Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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T?* Sumter Watchman wai mund *d tn I860 and the True BoutUTWS In IMC The Watchman and Southron now h*? the combin e circulation and ?nee cf scan of lAS eld paper*. Is msntfesxly the beat sdverthnng ? '\ in gsieater. m ? i It la the one best bet that the legislate e a VI refuse to touch a garnlshee law with a forty-foot pole. It Is a most desperately unpopular measures with the floating voters snd sll others who have a constitutional and deep-seated aversion to paying their hoi >st debts. see The Torrens systep? will have r. rough and ro?.Vy road in the legis? lature. How could it be otherwise, human nature being humsn nature, when the enactment of a Torrens Und registration law would bi the tilling of the goose that lays many golden eggs for scores of law-mak? ers? see When the census enumerators stsrt on their rounds the people glstald lend th> m cry possible as ststanco, Wha? Is wanted Is % full, aeourats and eonrtnetng Oouni of the mlatlon of Sumter. g a s Be as tor Mauldln says the legis- j lata re can complete all necessary work In thirty days, snd we see no eaease for prolonging the agony for' forty days?the mebmers receiving a fixed salary snd not a per diem as in former years. j ? ? ? v, Ansel's recommendation thai a tax be levied to create a fund In the hands of the sinking fund com? mission to be loaned to the Stato i when the regular Income from the 1 ordinary levy for State purposes is exhausted, is ss droll snd Impractical I as the efforts of the man who tries to lift himself out of a mud hole by : his boot straps. What Is the sense In taxing ourselves to raise money to lend back to ourselves Why not meet the difficulty In a strslghforward and direct manner?either reduce appro proprlatlons or make the levy high enough to provide for all the ap? propriations and fixed charges of ths State Oovernment? Does Qov. I ernor Ansel Imagine that his proposed sinking fund roan legerdermaln will throw dust In the eyes of the tax- I payers or In anywise deter the leglsla- ' tur? ir< n. appropriating mar* money than the tax levy will bring in? ? ? ? Th. gesxjgM irony <>f t>'- New? and Courier's reference to Qov. Ansel's! characteristic "self-restraint" in avoiding the Issues of Importance that will come before the session of the ' legislature Is delicious. e ? ? i Dr. Oeo .Dick doubtless prefers be- ' lng a representative of Sumter coun- ^ ty t> the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee, but it is small j comfort t .sed over in the commiC.ee assignments merely be- j cause he represents s county thst sends good men to the legislature and keeps them there long enough to! gsin the rank snd experience In! Committee work thst qualifies them , for important ssslgnments. ? ? ? If the msn who is spilling sharp eoraered granite on the streets had to pay for all the automobile tires ruin? ed by the rocks ho would be more tut Seriously, somebody should, ?how. put a stop to the sprink? ling of the streets with crushed rock. ? ? ? If no other extraordinary and un? called for expenditure of city funds, such as the concrete sidewalks on Church street. Is authorized, the pres? ent crtjr eonucll will leave a floating ( gtst eg $11.000 when it goes out of This statement of fact is made on the very best authority and It Is a conservative, rather than an exces? sive estimate of the financial distress that the city will endure, unless city council sdopts measures to hold ex? penditures Within the InSSSnO, The city will be bonded to th.- limit when the Main street paving bSfJSal are Issued and a hat plan can be tle\ ? l t , pro? vide for the prospective floating d. i t now being Incurred by th- i'hur? h Street sidewalk project and other un? dertakings of a similar nature, no? body knows or rares, it Is not bust nsss-lik. ind lr is not right, and if th. taxpayers at large realized the *ra\Ity of th** financial g mdltlon into WtltCB Iks city Is drifting there would be a vigorous protest. Enterprise, liber? ality, public Improvements. lavish expenditure vf public funds are sll excellent at the proper time, but when there sre no funds to spend It Is a suicidal policy to strain the city's etredlt and pile np i burden of d> bt for frills and furbeloWs. \ iti:< <m \t m-:ckss \m . The census bureau guessed that the population of Sumter was 8,109 on April Ih, 1910, and the guess was so fsr awsv from the facts that It lr, the I ? f the city council nna tho cltlsens of Sumter to make a recount, and, by the exercise of the utmost care, have an accurate, true and re- ' liable census Off the population of this city placed on record. The figures given out by the census bureau are so grossly inaccurate in the opinion of the best informed residents that they cannot t?e permitted to pass un? challenged, and action of city council In ordering a special census has the endorsement of practically every man in town. The correctness of the census bu? reau's figures is not questioned on idle, flimsy grounds. We know what the population was in 1900, accord? ing to