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Eg|vi~ * ' / ' ... . . V - ' , She lamherg Ijeralfc 1 One Dollar and a Half a Year. BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21,1916. Established 1891 1 'country news letters i % i f ' SOME. INTERESTING HAPPENINGS i IN VARIOUS SECTIONS. ' News Items Gathered All Around the County and Elsewhere. Ehrliardt Etchings. Ehrhardt, Dec. 19.?No news from >*"'w"sEhrhardt last week. My, what a procrastinating place. The pencil point wa^Trbk-en and wifev had used all the ink doctdttng the sore headed chickens, but alaX, we found a sharp Irnifo onH cViarnono'H thp nlH npnoil ?"U V ** V v?v? f v? ? > and now it is so short, just look how it is writing, and the writer has been cooped in by the fire during the cold weather and has not been out to find out much news. To describe the scenery around the fireside with the "old woman" wrapped in her shawl and the bandanna around her head might lead to an unpleasant Christmas for my *Santa Claus, so I will favor the linotype operator this time and not send in much to worry his patience. The best news we have heard is that concerning the sick folks. Dr. Roberts brought his little son Furman home last week from the Baker sanitarium, Charleston,- where he had been for several weeks and had been operated on for appendicitis. He is now O. K., and will soon be well ^ again. ^ Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Kirkland's little ft daughter had a minor operation of the throat at Charleston last week and is at home again. Mr. O. E. -Kearse, who has been Hft confined to his room for the past few months, is getting on very well. The many friends of Conductor J. Smith, of Bamberg, are glad to - - 4earn that he is doing well and sin y eerely hope-that he will be able to be ./ out again soon. Christmas is upon us again and Santa is rich this year, and he needs to be, for his presents are very high. Only a few more nights now before he will hitch up his team of reindeer and over the world! Oh! such a journe^, to make the little folks happy. It is a mystery how that old fellow can come down a chimney with presents and not get sooty, and I get so sooty just in building a fire in the mornings. He is a wise old man. Mr. J. G. Black, of the Thielen theatre, Bamberg, was in town last week on business.' We will have dark nights this Christmas, which will be fine for fire- j works. Especially is this true in the larger cities. The Ehrhardt high school basket /ball team played the Olar team on the latter's court last Friday, one week ago and got-a good flouncing. Electric signs have commenced to; arrive in town. The Farmers & Mer-1 chants bank has one winking and blinking and telling you what to do with your money, if you have any. Mrs. R. O. Rice, of Holly Hill, arrived in town last Saturday on her annual Christmas visit among her old home folks. Mr. P. M. Kinard and Miss Ella Hiers made their solemn 'pledge at the Baptist parsonage before their; pastor, Rev. J. R. Smith, last Thurs-' day afternoon to live together and share each other's troubles and pleas ures as long as they both shall live. The lumbermen who ship their lumber from this station have about gotten the whole side track from the depot down as far as they can go! completely blocked. There is lot of | traveling with buggies, wagons and j autos over this street and owing to the blocking they are forced to drive i across the side walk and are running J into some fencing and telephone j poles, damaging both. We foot pas-: sengers that live on the other side of : the railroad only have a small path to get to and from our work and now it is filled with lumber so that we have to go around or scratch under, i as over would be dangerous. We| think that if the town officials were i to perambulate it would be our perdition. Ehrhardt high school will have the usual respite for Christmas, about two weeks. JEF. Occasional Writes. Kearse, Dec. 1 8.?When Roosevelt dropped the Progressive party, the people of Kearse and Ehrhardt, who know a good thing when they see it, picked it up. So a few days ago a few of our citizens met, and agreed to j build a telephone line from Ehrhardt j with a Y on the route and have one terminal ending at B. V. Kearse's and the other ending at H. A. Kearse's. We know that very soon this will be an accomplished fact. They employ* ed a man to measure the miles with 9 his automobile, and lie took Henry Chitty and Harry Kearse along with him. but soon the auto refused to go, and Henry got out and walked home. The chauffeur then got along very well for a while, but did stall once or twice, and then Harry got out, and after this it worked very smoothly. The supposition is that two red head lights, in the day time was a little too much for the automobile. But every party