Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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T>U> NAVY III'NT FOR A8TOR. Repreeentatlvc Hard wick of Georgia Would Know Whether Govern - ment Hpent Money Searching; for Him, Wnehington, Dec. 14.?Represent? ative Hardwlck of Georgia wanta to krow if it is ttue that the navy de? partment helped to search for the yacht of Col. John Jacob Autor when It was reported lost recently In the Went Indies, and If so, why, and how much money was spent by the de? partment In the queat He Intro? duced a resolution today indicating this deelre and requiring the secre? tary of the navy "If not Incompatible with public welfare" to Inform the house ae to the facts in the case. OONFKIUgNCK APPOINTMENTS. FreatfceiB Who Will Serve Charge? fit Buinter District Next Year. W. T. Duncan, presiding elder; Bethany. O. D. Spires; Blahopvllle. P. A. Murray; Camden, H. B. Browne; ?lloree. J. K. Strickland; Fort Motte? J. P. Wlnnlngham; Heath Springs. A. 8. Lesley; Karaitew, J. H. Noland; Lynchburg. J. 8. Beasley; Manning, F. H. Shuler; Oawego, D. Hacks; Plnewood, T. W. Mannerlyn; Providence, J. N. Wright; Mohlsnd. L, T. Phillips; St. Johns and Rem berta, R. K. Sharp; St Matthe we, 1. M. Stead man; Sumter, First church, M. W. Hook; Broad Street, J. B. Wil? son; Water ee, J. V. De via; assistant to conference secretary of missions, H. B. Browne; transferred. C. R. Whtttaker, North Georgia confer? ence. Sods Not Wearing Oat. Experte of the Department of Agri? culture contend that there la no ground for the belief prevalent In some quarters that American soils are gradually wearing out Thla great question of toll fertility has been occupying the attention of agriculturists all over the country for some time, and special study of the situation has been made by direction of Secretary Wilson. The Depart? ment of Agriculture has prepared soil maps of Maryland and other States and the analysis of these aolla does not bear out the contention that they are wearing out. "A great and fundamental problem which has confronted our people," says Secretary Wilson la a statement of the situation, "as It has the people of the world, Is the question of the permanency of soil fertility. Of late rears, particularly, the Idea has pre? vailed that the soils of various parts of the United States are wearing out through loan of mineral-plant food, and that a serious condition is thus presented for th^ future of our peo? ple. So important and fundamental te this problem for the welfare of our people that I directed a thorough ex? amination to be made of the whole subject, and an exhaustive report has been Issued, from which certain im? portant conclusions can be given In a few words. "It haa been found from the rec? ords kept by our owu department that on the average, crop yields per acre have shown a decided tendency to increaae during a period of 40 years, and that there la no evidence of general decreaae over large areaa or In any particular State, aa la pop? ularly supposed. Thla Indicates, un- | doubtedly, that on the average our people are farming more intelligent? ly, and therefore more successfully, and that we are. through these more Intelligent methods, winning gradual? ly larger returns from the soil. "It haa been held, however, by some writers that even if the yields are Increasing the element of danger is that the larger cropa remove larg? er amounta of plant food from the aolla and bring nearer the time when the aolla will eventually wear out. To meet thla argument it haa been neces? sary to extend the Investigations into older countries, and the records of Europe have been searched for in? formation Iii regard to the past his? tory of these older countries that can be taken as a safe guide for the fu? ture of the newer soils of the United States. These records Indicate that in the middle of the sixteenth cen? tury, or. roughly speaking, three to four hundred years ago, the aolla of Central and Northern Europe were producing on the average about as much wheat per acre as tho soils of the United States are producing at the present time. These European aolla have been occupied for agricul? tural purpoaea for at least a thousand years, during most of which period the country was more densely popu? lated than the United States is at the present time. So far as records are obtainable, they indicate that as a re? sult of Increasing population and more Intelligent methods of soil oon trol. and in aplte of their longer oc? cupation, the average yield per acre haa Increased until In the case of Northern Europe the soils are now producing about two or two and one half times as much per acre as the newer aolla of the United States are producing." FERTILIZER HEARING HELD. Attorney General Lyon Introduce* Demurrer to Seaboard Complaint. Columbia, Dec. 13.?Because his wife It the first cousin of B. L. Caughman, one of the railroad com? missioners, Chelf Justice Jones was today disqualified from sitting in the matter of the injunction proceedings brought by the Seaboard Air Line Railway to restrain the commission from putting Into effect its circular, which reduced the rates on fertilizer In this State by about 5 per cent, j Governor Ansel appointed Judge i j . Shlpp to take the place of the Chief S Justice. The case will very probably be heard tomorrow. At the hear? ing today Attorney General Lyon de? murred for the State on the ground that the complaint of the Seaboard Air Line did not set