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COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE,
VXWSY LETTERS FROM OUR SPE?
CIAL CORRESPONDENTS
of Interest From eil Parte of
end Adjoining Counties.
NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Mail your letters so that they will
this office not later than Mon
when Intended for Wednesday's
ir aad not later than Thursday
fee Saturday's Issue. This, of course
applies only to regular correspond
In ceee of Items of unusua
value, send In Immediately bj
telephone or telegraph. Sucl
?ears stories are acceptable up to th<
of going to press. WedneeOay'i
la printed Tuesday afternooi
Saturday's paper Friday after
EGYPT.
Egypt. Jan. f.?Christmas passe<
off quietly at this place?thei<- wa
very little drinking and no drunken
wees everybody seemed to have i
good ttnw.
We have had plenty of rain an?
today we had a regular freexe up
The farmers have secured thel
hands for the year and have begui
preparing foi another crop.
Mr. A. B. White returned todaj
from Sam pit, 8. C.f where he spen
several days with relatives.
Misses Jeenle and Lena Player, o
Elliots, two most charming younj
lad lee. spent a few days of last wee*
with Mies Belle McCutchen of Smith
vllle.
Rev. T. J. White spent a few dayi
of lost week at thla piece en route tc
Fort Mill where he will serve that
circuit as pastor for this year. W*
wish him success.
Mr. Marvin Weldon spent Monday
In Cam den.
Mr, and Mrs. Richard Bradford, ol
Columbia, spent last week with Mr
aad Mrs. J. K. Rlchbourg.
There was about the usual moving
about with the negroes this year.
Mr. Hank Smith, of Blshopvllle,
has bought a farm In this section
and moved on It.
Mlssee Luclle and Eva Britton who
are teaching near Bethune returned
to their work after spending the holi?
days at home.
Mise. Berths Huggins who has been
working in Sumter for several
months has returned home.
Mrs, Essie Bourne, of Sampit. is
visiting relatives at this place.
Mies Minnie Orier. after spending
jt week with relatives in Camden hae
returned home.
Mies Dorothy Napier returned from
her trip to Greenwood and hae re?
sumed her work as teacher at Egypt
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Weldon spent
mat Thursday with Mr. and Mrs. R.
C. Wae tor at Hertots.
Miss Sadie White spen*. s few days
last week with friends at Blshopvllle
Mr. Lawrence 8ulllvan has return?
ed to the Presbyterian College at
Clinton.
The Misses Mstthews, of Georgia,
after spending several weeks with
their uncle. Mr. J. F Matthews, of
thla place, hae returned home.
WI8ACKT.
Wleacky. Jan. t?The holidays aro
ewer and the New Year dawned bright
aad beautiful, with extremely cold
weather. Moot of the farmers have
begun work with a sufficient num?
ber of laborers for the year. The
oat crop is loklng well in places and
not yet been Injured by the
?
freeses.
All tl ? young ladles and gentlemen
returnee ' his week to their respec?
tive schools.
Misses Eunice and Annie Wlllams
daughters of Mr. M. L Williams left
this morning for Orangeburg to at?
tend the Co-Educational College.
Mr. Webber Player Is quite sick at
this time.
William McLeod, who has been
very sick for several weeks Is better,
and Improving slowly.
Miss Sallle Leulngham, who has
been spending the past two woeks
with her sister. Mrs. Dr. Shirer at St.
Stephens, will return to her home to?
day.
Mr. R. M. Cooper Is erecting a
handsome structure on the same lot
on which his former home was burn?
ed.
The friends of the Blshopvllle Bap?
tist church are glad to hear that the
State Evangelist, Rev. B. J. Wood?
ward will preach for them tomorrow
morning at 11 o'clock.
Miffs Miller, teacher <>f the Ivan
hoe school, has returned and will
open gtfcOO] Monday, the 10th.
SMITHVILLK.
