an enjoyable evening. It is a well known fact that the an? nual meeting of the Press Association of the State is one of the largest con? ventions 'which is held. The city which entertains the visiting editors generally receives a lot of advertising. The editors write and talk about their trip and the result is always beneficial to the city which is the host. Green? ville will attempt to excel the other cities In entertaining the editors and the results will no doubt be pleasing. On Tuesday evening at 8:30 o'clock an address will be made on behalf of the city, the Business Men's Associa? tion and the local press, welcoming the visitors to Greenville. The speak? ers will be Mayor G. Hayward Mahon for the city, Mr. F. F. Capers for the Business Men's Association and J. Rutledge McGhee for the local press. President Aull, of the Association, will make the response and, follow? ing his speech, will be held a social and acquaintance meeting. On Wed? nesday morning the business meeting will be held, and papers will be read by C. W. Wolfe, of the Kingstree Re? cord, and Thomas R. Waring, of the Charleston Evening Post. On Wed? nesday afternoon a business meeting v. ill be held and papers read by M. P. Felder, of the Dorchester Eagle; W. W. Smoak. Jr.. of the Walterboro Press and Standard; Solicitor J. M. Spears, of the Darlington News and Press. Late in the afternoon there twill be an outing tendered by the people of the city to the editors and a visit made to the Country Club. On Wednesday evening Dr. Lodge, of Limestone College, make an address and, imrmP following his address, will be held reception at the Poin^ett Club. Thursday there will be another bui ness meeting held, and papers by F. Caldwell, of the Chester Lantei c. E. Boney, of the Laurens Adv tiser; Col. T. b. Crews, of the Lai ensvtlle Herald; X. G. Osteen, of tj Sumter Watchman and Southn John W. Holmes, of the Bai People, Hugh Wilson, of the Abl i ville Press and Banner; Miles B. Sweeney, of the Hampton Guardb Col. h. a. Thompson, of W? la; E J. Sherwood, T. H. Coker ai a. H Seats. On Thursday afternoon the seb tion of the next place of meeting wll be made. In the afternoon and aft< the election, the car ride over the cit will be held. At the banquet on Thursday even] ing some of the visiting editors wil make addresses, and the occasion wil o doubt be a brilliant one. PKTIT JURORS. Second Week?Summer Term, it Geo. E. Martin, W. H. Strange, Ed Conyers, H. L. Boykin, L. E. White, L. I. Strauss, Richard Oxendine, W. W. McKagen, Geo. F. Epperson, J. D. Hill, E. E. Doby, M. F. Christmas, H. B. Boykin, A. I). Frierson, W. G. McCoy, E. W. Vogel, H. J. Hicks, W. A. Kinard, R. C. Mayes, , J. L. McLeod, J. B. Hodge, R. C. Burress, J. B. Ryan, Moses Green, A. D. Owens, F. P Bradford, D. V. Keels. Silas Mellett, Jr.. T. D. Lackey, T. J. Brown, W. P. DuBose, W. A. Shuler, W. F. Oliver, W. B. Singleton, D. J. Auld. J. D. Gregg. Our policemen have donned uniforms complete?new shoes el Swell? I guess, yes! Dally New York Cotton Mark? New York, Jane 21? Open High Jan July Oct Dec 10 91 10 92 10 89 10 95 10 94 10 97 10 94 10 98 Low 10 91 10 9*2 10 89 10 95 Tone?Steady WANTED?Highest cash price for Long and Short Leaf Pine Address J. W. Jackson, Su^ S. C._6-17 WANTED?4 will pay good priu Teams to haul logs by the sand feet. Cash once a wee?c| dress J. W. Jackson. 6-1.-1 WILL COSTIN * CO.. WHOLESALE KING. RETAIL 30 W. Libcrtj St. Flour, 24 lbs. 90c. Rice 8 l-3c qrt. Hams 10c pound. Sugar 5 l-4c pound. Vinegar 5 l-4c qrt. Meat lie per pound. 4 ft. Cord Wood $2.25. Rooms to rent. WANTED?To hire three four-i logging teams to haul by the tho. and. Will pay cash once a wee] Address J. W. Jackson. Sumter, C. W&S2wka-4t Hog Feed Cheap CARLOAD EXTRA MCE RICE FLOUR The cheapest and best Hog Feed you [ can use. We will sell it cheap as long as it lasts. Hk-lHh LiYG hi Co., SUMTER, : : : S C.