M eyniB OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF BARNWELL COUNTT.-Wa Y HOME BANK DEPOSITS X 1928 $214,000.00 | 1922 $156,000.00 | 1924 $318,000.00 1 HOME BANK OF BARNWELL. VOLUME XLVIII. Barnwell People Efltablished in 1877. “Just Like a Member of the Family" BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH, 1925. Largest County Circulation. January ’25 Subscriptions Hare Expired. PLEASE RENEW PROMPTLYI %4»O"O"»»»+»o w O w ON»»fr<,»»0 poo »»♦»♦< NUMBER 27. BARNWELL WORK WILL CONTINUE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS AND BROWN GET TOGETHER. Difference of Opinion as to Course Road Should Take in Dunbarton. r f Agreement 11 whereby work on State highway projects in Barnwell County, which seemed in the way of being in terrupted by a holdup in payments, nay proceed with safety was reached !ast night by a conference between ;?dgar A. Brown of Barnwell, speaker •f the house of representatives, and C. H. Moorefield, state highway en gineer, and C. E. Jones of Batesburg, member o( the state highway com mission. Mr. Brown, who as county attorney •.ad held up payment of funds to con- r.-actors for extensive road construc- t-on work now’ under way in the coun ty, told J- B. Armstrong, county treas urer, by telephone to make the neces- -nry payments. Thus the danger of w cessation of work of the Barnwell- , Ellenton road and of the-Augusta-Al- ndale road in BarnweH county was averted. One phase—and that portion of it vhich gave rise to the holding up of •ayraerits—still remains a subject of >ntroversy, the matter in question living the route of the Barnwell-El- lenton road through the town of Dun- < art on. Mr. Brown held—and still holds— i nat the highway should go by way • f Railroad Avenue, as provided for n the original contract; hut the high way department officials contend that a road'OtTc block to the north provides r. cheaper route, would not conflict with the right of way of the Atlantic Coast Line Railway along Railroad Avenue, as is the case with Mr. Frown’s proposal, and that gravel is more accessible. —No work is toj bo t done on this sec- t on of the road, which is, witn ap proaches, al>out a mile and a half in h ngth, until an agreement can be coached between the two parties. Payment of funds was held up by .Mr. Brown February 10. A commit- Ce from the State* Highway Commis sion. consisting of Mr. Moorefleld, Mr. Jones and A. B. Langley, of Co lumbia, went last week to Barnwell to -*e if a change in the routing of the highway was advisable. They found (nat no such change was advisable, according to Mr. Moorefield, and a -uspension of the work threatened. Three conferences, including one be tween the executive committee of the t immission and Mr. Brown, ended last right in a partial adjustment. The work on the highways has been going on, Mr. Moorefield said, but if payment of contractors had been de layed much longer, the work would Lave necessarily ceased for the time. —The State, Feb. 26. Installs Pipe Organ LAURIE SPRAWLS DIES SUDDENLY PROMINENT FARMER j PASSED AWAY SATURDAY. Foul Play Wfas Suspected But Physi cians Found Death Due to Natural Causes. Mr. Laurie M. Sprawls, a promi nent fanner of Williston, died sud denly Saturday afternoon, after at tending tHt funeral of Mrs. Hattie Hair. Mr. Sprawls drove alone f o his farm on the Barnwell-W'illistop road, stopped his car and started up the steps to one of the buildings on the farm, when he was overtaken by the Grim Reaper. His body was found where he had fallen by a negro, who communicated with friends in Willis ton and Elko. Doctors, who were quickly summoned, made a hurried examination and stated that his death was due to heart failure. His body was removed to his residence in Wil- liston. Foul play was suspected by some and credence was given to this be lief by the fact that there was a small bruise on the side of Mr. Sprawl’s head. One arrest was made, the suspected party being lodged in the Barnwell jail. Sunday morning, Coroner I). P. Lancaster and Dr. Chas. A. Hensley, county physician, went to Williston to hold an inquest, but after an examination had been made of the body it was decided that none was necessary, Dr. Hensley .agreeing, with the other physicians ttyit death Wounded Man Recovering. Clarence Bolen, of the ML Calvary, section, who was re ported to be at death’s door last week as the result of pistol shot wounds inflicted by William Floyd, another young white man, was reported Monday as being on the road to recovery. It is understood that he was able to sit up awhile Sunday. Floyd has been held in the Barnwell jail pending the out come of Bolen’s* injuries. The difficulty in which Bolen was shot was said to have been the result of a dispute about fish traps. * DUNBARTON IS TTACKED BY FLU KING REPORTS MANY CASES IN SCHOOL. Master and Sheriff Make Several Sales FEWER SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY EMPLOY MORE TEACHERS FOR SAME NUMBER CHILDREN. ‘Trying Out" Consolidation Plan.