Smtthvllle, Jan. 10.?The chime of
the 'irm bell 1? heard calling the la?
borer t i hi* \\<?i k morning and ROOgj,
But very little If any ploughing ha*
been done. The weather continues
pery cold lnd?>?<|. Wo arc tuning
inty of bllzxard-llke days and
I don't see how many pestl
Insects can be left to give us
trouble next spring and sum
the cold could only aid us
out cotton wilt and pea
I'd be alright. The sea?
ting will soon be here.
jf writer la a great lover of nature
nd takes great pleasure In the cultl
atlon of plants and flowers. I'm
siting Impatiently for the genial
ays of spring when we can plant
r gardens and begin their cultiva
n. What a pleasure It Is to watch
eir growth and development. We
h many inspirations therefrom
nd learn much of the beautiful
andlwork of Him who doeth all
binge well.
I don't think the high price of cot
will affect the cotto-i acreage in
section. I suppose about the
same acreage' as that of last year
will be planted. The farmers are
slowly but surely waking up, and
realise as never before the impor?
tance of rotation and diversification.
Look after the little things along all
lines on the farm. They are step
plng stones to greater things.
I suppose our esteemed and much
loved doctor will soon leave for his
new home at McColl. Dr. T. D. Fox
worth Is a high-toned Christian gen?
tleman, whose goodne8s of heart and
cheerful, kindly deposition has won
for him a host of friends. We regret
very much to have him and his
charming and lovely little wife go
from among ua, but If it will benefit
hia health and that of his little son.
Edward, we will try to give them up
cheerfully. We wlah for them the
greatest success In their new field of
work.
Miss Jessie Brown spent Saturday
with Mrs. W. F. Smith.
Mrs. J. M. Browne, of Samplt, is
visiting her sister, Mrs. Mayne Wil?
son.
Miss Maud Hatfleld. of Rembert,
spent last week with her grandmoth?
er, Mrs. W. H. Hatfleld, of Bradford
Springs.
Mr. T. C Robertson spent last
Thursday in Camden
Master Hovey Robertson, son of
Mr. S. E. Robertson, is quite sick. He
is strangely affected, one side is al?
most paralysed.
Mr. W. X. Dunlap has moved his
hlacksmlth shop up on the hill which
Is more convenient for himself and
customers. i
OUR SUMMERTON LETTER.
Summerton, Jan. 10.?In speaking
of the changea wrought by the en?
trance of the New Year, we took oc?
casion in our last letter to mention a
number of large farms in the sur?
rounding community which we er?
roneously stated had "changed hands."
Let It not be understood by that ex?
pression that owners are really dis?
posing of their land interests in this
section, for business wisdom has not
decreased to such an extent that
those in possession of the splendid
agricultural lands in Clarendon
county are anxious or willing to sell
them even at the fancy prices now
obtainable. It is true that renters
are continually changing from year
to year, and at this the beginning of
19%$, many of our farms are being
vacated and reoccupled.
Mr. Jimmie Deas, of Camden, who
owns land in the Panola section has
removed from Camden to this place,
bringing his family with him. Sum*
merton Is very much gratified to see
this another evidence of Its good
standing In the State.
Th* Summerton Hardware Co. has
recently purchased a controlling in?
terest In the Colclough Hardware
Co. and have opened the New Tea**
wit** a much increased stock. With
their commodious and easily accessi?
ble ware rooma they should be In po?
sition to All the public's wants In a
very satisfactory manner.
The Summerton Lodge of the
Knights of rythlas will on Tuesday
night Install their newly elected of
flcera for 1010. They report having
had a most prosperous year, and a
splendid outlook for the New Year.
After the installation exercises an
oyster supper will be given at the
Hunter Hotel.
On Friday afternoon, Jan. 7th,
Mrs. Jno. Kershaw entertained the
Matrons* Book Club. After the busi?
ness formalities, the afternoon was
spent quite informally and pleasant?
ly, the guests being entertained large?
ly by the music rendered by Misses
Harper and Scarborough. Mrs. Ker?
shaw, assisted by her sister, Mrs. An?
derson served fruit salad and cake.
