The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-05-31
STATE TO GET HALF A MILLION.
nr. YeIdeII Finds Long IoSt Records
and Vouchers.


number CT papers were found in the
famous rubbish room at the State cap
itol Saturday afternoon, which mean
in the long run the establishment OF
claims against the federal government
which will, even if compromises are
effected, place a balance of half a mil
lien dollars in the treasury CT the State
OF South Caroli2a. For thirty years
the weary search for the famous
Blacks Exhibit A" on the reyolu-
tionary and ether war claims has been
going on. This exhibit vas on abso-
lutte necessity to the establishment Of
the principal claims Of the State
against the United States government.
and for the past six months has been
the most desired record in the posses
sion Of the State The credit of find
ing the valuable document together
with Agent Blacks second report be-
longs to Mr.. w. H. Yeldell IF Edge
field, and Chief Clerk Jesse I. Can't
Of the office of the secretary Of state,
who urged that Mr.. Yeldell be em-
ployed to make the search. Day aft"f
day Mr.. Yeldell has been working his
way through the pile Of musty records
in the rubbish room" of The capitol
going through an endless variety Of
papers from 100 down to date and
arranging them in order with indexes
as to their locality He had nearly
completed his work when he picked lip
a bundle OF papers yellow with age
and glanced at it. He was about 10
throw it aside when his eye caught
the word Black" He opened the
bundle and therein were found every
one of the precious papers and vouch-
ers so long looked for, accompanied by
Agent Blacks report made in 1860 OF
which the searchers have never been
able to find cUry, and which with
Gov. Gist'S message to the legislature
in December. 1860, saying: Not haV-
ing recovered any of these claims, he.
Of course. will not be entitled to any
tcommissions-but having spent
shows that Black did not receive the
$4,000 payment on the Mexican war
claims that the federal government
claims to have made.
On the outside of the papers in
Blacks handwriting appears this sum-
mary OF the claims CT the State due the
federal government:
War OF 1912 with interest
to 1858 only. .S202. .2oo W
Florida war Gnterest ..... 10000 90
Mexican war (principaD 32,l62. IL
Interest on above QS5S) 3. $4,000 %
Revolutionary war (nO in
Total. =. :. ......29l,o41 VI
Total. 49,. 1884 $40. II
On this entire sum no interest after
1873 is calculated. With interest the
total claim would amount to about one
and half millions of dollars.
Agent Blacks report made in 1858
is already in Senator Tillman's hands.
and upon it he is about to secure an
adjustment OF all the claims save
those relating to the Revolutionary
war. His bill covers the war OF 1Sls
and Florida war claims and interest,
less $4,000 the government claims to
have paid Black The find yesterday
shows conclusively that Black did not
receive this amount, and presents the
absolute proof to sustain all the ReVo-
lutionary war claims with interesI for
100 years. This even if compromised
will give the State surplus OF about
half a million dollars after paying
claims of about 100000 that the gen.
eral government is pressing against
the State Everything is included IN
the documents found. Every voucher
is there in printed form with refer
ences to legislative action thereon.
There is 50 pages of printed matter in
the portion giving these vouchers.
These are not the records Black was
to file in the comptrollers office, but
those filed with the legislature and
consequently are all the more COM
plete.
In 1893 a Revolutionary war claim
settlement was made but all claims In
cluded in this report were subsequent
ly made. Every paper desired mas
been found.
Senator Tillman's present bill pro-
yides that no commissions will be
paid to anyone for collecting the
claims. This avoids many pitfalls.
The Senator was notified by wire or
the invaluable find, and he wired back
fer all the documents to be sent by eX-
press to him on the first train, his evil
dent intention being to put IN an
amendment that will net make Uncle
Sam. so desirous c. pushing his claims
against South Carolina. Eventually
there is no doubt that the treasury OF
cnuth Nnrniinn will be about h2!t q