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?l)r oulaitouiau an? ^jutjjrak WEDNESDAY, FtBftUARY 2, 1910. The Sumier Watchman was found? ed In 1850 and the True Southron In lift. The Watchman and Southron aow haa ths combined circulation and Influence of both of the old papers, and le manifestly the best advertising saadlum In Burnt sr. PARTNER WITH NATURE. South Carolina Roy Wins Govern - ami's Prise for Finest Crop. (From ths New Tork Evening Mall.) There probably Is nothing more proaslc to the superficial observer than a one-acre cornfield, unless It Is another Just like It. or possibly a lit? tle more so. It Is merely a patch of growing crop, where the combined forces of man and the favoring sun? shine are coaxing nature more or lens effectively to smile with a harvest. From ths hour of planting, down through successive hoelngs to the final processes of cutting and husk? ing, the field Is nothing more to tie unthinking than a commonplace ? geaae of human activity, in which the work la hard and the returns uncer? tain But Beecom Usher's one-acre corn Sold was distinctly different. It was the theatre not only of an exploit wh>ch eharme one's Imagination, but Of en agricultural triumph that ehould make every American boy proad. Baoom Usher Is 17 yesrs old. and Urea In South Carolina. Now. every real ths government organises a na? tional corn contest for boys, in which tie.tee \n prises is awarded for va rtoue achievements, including ons for the largest yield from a single acre. Beesem Usher entered last year s eon test. He ploughed his acre, planted It. cultivated It as hs believed it should be, and watched end tended It at If It were some delicate flower bed. The work wee hard?everybody that ever hoed corn knowe that?but Baeeom Usher forgot his fatigue In the cheer Joy of watching that corn grow, ia due season It was cut and chucked, and a little later it was hushed. Thea the official committee gaset around, looked over the results, sad decided that Bascm Usher's acre had won the flret prise. Pleasi consider what this victory meant to Bascom Usher In a practi leal way, and quite apart from the ex? altation of pride, which It must h ive brought to him. His one-acre field produced lit 1-1 bushels of corn, which cold as pries seed at It a bushel, making $305, and the fodder for lit. or a total of $335. Allow? ing till for labor, the one-acre corn? field returned a net profit of 1200?a yield rich enough to make the aver? age grown-up corn grower gasp. But ths sense of conquest was worth more than the money. Bes? eem Usher has lsarned how. He Is a master of the soli. He has discov? ered a new charm In land and be? come a Joint partner with nature In a combination capable of transform? ing black loam and sunshine into sold. A Tear of Food Prices. When you corns to consider prices for food, essential food, not luxuries, the scale of Increase is ons to alarm the man of moderate means. Bacon sliced was II cents In 1109. In 1910 it le 21 cent* The Increase dips a hand Into the householder's pocket every time a pound Is purchased and extracts 7 cents. Suppose the man cannot sfford that extra 7 cents, whst does hs do under these high prices? Hs buys Just thst fraction of a pound lese than last year; and the average sise of the average family being com? puted at five as it is In all calcula? tions, each of thoee five eat Just that fraction lees of necessary nourish? ment then last year. A year ago ham in New Tork was 15 cents. Now It Is ft. and the buyer must pay 33 per tent. more, or eat 33 per cent less. It le surprising that the Russell Sage Investigation* of the poor prove that Just and exactly as Income decreases or prices Increase, the poor eat Just end exactly that proportion lees of ths food most needed to make muscle and brawn, namely, meat? In New Tork City In 1908, accord? ing to prices current ss reported In trade Journals, you could buy a port erbouse for 24 or 25 cents, now It Is II and 30; or a sirloin for 20, now It Is 24; or a round steak for 18, now It Is 20; or corned beef for 14, now It is It. Salt pork three years ago cost from lit to 118 a barrel. Now It Is 125 to 128. Lard represents an ad vancs of 60 per cent, pork 15 per cent., poultry from 20 to 50 per cent. In the past year. Have salaries ad? vanced at the same pace, from 15 to 80 per cent.? Not tht we have heard! Imagine the outcry and the stoppage of Industry In wage-earners demand? ed what the Increase in the cost of living demands of them??From "The Housekeeper and the Rising Coot of Living." by Agnes C. Launt, In the American Review of Reviews. Farmers' Union News ?AND - Practical Thoughts for Practical Farmers (Conducted by E. \\. Dabbs, President Tanner*' Union of Suiuter 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 thlnl will be of practical benefit to our readers. Ori? ginal articles by any of o??r readers telling of their successes or failures will be appreciated and | abllshed. Trusting this Department will be of mutual benefit to ail concerned, THE EDITOR. All communications for t) Is Department should be sent to E. W. Dabbs. Mayesville. S. C. The Boys Corn Club. To all the boys of Sumter County: I want you to understand that in the formation of a Boys Corn Club of Sumter County, all the boys are ellfible. The Club Is not to be con? fined to sons of members of the Farmer's Union. We want you all in It. The Farmer's Union prizes of course will be for sons