University of South Carolina Libraries
fit. -.1 MTl i: \\ \ H UMAN. Ksu "II or tinted 4u*. 2, 18S Pulilblit'il \\ liajagfe] and Sutuiduy ?BT? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY SU.VTER. P C. Terin> 1150 per iinnum?In advance. \dMM*tl?HMIHMtt.s: One Square tl >' Insertion.11.00 Every subaequent Insertion.60 ltracta for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub? serve private Interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect* arHl be charged for. \Nollll K BISK ASH \PPEARS. Beriberi Break-* Out Among Convicts In Charleston Stockade. Charlrtston. M ir- h : ? The up pearance of ggffgbafl among the con? victs of the stockade, resulting In the dispatch of a number to the State penitentiary yesterday afternoon, con? tinues to excite much comment among the physicians. There Is no question of the disease being beriberi, as unusual as It Is in this section and under the existing conditions. With the stockade In excellent tanltary 'itlon about ten miles fron Char? leston, the physicians are ai a loss to account for the breaking out of the affection, but It Is expected that, with the removal of the patients to Colum? bia, they will all recover and the trouble at the stockade may be abat? ed. Seventeen of the 31 patients were affected and one-half of the patients infected became ill In the past week. The disease Is not infec? tious. Beriberi In bath Its dropsical and paralytic forms Is generally peculiar to tropical and sub-tropiaaj countri*sj, V;e disease Is usuaPy found In jails, on shipboard and In schools, and fish? ermen on the coast of North America hao' been known b> U> afflicted with It. The disease has taken epidemic form In Japan, Sandwich Islands, and Brasil and cases have occurred at Habana and In Australia. M H > '?BK BUIBI ItV CASES. ^ - " f I ..f.i . Vev*. York Senator Branded \i Corrupt. Albany. N. Y.. March 29.?Jotham P. Allds went t<? his lerne In Norwich tonight a private citizen, branded as a bribe-taker by his former colleagues In the Senate and by his own act no longer a member of that body. Sen? ator Conger, who filed the charges against Allds. stayed here to fight. The battle that confronts Conger Is no longer to prove his charges. To this extent the Sonate vindicated him today, when forty of. its forty-nine members voted that the charges had been sustained by the evidence brought before them. It Is believed that Conger came to the Senate today prepared to resign as soon as he received this vindica? tion. However, that may be, he did not resign, and developments make It likely that he will not do so. The cause of this is a resolution in? troduced by Senator Cobb, the ma? jority leader, providing for the ap? pointment of a committee to present to the Senate charges against Con? ger "growing out of his connection with legislation and the use of fund > to Influence the members of the Leg? islature or other persons with refer? ence thereto." The Cobb resolution was referred t > the Judiciary committee. It Is ex? pected that the committee will re? port It promptly to the Senate. I I \ I It MARKS MAJORITY RF. I'OHT. * ^outh Carolina Representative Work? ing on \|?|mla< hlun Bill. Washington. March 2S.?Congress? man IsfVgf will make the majority report to the Nous.' during the next two or three days on tin- Appalachian Park bill. When the vote was taken in the committee on agri< ulture a few days ago. and It was decided by a majority of three to report the bill. Mr. Lever was chosen to write th - report for the majority. This he has been doing f??r several days and ex? pects, as sooM as Chainum S. .. 11 has time to draft a minority report, to present the same to the House. Mr. f ? ? r has given years of study and <loae attention to the question of I i-isli-g the Appal e hi an bill. and though prospects at this time do not especially favor It. he stated today thut he would continue to work and aaMaeasI thut aMtsaatety he would so? , eed In his efforts. Blushing Is the, color of virtue ? Matthew Henry. i i' 11 April, I8?0. ?lie Just ai l. 8 C GROWING OF BROOM STR?W KHO?T dtops HATE \i>v\\( EJ) PRICE or BROOMS, ('(?ninii^io?i'r Watson Issues Circular On Manner und Met hod- of Straw Culture?Industry May bo Revived In This state?Factories Compelled to Close Down Because of High PHec of Raft Material, Columbia, March 2S.?The high aoat <>f living has extended to brooms. Brooms cost about twice as mach to? day as they did a few years ago. The reason is the advance in the cost of bn om straw caused by the short crop Commissioner Watson is endeavor? ing to have farmers in this State plant broom straw. There h; been some factories for the manufacture of brooms In South Carolina, but for the most part they ha\e gone out of bus? iness. There used to be one near Co? lumbia, and at Fairfax there was a factory that had broom straw grow? ing right up to the door. The advantage to the farmer from planting broom straw, aside from the actual profits, is that he may keep his hands busy the year around. Today Commissioner Watson sent out the following: State of South