Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE. LETTERS FROM OUR SPE? CIAL CORRESPONDENTS. From oil Porto of and Adjoining Counties. WOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mall your Utters so that they will this office not later than Mon when Intended for Wsdnssday'i and not later than Thursday Saturday's Issue. This, of course, only to regular correspond In oass of Items of unusual Talus, send in lir mediately by telephone or telegraph. Sueh stories ars acceptable up to the of going to* press, Wednesday's Is printed Tuesday afternoon Saturday's papsr Friday after Max. Jan. II.?The last meeting of Bstbtl W. M. 8. was entertstned by Mrs M. B. Truluck at her home. Beautiful cards of invitation were goat out. also pretty souvenirs were given to each on whloh was appro? priate verses of scripture recited In response to roll call. After the business of the meeting was transacted, a delightful lunch son of delicious cskes. ambrosia and eoff<e was served. Altogether It was an Inspiring snd pleasant occasion. Mrs. Ullis Dilggers, of Newberry, Is visiting relatives at Shlloh and Olanta. John Mao Truluck spent Saturday night with Mayrsnt Truluck and at? tended preaching at Lynchburg Bap? tist church Sunday morning. Mr. Henry Tomllnson is recovering from a severe attack of grip. Plantations are taking on an In? dustrial appearsnee. Mr. A. J. Ooodmsn hss returned K n;e from s trip through Florida. Ms reports hsvlng s plessant visit ex? cept at one place, where his pleas? ure mat marred by the total disre? gard of the Sabbath by the people. On his return home he stopped with relatives In Columbia and through courtesy of Mr. A. J. Roberts, enjoy? ed an automobile ride about the cap Hal city. Perhaps he realises as nev? er before the advantages of his own bountiful snd God-fearing, If com men place country. Today Is real spring-like weather in. Jan. It.?Winter Is here In tuU force and Judging from ths numt bar of people afflicted with colds soughs and grippe, unless there is a ansage to warm weather, there won't be enough well ones to nurse the sick The new year has begun with rath OS blue prospects. Those who have n llttls cotton are sick at the slump is price. "If I only hsd of sold at It 1-1 cents." is their lament, which that human nature le hard to ify. Farm hands sre scsrce In It sections and wages high. The ssarctty of corn and high prices for provisions generslly will make this with all economy, an expensive yesr Mr. H. H. Evans. Jr., has con structed a fine fish pond and has It stocked with bream. It is s very pretty ons snd no doubt will be Several from here have gone to the Laymen's meeting In Columbia this week. t notice a good many new build lags going up In different sections Mr. J. W Robertson, of Smithvllle Is bullding s dwelling house. When Snlshed it will be a pretty and com fortable one. Mr. J. D. McLeod Has put an sddl tton to his dwelling house. Mr. A. W. Boykln has greatly sn larged and remodeled his home. It Is now quite a large building. The repairing of Swift Creek church le about finished and adds much to the looks of the building A little negro child came near be tng burned to death last week on M J. L Olllla' place. The mother left alone and It caught afire and ran out Mr. Henry Hatfleld, fortunately, hap pened slong snd put the Are ou when it was in full blase. His time ly Interference saved the child's life "ft is a wonder that more of them don't get burned up as their parents leave them shut up In houses and go frolicking over the country and no warning of the danger of such a course has any effect on them. Rev. Mr. Wright preached a very thoushful sermon at McLeod's church on Sunday last sfter which the Lord's supper was observed by the church. He seems to be a pleasant man and no doubt will do a fine work. The writer has the grippe or first cousin to it. SMITirvrLLE. The wind Is blowing awfully today Perhaps It will bring rain, which Is very much needed. The wells are failing In water and unless rain comes soon we will have to resort to the swamps to water esjf stock ami for laundry purposes. Thsrs Is a great cry about the high price of food stuffs. The high price of cotton Is one cause, hut not the only one by any mesns. Take wheat, for Instance, since 1S80 the increase of production Is 41 per cent., while the population "or consumers at home" have increased 74 per cent. 1 The prospect for cheaper bread is not bright, since the average yield of wheat is only about thirteen bushels per acre. Beef and pork are scarce, as grain products are so high very few are 'being fattened. Prices especially for beef will continue to. si ar