the census bureau's own fig? ures, although even tho tlgures of 1900 were believed to be well within the actual population of the town at that time, and we know how the town has grown since that time. We know tha,t hundreds of houses have been built since 1900 and we know that they are occupied. The s< hoe's have almost doubled their en? rollment In the decade and every other Indication of a towns' growth P.dnts to the fact that the actual population of Sumter is not far short of lo.ooo, if it deaf bo1 ssoeed that number. The business of the post? s' has Increased from $8,779 in 1900 to $29,500 in 1910 and this is another fact that indicates a larger increase In population than the cen? sus figures credit us with. Aside from these evidences of growth we have the city census of 1903, which was carefully and * accurately taken, and this shows the growth between 1900 and 1903. We also know that the average rate of increase in popu? lation since 1903 has been as great or greater than during the three years ..>tw?>en 1900 and 1903, therefore the census figures must be altogether in acurate and not worthy of belief. We have no idea that the census bureau will order a recount or ac? cept the result of the special census to be taken by City Council, but we can ascertain the correct figures for our own satisfaction. The Augusta, Qa., case Is proof positive, that the censss figures are not reliable and if there was any way to force an of? ficial and honest -ree.Mint of the popu? lation of Sumter, there would be a material change in the figures given out by the bureau. Census of 190:t. (From Daily Item, Nov. 25, 1903.) The taking of the census of the city was completed this morning. Mr W. C. Broughtcn, the Ward I enuine- I rator, Ming his report at 11:10 today. The report* of th.- four enume :.?b;ri- show ?he ; >:ai pope'r.;'< a of the city is 7.164, the population of the suburbs 691; the total population of the city and suburbs together 7,855. The increase in population of the city proper since the regular census was taken In 1900 is 1,491, an increase of more than 25 per cent within three years. A comparative statement of census of 1900 and of the census just com? pleted follows: 1900. 1903. Ward 1. 677 768 Ward 2. 1.645 2,559 Ward 3,. 1,719 1,882 Ward 4 . 1,632 1.95? Total. 5,673 7,164 The population of the suburbs by wards are as follows: Ward 1. 166 Ward 2. 140 Ward 3. 179 Ward 4. 206 Total 691 (??ivrrnor Ansel's Message. Oovernor Ansel takes no new ground In his parting words to the General Assembly. 1* e renews his recommendations made to former Legislatures that an extra one-half mill levy should be made for the next few years In order to obviate the ne? cessity of the State's borrowing rn ni? cy to meet current expenses; urges! that the inquisitorial method of prop- ! erty assessment should be adopted; apprOVl the work which is being done In behalf of the educational in? terests of the State and uii. I: h a continuance of the policies which hare wrought on the whole gratify? ing improvement; compliments the Dispensary winding-1 'p commission for Its patriotic services; suggests that not more than one county dis? pensary should be allowed in the six ?WOt" Count es except In those coun hnvlng ?Iths with a population sacsedlng lt..ihm?; advises that the eosnmtsstofl appointed last year to purchase kin.Im f,,r u,,. UH?. ()f the State Hospital for the Insane and to - reel buildings thereon be continued In antes until ths work ean be com? pleted; recommends thai an Inspect? or ^f the SOUnty OOnvlet carnps and of county convicts be provided for; Invites attention to the work which is being dons by the State Hoard of Hsalth; appeals: for n liberal appro prtatton for poor and needy Confed* I He wferans; and exhorts the Leg? islature to increase the salaries of St ite .-tile rs and of the Judges of the Buprem* Court and Circuit (Joints' and to authorise the erection of a ?ultable building for th*- use of the Bupreme Court Nothing that theiGovernor recom- ( mondi is calculated to excite violent opposition, Bave for his refereuces to the d< slrablllty >>( adopting the In? quisitorial plan ft' assessing prq>crtv ami of Increasing the salaries of va? rious public servants his suggestions will doubtless arouse little if any Oomment, The Governor has eln>sen to leave to his successor. the discus? sion of the various important ques? tions which are expected to occupy the attention of the law-makers dur? ing the present session, thus exempli? fying ones again that quality of self n strain! Which is one of his most conspicuous characteristics. ? News and Courier. HOW DID HARPER LEAVE BUM* TER? Story of How Harper Lett City as Commonly Reported on the streets. it is oourrently reported on the streets that J. W, Harper, the slayer ?>f Kd r.o.