The Watchman and Southron PabUs&ea Wednesday and Satur day by Osteen Publishing: Company? ? - Sniuter, S. C. ? Terms: $2.00 per annum?in advance. Advertisements: One Square, first insertion -.$1.00 Svery, Afeujbaeo^uent insertion .50 -Contracts for three months or longer will be made at reduced rates.; . ? All communications which sub serve . private - interests . will ae charged .tor as advertisements. Obiruarierf and tributes of re spect will be charged for. *^9fite Sumter Watchman was foSisded io? >1S50 and the True Southron in ISt?tr. The Watchman ?i?d Southron now has the com M?ed\cir"culation and influence of i>?tfc"of the old papers, and is man ifestly, the best advertising medium fev Sumter. ""* ?' " ?TK HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOP >fEXT (News-and Courier) Tne.Sri.rr.ter Item of Monday was turned over largely to the members of the "graduating class of the gum. t$r H?gh School and was very well ffSed *\rcth\ special articles on the Sufeter schools written by mem bers'-oi"tie cte^ The story of the d1Swlcpmentx>f the schools of Sum ter offers a strikm-g commentary on "the -c^velopment of South Carolina. is hard, to realize, for example, ?tn&t Siraster. one- of the best and liprgesV^arid oldest communities in Setith "Carolina, never* had a public ^school until 2SS9. There, were a nunib^r~?>Y fine private schools, but i?e^y or course, were open only to t?i36 ds?^ren of the. weli-to-do. ?j9tenv ah* effort was made three j&tts""larer; in 18.9*2; to float a bond -i3??e for; $15,00# to build a school tej?56.:':at first there was consid &r-ible opposition, because some of tfce property owners could not be ired to? believe that it would become necessary-in the course of one han dled years to use a school that large." - The school system of Sumter has been, worked out largely under the leadership of one man, Dr. S. K; Edmunds. . who ? became principal ofT*the school in IS90 and superin tendent in 1895. The corps of teachers has increased under his 'iifti?inistration from nine to about Xorty-five. His influence upon the 3"?tt-?g\i>eop}e who have been un ^ter hi^ charge and upon the com petently has been very great. An iBuiStrafion df this "is furnished in the fact that of the 22 boj-s> w STsduated from the Sumter Hi Behool last year alL it is stat ,&?v-e-iiin France just on the eve t?e ?? awnistice caused- nation-wide 11 V There are not many people who realize how young the public school ?*-*t-*m. of South /Carolina is. It is interesting to have this fact borought out, as in this sketch of the schoolsjof Sumter. Only in the i&^.!fti*rry~ or forty years has edu t^E^SOvh-become available to all \?lnte children in the average ^irtirCarolina community on equal terA2?;V?l?y in the last fifteen or ^eft$yryears has there been a high l&nool system in . South Carolina, ^his dates.- we believe, from 19&5. Misere.js"*re high schools before iiT we would find the high spools graduating any considerable ?proportion of the boys and girls, *|^eeiaiLwThe boys, coming up from ttte" l?fflper- classes. *v-T-he -News and Courier has ex pressed the opinion more than once recently" that the high school ~de VeT^t^enT" which has taken i>lacc in South Carolina in the past five ??^ears-is the longest step forward the. State has made during that period. We do not think this is an e5*?ggVrat"ion. As bad as the fa^t ?tc-atr^TOjiih Carolina has been at the of the ladder as regards il -ifter&cy was the fact that we were at the bottom of the ladder as re '^arde h4gh schools, it is a tre mendously significant thin g. therefore, that the cost of the new high school buildings completed hi the-last twelve months, or under Cp-herrnetion, should total well over '??$&-3$ft.tfoO-* This is probably more Ifroney than was spent on school .Buildings, all told, in South Caroi i)n&,exe hiding the colleges, up to 1*910.- There are high school build ings in; the Stare today, notably that at Florence, which are equip ped-to do as good work as any schools in the. w orld and which are doing their work in a way to com mand thv largest admiration and respect. The . size of-the classes now being: turned out-?59 at Flor ence, 1*03 4at "Orangeburg. 30 and j 40 at numerous places?shows the I hold the schools have acquired on I their students.