davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15

iU.Ioo,UUU
During the month of July the crop
generally promised well, and large
estimates of the yield were made.
II Angnst and September, an ex-
cessive drought and other adverse
sconditions prevailed, and q marked
deterioration occurred
During October and the greater
part Of November favorable weather
was the rule, and the crop has been
materially increased thereby.
Although the crop was planted
late, the drought forced cotton to
early maturity, and our correspond.
ents say up to this date the crop has
been marketed rapidly.
In onr opinion, the movement
henceforth vii not prove to be in
excess Of the movement of normal
cotton year
For q time quarantine restrictions
in portion Of the South retarded
shipments, bat to a much smaller ex-
tent than was generally supposed
Yours truly,
LATHAH, ALExANDER& Co.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
The Georgia Convict System.

Atlanta. Ga, Dec e.-rbe convict
lease bill has passed the house After
wrangling over the coovict lease bill
for nearly two months. the house today
passed the measure by vote of 90 to
70. The bill will go Immediately to
the senate, where it is expected
it will pass without amend.
ment. The measure provides that
the state shall have entire supervision
over misdemeanor convicts that CEN
tral farm be erected for all women, in-
6rm aud juvenile ooavicts. and tbat.sll
able. bodied convicts be leased out
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
New England Paralyzed BY
Southern Factories.
AN APPE Al FOR AID.

Boston, Dec 8 Although Boeton
il the centre Of the cotton mill b1si
ness of New Eng land, the. men prom
inently connected with the trade
roaid have little to say concerning
the action Of the FaE River manu-
! sfacsnrers il voting TO reduce wages.
beginning Jan The treasurer OF
] sc one of the Fall River mills who was
willing 10 discuse the matter said he
regarded this cut as the beginning Of
sserioua time, nos only for the Fall
River print mills, but for all the cot
son mills IN New England The key
10 The whole sitnasion, he said is the
relative cheapness Of southern labor.
which could not be better shown than
sbY tie TACT that II cost the same mill
in Georgia Of North Carolina 81 to
sproduce q pound Of material and in
New England &c. y ith this fact in
misd itia evident that the cut Of 10
ercent. IS not gong TO help matters
much and the only thing that will do
NV good IL psesant viii be 9 radical
cut of say 90 OF 225 per cent, This
vould Inevitably bring on 8 strike,
but NTH . cnt Of 10 or I1 per cens.,
she says there would be little likelihood
so i strike, as the operatives are well
accuainted with the conditions and
skuasw shat.a seduction Of some kind
sis necessary Even this would still
leave i difference Of about 25 per
seHt on the cost OF the labor in favor
o sonthern mills, too great 8 dif-
Sference % struggle against success:
ntbe frat place. says the treas.
ufer. he southern Eaiills have every
ssnsasturaI advantage they have cheaper
seoston and less burd densone taxation.
Some 6f the big miiils 10 Fall River,
I siSr Instance, have g yearly payment
|ot .000, SIS, 100 and even $50,
900 in taxes to make whereas IN
4x8Dk&{A 8Sl0 lN01Eue 1ss<s - - q,
@ s@sre "a many instances exempted from
ssaxakioa for 10 81. 70 years. L is in:
aabor houever. the great difference
|Iiiiss sccording 70 the Official quoted.
ioi the labor Id the south is as good
|i 90 81 Is here and taken as 9 whole is.
:about 80 per cent cheaper. The
ls lsont nt6ern labores have had about 10
,a yesss training % mills started by ex-
:periienced cotton manufacturers and
|Sssend as msay machines and turn
nzt as good work ss operatives 10 the
bess New Englsnd mills Another
xreat advantage the southern mile
nave u not being hampered By legis
'istion III M acAnsetts the hours.
af iaborers are limited to So week,
hiile 10 the south they are unlimited.
Ibe onIy hope for the New England
mills according to- the speaker ls
either ID tie Improvement ID the print
sloth market. on in 9 general evening
np Of conditions between: the north
and The south
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
Take .JOHlNSONS
CHILL & FEVER
TONIC. ~

a Boston contemporary says that
nno gentleman will swear before a
lady" The safest course undoubt-
edIy il to give the lady the first
chance
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-15
Estimates of The Cotton Crop
Is97-l898.

