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OCILLA DISPATCH, OCILLA, UEOllGIA. IRWIN COUNTY PUBLISHING CO., Proprietors. As the mothers' congress lias given rise to a mighty demand for a fathers’ •congress, it is evident that the small boy will have to go into the congress business himself unless lie Is to lose his liberties altogether. If every cigarette in tlfe wfirld wore destroyed human morals would sensi¬ bly improve. Undertakers will tell you that when the body of a confirmed cigarette smoker is enbalmed it turns green. This shows that the poison does not stop at the lungs, but sat- urates the entire body. Our Chicago man is clamoring for the coinage of a silver seventy-five cent piece. He claims that it “would stimulate trade,” as a purchaser would not be so much impressed by the cost of a thing when he could pay ope coin for a seventy-five-cent arti¬ cle, as he is when he continues .0 hand out a half-dollar and a quarter- dollar for that article. Fashionable New York City has abandoned to a vety great extent new- fasliioned door bells and substituted old-fashioned knockers. The older, the more battered and unsightly the knocker is, the higher price it com¬ mands. Shrewd manufacturers are pandering to this fad by getting up Imitations of these antiquities. In ap¬ pearance they are more antique than the originals. Tt is queer how many works are ^published treating tbe novel histori¬ cally. The books may be said to show the general interest in fiction, but here is the world running over with novels, novels innumerable, of which no man or woman, even if a profes- -sional reader, can read more than a ■small part Are novels so many that ■conscientious persons can only read about them? It is a practice common In many branches of knowledge, and sure to commend itself to the com- fortable soul. It is not too much to say that by the death of Stephen Crane one of the young American writers of most promise has gone. His literary per¬ formance often exhibited poor taste and that particular kind of affectation known as overstraining; but it showed signs, none the less, of real and virile genius. Mr. Crane’s later work was not marked by his early crudities and in the “Wkilomville Stories,” for in- stanete, in Harper’s Magazine, his touch is as delicate and his thoughts as keen as Mark Twain’s. Even though Kiplingesque at times, his spirit was distinctly American. In the great mass of labored fiction and con¬ ventional authorship of fo-day, one pauses at the name of Stephen Crane. Hypnotism has jrown vastly in vogue in the last fifteen of twenty years. The causes of its phenomena and the forces which regulate and control them are as little known aa ever, but this does not bar its ac- ceptance as a form of social amuse¬ ment, nor its exploration by thought- less youths and greedy charlatans, whose only object is to gain a little cheap notoriety, or wring a living from a credulous populace, It has been forcibly demonstrated, however, that men of sound judgment and ex¬ perience are required to make success¬ ful and safe operators, and it is just as logical for tlie law to license this profession and Impose rigid restric¬ tions as others involving a tedious course of study and preparation, thiuks the Atlanta Constitution. What may be termed a novelty characteristic of the times was made the feature of a club dinner of rail¬ road officials in New York City the other uay. Of this club, Senator Chauncey M. Depew is president, but owing to the pressure of public du¬ ties in Washington he was unable to be present and preside. There was a time when such a circumstance would have prevented the Senator from mak¬ ing an address to the gathering. Times have changed, however, and conditions have changed with them. By tlie aid of telephone receivers placed at eacli seat the diners were enabled to listen to a speech addressed to them by their absent president, who was talking at a distance of over 225 miles. The incident is a striking one as illustrative of tlie extent to which the progress of invention lias broke* down the barriers of space. A rousing campaign year is upon ns. Keep abreast of affairs by subscribing now. We’ll give you the news. WAK1NC AT NICHT. (Mien 1 wake up alone at niglit Or else this noiso like whirring wings, I feel as if I had no eves; That dies with the first streak of light, t stare and blackness stare with nil my might. lies. May All be the sound of baby things, But only round me growing, growing, in the nignt. [ listen for the faintest sound. Children, Or and little kitty-eats and pups, And, though l strain with either car. even buds and flowers. The dark is silent all around; Daisies, perhaps, and buttercups. It’s just if I could not hear. All growing in the midnight hours. as But if I lie with limbs held fast And yet it seems of me a part, A of sound like eigh— And nothing far away or queer— sort comes a