— Districts Purchase Thirty-Six Acre Site for School. SHERIFF DYCHES RAIDS BIG STILL MANY GALLONS “MOONSHINE" DESTROYED. was due to natural causes. Mr. Sprawls was one of the most popular men of this part of the State. He had been very successful as a farmer and enjoyed the confidence of all. He was 58 years of age and is survived by his widow, formerly Miss Belle Dicks; one daughter, Miss Leila Wood Sprawls; one son, Maldon Sprawls, and two sisters, Mesdames W. P. Walsh and S. J. Powell, of w"il- liston. His body was laid to rest Monday afternoon in the Williston cemetery. Local and Personal News from Hercules in Episcopal Church On Friday night, February 20th, 1925, the Death Angel visited the home of Mr. Milledge Sanders and took away his beloved mother, Mrs. Mamie Sanders. Her death was not unexpected as she had been in ill health for some time. Mrs. Mary Munn, of Augusta, Ga. t and Mrs. Anna Illume, of Denmark, spent the week-end with Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Baxley. Miss Kat<* Still, of Elko, spent last week-end with Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Huggins. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Still and family spent tin* w<*ek-end with re latives in Elko. Mrs. James E. Davis and little Henry Milhous, >f Barnwell, were visitors at the Heuules school Wed- Miss Ina Sanders spent Wednesday ; t ,• ‘ 1 A factory representative arrived in Barnwell Friday for the purpose of installing the new pipe organ recent ly purchased by the Church of the Holy Apostles. He was soon hard at work and by Saturday afternoon the new instrument was erected ami in operation, only a few minor adjust ments being necessary to complete the job. The organ was used at the tegular Sunday night services, being , t 0 played by Miss Josie Davis. Al- though this was her first attempt to play a pipe organ, after only a little instruction Sunday afternoon, she acquitted herself most creditably and added greatly to the enjoyment of the service. The organ has a won derfully sweet tone and the congre gation of the church is. justly proud of it. - i , • The organ is a memorial to the brother of the Rev. Howard-? Cndv, who died last* Summer, and its pur chase was mad£ possible through Mr. Cady’s generosity in paying half the Cost.’ \ memorial service for the night with her sister, Mrs. Matilda Grooms in Barnwell. Miss Kate Hartzog spent Wednesr day night in Barnwell with her- sis- „ter, Mrs. A. E. Sindprs. Miss Dovie Gunnels, spent the week end with Miss Mary Creech. Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Gunnels and • ^4- children spent Sunday afternoon in (Mar with relatives. Mr. Stafford Creech was a visitor Miss Kate Hartzog Sunday even ing. __ Miss Virginia Brown, of Wagoner, spent the week with her aunt, [VIrs. Rosa Still. «5-.- J Mr. Emory Grubbs spent Sunday, with Mr. Byrnes Huggins,- Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Grubbs and children spent Sunday with his mother, Mrs. David Grubbs. We are very glad to s have Mis«r Josie Davis, of Barnwell, as^our music teacher. The children ar<* do ing nicely and they export to have a feciTal at the close of the. school. The teachers are planning a pro- we Monday was salesday, but a com paratively small number of visitors was in Barnwell for the occasion. Dealers in live stock from neighbor ing towns were here, but reported few sales or trades. Sales of real estate were made by Master G. M. Greene and Sheriff Bon- cil H. Dyches, the first since their in duction into office. Sales made by the Master were as follows: f _ Bank of Springfield vs. Mrs. Car rie D. DycheS, et al., 126 acres . in Blackville • township, purchased by Brown and Bush, attorneys, for $2,- 500. Federal Land Bank of Columbia vs. Thos. Carter, et a)., 80 3-10 acres in Red Oak township, purchased by Thos. M. Boulware, attorney, for $1,000. C. F. Rizer vs. Jennings Williams, et al., IjS acres on the Barnwell- Orangeburg public road, purchased by C. F. Rizer for $175. Suite and City Bank and Trust Co. vs. Charlie H. Diamond, et aL, four tracts of land containing a total of 678.99 acres, purchased by Brown and Bush, attorneys, for $13,317. Only one sale was made by the Sheriff, which was that in the case of The State vs. Florence Washington, et al., one lot in the town of Black ville. Captain S. W. Trotti Dies at Ripe Old Age Williston. March 2.