Basing our conclusion upon an ex-
haustive correspondence with all the
n-growing counties in the South
ern States, reliable information se-
cured from individuals and from
travellers through the South, and
upon the percentages Of the crop
marketed at numerous points. the fol-
loving is our estimate Of the total
yielfby States.
This estimate we submit, with the
confident belief that it will prove as
rsarly correct as any that could be
made at this date, after a carefa! con
sideration Of the cotton movement
thus far this year.
Total crop of Bales:
Alabama 1,109, 900
Arkanaas. $50, 900
Florida $4,000
Georgia. l,450,O0G
Louisiana, 7o5,O0o
Mississippi, l,379.ooO
North Caroline, 594, ,0OO
South Carolina, 875,000
Tennessee etc 395, 900
Texas & Ind. Territory, 2,785,00O
-
The age-herald., 1897-09-30

deash or injury Ovartalxe them in the course of bheir occupation. And ah1s compensation is mot, in ooun.ry of great factories, a ligtIt matter. It is entina ted irlaat it win add pence a ton
 to the ooslt of coal, and there are fac tories iHhat eshnalse fis yearly tax to each at six or seven Ithousand pounds s6era41g.
 If death result from am injury the c-m- pensa,ion to defendla nts is po be a sun equal 'so the mans earnings during ,he tlsree previous years, or f16O whichever sum be the larger, but in mo case is the sum to exceed f300. If irIcsp acaty to work be the result of injury. weekly payments are to be made .Jo the injured man equal ito 'haqf of his weekly earnings. but not exceeding il per week.
 The provisoins of lthe act lean towards the elmlpioyes, and the employers are given year in which to prepare their affairs for is operation. One distressing effeci is already seen In the discharge of Hhe more aged employees The raIroa Is regard the law as heavy tax. but the public, on the othea hand, thsnk it will lessen accidents. both on the rasls and in iha shops.
 ut Is remarkable that a ibffl so sweeping in It's proyisoins should have attracted so little attention in this country. l. cer- ltafnly will moi aid the miners and iron masters in their efforts ito uGaercu, the south fm the ilon markets. IL has c-r- tasniy come to stay, even if Ii does not take lhe form of a perrIanert fund. The fund thsit comprehension will be drawn from will be the capital of the indus tries manned, and this is almost as safe and perm1aent as the insurance fund of Germany. Just where the compensation is ultimately ibo come from Is of course a question to be set lied be.ween ,raae t.ade unaors ard the employers. The lat .en VIII, alike in Germany and England, try to recoup such paymeilts from the em- Tssoyes, but dhe Szit.er VIII be very alert, and the task enay become difficult and complicated. Eo'Jh sides u d -1stand the and both doubtless wn pre- pare for Sofu ion Of ithe proolem.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Is This a Lazy Aue2

It is stated that Jokai, the Hungarian novelist, is the author of 200 volumes. This is mentioned as a surprising fact, but Dumas was the author of 300 VOL umes. Old Mrs Trollope began her 7it- erary career at the age of fifty. and wrote 12o books before she was seventy. Lope Da Vega wrote several hundred plays.
 In the old days writers were indus trious, and they had no typewriters. Now. when a fellow grinds out one thin book in a year he employs an amenu- ensis and the effort fatigues him so much that he has to take a vacation. Walter Scott, Dickens and Thackeray did an immense amount Of literary work with their own hands, and found time. for society. too.
 What is the matter with our writers? Are they weddings, or is this a lazy age, in spite of it's rushing progress?
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
New York's Contest.

It is natural that the American peo. ple should feel an interest in the great municipal campaign in New York, but there is danger of attaching too much importance to it. Greater New York does not bear the same relation to this country which London does to England, or Paris to France. It is possible for our metropolis to abandon itself to the worst bosses and tine most corrupt po- litical methods. while the rest of the country may be comparatively well-gov- erned.
 Certain conditions may compel the democrats in New York to make com promises and adopt a policy which would be indefensible if f0 lowed fin other localities under altogether different eir- cnmstanccs. The safe policy for the democrats of fine south Is to stand by the old landmarks and respect the
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
The Same Result.