It’s-just the beating of my heart. Perhaps the darkness rushing past, That sounds so strange as I fie here! Perhaps the minutes passing by; I do not know why this should be; Perhaps That keep the thoughts all in people’s heads. When sight, darkness hid the world from Wait till they’re so quiet Sleeping the their day, beds, I feel ail is but in that gone me— Then rustle out and fly away! A little child and the black night. —Mabel Dearmcr. mmmm m mma m mmmmmmmm 1 CUT OUT FOR AN OLD MAID. | WB BWWW BWWWWW B HB HBB WBHWWHBI e LAIIENCE eight been ing home Clarence’s years. after ARNOLD My an guardian, father absence was com¬ and had of he had lived with us all his life up to the time ho took a notion to travel all over the civilized, and not a small por¬ tion cf the uncivilized world. I had just been telling my kindred spirit, pretty Jessie Mason, how we expected Clarence on the morrow, ami wound up by giving a description of him in the following manner: “He is awfully jolly, good-natured, ever so handsome, flirts desperately and a perfect tease.” I watched to see the effect of my words upon Jessie. She opened wide her big, brown eyes and looked at me with a most comical expression 'of countenance. Now, in most things, Jessie and I were very much alike. Whenever there was any mischief afloat we were the leading spirits. We moved in a fun-loving circle. We were forever romping and carrying on in a manner very unbecoming our years—at least so said our long-faced, vinegar-visaged friends of the bilious temperament, of whom we always steered clear. But then, people will talk, you know, and perhaps it were better to talk about Jessie and me than to talk about oth¬ ers who couldn’t stand that sort of thing as we could. But they talked about me more than Jessie, for I was nearly four years older than she, 3Dd of course my conduct was more of an outrage on their bilious dignity. Neither Jessie nor I ever thought of those four years between us. We loved each other dearly and were in¬ separable companions, She looked at me now with those wondrous brown eyes, exclaiming: “Good gracious, Maud, you’re inter¬ ested at last! I have-often wondered what sort of a man you intended to marry, and my disappointment is great. Why, the man you are going into eestacies over is the fac simile of the young men in our set, who, you say, are very well to pass the time away with, but to marry, as the song says, you don’t feel inclined,” laughed Jessie. “Nopsense,” I said, feeling a little annoyed that Jessie should put a wrong construction on my words. “I’m not interested in Clarence—that is, not in the way you mean. I like him, and I want you to set your cap for him. You must fall in love some time, you know.” “And so must you,” laughed Jessie; ‘so I’ll wait until you set me an ex¬ ample,” and the scarlet creeps from her cheeks to her temples as she looks out of the window. “Then, perhaps you’ll have to wait forever. Mother says I’m cut out for an old maid,” said I, lightly. “My dear Maud, you’re no more the pattern of an old maid than the old man in the moon is. Tell your mother she’s a false prophet.” I, “I don't know that she is,” said laughing. “I’m nearly 23, and mother thinks it is preposterous for me to have arrived at such an age without being married. She keeps telling me that my sister was married at 17 and I keep telling her That poor Marion has regretted it ever since. But then she says that marriage is a lottery and every one cannot be expected to be satisfied with their drawing, and I suppose mother ought to know. Dear me! we’ve lost sight of what we were talking about, Clarence Is ever so much nicer than any one we know, Jessie.” love “Then, why don’t you fall in with him yourself, Maud?” “Fiddlesticks!” said I, impatiently. “I don’t want him.” “What keeps Charlie standing down there?” said Jessie, jumping up. “We’ll talk about Clarence another time, Maud,” and Jessie was on the ■ balcony and down on the lawn like a flash. I stretched my neck and caught sight of Charlie Morse down by the gate. Jessie's blushes • “That accounts for when slio looked out of the window a while ago.” I thought. “I wonder If she cares for him? I hope she docs not.” As I watched Charlie and Jessie on the lawn together, I thought Charlie Morse was just such another as Clar¬ ence Arnold. I fell into a thoughtful mood as I watched them. Jessie’s words came back to me. Why couldn’t I love Clarence Arnold my¬ self? Why, Indeed? I never was In love, Never could fall into it and out again like other girls. Goodness knows I was willing enough, but I couldn’t'for the life of me. They called me a flirt, b'ut, as I said before, people will talk, you know—there’s no shutting their mouths—but 1 wasn’t really—that is, I never meant- to flirt. I treated all the really nice young men I was ac¬ quainted with alike. Never accepted invitations for places of amusement, drives, etc., from