-sanl, the colored hackman, at tin- paSM nger station on Christmas evening, loft the city on Monday, January I, he having been staying in the eity for more than a week af? ter the homicide, hut being in hiding all of the time. It is said that on Monday, January 2, he got a friend to go to one of the livery Stahles in the city and hire a team to take him to New Sumter, v. here in the broad daylight, he got on the train and left for parts un? known. How much of this story is true it is impossible to say, but is is vouched for on good authority and generally believed by those who have repeated it. Poker flames Set to Music. (From the Detroit News.) It has been recognized for some time that music w*ll lend itself to the expression of many things, even unto a faithful representation of the varied activities in a boiler shop wcrking two shifts on a rush order. That this most heavenly art can be persuaded to act as a medium for the transmis- j sion of conceptions of sublimated , quietude is now the theme which j Giacomo Puccini is free to maintain. He proposes to Lmm utatlse r^^r *ir: music?or music in poker In hlsl grand opera versii." of ' Tb- Girl f from the Qolderi West" th< efebrated pastime of American coatwys is to be played to music other than tue j tinkle of ice against glass. Thus the quietest of all athletics and the "greatest indoor sports" is to be in? vaded by concordance of sounds. To avoid offending all lovers of the game that is played by men whjose wildest exclamation Is the monoton? ous, monosyllable "pass" or "call" or "aces," ?he composer will have to tone down even what have hitherto been his softest notes. The violin which renders the part of "kitty" must meow gently, indeed. There must be no swaggering tenor, crying "I call your bluff?I call your bluff?I call your blu-hu-hu-ff." it might be excellent art, but art must not crowd truth too far. It is enough that she be let look on at a poker game. For the motif, there Is probably no air mat will suit the composer's theme in this case so nicely as a modulated passage from "E\ory little bit added to what you've got makes Just a little bit more." Sample of Smith's Politeness. A well known New Yorker, now dead, who during his lifetime bore the appellation "Silent," was accustomed to employ various means to deliver himself from bores and time-wasters. On one occasion, when the New Yorker was putting in his vacation in New England, there was one native so bold as to visit the taciturn man at his bungalow. "How did ye get along with him? asked someone, when the bold one re? turned. "Fine!" said the visitor. "Fellows, I've often heard that that man was a sullen CUSS, but 1 want to tell you that he Is one of the politest fellows I ever saw! I hadn't been lettln* chat tin' with him more'n 10 minutes be? fore he'd asked me 6 or 6 times to come an* tee him again!" Many hunters In Wisconsin have adopted a bright red coat to prevent careless hunters mistaking them for deer. Nevertheless, one hunter was ?hot and so great was the Indignation against the %nan who was not aware that deer do not wear red coats that a posse of woodsmen, accompanied by bloodhounds, went on the hunt ei's trail. The Charleston News and Courier wants 'em to ( bange Schedule K. Schedule K Is that clause of the tariff Covering WOOl, and WO presume the manifesto is due to the N. and C.'s wearying of having the *\>ol pulled over its eyes. Judging The Horse. The judging <>f hors< b, particularly ' utility horses, is handled In a recent bulletin by Dr. A. s. Alexander, in charge of horse breeding at the Wis? consin Agricultural Experiment Sta? tion. Bays the bulletin: "Have the animal led out 'to halter' and stood at case in an open, well lighted place. View the horse from all directions. In tins way an im? pression of the conformation, style, character and 'general rij.pearance' of | the animal and peculiarities or excel? lencies of the various members is ob? tained. The horse may be moved around, first at a walk and then at a trot, to afford the judge * broad? side view. This should be followed by a careful study of the animal as he walks from and to the observer and is then led away and back, at a trot. The examination may then fol? low in detail. This analytical work is best accomplished by means of the score card. "The student should learn to use hia eyes rather than his hands in judging. The eye is master of the sit? uation. The hand shpuld only be used as an assistant to the eye. It may be used when the < ye cannot unaided determine a question of Quality, size, condition or soundness. For examination, tin eyes sees plump? ness of flesh, but the hand must be used to decide its depth on the ribbs or other part; or th eye detects what appears to be a bone spavin and the hand by feeling corroborates or dis? proves the suspicion. As a general rule, much handling Is to bo avoided by the student. Excessive handling suggests lack of confidence, experience and mature judgment. It betokens the amateur." Dr. Alexander says the student must get a large part of his learning from examining a great number of horses and comparing them in his mind. He ought to size up every horse he sees and he will thus gain experience which will enable him to estimate beauty, symmerty, co-re? lation of points and adaptability for breeding or for the work the horse is to do. He must consider age, type, quality, soundness and serviceability ?and should study the