davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
Railroads Favor Fertilizer Trust.
Independent Companies Learn by
Accident That Trust Gets Low
er Rates.

Anderson, December 29.-The an
nouncement that the attorney gene
raj had commenced action to secure
the annulment of the charter OF the
Virginia Carolina Chemical company
was read here today with great dea!
of interest. Today it was learned OF
another matter in connection Wltn
the fertilizer business in the State
that will be OF great interest. IL IS
understood that there is quite STIR
among the independent fertilizer com
panies on account of the discovery that
the Southern railway, the Seaboard
Air Line. and the Atlantic Coast
Line have for several weeks bad IN
force a reduced, or three-quarter rate,
on acidulated rock from Charleston to
points in North and South Carolina
where the Virginia Carolina Chemical
company has oil mills. The railroads
deny that the rate was made speclaliy
to the Virginia-Carolina Chemical
company, but it is significant fact
that the rate was never published ana
that the Independent companies learn
ed of it only by accident. When the
railroad authorities were asked about
it, they admitted that the special rate
had been in force but would be with
drawn on Dec. 81. The practical
effect of the special rate has been that
the Virginia-Carolina Chemical COM
pany ships its goods from Charleston
to points where it has oil mills at
three-ouarter rate while the lndepen-
dent companies have been paying full
rates, having had no notice OF the re-
duction. It is understood that the
railroads claim that the special rate
was given by the consent of the State
railroad commissioners, but this IS not
believed here. The matter has been
brought to the attention Of the com
mission and there will be hearing
on it Tuesday. There will naturally
be much interest in the hearing, and
the action of the commission Will be
awaited with interest.
Mr.. F. G. Brown, president of the
Anderson Phosphate and Oil company,
the largest Independent fertilizer com
pany in the State, stated in reply to
an inquiry that he had not been notl-
fed by the railroad authorities Of any
reduction of the rate on acidulated
rock, or other fertilizers, to any point
in this State, and that lis company
was still paying the old rates OF all
shipments. He further said that since
the railroads have demonstrated that
this class of freight can be hauled for
25 per cent less than the rate hereto
fore in force, be would appear before
the railroad commission on Tuesday
and ask that tn present rate on acid
phosphates and fertilizers, either in
bulk or in bags, be reduced 25 per cent
from all factories and to all points in
the State.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
MISS NELL GROPSEY'S FUNERAL.
Many People Braved Storm TO
Pay Last Tribute to the Dead.

Charlotte, n. c., Dec. ga spe-
cial to The Observer from Elizabeth
City, n. c., says: In a storm Of in
termittent wind and driving rain and
in the presence CT the largest crowd
which ever assembled at a church in
this city, the funeral services over the
remains of Miss Ella Maud Cropsey,
the girl supposed to have been murder
ed five weeks ago, were held this after
noon in the Methodist church. There
were l, 500 people packed in the audi
toriun. balcony and annex, and hun
dreds could not get admittance. The
deceased became member of this
church 50 days before her disappear
ance. Among those in the funeral
cortege we're Judge and Mrs. Cropsey,
three daughters and son, and Lawyer
Andrew G. Cropsey of New York.
The remains are lying in the Metho-
dist church annex over night and will
be started to Brooklyn tomorrow morn
ing.
The Jail in which young Wilcox, who
was arretsed for alleged participation
in the girls death, is confined lies only
a stones throw from the church. Will
cox knew the funeral was in progress,
but showed no emotion and merely in
ouired if large crowd were present.
He is more nervous than yesterday,
but retains Emuch of the easy manner
that has characterized him at all
times The guards were withdrawn
from the jail today and permitted to
go home. Public sentiment is strong
against Wilcox, but there is less talk
of lynching and some of the ministers
today took occasion in their sermons
to advise against mob violence. Will
COX absolutely refuses, under advice OF
his attorney, to say anything regard
ing the case. He is charged with the
murder of the girl and as the offense
is not bailable in this State. he will
waive an examination and permit his
case to go direct to the gand jury next
March.
"We know Miss Cropsey was killed
by a blow on the head with sandbag
or blackjack. If the blow was struck
while she was en the porch, then her
unconscious form was dragged across
the lawn to the river, only short dis
tance away. If the blow was struck
on the lawn we are convinced she was
induced to cross tie lawn by Wilcox
and that while walking across she was
struck by him. There is another wit
ness who may be called upon to testify.
It is R. f. Parker, who told his wife
the night after Miss Cropsey disap-
peared that he had seen Wilcox drag
ging a girl across the road in front of
the Wilcox residence. We will in
vestigate that
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
OLD LADIES ROBBED.