Carolina, Depart? ment of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries, E. J. Watson, Commission? er: Circular Yu. 7. Growing of Broom Corn: In view of the many requests re? ceived at this office from farmers in the various portions of the State as to where to get broom corn seed, as to best varieties and as to the meth? ods of cultivation and curing this ii eular of information is issued. The demand for information is doubtless due to the very high prices that have been for som-i time prevail? ing, making It necessary for local broom factories to suspend operations because of the cost of the raw ma? terial and causing the prices o brooms to soar. Some years ago an effort was made to Introduce generally, In some por? tions of South Carolina, the growing of broom corn as a cash crop, and considerable suc< ess was met with. It was demonstrated that broom corn of superior quality could easily be grown in almost any portion of the State, and brooms were manufactured from the native grown material. Owing to the opening of new broom corn grow? ing territory chiefly in Oklahoma, and th ? ? heapness of raw material follow ing. most of the undertakings were abandoned, Conditions hav? changed and broom oorn growing and broom manufacturing should prove most profitable In this state henceforward. Broom ooro growers generally rec? ommend th<- securing of seed from the Funk Brothers! Seed Company, Bloomington, 111. Specific directions: At the time of the effort mention? ed above to introduce thll agricultural industry in the State specific direc? tions for broom corn growing were prepared by one who had given local conditions a careful study, they apply now as well as at that time, and they are incorporated herein as Informa? tion to those c oncerned. They are as follows: Broom corn Is a variety of sorghum and has many qualities of ordinary sorghum. Bike sorghum in being hardy, It Is a great reslster and thrives under reasonable circumstances. It can lie planted at any time from the opening of spring until as late as July 1, with fair assurance of a crop. But as early harvesting and early marketing are especially desirable, it Is usually advisable to plant It as early as Indian corn Is planted, or from April 1 to 15. If planted by the middle of April it will bo ready to harvest by about the 1st of July. There Is usually a lull in farm work about this time that makes it conven? ient for broom corn harvest. There are numerous methods of planting it. It is planted In rows, ? hooked "id drilled. Drilling in rows gives the best results. The rows hould be about three Inches apart in rows on ordinary upland and a little thicker on bottom land. If it Is planted two thick on good soil, the heads become so heavy that their own M ?iglet bends many of them down. form Ina the "crooks." This crooked brush i> heavy because it Is more dlf llcull to make Into brooms and makes a larger bulk In shipping. It brings only about half price on the mar? ket Ol ing to its being a hardy plant. tie- cultivation of broom corn Is often sadly aegfo ted, It Will make a fair showing on poor land with very little ? ultlvatloii as often are! thoroughly as Indian corn. After in readlneOM becattSt It soon depreciates In value mati (id Fear not?Let all the ends Thou A In rMTER. S. ?., SATU. MILLS SHUT DOWN. ESTIMATED THAT ONLY HALF THK SPINDLES ARE TURNING, Figures Given by American Wool and Cotton Reporter Shot* That output Is Largely Decreased Boat n. M iss., March 30.?Fifty ja r cent, of the spindles in Southern cotton mills are Idle, according to sta? tistics v. hlch have been assembled by ' e American Wool and Cotton Re? porter. The figures show that the curtail? ment now in progress not only in the South, but in all sections of the coun? try, be th North and South, is more exb nslve and draatica than has ever been known in the history of the trade, even taking into consideration the panic year of 1907. The greatest curtailment comes among tho yarn mills, although restriction of produc? tion among weaving mills is greater than aver before. Mill atfer mill is closed down entirely until nev; cotton arrives or market conditiens improve, while with the majority of others the amount of curtailment varies from 20 to 100 per cent, with many mills running on orders only. The follow? ing are the percentages of spindles idle by States: Alabama 3G per cent; South Carolina 31; North Carolina 49; Georgia 30; Tennessee 80; Vir? ginia CO; Mississippi 63. Figures for the New England States nave not been completed. The Committee of Claims of Con? gress has refused to pay Bethesda church, Bamberg for the building burned by Gen. Sherman. Gov. Ansel has ordered a special ?lection in Darlington county to elect a successor to Sheriff Blackwell, de <. eased. after it is once ripe enough to cut. In order to make the best brush it should be cut when the seeds are in the dough stage. A small patch for seed can be left until fully matured. The standard varieties are harvest? ed by breaking two rows together in BUOh a manner as to form a table upon which the