Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-10
Scraps and facts.

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AT a good roads convention held
in Minnesota a few days ago, two facts
of interest were brought out promi-
nently. The first was the necessity OF
thorough surface drainage by ditching.
The roadbed must be rounded so the
water will run off readily. If the road
surface can be- kept dry, any locality
may have good roads at comparatively
small cost all the year around, even
with present available means. The
second point was that Of the width OF
tires. A practical road builder stated
that if he were to purchase a new
wagon he would not take narrow
tired vehicle if he could get it at half
price, as he could haul double the load
with the same expenditure of power,
on a wide tire. Where the roads are
dry and hard there can he no doubt of
the superior economy of wide tire,
not only in the matter of hauling the
load; but in preserving the roadway.
As both suggestions are easily carried
out, the hints should prove of value.
An adventurous 6-year-old boy in
Oakland, CAL, lost his life last Wed
nesday through his desire to 60 up in
a balloon. Charles Coulon, an amateur
aeronaut, was advertised to ascend in
a hot air balloon at Blair's park and
descend by parachute. Young Ber-
trand Hill, son of Chauncey Hill, a
Los Angeles architect, saw the infiat-
ing of the balloon and other prepara-
tions. No one noticed the boy in the
hurry and excitement of cutting loose
the ropes but the crowd was horrifed
as soon as the balloon rose to clear the
earth, to see a little boy clutching one
of the sand bags. He was fully 35
feet above the aeronaut, and there was
no way of reaching him. Apparently
he shouted to the child to hold tight,
but it was plain the little fellow was
getting bewildered and dizzy. Groans
of horror came from men and screams
from the women and children as, when
the balloon had reached height of
about 1,5OO feet, the child was seen to
fall. Women tainted and men wept
as the body came whirling down. 1t
struck nearly a mile from the park.
1t is believe the boy was dead before
the body reached the ground.
Ex-President Cleveland is still
writing letters. The following from
him is to be read at the Iowa state
Democratic convention "Paul Kersch,
ESQ.,, Dear Sir: My love for true Dem
cracy is so intense and my belief in
the necessity of its supremacy to the
welfare of the country is so clear, that
I cannot fail to sympathize with every
effort to save the principles of my par
ty from threatened abandonment. l
believe the very existence of true Dem
ocracy as an agent of good to the
American people is in the hands OF
those who are willing to be guided oy
the declaration of principles announced
by the National Democratic party. 1t
is high mission to thus have in keep.
ing the life and usefulness of the party
which has deserved so well of our
countrymen, and the important con-
sideration involved, should surely slim
ulate patriotic effort. The work be-
fore us is above partisan triumphs and
its immediate rewards. The question
is, are we doing our duty to our coun-
try and to the principles of our party? ?
No success worth the name can be
reached except in the path of the prin-
ciple. I hope the National Democrats
of Iowa will not hesitate to exhibit to
their followers in every state the bright
light of true Democracy"
- The largest farm in this country
and probably in the world, is situated
in the southwestern part of Louisiana.
1t extends 100 miles east and west. 1t
was purchased in 1883 by syndicate
of northern capitalists, by whom it is
still operated. At the time of its pur-
chase it's 100000 acres were vast
pasture for cattle belonging to few
dealers in that country. Now it is
divided into pasture stations or ranch
es, extending every six miles. Its
fencing is said to have cost about $780,
600. The land is best adapted for rice,
sugar, corn and cotton. A tract, say
half a mile wide, is taken, and an en-
CINE is placed on each side. The en-
gines are portable and operate cable
attached to four plows. By this ar
rangement 80 acres are gone over a
day with the labor of only three men.
There is not single draught horse on
the entire place, if we except those
used by the herders of cattle, of which
there are $4,000 head on the place.
The Southern Pacific railway runs for
Sc miles through the farm. The com.
pany has three steamboats, operating
on the waters of the estate, of which
300 miles are navigable. 1t has also
an icehouse, bank, shipyard and rice
mills.
The following dispatch from Cleve-
land, O., under date of Wednesday,
makes rather curious reading: "The
railroads have already begun to seize
coal for their own use, no matter to
whom it is consigned. Whole trains
are sent to the railroad yards and un'
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