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BAMBERG COU1S GROWING CO] Hopes to Evolve Perfect Black as Result of His Experiments?Was Also Originator of Well Known Upland Long Staple. In the future it may be possible to produce cotton in all the shades of the spectrum. At least that is the proposition on which Arthur W. Brabham of Bamberg county. South Carolina, is engaged. Should he succeed?and he has made considerable progress?textile manufacturers would not be perturbed by the scarcity of analine dyestuffs, just now an embarrassing problem, incident to the blockade of -German and allied arteries of trade. The chief objective with Mr. Brabham is to produce black cotton. A distinctly bronzed tint has been realized by six years of systematic crossfw?;i;-s.i4,.r ?i... fr......fi.... 1.......... V..C "SJI'"".. Wl.JV.ll with the Russell big boll, a variety common to South Carolina plantations. Continuation of this plan, the Bamberg county plant breeder is confident, will bring the hybrid black, which he regards as the missing link in the basic colors of his cotton scheme. Mr. Brabham pointed out when visited a few days ago what is not generally known, that already four distinct tints of cotton are being grown in different parts of the world. In confirmation of his argument he drew from his sample case yellow Chinese cotton, grown from seed imported from the Far East. Flanking the fence parallel with the road by his home grew Egyptian brown of luxuriant growth, well fruited with shapely bolls, as if perfectly acclimated. He further emphasized that gray cotton is grown i'n India, varieties similar to the Egyptian in Peru and Hawaii and South America, and a reddish-hued cotton also in Peru. With black added to these and the native white cotton, he insists that a natural cotton spectrum could be easily built. Burbank Skeptical. I.uther Burbank, whose rare combinations of bewitching colors in flowers and magnificent successes in hybridizing fruits has won the glowing admiration of the world, believes black cotton is not "an absolute impossibility." He is slightly incredu1 miC tVinnnrll on/1 nAmm/ir*fo ?4T4 somewhat doubtful if black cotton will be produced in this generation, if ever." He wouldn't undertake its production at any price, he wri'tes. The fundamental principles in breeding the new variety of cotton are exceedingly simple. Early in the day, when the blossom first opens wide, the pollen is shaken from the bloom of one variety into the bloom of another. The fertilized bloom is then tied up that hees may not "infect." Though white the first day, the blooms turn pink and drop the following day, so that the operation is as brief as it is simple. The Egyptian cotton used as one basic stock is of a brownish hue. The Russell big boll, on which it is "crossed," enlarges the Egyptian boll and adds quality to the length of the fibre. The seed of the Russell also has a blanket wrapped about of exceedingly short, greenish, fuzzlike fibre. The elongation of this has had a distinct effect in producing the bronzed type of hybrid cotton. Much interest is being manifested in the wprk of Mr. Brabham, which I :_.i -- . > ' nan iiccn lui i ieu on mrougnoui a number of years. Big .Mill is Interested. One large cotton manufacturing establishment in New England, which consumes annually 1 *20.000 bales of cotton for "mercerized" goods, is making elaborate experiments with the Brabham product. Tests are being made of the tensile strength of the fibre, the fastness of the color and the calendarizing qualities of the cloth. Should the experiments bear out the general belief of manufacturers a tremendous demand would arise for the use of the cotton in "mercerized* 'goods manufacture. Quietly and unobtrusively the Bamberg county wizard has gone about his task. Although ho has chased the elusive ignis fatuus idea of black cotton through six successive years, here has been no blaring of trumpets in accompaniment. His neighbors only knew that he was about his old pranks of cross fertilization of different varieties of corn, peas and cotton, to produce something "irregular." But this untiring* zeal and persistent application through many discouragements and failures elicited no praise and provoked no admiration. I.ike most gifted men he bears the stigma of being a "little cranky." I When inquiry was made for the planter in the little town of Olar, 10 miles removed from the Ilrahham home, acquaintances half apologetically attributed the cotton fetish to this idiosyncrasy! Hrfme is Isolated. He lives alone in a little four-room frame residence on a community road, which isn't even maintained as a public highway and which is hedged in by thin ranks of sassafras bushes and other underbrush. He is the second of four sons and is past his aOth year. The father died when the hoys were in their teens with an estate insolvent. Through the efforts of the youngsters, the mortgage was lifted, and A. W. Brabham lives today on 100 acres of the original Brabham tract. [TY FARMER