The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-09
Vein of Epson Salts.

While digging well on the place of Mrs. Anna Fry at Hazen some time ago, peculiar white substance was struck. It was found thirteen feet under the ground. The vein was found to be six feet thick. Water was struck a few feet below this vein, but it could not be used, as It's laxative qualities were too great. Some of the substance was sent on to a chemist and 1t was found to be pure Ep- som salts, and as the extent of the vein is not known, but is sunnosed to be al- most unlimited. there Is thought to be a great fortune in the find. It is not known mine and market the salts.
 Hagen Is on the Birmingham, Selma & New Orleans branch of the Louisville and Nashville. The owners of the find are not saying a great deal about 1t at pres- ent. There is no doubt about the sub- stance discovered in the well being Ep- som salts and it is there in such quanti- ties that 1t can be mined cheaply and successfully.
 It is not known to this writer whether the salts comes from the ground in a pure state, but the best information is that it is as pure and white and clean as that which one buys at drug store.
 The Number Registered.
 Tax Collector Cliff Morrison gave out to the press today, in answer to an in- quiry. the number of men in Dallas Coun- ty subject to poll tax, who ha paid their
 
 the fact that over twice as many negroes as whites have come up with the $1 .50 To be exact only 229 white men have paid their poll tax. while 5Ss negroes have given the tax gatherer the $1 50 that the law says they shall pay before they are entitled to vote.
 The proportion of negroes in Dallas to whites is about four to one. that is, there are about 5000 negro voters in Dal- las and about 2,00O white, possibly not quite so many negroes. If the rate of paying the poll tax keeps up and the negroes can comply with the other re- quirements of the Constitution they will control the politics of the black belt, if given free ballot and a fair count"
 A great many of these negroes paid their poll tax while the Tax Collectro was on his rounds. It is safe to say that at most one-half of the 5S9 paid the tax because they did not know that 1t could not be collected by law About one-half of the remainder paid the tax because they thought that they could get Tn under the provisions of the new Con- sutution and could vote, while the re- mainder paid the tax from purely patrt- otic motives, knowing that the money was to go to the education of their chii- dren and the children of their neighbors.
 The information that two negroes to one white man have paid their poll tax in Dallas County. will be startling, not only to the people of Dallas but the en- tire State. What does it mean? Is there a well laid scheme among the Repub- licans to have as many negroes as pos sible pay their poll tax in the hope that something may turn mp that will give them a chance to capture the State? It is we'll enough to let the fact be known that the negroes of Dallas are paying their poll tax more promptly than the whites. Is this the case in other black belt counties? While there is no danger of the negroes beilg lble to comply with the other requirements of the Consti- tuition, it is d reflection on the white people that they are paying their poll taxes moro promptly than the white men.
 There are about twenty-four more days | left in which one can pay his poll tax. i If he does not pay before February l he | cannot vote either In the general elec- | ton or in Democratic primaries.