- ! We have the word j of one of the leading college pres idents in the State for it that the j improvement in' the teaching in "the . high schools has been quite as ho j table as the - improvemtn in the i physical equrpment. For the first -time in our his ttbry the benefits tot a high school j education are becoming available j to ail white children capable of [taking stich an '"education. There j are still too many communities | where the neceessary facilities are J lacking, but the improvement made i in the past five years has been ; amazi-ng, judged : by all previous I standards, and it is being steadily | extended- If the present lick1 can j be kept up we shall have: in an ' other decade a new South Carolina j in vei-y ? truth 'and a-vastly-better I South Carolina beyond a doubt. SAFER CROSSINGS ._t ? , ? ? A four months* campaign, which begata June l . is being 'conducted by the American Railway associa tion, the United States Automobile Chamber of Commerce, . the ? Ka li on a i Highway Traffics association, the National Safety Council and other interested organizations. The {object is ro reduce crossing acci dents and its slogan is "Cross Crossings Cautiously:'* It seems to be generally granted by theses who understand the situa tioh, that, even if no'more crossings j are. added' to the existing number, the kilter are too numerous to be abolished without considerable time., vast expense and much labor, j The work of elimination .is likely to j continue steadily, * perhaps at an j increasing rate* but it cannot be hastened greatly. . ? This-means that the railroads. ' must - make ample provisions -for their own and the public's protec tion at such -crossings, keeping them in good condition, giving rea sonable " notice of their existence and ?furnishing fullest possible ! warning and working - safety de vices. The public, om its part, must take more time when it comes to a ! railroad crossing to find out wheth er trams are a.pi>roaching, to ob serve and obey, signals, to-maintain a reiisonable rate- of-speed, etc. Education and organized ? efforts j have eliminated many . accidents among ? railroad employees;-- -If railroads arid public work together can .they not ? also- greatly reduce this other sort of accident? ? mm. COAL PRICES ' The National _ Retail Coal Mer_ chants' Association has. informed 'Secretary Hoover that- as-'a result ; of his fixing the maximum price of coal at the mine .as $3,50 a ton, there will-be an-increase*in the re ] tail price* Of as much .as $1.7 5 a ton. j -. One reason for raising the price is probably. as ? z?od , an another, but this is- cetrainly a curious sit uation. The object in establishing a-maximum price is; to'keep prices 'from rising above the level set, in j case they should show any such i tendency. Yet it is assumed that j the mine owners immediately will [take the establishment ? of that i ttmit as permission to avail thera jiselves of. it, and make it ^the rain 1 Iszzim price -as- well as the maxi jnaum. I This has been, indeed, a com Vi?ff? practice in such-cases in the -past. Secretary Hovoer, however, ? bluntly anounces that he will not 1 stand for it in this case, and neither will h e; sta n d for ? retailers raising j their own prices in anticipation of jsuch a raise at the mine, and blam i ing it on the'mine-owners. ! The public is with him in this matter. What the people want to i see. above everything else, is a j reign of decency and moderation in ; the coal business. 'CRACKUXr.'' Oil. One of the largest of the Middle ; West oil refining companies has j begun operating "four new crack ling units". It is using a process .'whereby the crude petroleum is : made to yield a much larger pro j portion of -gasolinetby the "crack ' ins" or breaking up of the mole. ' etiles of kerosene and other less , volatile parts of the petroleum. It. is said that the company expects ! to convert into gasoline as much as 70 per cent of the crude oil. ! This is about three times as much gasoline as used to be ob tained from petroleum, and twice as much as was obtained quite re cently. Tb?? product i? not neces sarily inferior to the old-fashion ed gasoline that came from simple distillation. This achievement has a signifi cant bearing on the gasoline supply problem. The supply of petroleum is virtually doubled or trebled, a* far as gasoline is concerned. If it 5s possible to' get seven gallons of "gas" for-everyt 10 gallons of crude oil. there''need be no fear of a lack of fuel for internal combustion engines for a long time to come. And when rhe nattiral oil supply runs out. both the pool and shale deposits, there will be the limitless possibilities of gasoline made from coal and of commercial alcohol made'from vegetation. : . SKU/LED WORKERS XEEDED Building contracts awarded in j the United States for the first four! months-of this year'' aggregated j $.990,000.000, practically a round | billion. Last year they were only j $600,000,00*} for the same period, j In 1920 the recorded total was a little more, but that was a year of wiany cancellations. The present record is regarded as the best in the history of the building indus try. /With this building boom started, there: has developed rather sud denly, within