J LORED COTTON * t Educational advantages were (lis- ' tinctly meagre. The only school he t ever attended, he said, was the "old ^ field" or public school "a few months when quite a small boy and got only [ a smattering of the three r's. But I t have always been a student, teaching a myself." Both his mother and his a wife, who died several years ago, were t highly educated women, and it was t these who guided his faltering ef- a forts through the devious paths of t self-education. Commenting on his struggles to acquire information, he c said: "It seems that much of the very i little 1 know came to me by intui- s ti'on. I never read a line in Shakes- ( peare until I was 21, and, strange to " say, I found there many passages I \ knew, although I had never seen t them." He is an omnivorous reader, c particularly on subjects related to na- r ture study and nas contributed many r letters to newspapers on cotton pro- f duction. i Back in the '80s Carlylo McKinley, then on the editorial staff" of the ^ Charleston News and Courier, chal- t lenged Mr. Brabham's idea of pro- t during an upland long staple cotton. | A spirited controversy was carried on t through the press. And if the cotton ^ planter didn't withstand the incisive t arguments and skilled logic of the s forceful writer, he did contrive to breed a hybrid long stable upland f cotton from the sea island long and r upland "short" which is now grown a generally over the State. v Besides the moral impetus and in- s tellectual stimulation such creative t enterprise gives, the economic value p of the venture, if successful, would i'< be one of the greatest achievements ? of modern science. The use of chemi- p cal dyes in textile manufacturing t would be obviated in that natural col- a orod threads could be fed to the looms for the various patterns of cotton goods. Bred Hybrid Cow Pea. Mr. Brabham was no less success iui in nis efforts to prow a "different" cow pea on his farm in Bamberg county. The Brabham is a hybrid between the Whippoorwill and Iron. It partakes of the character of both parents, having the tall habit and prolificness of the Whippoorwill and the same resistance to wilt and rootknot and ability to hold its leaves late as the Iron. Enormous yields have been produced, and a crop can be s made where no other will thrive. The a yield from this is always in excess of tl any other that has been tried in the h sand lands of the southern half of the State. ? As far back as 1897 one cotton farmer in South Carolina produced four bales of cotton to the acre. Again this year a Lexington county farmer more than duplicated this 19th century record. In 1889 Capt. Z. J. Drake established a worldwide corn yield which yet remains intact, when he measured 255 bushels of corn from _ an acre of land. Just a few years ago Jerry Moore, an 11-year-old boy, became the champion corn grower of the world when he raised 229 3-4 bushels. These maximum yields wonderfully revitalized corn and cotton production throughout the South ana were powerful factors in demon- I strating the value of intense cultiva- l? tion. Rut the production of natural colored cotton might produce oven a greater revolution in cotton culture, as well as a solution to a problem, menacing just now.?Staff Correspondent The State. IT IS TRUE l that the unusual sale of a remedy is the best evidence of its merit. 6 R H EI' M AT ISM POWDERS are guaranteed to gi\ e relief from rheumatism. They are unusually large sellers. Sold only bv us, oOc and $1.00.?Adv. AN OPEN LETTER. Union, S. C., Nov. "23, 1915. \ T/-w ?)... tu? it..:? iv. I . w i... ivvuiui ??i iiit- union l i riles: As we hear so much adverse criticism on the streets and elsewhere hecause the High school auditorium is not used for public gatherings, etc., in justice to ourselves, we ask that you kindly publish the following letter, "" which explains our position, in part, in this matter: f "South Carolina Inspection and Rat- I ing Bureau . Columbia, South Carolina I Fred T. Buice, Manager Columbia, S. ('., Oct. 28, 1915. Messrs. Farr & Thomson, Agents, ? Union, South Carolina. Dear Sirs: Union High School. No. 107 Block No. 17. I am today in receipt of your favor of the 26th inst. with further reference to the above and in reply beg to j say that if the auditorium of this school is used for theatre purposes or other than those of a school, we will ? necessarily have to re rate same accordingly and from the information now on hand the risk will be subject ~ to a rate under a theatre basis and the rate will be approximately 4.00. 