davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

THE governor of North Carolina has
instituted a commendable reform in
the procedure with reference to the
granting of pardons. Hereafter people
interested in securing the liberty of a
convict, have been appealing direct to
the governor with all the pressure they
could possibly bring for their side.
Now. Governor Aycock wants it UNDER
stood that, hereafter, he will consider
no pardon applications until they have
been duly advertised in the county
where the crime Of the convict was
committed. The application must set
forth the nature of the crime, the cir
cumstances of conviction, and the
length of sentence. After this the ap-
plicants are at liberty to prosecute
their claims as vigorously as they may
see proper.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

THIS radical action was taken by a
vote of four-flfths of the committee
men present. representing. as we be-
lieve, in spirit as in fact, four-fifths of
the Democrats of South Carolina.-Co-
lumbia State.
The foregoing quotation was sent to
THE ENQUIRER last Saturday by cit
izen Of York county, together with the
following comment, which has our un-
qualified endorsement:
This action represented nothing of
the kind. and nobody knows it better
than Gonzales. Tillman represented
four-fifths of the committee and the
committee represented nothing-not
even themselves. They simply did the
bidding of their master.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
. ROCK HILL HAPPENINGS.
Free Public Bath-Sad Drowning o
Two Little BOys-Other Notes.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville ENQUIRER.

Free Public Bath-Sad Drowning OF
Two Little Boy.-Other Notes.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
Rock HILL, July 30-The Rock Hill
Water, Light and Power company mas
instituted a system Of free baths.
convenience which our people appre-
ciate very much.
George Mckinley, a colored beau, all
decked in new store clothes, was pas
senger on the S. c. & Ga. Elk. road
Sunday. He was also decked out in a
bran new Smith & Wesson pistol, and
this fact has caused him much trouble.
He was taken before Judge Beckham
Monday and that official gave him an
alternative Of SIS or 80 days on the
chaingang. He paid up and was dis
charged.
Hail fell in the Catawba river sec
tion Friday, doing some damage to the
cotton. The wind blew fiercely, un-
roofing part of the Highland Park
cotton mill, but doing no other harm.
A colored tenant on the farm OF Mr..
Bill Brown, few miles west o. Rock
Hill, was prostrated by the helt last
Friday afternoon. It was reported that
he had more than $50 convulsions In 4S
hours. At last accounts he was un-
conscious at intervals and his condition
was considered to be very serious.
There are continued reports Of great
| improvement in the cotton crop and
young corn is doing as well as anyone
might desire-that Is where the crop
has been worked.
Jim Walker, a colored gambler, had
to pay SIS for vagrancy rather than go
to the chaingang for 80 days. The
amount was made up by his pals.
Rev. ]. B. Campbell, who was pre-
siding elder Of the Rock Hill circuit
for four years, has been in Rock Hill
for several days. 1t Is understood that
he came here purposely to buy lot on
which-he will some day build, q resi-
dence with the intention Of making
this city his home. Not until that day
comes, however, when he will be una
BILE to discharge, the active duties per-
tanning to the ministry. He and his
family have a preference for Rock
Hill above any other place at which
they have ever ilved.
1 One of the saddest affairs that has
ever occurred in this city, was the ac-
cidental drowning Of JEFF Sistare, aged
13, and Bob Bishop, aged II, white
boys. who were bathing in pool near
the home of Mr.. Walker Hall in the
western part Of the city, Sunday after
noon. They were innocently wading
near the edge of the pool, when little
Bob ventured a few feet further out,
stepped off ledge Of rock into water
Is feet deep. He could not swim and
at once sank. : His companion nobly
went to his rescue but he, too.. being
unable to swim, went to the bottom,
the two little fellows meeting death In
the arms of each. other. There were
other boys present, but they were too
young to render assistance, and before
help could be secured the life Of both
the boys had gone out forever. Young
Sistare, was a son Of a shoemaker in
this city, whose home Is at the Arcade
mill, while the ill-fated boy, Bishop,
was the son of a widow at the same
mill, and was her only child capable
of giving her any help at all. He was
employed in the mill.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
If the state executive committee ha

If the state executive committee has
the power to say that the incumbent of
federal office is unsuitable, has the
county executive committee not the
right to prescribe to the people whom
they should vote for for county Offices?
Does not the precedent. which the state
executive committee seeks to make, If
it is allowed to stand, practically do
away with the primary system and
transfer the right of selecting candi-
dates to executive committees? The
convention system of selecting candi-
dates is bad enough, but when this pre-
rogative is usurped by the inner circle
of a convention, it would seem that
Democratic institutions are really in
danger.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