as the demand is greater than the supply. Texan, the greatest cat? tle state in the union is being cut up Into small farms and truck patches. As there Is none other to take its place, the chances are there will be more mouths to feed and less to 1111 them. Farm products of all kinds have advanced, in price, but if the farmers will go to work snd pasture enough hogs to make their meat and keep a milch cow, they can cut down their expenses to a lar.se extent. If you have very little gr*in, plant plenty of vegetables, especially collards, squashes and watermelons. They will help out the corn crib wonderfully. The time haa conr.e when the farm? ers will, of dire necessity, grow more home supplies. A warning from an old day book proves that you can't de? pend on cotton for a living at 18 cents a pound, much less 12 1-2 and IS cents.' Lets become as near self-supporting as possible by grow? ing very little cotton and planting grain and other by-products to meet our expenses. When we do this we will be independent and can snap our Angers at the trusts, stock barons and packers. The people who follow other vocations WtU feel the effects of high prices more keenly than the farmers. Why kick and howl? Go to work In an Intelligent manner and better your condition and not spend your time in useless repining. Miss Clyde Weldon spent last week with Miss Colsey Robertson. Miss Letha McLeod is visiting W. H. Shiver. Mrs. T. C. Robertson spent yester dsy at Herrlots. Rev. R. E. Sharp and Messrs. Charlie, J. L and W. H. Shiver went to Columbia yesterday to attend the Laymen's Mission*-y meeting. Mr. Sharp . preached an excellent sermon last Sunday to a large and appreciative audience. The writer heard many remarks concerning him that were quite complimentary. EGYPT. Egypt, Jah. 19.?With good weath? er the farmers are making a rapid start towards the beginning of a new crop. Hauling fertilizers is the order of the day?about the same amount will be used this rear as last. A lit? tle plowing has been done. Oats are slowly recovering from the recent cold. Moat of the farmers sold their cottonseed this year. Rev. Sharp has arrived and made his round on the St. John's and Rem bert circuit. He seems to be much liked, as the etewarde have raised his salary to 91.000. Mr. L. A. White spent yesterday in Blshopville. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Weldon were Im Camden yesterday. Dr. T. D. Foxworth left today for McCol), 8. C, where he will practice medicine for the year. He is a good man and the people will miss him very much?also the church. We wish hbm success and hope that he will soon be able to return to our sec? tion again. Mrs. Essie Bourne after several days visit with relatives in this sec? tion has returned to her home at Samplt.. Mr. J. R. McLeod spent Saturday In Camden. Little Alma Peebles has been very sick for several days, but we are glad to report her much better. Mrs. J. W. Gibson of, Blshopville, spent Sunday and Monday with rela? tives at this place. Mr. J. K. Rlchbourg went to Bis.i opvllle Monday. Mr. L A. White and son Lawrence, spent Saturday and Sunday with rel? atives at Rembert. Mr. W. T. McLeod spent last Fii day in Blshopville. The people of Lee County are with? out a supervisor, Mr. Mooneyhan hav? ing died Saturday night. The health of the community is very good. Another Holiday Suggested. SUtehurg, Jan. 19.?We were re? minded in our celebration today of Oen. Lee's birthday, that the South had greatly honored this hero of war by making thle day a holiday In all the States of the late Confederacy; but we could not help reflecting upon the serious omission in not having the greatest statesman of this sec? tion honored equally with the great? est soldier, and certainly South Car? olina should feel It a duty to bring abnut this equal recognition of the South's two (2> greatest servants. The ISth of March, Cnlhoun's birthday, deserves the same consld erutlon in the Stat.