a few weeks, a short- j age of skilled labor which inter. I ! feres with building progress and prosperity. And thereby hangs a i tale. As a recognized authority ex plains it, this'shortage is due to a lack of immigration. Before the war, he says, the United States de pended mainly on Europe, with-its established system of .apprentiee | ship and vocational training, to supply fresh material for the j Building' trades. Hardly any train-1 ed- mechanics ha ve come in since j 1914, and-this country itself has] not established any adequate sys- ? tern of training to maintain the i supply. So, with a vast amount, of | new construction to be done, the! work must lag for lack of work-j ers. ' ? *' ? .'' ? ? "' ? This situation seems to call for j two things: First, a modification j of the American immigration sys- j tern that will enable this country! to pick, on the other side of the ! Atlantic, the useful immigrants it j needs and wants, before they sail, i instead- of accepting blindly the j unskilled labor that makes the^ tisual- bulk of our immigration; second, a comprehensive. system of! vocational-training of our own, to provide recruits: for the skilled, trades. FLAMM?RI?X OX SPIRITS Camille Flammarion, the famous French astronomer* adds his' testi mony to that of the long series of present-day scientists and authors ?who. have been convinced, by sci entific observation'/' that the soul ?survives the body. ; | Flammarion, however, is more cautious? in 'his conclusions than Conan Doyle. Sir Oliver I^odge and various others. Re holds that while there is ample evidence of rhe soul's* immediate survival, there is as yet , no conclusive evidence of rhe soul's immortality. From all he' has been able to: ! gather, in seances and in his own independent experiments, he is sure only that the soul lives and can [Communicate for a few years after -the death of the body. One curi tfttt thing about his testimony fcr the itatement that stupid or evil souls ?eem to survive and continue to communicate longer than others. Fine, intelligent, pure souls,' he Suggests, either pass out of exist ence very soon, or else go to a higher plane of existence?he is not sure which, and so as a scieni jtist refrains from expressing a def inite opinion: All this is no novelty to anone who is at all familiar with the ideas held in the Orient, particularly in India, regarding the nature and constitution of man. Flammarion sets forth as a new discovery what Theosophists and other followers of eastern philosophy have long -taught regarding the immediate fate of the individual after death. But the rather unintelligent entity which he calls the "soul", rhe i Theosophists call the "astral body", j This, they say, is merely a second I body, composed of subtle matter, j which lives on for a time after the j death of the physical bdy. and then I slowly disintegrates. They hold j that it is unintelligent and purely j mechanical, except when animated } by the intelligent mind, and that the mind. soul, or spirit?the real ! individuality, whatever name is j j applied?passes on to heaven, leav I ing this mere "'astral shell" to come at the beck of mediums and utter its platitudes or give un dependable ! information. What rhe truth may about j such matters, jr would be rash to (say; but it may be that these west j ern "scientitie invest ig a tors of spir j it phenomena" have something to i learn, after all, from the east, j ? i? ? The road to Pocalla Is in much 'better condition as the result of jthe past few rainless days, but a !satisfactory detour is needed until j the hard surfacing has been coni j pleted. -i To-day's Best Jokes and Stories Courtesy. "Is there anything you would like to do before I press the button?" said the warden of Sing Sing to the -murderer in the electric chair; ,.?!-'. I "Yes, your honor," said the lat iter. "1 would: like to get up and [give a lady my seat." i ? . ! ? 1 Too Young. Tommy: "Ma, how old is that lamp?." ? V ? . "Mother: "About three years old. I guess." ?.. ? j Tojnmy: "Turn it down, ma, i it's too voung to smoke," ! _ ; Time. Prisoner: "Your honor, it is true that I was speeding, .but I can ex plain if you'll ,give; me a little time." i .. a* ? -? His Honor: "Thirty days." Strange, The doctor had called at Dan j Jones' home. The occurrence was j so ; un usual that Sid Smith,: from [the next farm, decided ^toinvestir j gate. .. ?. :- . j "Yes," answered Jones, upon I being questioned, ."my wife is: ill. ; I>oh!t know just what's- ailinVher. She got up this mornin'? and had breakfast for me and., the hands at five, , and then j she did some bakin' and the.qhurnin'and a little cleanin', besides a. diggin' some taters and. a-weddin' a-.patch of garden. She got dinner, and was sewin' and mendm' this after noon when she sort o'heeled over. I can't think . what can : be the matter, for- she's ^-been ? doin' nothing but keepin' house here, j easy-like, for the last. fiftten i years." I A Good Rea.soD. He hated hawngvhiB .