The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-03-15
SUMTER. s. c. WEDNESDAY. MARCH IS. 1905.

Der report just in shows an increase
in gross earnings over the previous
December of over $4,000, while the
October business was $4,000 in excess
Of that of October, 1908, and last Sep
tember outstripped the previous Sep
tember s24, 600. With the Southern the
October business was $4,000 ahead of
the previous October and November
was s45,100 ahead of November, 1908.
The Seaboard has enjoyed similar in
creases.
At a meeting of the state house
commission Architect Wilson was au-
thorized to call for bids for new
roof for the capitol to be constructed
Of tin, terra Gotta or slate and bids
will also be asked for equipping the
Offices of the comptroller general and
secretary of state with fire proof
shelving. A recent fire in which many
valuable records wer lost in the sec
retary of states Office accentuates the
need Of this Improvement in that Of
fee. The South Carolina capitol
building is about the handsomest OF
it's kind in the south now that the out
side additions contemplated in the
original plans have been made, and the
commission hopes to make the inside
compare favorably with the outside
in the near future, though there have
been some heatrending wastes and
mismanagement due to politics crop
ping into the work Of completing the
work. The present commission seems
to be doing its work thoroughly and
we'll.
The sinking fund commission met
yesterday but transacted little more
than routine business. The commis-
sion has on hand about s150,000 avail
able for loans to the counties, but
with few exceptions, in which Sum-
ter, which gets $4,000 was included,
the matter of making loans was defer
red. The commission decided not to
lease any more oyster lands, for which
there were a number Of applications,
until the legislative commission ap-
pointed to look into the matter can
report.
along this line will be konwn until
the inspections have been completed.
Those troops which pass the best ex-
animation will be retained.
But those troops that will not be re-.
tained in. the active military Of the
state and which will not therefore be
entitled to the state appropriation, will
not be driven out of service. They will
be encouraged to maintain their or
ganization, either as calvary troops or
as infantry companies. Their useful
G6SS pIOtCCllliS IiiSAi NO11AAAA oAAAsA
las too often been demonstrated.
It is quite likely that about a dozen
infantry companies Will also be drop
ped from the active lists, there being
now a surplus of infantry and more
than it is possible to care for under
the new. law, which requires so much
better equipment and efficiency than
formally. Just what companies will be
retained and what dropped will be
known at the end Of next month.
The feeling over in Darlington IS
that the sentence Of John Nell, given a
life term in the peniteniary, and Bob
Small, given death sentence, for the
murder Of the negro, Frank Scott,
Will be allowed to go into ef-
feet without appeal to the supreme
court, so strong is the sentiment
against the men, although they are
white and their victim negro. Small
Columbia, March 13.-The practi-
cal certainty is that the present regi-
ment Of calvary, which in the capacity
Of individual troops has for so many
years exercised such an excellent re-
straining influence on the negroes in
the lower portion Of the state, will be
dropped from the organized militia of
the state. Adjutant General Frost said
today that it would be impossible to
keep up these troops in such a con-
dition Of equipment as would allow
them to pass muster under the new
Dick military law. 1t will require not
less than $4,000 to properly equip this
regiment. and to bring it out on en-
campment would entail great expense.
A squadron Of four troops will be re-
tained, consisting of about 200 men,
equip whom will require trifle over
$4,000. What troops will be retained