heads after being cut i arc laic to cure A light vain or| a heavy dew injures the color of the brush. It is well if possible to cure it entirely in a shed. But if put in while green it must be placed in thin layers, which requires considerable extra shed room. If left in the held, however, about a day after cutting, until it is nearly cured, it can be piled in good sited layers, under cover and seeded when convenient. The seeding is dorn- by holding the brush on a cylinder similar to a thrashing ma? chine cylinder. After it has been se< ded, it should be bulked down in od sized piles and allowed to dry until the stems break quite readily. Then it is ready to bale. Both the seeder and the baler for a small far? mer can be made by any carpenter at a. small cost. The yield varies, of course, with the soil and locality, but a good av? erage yield is a ton of threshed brush from three to five acres. An exper? ienced hand can cut about one acre a day. The threshing and baling costs about $4 per ton. The price varies so much that the profits for one year can seldom be assured as a stand? ard, ordinary brush one year with another averages $80 to $150 per ton. It is a good crop on the sod. It shades the ground and helps to hold the sod, besides making as good a growth an kaffir or sorghum without cultivation. The seed and the stalks are utilized for feed, but their feeding value is low. and it would hardly pay to raise it for feed alone, although In the wes? tern part of Oklahoma dwarf broom e..rn is sown for roughness instead of sorghum, because It does not sour in the stack so badly. After the brush is harvested the stalks can be used for forage and then ploughed under, making an excellent green manure. There are many varieties of broom corn, but mammoth dwarf, and of the standard varieties improved ever ureeii and California golden have proven to be the most satisfactory. Seed can be secured from local raisers or from Western seedsmen. Broom corn Is a cash crop, and like other cash crops has its favorable and unfavorable features, its cultivation on a very large scale is seldom suc? cessful, but if properly handled on a small s> ale, say from fifteen to twen ty-ftve acres for the average farmer, and especially on new land, where the variety of sure crops is limited, it win prove to I... as paying as almost any crop that can be raised. The South has early seasons and can market the brush early in the season, and for that and other reasons should easily I . , onie a great resource of the na? tion's supply of broom corn. ts't at he thy Country's, Thy God's an< RDAY. APRIL 2, 191 ASKS FOR FLEXIBLE TAX LEVY. Letter From Comptroller General Jones to Spartanburg Taxpayer on Present Condition. Columbia. March 31.?in a letter to a Spartanburg man Comptroller General Jones expresses his position as t<? assessment :>i property in the State. The comptroller general has received a number of letters concern? ing property assessment during the past several days, and as the various equalization boards are now in ses? sion the letter may be of interest. The following is a letter sent to Spartanburg yesterday: "I have your letter and have read with interest the suggestions therein contained, and would have written you before but for the cont* nuous pressure of work in my office. "I agree with you that it makes no difference, so far as the equity and justice is concerned, whether prop? erty to be taxed, be returned and as? sessed at its full value or only one tenth thereof, provided it all be re? turned and assessed at the same rela? tive value. The real difficulty, how? ever, is not removed by accepting any one proportion of its value as the basis for assessment. The true value must be ascertained before such proportion can be taken. Inasmuch I as the legislature has fixed the rate of levy for State and county purposes for 1910 at a rate sufficient when ap? plied to the assessed valuation for last year to raise this year's appro? priations, for the year 1910 we will have to assess all property so that the aggregate assessed value will be the same as that for last year, plus the additional investments made since that time, and then equalize this j amount as between the individual taxpayers. "It would be much easier, as you state, and I might add, more apt to meet with popular approval, if we could adopt the lowest returns for taxation as the basis for assessment and reduce all other returns to that basis; but such reductions would make the aggregate assessed valua-1 tion much less than it was last year j and cause a deficiency under the pres? ent rate of levy in meeting the ap- j pi opriation.3. While the constitution requires a l*v> sufficient to meet the appropriations, you will see that the one insurmountable difficulty we have is that the legislature fixes the rate of taxation before the amount of property to be taxed has been ascer I tained by assessment. For this rea? son, I have favored, and still favor a flexible levy provided by the legis? lature, which would make the rate of taxation depend upon the apropria