Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-04

- Chester December /: Col. 7. j.
Cunningham, who has had charge Of
the farm cooperative demonstration
work that the department of agricul-
ture has been carrying on In this coun-
ty, has compiled his report and 1t Is a
report that should prove very interest
ing to all who are endeavoring to i'm
prove agricultural conditions in the
south. number Of representative
farmers throughout the county was
induced to cultivate small tract ac-
cording to the directions Of the de-
partment. and it is from these farmers
that the report is gathered. Both cot
ton and corn were planted, and with
out exception the yields were almost
double what the experimenters were
accustomed to gather from the same
yrcund or other land of the same char
ecter. All are highly pleased and will
renew the experiment next year on
arger scale.
- Columbia special Of December
to Charlotte Observer: A party Of
about thirtv-fve men from various
parts Of the state, among them five
prospective candidates for governor,
a number of political prohibit'onists
and several anti saloon men, met in
secret session in the senate chamber
this afternoon ard tonight at the call
of state Superintendent Harley. Of the
anti-saloon league. After a lengthy
session in which there was mu"h talk
Of the way to go out to battle, the
meeting adjourned. 1t was given out
to the newspaper men, whose pres
en"e was forbidden In the gathering,
that the gathering decided not to ask
the legislature for a special e'e"tion
on the LIQUOR question, but to present
statewide prohibition bill to the
legislature. A committee consisting
Of J. G. Otis, John G. Richards, Chas.
A. Smith and M. l.. Smith was ap-
pointed to draft the bill. All four are
former state dispensary advocates ex-
cept c. A. Smith, who for several
years was president of the State Rap-
tist convention. The attempt to hold
mass meeting was abandoned. Mr.
Harley said Mr.. Raker Of the nation
al league, put down to address the
gathering, was detained. A number
Of men Mr. Harley had invited to the
secret meeting did not come. In fact,
there was not attendance enough to
organize a mass meeting of respecta-
BILE size. The failure Of the conven-
tion however, Is hardly to be relied
upon in judging the weakness of pro-
hibition in the state. The thin at
tendance is likely due to feeling that
the anti-saloon leaders are not prac-
tical.
- Chester Reporter, December 8:
Richburg was visited by disastrous
fire early yesterday morning, which
destroyed 200 bales Of cotton, burned
the store and the stock of the Farm
ers' Wholesale Grocery company, de-
stroyed a ginnery and two seed houses
belonging to the same firm, burned
the freight and passenger depot Of the
L. & c. railway, three freight cars,
and a lot of freight and express,
seed house belonging to the Kersnaw
Oil Mill, and but for the heroic work
Of citizens would have swept away
the entire town south Of the railroad.
1t was about $50 a. m, when the
flames were discovered, and by the
tim. the alarm could be spread all Of
the cotton on the platform and some
that had been loaded, was ablaze.
The flames quickly jumped to the
store building Of the Farmers Whole
sale Grocery company, and from here
to the other buildings that were burn
ed. The high winds carried the sparks
for hundreds of yards, and the houses
Of Mr.. w. B. GLADDEN. and Mrs. Geo.
Gill; some distance away, took fire.
but were eXtinguished without seri-
Gus damage. The fire departments of
Chester and Lancaster were called
on, and Chief Heyman had a part Of
his. outfit and a number Of his men
at the depot ready to take a special
to the scene of the disaster when
word came that the flames had been
subdued. The fire was first observed
in the cotton on the platform at the
depot, and the general theory is that
it was probably caused by spark
from a passing engine. Mr. W. b.
GLADDEN. of the + Farmers Wholesale
Grocery company, who was in the
city yesterday afternoon, estimated
the companys loss at $4,000, with
$1,000 insurance. 1t is impossible to
estimate the remainder or the loss,
Though it is likely that 1t is covered
with insurance. There was undeliv-
cred freight in the depot amounting
10 sevcraI hundred dolIars, and also
small quantity Of express. The
agents personal loss will amount to
something like 500. Only the fact
thai there had been a heavy down
pour of lain the night before, and the
fact that most Of the buildings IN the
vicinity of the fire district are cover
ed with sheet iron, made the saIVa-
ton Of the balance of the town possi-
BILE, though the townspeople were on
the scene as soon as the alarm was
sounded, and fought desperately with
what means they had at command.