of members, but any other prizes that may be offered will be open to all. Come to the Court House next Friday. Send your name If you cannot come in person. Either Col. Watson or Mr. Williams will make Interesting talks. E. W. Dabbs, President Sumter Co. Farmer'sUnlon. WIM JAMS TO THE BOY FARMERS Expert Describes Government's Plan To Improve Corn Culture. Prof. Ire W. Williame, who Is in charge of the farm demonstration work In this State, under the auspices of the agricultural department, made an eddrees at the court house to the Boys' Corn Club, of Alken county. The club was formally organised and launched, with about fifty con? testants. Ths contest bids fair to be the most Interesting coneet ever con? ducted in this State. Prof. Williams exhlbled ears of corn grown by Mc I\sr Williamson and Bascombe Usher, explaining the advantages of select? ing seed corn. He said that seed com s> ould always be selected as regards fullness of ears, stralghtness of rows, which shows purity of variety, we'll filled out ears, with the corn fully developed to the end of the cob. The cobs should be small, an1 if the corn i" white. He cobs should be white (although some authorities differ with the government on this score.) In part, and In substance, Prof. Wil? liams said: "Boys' corn clubs were conceived with the Idea of disseminating among the people In the rural districts all the knowledgo the government has obtained through ltc experiment sta? tions. The government feels that It is best to tske one specialty, and corn wae eelected for that reason. The boys are everywhere taking the greatest of interest in the contests. "We need to be taught methods of increasing the productive capacity of that class of people, who, from force of circumstances, must reside In the rural districts. The fact le that, at the present rate of increase, in forty years. It will require 52,000, 000 bales of cotton to supply the de? mand of the world, whereas at this time, the productive capacity of cot? ton, and almost all other crops, le decidedly on the decline. "The government wants boys and girls to learn those things that will Increase the wealth of the peoplo le? gitimately. Uncle Sam Is ready to pay salaries of $100 a month to boys and girls, who can be of uiie In showing the people this fact. "It Is planned to have twenty-five counties In this State participating in the corn contest this year. The boy or girl who makes the greatest yield In this State, Independently of the county prises, will be given a free trip to Washington, and will hnv > all the honors of the department psssi ble shown him or her. This honor was this year won by Bascombe Jsh er. of Marlboro, who made the coun? try's greatest yield of corn on one acre. 152 bushels. In Illinois, It oosts on an average from 20 cents t> 37 cents a bushel to raise corn; in this State, from 5 cents to 27 cents; and as four-fifths of the plant food for corn comes from the atmosphere, corn here can draw from the air much longer. The names of all the contestants will be forwarded to Washington, and from time to time they will be sent all literature of the department on corn culture." BRITISH COTTON Cl'IiTlTRE. Experiments Up to This Time Not Completely Suecesaful. The British government hau not been very successful thus far In Its efforts to promote the cultivation of cotton In India, Egypt and in its African colonies. The trouble seems to be a lack of energy on the part of the natives and the difficulty of se? curing other labor. The Assouan dam on the Nile, which was intended to develop by irrigation a vast area of desert land, has not thus far been taken up and several companies have been formed ror the colonization and Irrigation of the surrounding coun? try, only a small proportion has been sold to actual'settlers and the cotton crop of Egypt shows no increase in volume. Indeed, the total for 1909 is smaller than for several previous years, which is accounted for by var? ious local reasons, but Is significant because It shows that the opportu? nities offered by the Assouan dam have not been taken advantage of to their full extent. Although the dan cost a large sum of money, and Is a monument of engineering skill, sev? eral of the reclamation projects of the United States government in the far west have been more expensive and will reclaim a larger area. Although Egypt swarms with pov? erty-stricken fellahs, as the peasant class Is called, It Is very difficult to make them work, and several enter j prises Intended to take advantage of the irrigation facilities of the Assou? an dam have failed because of the inability to securel abor. An Ameri? can gentleman who purchased a large tract of land attempted to se? cure colored Immigrants in the United States, but was only partially suc? cessful, and the people he took over soon abandoned their American ha? bits and fell into the indolent ways of the natives. This was not due to the hookworm or any other internal cause, but to the influence of the cli? mate and environment. And the same trouble prevails throughout all Africa wherever the British, French or German fAuthorltles have attempt? ed to extend the cultivated area and produce cotton, sugar and other trop? ical crops. On both the east and west coast of Africa the cotton experiment has been tried with the same results. In India the natives do not produce enough raw material to supply their own factories, although they have had the