> of Virginia that Uee'i no rits in South Carolina, and If VlrKina would manfest an equally generous spirit toward Carolina's statesman as Carolina shows toward Virgina's soldier, it would contribute to the just feeling In distributions of honors throughout the South. There is no question but that Cal houn was as distinct and worthy a leader of the South In peace as Lee was in war and there would be great? ly Increased bestowal of honor on this section by having two, Instead of one, of our citizens, presented to the world's admiration, of command? ing genius and stainless character, as the representatives of our Intelli? gence and virtues. RAVEN EL LITERARY SOCIETY, POINSETTE LITERARY SOCIETY, Of the Gen. Sumter Memorial Acad? emy. GOOD ROADS MEN MEET. Statt? Convention Opens at Columbia With Fine Attendance. Columbia. Jan. 18.?At the sessions of the 11th annual convention of the South Carolina Goofi Roads Associa? tion held today and tonight in the hall of the house of representatives* the fact was brought out that the good roads question in this State is just a plain business proposition, which the people will have to face in the near future. A highway com? mission and a highway engineer were endorsed in many of the addresses before the sessions. A bond issue was approved by many. It was the sense of the meeting that more in? telligent road building is needed in South Carolina. There were present at the sessions today men of every profession In South Carolina. They were here for a purpose, as shown by the great in? terest displayed In all of the speeches delivered. From the sentiments ex? pressed at the sessions it is evident that there will be no more good roads talk and agitation but good roads work. The delegates were urg? ed by the speakers to do something, and do it now. There will be an experience meet? ing of the county supervisors and commissioners tomorrow when these officers will tell of Just what has been done towards the improvement of the public highways of the State during the past year. Every county is rep? resented at the meeting. There were a number of the legislators present and all of the addresses were listened to with interest. Among those delivering addresses were: Dr. S. C. Mitchell, of the Uni? versity; Prof. Twitchell, of the Uni? versity; D. N. Winslow, of the United States good roads office; President Hyatt, of the Association; Senator Smith, 'Commissioner Watson, Col. Jas. Cosgrove, of Charleston, and others. The annual report of Presi? dent Hyatt was read and was very encouraging. COTTON AGAIN SLUMPS Heavy Selling Movement Continues And Prices Decline. New York, Jan. . 18.?Tho New tork cotton market, following the downward movement, which began t'hortly after New Year's touched new low levels again today, with esti? mated liquidation of 800,000 bale* The recurrence of extreme weakness seemed to create more apprehension than other recent breaks in price*, and at this the market was utterly demoralised. At the low point of the day, March contracts showed a de? cline of 76 points from the closing figures of last night, while May. reg? istered a loss of 73 points. In the latter case, as compared with the high point of the season, this is a drop of $14.80 a bale. When these low levels were reached, however, an enormous demand from strong trade Interests, whose purchases checked the decline on Fr'day, brought about a rally and a firm close. Purchases by spinners who realized that future markets have had a decline of nearly 3 cents a pound from the top, while spot mar? kets have lost little more than $5 per bale, and who are buying as 8 hedge against forward requirements, also had a strong influence towards sustaining the market. Generally speaking, today's heavy seil'rg is supposed to have represent? ed liquidation by strong Interests, who have accumulated large lines of oniracts during the progress >f the bull market without much publicity These holdings they carried over the break of last week, but apparently lost confidence because of the failure of the market to maintain Its rally of last Saturday. With the day's liquidation it is esti? mated that since this tremendous selling movement began, about two weeks SgO, speculative holdings amounting to nearly 4,000,000 bales have been disposed of. These con? tracts are supposed to have gone largely into the hands of trade in? terests. Vwsj men put off until tomorrow the mesnSSS they can do today. The scientific gentleman who says Americans are Sating more than they USSd to should not judge a nation by its holiday appetite?Washington Star. THE ASYLUM SCANDAL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE DIS? CLOSES DEPLORABLE CON? DITIONS. There Has Been Lack of Business System in Management, Neglect of Patients and Disregard of Saiitnry Precautions?There is a Crying Need for an Immediate and Radical Change?Dr. Balx<xk. the Super intciident. Has Failed to Give In? stitution Needed Oversight. Columbia, Jan. 19.?The reports of the commission appointed to investi? gate the affairs at the State Hospital for the Insane have been made pub? lic. The majority report, signed by Senators Christensen and Bates and Representatives Dick and Harrison, is a stinging arraignment of the board of regents for neglect of their duties, particularly those laid on them by their own rules