Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-07-08
Correspondence of the YOrkville Enquirer
LETTER FROM CHESTER.
CHESTER, July 5, 1915.

CHESTER, July ), 1875.
At the late meetings throug hout the county
Landsford township levied tax for the sup
port of free schools, in addition to the general
tax, of two mills; Blackstocks township, a tax
of two mills; Halsellvlle township, tax
of g. half mill. AS mentioned in my last
correspondence, Chester township levied tax
of half mill. No uniformity of action
was displayed at the late meetings. Assess.
ments in some townships exceed, and in others
are reduced from those of last year. To il
lustrate: the assessment of Landsford town
ship last year was one mill and half while
this year it has been raised to two mills; the
assessment of the Halsellville township last
wear was two mills, while this year it has been
reduced to half mill. The attendance of
the colored population at the township meet
iugs was generally slim. They have proba-
bly, discovered their ability to spend their
time with more profit in attending to their
agricultural duties. The public school affairs
of this county have been we'll and wisely man
aged, since they have been con6ded to the
care of good and capable men. Heretofore
they have been, in great measure, in the
hands of utterly incompetent persons, and, as
consequence, gross mismsnagement of the
public schools was the inevitable result. The
public schools will be opened in September,
under comparatively favorable auspices and
under the charge of the present trustees Of
the different township schools, who will have
the management of the public funds, they will
be kept open, undoubtedly, during the entire
scholastic year.
Trial Justice Sanders was engaged the ma
jor portion of last Wednesday in the trial Of
the case of James McLure U.s. Edward Shan
non !; S. P. Hamilton, Esq, representing the
plaintiff and G. S. Brice, Esq, appearing for
the defendant. The refusal of the defendant
to pay note given by Franklin, colored,
in consideration of the value of a mule, and
upon which the defendant was the endorser,
was the occasion of the suit. The case hinged
upon the soundness or unsoundness OF the
mule, which unfortunately departed this life
very soon after the sale had been effected.
The main witness for the defense, -- Frank
lin, who bought the mule, testified to the
early demise of the mule after its purchase,
and to his belief that its death was caused by
CHAMBERS. The plaintiff, through his counsel,
endeavored to show, by rebutting testimony,
that his stock had never been afflicted with
the CHAMBERS, and that if the mule in question
died of this disease, it could not have been
contracted at his place. After the conclusion
of the evidence, the lawyers delivered them
selves of good speeches, the youthful justice
made good charge, and thee was placed
in the hands of the jury. The jurors, after
due deliberation and consultation, reported
their inability to agree upon verdict, and
we're accordingly discharged. The case at
tracted considerable attention, which will
probably be increased at the next trial.
The ice cream festival, given by the ladies
of the Baptist Church, at the Cotton Hotel,