IN connection with the Sampson
Schley controversy. the facts again
come to the fore that Captain Robley
D. Evans. Fighting Bob" was the on
ly captain of the American fleet to take
refuge in his coming tower during the
battle. While all the other command
ing officers. including Schley, directed
their fighting from the decks of their
ships. Fighting Bob" watched devel-
opments through a slit one inch wide
and six inches long, with some ten
inches of armor plate between his prec-
lous carcass and danger. The Brook
lyn. Schley's ship. did 54 per cent. Of
the damage that was done the Spanish
fleet. and sustained 56 per cent. of the
damage that was inflicted by the Span
iards on the Americans. The only man
killed on the American side fell man.
gled corpse at Schley's feet, yet
Fighting Bob" is one Of the gang that
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

ALONG in the early nineties, they
used to tell US that: the people were the
real BOSSES; that the voters registered
their views at the precinct club meet
ings; that the precinct club meetings
gave Instructions to the county con-
ventions and that the county conven-
tions told the state convention what to
do. But nowadays it seems as If the
combination Is the
whole thing, and whatever this combi-
nation says has to 60 on down to the
club meetings.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

THEY are quoting John w. Phillips,
Of the Texas, against Schley. Phillips
is dead. He was as good man as
fought in the battle Of Santiago or any
other battle. He was fearless morally
as we'll as physically. His testimony
would be Of great value. If he has left
anything in 'writinr ; it is entitled to
weight, and it will carry weight. But
unless they can produce something in
writing, it is best not to quote Captain
Phillips, for it is safe to say that he
has not said anything that he would
not have written.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

THE Columbia State, Of Sunday, con-
tains a statement to the effect that DR..
Ensor is certain Of his reappointment
as postmaster. THE ENQUIRER UNDER
stands that DR.. Ensor had the endorse
ment of 80 per cent. of the Democrat
ic" business men of Columbia, and up
on an endorsement like this. why
shouldn't a Republican president re-
appoint Republican off1ceholder? On
such petition, a broad-minded Re-
publican president might even appoint
a Democrat, If the good people of Co.
lumbia should prefer one.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
HrREAK OF rHE LIGHrNING.


raising capers at the residence Of Mr..
John F. Williams. on the Charlotte
road, six miles east of Yorkville, last
Sunday afternoon. Although nobody
was hurt, and there was but little
damage, the strangest part Of the pro-
ceeding seemed to be that somebody
was not killed.
Mr.. John F. Gordon, county supervis-
or, was telling about the circumstances
Monday. He was on his way home
Sunday afternoon when the storm
came up, and seeing a heavy cloud
ahead of him, rode into the yard Of
Mr.: Williams to escape good wetting.
Presently" related Mr.. Gordon,
there was a deafening clash Of thun-
der, and an instant later we realized
that large tree that stood about 20
yards from Mr.. Williams,s- house, had
been shattered. Then we saw the elec-
tricity on the telephone wire, going to-
ward the house in one direction and
toward a telephone pole in another. 1t
looked liked a burning powder train
except it was brighter and moved fas-
ter. The fire seemed to hang on the
wire in big chunks, and as 1t consumed
the insulated copper connection from
the edge Of the piazza to the telephone
inside the house, we felt certain that
the house would be burned.
;. "Mr. Williams and were both quite
nervous over the situation. We real
lied a danger that possibly some men,
Der Of the family had been killed, and
we rushed into the house to see. No
body had been hurt, and the house had
not been fired. So very much relieved
we came out to take a further look at
the surroundings. A tree, near the
barn, and about 100 yards from the
first tree referred to, was throwing OFF
smoke like a coal burning locomotive
putting up steep grade. Hurrying to
the spot we found that the tree, large
elm, was hollow, and that the lightning
had gone down in 1t and set it on fire
near the roots. There was hole In
the tree near the ground, and this fur
nished an air vent to feed the draft
that went up the f1ue. The tree was
burning like furnace and was threat
ening the barn and contents near by.
It took hard work during the next 10
minutes to overcome the threatened
danger.
Returning to the house, we found
that not only was the insulated copper
wire that connected the telephone with
the main line gone; but some so feet Of
telephone wire had been burned up like
80 much cotton string. There was
nothing to indicate that the wire had
existed between the house and the
dangling loose end, the melted smooth
appearance Of which showed where
the burning had stopped.
"On up the road, several telephone
posts were torn into pieces, one Of
them especially being splintered into
fragments not longer than match
sticks. But it did not appear that the
lightning had followed the telephone
wire from the house. Between the
house and the first shattered post there
interviewed several posts that had been
untouched"
Mr.. Gordon did not think that the
lightning had been attracted by the
telephone wire; but that 1t must have
come direct from the clouds to the big
tree in the yard. The most remarkable
thing about the whole adventure, in
his estimation, was the circumstance
that nobody was killed.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

cies that might arise IN the meantime.
Neither he nor Mr.. McMackin would
intimate what action they would prob
ably take; but according to the law
In the case. it is pretty clear that the
board cannot review the action Of the
trustees even If it should be so dis
p0sad
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
accepted the PROPOSAL and only Cover

accepted the proposal, and only Cover
nor McSweeney's refusal to accept the
designations prevented Senator Till
mans scheme from being carried out.
And yet Senator Tillman was one Of
the executive committee Of the party
who advocated barring McLaurin out
of the primaries. If at Gaffney he rec
ognized his right to run why should he
at the Columbia committee meeting
deny it? 1t looks like blow below the
belt?-Charlotte Observer.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
OLE 4torkpille Gaqairer.
YoRKvILLE, 8. c.: x
WEDNESDAY, JULY 81, 1901.