Augusta, Ga, December ga spe-
cial to the Chronicle from Washington,
Ga, says: The Misses Battle, two
elderly maiden ladies living at Bar
meta junction, on the Washington
branch of the Georgia Railroad, were
robbed at an early hour this morning
of $4,000 in gold. When the robbers
entered the house the women, hear
ing noise, Investigated. lighting a
lamp. The robbers dashed a bucket
of cold water on the one holding the
lamp and overawed them. An alarm
was raised and when help arrived the
robbers had fed, after riifng trunk
containing the above named amount.
The women lived alone in the house.
Several previous attempts have been
made to rob them during the past few
months. A few weeks ago an entrance
was made in the house and the trunk
carried out in the yard and rlfied,
the would-be thieves getting no money.
The ladies believe the robbers were
white men, having recognized one OF
them they say.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
A ..Prorress, Report.


Congressman Clayton Of Alabams
was sitting in the cloakroom Of the
house when one Of his colleagues drift
ed in.
How are they getting along with
the river and harbor bill?" asked Clay
ton.
We'll" was the reply. 's1 can report
progress"
Clayton laughed. THAT reminds me-"
said he. "of an old negro down in my
district who was known as Henry Bur-
ley. He was quite a steady church.
goer. used to pray loudly and sing lus-
tily, and so when the congregation de-
cided to build a new church he was
placed at the head of the committee to
solicit subscriptions. He provided HIM
self with little book. and as he was
we'll known to all the merchants of the
town he soon raised quite little sum
of money. Whenever the congrega-
ton called upon him for a report Of his
endeavors he always answered. 'Brud-
dren, I'ze only able to report progress.
And he reported progress and nothing
more for at least q year. At the end OF
that time the church had nothing. but
Burley was living in a new cabin
which he had built for himself. He
was still reporting progress. Wash
ington Post.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
The NORTHERN RAILROAD TRUST.
Judge Elliott Grants Injunction
Against Officers.

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 30.-Judge Elliott
of the district court of Hennepin coun-
ty today granted temporary order
restraining the officers of the Northern
Pacific railroad company from retlr-
ing the preferred stock of that COM
pany. The order was issued on the ap-
plication of Peter Power of New York,
who holds a hundred shares of the
common stock, and who came on from
New York with his attorneys for the
purpose of beginning the action. It
was supposed that the failure OF the
action brought in the New York
courts by holders of preferred stock
cleared away the last obstacle to the
retirement of the preferred on January
!, leaving the Hill interests in control
of the road through its majority of
the common stock. It is inferred, al
though it does not so appear, that
the present action is brought in behalf
of the Harrison interests to prevent
control passing out of its hands for
another year or until the legal stand
ing of the Northern Securities COM
pany is settled. The claim set up by
Mr.. Power in his suit is that the
retirement OF the preferred stock is IN
violation of the agreement that such
retirement would lay no additional
burdens upon the common stock. and
he holds that the certificates of deben-
ture bonds, to be issued to Offset the
retirement of the preferred, would be-
come lien upon the common stock
and thus work an injury to his prop
erty. 1t is understood that the block
of 100 shares held by Power is the
only block of common not hitherto
controlled and definitely located upon
one side or the other, the Harrison
people or the Hill-Morgan interests.
The restraining order will not only
be served on the officials in Minnesota,
but will be telegraphed to New York
and served on the officials there. The
papers were served on President Chas.
S. Mellen of the Northern Pacific to-
day.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
A Deadly Weapon.

