Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-18
Scraps and fatts.

applies to cotton, as follows: In the
western and central portions and over
a considerable area in the eastern part
of the cotton belt, rain is much needed
for cotton. That planted since the cold
of the latter part of April has germl-
mated poorly, the stands being very
irregular and unsatisfactory generally
throughout the central and western
districts. In the Carolinas fair to good
stands and generally improved condl-
tions are reported.
Sir Thomas Liptons new yacht. the
Shamrock II. built to compete for the
Americas cup, was sent out on trial
trip last week with the Shamrock l, the
yacht that was defeated in the previous
race, and the Shamrock I proved to De
the faster boat The result is said to
have been a great disappointment to
Sir Thomas; but he is not altogether
discouraged. That the Shamrock !
should be in much better trim and
much faster than when the original
race was run is natural, and it is also
reasonable to assume that the new
Yacht is not capable Of making as
much speed now as she will be able to
make after her ropes and sails are
trained down to what they should be.
Detectives and the police have brok-
en- up band of American brlganos
who have been operating in the prov
ince of Pampanga, north Of and not
far from Manila, says a dispatch OF
Tuesday. George Raymond, Ulrich
Rogers and oscar Mushmiller have
been captured and Andrew Martin, Pc
ter Heise, George Muhn and two others
are still being pursued. This band
committed outrages, murdered ana
raped at Bacalor, Pampagna province,
and in that vicinity, and Sunday last
they killed Henry Dow, an American.
The band sometimes represented them
selves as American deserters and at
other times as American soldiers. Ray
mond wore the uniform of captain.
Raymond and Martin were formerly po-
licemen in Manila.
The great 16-inch army gun about
to be finally inspected at Watervliet
arsenal beats the guns of the world IN
range, says the New York Journal. 1t
can shoot ten miles farther than the
great Krupp gun recently tested In the
presence Of the German emperor. Army
officers, discussing the possibilities or
the American monster, which Will be
exhibited at Buffalo, tell of the exploits
which could be performed by the gun
If it were mounted at Sandy Hook. The
range of the gun is about q miles.
From Sandy Hook, they say, 1t would
cover New Rochelle, Tuckahoe, Hemp
stead, Long Branch, Perth Amboy. Pat
erson, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey
City, The German gun dropped
shell eleven miles from the initial
point. The American gun weighs 13O
tons, is 40 feet 2.9 inches long, the rear
diameter being 5 feet and bore 81 feet
4 inches long.
The war department, on Monday,
published the reorganization order pre-
scribing the strength Of the various
branches Of the military service upon
the basis of total army of 77,2S7 men,
and a staff of 2.7S3 men, the enlisted
strength being 74,504 men. By the Sec
retary's orders each cavalry regiment
will consist of twelve cavalry troops
of S5 enlisted men each, making the to-
tai strength Of the cavalry branch 15,S4O
men. The coast artillery will consist of
12S companies of 100 enlisted men each,
making 1874 men, and the field artil-
lery of 30 batteries of 100 men each,
making a total artillery force, field and
coast of 1883 enlisted men. The 30
infantry regiments will consist of Y
companies of 104 enlisted men each,
making the infantry strength $500 en-.
listed men. The three engineer bat
talions will have four companies OF !Of
enlisted men each, and, with a band,
will have a strength of 1882 enlisted
men.
Says a Pekin dispatch of May II:
The offer of China in reply to the state
ment of the ministers of the foreign
powers as to the losses sustained by
nations and individuals in China has
been received. The answer commences
with an appeal to mercy, saying that
the country is impoverished. The an
.Swer explains that the utmost China
can offer is 15.000.000 taels annually for
the next thirty years. This amount will
he raised aS follows: From salt, 10000
900 taels. from the liken tax 100000,
and from native customs 100000. The
communication further asserts that
We're this done it would leave the coun-
try unable to meet the expenses OF gov
ernment without assistance. 1t is,
therefore, requested that the foreign
customs be increased one-third, and
the receipts therefrom to be given to
China for the purposes of government.
The ministers refuse to discuss this an
swer until it has been considered by
them in meeting.
New York Post: Word has been re-
ceived at Birmingham, Ala, from the
party which went from the Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute to un-
.dertake the work of cotton growing in
Africa. The men, who had been trained
at Booker T. Washington's school. were
selected by the German government to
conduct the experiment. Under the
leadership of J. n. Galloway, they sail
ed from New York on November %,
and reached their destination, the Ger
man colony of Tago. early in January.
They at once began clearing up ground
for farming purposes and employed 15O
natives. They write that they have 90
acres cleared. and will have twice as
much ready for cultivation by the time
the rains set in. The experiment is be-
ing watched with much interest in all
cotton producing countries. for the eff
feet of an African product may be
very important. Germany has long de-
sired to find some place to raise her
own cotton. and if she succeeds there
may be loss of trade to both England
and the United States.
- Sheriff Pearson. of Portland, Me-.
has given the name of "Sandpeeps," to
the tiny fla SKIS holding two ounces of
whisky that are so common in Maine.
because they are like the little birds in
being about all stomach and no head.
A "sandpeep." when ready for the mar
ket. contains what is rated as one drink
of whisky. usually of very poor quail
ity. and it retails. bottle and all, at Is
cents. 1t is easily handled in the public
streets without detection. In some sa
looms the whisky traffic is carried on
almost entirely by the aid of these lit