any one in partic¬ ular. Was always a great favorite with the young men of our “set;” but then, they were extremely young— that is, a few of them were my own nge and all the rest younger. I treat¬ ed them all patronizingly, They hadn’t any sense yet, and that ac¬ counted for me being such a favorite— at least I could not help thinking so —for all the older heads fought shy of me. Well, they sny all girls think about matrimony more or . -ss. I guess I must have thought less about it, for I never thought anything about it until now. And now that I did give It a thought, I examined the subject thor¬ oughly and became convinced that my mother's words were-true. I was cut out for an old maid. It was strange, too. There were men whom I wor¬ shiped from afar—but what was Jhe use of talking—they were likely to re¬ main afar. So I saw no help for it. In a few years more I would be laid upon the shelf, but my thoughts didn't stop on the shelf, they carried me down the vis¬ ta of years, and Psaw a woman with a face looking like vinegar! Why my ideas of the poor, persecuted sex, knowa as old maids, are associated with vinegar I cannot tell. Bnt I did see that woman’s face, and it did look like vinegar; and she had with her the two institutions of old maiddom— a eat and a parrot, and that woman was I. Suddenly my hands flew to my sides and tears rolled down my cheeks. “For goodness sake, Maud, what are you laughing at?” said Jessie, en¬ tering the room, followed by Charlie Morse. “Ob. Jessie,” I cried, “if you could only see the picture tnat I saw just now you would laugh, too.” Next morning I came down stairs rather late. “Here comes Maud now,” I heard my mother say. “My dear,” said my mother to me, as I entered the break¬ fast room, “do you know this gentle¬ man?” A man between thirty and thirty- five years, very tall, with great, wide shoulders, his handsome face bronzed and bearded, rose to meet me. I looked at the gentleman and shook my head slowly in answer to my moth¬ er’s question. “So you don’t remember me, Maud?” The bronzed gentleman laughed as he spoke, showing his teeth and eyes to advantage—and why didn’t I know him at once? It was Clarence Arnold. What a mistake I had made when speaking of him to Jessie! I lost sight of the fact that I wasn’t quite fifteen when Clarence went away, and he was four or five-and-twenty, and I never thought about, the intervening years. I expected to see Clarence as he left us, about feur-and-twenty still. “Goodness me alive!” I exclaimed, on the impulse of the moment, “I thought you were ever so much young¬ er.” “Did you, indeed?’ he said, smiling, but there was such a grave expression In the black eyes that were always dancing with merriment in those days gone by. I looked over at Jessie. She was looking straight at me, and as soon as our eyes met we both burst out laughing. Clarence’s grave black eyes were still upon me. Of course he didn’t know what we were laughing at, and it must have looked charming. But, then, that was what I always did. I laughed when I ought not to laugh, said what I ought not to have said, and I came to the conclusion long ago that there was no help for me. People said I hadn’t a spark of com¬ mon sense. Now, I begged leave to differ with them—that Is, in my own mind, for I wouldn’t satisfy them to discuss tlie question openly. I thought I was very sensible, only somehow I never could show it like other girls. Now, I saw at once that Clarence was different from the young men with whom I was constantly sur¬ rounded. He bad sowed his wild oats, and that was tlie sort of man I ad¬ mired. But, then, it was no use for me to let my thoughts run in that di¬ rection, for Clarence must have formed liis opinion of mo at our first meetiug, and forever after, I supposed, like all the rest of tlie sensible men, he would wish me well—at a distance One evening shortly after Clarence's arrival we girls had onr heads to¬ gether plotting mischief. I, as usual, had the leading amice. Clarence and my brother Tom were present We didn’t mind them, as they were part of tlie family. “Maud, don't take part in such fool- Ishness. You ought to have better sense.” That was what Clarence said to me when he saw a part of our nonsense. His grave, black eyes were upon me, ami be spoke very seriously, I thought. Well, peyhapa I ought to have better sense, but what business was it Clarence Arnolu’s? Why didn’t he speak to Jessie, in whom he to be so highly interested ? Yus, Clarence was interested in Jes- sie and she -was interested in him, bnt then I ought to have been satisfied, for didn’t I advise Jessie to set her cap l'or hint? I looked up at Clarence when lie re¬ proved me. He was so earnest that I felt like withdrawing from the mis¬ chief at once. But I didn’t withdraw. I went straight on. dragging the oth¬ ers after me. I felt dreadful with those black eyes upon me. Why l persisted In the