—Capt S. W Trotti, one of the oldest and best known citizens of Barnwell County, died at the home of his son, Mr. S. W. Trotti, Jr., Wednesday afternoon, af ter an illness of about one week, al though he had been in failing health for several years. Had he lived until friday, the 27th ulL.^hc would have been 89 years of age. ( apt, Trotti served with distinction throughout the War Between the States, being a captain at the close of that bloody conflict. He was auditor of Barnwell County for 14 years and always took an active part in matters pertaining to the public good, rile was gentleman of the old school school and a member of the Rosemary Bap tist Church. Funeral services were held at four o’clock Thursday afternoon. * Capt; Trotti is survived by. , two daughters. Mrs. !,. S. Mellichamp, of Williston. Mis. Willie Hay, of Govan; Throe sons. Dr. ~L. H. Trotti, of ( hes- , terfielil, Mr. L. S. Trotti, of New I Brookland, and Mr. S. W. Trotti, of j Williston; 16 grandchildren afTd three ! great grandchildren. Location of New Highway Being Discussed.—Election of Town Officials Friday. V Dunbarton, March 2.—Quite a num ber of cases of “Flu" has been re ported around Dunbarton recently. It seems, however, to be in a milder form this year. Supt. King states that he has had a good many cases in his school, but not enough to necessi tate the closing of school. There will be an election of the officials of the town next Friday. This election will be held at the store of P. J. Hiers. There are two candi dates for mayor and eight for council, and it is hoped that there will be a record vote cast next Friday. The names of the winners will be an nounced next week. The friends of Miss Annie Laurie Burckhalter will be glad to learn that she is getting along nicely and is improving right along after having been sick for the past six weeks. The girl’s basket ball team will 1 play Ellenton in Dunbarton next Fri day afternoon. It is expected that this game will draw a big crowd as there is always keeh rivalry be tween these two teams. It is under stood that quite a big crowd will To\show just how this consolidation come down from Ellenton with the has affected our schools, two of our high schools, Dunbarton and Willis- No Arrests Made But Warrant Has Been Sworn Out for Henry Fields, a White Man. - (Horace J. Crouch in The Stat?.) Barnwell County during the present school term is operating seven schools less this session than ran during last year. But our trustees have employed sfcven more teachers to teach practi cally the same number of children. This, of course, means that our schools are better graded, 1 and, therefore, will indicate progress. Fewer schools will also mean longer terms, since the short term schools have united with the longer term schools. Eleven school districts in Barnwell County have no white schools. Each of these districts levies its special tax and has the other means of revenue and with these funds transportation expense is'borne wholly or in part to the adjoining more efficient school. Trustees and patrons prefer to “try” for a session this method rather than consolidate permanently but none has returned to the one-teacher school. Seven trucks-, equipped with bodies manufactured in this county, v/ere added last fall for this transportation. Small Blaze Thursday Night. team. Play will begin at 3:30 p. m., and a small admission will be charg ed, the money going for athletic equipment. A week of prayer is being observed at Cypress Chapel Church this week under the auspices of the W. M. U. Different members of this organiza tion have charge of the program each afternoon. The subjects all deal with mission fields. The question most discussed in town these datys is “where will the highway go through town?" - The original contract calls for the