hearty encouragement and support of the government and a ready market at the maximum prices for every pound of cotton they were able to produce. The Germans have made an effort to Induce the natives In their colonies on the west coast of Africa to plant cotton, and have been no more successful. Both the Ger? mans and English have taken expert cotton planters, both white and col? ored, from the Southern States to su? perintend their plantations, and have demonstrated that the soli and the climate are admirably adapted to the purpose, but they can not persuade the natives to work. That Is the trouble in Liberia, where repeated attempts have been made to introduce cotton culture ever since the colony was founded seventy-five years ago. Life Is too easy, the climate Is too enervating and men who can live without labor are very apt to do so. The Germans, the French, the Bel? gians and the Portuguese as well as the English have tried to solve the problem and have filled. Imported white labor will not thrive In that climate, and colored ImmiKrants who have been brought in from the South? ern part of the United States and other countries usually abandon the habits of Industry and thrift in which they were bred, and adopt the indo? lent customs of the natives within a short time after their arrival.?Wm. E. Curtis In the Chicago Record Herald. Columbia, Jan. 29.?The Georgia Engineering Company, of Macon, Oa.. today was awarded a verdict of $7, 211 against the city of Columbia. The Engineering Company brought suit In the Federal Circuit Court for $44. 277 damages for the cancellation by the city of a paving contract. The plaintiff company had been given a contract for the paving of sixteen blocks on Main street. The city later cancelled the contract. Played a Star Role In the History of Some Nations. COST ONE KING HIS LIFE. The Herring Fisheries Proved an Im? portant Factor In the Overthrow and Ultimate Execution by the Headsmen of Charles I. of England. A tale as stirring as any fiction could be based on the part played by the sea herring in the history of some of the principal countries, writes Hugh If, Smith in the National Geographic Mag? azine. Its spawning and feeding grounds have determined the location of cities, and in several instances the actual destiny of nations and the fate of monarchs appear to have been in? volved in the herring fishery. Even today the herring is a factor in em? pire. Countries in which the quest of the herrinr- is an important industry are the United States, the Canadian prov? inces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia, New? foundland. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Norway, Sweden aud Denmark, Russia, Germany, Holland. Belgium, France, Japan and Siberi; The prosecution of the herring fish? ery aud trade has been considered not beneath the dignity of nobility and royalty. Fltz-Greene Halleck tells us that Lord Stafford mines for coal and salt, The Duke of Norfolk deals in' malt, t The Douglas in red herrings. In 1677 the Duke of York and other personages of rank formed a corpora? tion called "the Company of tbe Royal Fishery of England" for the purpose of carrying on the herring fishery in the North sea. They built a fleet of Dutch "busses" and manned them with Dutch fishermen and then were bankrupted by the capture of their vessels during n war with France. In 1720 some 2,000 of "the principal gen? tlemen of Scotland" formed a com? pany for herring fishing, but were quickly disrupted, leaving a mournful lot of stockholders. In 1750 tbe Prince of Wales became president, or governor, of a herring fishery, with a capital of $2,500,000. whose members "were among the first men in tbe kingdom," one of the pro? moters being General James Ogle thorpe, founder of tbe state of Geor? gia. Stock was taken with eagerness, vessels were built quickly, and efforts were made to learn tbe secrete of the Dutch methods of curing herring, but the company soon suspended. and Its failure cast on the English herring fishery an odium that continued for a long time. It ia a matter of great historical in terest that the herring fisheries' should have been a prime and perhaps the most Important factor in tbe over? throw of Charles I., whose attitude toward the development of home and colonial fisheries was most unreason* able and unfortunate. At a time when the Dutch herring fishery bad attained euch magnitude and importance that it was regarded as the "right arm of Holland" and when the sturdy Dutch fishermen were pursuing their lucra? tive calling under the encouragement of their government the English peo? ple were chafing under the grievous restrictions Imposed by royal approval on all who desired to engage in fishing anywhere off tbe American coast be? tween the fortieth and forty-eighth de? grees of north latitude. This effort on the part of the crown to interfere with the cherished privi? lege of "free fishing' had begun under James and was bequeathed to Charles and was perhaps the first in tbe series of farreaching differences that sprung up relative to the prerogative of the crown as against the rights of the sub? ject. At the s? me time there was another restriction placed on the fishermen at home. When James ascended tbe throne of England his navy consisted of but thirteen vessels, and Charles succeeded to a war fleet but little stronger and utterly inadequate to cope with the navy of the Dutch or