and regula? tions, which require that they shall report the conditions at the hospital each month. The report is most tem? perate attaching blame to no one, presenting the facts as they were found, the laws of the State and the institution and the neglect of both, but worse than all, through the testi? mony submitted showing the very grossest violations of the ordinary rules of sanitation and even decency, such as the bathing of 15 patients of one ward in the same water in a bath tub, and some of those probably afflicted with syphilitic disease or tu? berculosis. The location of the foul? est water closets, centres of wide pol? lution, within a few steps of what is practically an outdoor kitchen, the absence of screens and many other gross violations of the commonest laws of health. The committee seems to have split hopelessly on the scope that the in? vestigation should take.. The majori? ty report is from those who consider? ed It their duty to examine any and all conditions around the hospital, the minority, signed by Senator Har dln and Representatives Cary and Sawyer, contending for confining the Investigation within certain charges brought before the commission. This latter construction is the one con? tended for by the friends of the su? perintendent and regents, who, sure of the fact that these gentlemen did not see that they were neglecting their duty, would have spared them the unpleasantness of the cruel ex? posures made by the Investigation. No one would charge Dr. Babcock, one of the most eminent scientists in the country, with intentional neglect of so great a charge, but the evidence j submitted and the array of photo? graphs of the Institution made under the direction of the committee are most damning. The board of regents is composed of Messrs. W. J. Gooding, Hampton; J. Perry Glenn, Anderson; W. W. Ray, Congaree; J. H. Taylor, Colum? bia. There are no better men in the State than these. For their work these regents receive a per diem of not more than $250 a year and mile? age when they attend meetings. The superintendent, who is also the chief physician, receives 13,000 a year and a residence on the grounds. The report points out that the reg? ulations of the board were made 18 years ago, and been changed very little since that time and no adoption of modern ideas In such institutions. "Not only," says the report, "have the expenditures of the appropriations been in some cases wastefully man? aged, but not enough has been asked for to maintain the proper standard of such an institution. The report calls attention pointed? ly to the fact that the regents of the Institution, in their own minutes, ac? knowledged that the State has al? ways given them all thaUthey asked for for the maintenance of the Insti? tution, but that even in the matter of appropriations asked for for the purchase of additional land, and the buildings needed, when the legisla? ture scaled them down the board usually went ahead and had the work contemplated done and the deficien? cy, more than the iginal amount re? quested, wa? *e up by the next legislature. T -egents complained of nothing but the crowding of the Institution, and yet the laws of the State were specific to the effect that the institution was to be for none ex? cept Insane persons, and the manage? ment had not refused to admit many Inebriates, weak mlrded persons and Idiots in violation of the law, when the institution was admittedly over? crowded. The report shows on De? cember 13. 1.533 inmates?520 white women, 370 white men, 321 negro women, 322 negro men. There are four departments of the institution, patients divided as to race and sex. The institution owns 360 acres of land, on 60 of which the buildings of the institution are located, the rest being farm and dairy. The commission points out the du? ty of the superintendent to enforce discipline, give his entire time to the management of tin* institution end Its force of employes. The report con? tinues to show that there is lack <'f system in tin- nodical, mechanical and financial departments of the In I ?tltution, that discipline is lax, that there is "an atmosphere of disorgani? zation, want of cooperation with those in authority, a feeling of apa? thy and helplessness." That for sev? eral years there were daily confer? ences of the staff of physicians, but they have for some time been discon? tinued. That no reports are made to the superintendent of the condi? tion of individual patients, that the women's ward is in much better con? dition, and receives frequent visits from the superinendent, and until : e cently he was visiting physician in the negro women's