road to be placed on railroad avenue in front of the stores. The Town Coun cil and the citizens of the town have requested that it be placed one block to the North. There are arguments |on both sides of me question and the final decision is awaited with inter est. This writer does not attempt to offer any arguments either for of against at this time, but will say this: Those who have the final de cision of this matter in their hands are men who do not live here and who do not have any interest in the place, and under the circumstances, it v/ould seem that th£ wishes of the people of Dunbarton should Ik* carried out as long as those wishes are practical. The placing -of the highway through town should be a local matter, and as a local matter, should be left to the discretion of the people here. Copies of resolutions passed by the citizens e town and the town council were to those who have this matter in their hands, and it is hoped that n in this matter that these resolutions will be taken into consideration. Buds are beginning to appear, which shows that spring is on th^heeis of winter and will soon be here. The men here show signs along this time every year of a certain malady that affects the majority of the citizens— namely, the fishing fever. Already these fans are selecting their poles, making- their lines, and digging their bait, waiting for the Dogwood to bloom. The arch fiend of them all, Supt. H. H. King, has just completed a boat and has a gallon of bait. 1 A small amount of damage was 'done to the.stock of A. I). Furtick’s | New Market, located iti^the Harley Building on Main Street. by—firF ' whic h was Idis^cwered afebut 11 o’chock "The' blaze wa? ex minutes with the Thursday nightj^ tinguished in a few of the sem ton, have had to make class rooms pf the school auditoriums, and Barnwell high school divided its study hall to make two class rooms. But this in convenience to these high schools has netted the incoming pupils the advant age of a nine months term whereas they formerly had only seven months. The growing demand for separate high school plants is being keenly felt and already Williston, Elko and three or four school districts in the north western part of the county have pur chased a school site (36 acres) for this purpose. Two or three districts have already voted and sold bonds for this centralized plant, which will be second to none in South Carolina. This is the most progressive step that has been taken in this county in the last ten or 12 years. The other high schools in this county will, no doubt, soon erect separate high school build ings. Thjs county still has 13 schools employing one teacher (the number 13 has always been regarded as an ill omen). It is encouraging, however, to remember that six years ago we had exactly twice as many one-teacher schools. We have many reasons oth erwise to feel optimistic. Church Williston _ Dedicated on Sunday The new Baptist Church at Willis ton was dedicated Sunday/ther * be- with an elabor- grpim, and we are locking forward rector’s brother will be held, at a t o a .gT,o,l closing exercise later date. . 1 fiity department’s chemical apparatus, 4 nu services The fire originated in some matches 1 ilt( : mornin>? and oven - near/the front of the store. , ing. >• Large congregations were pres- Another small biaze was discovered j in this store on Monday night about o’clock, and was extinguished ent and the occasion, marking as, it Suffers Fainful Injury. Rural Carrier Examination. Clarence DuBose, night foreman of the 1 Williston power plant, was pain- The United Civil Service 'Commis sion has announced (in examination nine o cioek. ami was with little effort. This blaze had just starL*d in or near a box of watches i when first seen ami practically no j damage was doiv/i to the stock or ; building. to be held at Barnwell on March'28th, fully injured early Saturday morning i 1925, to fill the position of rural car- when a blow torch exploded at the plant. No serious results, are ex pected. rier at Williston and vacancies that « - may later occur on rural routes from that post office. 