mischief I cannot tell, except it was as brother Tom said, out of a spirit of downright pure euss- eduess. One day, about a week after, we three—Clarence, Jessie and I—were standing on the porch. Jessie stood between Clarence and me. Somehow Jessie always came between Clarence and me. Now, I only just mentioned that, but I hope no one will think I was jealous of Jessie. Why should X he. Didn’t I recommend Clarence to Jessie? To be sure I did, but somehow I very often forgot that of late. Charlie Morse came strolling up the path. My heart jumped with delight. Strange, wlint delight I took lately in Charlie Morse’s coming. Clarence went down to meet him, leaving Jes¬ sie and me on the porch. “Good gracious!” I thought to my¬ self, my delight vanishing instantly. “Charlie Morse might just as well have stayed at home If It is Clarence that Is going down to him.” “Isn’t Clarence handsome?" said Jessie, speaking more to liefhelf than to me, while the pink In her cheeks grew pinker. “Oil! I think he’s awfully brown,” said I. Of course I hud to say some¬ thing. “But that is from exposure,” said Jessie, smiling. “One of these days, Maud, his face will bo as delicate in tint as your own.” “MayUfe it will; but I don’t know anything about it,” I said. “Maud,” and Jessie's blushes grew deeper, and her eyes wandered to where Clarence and Charlie were standing. “ire asked me to marry Mm. I wanted to tell yog first, you know ” If a thunderbolt had descended on my head I could no* have been more surprised. A cold tremor ran over me. Jessie must have noticed bow strangely I behaved. I tried to com¬ pose myself by thinning indignantly of Clarence Arnold's indecent haste. Think of it, he was only two weeks in our house when lie proposed to Jes- sic. “Well,” I said as soon as I could get my breath, “he ought to have sent you hls photograph and a proposal before he arrived himself, he was hr such a hurry.” “Whom are you talking about, Maud?” “Clarence Arnold, of course.” “O? but Clarence Arnold doesn’t happen to be the one tlmt proposed to me. It was Charlie Morse, and I accepted him. Maud, for I know .you always liked Charlie,” and Jessie laughed outright. Something nqar my left side gave another great bounce. Yes, it was true what Jessie said, I always ».iked Charlie, and I was so glad she accept¬ ed the dear fellow. A year has passed away since then. Charlie and Jessie were married long since, and they are on a visit to our house now. I sit in the window watch¬ ing them out upon the lawn, just as i sat and watched them a year ago. Only that time my watchful eyes were accompanied by thoughts of an old maid. Well, you knjpv mother said I was cut out for an old maid, but I never think of that now. Strange, I never bother my head about the old-maid business any more, and guess why I don’t? Oh! but it’s a conundrum. You’d never guess It if I didn’t tell you. “Because I am Clarence Arnold’" wife.” Mayflower* on Cape Co-1. At Cape Cod, and not far from where former President Cleveland has Ills famous summer home at Buzzard’s Bay, the inhabitants have an odd oc¬ cupation. When the first fragrant buds of the trailing arbutus, or May¬ flower, appear on the hillsides of the big cape the woods are fairly alive with men, women and children, all In search of the delicate flowers. They are not out collecting because they are charmed with the early blossoms, nor do they wander through the woods plucking wild blossoms for their health. Their industry is strictly commercial, for tlie Mayflower is a favorite in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and other large cities Of the East, and every spring tlie woods are stripped of them and they are packed in moss and shipped to town, where they are sold at high prices. So regular is the demand for the dainty, waxlike blossoms that profes¬ sional flower hunters make a business of searching out the secret blooming grounds of the arbutus, stake out tlieir claims as they would take up mining claims every spring, and wait for the blossom harvest. Gathering Mayflow- ers has become one of the important Industries of Cape Cod. — Providence Journal. Honeymoon in a Prairie Wagon. How is this for a Bridal trip? A young couple went to Flagstaff, Adz., bought a couple of big wagons and teams of mules, hired a couple of teamsters and a good cook and start¬ ed south for Phoenix. The principal wagon was roofed with canvas and wire gauze, with every comfort, and the trip is described as ideal. No flies or mosquitoes, good hunting, and the “light of love” combining with that from moon and stars. Upon arrival at Phoenix the wagons were sold at an advance, and the couple proceeded by rail to Los Angeles in search of new adventures, They may return via Japan and India.