jackson, Miss. Dec. 29.-At pre-
liminary trial for murder, held at
Yazoo City, before Justice of the Peace
Stevens, the magistrate held that a
negro's head was deadly weapon
such as would justify the defendant
in using a pistol to protect himself
from grave bodily injury or possible
death from that source.
TIE ordinarily accepted definition
Of deadly weapon confines the term
to pistols and weapons of that variety,
and the Mississippi magistrate is IN
doubtedly the first to announce the
doctrine that the proverbial hard head
of the Ethiopian is weapon Of grave
danger and peril to the ore against
whom it is turned
The defendant, negro named Henry
Gordon, was charged with the murder
of another negro, styled Buttin' jim"
at Eden in that county few weeks
before. The testimony showed that
" Buttin' JIM was approaching him
furiously with lowered head for the
attack. The assailant also had stick
in his hand, which was. of course,
not a deadly weapon. The evidence
was introduced to show the redoubt-
able nature of the head which the as
sailant was about to employ as weap-
on. It was testified that in the rail
road yards at Tchula in Holmes coun-
ty the dead man had killed man by
the violent impact of his head.
Other instances were cited where he
had laid others up for months by the
inAiction of severe internal wounds
with his cranial battering ram. In
fact his adroitness with that fatal
weapon was we'll known all over the
county among the negroes, and they
feared him as they feared grim death.
His sobriquet of Buttin' JIM bore
witness to his reputation in that line.
After considering the case the mag
istrate announced that the circum-
stances showed that the defendant was
being attacked with a deadly weap-
on: that be had good reason to fear
for his life, in view of all the circum-
! stances, and he therefore discharged
him from custody, without bond.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
Goodwin's Costly Joke.

Nat Goodwin has the apparatus Of g
Joke that cost him 500. He bought it.
in the Swiss section Of the lnvalides.
Fortunately. that is. for Mr.. Good
win. if not for his friends, it can be
used again and again: indeed it is
warranted for five years. To whom it
may concern. warning. Among the
Swiss clocks was one whence every
hour little wooden soldier emerged
and fred gun-for 2 o'clock. for 8
o'clock. and SO on.
"I'n1 going to buy that" said Mr..
Goodwin to his wife, Maxine Elliott
That silly thing. Why"
"oh, just to kill time" Mr.. Good.
win replied lightly.
And if that joke doesn't wear out be-
fore the clock does he may get the
worth of his noney.-Satarday Even
inc Post.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
& EiraniaI's Close Gail.

u suck q Iy engine. aI'h@ush evsry ioir-
achoi AMI every rerse was racked with pain.
writes c " seliata ;: locomotive d-e:naa. o
Burl:ag,on, Ie~g =! vas weak ana pale. with
ou; any appetite and all run down A. was
about to give ur, go; bottle Of Electric Bit
tiers and. = Ter taking it, felt well as ever
did in my lie Weak. sickly. run down Peo
pie aloavs gain new life, strength and vigor
from their use. Try them. oalSfactinn guaran
teed By r W DeLorme. Price so conts. 2
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
BIG FLOODS IN FOUR STATES.
Disastrous Results Of Heavy Rains
in Last Few Days.

Atlanta, Ca, December 30.-The
torrential rains of the past two days
in Georgia, Alabama and East Ten
nessee and portions of North Carolina
have caused the death of four persons
as far as known, and inflicted serious
damage on all kinds of property. The
rains have been followed by much
colder weather, accompanied by high
winds. The weather bureau announc-
ed today that the Chattahochee River
would continue to rise during the next
thirtv-six hours and it is feared
much damage will result. Three peo-
pie we're drowned at West Point, Ga,
while attempting to cross the turbu-
lent Chattahoochee, and Thomas Rus,
sell, an engineer on the Atlanta and
West Point Railroad, was kill
ed in freight wreck caused
by washout near Notasulga, Ala.
Thousands Of dollars are lost at
West Point and there is much suffer
ing. Today the water in the streets OF
West Point was from l to 3 feet deep.
Many of the people spent the night
in Fort Tyler. No trains have been
sent through from Atlanta to Mont
gomerv over the Atlanta and West
Point Road since Saturday, and last
night the Southern Railways New
York and New Orleans limited train
was sent around by Birmingham and
Meridian. \ washout is reported on
the Southern between Asheville and
Knoxville. At Columbus, Ga, the
Chattahoochee registered 3S feet. The
property damage is already heavy.
Nearly FIVE inches of rain has fallen
in tbe vicinity of Rome, Ga. Two
washouts are reported on the main line
of the Louisville and Nashville Rail
road south Of Montgomery.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
CHILL AND ARGENTINA.