-photograph j taken, but his wife indirectly had [ forced him to undergo, -the ^nuch I dreaded ordeal.:? -\ "When j she:; saw the., photograph she cried.iout in horror: . "Oh. Harold; you have only one button, on your coat ?" Harold: "Thank heaven you've noticed it at last. That's why I had the photograph taken." Expert Pilot, i "Oh, yes;" said the pilot on the [river steamboat, "I have been on j this river so long I know where I every stump is" ... | Just then,, with a jar, the boat struck a. stump. . "There; that's one of them now," he added. . Just Wondering. j Estate Ageni: ?> ."This tobacco ;? plantation is a bargain. I can't imagine "why you .hesitate. What are.you .worrying about?" . Prospective Purchaser: "I was just wondering whether ,1 should plant cigars er cigarettes.** Safety First. I The second act had come to an j end and the curtain had fa?en? ?Suddenly those near the stage be came conscious of. a stir and hur rying behind; the scenes. - A faint ;smell began to -pervade the aynos pShere; smoke came from the wings. 1 In an instant the same thought struck everyone, t *"*>nd . the same word - left every? lip:,.. "Fire,-" A stampede^ seemed imminent. Then the hero of the hour 'rose from his seat in the orchestra, i '."Keep j'our seats," he shouted. His words and manner reas sured the terror-stricken people in the theatre. Shamefacedly, they sank back one by .-one. .into their seats. Slowly the man strode to where there was now an open avenue of exit. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he. rushed for the door. Once outside, he mopped his forehead, and murmured,. breath lessly. "Well, someone's saved anyway." . Some Exceptions. J A well-known journalist was {touring in . Ireland and patron ized a jaunting-car. "You see thim mountains?" said the driver, with a wave of his pipe. "Yes." "Thim's the highest mountains in the.world/' . : ,"Is that so?" asked the surpris j ed tourist. "It is," assured the driver, "ex 'cepting, ay course, thim in furrin ] parts." A Good Excuse. Teacher: "How is it that you're so late. Tommy?" Tommy;. "'Cause there was a man pinched for stealing chickens, and setting a house on fire and knocking down- five policemen, an' my mother sent me down to see if it was. my father." Cross Examination. Farmer made other tracts will be prepared J on Molokai for additional settlers. The commission hopes to be able; to place the first group on the land j ! by July. |) Being on the brink of despair j ! isn't as bad as jumping off. I DIAL TOOK LEAP INMIXSON *FIGHT ? ? yt ? ?>- ? < % <$?-?> ;. ?, - - * ? Report by Inspector Bears Out Charges of Attempt to Col-j lect Money Washington, June 9.?Acting on recommendation of the senate com mittee on postoffices and postroads the senate formally rejected the nomination of B. J. Mixson, to be postmaster at Orangeburg tonight. Senator X. B. Dial fought the nomination of Mixson and unques tionably caused its defeat. In., a formal statement prepared for this newspaper today Senator Dial set forth his reasons for fighting ; Mix son*. From , that statement it ap pears that postoffice inspectors sent to Orangeburg to investigate charges against Mixson did not recommend, that he be. confirmed by the senate, - but that such charges be dropped. In his state ment Senator, Dial declares: ; "I deem it necessary to state that it was not a .question of Mixson'sj confirmation that the postoffice in-i spectors ? were investigating, their j sole purpose having been to ascer- j tain whether or not Mixson. had! approached Miss Alice Singletary. postmaster at Bowman, either di-j rectly or indirectly, and informed 1 her that if she would pay him $300 j he would see that. she would re ceive the nomination of that office. | I ?* "The report of the two inspectors stated that it was Mixson's desire [ to. cause Miss Singletary . to- pay ; him $300 for his alleged influence. [They recommended-that inasmuch as.he. had subsequently become a candidate foe, ,the;;; postofl5.eej at Orangeburg, they: believed, the in? .vestigation they had made would prevent, further attempts of this na ture. .Therefore, they recommend ed that: .the case be i closed. , ...., .... "I wish simply to-add that when this matter of extortion of .money from-..a woman came-to my atten tion, I did all I could to run it I down and ascertain its truth. The facts as found to exist and which ' are now on file in Washington sub : stantiatc Miss Singletary's state ment that she had been asked. for $300. I. would not for a moment think of standing by and seeing-a good woman thus most- outgrage? ously imposed upon." CHINA CHANGES 1 * PRESIDENTS i- % . - & ?