—Washington Star. GEORGIA NEWS ITEMS Brief Summary of Interesting Happenings Culled at Random. Tlie Blue nntl Gray 11,-onion. Arrangements for the Bine and Gray reunion upon the battlefields around Atlanta are progressing smoothly and rapidly under the direction of the gen¬ eral committee, while the committee on invitation has practically finished its work. From the number of favorable letters received from the leading officers in both the federal and confederate ar¬ mies who saw service around! Atlanta in the ’sixties,, it is certain that the old soldiers will 1 be able to greet their ( old commanders there o-n the 20th. Some fine speaking is assured,, and the occasion will be marked with evidences of fraternity unequalled since the war. The managers of the reunion: desire very much tO' secure the addresses of the surviving children and descend¬ ants of General Hood. Anybody who eau furnish them, with the desired in¬ formation will please do so without delay. Lawyers Fi'niftfe Bosinca^. The Georgia, Bar Association ad¬ journed, its seventeenth annual: session at Warm Springs after one of th® most successful meetings in its history. During the three days the associa¬ tion was in session 102 members were present and all of the papers read were of a high: order of merit. The following: officers were- elected by a unanimous, vote of the associa¬ tion: President—0.. Warner Hill, of ! ; Greenville. I Vice Presidents—Charlton: Battle, of ! i Columbus; John C. Hart, of Union | Point; B. H. Hill, of Atlanta-; A. F. Daley, of WrigUtsville; JI. ®. Burn¬ | side, of Hamilton. Executive Committee—Btertoa Smith, Atlanta, chairman; J. M. Terrell, Greenville;, Bolling Whitfield, Bruns¬ wick; Lloyd Cleveland, Griffin; A. R. Lawton, Sawannah. Secretary—Orville A. Park, Macon. Treasurer—2. D. Harrises., Atlanta. * Tlin Georgia S*«t« Agri*>«, 11 rwri*l Society, This is an institution of the state— one of the oldest and most useful. The annual convention of the society is looked forward to with a steadily in- creasing Interest year by year. It does any man good to get out among his felliows, shake hands and exchange- views on general topics, especially those in the line of his own vocation. Men who attend conventions are gen¬ erally conservative. They learn to be tolerant of men who, differ with them on farm and other topics. The society has adopted the plan of meeting in the growing towns of the state. This year the meeting will be held at Dublin, August 8th and 9th proximo. Two hundred delegates are expected to attend. For years the railroad authori¬ ties have generously given transporta¬ tion to the delegates. Hon. Martin V. Calvin, the sooiety’s secretary, Au¬ gusta, Ga., is now making up the list of delegates with a view to securing a ticket for each over the various rail¬ roads offering the shortest route from home to Dublin and return. We are informed that secretaries of the county agricultural clubs throughout the state are very slow in sending in lists of delegates to Mr. Calvin. This should be done at once. The customary con¬ vention fee of 31 must accompany the application for each delegate from a county. The meeting promises to be one of the best yet held. President Brown is making up an attractive program that will embrace the two days’ ses¬ sion. Let every secretary send in his report as to the delegates from his county immediately to Mr. Calvin at Augusta. If you delay, transportation cannot be furnished. State Printing; Contract. Bids for the annual contract for state printing have been given in and will be opened next month. The Franklin Printing company, Byrd Printing company,. Atlanta Lithographing com¬ pany, Foote and Davies, all of Atlan¬ ta. and the Courier-Journal Printing company, of Louisville, Ivy., put in bids. Under the laws the bids are opened on the first Tuesday in August, and the contract is awarded on the same day. The secretary of state, the comp¬ troller and the state treasurer com¬ pose the printing board. The contract made for the state printing is usually a large one and the amount of money paid out for print¬ ing each year aggregates nearly $100,000. No State Republican Ticket. The committee of eleven appointed at the Republican state convention in March, to select electors for the party for Georgia, met in Atlanta the past ■week and the following electors wera olios on: From the state at large—John Oliver, of Fulton; J. F. Hanson, of Bibb. Alternates at large, S. A..Darnell, of Pickens; J. M. Wilkinson,of Lowndes. From the First District—Henry Blum,-of Chatham; 8. W Schwarz- weis, alternate. Second District-—J. E. Peterson, of Clay; F. J. Boatright, alternate. ” Third District—\Y. B. Seymour, of Dooly; F. W. Gano, of Fort Valley, alternate. Fourth District—E. N. Clemence, of Muscogee; W. H. Bagley, Chatta¬ hoochee, alternate. Eifth District—Hugh L. McKee, of Fulton; George H. Glenn, of Fulton, alternate. Sixth District—G. W. Thurman, of Spa ding; A. F. Brumberry, of Bibb, alternate. Seventh Distriot—Charles A dam soli, of Polk; W. II. Martin, of Catodsa, alternate. Eighth