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VOL X
THE UlOfUiD
DRYING UP?
A Steady Decrease in Rain
Fall During the Last
Twenty Years,
HOW TWO YEARS BEHIND,
1897 Threatens to Break All
Previous Records For
Deficiency—Some
Figures.
The world is slowly drying up
This is a startling fact, but is sup
ported by statistics of the United
States weather bureau. If the
record continues unbroken in less
than 100 years this will be an arid
desert.
For the last forty years there
has been a gradual decrease in the
rainfall. Up to ten years ago this
was hardly noticeable, but for the
past eight years the deficiency of
rain has been so great as to be a
larming. The number of inches
of rainfall last year was but a
small per cent over half what it
was ton years ago.
The rapid decrease in rainfall
began in 1888. That year the pre
cipitation was abnormally largo,
registering 64.98 inches. The next
year it was more than ten inches
less, and has rapidly decreased un
til last year the total rainfall was
but 34.12 inches.
The normal rainfall is 51 99
inches, or a fraction less than fifty
two inches every year. Estimat
ing that 51.99 inches is the normal
annual precipitation the world is
now over two years behind in her
rainfall, assuming that last year
is the now avorago of yearly rain
fall.
During the past eight years only
354.58 inches of water fell. The
normal rainfall should have been
415.92, or 61.34 inches deficiency
during the eight years. Added to
this startling deticiency is the de
ficiency accumulated during the
six months of the present year
just closed. This deficiency on
June 30th amounted to 7.44 inches
which added to the deficiency of
the eight preceding years amounts
to 68.78 inches of water yet due
tho earth by old Jupiter Pluvius.
This defiency amounts to more
than twice the total rainfall of the
past year, which was 34 12. .
If tho rainfall continues to de
crease as fast for the next twenty
years as it has during tho past
years by the end of that period
tho old world will be ns dry as a
hot brick.
This is a terrible picture to con
template, but the figures of tho
men employed by the government
to keep a daily record of every
trace of water that falls from the
heavens show that the rainfall is
decreasing and that if a change in
the tide does not come soon this
section of the world will be a dry,
rainless piece of dirt.
A close investigation has reveal
ed the fact that there is no known
scientific reason for the abnormal
condition.
It is simply an unparalleled
freak of nature which the wisest
of mortals has beeu unable to ex
plain. The record of rainfall for
the past forty years shows that at
no time has there been anything
to equal The drying process of the
world. Farmers have complained
of the excessive droughts, but they
have never thought that the rain
didn’t fall at some season of the
year. It has always been thought
that the rain fell at some season,
and not until now has the shock
ing fact come to light that the
world was drying up.
This year promises to eclipse
any year in the recorded history
of the world. Up to the present
THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS.
tin»3 the rainfall has been far be
low the average and the rainy
months of January and March are
past. If tho rainsall for the re
mainder of the year is no more
than it has been during the cor
responding months of the past few
yf ars, then 1897 will break the
record for dry weather. Last year
i broke all previous records, but this
year has s'arted in to smash even
that of 1896. TheAnonth of May
was the dryest month of May ever
recorded in this section, and dur
ing the month of June just closed
i tho rainfall was less than half the
! normal. With a deficiency of
nearly eight inclos staring the
, people in the face they can hardly
i hope for the rainfall to recover its
normal bofore the elose of the
present year.
The si'uation is certainly one of
interest despite the awful prospect
presented. It is an attractive but
:iot a pleasing study to sit down
and figure how long it will bo be
fore the inhabitants of this sphere
will bo left without anything to
drink, and tho earth will be but a
piece of parched geology. It is a
ghastly thought to think that in
side of fifty years tho people may
be murdering each other for a last
drop of water. For years it has
been noticed that the rivers have
been drying up. Water courses
that wore once navigable are now
mere sandy bottomed and barred
streams. When a rain falls the
wators overflow the banks of the
river, but in a few days it is again
the little straggling creek. This
is in part explained by the cutting
down of the forests, but the same
explanation does not fit the case
of deficient rainfall. The large
loresiß did hold the fallen rain and
help it from rushing into the
streams, and by that means pre
vented the floods that today men
ace the country, but those forests
did not conduce to a heavy rain
fall.