Ask any old man who has realized his pet object in life if he Is satisfied, and he win probably answer mo-" The man whose dream was to accumulate wealth is worried to death when he gets it. He fears that he will lose it or that his family will squander it.
 The ambitious politician who finally reaches the high office which he has sought all his life is made wretched by his fees and false friends. Every man who wants to be famous. powerful, rich or succs ssful in any way will admit in his old age that the game was not worth the candle.
 What is fame-what Is wealth? Since Adam there have been millions of rich men and great men. but only a few of their names have been handed down. Their dust now mingfes with the com mon clay of other mortais, and they are forgotten. The poor toiler who has se- reneiy accepted his lot, loving his God and his fellow man, is far happier when alis race is run than the so-called great ones of earth,
The age-herald., 1897-09-30

pledges made bg the national democracy dn its regular councils and authoritative deliverances. It is not good sign when democrats are too ready to ignore the great living principles and issues which are held to be of vital importance by the national organization.
 Under the administration of MT. Mic Kir1asy southern democrats cannot affoI to split into factions and waste time in personal wrangling. Nor should they widen the gulf between them and their old friends who have been tempted to stray into the camp of the third party. These misguided democrats should be concilated, If possible, and restored to the fold. As a matter of self-preserva- tion tle south must get ready to meet the solid sectional array of the repub- uiean party.
 The south will be safe and in good shape if she succeeds in maintaining satisfactory local governments with a united democracy. Then, sooner CT lat T. there will be divisions in the north, and the democrats of that section will be re- inforeed by another mugwunrp cont n- gent, and when these former join the
 well-disciplined southern phalanx llhe combined host will sweep the country.
 Let New York settle her own lccs1 problems. The plan of campaign the may or may mot be what is needed here. It does not follow that what is good for Gotham is good for Birmingham or for Alabama.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Henry Grady's Wise Words.

In one or Henry ". Grady's speeches he said:
 "GO cut d6iteuniinesl to magnify the community in which your lot is cast Guitivaee ats s5maA ecoIfOn. es Stand by it's ycu.lg indus ries Commercial. de- pendence is the e. ain i.iftat gals every day. A factory buigt at home. a book published, shoe or bodt made thesa aae s5,elps dn that diffusion of lhoiIe bt ard iniercit th-t are needed. Teach you neishlbors to withdraw from tine vasssdage or distant capitalists, and pay under sacrifice he morngages on the nome or land. By simple and prudent lives shay tttn your ow1a resources and es.aBl.sh The freedom of yollr conanl,,n- ity. Make every village and cross roads eiS far as Unay be sover.ng to it's own wants.'
 These are golden words, and every eft dzen of Birmingham and of Alabama should bear them in mind. Grady did mot advise the boyc ting of any o .,her section. He mear.t .lrst it was the duty of every man to pat cnize home tindrs- tries when their produces were sat:eiEac Itory In quality and price.
 It is aurpaDbr.otic and fool.sh % reject en article because it is made aiere in Bir- 1ning'hamy aaii purchase something no b t e. O. cheaper, simply because it bears the trademark of New York, London or Par.s. The surest way to build up your home town is to give it your trade.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
WiquinS Auain.

Prof Wiggins, the Canadian weather prophet, has been heard dinom after "a hong period of silence. The professor predicted for yesterday Hremenlous storm on fhe Atlantic coast. People should not haiy.e mluch faith in Wiggins He has been making storm predictions flor the past fifteen years with the same resriiG .viz: no storms. He has never once hit it right. Naturally, his fore castts are re-assuTing, and when ile an- noumces a cyclone everybody callmIy goes ito sleep.
 With the o-her weather pnophets it is different. Some of them occasionally make current guess, and they do it often enough to cause their buqletins to dsatuftb tine public mind. But tdhe old re- liable Wiggins never offenus In this re- spect.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Stopping the Cor go Out, a res.

From qile New York Sun.
 Missionary Sims writes from Africa that the Congo state is constantly pun ishing officials and traders found guilty of cruelty to the natives. This is good news and ih waS aligh time that it should arrive. Africa has never seen a greater scandal than that of which the Congo Valley alas been the scene for sev- eral years. Many scores of villages have been burned and hundreds of natives have been killed by subordinate white officials, who- believed justice would never overtal1e them in the depths of Africa. Ths natives have been at the mercy of brutal white men, who have committed mull5Ier on the slightest pre- text. The soldiers of the state have been turned loose against viii ages that failed, by few pounds, to fill the monthly quota Of rubber required of them, ard have returned with smoke d hands of their victims as proof that thsy did their murderous work we'll The facts about these outraees were slow in coming to light. Even the missionaries s, fearing to offen1 the officials of the state. to their shame, suppressed the truth.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Protection of Labor.