District—B. F. DeWolf, of Morgan; \V. F. Bowers, of Mart, al¬ ternate. Ninth District—A. J. S. Hall, of Fannin; T. W. Scott, of Habersham, alternate. Tenth District—S. B. Yanghn, of Richmond; E. 1), Srnythe, of Rich¬ mond, alternate. Eleventh District—N. B. Cook, of Glynn; D. E. Piper, of Irwin, alter¬ nate. All the electors- are white mam. Wkea Chairman Walter Johnson called the Republican state central committee to order the roll eali show¬ ed I®' of the 64 metaibers present. In a brief speech Chairman Johnson stated that the coaMj.aitt.ee had met by direction of the state convention, held last March, for the purpose of putting out a ticket for state-officers. It was the duty of the committee not to nominate just anybody;, but to n iminate only suitable candidates in case they could be found. On motion a committee of eleven was appointed to< consider the advisa¬ bility of putting out a state ticket. The central committee took a. recess pending the return of this committee with its-report. The com.mittuefiually reported this resolution:: “Resolved, Thai in our judgment the candidacy of McKinley and: Roose¬ velt will be best- subserved by not nominating candidates for governor and state house officers.”' The report of the committee was adopted 1 by a large majority of the central committee. And the Republi¬ cans will put out: mo state ticket. +• » . * Capture «*£ A'ttscond1ii|p Clturic. W. 0. Matthews, the- absconding elerkof Murphy. & Paine,, in Savannah, has been captured at Juneau^ Alaska, after an exciting: chase across the con¬ tinent by special officers. According to a dispatch from Seattle, Wash., he will be sent back to Georgia,, as soon as the customary papers have been signed. Vofcera*i»?' Annual lieuntnti. The annual 1 : reunion of the Thirtieth Georgia regiment will be held at Tan¬ ner’s church,. Clayton county, Friday, Jtsly 27th. Tanuers’S-ehnrch is on, the Southern ten miles ffoioi Atlanta. The railroads are expected to grant a, s-pecial rate. The president and secretary of the reg¬ iment earnestly request that all sur¬ vivors who-eon possibly do so attend. They also request that papers in Camp¬ bell, Douglas, Henry, Butts, Spalding and Bibb, counties copy the foregoing notice. *• * Cuwfc&haw Elected Chairman. The railroad coim&issiou of Georgina met at the statehom® last Saturday morning in special session to consider the matter of a new depot at Jacks-on. J. Pope Brown, of Hawkinsville, who was lately appointed to the commission in pliaee of L. N. Trammell, deceased, was inducted into his official duties at the meeting. Thomas C. Crenshaw, Jr., 'of Car- tersville, was selected chairman of the commission to fill the vacancy created by Colonel Trammell’s death. He was nominated by Spencer R. Atkin¬ son. Half of the day was consumed in hearing the merits of the Jackson de¬ pot case, the Reeves station depot case and considering correspondence and other business of a routine character. The commission adjourned to meet again July 24th, when the foregoing depot matters will be finally disposed of. Full wood Gets » Bertb. John I. Fnllwood, who figured so- eonspiciously in the exciting contest over the Cedartown posloffice in 1897, has received his reward at the hands of the administration by an appoint¬ ment in tfc£ census office. He has been assigned to elerioal duties in the agri¬ cultural division and has entered up¬ on his naur labors. Ordinaries Meet On 18th. Nearly every county in Georgia is expected to be represented at the oon- vention of the ordinaries of the state, which is to be held in Atlanta on the 18th. The meeting will doubtless consume the greater part of that day, as considerable business of importance is to'be transacted, At 10 o’clock in the morning of the 18th the first ses¬ sion of the convention will convene. ONLY TO GAIN TIME. Loudon Official* Express Such Opinion Regarding Chinese Edict. A London special says: The charac¬ ter of Thursday’s China news only tends to confirm the pessimism in London concerning the fate of the international colony at Pekin. Ob¬ servers see in the edict from Pekin a id other information emanating from Che Foo only attempts to gain time and desperate anxiety on the part of some one to make an apology for the outrages committed at the capita!. The latest news from Tien Tsin con¬ siderably intensifies the general alarm. The lack of cohesion among the allies and the consequent failure to make headway render the situation there critical. HURTS COTTON GOODS TRADE. Trouble* In China Affect tlie S >uth In Export Business. The situation in China is reflected in the export trade in American “brown goods,” or cotton manufac¬ tures, such as sheetings, drills, flan¬ nels and jeans, sent to Shanghai to be distributed to the ports of the Man¬ churia district. Practically, this trade, which means about $10,000,000 annu¬ ally to southern cotton mills, is at a standstill.