animals in sales stables, breeding establishments and other places. The tremendous increase in the size of trans-Atlantic steamers is renting s very serious problem #r> the seaport cities or all count es, ai d especially of England, where the 51f ncultles fe>r the hughe liners now building i.v alr< a ly consl \t red grave, Liverpool and (Southampton, Eng? land's two greatest ports, have not dock and water space adequate to the monster vessels, of nearly 50,000 tons, now building, and still less for proposed steamships of greater size. Engineers are considering the con? struction of a new port on the deep water of the Solent, to have a water area of 200 acres and depth at dock of 4 0 feet, an entrance 300 feet wide, and dockage space of 13 to 15 vessels, each 800 feet Ion,?. This port would he but an hour and a half from Lon? don, and abundant land would be available for railway terminals. Four drydocks, each 1,000 feet long, are also proposed. When the mercury vapor lamp was invented, and it v\-as discovered that the light was lacking Iti red rays, it was thought by the uninitiated that the light could be improved by the use of red glass about the lamp. This, of course, was impossible, for the rea? son that red glass acts merely as a filter for tho light passing through it, cutting off all rays except the red. As there were no red rays in the mercury vapor lamp the effect of putting red glass around it was cut off prac? tically all the light. Recently Dr. Peter Cooper Hewitt, the inventor of the lami , has devised a means for adding red rays to the light emitted by the lamp. He uses a reflector coat? ed with flourescent material, which is of such a character as to transform the wave >ngth of certain days fall? ing upon it, so that red rays are re Qected. The flourescent material is painted on sheets of cardboard, which may be removed from the reflector frame when they show any deteriora? tion and be replaced with fresh sheets A literary dodument of great im? portance being the assignment by John Keats of the copyright of the MPoemsM ( 1 S17) and "Lama" ( 1820) to John Taylor and Janu s Augustus Hessey, Is one of the interesting items in the library of the late Alonso W. Parker, of New York, which will be sold next month. A project on foot for the manufac? ture of pap'-r from Australian timber. A representative of large financial in? terests has had the blue-gum wood tested In the paper mills of Great Britain, and the result was a product said to be equal to paper made from the African esparto grass. Will the House of Lords be admit ted to the Down-and-Oul club in a body? Practical Thoughts f (Conducted by K. W. Dabbs, Pres Coi THE VALVE OF THE ROLLER. An Implement of Spt -ial Utility in Dry Weatcr?How to Make One at Home. (By Professor I?. N. Harrow.) As 1 am now writing there is a gentle shower falling, but it is so ; 1 slight that it promises to give out In - ! fore it accomplishes much good. This is the tirst rain of any consequence that has fallen ih this section for nearly two months and the same dry \ I conditions have pretty well prevailed j ; all over this Stale. While tins has made it an unusually favorable sea son for the gathering of crops, yet on j the other hand it has made the pre- j para i ion of ground and the sowing I : of fall crops exceedingly ditlicult and 1 I j lias greatly imperilled what grain and I winter legumes have been sown. Jn many Instanoes the soil has been so! dry that It was not possible t > get it j in pro: ? *' c ndition for vowing. Even where it was possible by means of re- i peated harrowing! to work ins sur- j face into a tine secd-hcl the layer of soil j^hat had been broken by the har? row'remained In clods. This interfer? ed with capillary m< rement, and SJ a consequence, much of such grain either has failed to germinate or, worse still, has started to grow and 1 then died for lack of sutficient mois? ture. In watching the efforts of the farmers to contend with this condi ! tlon I have been impressed with the fact that there Is one valuable agri I cultural implement of which they j seem to know very little. In times such as this there is no implement ? that wall pay a greater dividend for I I Its use than the roller. When land i j Is so dry that it breaks up in clods, the harrow can do very little towards I pulverising these clods, especially if the harrowing is delayed for any! length of time. A good, heavy roller at such times is invaluable and will i go a long way towards putting the ! ground in good condition to receive the grain. \t the same ,irn< by com* , pressing the foil it re*establishes the ? capillary condition that has luen j i more or Less destroyed by the plow. ! ? and land, In th< preparation of which I the roller has played Its proper part, i will contain more moisture than that. which has not been so treated. But it is after the seed are sown that the I roller docs its most effective work in j times of dry weather. While it com j pesses the soil and improves its power of drawnig water from the lower depths, it at the same time presses the seed close to the soil thus enabling them to