0 The present rate on this risk is 40 " cents and this rate is with the understanding that the building be used I exclusively for school purposes. C Trusting the above information will p be of service, I beg to remain, Yours very truly, * F. T. Buice, Manager. a The original of the above letter is in possession of the chairman of the i ? y >oard of trustees, and may be seen ^ it any time. ^ We have $20,000 insurance on the I uilding, costing S80 per annum, at he present rate. We think this the >roper amount of insurance to carry. ^ Phe same amount of insurance under ' he higher rate would cost the tax* ^ ayers about $800 per annum; or abqut ?j >720 per annum more than we are now ^ laying. Now, if the taxpayers of ! he district are willing to pay for this idditional insurance, in order to have ^ i few entertainments in the audi- V orium, of course, we have no objec- { ion. But we do not believe that they < ire willing to increase the burden, lence our position. vL at You will notice from the above '< opied letter that we are getting this ow rate of insurance "with the under- S landing that the building be used y xclusively for school purposes," and E 'that if the auditorium of this school E s used for theatre purposes or other ? han those of a school," we will be ? ompelled to pay the higher rate?"a 2 ate under a theatre basis." We have ^ 10 say-so in fixing the "rate"; that is <1 ixed by the Inspection and Rating Bu- 4 eau, and we cannot help ourselves. U We do not believe that the thinking * ?eople of Union, and especially the axpayers, would be willing to have J he cost of the insurance on the build- j ng increased to such an extent, or T hat they would indulge in some of the larsh criticism we hear, if they knew J he facts and our position; hence this | tatement. The above to our minds is a suf- 4E icient reason for our position in this ^1 natter; hut there are other very good J ,nd sufficient reasons to our minds S vhy the building, or auditorium, ^ hould not be used for public enter- ^ ainments, other than for school purloses. The building was erected and s being maintained by the taxpayers olely for school purposes, and not for. ^ :eneral public use. We simply want < he people of Union to know the facts, *< nd our position. 4 Respectfully, < C. T. Murphy, R. L. McNally, Geo. C. Perrin, ? W. G. Puckett, < J. A. Sawyer, Trustees. * TONIC DIGESTIVE 4 tinmlates the digestive organs to 4 ction so that the food that entors 4 tie stomach is digested and assimi- i neu. ooia oniy Dy us, *>i.uu.?Aav. i D. AMBROSE HUGHES I Public Auto ScrvlceXJ N Phone 289 * ' j Calls Promptly Answerfi I 5= M. C. RAMSEY Painter, Paper Hanger and Decorator Estimates Cheerfully Furnished Phone 33 Union, S. C. BARRON & BARRON Attorneys at Law UNION, S. C. >ractice in all Courts. Mony to loan on City and* Farm Jroperty. I Lawrence G. Southard ATTORNEY AT LAW | Will Practice in all Courts Office Opposite Post Office Dr. Virgil R. Hawkins DENTIST OFFICE OVER MUTUAL I TnJnn C p DRY GOODS COMPANY UIIIUII, O. Vj. CHICHESTER S PILLS THE DIAMOND BRAND. X t) j/VlCK I.biHihI AiUronrDruffl?t(o? A?\ m r t( ff.SA fhl-chea-ter n DlamondTlraMdA/V\ I >'" ? in Krd and Void metallic^// U. boxes, sealed with Bluo Ribbon. I H M S&Wl Take no other. Hoy of io?r * I 17 !!T^ cRi-oires.TrH R | i iriAffiwniv i?nyiiiiv rii<iint ior g It?* M year'. Wnown as fi?t. Safest. / I ways RdUbU r SOLD BY DRUGGISTS EVERYWHERE T.H. UNRO ATTORNEY AT LAW FFICE OPPOSITE COURT HOUSF UNION* S. C. ,i THE BEST SERVICE ' osts no more than careless r indifferent service. Our code of service" is without uestion the best in the city, j )ur Undertakers gentle-1 lanly, polite and attentive. Ve give every order our best ttention. Phone No. 10G. Bailey Undertaking Co. 4* A4A ^4. ^A ^4. ^fc. ^A ^4^ i f HARD ] NOW GOINI I. FR( ; 100 Ladies Skirts Fmm tl Qfi tr m. a. viii t\ > 50 Ladies Suits From $4.98 to 75 Ladies Coats From $2.48 tc i c*mm - ' ? 1 ~ za Laaies sport coal From $3.98 tc | If you have not visited my s1 come. Everything in Boys' I Suits to close out, which are 1 $9.98, worth from $5.00 up i I to quit handling Men's Clotnii portunity to get good values. I. FR "Money's Worth or ^ A. A A A. A. A^A A. A. A. mm. ?^? * fc SELL At and Bel* I am now offering m; Dry Goods, iNotions, (J at prices that will app< the following and get b Men's Suits, sizes 35 and 36, 1 Now going at from $3.00 Ladies' and Men's Shoes, worl Now going at from 75c t< Great reduction in Dry Go< - 6c Calicoes, going at the yard All other goods in this deparl reduction $1.00 Broadcloth, now going < Wool Flannels, worth 30c, no I The 15c kind going at the yai I it will pay you to investigate the m I lering. It is not oiten that I get so much lor y< GEO.W. | 51 Main Street The MW??? 1 fe-. DRIVE 1 Gr ON AT X IMVI'St ? f Y vA, | * >$4.98 I 914.98 lilAu 1 isxi * 7rti\'t > $6.98 \ I I \ % \\ \\ F Y is : A \ li1 ? ? $4.98 ?\ 1 :ore it will pay you to X Clothes. 150 Men's 4 to go at from $3.98 to X ;o $14.00. I am going lg. This is a good op- % OIVI 1 1 Money Back" x iingI DW Cost y entire stock of wn inrf OTirl Qlinno f 1 IV tiling UliU kJllU^O eal to you. Note usy: worth $5.00 to $20.00, to $14.00 th from $1.00 to $5.00, ? $3.00 ads and Dress Goods 4c tment going at a like it the yard . . 50c T*r r? r< r-? + 1-Vv /% TT/J OA a t B vv gumg at liic yu d 15c any Real Values I am olyou will be able to )ur money GO I IMG i Low Priced Store mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmP \ ' v. .. ..