The new wora1men's compensation act. which is now English law, going Into effect next July. is very irn1ilse tho Ger nsan insurance laiws. It does not provide for the a'ccumuia tIon of any fund what- ever; instead, it simply makes employ ers responsible for deaIihs or injuries to thetr employees, and even negligence on the part of the empRoye does not relieve the employer from the new liability.
 Tule bill benefiis employees on ra5a- ways in fScaoIies. mines, quarries or in engineering works. at secures to f.irly six million of operations. compensation H
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
His Ss,oOO Was Safe.

From Iuhe Chicago Tfmes-H Herald.
 George ReHchoad, 7zeeper of a gambling house, whose safe some one attempted Ito crack early Wednesday, moruing, was ahead of his own game $2,000 at o'clock ea'st evening. The burglars. who were evidently frightened off before complet- irlg the job, had dasar1:anged the lock, 50 that experss worked on it all Wednesday, ard until fast night before gehting a view of the interior. Even then the door had to be taken off. But the contents had mot been touched.
 Refchofl, who had feared the safe had been robbed, watched the work of the experts for two days In a nervous trem- or, alrld when ibhe etfeng box was finally opened and ihe eorstents foamd secure the tension gave way and he collapsed. Refchold was in bed and very sick Hast night. Charles Atwood, manager of the rooms was somewhat more stoild, but qi.ae less anxious during the profuacted nervous ordeal.
 William Brarf1k, the porter, discovered the attempbed safe breaking at o'clock Wednesday morning, when he opened up the room. He observed that fthe big box Hss.s out Of place. having been removed some distance from the wall, and on a CfOSef FTeW SHW Iufe6 A0ieS 0r1fseu aro,rnd the comlbina ion He notified Manager Atwootl, who, Calling to open the safe, sent for qocksmiths, who worked dor neaaay .thirfy-six hours before accom- plishing their objech
 The game closed early on Wednesday snoTnants. n nn.a and as BranIk ldbt the place at 2:30 o'clock he says he observed fof1r men in front OF the saloon, beneath the saanbiing roum. They azs suspected of attempting the burglary.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Better Than Stone.

Steel barrels having become common place. a new use of stsel on a large scale has been found In the construction of trackways for vehicles of all sorts on roads bearing a heavy traffic. The idea comes from across sea, and Secretary of Agriculture Wilson has determined sro test 1t. He has contracted with the Cambria Iron works. of Pennsylvania, for a supply of plates sufficiently large to enable him to practically determine its value. MT. Wilson lives in a state yexed at times with bottomless roads, and he will doubtless endeavor to find something that will keep his Iowa neighbors out Of the mire when they take their great loads of produce to market.
 The plates to be made in Pennsylvania are to be eight inches wide. These are to be so shaped on the upper side that 'they will serve to guide and-ratain the wagon wheels. They are to be aaid in gravel and are to be tied together with cross braces of steel. No wood is to be used-an is to be of steel. The plates are to be laid flush with the surface.
 The value of such tracl1ways to the farmers and to all others, in fact, who drive over the highways, would be ai- most incalcu1able. Loads three times the weight Of those now pulled could be readily moved, while the wear and tear 1,a decreased. Their economy. if practical ble, is simply beyond question. And in the south they would be particularly desirable, because there would be no action of frost. Laid in gravel, the plates could in this section Of the coun- try be readily kept in line.
 The Cambria works ask $S5 a ton for such plates. As steel raias sell at s1s a. ton, this is manifestly too high price If orders are largely duplicated. Such plates, if largely used, would perhaps fall below rails in price. About 100 toms are needed per mile At $2o a ton inc cost Of the steel would therefore be s2,- 900 mile, O price far below .Telford pavement, or even Macadam, although Ear superior to either so far as heavy loads ale concerned. As wagons of a1a sorts are now made in large factories and thave a common width, many think the plates need not be more than four inches wide A reduction to four inches would perhaps reduce the cost of the steel per mile to one thousand dollars
 It is to be hoped that Secretary Will son will use plates of lesser width be- fore he completes his experiments in steel trackways If the cost per mile can be brought down to the figures named, and the tests of the agricultural department are favorable, the steel mills will not be able to f1Il the orders they wih receive. A tread of four inches will certainly suffice if the gravel bed and the cross braces are equal ito all strains Of traffic.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
TWO AUTOGRAPHS.
From tho New York Evening VI