"THE only way they can defeat me" :"
said Senator McLaurin at Greenville,
''is to keep me out Of the primary,
and the events Of the past few days in
dicate that Tillman, Gonzales & Co.,
believe this to be fact.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

IS raising such a row about Schley be-
ing a coward. If there really Is a
clique in the navy and this clique sue
,eeds in convicting Schley there is rea-
son to believe it will raise row COM
pared with which the Dreyfus row In
France was child's play. That is, pro-
yided, Of course, the American people
are ever permitted to get at the actual
facts.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
DEATH AT hickory GROVE.
Miss Anna Whisonant Succumbs to
an Attack of Pneumonia.
r,orreanondence NJ The YorkvilIe Enn,,irer

Correspondence OF the Yorkville Enquirer.
HICKORY GROVE, July 3O.-Our COM
munity has been very much saddened
by the death Of Miss Anna Whisonant.
Miss Whisonant left Hickory Grove on
the afternoon Of the 18th to spend g.
short time with her sister, Mrs. Ham,
bright, of Smyrna, and the following
afternoon was taken with an attack Of
pneumonia, from which she died after
a few days illness. Miss Whisonant
was a lovely character in many re-
spects. Her cheerful, happy dtsposi-
ton won for her friends wherever she
went The number of friends she had
among the children. Of the neighbor-
hood was very striking. These young
folks seem to have been attracted to
her by her frank nature and by the
unaffected interest she showed them.
Her life was short, yet the world is the
better for 1t. for 1t was one Of those
bright, sunshiny lives which the world
so much needs.
There have been quite number OF
deaths in our community during the
past year; but no one has cast a deep
er shadow over us than that Of this
young lady. When the old and feeble
are taken away, while we sorrow at
their loss, yet we feel that 1t Is ma
ture's course; but when the strong,
young man or woman is taken out Of
life. just as: that life. seems most prom
ising, we are left as those who are
dumb. We know not what to say. We
know that it must be right for an all
wise and just God ruleth; but we can
not understand. God moves in mys-
terious way, his wonders to perform" I"
We frail creatures of the dust are but
made to feel our weakness before him,
by whose thoughts the heavens were
fashioned and the fiery orbs martialed
in their courses, who speaks and the
very earth trembles. Yet from this
sense of our helplessness and weakness
we may learn to lean on that almighty
arm. which sustains in the hour Of
deepest sorrow and despair.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

TILLMAN's METHoDs.-At Gaffney
City, in the joint discussion between
Senators Tillman and McLaurin. the
former proposed the resignation of both
their senatorships and then a joint
campaign before the people for Nc
Laurin's seat that the people of the
state might pass upon the issues now
to the front in that state. McLaurin
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

Captain Moore Is in receipt Of letters
from various committeeman Offering
encouragement to the undertaking and
promising practical aid as soon as pos
sible. Some of the committeeman. it
appears, have been so busy with their
private affairs Of late as to be unable
to spare time to canvass.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT.

The fund that Is being raised for the
erection Of a Confederate monument in
Yorkville under the auspices Of the
York County Confederate Monument
association, now stands as follows:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31

Hent, maze May %, 1898, concerning
the hearing of guns 40 miles away.
which he believed was the Spanish
fleet, was received by many with con-
siderable incredulity.
Following the rumors of an import
ant step toward enforcing peace be-
tween England and the Beers which
have pervaded the British house of
commons for several days, came last
Friday speech by Mr.. Bowles, Con-
Servative. that caused a profound SEN
sation. Bowles gave the government
solemn warning that unless peace was
made in South Africa before spring.
extremely grave complications confront
England and Europe. The sneaker de-
clared further that he knew negotia-
tlons had been proceeding on the con-
tlnent for the past six months and
were still active with the object of in
ducing or enforcing peace. Ministerial
contradiction of the statements made
by Bowles was looked for but none
came: Bowles referred in his speech to
the movement of Premier Dekuyper, Of
Holland. aided by Queen Wilhelmina
which had succeeded in interesting the
emperor of Germany and the czar of
Russia so far that the negotiations
were fast approaching a point where
England could no longer safely ignore
them.
Says Washington dispatch of
Sunday: Today's weather bureau ad-
vices from the great corn belt We're the
most encouraging that have come to
hand for the past 80 days. showing, in
the opinion Of the forecasters. that the
great drought has been broken by a
general visitation of showers in many
The Conservative, 1901-08-08

The amazing announcement by the
secretary of agriculture that the crops
c9pies. If any change is to be made
a proper andidate.-Kansas City Star.
The Conservative, 1901-08-08
Che Conservative.

