Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-04-08
NOTE AND COMMENT.

miles south Of Yorkville, about two
weeks ago give birth to child that
had only one hand. The left arm ter
minated at the wrist joint. The child
Is doing well. -.
Ten cents for cotton has greatly re-
duced the holdings of the farmers In
the territory contiguous to Yorkyille.
On Monday a local buyer bought lots
aggregating about 200 bales and 1t Is
estimated. that there are hardly more
than 300 bales still to be sold on this
market.
If tho Confederate rolls Of this
county are not completed within the
next few years they will never be
completed at all. The people who have
been charged with the work should
either carry it to completion or report
their inability or ,unwillingness to do,
80. -" s.tD
Wheat and oats, which were looking
splendidly up to a week ago, are not
looking so well at this time. Some OF
the farmers complain Of rust, some
thing unusual so early in the season,
while others say there has been con-
siderable injury from the Hessian fly
and still others think that the recent
cold snap has been very harmful.
From such information as THE EN-
ouIRER has been able to gather the
fruit crop is still reasonably SAFE
There was ice and frost Sunday morn
ing; but there was wind nearly all the.
night before and examination OF the
peaches during Monday showed that
they were still alive. This Is the opin-
ion of Mr.. s. A. McElwee, who has
had much experience along this line.
Mr.. Edward Thomas, Of Sharon,
was in Yorkville last Saturday to at
tend to some little business matters,
and spent the day quite pleasantly
with friends. Mr.. Thomas Is one OF
the Oldest locomotive engineers IN the
state, being now in the 18th year OF
his age. Commencing in 1852, he was
a locomotive runner for about 30 years,
most of the time in the employ OF the
old Kings Mountain railroad from
Chester to Yorkville, and afterward
the Chester and Lenoir, and now the
Carolina and North Western. He
served this road in various capacities,
including master mechanic and super
intendent. In his younger days he
was a mechanic of more than ordt-
nary skill and ability, and he has the
credit of having been the inventor OF
at least two important improvements
incident to the development Of modern
railroading. The first was the double
brake gear by means Of which brakes
can be put on all four trucks OF car
at one time, and the other was de-
vice to open the cylinder cocks Of the
locomotive from the cab. When ne
first began running on the old Kings
Mountain railroad, 1t was customary
to carry a brakeman at each END OF
such cars as were provided with
brakes. This was necessary Tor the
reason that the original brahng de-
vice only provided for braking one
pair Of trucks at time. The result
was rapid wearing and fiattening OF
the. wheels. Mr.. Thomas contrived
device to overcome the difficulty, and
there has been but little subsequent
improvement on his invention. UP TO
that time also there was no provision
for opening the cylinder cocks for the
expulsion of such water as would ac-
cumulate during a stop, and the cocks
had to be opened by the fireman by
hand. Preparatory to starting after
stop the fireman would get out OF the
cab, open the water cocks and, wait
for the engineer to turn on steam, at
ter which he would close the cocks
quickly as the engine began to move
off and jump back to his place In the
cab. On account of this dangerous
work, accidents were frequent. Many
firemen were Killed while 80 engaged.
Mr.. Thomas gave the matter some
study, and after awhile perfected
an attachment by which the whole
thing could be done with motion OF
the engineers hand. The late CoI.
VIM. Wright, then president Of the
Kings Mountain railroad, proposed to
Mr.. Thomas to have the invention
patented, offering to furnish the mon
ey. Mr.. Thomas neglected to protect
the invention, however. and within
few years afterward, it was appro-
priated by all the locomotive build
ers. The old gentlemen still has some
patentable ideas that he has never ap-
piled, but he hardly thinks that he Will
ever try to turn them to account. For
the past seven years up until week
or two ago, he has had charge OF the
pumping station at Sharon. He took
the place there mainly because he felt