At the home of Mrs. M. L. Cos
krey on Tuesday afternoon at 4:30
o'clock, the Rev. C. S. Felder was
married to Miss Annie Coskrey. Rev
J. N. Tolar, pastor of the Baptist
church of this place performed the
ceremony, Immediately after which
Mr. and Mrs. Feld.-r left for their
home In Hilbert. S. C.
Hev. s. O. f'antey and family af?
ter a few days' stay with relatives
W\ ri returned to their home in Bab s
bm-ir. S. (\
Mis-; BSfthl Davis has rttumtd
home after a vmU to relatives In
Mnnnlng,
Rev. A. T. Dunlap, formerly a pas
t<>r of the Methodist church here and
now of Hartsvllle was a visitor In
t ?\vn last week.
Miss Sarah Smythe of Charleston,
spent a few days last week at the
home of MaJ. R. R. Briggs.
hang one thtt Is hanged and he
hang thee.?Fr< nch.
CAUSE OF THE DECLINE.
Itesulta Show It to Have Been Tech?
nical, Not Fundamental?Results
of a Comprehensive Investigation
Made by a Careful Statistician.
New Orleans, Jan. 10.?Last Wed?
nesday's sharp break in cotton was
more apparent than real, since the
disturbance Incident to the clearing
up of the future market, which had
become top heavy, has not had a
corresponding effect on the spot sit?
uation. In support of this view of
the week's cotton market occur?
rences, the statistician of the firm of
Jay, Keplinger and Brown, after a
month of careful research has pub
Itched an elaborate compilation shov?
ing the comparative worth of com?
modities in general, and by a ROrlOf
of logical deductions draws the con?
clusion that 20 cents a pound for
middling raw cotton would not be R
heroic figure if cost of production and
shortness of supply be regarded In
its proper relationship to scope of re?
quirement.
Says this careful writer: "Although
cotton has advanced 715 points with?
in twelve months there has beta no
serious stoppage of spindles, and con?
sumption continues at the rate of
12.000,000 bales and more a year.
Meanwhile prices of manufactured
goods are gradually being adlusted
to conform with the cost of the raw
material.
"American mills are well engaged
with forward contracts, and their
operations thus far will justify the
usual dividends.
"In spite of the advancing ten?
dency of manufactured goods, their
consumption appears to be Increas?
ing. A short raw cotton supply will
ultimately necessitate a decrease in
the production of manufactured
goods, whether consumers so desire
or not.
"Compared with wheat at $1.16
per bushel, corn at 66 cents, and
pork at $22, cotton at 20 cents a
pound will not appear . relatively
high, when It Is remembered that the
majority of cotton planters buy their
bread and meat on the basis of these
prices."
According t o Professor Burkett,
in his able book on "Cotton," one
pound of cotton at 10 cents will
make:
1 1-2 yds denim worth.22
4 yds Brown sheeting worth... .32
4 yds bleached muslin worth... .32
7 yds calico worth.35
6 yds. Qlngham worth.45
25 yds. handkerchiefs worth .. .2.50
10 yds. lawn worth.2.50
or
66 spools No. 40 sewing thread
worth.2.80
"It should cost more to transform
raw material into a manufactured
product thar. to produce the raw ma?
terial," says the statistician quoted
above, "but the fact that the
manufacturer has prospered suffi?
ciently to encourage a much more
rapid expansion in manufacture than
has taken place In the culture of raw
cotton Is proof positive that the net
profits enjoyed by the manufacture
have been relatively greater than the
net profits enjoyed by the farmer,
consequently a readjustment that
will result In a more equitable divi?
sion seems logical enough.
"Fifteen cents for raw cotton has
not checked consumption to an ap?
preciable extent. The true test of a
just distribution of an equitable divi?
sion of profit is a maximum price
that will check consumption and a
minimum price that will check pro?
duction. At present prices there is
no danger of deliberate raw cotton
production curtailment, but since
present prices are not checking con?
sumption they can hardly be called
high."
The cause of the future market de?
cline of 100 points from the top
could not be traced to free selling of
spots, or to restricted demand for
spots, since the actual cotton market
has refsued to follow the downward
course. Fear on the part of stock mar?
ket Interests of the president's attitude
on corporation legislation caused the
free selling of securities, a decline
and calls for margins, which in turn
forced some security market longs to
liquidate cotton market Interest In
order to secure profits. This In turn
depressed the future cotton market.