W
lived from 1889 to 1887, was Polish
nobleman whose height at the age of 80
was 80 inches.
Dwarfs may be divided into two
classes-frst, those individuals who
were very small at birth and remain so
all their lives; and secondly, those who
became dwarfs from accident in the
early months or years of childhood. 1t
is an undoubted fact that the dwarfs
who come under the first head are often
noticeable for their shrewdness and in
tellectual capacity, combined with
much childish vanity, and an over
whelming love for dress and admiration.
They are, taken as whole, active as re-
CARDS both mind and body, and they are
good tempered. Upon the other hand,
many Of those who are deformed and
show an unusual development of any
special limb are generally dull and weak,
mentally. Nicholas Ferry, of whom
mention has already been made, was re-
markable for his wit, good temper and
intellectual attainments. Next after
him in celebrity comes female dwarf,
Babet Schreier, who was born in Ger
many in 1910. Her parents were labor
ing people of ordinary stature who per-
mitted visitors to see their wonderful
child, but who would never consent,
although they were poor, to exhibit her
for any pecuniary benefit. Babet
weighed at birth only pound and a
half, but she was perfectly formed. She
grew until she was about two and
half feet high, when she stopped. Her
health was always good, and she was
amiable and lively.
1t is strange fact that the length of
life of dwarfs seems to be in proportion
to their size; they arrive at maturity
quicker than normal human being,
and they age more quickly. We read
of this in the case of the famous Eng
lish dwarf, Hopkins, who lived till
about 1850. At fifteen years of age, he
measured two feet, seven inches, and
weighed only thirty pounds. Up to this
age he had the appearance of fresh,
smooth skinned youth; but suddenly an
extraordinary condition, resembling
decrepit old age, began to creep upon
him. He became bent and suffered
severely from asthma. At the same
time his sight and hearing began to fail,
and his teeth commenced to drop out.
Then he became so weak that he could
not walk without stick, and
he is said to have presented all the ap-
pearance of withered and aged
old man. Before these signs of decay
came upon him, his weight had been
nineteen pounds, but within six months
he lost six pounds, and within two and
The Conservative, 1901-08-08


chief. The pygmies roam about not
very far from the village settlements in
the forests, with which they keep in
constant communication they exchange
fresh meat and honey for potatoes and
other food. These dwarfs are to be
found in Congo Free State about five
days journey from Kilonga- -Longa, now
called Mawambi The pygmies are
never willing to take strangers to their
camps, which are always in dense part
of the jungle, but Bishop Tucker has
seen them and described them. They
consist of tiny, little huts or shelters,
varying between three and four feet
high, thatched with giant leaves from
the trees of the forest. The usual
signs of life in these curious habitations
consist of a few clay jars, evidently
used for cooking purposes, and the
"stones' of the various forest fruits.
The pigmy women are every comely
little creatures and most attractive, with
very light skins, (tan color. They
have, as might be expected, "the usual
fiat nose and thick lips of the negro, and
black curly hair, but their eyes are of
singular beauty, so bright and quick and
restless, that they do not seem to fix
their gaze on anything for second" "
The women are smaller than the men,
and average about three feet, ten inches
in height. According to Mr.. Lloyd ("In
Dwarf Land" Scribner 1899, the Afri-
can pygmies pass great amount Of
their time in climbing trees.
Dwarfs play large part in the myth
ology of the ancient Germanic nations.
They were supposed to have their own
kings, and to dwell in the interior of
the earth, wherein We're priceless treas
ures. 1t was the dwarfs who provided
the armor for the gods, and they also
gave Odin his spear and Thor his ham,
mer. Some of the virtues of the
dwarfs are believed to have been de-
rived from an actual race of small
stature-the Lapps, who are said to
have occupied part of the Scandinavian
peninsula before the immigration of
the Gothic people. British tradition
tells of "Tom Thumb" at King
Arthur's court and Gulliver's Lillipu-
tians are among the best known of the
historic dwarfs.
Prior to the eighteenth century,
dwarfs were very frequently retained as
court favorites. Of ancient dwarfs,
Philetas, Of Cos, tutor of Ptolemy
Philadelphus, who was born about $50
B. c., was said to have worn weights in
his pockets to avoid being blown away.
Queen Henrietta Maria, of France,
(wife of Charles the first of England),
had two dwarfs whose united height is