Mr. J. B. Marbury, tho local fore
cast official of the United States
weather bureau, was asked yester
day to explain the abnormal 'defi
ciency in the rainfall. He said
that there was no reason for it
that could be explained scientifi
cally. He could not explain tho
unusual and rapid decrease during
tho past few years except that it
might be an era of drought that
may have occurred before in the
history of the world. He had nev
er heard of a period of unusual
drought extending over so many
years and could not explain the
gradual but certain decrease dur
ing the last forty years.
The record presented below
would prove that such would be
the case. For ten years the an
nual rainfall has been as follow's:
ISBS 64.98 iuches.
1889 54 75 iuches
1890 42.60 inches
1891 49.97 inches
1892 49.87 inches
1893 36.43 inches
1894 40.92 inches
1895 45.92 iuches
1896 34 12 iuches
Prior to 1888 the rainfall aver
aged about fifty-five, and frequent
ly went up above sixty inches.
The record shows that every year
almost was above the present nor
mal of 5199.
“Last summer one of our grand
children was sick with a severe
bowel trouble,” says Mrs. E. G.
Gregory, of Fiederickstown, Mo.
“Our doctor’s remedy had failed,
then we tried Chamberlain’s Colic,
Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy,
which gave very speedy relief.”
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SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA, JULY 14, 1897.
THE BItUE
AND GRAY.
How An Actress Calmed A
Bitter Wave of
Feeling.
TIMELY, THOUGHTFUL ACT,
That Turned The Tide Os
Feeling—A Touching Sto
ry Os The Blue And
Gray.
A story was told at the recent
meeting of the chiefs of police in
Pittsburg which is retold, and
worthily, by tho Press. One of the
chiefs of police from ono of the
largest southern cities said :
“You may scarcely believe the
st'-ry lam about to tell you, that
one of the principal and interme
diate factors in reconciling a little
unpleasantness which arose in 18-
91, and which threatened to dis
rupt the relations of tho two sec
tions of which we have been speak -
iug, w r as an actress. The story is
vividly recalled to me because I
was present at the time I mention
and the names of the people con
nected therewith are now all high
in administrative, official and di
plomatic circles. The Actress I
mentioiTwas Miss Rose Coghlam
and it was one of the most memor
orable incidents in my experience.
Reading of Miss Coghlan’s illness
in a New York hospital reminded
me of the story, and of the exceed
ing warmth and friendly feeling
which the whole south feels tow ard
that brilliant actress.
The scene was the stage of the
Metropolitan Opera House; the
time, the night of Decoration Day,
May 30, 1891. The grand Army
had given a great parade in New'
York city that day, and as usual
held a camp fire at the Metropoli
tan Opera House in the evening.
Sandwiched in between the speak
ers —the most notable men in the
country—w'ere professional stars,
giving recitations, and singers of
the opera house, all of whom con
tributed their services free of
charge.
On that afternoon a statue of
Robert E. Lee had been dedicated at
Richmond, Va., and the afternoon
papers in New York had described
the parade in detail with the
speeches, including which was one
of Fitzhugh Lee, now consul gener
al at Havana. The accounts
stated that all the Confederate vet
erans parading had carried their
old battle flags, torn by shot and
shell, and that all the buildings a
long the route of the parade were
decorated with Confederate and
American flags. It w r as also stated
that at the conclusion of the cer
emonies they marched out on the
Mechanicsville road to the ceme
teries and decorated the graves of
the Confederate and union dead
alike.
This last incident w r as forgetton
by some of the speakers at the
meeting referred to, and those who
mentioned the fact proceeded to
assail the Confederates for daring
to parade with the stars and bars,
aud they waved the bloody shirt in
true old 1868 style. To show you
how' important the meeting was, I
will say that the orator of the day
was our now President McKiuley.
The chairman of the meeting was
Gen. Russell A. Alger, now secreta
ry of war; the vice-president was
Hon. John Sherman, now secretary
of state, and among others present
were Chauncey M. Depew, Gen.
Horace Porter, now ambassador to
France, and many others of equal
note.
Now t , you may be wondering
where Miss Coghlan’s connection
with this story comes in. She had
been invited to recite and the
speaker immediately preceeding
Miss Coghlan’s appearance, I have
forgotton his name, but I recollect
that he was most determined that
any man carrying a rebel flag with
in the boundaries of the United
States should be hanged, drawn
and quartered, wa9 heartily ap
plauded by the members of the G.
