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M VI IK IT WIM, Kl M \ IN Ol'I V ?Secretary Hoanlon mal Manager Pop? per Deny Reported lluiiM>r or staff) I Ckejtng. ? It having been told to n representa? tive of this paper that a report has been generally circulated throughout certain sections of th.? tobacco grow Ing belt, tributary to Sumter and nearby competitive markets, that "Messrs. Pepper ft Marlon, lessees of the Farmers' Tobacco Warehouse, of Sumter would keep their warehouse open for only thirty days, closing the same on August 22nd. for the purpose of rushing tobacco on the murket in order to create, if possible, a quicker and greater supply than demand," and doubtless to further misrepresent the 8umter tobacco murket by creating the Impression that sumt? r's ware? housemen are interested In low prices for tobacco, a representative of this paper requested the managing secre? tary of tne 8umter Chamber of Com? merce, who Is also secretary of the Farmers' Tobacco Warehouse Com? pany, owners of the warehouse leased to Messrs. Marlon and Pepper, to ask Messrs Pepper and Marlon about this report, which this paper never credit? ed In the least, but In order that of? ficial denial might be made the mattor *as rsfsrred ss above stated. Secretary Heardon stated that he knew this to be a malicious falsehood hut that he Would tuko the matter up with Messrs. Pepper und Marlon which he did. and the secretary reports as follows: "Mr. T. R. Pepper, of Pepper and Marlon, Isseeee of the Farmers' Tobac? co Warehouse authorises and requests gee to state through the Sumter Dally Item that the report referred to above is a malicious and dirty fal <> h< >.| In every respect That it Is their inten? tion to keep the Farmers' Tobacco Warehouse open this season Just as long ss thsns is sufficient tobacco of? fered to keep the buyers hero, and that he has not the slightest idea that his warehouse will close before the latter portion of September or the first part of October, at the earliest. Messrs. Pepper and Marlon are as much Interested in, having all of the tobacco possible sold on the Sumter market, at the hlgibest possible prices as are the farmer* who produce the tobacco. The tobacro buyers are in? terested in buying tothacco Just as long ar tobacco la offered for sale, that be? ing their business, to buy tobacco." Mr. Pepper further stated that he has at considerable expense to bis Orm. personally visited* a number of th? leading tobacco manufacturing, wholesale, and export centers und in? duced these larne tobacco concerns to have buyers on the Sumter tobac? co market. Sumter being a new mar? ket, in a sense that the tobacco in? dustry was abolished at Sumter for many years, until 1914, when the present wa. chouse was erected with Messrs. Pepper and Marion as lessees, he hail some difficulty in convincing the leading tobacco concerns last sea? son Unit Sumter was a good opening i for a tobacco market. However the season of 1914 al? though not as favorahlo as it might have been, due to a shortage of to? bacco tributary to the Sumter mar? ket, nevertheless more thau half a million pounds were sold on the Sum? ter market, the prices averaging high? er than any other market in the Peo Dee section *>f this State. All of the farmers of SJumter and Clarendon i unties who sobd on the Sumter mar? ket during 191-1, were exceedingly well pleased with Messrs. Pepper and Ma? rion, and with the tobacco buyers on this market. ?ight hundred dollars were collected and distributed by the Sumter Chamncr of Commerce In prizes during the 1914 season to in? duce farmers to patronize Sumter's new warehouse in order to see what we had to ofOer them. The Sumtefr Chamber of Commerce distributed, for Pepper and Marion, during tho early part of 1915 free to? bacco seed for nearly twelve thousand acres of toJbacco, giving each appli? cant double the quantity required for plant beds* The Chamber of Com? merce tobfceco record book shows nearly eifcht hundred applicants, ag? gregating nearly seven thousand acres of tobacco prepared for in beds. Not a single instance of a bed being thrown away has been reported, and owing to the fact that nearly every one who planted a bed had more Planta than needed, a great many who had not intended planting tobacco se? cured the extra plants and started to i?acco growing, it being easier, of course, to accept than grow plants in beds. Mr. Pepper requested this further statement made: He said "I havo been asmirod by leading tobacco con? cerns of this country