ward, but has not been in touch with the male wards in years. One by one the rules applying to the superintendent are quoted and ueglect pointed out, even to the fact that the superintendent had no office, and is to be found, when needed, at his residence, from which he has but 1 rar??!y been absent during the long tei\. of his superintendency, but the Inadequateness of such provisions Is pointed out strongly. The failure of the treasurer and other officials to keep detailed records and accounts *s I stressed particularly. There seems 1 to be absolutely no system at all of office work, and the committee points I out the 'oss to the State through such methods. The farm seems to be the only de? partment that can be commended. In the matter of the burial of the dead, shocking conditions are polnt I ed out. In fact, from the testimony, j the pictures and the conclusions of j the committee, It may .be reasonably I assumed that the unfortunate ln I mates of the institution are given lit I tie, if any, more consideration, dead or alive, than so winy impounded j dogs. Bodies were buried on top j of bodies at Elmwood cemetry I when the lot bcame crowded, until a J shocked humanity revolted. There are no makers, and one man after j working for years to save money enough to bring the body of his d??ad wife home for burial, could find no trace of her remains in the general conglomeration of bones and bo lies piled up in the cemetery lot. The I next change was to a part of the j present farm property, and the chol I era hogs and the dead are kept in I the same lot. The commission severely criticises I the laws providing for patients being I carried to the hospital by the sheriff j or his deputies, pointing out how j their being brought, often in shack I Us, 1b a serious detriment to their I case. I There are no clinical records kept I and no classification of patient?. I Many of the patients are sane at in I tervals and many of them are weak I minded or inebriates, and they arc j made to stay i.i close wards with the I insane. Many attendants are report I ed illiterate and brutal, many cas3s I of brutality being reported, showing I lack of discipline. There are not I enough attendants, and It seems to I have been a fact recognized by the I management, but no effort was made I to.supply the deficiency. The wards I are Infected with vermin, even the I white women's wards, which have re? ceived the greater part of the atten? tion. The male patients are allowed to be unkempt and ragged; they are palletted on bundles of straw in many cases; there are no proper or ade? quate bathing facilities, and the pic? tures of the bath room show most disgusting surroundings, far from suggesting cleanliness. Under the.head of "Treatment for Insanity," it is shown that the ad? mittedly best methods of sanitation, proper feeding and occupation are every one disregarded. The food ?s badly prepared by cooks who never learned to cook, and the kitchens are unsanitary, in the basements with leaky uoors above them, and no screens, food supply always the aame. service of meals shocking, service generally being in dirty, greasy, bat? tered tin plates, frequently set down for sick patients in close proximity to open and foul chamber pots Pa? tients who ought to be occupied arc shut up In close wards to mope, or exercised In narrow yards, but the dreary life of an inmate is generally spent in unchanging monotony of hanging about the narrow, ill-vent.O ated wards with gibbering idiots and insane people. The commission Insists on occupi tion and amusement and hydrjther apy for the cure of patient?, which seems to be practically Ignored In the South Carolina institution. It M shown that mechanical restraint -s used In an average of seven per cent of the patients here, compared With only one per cent, in other hospital* in the United States, and in many of them no mechanical restraint frt a'.. The report says that member* of the committee have seen scr-air? ing women strapped down to beds In !oi*ged rcorns and in other depart? ments patients In restraint lying in defiled leds. This hoepita' ent??l*)<*i a maximum of restraint and allows It Indiscriminately, while In modern institutions it is forbidden, or most rigidly guarded. Government reports are quoted to show that in the South Carolina hos? pital the death rate Is the highest in the United states, 21.54 par cent, as compared with a general average of the States of about 11 per cent, and the recovery rate the lowest. As a summary the report states that the place is unfit for a place of detention by tne State, that no proper treat? ment is provided for