Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-15
Scraps aud faets.

New Orleans, June IL: a most un-
usual question in classification of frog
skins as freight has today been asked
of the freight agents of several rail-
roads in this state, says the Daily
Item. The question is whether frog
skin shall be classed with wild animal
hides. bird skins, fish or in class by
itself. for which double rates shall be
charged. Dealers have had the SKINS
shipped under each of these headings,
but so large has become the industry
of sending them east for manufacture
into covers for ladies' pocketbooks,
that more uniformity is now demand
ed. The extreme lightness of this
commodity has contributed to the
confusion in classification. In re-
cent shipment over the Southern Pa
cific of 1900 pounds, there were esti-
mated to be 100000 skins.
THE ascent of Yesuvius just made
by Prof. Mattucci, to investigate the
changes made in the crater and on
the summit, by the recent eruption re-
veals some interesting facts. Cooks
funicular railway, with the station at
the summit, has completely disappear
ed, the very rails and telegraph poles
being destroyed, only a few yards or
the rails remaining, but all twisted
and wrinkled. The cone has now
diameter of about 1900 meters. There
is no more eruption of lava, and that
of smoke has almost ceased; but from
time to time sulphurous gas arises.
The greater portion of the cone which
has fallen is still warm, so that the
persons visiting and walking on II
have to keep constantly moving. lest
their shoes get badly burned. Mat
tucci was desirous of measuring the
diameter of the crater, but the impe-
tus wind and the puffs of ashes pre-
vented him from placing the measur-
ing apparatus as it was necessary. A
brigadier of carbineers, to whom a
rope had been tied, one end Of which
was held by his companions, ascended
the edge of the crater, but he could
not get a glimpse of this extinct cal
dron, for the rise of sulphurous gases
rendered 1t necessary for him TO de-
scend quickly. He saw, however
that inside the cone preserves its fun
nel-like shape; but that it is very
much enlarged. Mattucci calculates
that the height of Vesuvius has been
lowered by 656 feet during the erup-
ton. That has been caused by the fall
of the cone or sides Of the crater;
such changes as these-a lowering
and elevation of the summit-haVe
accompanied the greater eruptions of
this volcano.
New York Tribune: Certainly
times change and politicians learn to
come indoors when it rains. When
Mr.. BRYAN got home from Europe two
years ago there was no delegation OF
leading lights from the Democratic
club to meet him at the pier. His
counsel on things political was not So
licited. When he hired hall at his
personal expense and analyzed the in
fluences and motives which lay De-
hind Judge Parker's canvass for the
presidential nomination, his activity
was denounced as an impertinent IN
terference-as the protest of an un-
horsed and disgruntled party war
wick At the st. Louis convention his
views were overridden at every turn
and the reclamation of the Democra-
cy from his blighting influence was
celebrated as a triumph of reason, or
der and common sense. "A Man at
LaStr exclaimed the eXultant Demo-
cratic conservatives when they
brought Alton b. Parker to the fore
ground and sent William j. Bryan to
the rear. The Man at Last" lasted
until about the middle of August.
Then the party managers who had
undertaken to carry the burdens of
the Presidential canvass turned in des-
peration to Colonel Bryan and plead
ed for his assistance. The Nebraskan
statesman compiled and made some
speeches, under the auspices of the
Safe and Saners in the control of the
national committee. Something IN
this healing contact with the con
servatism" which ruled at Democratic
Headquarters in 1904 must have re-
moved the taint of Colonel Bryan'S
strenuous radicalism-he purged him
self of heresy and qualified for enroll
ment under the BelmOnt-Nicoll stand
ard of political sanity.
Anderson Daily Mail: All think
ing men will be bound to agree with
the New Orleans Picayune, which de-
clares that the political crime of the
age Is the crime of not voting. The
failure of free citizens who are armed
with the ballot to take any part In the
election of their public officials and
lawmakers. Just at this moment When
a hundred million Russian peasants
who are sodden in ignorance and
stepped in the degradation with which
centuries of despotism can overwhelm
a people are struggling desperately to
gain control of their national govern
ment thousands and even millions or
the free citizens of the United States
are voluntarily abandoning their po-
litical rights and duties and are refuS-
ing to have anything to do with their
public affairs, and above all, they con-
temptuously discard the ballot. This
is a very common spectacle in many OF
the states of the union, but 1t seems to
be more prevalent in the south than
elsewhere. Under any circumstances
IL is a disgrace to any free people, and
if il be possible to apply any remedy
the state legislature should give FAR
more attention towards curing this
evil than to protecting the rights OF
citizens who reject those rights with
scorn. The total voting power OF
United States. according to the last
census, was 81 329,S19. In no presi-
Dental election has the total vote much
exceeded 100000. 1t follows that
less than two-thirdS of the voting
power is ever exercised, and more than
one-third remains dormant or unused.
Some seven million votes. which could
be and are not cast, show how many
free citizens are indifferent to their
Il N.tf rIt
and the white people of the south are
more Indifferent than any others, be-
cause. having secured themselves for
a time against negro domination. they
seem to have taken on Il Stupor from
which they will be rudely awakened
in a few years after they shall have
enacted compulsory education laws
-Asheville. y. c.. June IL: The
Asheville Citizen publishes an inter-
view with Thomas A. Edison, who
says that he has made cobalt diScOv-