Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-13
Scraps and facts.

by. The negro was knocked into a
puddle of water and killed. In falling he
struck a dog, which was also playing
the part of innocent bystander. and
the life of the canine was snuffed out,
too.
George Smith, one of the immortal
six hundred that rode in the charge OF
the light brigade at the battle of Ba-
laklaVa, is now at the age of 81, seek
ing charity from the Oakland, Cal,
board of supervisors. He is asking for
sufficient funds to carry him and his
daughter to British soil, in order that
he may revive his claim TO pension
from the British government. Until
recently Smith had earned his living
as a wood cutter, but age and an old
wound compelled him to abandon work.
For bravery in the Indian mutiny he
was awarded the Victoria Cross and
received personal gift of 20 soVer-
eigns from Queen Victoria. After the
Indian mutiny Smith came TO America,
later becoming citizen.
Because the "drys" of Powell coun-
ty. Kentucky, used the Bible as an en-
blem on their ballots in a recent local
option election and carried the county,
the state court of appeals on Saturday
declared the election void. On each
ballot was the picture of an open book
with the words Holy Bible" under it..
The "wets" for an emblem used the
picture of whisky bottle and glass
out of which pTotruded the head OF a
snake. At the first trial witnesses tes-
titled that they were told that If they
wanted to go to heaven they should
make their mark under the Bible. One
said he wanted to vote wet" but fear
ed if he did not heed the sign of the
Bible that the Almighty would wreak
vengeance upon him. In the opinion
handed down Saturday it is said
statute prohibits the use of the Bible
as an election emblem on ballots.
Suit was filed by the Federal gov
ernment in the United States circuit
court at Los Angeles. Cal, last Satur-
day, attacking the title of the Southern
Pacific railroad to 6,100 acres of oil
lands in Kern county valued at $lO,-
100000 Fraud in the patenting of the
lands is charged. 1t is alleged that the
railroad company patented the lands
with the full knowledge that they were
mineral bearing and could not be so
patented. This suit is said to be only
the beginning Of a general move on the
part of the government to reclaim from
the Southern Pacific oil lands in Kern,
Kings and Fresno counties valued at
many millions of dollars. The action
was brought by United States District
Attorney A. L. Mccormick, and the
name of Attorney General Wickersham
is affixed to the complaint. The suit
asks that the patents to the lands be
declared invalid and that the defend
ants be required to deed the lands to
the United States free from incum-
brance of question of title.
The time has arrived in the opinion
of the secretary of the treasury, when
all concerns engaged in public business
should take the public into their con-
fidence to the extent of dealing frank
~ and fairly with their stockholders by
revealing their true financial and ply
sical conditions. Anything that will
promote the confidence of the investing
public is a good thing for business in
stitutions." declared Secretary Mac
veagh. Il know of no other one thing
which would tend more in this direc-
ton than for the corporations to deal
frankly and fairly with their stock
holders in revealing their actual finan-
cial and physical conditions. Share
holders have an unquestioned right to
know how the company in which their
money is invested is being conducted
and how the business stands. There
was time not long ago." he continued,
when officers and directors of corpor-
ations treated such organizations al
most as their personal property. That
day has passed. Now the demand is
for fair dealing and open books"
Upon invitation of Secretary of
Agriculture James Wilson the eleven
best growers of corn in the country,
chosen from eleven different southern
states. will be his guests in Washing
ton this week. These leaders of the
nations farmers are mere boyS-the
winners in corn growing contests,
which have been going on in almost
every southern state since planting
time last spring. The boys, averaging
from 10 to 16 years of age, will come
one each, from the states of Oklahoma,
Texas. Arkansas. Tennessee, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana. Alabama, Georgia,
South Carolina, North Carolina and
Virginia. The contests were instituted
by the farmers cooperative and dem
Onstration bureau, of the department
of agriculture. through the medium of
the Boys Corn club. The trips to
Washington have been provided
through various means. In some cases
individuals have volunteered to pay
the expenses of the priZewinners from
their respective states. In other cases
State Bankers associations or other
state organizations have agreed to de-
fray the expenses of one boy for one
week. They will then be turned over
to Prof. o. B. Martin, assistant to the
chief of the bureau of farmers Coop
Grafton and demonstration, formerly of
South Carolina, who will act as their
guide while in Washington.
The United States closes another
year in second place among the worlds
naval powers. The great navy build
ing race between Germany and Great
Britain has not yet brought the former
country up to the United States in the
number of battleships aflOat, but in
ships projected and in the total num-
ber of war vessels of all kinds, Ger
many will crowd the United States to
third place. These facts are shown in
the new navy year book, prepared by
Pitmann Pulsifer. clerk of the senate
committee on naval affairs. In COM
pleted tonnage, says Mr.. Pulsifer, the
United States is ahead of Germany. In
battleships completed, both in number
and displacement, the United States
leads Germany. Including battleships
completed, under construction and pro-
vded for the number of each country
is identical, while the United States
exceeds Germany in total battleship
tonnage. The compilation of Mr.. Pull
sifer shows the world powers to rank as
follows as to complete ships: Great
Britain. United States, Germany,
France, Japan, Russia, Italy. In the
dreadnaught type, under which are
placed armOred cruisers, as we'll as the
newer battleships, the fierce race be-
tween England and Germany is most
clearly shown. At present the floating
navies of the three leading powers con-
tain dreadnaught type vessels as fol-
lows: England II. with displacement
of 2O3,100 tons; United States four
displacement 10000; Germany four, dis
placement. 10000. The year book shows
that when vessels now being con-
structed and those for which funds
have been provided are completed, the
dreadnaught strength of the three
countries will be: England %, with
displacement of 55S,9O0 tons: Germany
Il, displacement $4,000; United States
10, displacement 221,65O tons.
A single week of congress has not
cleared the atmosphere as to whether
there will he any serious effort at the
present session toward tariff tinkering.
While many bills have been introduced