Washington. December 29.--Advices
received by Senor Infante, the Chlllan
charge, today, confirmed the news al
ready published that the argentine
minister at Santiago had informed the
Chilian minister of foreign affairs that
Argentina could not accept all the
terms of the protocol heretofore signed
bv the settlement OF the dispute, and
that some changes would be necessary
in the instrument. Senor Infante' $
information is that there is no founda-
ton whatever for the statement that a
change was made in the protocol by
the Chilian minister of foreign affairs,
but that on the contrary it was pub
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
The WAR AGAINST The TRUSTS.
Complaint Filed Against the vir-
ginia-caroIina Chemical Co.

Columbia, December 2s.-Sonth
Carolina has joined in the procession
of States that has brought suits
against alleged industrial comblna-
tions. At the recent session OF the
General Assembly joint resolution
was passed instructing the Attorney
General to make IAN Investigation"
to determine by what authority the
virginia Carolina Chemical Company
is doing business in this State, y
and then that he institute such pro
ceedings, civil or criminal, as may be
necessary to prevent and punish the
violations Of such laws against trusts
and combinations.
The General Assembly little knew
when it called upon the Attorney Gen
eral what a tremendous responsl 81 !lty
and task it was throwing upon him.
Mr.. Bellinger and Mr.. Gunter have
been working quietly and indefatlg-
ably for months and months, and
today they had their guns ready to
fire at the Virginia-Carolina Chemical
Company. They have fred a broad
side, and when the General Assembly
meets it will find that Attorney Gene
raj Bellinger has gone down to the root
Of the matter, and has prepared most
elaborate and exhaustive report.
General Bellinger is fighter with
q reputation and in this, as in all
other cases ne has taken hold of, it is
certain that he will keep up mis-
reputation and at the same time 1t IS
to be remembered that in other States
similar litigation, SO far as known,
has amounted to nothing. Mr.. Bellln-
ger will do his part, but, OF course,
whether the Virginia-Caroli is or
is not a trust or combination, as al
legged, and whether it is Or is rot
detrimental to the public welfare, is
entirely another question.
The first gun was fired here today.
The formal complaint in the case was
served on Mr.. Washington A. Clark,
who was president of the Columbia
Phosphate Company, before that cor
poration sold out. Similar suits will
be brought in the vavious counties
where the sales complained Of occurred.
The litigation started today, as
shown by the records, involves con-
siderably more than a million dollars
worth OF property, besides far-reacn-
ing principles.
General Bellinger realizes that he
has a hard case ahead Of him, and
that talk and law do not always run
together, anud he has secured as as
sistant counsel former Judge J. Il.
Hudson, of Bennettsville, and Mr.. J.
N. Nathans, of Charleston. Of
course, Assistant Attorney General
Gnnter will be associated in the case.
In employing Judge Hudson and Mr..
Nathans, General Bellinger has obtain
ed two of the ablest and best lawyers
in the State to assist in the litigation.
In the meanwhile the Virignia-CaIo-
Ina Company has not yet shown its
hand but as this is the first case OF
the kind that has been brought against
it, IS is safe to say that they will
resist the contention to the utmost
and oppose the view that it is COM
bination or trust against the inter
ests of the public. It will be most
interesting case.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
1.-THE JEWELS ARE SAFE"

Clife did some elaborate business with
the key and the safe and turned to the
house to give full weight to his lines:
Securely locked The jewels are safe. V
There was roar Of laughter. He spun
around and perceived that the locked
doors were wide open again. giving the
audience full view through the back
Of the safe of lime light and the legs
of the stage carpenter.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01

lished as agreed upon between the
representatives Of the two govern
ments. The understanding here is
that no formal demand has yet been
made upon the Chilian Government
for change in the terms of the proto-
col, but that the matter has simply
been one of informal talk at Santiago.
NJ. Infante continues to express his
firm conviction that there Will be no
war because of the present under
standing.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01

Lynchburg, Va, December 29.-A
landslide on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad, near Reusen's station, five
miles west of Lynchburg, on the James
River branch today caused wreck IN
which the engineer, conductor and
baggage man of & passenger train were
killed and several other presons injur-
ed, but none of them seriously.
The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-01-01
spoiled tine Spiders Scene.

h. Cooper Cli1e tells an amusing
story of his first performance OF the
Spider at the Globe theater, in London.
In the last act of The Silver King
the Spider locks a case Of jewels Of
enormous value in an iron safe. Mr.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-02-07
MEYER GROWS uLD.

