Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-19

There the thirty-two miles of the new
double track Of the Southern railway
In Virginia in service at the present
time; but, although this is a very short
distance, comparatively speaking, 1t is
of almost invaluable service to the
road, for here, morning and evening
some of the north and south bound
trains meet without side-tracking, and
while going at the rate Of sixty miles
per hour. That part Of the new track
in use Is between Alexandria ana
Culpepper. Besides this span there are
many miles Of the track finished, with
the exception of trestle and bridges
and connecting links. There are near
ly 1000 negroes working on the various
forces, these being divided in squads,
which are strewn out with intervals OF
two or three miles. Each squad has
grading and track-laying forces, and
besides these are the bridge-building
gangs. All Of the work Is under the
supervision of Contractor w. J. Oliver
who is pushing it as much as Is possi-
BILE.
Passenger train No. 76, eastbound
on the Seaboard Air Line. was held
up one mile east Of Sanderson, Fla,
last Saturday night at about TAB
o'clock by four white men. The door
of the baggage car was blown open
with dynamite, the robbers mistaking
this car for the express car. The ell
gine was stopped by a volley Of shots
fred into the cab. The fireman and
engineer were taken off the engine and
escorted to the second class coach, and
the robbers ran the train ahead about
a half mile, when they blew open the
baggage car. The train conductor went
forward, but was driven back to the
coaches. Conductor L. S. Peck, who
was deadheading over the line, called
for firearms and volunteers. N. II.
Harrison, claim agent Of the road; b.
B. McCaa, travelling auditor, and j.
c. Williamson, travelling freight agent
responded and the four went forward,
opened fire and drove the robbers off.
Conductor Peck took the throttle and
ran the train four miles down the road.
The robbers got no booty and made
no attempt to rob the passengers, but
there was great excitement in the pas
senger coaches while the firing was
going. on.
Secretary Wilson took occasion last
Saturday to make a statement before
the house committee on agriculture
with reference to the charges that have
been made from time to time to the
effect that there have been leaks in
the bureau Of statistics whereby cot
ton spectators have been able to get
advance information as to crop figures:
He told the committee that he had In
vited the New York Cotton Exchange
to send a man to him and he would ap-
point him on the staff of the bureau,
so that he might learn the methods
employed. The man was sent, but the
secretary declared him to be incapable
Of grasping the system. Mr.. Wilson
invited the committee to visit the bu-
reau, telling the members that he would
lock them in the room with the statis-
tician when the results were being
tabulated, so they might observe the
whole process. The object Of the bu-
reau was to furnish the producers re-
liable information regarding the state
Of the crops of the country. This had
been done in the past to remarkable
degree Of accuracy, and he believed
the cotton statistics Of this year would
prove nearly as correct.
Cincinnati Enquirer: Il suppose
very few people in the United States
know that many men who have served
their time in the United States army
are now in China acting as drillmasters
to the Chinese army, yet such Is the
case," said an army officer here yes
terday. There is firm in Hong
kong which sends representatives to
Manila to see the noncommissioned Of
ficers, and as soon as their time of en-
listment expires they are told that their
passage back to the United States will
be paid If they will stop in China for
a few months. To show they are sin
cere these representatives deposit a
sum Of -.oney equal to the passage back
to the United States, and the noncom
usually stops at Hongkong and calls up
on this firm. There he is told that he
Is wanted as q drillmaster for the Chi
nese army, and he is offered salary of
5000 per month as long as he remains
A great many Of the discharged SER
geants remain in China for a few
months. They are provided with in
terpreters, and drill the Chinese SOL
diers through them. China has also
secured a number Of German, French
and English noncommissioned officers
for the same work, and as a result
her army is getting on something like
a good footing"
Discussing the controversy between
Russia and Japan with a representa-
tive Of the Associated Press last Sat-
urday, Baron Hayashi, the japanese
minister to Great Britain said: Il
only hope the Gear will give us peace,
but my hopes are not strong. If we
go to war it will be for issues where
on America and England have in
sisted automatically. We have re-
ceived no pledges from any country
that in the event of defeat it will
step in and save us from being abb
sorbed by Russia We cannot count,
even in extremities, on the armed sup
port of any nation. in the world. 1t