A. R., to the number of 600 or 700,
who were seated on tho stage be
hind the speakers. In the audience
that evening were Miss Winnie Da
vis, the daughter of Jefferson Davis,
ex-president of the Confederacy;
Mrs. Jackson, widow'of Gen. Stone
wall Jackson and several other i
southern ladies, occupying the box
to the right of the stage. They
looked very uneasy during this
gentleman’s remarks. Miss Cogh
lan followed him, and was led out
on the stage by Gen. Alger, who in
troduced her to the audiente, say
ing that she would recite in com
pliment to the G. A. R., “Sheri
dan’s Ride.” She was greeted with
great applause, aud as an encore
gave “The Charge of the light Bri
gade.” The audience called her
out again and again, and finally it
must have been an inspiration, she
in those wonderful rich tones for
which she was famous, said: “La
dies and gentlemen, I thank you,
but I am going to give you a little
pcem, which I trust you will all
appreciate, particularly after what
has occurred to-night. It is entit
led “The Blue and the Gray.”
There was a deathlike stillness
in the house. I myself had never
heard the poem and wondered what
it was. Three verses she read, each
verse endirg with something like
this:
Under the lilies the dow,
Wailing the judgement day,
Love and tears for the blue,
Tears and love for the gray.
At the fourth verse she turned
her back entirely to the audience
and in sentimental tones, address
ing the G. A. R , she read these
wonderful words:
No more shall the war cry sever,
Nor the running rivers be red;
They banished our anger forever,
When they laureled the graves
of our dead.
She never finished. As one per
son the entire house of 5,000 or
6,000 were on their feet shouting
like mad. The southern ladies
leaned out of their box and waved
their handkerchiefs in delight and
approbation.
The rebuke that was administer
ed there was firmly planted in rich
soil, for there has been no more
waving of the bloody shirt. There
fore do I say that Rose Coghlan
was a great contributor to the
cause of peace in those trouble
some days, and I drink her very
good health.” And tbey all did.
NEGOTIATIONS MAY FAIL,
Turkey Not Disposed To Accept
PTaus That Are Pro
posed.
Contrary to expectations, the de
cision of the council of ministers
yesterday was not favorable to the
demands of the ambassadors rela
tive to the Greco-Turkish frontier
negotiations.
The situation, therefore, is' re
garded as being very strained, the
Turkish reply virtually implying a
rupture of the negotiations and,
that the powers must make a con
cession or adopt measures to en
force their decision.
It is reported that the grand viz
ier hss declared to the sultan that
he will never sign the agreement
based on the strategic lines pro
posed by the ambassadors. At the
same time it is thought in some
quarters that the attitude of the
Turkish government is designed to
; allow the sultan to yield later by
sacrificing some of his ministers
1 and rumors of impuding cabinet
[changes are already current.
JAPAN AND
HAWAII.
Oriental Government Is
Making Secret Prepar=
ations For The Fray
WHAT WILL AMERICA DO?
It Is Said That Unless Ja
pan’s Claims Are Fully
Met There Will Be
Trouble.
San Francisco, July 7.—The Japan :
Herald, commenting upon the Hawaii- j
un situation, editorially says:
“The ominous calm which is now j
prevailing regarding the Hawaiian !
question is not difficult to interpret and
any one who runs may read not with-'
standing the secrecy which attends the
preparations of the Japanese govern
ment for a deseeut upon the Hawaiian
islands. That is their aim and unless
their claims arc fully met and promises
of future good behavior are made re
garding the Sandwich islands, we will
soon hear that the (lag of Japan has
replaced that present shaky republic.
“That the Japanese government has
a just claim against the Hawaiian re
public is beyond question. That the
Japanese will press the claim there is
not a doubt. Who will take sides with
Hawaii? America? What will be the
result?
“The Japanese population now of
the Sandwich islands is about 25,000,
saying 18,000 of them are men, and
those men are practically soldiers who
have been through their conscript term
in the army. To send over two or three
large transports with the necessary
arms, ammunition, held guns, etc., is
the easiest thing possible. There are
only two harbors worthy of the name
in the Sandwich islands—Honolulu
and the Hilo—and these and other pos
sible landing places would he seized up
on by Japan before America could think
of moving, by the troops which would
be drawn from those who are already
there as emigrants.”