% \ : Li Yuan Hung Recalled by ? % Peking * Government Peking, June 11. ? Li Yuan Hung, the president deposed by the militarists in 1917, arrived in Pe king today and assumed the pres idency. Li came from Tientsin in answer to an invitation to succeed Hsu Shih Chang,- resigned. President Li Huan Hung issued his .first mandate shortly after as | suming office today, - appointing i ? ... . ? m> ? j The call of the wild is what starts th: epicnic and the squall of i tlie child is. often what- stops it. ! It never occurs to these foreign ' J countries that they could reduce i I their debts by paying a little. j j There seem to be some Russians ' i left despite the fact that all starve ; to death every year. j Enrollment in a democratic club, i like salvation, is - free, but you i have to go get it yourself. - ; A friend is a-man who cusses j I the same people you cuss. I Every now and then a man i wishes the daily report that Con, ' gress isn't doing anything was true. m m m "Probe War Frauds"?headline. People jnsr won't.leave these.sec ond lieutenants alone. UNDERTAKING THE CHERRY CO 18 N. Main Street Motor Equipment KELL BRUNS0N Licensed Embalmer. Night Phone 798-L. June ? ??? AT i Besides the many splendid values in White Goods; and Colored Cotton Fabrics now being secured by smart shoppers, we wiii allow you the choice, [ Without Reserve, ANY CQAT SUIT, ..?V.>. ? A>I*U.? OR SILK DRESS AT HALF PRICE. And since we only handle the products of manufac turers who are prominent in the Reaoy-to-Wear business this is surely a worth while proposition.; THE SUMTER DRY GOODS CO. -i ?? --.:r.--. - the .numbers of insects grow ft-is? hoped that in a few years' time: appreciable progress win.haye be?wj: made in these districts m verleb?, the organisms will have beenliber-^ ated.":r ^ Prickley Pear a Scourge in Queens '.land*. .. .. - Sydney, X. S. W., May 18 (By Mail) ? Millions of acres in Queensland and northern New South Wales are infested, with prickly pear and the. government-is continuing its endeavors te ^control the ?courge by use of its natural enemies, such as insects and bac teria, i ? . . . . , j / Scientists engaged in the inyes-l tigations announced that they be- j lieved that they are on the eve of j important discoveries. They have drawn upon-practically the entire world for "weapons" with which j to combat the menace, organisms ] having- been received from South -America, Texas, Florida, Mexico ?nd other countries. ?;? "From the laboratory results it seems as if there, has been establ ished here a complex of organ-^ ferns which, provided, they act to- | gether in the field as they are do- j ihg in the laboratory, and provided the moths breed sufficiently rap -Idly, may bring about compile .control of the prickly pear men ance ultimately," said Professor Harvey Johnson,' one of the scien tists engaged in the work. "As Back to the Garden. "What do you think of the pre*? ent fashions?" one,friend asked an> other. The ? other' replied ? te8t?y? "I think: it is a skin game wher^ one woman endeavors to outstrip . the other:",?Exchange. '???*" -?? ? ' g Mr. S. K.- Nash?-chairman of- t?fe enrollment committee of Ward elub has heard,that the 'wosrea.? voters are refraining from enroll-? ing because they have not bees: vited to do so. The arrival- of woman voter has. -started ? thing new in politics.- ~ ?The dates who .-are anxious to enrBl? the full voting strength, both mes< and women, might try sending eef-? special invitations for enroUmect parties. ? - -...??? Senator Walsh- ' wants congress^ men to learn wrestling and hosing? About all they do now ia wrestle^ with themselves and shadow boX^. 1 The National Bank of South Carolina Of Sum tor, S. C. The Most Painstaking SERVICE wJtl COUBTFSY Capital $300,000 Surplus and Prefix $300,000 I STRONG AND PROGRESSIVE --vj- .. VT^.-> .... Give us the Fleature of Serving YOU. The Bank With the Chime Dock. C. G. ROWLAND, Pres. EARLE ROWLAND, DO YOU REALIZE IT There are so many people who keep their money at home or carry it about on their person, without the least thought of the risk they are taking, not only of losing their money, but their lives as well. Murders are almost of daily occurence, the object in nearly every case being robbery. Banks are established not only to make money for their stockholders, but are a protection to the public. We not only guarantee you 100 per cent safety but we W?I allow you interest on your deposit. Is this -not .worth your serious consideration? Think it over and or ing in what you have. It matters sot how little. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SUMTER? S. C.