1 does a red letter cay in The|/eligiou's ; life of that community, wjfs Neatly enjoyed by all. Special/music was rendered, the new pipe organ being play«*d by an organist from Columbia. The People congratulates the congre gation of the Williston Church on their achievement. In a collision on Main Street Mon day afternoon, the right front fender of Prof. J. D. Robison's Studebcktu* sedan was bent, but otherwise the ! car escaped damage. . j * * * ’ — •! The members of the Board of > ' ' i; County Directors held their regular monthly meeting at the Court House Tuesday. Second Week Jurors Were Drawn Tuesday f Petit jurors for the second week of the March term of the Court of Common Plea^, which convenes here Monday with Judge W. H. Townsen of Columbia, presiding, were drawn Tuesday, as follows: J. J. Anderson, Richland. C. J. Willis, Williston. Harvey M. Black, Williston. Wilbur Porter, Barnwell. T. E. Hair, Rosemary. J. G. Sanders, Great Cypress. R. G. Hiers, Williston. J. N. Dicks, Barnwell. A. D. Connor, Jr., Barnwell. Joseph Ashley, Four Mile. Willie W. Harley, George's Creek A. J. Bennett, Barnwell. K. L. Bolen, Williston. G. M. Pehder, Williston. Victor B. Martin, Blackville. Clyde Bolen, Williston. K. Diamond^ Great Cypress. C. O. Boylston, Williston. P. H. Baxley, Blackville. Johnson Lane, George’s Creek. Willie Harden, Bennett Springs. W. H. Johnston, Great Cypress. ~ S. M. Baxley, Bennett Spreings. Leon Wl Hutto, Blackville. J. L. Bradj^^Great Cypres. ( James J. RayTTfackville. , J. H... Stflty Jr.. GeorgeS Gieek." J. W. Bates, Great Cypress. D. A. Dythes, Georg* ’s Creek. W. R. Rutland, Rosemary. John Porter, Williston. J. R. Woodward, Williston. G. H. Dicks, Richland. R. B. Fickling, Blackville... W. S. Guess, Blackville. Sheriff Boncil H. Dyches and his deputies captured what is said to have been one of the largest liquor stills in Barnwell County in a raid Thursday afternoon in the Patterson Will Creek section of the county. The still was in operation at the time, a white man and a negro being in charge.’ Both men ran when they saw the officers approaching and suc ceeded in making their escape, but not before Sheriff Dyches recognized the white man as one Henry Fields, who, it is said, hails from Georgia, he Sheriff says that Fields is equip- x*d with 36 “high gears,” as the members of the raiding party fired their pistols 36 times in an effort to wrsuade him to stop, with the con trary result, as the fleeing man ran little faster at each report of a pistol. Had a deer been in front of •■'ieldsr it would most assuredly have >een run down, say the officers, and 10 sailed over bushes six and eight feet high like a steeple-chaseracer.it is said. Two large barrels and about 115 gallons of liquor in fruit jars wef£ - f ound at the still, in addition to 4,- 500 gallons of mash. The contents of the barrels were emptied into the stream, the mash was destroyed and the still demolished. The jars of “shine” were brought to BurnweB and the following day were emptied into a ditch near the Court House. This ruthless action on the part of the Sheriff was witnessed by quite a argt* crowd. Finally one negro could stand the strain no'longer and, drop ping to his hands and knees, lapped the liquor from the . ground. Mr. Dyches had some difficulty in per suading him to stop. Captured Two Mere Stills. Monday night, Sheriff Dyches and his deputies destroyed a 60-gallon still, 200 gallons of mash and a num ber of fruit jars on the Brown Mill creek, a few miles East of Barnwell. No arrests were made. Tuesday aft^rnocn, Sheriff Dyches, Deputy Sheriff W. A. Hayes and State Constable J. W. Sanders made a raid on the Savannah River, about two miles from Martin Station. Here they captured one of the finest outfits, it is said, that has been seen in this section. The plant consisted of a 100-gallon copper till and three copper condensers. It was in opera tion at the time of the raid, but only about three gallons of liquor had been “run." TheVc were, however, 11 vats containing over 3,000 gallons of mash. Among other things found were two sacks of sugar, a sack of barley malt and a quantity of fruit jars. The officers destroyed the Only one arrest was made, Andrew Hay, a negro, being taken into custo dy. Sheriff Dyches states that he would have arrested several men but for this negro, who, when he saw the officers coming, rode his mule by a short cut and informed the men at' the still. Hay himself was arrested - a short distance from the still. The Sheriff says that the still was badly damaged by the recent high water n committee of the party in the House. T The days gain 12 mitiutes in sun shine this week. '7 .’r _ ", / >