1en Nights in a Bar Room" nev-
eEGrews old. There runs through
it avein of pathos peculiarly touch
in1 md sweet. 1t speaks the uni
= = .1istgsial ttlsesheartt tsrss
fleets like a prism the innermost
phases of the human heart. It is
more tnan a play. 1t is a moral
classic. 1t argues for one of the
greatest themes that can engage
the mind. Notwithstanding it's fire.
quent production, it is seldom that
one sees the play as it is presented
by Bnsby Bros colossal spectacu-
lar company. 1t is like meeting an
old friend after many years. The
management doubtless believes in
the maxim: "What's worth doing
is worth doing WE'LL" They have
brought together in this produc-
tiQn all the requisites that go to
make up tirst-class entertainment.
Fay Opera House, Thursday even
ing, February 13.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-02-07
n COMING COUNTRY.

Alfred Merritt is a believer in the
hidden stores of Cook county. He
says that if he were a young man
he could think of no field that
would offer such promise to an ex-
plorer of energy and nerve as the
country back of the hill along the
north shore. Mr.. Merritt firmly be-
lieves that some day a continuation
of the Mesaba range will be found
in Cook county or near at hand.
He says that while it is thought
that much is known about Cook
county, in reality less is known to-
day than there was thirty or forty
years ago, for the reason that the
early explorers who prospected the
north shore are either dead or gone
Or their notes are destroyed, and all
work that is done must begin at the
beginning, as if the country had
just been discovered.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-02-07
Proving new find
Work Continues on the Gross
Property by the Delta
Mining Company
WITH HENcoURAGING RESULTS.


The new find of ore on the Gross
property, comprising the east half
of the northeast quarter of section
25, 1918, about three miles southeast
of the city, is being proven, and
enough of the ore body is already
known to assure the explorers of
the existence of a large body of de-
sirable ore.
The.work on the property is being
done under the direction of Capt.
VIM. Munro, for the Delta Iron
Mining company, corporation
composed of Duluth and range
people. Three holes have been put
down on the property, the first
showing 81 and the second IS feet
of desirable ore, while the third il
now in % feet of ore and still in the
body, the firm of Cole & Mcdonald
at present having a diamond drill
thereon.
The property is owned by Albert
F. Gross, of Duluth, who is here
this week looking after the develop
ment, and who together with the
successful explorers is much pleas
ed at the encouraging results.
The proving of this property
opens new iron field in the Vir-
ginia district, the find being the
first made to the southwest of the
city, and will tend to stimulate ex-
ploratory work in that direction.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-02-07
Will NINE ORE.

The Fay Exploration company. re-
Gently organized, has secured two
more mining leases and in each the
Eastern Minnesota railway, through
it's president, Louis w. Hill, made
the transfer.
The leases are for the swA of neA
and swA of seA of section 21, town
ship IS, range 20.
The lease states that they are
"made for the benefit of the Eastern
Minnesota: railway" and attached
to each is an ore transportation con
tract with the railroad company.
The property is owned by Laura A.
Day, of Minneapolis, but L. W. Hill
had the leases. The Fay Explora-
ton company must mine not less
than 10000 tons, the royalty being
25 cents per ton in each case.
The traffic agreement says that
the road shall construct a spur
track to the mines, with such other
tracks as may be needed, for switch
ing. The rate per ton on ore to the
docks at Allouez bay shall not ex-
ceed the tariff rate of 80 cents. Fur
thermore, the party to the second
part need not pay the railway CON-
pany higher rate than is charged
by other lines, or better figure
than is being made to other mining
companies by the Eastern Mime
sofa.
The lease runs for 80 years.
James G. Vivian has leased to the
Onondaga Iron company certain
lands in sections 19, 81, 20, 20 and 80
in 59-14. The property was leased
to Vivian by the Northwestern I'm
Provement COMPANY.