But spot cotton longs have laughed
at the decline, since future market
shorts must ultimately buy from spot
longl the cotton they will need for
delivery on contract, and the mills
have stood ready to pay more for
?pOt supplies than speculators are
now in position to pfty without seri?
ous loss.
With cotton selling at 15 and 1 C?
Cent! ft future market reaction of 100
points is less strenuous and more to
be expected than a 50 point reaction
when OOtton is selling nt 10 cents,
The truth of the case Is, the market
has advanced so Btaadlly and so per?
sistently Hiring so many months that
most peopk bad begun to think that
deollnoi were not coming. Thus the
enforcement of some fundamental
economic law has waked them up,
but has not harmed the cotton mar?
ket In the end.
LIVE STOCK
Another load of stock will arrive Friday 14th. Our buyer knows the trade, knows
the kind our farmers want and will buy them if they can be haH. Come and see them
Saturday or the early part of next week.
Carriages, Surries, Buggies, Wagons and Harness.
We have a large assortment of these Vehicles on hand which we are offering at re?
duced prices in order to turn the goods into cash, and at the same time make room for
Spring goods. Don't take our word for it, but come and see for yourself.
Oliver Plows.
We have a fine assortment ot "Oliver Plows" on hand and more coming in. None
better than the "Oliver"?few as good. Ask your neighbor who is using them.
Stalk Cutters.
Stalk Cutting season is on, better let us sell you ? "McKay" Cutter. We have a few
of them left. If you have not seen a McKay, come look at them, see how they are put up,
and you will wonder how we can sell them so cheap.
Corn Planters.
Just received a lot of Corn Planters which we are going to offer to our customers at
a very small margin of profit, in order to build up trade along this line.
THE S. M. PIERSON COMPANY,
115.117-119 EAST HAMPTON AVENUE.
SUMTER, - - - ' - S. C.
SPECULATION IN FUTURES.
Probable That Congress Will Give
the Subject Attention.
Representative Scott of Kansas,
chairman of the house committee on
agriculture, says according to a
Washington despatch, that the sen?
timent in favor of legislation to pre?
vent the dealing in futures in farm
products is growing stronger every
day, and he feels quite confident that
the house will give serious consider?
ation to the bill which his committee
wMl report shortly to deny the malls
to exchangees and brokers and others
who make a business of gambling in
farm products.
President Taft has taken this sub"
ject up, and members who are close
to him say that he ragards gambling
in farm products as an evil that calls
for legislative action. The misery and
suffering from this vicious form of
gambling is worse, if anything, than
betting on the races. If the veil
could be lifted it would reveal many
congressmen among the victims of
the bucket shops where most of the
business of speculation in futures is
conducted.
Inquiry among the members show
that the evil of gambling in wheat,
corn, cotton, oats, etc., has grown to
such proportion that many states
have taken notice of it, and the claim
Is made that the price of foodstuffs is
affected by the gambling in futures.
In this connection the statement Is
made that the government is largely
responsible for the growth In this
species of speculation in the neces?
sities of life, and that the fluctuation
in the price of corn, wheat and cot?
ton is due, in a measure to the
monthly crop report issued by the
agricultural department. There is
some truth in this, for no govern?
ment report is watched with more
interest nor more. eagerly sought
than that of the crop report. An ad"
vanee copy of the crop report, that
is a copy obtained three hours ahead
of the issuance of the pivss. is worth
thousands of dollars.
The value attached to the report
is due solely to the effect il has on
the market. And the market varies
accordingly to th(? condition <>f the
crops as shown by the figures of the
report, Which only proves that
9-10ths of the business done on the
exchanges is gambling, pure and
simple.
