Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-12-16

extremely bad measure. reler 10 tne
financial bill now under discussion in
the house. This bill is very bad one
indeed. 1t is part of the gold stand
ard peoples plan and l hope that it
will be defeated. 1t should certainly
never be permitted to pass the house
because it is not in the interest of
Democracy.
A dispatch of the 18th from
Atlanta, says: A general order has
been circulated by the southern rail-
way, applicable only to the South
Carolina division, that all employees
of the company must stop smoking
cigarettes or resign their positions,
and that in future no one will be
employed who smokes cigarettes. AS
sistant General Passenger Agent 5. d.
Hardwick says it may soon be made
applicable to all the different branches
of the road. The order issued by the
South Carolina department is ap iron
clad rule and applies to all the de-
partments of the line throughout the
state.
The principal battles in the South
African war, with the British losses up
to last Tuesday, have been reported in
the dispatches as follows: Nicholson's
Neck, October 8, 450; Talana Hill,
October 10, 200 Dundee, October 20,
24O; Elandslaagte, October 26, $50; (;
Glencoe, October 2S, 245; Ladysmith,
November l, go; Escourt, November
16, ITS; Belmont, November "a, 42O;
Gras Pan, November 25, 29S; Modder
river, November 81, 43S; Stomberg,
December 9, 600 miscellaneous smaller
engagements, 400. These figures,
thoug b estimated, are approximately
correct. They aggregate 4,7S6 men.
The Boer losses are not so definitely
known but they are not thought to be
one-half as great as the British.
Here is the story of sad tragedy
culled from the local pages of the Oc-
tober issue of the Manila Times: At
9 o'clock on Friday evening last, a
Filipino woman named Silvestra Or
danas was shot by an American sentry
at the passage called Tay-dan-bato
(Stone Stairs), near Mandaloyon. The
woman died shortly afterwards from
the wound. Silvestra had come to
Manila from Taytay (Morong) accom-
panied by her sister.in-law, Ruhna, for
the purpose of making some purchases
in the city. They were returning
home at night, some time after the
curfew hour, when they were challen-
ged by the sentry. They did not un-
derstand the call and continued on
their way, and the sentry, believing
them to be smugglers, fired, Silvestra
receiving serious wound, which prov
ed fatal. A search of the body after
wards revealed a belt around the
woman's waist containing 125 Mexican
dollars.
- The statistician of the depart
ment of agriculture, in his statement
of last Monday, reports 100000
bales as the probable cotton production
for the United States for 1899 1900.
The estimate is based upon a large
number both of general and special
reports than has been before received
by the department in connection with
the cotton crop. While weather con-
ditions during the past thirty days
have been mainly favorable to what
ever picking remained, so that the
general condition of the crop is slightly
better than it was one month ago,
continued investigations leave alb
solutely no doubt that the crop will
be even smaller than is indicated in
either of the statistician's previous
reports. Among the estimates pro-
ductive areas in thousands of acres
are the following: North Carolina
1920, Texas 6.642, South Carolina
2,2l2, Georgia 3,2SS, Tennessee SIG,
Florida 149, Alabama 2, 1882, Mississippi
2,S74. Total 1882.
- When the Roberts investigating
committee began proceedings last
Wednesday, Roberts propounded a
stumping proposition. He said: 81
respectfully ask to be informed as to
my status before this committee. Am
l regarded as member of the house
of representatives? If you answer
this question in the affirmative, then
ask that the committee confne itself
to the consideration of my election,
the returns of my election and the
qualifications Of member of congress
as defined in the constitution of the
United States. If this committee shall
find that my election is beyond ques-
ton, then / ask that / be permitted 10
take the oath of office, as this is the
only constitutional power which the
house or this committee can exercise
over me until l am sworn in. If the
committee shall answer mo- to this in
quiry, then it has no jurisdiction what
ever over me as the constitution gives
to the house power over its members
only, and l ask that the proceedings
before the committee be discontinued"
Chairman Taylor said that all of Rob
erts rights had been fully looked after
and prote cted. The investigation then
proceeded. Several witnesses testified
to the fact of Roberts having more
than one wife; but they could tell
,o,b;nc, of tbo;r oup knowladUa only