Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-15
Straps and fatts.

taken today when Representative Hull
chairman Of the committee on military
affairs, introduced a bill suggested by
the president and prepared under the
direction of Mr.. Taft to provide for
volunteer army in time of emergency
The bill would revise the present law
to provide for the raising Of volunteer
army which has been described by the
president as having been placed on the
statute books piecemeal and hurriedly'
1t Is claimed for the bill that II Is
elastic and under its provisions force
of 1000, 900 men could be raised as we'll
as one of $4,000.
New York, Dec. 12: The Financial
Chronicles estimate places the worlds
visible supply of all kinds of cotton at
4933,S0S bales, against 4,242,324 bales
last year and 4,S02,534 bales in 1906.
The visible supply Of the American
staple, according to this authority, Is
4,191,S bales, as compared with s.
S7O,324 bales last week and 3,91O,5S4
bales in 1906. The Chronicles into
sight for the week is 529,417 bales,
against 45S,O47 bales for the same pc
liod last year. The into sight for the
season is estimated at 7,172,SS7 bales,
against 5,43S,093 bales at this time last
year. Southern consumption up TO
December IL, the Chronicle places at
$4,000 bales, against 724,OoO bales at
this time last season. Northern spin
ners' takings of American cotton is
estimated at 1,157,235 bales, as COM
pared with 620,43S bales last season.
Spinners' takings of American cotton
to date aggregate 4,0S1,796 bales,
against 3,S19,OS1 bales same time last
year.
Not less than fourteen persons
were killed and about fifty were injur-
ed by the premature explosion of twen-
ty-one tons Of dynamite blast at Bas
Obispo, on the Panama canal work last
Saturday. The holes had all been put
down and loaded, and the blast was
to have been fired in the afternoon,
but for the accident which was caused
by the dipping of a big steam shovel
into one Of the charges. Among the
killed were three Americans. A Colon
dispatch Of Sunday brings the follow
ing additional information: The dead
now total fourteen. That number cfI
bodies has been recovered, but it is
believed that a score or more are still
under the masses of rocks and earth
that were thrown up. The death list
would have been appalling had train
conveying five hundred laborers, passed
a few minutes later. This train
steamed through the cut and was bare
ly out Of view when the explosion oc-
CURED. For a distance Of 500 feet IN
length and 400 feet in width the Bas
Obispo cut presents a graphic picture
Of the terrible effects of the eXplo-
sion. The whole hillside has been de-
vastated, the dynamite rending the
earth in twain and tossing huge boul-
ders in all directions. A ninety-ton
steam shovel lies complete wreck
Everyone of the crew was killed. All
the tracks in this section were torn to
pieces. The work of clearing away the
wreckage continued throughout the
night. Hundreds of men were on the
scene today working heroically to find
the bodies Of their dead comrades. The
charge consisted Of fifty-one holes, six
ty feet deep and spread out over a
large section of territory. The last
hole was being charged by John j..
Reidy, an experienced powder man,
when 1t exploded. The others were ex-
ploded by the concussion. Reidy was
blown to pieces. The officials at the
Ancon hospital, where many Of the in
jured were taken, report that they
are doing very we'll, some Of the men
not being very seriously injured
Washington, December 13: Com
missioner John G. Capers Of the inter-
nal revenue bureau, in his annual re-
port, states that for the last fiscal year
there was a decrease in the receipts or
sl7,99S,072 as compared with the pre-
vious year. and that for the first three
months of the current year there has
been a decrease of $1,262,23S as COM
pared with the corresponding months
Of the last fiscal year. The revenues
for the full current year are estimated
at $3.50, 100000, which Is $1,665,OOO less
than for last year. The production Of
distilled grain spirits for the fiscal year
1908 was 126,9S9,74O tax gallons, de-
crease Of over 40, ,OO00 gallons as COM
pared with last year. This is account
ed for by the commissioner by the pro-
hibition movement, the high price of
grain, and the agreement among dis
tillers to curtail production. The total
production of denatured alcohol during
the year was 3,321,451 wine gallons,
which is about 100000 gallons less than
for the previous year. The cost of pro-
duction has not been sufficiently reduc-
ed. Mr. Capers says, to enable complete
ly denatured alcohol successfully to
compete with kerosene, gasoline or gas.
Nevertheless, 1t is gradually growing in
favor for fuel, light and power. I'm
der special regulations an agricultural
experiment distillery recently has been
established in Washington by the de-
partment Of agriculture upon its own
premises. The purpose is to determine
the spirit producing capacity of vari-
Gus materials. The cost of the collec-
ton Of the internal revenues for the
last fiscal year was $4,S30,69S and the
estimated expenses for the next fiscal
year are given as $5,36S,51O. During
the year 1,13O Illicit distilleries were
seized and destroyed 32S arrests were
made; 1851 gallons of spirits and
property to the value Of $19S,610 were
reported for seizure.
1t is a common saying among
those prone to criticise ministers OF the
gospel that they invariably feel called
10 accept calls which carry with them
an increase in salary and do so on the
ground that they owe it to their fam
lilies and that the opportunities for
more effective service are naturally
better in the larger field. While 1t is
possible that some preachers may be
out principally for the loares and
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