It was said today that it is not
improbable that congress will order
the discontinuance of the monthly
crop report because of its influence
on prices of farm products as man
lpulated by the gamblers. Members
of the house agriculture committee
say there is no question but that If
the crop report is stopped, that is :f
the Information is not furnished the
exchanges, It will have the effect of
checking the business of dealing in
futures. That the figures of the crop
report have a money value and also
an effect on the market, it may be
interesting to recall that it has been
but a few years ago that the Cotton
Growers' association lodged a com?
plaint with Secretary Wilson, of the
Agricultural Department to the
effect that some official was making
use of the information gathered by
the agents of the department to the
detriment of the cotton growers. The
result of the complaint was an In?
vestigation which resulted in the dis?
missal of the statistician and assis?
tant and the Indictment of the latter
on a charge of conspiracy. The of?
ficial, Mr. Ed Holmes, and two brok?
ers, were tried, but the jury dis?
agreed and the indictment is still
pending. It is admitted by the best
lawyers in congress that the indict?
ment found was worthless for the
reason that the law did not cover the
case.
Since the case was tried, congress
has passed a law that makes it an
offense to divulge this character of
information. The subject of futures
promises to hold the attention of
congress for a week before the ses?
sion adjourns. A special message
from the president urging legisla"
tion on this matter is not at all im?
probable.
The Mississippi Senatorship.
Jackson, Miss., Jan. 7.?The vote
today in the joint session of the State
legislature to elect a senator to suc?
ceed the late A. J. McLaurln, resulted
as follows:
Vardaman 71; Alexander 14; Percy
21; Anderson 81; Kyle 14; Bynl 12:
Crits T.; Truly 1; Dongino 1. Total
170. Necessary to choice. S6.
On the second ballot Vardaman
was credited with 6f> votes, a 1<'<s of
six from the tlrst ballot, and Per* >
with 2S. showing a gain of seven.
After three votes had failed to de
ermlne tin- nominee 111?? caucua ad?
journed late tonight until tomorrow
morning. At the conclusion <?t the
session, Former Cov. .lames K. Var?
daman had r,r, votes to his credit, It
more than his nearest competitor.
Leroy Percy of Greenville, but ?till
JO votes short of the required num?
ber.
Hospitality grows best where it Ic
most needed.?Hugh Miller.
DUE WEST POSTOFFICE ROBBED
Yeggmen Blow Safe Open and Se?
cure $1,100 in Cash and Stamps.
Due West. Jan. 8.?The Due West
postoffice was entered this mornmg
by safe crackers, and the safe blown
open. The first report was heard by
some persons living In the immediate
vicinity at 1:15 A. M. The robbers
were not satisfied with their first ef?
fort, and the second report came
about fifteen minutes later. When
the office was opened this morning it
presented a scene of wreckage. The
entire front door of the safe was
blown off its hinges, and parts of it
went through the building and land?
ed some flften to twenty yards on
the outside, tearing off several
planks. About nine hundred dollars
In stamps and two hundred dollars In
cish was stolen.
No trace of the robbers can be
found. Due West doesn't afford a
night watchman, and the safe crack?
ers had the advantage of several
hours when the office was opened at
7 o'clock.
This is the second time the Due
West postoffice has been robbed with?
in the past few years.
JIEMPHILL WILL GO TO RICH?
MOND.
Editor of Ttie News and Courier HI
Assume Charge of The Tirm o-ajIs
patch.
Richmond, Va., Jan. 9.?An?
nouncement was made tonight that
Maj. J. C. Hemphlll, for the past 20
years editor of the Charleston (S C.)
News and Courier, has accepted the
editorship of The Times-Dispatch, his
new duties here to begin about Feb
15.
FIRE AT PROVIDENCE.
Th* store of Mr. B. D. Jennings at
Gail lard's X Roads, in which was
located the Providence Tost Office,
was burned Sunday afternoon. The
loss is estimated to have been about
$506 to $700. The origin of the fire
has not been determined. This store
was robbed a few weeks ago, and it
is suspected that the fire was of in?
cendiary origin.
Sunday night the store of Robert
Ramsey, colored, in the same neigh?
borhood eras burned. The amount of
loss is not known.
"Mr. Rallinger demands an investi?
gation. ' s.tys a headline. At any
rate, he seems to merit It.?Louis?
ville Courier-Journal.