insanity, and the custodianship is a menace to the health and life of the afflicted ones. It is pointed out, for one thing, that the place is not only a death trap, but a fire trap of the worst kind, and no fire instructions or fire drill is given. A volume might be rilled with facts and findings to make that statement more terrible in *t? impre-ssiveness, but it may all be summed up In the satement tha* South Cr.rolina in the care of her af? flicted children has hardly passed be? yond the staue of medaevali8m. It is estimated that it will require $350,000 to put the plant in anything like the condition that it ought to bo. so it is suggested that the present plant be sold, the land being worth $400,000, and two plants, to cost vbTO.OOO, each, be erecttd by the State elsewhere. W. H. McCAW. The asylum investigating commis? sion's minority report signed by Sen? ator Hardin and Representatives Sawyer and Carey, recommends re? taining the present plant and secur? ing more room by erecting sheds for tuberculosis patients like those in use in New York City, long, plain sheds with swinging glass windows and heated with steam pipe. Lack of room is considered the most seri? ous cause of all complaint at the in? stitution and the minority thinks that relief of this crowded condition would give opportunity for reforms on all lines. To still further relieve this condition the minority recom? mends colonizing epileptics and in? ebriates on farms to be bought sev? eral miles from the city. It is point? ed out that the present buildings need plumbing and heating, better sanitation, more bath tubs, better ar? rangements in the kitchens, the pres? ent situation existing largely on ac? count of lack of money, due to the board of regents^ being Indisposed to ask for all that was needed, as the State is small and taxes are high and getting higher. In regard to the management of the institution the minority finds that in the admission of patients the board has not violated any law, but follow? ed the law and their charitable promptings; that the superintendent has done the work of three men and done it as well as could be expected; that there has been lack of medical and nursing force; that the Institu? tion has been managed economically as compared with other institutions; the separation of regroes and whites entailed expense in this State which others did not have to meet. The minority finds that conditions In the white women's ward compare favorably with any institution. The negro women's building is fair, but conditions in the men's wards are very deplorable. The high death rate the minority considers attributable to the crowd? ed conditions and pellagra. The need of reform is pointed out in many ways, particularly in having more resident doctors to devote their whole time to the Institution, but the report insists that faithful work has been given by those in charge. , COTTON MANIPULATORS RAPPED New Orleans, La., Jan. 19.?Apro- , po8 of the so-called bear raid in the New York cotton market, President W. B. Thompson, of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, Issued a signed statement tonight, i:i which he says: "If there was ever a time when the cotton producer and the holder of spot cotton should take a stand, that time is the present. We have recently passed through one of the most trying and unwarranted de? clines in the history of the cotton trade. Spot cotton is intrinsically worth little if any less than it was two weeks ago, yet in the meantime, through the manipulation of a few bear operators in the New York mar? ket, the entire cotton trade has been for the time being demoralized. "Let it be understood that the slump in the contract market has not affected the intrinsic value of cotton. The law of supply and demand de? termines this value. The New York raid is not a legitimate incident of the cotton trade either in spots or futures. It represents the efforts of a few men with much money to gain their purpose by a guerrilla attack* It is as if a man, or set of men, for the sake of gratifying a personal grudge and of reaping a personal profit, should endeavor to stampede the occupants of a crowded building by the cry of 'fire.' "This issue is a large one. It com? prehends more than the Interests of the bear or bull operators In'cotton. It raises the question as to whether a few manipulators shall demoralize a great trade system and go unpun? ished therefor. It affects the best interests of not only the spot mar k< t. but Ihe future market as well. The moat powerful agent of retribu ti< .. Is within the control of the far mer and spot holders, If they will VIso it."