tlons made by the legislature and the aggregate assessed value of property subject to taxation. Til s amount of appropriations being first fixed by the legislature for both State and county purposes w hen the assessed valuation should be ascertained and fixed by the boards of assessment, the rate of taxation necessary to meet the ap? propriations could be fixed by any school boy. it does seem that the legislature In specifying the rate be? fore the amount of property upon Which the rate is to be levied is as? certained is putting the cart before the horse." CAN'T BELL BOTTLED GOODS. Massachusetts House Passes Dill to Limit Activities of Saloon Keepers. Has Passed Senate. j Doston, Mass.. March 30.?The temperance advocates in Massachu? setts won a decisive victory in the legislature today when the lower branch passed to third reading the bill which prohibits the selling of bottled goods of an intoxicating na? ture by holders of license which per? mit them to sell liquor to be drunk on the premises As the bill has al? ready passed the senate, the action of the house today in passing to a third reading is regarded as pr ictl cally the passage of the new act. PICNIC \T GARNERS FERRY. Good Roads Enthusiasts of Sumter And Di< bland County to Meet on Common Ground. The good loads enthusiasts of Richland and Sumter counties will meet at Garners Ferry for a basket picnic April 9th. Good speakers on good roads will address the crowd. The matter of opening up the high? way from Sumter to Columbia will be discussed. Steps will probably be taken to raise a part of the funds necessary to put the three miles of road on this side in good condition. Lewis Harvey killed Joe Brown it Beaufort as a result of a dispute1 over one cent due in a settlement of a crap game (1 Truth's." the truj 0 New Serii T1LLMAN13 BETTER, (JIVES FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE HIS ILLNESS. Criticises the Democrats?Censures Their Course in Calling for a SIk Down on Question of Cannon' \? Atlanta, March 30.?As evidence that Senator Tillman has regained his faculties, he discussed politics for an hour today at the local sanitarium where he had been a patient since coming here from Washington. His theme was the recent "eruption," as he termed it, in the house. "The Democrats played their game poorly," said the senator, "when they called for that vote to declare the speaker's chair vacant. Cannon had been shorn of practically all power when they took from him the priv? ilege of naming the committee on rules, and if the Democrats had let! matters stand he would have been po? litically lost. The result of the call for the vote to declare the chair va? cant restored, in a measure, his pres? tige." Senator Tillman believes that Can? non will retire from the speakership "at the first favorable opportunity." He believes that Cannon will have no trouble in securing re-election to con? gress if he asks for another term. Senator and Mrs. Tillman daily take a long walk. ZIMMERMAN DAVIS DEAD. Commander of South Carolina Divi? sion, v. c. v. Charleston, March 30.?Gen. Zim? merman Davis, commander of the South Carolina division of Confeder? ate Veterans,, and prominent in his Masonic affiliations, died this after? noon at his residence in this city, at the age of 75 years. Stricken several weeks ago with an attack of the grip he never fully re? covered his health and strength, and yesterday he suffered a stroke of apoplexy, which was the immediate cause of his death. The funeral ser? vices will be held on Friday. He is survived by a widow, one son and two daughters. Mr. Davis held the rank of major general as commander of the South Carolina veterans, having succeeded Gen. Carwile on the latter's death. He was re-elected at the reunion at Chester last year. Gen. Davis had an enviable record. He went into the war as a member of the Sixth South Carolina cavalry and served under dens. Hampton and Butler. For conspicuous gallantry in battle he was promoted over two captains, a major and lieutenant, and made the commanding officer of the regiment. Gen. Davis was grand treasurer of the grand lodge, A. P. M., of South Carolina and general recorder of the grand council of Royal and Select Masons. He was a past master of Or? ange lodge, No. 14, A. P. M. He serv? ed two terms as alderman and was at the time of his death a member of the tree commission of the city of Char? leston. He was president of the South Car? olina Society of Sons of Revolution and a member of the South Carolina society. He was also a prominent member of the Citadel Square Bap? tist church. DIVISION OP DIOCESE. The Special Committee Will Recom? mend Division. Columbia, March 30.?A division of the diocesan council of the Episco? pal church in South Carolina will be recommended by the special commit? tee appointed at the last session of the council to consider the advisabil? ity of a division at the coming ses? sion of the council, which is to be held in Sumter during the lirst week in May. This announcement was made last night after a meeting of the commit? tee. The chairman of the committee, Rev. W. B. Gordon, of Camden, said after the session that it was the opin? ion of the members that the council should be divided. The question of division will bo decided niton at the nn . ting of the council. There were present at the meeting last night Rev. Dr. W. B. Gordon, Camden; Rev. L. O. Wood, Charles? ton; Rev. n. H. Covlngton, Sumter; Itov. A. R. Mitchell, Greenville; Wal? ter Hazard, Georgetown; H. P. Du? cal 1, Cheraw; John P. Thomas, Jr., of Columbia, and Richard E. Manning. Sumter. The committee did not consider the matter of financial adjustment should the council be divided. A car of milch cows and calves ha been received by the Booth-Har by Live Stock Co. ran. E SOUTIIBOX, Establl' lied June. IHM B8?Vol. XXXI. 3*. 