305 CAES OF CORN.
Shipped From the West And Sold
In Rome Since Jan. 1.
Western corn is still coming in
to Rome by carload after carload.
This statement is probably as
tonishing to many people who had
supposed that on the rich river
bottoms of this section pnongh corn
was raised to feed Georgia.
Over 300 car loads of western
corn have been sold in Rome since
Jan. Ist by 7 one firm.
The firm to which The Tribune
refers is H. D. Cothran & Co., the
well known and enterprising young
brokers. Mr. Cothran checked up
his books yesterday afternoon and
found that he had sold 305 car
loads in Rome since January 1.
The average price of this coin
was 40c per bushel. With 700 bush,
ols in each car the total for 300
cars would be 210,000 bushels.
This section then has paid out
since Jan. 1, $84,000 for western
corn.
Some of the corn was brought as
far west as Nebraska. Only 14
cents per bushel is paid for the
corn loaded on the cars, but the
high freight rates make it cost 40
cents per bushel when it arrives
here.
i Surely there is money for the
farmers of North Georgia in rais
ing corn. They should certainly
raise enough to supply this section
at least.
Owing to the hot, dry winds
parching the fields of Kansas there
was a sharp advance in corn yes
terday.
This certainly makes a very bad
showing for this section in having
so >arge amount of corn shipped
in here. —Rome Tribune.
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TO FIGHT AGAIN,
Victory Over Greeks His Made
Turks Very Confident That
They Can Whip the
Great Powers.
London, July 7. —Graeco-Tur-
kish affairs appear to ho re-enter
ing an interesting stago. Today
tho porte dispatched a circular to
its representatives abroad contain
ing a skillful defense ot the Tur
kish case, and d< dining to consid
er any frontier line in Thessaly
north of the river Penelos, which
it regards as tho natural bounda
ry-
It appears that the sultan I:lb
convinced himself that tho pow
ers will not resort to cordon, and
has decided to test the alleged con
cert of Europe to the utmost. On
Wednesday he summoned a coun
cil of ministers for an extraordina
ry sitting to the yildiz kiosk with
the result that after a heated dis
cussion a report was drawn up in
favor of the resuming of hostili
ties if peace should not be conclud
ed within a week. Tho minister of
war sont cablegrams to Edhem
Pasha informing him of the decis
ion. This accords with all tho
news received for tho last ton days.
The Turks are rapidly strengthen
ing their positions in Thessaly,
massing troops at Dhomoko, forti
fying Velestino and in other ways
intrenching themselves more firm
ly. The Thessalian harvest has
been already reaped by tho Turkish
soldiers, and large quanities of
grain have been stored at Elassona.
According to a circumstantial re
port of a conversation between the
sultan and an officer of his house
hold, Abdul Hamid complained
that tho war had been forced upon
him, and that when he was victo
rious Europe refused him either
territory or indemnity. Therefore,
he intended to resist to the utmost-
He said :
We have nothing to fear. The
six powers failed to coerce Vassos
and his 2,000 adventurers. What
can they do against 300,00(1 victo
rious troops in Roumelia?
Edhem was a fool not to have
surrounded the Greek army and
to have advanced to x\thens, but ho
may be there yet. If no concessions
are made within a few days, I shall
give the order tc advance. We can
dictate our own terms from the A
cropolis. Everything is ready for
immediate action.”
According to this report, the sul
tan discussed the possibility of
Russia and Germany attempting
coercion, and declared that he was en
tirely ready to meet them both. The
foregoing may be perhaps only a bluff;
and it is even alleged in some quarters,
among others, by the Italian admiral,
Canevaro at Crete, that peace is actual
.y over.
Bui Li is significant that General
Smolenski had long conferences with
King George and M. Ralli at Athens
today, and will start for Thermopylae
tomorrow to assume his command of
the lirst division.
The distress of Greece, the stagna
tion of trade and iudustry has become
very serious. In Crete there is signs
of continued unrest.
The Mohammedans of Candir are
prepasing to attack the wealthy Chris
tian town of Archanes.
No. 1!)