more rapidly ab? sorb moisture. In times of dry weather the first seed to come up are invariably those that have been pressed into the soil, either by the tracks of the mule or of the driver. The roller does for the whole field, what the weight of the animal has done for these small areas. I have I rarely failed to secure a stand and to hold that stand, even with clover seed In the driest falls, cn land In even half proper condition, if the seeding was followed by a good heavy roller and this in its turn by a light harrow. The roller compacted the soil, Improving its capillary pow? er and at the same time bringing the seed close to the soil so that It could the more readily absorb moisture. Hut if the land were left in ihis con? dition, the moist ire brought up by the soil would escape into the at? mosphere and be lost. Following the roller with a light harrow breaks up the capillary tubes and leaves a layer of loose soil upon the surface that acts as a blanket and prevents the escape of this moisture. Such a roller nood not be the ex? pensive affair so often quoted by our agricultural implement house. I have made and used o ie for years at a very small cost. A log that Is round and 18 Inches to 2 feet In diameter can be made into an excel 1? nt roller. I prefer the larger di? ameter if I can get light wood bke poplar. If oak. or even plae, Is to be used, the smaller diameter would probably be better as the larger diameter ir. these woods would make the roller too heavy. Cut a section of the b?g Oft 1 to ?; feet long, being careful to saw the ends square. Drive mto the center of each end a piece of round iron 1 to 1 1-2 inches in diame? ter, driving it into log about 6 Inches and allowing a projection of from t t-.? Inches, Now nt boxe? made of flat Iron 1 inches wide upon these either by fastening chains t > these boxes or if desired you can fit a pole to it. Such a roller, of course, is of chief service whi te the land is broken ami sown tlat. Where grain is sown in drills between other crops, then the nion News or Practical Farmers turnt Furnier*' l'uinn of Sumter inty.) drill that is used in sowing it should he fitted with a small roller to follow the drill.?Progressive I'armer. Punishing Married Ivoafers. ( From the Chicago Record-Herald.) The law dealing with wife desert? ion provides for the punishment of men "who abandon and fail to sup? port their families." The "and" is ambiguous. It has been found im? possible to punish men who "hang around" their families and live on the hard-earned dollars of thair wives and children. Thief Justice Olson will endeavor to put an "or" in place of the "and" In the law. The change is necessary sad just. for married loafers and shirkers who do not abandon ti?eir families are often worse than the is* I s< rters. But if ths law is amended merely to provide (off the imprisonment of such loafers the poor families will gain little or nothing. If the form? er could he compelled to work for the State and their earnings were pa'.d to the wives, a real reform would be ac hievert. Such proposals have been made at meetings of criminologist.-, but the difficu'ties in the way are enormous. Let us hope that the threat of imprisonment may prove j sufficiently deterrent. Jacob Frit, of Southfield, Conn., took a supposedly empty cask to a cider mill to be filled. On the way he no? ticed bees flying about him; but he did not discover where they came from until he reached the mill. Sev? enty pounds of honey were taken from the cask after the bees had been smoked out. The Johnstone aeroplane accident at Denver brought out the Souvenir mania in its most disgusting malignity. Men and women swarmed over the wreck, and splinters and bits of cloth? ing are reported to have been snatch? ed, as if by harpies. It is said that ns man procured a splinter stp.ined with Johnstone's blood. it might be as Well for those who are overflowing with kindness tflSSs days?and tiieir numbes ia ?iu give a thought or two to carriers and the delivery n> We will have 2 cars of 1 . _ mules to arrive Saturday or Monday. We will have some fine mules and some good driving horses. Call and see them the first of next week. Shaw and Drake. W-l-10-lt LOST?Earge white pointer dog, with lemon colored ears. Answer to name of "Sport." Reward fo^, r turn to R. J. Bland or A. G. Fish burne. l-9-I-3t-W-2t. STOCK TOR SALE? First class hors? es and mules. Car load just re? ceived. Bee me before buying and I will save you money. h. r. Tomlnson, Durwood, S. C. W&S?1-3-4l MONEYMAKER?Y limited quantity c proved pure "Mc seed, raised on there has never been any blight. Small lots, $1.25 per bushel; better price on large lots. Booth-Osteen Co., Sumter. S. C. 12-18-tfW SEED CORX?The com mitt Boys* Corn Club ha? rem hand about fifteen bushel selected corn entered for prize. Each bushel was ??ieciea with care and is the best seed corn to be had in Sumter County. It will be sold for $2 per bushel. Ap? ply to S. D. Cain, County Superin? tendent of Education. will cure ami skin rtlsmsr Thai's the price of Hunt's Cure, and It Is absolute!) guaranteed. si bert's nur?; store.