11. amm' ^ague defiant. woulp cv E congress into ^ ;ng measures. v jtatlon Issues Statement That nless Bills Preventing Shipment Of Liquor Into Dry Territory Be? come Law. Strong Kfforts Will Be Made to Retire Opposing Congress? men?Close Watch on Members. Washington, March 28.?Declaring that unless Congress passes the bills just introduced in the House and Senate, respectively, by Representa? tive Miller and Senator Curtis, of Kansas, to stop the shipment of liq? uor into dry and local option States, that it will call upon the people of the country to retire every member of the present Congress and send oth? ers to Washington who will pledge themselves to such legislation, the Anti-Saloon League of America to? day issued a statement on the sub? ject. This statement clearly indicates that the law which went into effect January 1 last, and which it was be? lieved would tend to stop the Inter State shipment of intoxicants from one State to another, has failed so far of its purpose, and that it is now proposed to make the law still more drastic if it is possible to do so. Both the Kansas Congressmen are ardent prohibition advocates, and the fact that they have acted simultan? eously in the House and Senate, with the same statement issued by the An? ti-Saloon League, means that a fight which has been expected to be precip? itated in Congress for some time is now at hand. Every member of both the House and Senate is to be tested. He is to be made to vote o/i the ques? tion cf giving the country an out and out prohibition law. A record is to be kept of every vote, and those members who decline to come out in favor of the proposed restrictions are to be retired if the influence of the Anti-Saloon League and the prohibi? tion people throughout the United States can do it. The fight is on to a finish. This measure has been under consideration by the Anti-Saloon League for a gocd wnile, and a good 13eaT o1f*?ttention has been give a to its preparation, in which Mr. Miller and Senator Curtis have played an important part. The measure undertakes to constitute in? toxicating liquors as a special class of commodities, to be admitted to and carried in Inter-State commerce up? on condition that the Inter-State ?rr.rr.?r~c Character of Inter-Sta'e lif.vto)- fc!:lpme!tti shall cease at once Upon arrival within the boun rl .TV of the State to which consign? ment has been made, and before de? livery to the consignee. "The meas? ure, if passed, will give the States complete jurisdiction over all liquors within their borders, whether domes? tic or Inter-State. Under the present law imported liquors are delivered to thee onsignee before State jurisdiction can attach. In prohibitory or local option territory, the States m^et with serious embarrassment in the en? forcement of their State regulations, owing to the fact that when liquor once comes into the possession of the "bootleggers" it is well-nigh impos? sible to guard against the numerous devices which are resorted to to evade the State laws. \ Supervisor Pitts' Work. To the Editor: Noticing an article in your paper of the 22nd which reflects on our County Supervisor, Mr. P. M. Pitts, and being familiar with the facts in the case, I feel called upon to say a few words in his behalf, at the same time not meaning to reflect on any? one, as I am friendly with all the parties concerned. It seems that Mr. Pitts is charged with neglect of this part of the coun? ty, but to my certain knowledge, or at least to my thinking, he has done more for this section in the lait twelve months than has been done Li the last ten years, and what he ha? done for us in the way of m;i king better roads h:;s been the talk of our section. I dot not dispute the fact that the two places spoken of r?y the rural carrier are in bad condition, or almost impassable, ev*ry spring, net withstanding the work done to pre* \etit it. They are peculiarly bad spots on our map, and, as the carrier says, are no doubt almost impassable at times. In conclusion will say that I have observed closely the workings of the gang unde r Mr. Pitts' super vision, and I do not believe that. Sumter county has ever had in this* office a more humane, painstakings upright, efficient and honorable offi? cer than we have in Mr. Pitts. C. L. BMANUBL. Borden, S. C, March 29, 1910.