that owing to the accessibility of Sumter to so many fine tobacco growing counties, and the fact that Sumter has nine lines of railway, that these tobacco concerns desire to make Sumter one of the leading tal>acco markets of this State, with a view of locating stemmories and drying plunts at Sumter, and for tobacco manufacturing. Representa? tives of these large tobacco concerns have visited Sumter, as the Chamber of Commerce known, and secured in? formation. The first, or one of the llrst questions asked was, "What in? terest does the business interests of Sumter, the mercantile and banking concerns, take in inducing farmers to grow tobacco?" The leading tobacco markets, es? tablished in cotton growing belts were built up as a result largely of the business men of the commercial and financial centers of population inter? esting themselves in diversification of field products, tobacco particularly. I can make Sumter the leading tobacco market of South Carolina with anoth? er warehouse, and the merchants and bankers cooperating with me. I didn't expect to make any money on the Sumter market the first season of 1914. I spent several months with my partner, Mr. Marion, and we spent our money to begin the fobacco business in Sumter last year. We have spent hundreds of dollars and many weeks here this year going out among the tobacco planters at an expense of about fifteen dollars a day for auto? mobile hire, board, and other ex? penses, showing the farmers how to harvest and to cure tobacco. Now it it is seen that Sumter is going to be a big tobacco market. Hence the ma? licious falsehoods to cripple the Surnter market. All we ask is for the business men of Sumter, and the farmers of the Pee Dee to stick by us and we will make Sumter sell a million dollars worth of tobacco a year in a couple of years. Come out on the booster trip with us on July 21st." Hol)ert A. Coo|>er. Bob Cooper is at Saluda this week. He Is not a stranger in these parts by any means. It is easy to remem? ber his kaleidoscope run for govern? or the last time?and to picture him as In the running again after Manning has served the usual four year term In tho governor's office. Mr. Cooper's slogan was "law enforcement" and Qov. Manning, who was elected upon that platform, is undoubtedly making great headway toward stamping out the law breaker. And Mr. Cooper? is hand in glove with the governor* in eliminatin. factionalism and in mak? ing of this State what sho should bs. ?Datesburg Advocate. Subscribe to the Dally Item. UQ cents per week, delivered by carrier. FIRE ON BATTLESHIP. Mysterious lUa/.e Aboard Mighty Okla honm. Psiladelphla, July 19.?Fire of a mysterious origin was discovered to? night on the United States battleship Oklahoma at the yard of the New Shipbuilding company in Camden. Smoke was seen issuing from the com? partment under turret No. 1 shortly after the workmen had left the yard for the day. The compartment was flooded and the fire extinguished. The Oklahoma is of the superdreadnought type and is about ready for her trial trip. M. A. Knox, president of the ship? building company, said that a rigid inquiry would be instituted in an ef? fort to learn the cause of the fire. The extent of the damage could not be determined, he added, until the water is pumped out Shortly before midnight smoke was observed coming from a compartment beneath another turret at the opposite end of the vessel and the firemen of four Camden companies and the Phila? delphia harbor police were called to the yard. Although apparently un? der control an hour later, firemen continued to flood the compartments. $2,500 VFROICT FOR HOY KIN. Case of II. V. Plero Against Southern Express Company. The case of II. Boy kin, administra? tor of the estate .of Peter Boykin, against the A. C. E. railroad company ended on Monday afternoon and went to the jury at a few minutes before 6 o'clock. The Jury stayed out until about 5 o'clock this morning when a verdict for $2,500 for the plaintiff was awarded.