French. After Charles had been successfully opposed by the commons in his plan to have no fishing conducted on the American shores except by permission of tbe company of "noblemen, knights and gentlemen" known as the council of Plymouth he levied "ship money" on the fishing and mercantile vessels at home in order to build up bis navy, with the distinct object of breaking up tbe Dutch herring fishery on the shores of England and driving tbe Dutch from "the four narrow seas" over which England claimed jurisdic? tion. At the expense of tbe fisheries and navigation Charles finally fitted out tbe largest war fleet England bad ever had and succeeded in his purpose, so far as the Dutch were concerned, but the levying of "ship money" stirred up civil war at home, and Charles paid the extreme penalty. The Exception. "What are the dining hours at your club?" "From 5 to 8 for all exopt the com? mittee." "Why the exception?" "Because rule 5 says. The commit? tee is at liberty at any time to fill any vacancy in their body.*" ? Boston Transcript Troublesome Teeth. The Young One?Do your teeth ever give you trouble? The Old Oao?Oh, yes. I mislay 'em sometimes.?Yonkers Statesman. IDwarflike sins often have gigantic children. BIG COTTON SEED CAKE ORDER. Large Cargo to be Sent Abroad, Prob? ably From Charleston. Columbia. Jan. 29.?One solid oar* go?5.000 tons?of cotton lead cake I3 the order from the mills 01 South Carolina and Georgia for export. Much of this will come from the Charles- ! ton cotton seed oil mills, and the cargo j will probably be loaded in that city. The significance of this immense purchase is that foreign buyers are willing to pay the prevailing high prices for the cake. The result of the shipment abroad will be the strengthening of the meal market, and consequ?ntly higher prices on account of the removal from the market In this State of such a large quantity from the mills. Charlotte. X. C, Jan. 23.?J. Harry Jones, an express messenger, running between Charlotte and Jacksonville, was today found guilty of shooting William I* Felder, a well known fur? niture merchant of St. Matthews, S. C.i In this city on the morning of De? cember 14. Special attention is directed to the Health Officer Reardon's report on the smallpox situation at Bossards. The existing condltio'u are serious and, In some respects, alarming, ow? ing to danger of an epidemic of the disease. Only Immediate and general vaccination can prevent the spread of the disease, and as several hundred persons have already been exposed to Infection there is every rason to be? lieve that a number of cases of small? pox must of necessity result from this case at Bossards. Every person who has not been vaccinated within ? the past five or six years should be vaccinated at once. The discomfort of a sore arm is a small thing in com? parison with a virulent attack of smallpox. A fool must now and then be right by chance.?Cooper. LOW RATES TO New Orleans, La., Mobile, Ala., Pen sacola, Fla., for Mardi Gras Feb? ruary S to 8, 1910. Tickets on sale February 1. 2, 3, 4. 5. 8, a-ut 7, H10, with final Unvt to reach original starting point not later than midnight of February 10, with privilege ot extension to Maren 7, 1910. ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAIL? ROAD COMPANY. For information, address nearest ticket agent, or W. J. CRAIG, T. C. WHITE, Pas. Traffic Mgr. Gen. Pas. A. WILMINGTON, N. C. l-28-2t W. & S. PERUNA TONIC FOR ?HS, COLDS, CATARRH Per una Drug Co., Columbus, Ohio. Gentlemen: I have used Peruna and find that it cannot be equaled as a tonic, as well as a cure lor C3U<:h>, colds and catarrh. You are authorized to use my photo with testimonial ia any pub ( lication. S Joseph H. Chase, f 801 Tenth St., Washington, D. C. Cold and La Grippe. Mr. C. Happy, Hardin, Hay Co., Mo., writes: "I can safely recommend Pe? runa as a remedy that will cure all ca tarrhal troubles. 44It was of great benefit to me, as it cured me of catarrh of the throat, and I took a verjr bad cold and had la grippe last February. It ?ettled in my throat and lungs. 1 took ton e bottles of Peruna and it cored me. "I highly recommend it to all who are sick, and I am glad to add my en? dorsement to that of others." Pe-ru-na for Colds. Mr. L. Clifford Figg, Jr., 2029 Eaat Marshall St., Richmond, V*., writes that when he gets a cold he takes Peru? na, and it soon drives It out of his system. For several years he was not entirely well, but Peruna completely cured him. People who object to liquid medicines can now secure Peruna tablets. Ask Your Druggist for a Free Peruna Almanac for If 10. COTTON CONFERENCE CALLED. Agricultural Improvement to be Dis? cussed at Atlanta. Atlanta, Jan. 29.?A meeting to or? ganize the National Cotton Product Association has been -ailed for At? lanta lor February in. Tue cr.U says th-* purpose of the i?>v association j Will be: ^ X? concentrate tuo 1h.k.j.. , . scattered efforts of helping the gov? ernment to improve agriculture by means of States, press, colleges, rail? roads, experiment stations, industries and individuals, Into one great co? operative movement through which alone we can hope to achieve the highest result and secure enduring prosprity.' O'DonnelUCo. Sumter's Big Business : : : UR various stocks which were badly broken dur? ing our past great sale are again filling up. If high-class Merchandise at a moderate price is wanted, don't forget, I > YOURS* TRULY, 0'Don^iell*Co \