forth that the road was chartered under the laws of South Carolina; that the road was alleged to be a foreign corporation, organized under the laws of Virginia and North Carolina, and owns and operates certain lines of road in this State, and that the lines of the road In South Carolina are operated as a foreign corporation in violation of the Constitution. When the demurrer had been read W. H. Lyles, attorney for the road, applied for permission to amend the complaint by putting in a section to the effect that the road was charter? ed in this State. The order of amend? ment was placed with the court, and was taken under consideration. There was some discussion as to the amendment of the complaint. Mr. Lyles asked the court for an lnjunc tlon until a special referee, R. W. Shand, could take testimony and re? port upon the facts in the case. If the objections of the Attorney Gen? eral are met in the complaint a ref? erence will very probably be orderd to take testimony as to whether the rates are conflscatory or reasonable. Should the objections not be met then the case would be thrown out. The Peoples' Bank of Florence has applied for a charter as a national bank under the name of the First National Bank of Florence. Carolinian Die? on Train In Alabama. Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 14.?John Bond, an elderly man, died on a Western of Alabama train Just out? side the city today. His home is in Manning, S. C. He was en route to California. L, W. Fergusson and A. E. Milan, special detectives who have been working up cases against Greenville blind tigers have been arrested on a charge of perjury. $500.Qfi FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS GIVEN AWAY! a_a_a5SS5-a_-aa_B-^ Great Voting Contest for Readers of : : : : : THE WATCMAN AND SOUTHRON AND THE DAILY ITEM __. i _ A $400 Piario and Two Gold Watches Costing $50 Each are the Prizes. v. Contest Opens Monday, Nov. 29th and Closes February 28th. Do You Want the Piano? It is yours if you comply with the Easy Conditions and Make the proper Effort. Conditions and Prizes. The 5400 Piano, the grand prize of this contest, will be given to the sub scriber or a nominee of a subscriber of the Watchman and Southron or Sum ter Daily Item receiving the greatest number of votes in this contest. No matter where you live you are eligible to enter this contest. One $50 Gold Watch, cither Gentle? man's or Lady's size, as the winner may select, will be awarded to the per? son, not a resident of the City of Sum ter, receiving the next largest number of votes. One $50 Gold Watch, either Gentle? man's or Lady's size, will be awarded to the person resident of the City of Sumter, receiving the next largest number of votes. The contest for the Grand Prize, the $400 Piano, is open to all readers of The Watchman and Southron or The Sumter Daily Item. It can be won by a resident of Sumter, Lee or Clarendon County, or some other County. One Gold Watch as a special second prize to be contested for by non-residents of the City of Sumter, while the other is a special second prize to be contest? ed for by residents of this city. This Magnificent Cote Piano, which we will give away, is 4 ft. 9 in. high *? 5 ft. long and weighs, boxed, ready for shipment, over 800*lbs. The finest materials and most experienced workman have prcduced-in the^Cote an in- ^ strument excellent in tone, power, durability and appearance.' Tbis piano ] is installed in the best homes, conservatories and music halls in the land ; is Woll known and widely recommended hy the leading musicians and ,\ teachers. It is positively guaranteed for ten years by the Manufacturers. Nominations. Each and every person entering the contest must be nominated on one of the Nomination Blanks published in both the Watchman and Southron and the]. Daily Item. The nomination counts as iooo votes, but only one nomination will be credited to a per? son. In each issue of the Watchman and Southron and the Daily Item will be published a ballot which is good for the number of votes specified on the ballot. How to Obtain Votes. Every new subscriber paying in ad? vance, will be credited for each dollar paid, 200 votes. Every old subscriber paying up back dues will be credited for each dollar paid ioo votes, and on each dollar paid in advance 200 votes. No votes will be given on payments of less than $i.oo. Every person or firm that brings or sends an order for ad? vertising or printing and pays for same in advance will be entitled to ioo votes for each dollar paid. For money paid on accounts 50 votes will be allowed for each dollar paid, if money is brought or sent to this office. No votes will be given for money paid collector. Nominations will not be received later than December 24, therefore, it is important that the blanks be mailed to this office at once. Remember every nomination blank counts for 1000 votes, but will not be counted twice for the same person. We have a supply of voting ballots at our office which must be tiled _ there, properly signed, as the cash is paid for subscription, advertising or printing. Those at a distance wishing to vote must send the money, for which a voting ticket together with a receipt, will be mailed to the person making the rem:ttance. The tickets must be made out, signed and returned promptly to this office. THE WAY TO WIN Osteen Publishing Co. No. 18 West Liberty St. Phone No. 30, 9 9 Sumter, So. Car. SEE PIANO ON DISPLAY AT THE SAVOY ICE CREAM PARLOR.