* This is the third trial of the case, the first resulting in a verdict for $10,000, and the second ending in a mistrial. The case of H. V. Piero against the Southern Express Company was taken up this morning. This is a suit for $2,999.00 for actual and punitive damages alleged because of the alleg? ed failure of the Express company to deliver a piano in good condition when it was shipped from Sumier to Cam? eron. It was alleged by the plaintiff that the piano was wet in shipment and that it could not be used by rea? son of this fact, when the plaintiff needed it in his show business. Messrs. Jennings and Epps represent the plaintiff and Mark Reynolds the de? fendant. First New Cotton. Now Orleans, July 19.?The first cotton of the new crop was received here today, two bales arriving from Texas. One was brought in by a member of the city commission coun? cil and will be used to inaugurate the opening of the new $3,000,000 cotton warehouse being constructed on the river front. Ordination at Pisgah Church. The ordination of Mr. Samuel Boy kin as deacon of Pisgah church will take place on next Sunday at 4 p. m. The public is cordially invited to attend. FUNERAL OF ASSISTANT CHIEF MORRIS. Mayor to Pa*s on Fatal Motor Col? lision?Chauffeur Suspended. Charleston, July 19.?The request of Henry P. Williams, mayor pro tern., to Police Chief Cantwell that Chauf? feur Beaudrot of * ie police depart? ment be suspended awaiting a review of facts and a decision by the mayor regarding the collision between the police patrol, which Beaudrot was driving, and the fire chief's automo? bile Saturday morning is the latest development of the accident, which is still the talk of the cit\ The funeral services of the late M. J. Morris, assistant chief of the fire department, who died as the result of Injuries received in the accident, were held this morning in the Ca? thedral of St. John the Baptist, at? tended by scores of relatives and friends. Flags about the city remained at half mast until after the funeral. The city hall was closed in respect during the funeral. Reports from Roper hospital to? day indicate that others injured in the accident were improving with the exception of Charrles F. Pequette, fire department chauffeur, who was still , regarded a sNing in a critical condi? tion, with the skull fractured in two places and a broken rib. Edward Fin ley, John Moore, James M. Jonesand Lieut. H. D. Rohde, the police officers Injured, were all believed to be on the road to rapid recovery. Coroner Mansfield said that it would be necessary to get statements from the men in the hospital before an inquest into the death of the as? sistant chief could be held. The in? quest may be held tomorrow. HEALTH BOAUI> TO ORGANIZE. T. R. Littlcjohn Elected by Council Vice W. E. Mills. , \ At a meeting of City Council last night T. R. Eittlejohn was elected on the board of health vice V L,. Mills, formerly chairman of the board, whose term of office expired this month. The board of health now con? sists of Messrs. Geo. D. Levy, J. A. McKnight, J. W. McKiever, J. F. Gldnrt and T. R. Littlejohn. * A meeting of the board has b$er| cal'ied for tonight, when the body ^111 organise. It has been quite a ldhgj time since the board has held a meet ing, and it is understood that the organized board will at once get work to keep things moving and gfjve^ the city improved sanitation. ASK CLAXTON'S DISMISSAL. Resolution Before Sons of Revolution Aimed at U. S. Education Commis? sioner. Portland, Ore., July 19.?A resolu? tion that President Wilson be asked to dismiss P. P. Claxton, United States commissioner of education, be? cause of sentiment derogatory to the United States flag he was reported to have expressed in a speech twe years ago in Boston, caused ? commotion today at the Congress of the Sons of the American Revolution. The resolution, introduced by Chris? topher W. Horr, of Seattle, was geet ed with hisses. It finally was referred to the resolutions committee without debate. In his Boston speech Commission-* er Clrxtoh said, according to an ex? cerpt read in the convention: "After all the people of the world care very little what flag they live un? der. The flag means nothing. It ia not a reality. They can live under one combination of colors as well aa under another." GREAT MORPHINE GRAB. , j 58,800 Tablet* Stolen From New Or* e leans Drug House. ? ? New Orleans, July 19.?The theft oil 56,800 morphine tablets was reported to the police today by a local whole? sale drug firm. The robbery occur? red between Saturday night and this morning, and the police believe the robbers were persons either addicted to the drug or engaged in the drug traffic. ONE-FOURTH OFF SALE! One-Fourth Off of the Prices on all Our Men's and Boys' Woolen, Lined and Half-Lined Suits. AU Palm Beach Suits 10?0 Off Special Discounts on Shirts, Pajamas, Night Shirts and Underwear. ? All Our Wash Suits for Small Boys, Sizes 2 to 6 years, at One-Fourth Off. Nothing Charged?Sale Lasts Until Aug. 1 She D J. Chandler Clothing Co PHONE 166 SUMTER, S. C