From tho New York Evening W She sat in her, cozy chamber,
 With the curtains all drawn tight, Curled up in a great big rocker, Fair and sweet in the soft lamp light. A bonbon box on the table With the choicest of sweets was filled, Which she daintily nibbled while writing The words that her lover thrilled; "0h, I tong for you now, my darling!
 Without you my life seems drear; There Is never bit of comfort
 For me unless you are near!'' And her lover read the letter
 AS he sat in. his bachelors den, With his feet cooked up on the mantel, In the usual way of men; With box of cigars at hic elbow And a pipe and a glass near lay, And the smoke clouds wreathed about him As he echoed her lonely cry;
 oh, l long Tor you now, my darling
 Without you any life seems irear There is never a bit of comfort
 For me unless you are near.s
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
Tho Luck of Brutus.
ihe Chicago Inter-ocean.

From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
 Of all the historical characters of dra- matic literature none has more occasion to be grateful than Brutus. Had it pleased the fancy of the dramatist to make him. instead of Cassius. the villain of the plot, the opportunity would nave been at hand, for he was the basest ir,- grate of the lot. Tt was as if the arch conspirator in the plot of assassination which made Abraham Lincoln our mar tyr president had been one Of the young men especially beholfen to MT. Line In for favors received, say John Hay, or present ambassador at the court of St James. But for some reason, or for no reason, except dhe poets fancy, it was the good fortune of Blutus to be made a patriot. or sema-patriot- In all literature there Is no more striking instance of gen. uire good luck. It is true Shal1espe re followed Plutarch, but fhe was under no dramatic necessity of doing so.
The age-herald., 1897-09-30
VAR WITH SPAIN.
A feelingin Washington That the Change in the
 Spanish Ministry May Mean War
Special to The Age-Herald:

Special to The Age Herald:
 Washington. Sep4. 2s-Senator-elect Money, of Mississippi is hare having his eye treaLed. Gel Money was in Cuba qasit winter He uhira1s this government is on ithe verge of serious trouble with Spain.
 1.-The resignation of the Spanish min iisiy 'tonaght may mean much. There are two strong politfcal fact ons in Spain --cae in favor of resen.ing with force American interference in Cuban affairs. while ttle o-her is advocalting that Spain can not affo.d to become eanbroilad with the United States. This. fat CT class are holders of Spanish securities. In other words, the men who hold Spanish bones know a war With :he United States would make them worthless. But the Spanish honor and war party seems to be the most powerful and are resenting Unased States Minister woodford's re- cent le'ater to the Spanish foreign office.
 Upcn the composition of the next mln- fstry depends the relations between the United States and spaiu There may be a uaval brush yet
 Spain cannot lose Cuba with honor fe the Cuban insurgents are successful but df she lost it after war with the United States it would not be so humlia ing. It seems now that this may be the re- suits.
 The navy department is making every preparation for whatever might result. Beth the North and South AflantIc squadrons are Ae easy sailing distances of Cuba, and the ships are in good con- dAlon or being put fin perfect fighting orler.
 dn the event of serious complications the -four great ships of the American Steamship Ine,-ltdle St Louis. Sit Paul. New Yo.k ard Paris-wia be armed and commissioned as fast cruisers.
 Washington is not so gay now. Con- gress is not in session, and Mckinley is running in and out so fast on his junk cts that the office-seel1ers have thinned out. One of the few holding on is Jud- son Lyons, the negro who wants the Augusta. Ga, postofIice. Lyons thinks the will get it.
 This case Is giving Mckinley lots of trouble. Mark Hanna promised the of- flee to the negro for work at the St. Louis convention in bringing the Geor- gia negro delegates in line for McKin- ley. Postmaster-G General Gary, who has some intimate friends in Augusta, is protesting loudly to Mckinley against foisting a negro postmaster upon those people against their will. Mckinley is also against creating a breach of this kind. Mckinley feels that 1t would be an unpleasant thing to do, and he is try ing to arrange it to give Lyons a job in a department here. But Lyons insists on the Augusta postoffice,' and Hanna wants to fuiflll his promise. So 1t stands now. @
 I hear the administration will drop a few negro postmasters in Alabama, just to show there has been mo i'll feel. iIg against GeoTgia. But Alabama hasn't been reached yet. It is next on itNe list. NED BRACE.