will have its factions, and Willie Best doesn't like it because they do not propose to carry it all the way to Bamberg and put a phone in every man's house along the route, let him be a pretty man, or an ugly man. And Eldon Kirkland doesn't like it because he wants it to go to Ulmer and stop right there; and as for Arthur Brabham, who never stoops to little things, he wants it to extend all the way to Atlanta, Ga. The line, as it is proposed now, extends through a well timbered country, (well timbered with lads and lasses) and we predict for it a success. Lewis Ritter, Henry Chitty, and Scott Breland all seem to be interested in this telephone route.. A gentleman questioned them, and they all gave about the same answer, which was about this way: "I am growing old and I want to talk to my friends along the route, and leave something behind me for the benefit of our posterity." Christmas is. coming, and "Coming events cast a shadow." I notice in the express office several packages marked "4 qts." I also notice one package marked "2 qts." Now, the law allowed the man who ordered two quarts to get four, if he wanted to. This makes me have an optimistic view of the situation, still. "Men whiskey drink, and do not think That we poor gals can tell it; They don't suppose, a woman's nose Was ever made?to find it out." "OCCASIONAL." Spring Branch Sayings. Spring Branch, Dec. 18.?We are having cold, rainy, blustery weather at this writing. If this weather continues, the "Christmas shoppers" will have quite a time visiting Santa Claus, and house and yard cleaning will be out of the question. Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Herndon and Mr. H. C. Herndon motored to Denmark today and took dinner with the former's daughter, Mrs. Jasper Pad gett. Messrs. Mayfield Bessinger and Hansford O'Quinn visited Mr. Monroe Crider Sunday. Miss Nelle Clayton spent last Tuesday night with Miss Eula O'Quinn. ' Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Herndon were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Kistler Sandifer Sunday. Messrs. Russel Sandifer and Charlie Goodwin spent Saturday night with Mr. Hansford O'Quinn. Miss Clara O'Quinn and Mrs. H. W. Herndon visited ^Mrs. Ed Kinard, of Ehrhardt, last week. Mr. B. S. Smoak, of Pregnall, has been spending several days with Mr. T. J. Crider. Mr. Coonie Crider, of Denmark, spent Saturday night with Mr. Monroe Crider. Mr. J. E. Zeigler and family visited Mr. and Mrs. Carey Smoak yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Herndon were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Elige Goodwin Sunday. They were joined in the afternoon by Mr. Wilmot Sandifer and family, of Bamberg. Dr. Ed Kirkland, of Cope, spent Sunday and Monday nights at Mr. H.\V. Herndon's. Mrs. Hattie Hutto, of Bamberg, and Miss Xelle Clayton spent last week-end at the home of the latter's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Clayton, of the Colston section. Mrs. Ann Compton, of Colleton, is spending some time with her brother, Mr. J.. P. O'Quinn. Mr. O'Quinn's brother, from Colleton, is also visiting him. Below is the honor roll of Pine Grove school: First grade, Lizzie Polk and Ivy Patrick; second grade, Fay Patrick; fourth grade, Hughie Hutto and Beaty Zeigler; sixth grade, Edith Hutto; eighth grade, Lottie Crider, Inez Zeigler. Monroe Crider, J. D. Patrick and Minnie Crider. Cope Cullings. Cope, Dec. 16.?Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Croft, of Fairfax, spent last week here visiting their daughter, Miss Agnes Croft, and Mr. J. Dallas Croft. Mrs. Dr. Ed Kirk land went down to see her mother near Ehrhardt, who suffered a slight stroke of paralysis a few days ago. Rev. E. H. Beckham. Mrs. Becki ham and Miss Bettie left this week for their new home in Cheraw. Mr. Jack Kirkland spent the weekend with his parents. Dr. and Mrs. Ed Kirkland. Mr. Gerard Thomas, accompanied by his friend, Mr. Britt, spent Sunday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. X. J. Thomas. Mr. Bob Hughes, of Ehrhardt, was in town a short while Monday. The usual Sunday-school exercises Vialz-1 ot Rontict pliiirpli >> C ii^iu uu Sunday morning, and at the .Methodist church in the afternoon. Rev. E. H. Beckham, who leaves this charge for Cheravv, announced that the incoming pastor. Rev. G. W. Dukes, would fill his appointment here at Union church Sunday afternoon, December 17, at 4 o'clock. .Mr. Beckham then in a few appropriate remarks bade the Sundayschool and church members present farewell, saying the golden text for the day, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Sunday night at the Baptist church the weekly prayer service was conducted by little Clanton Smith. Clanton is a mere boy and this was his first attempt. Quite an enjoyable affair took place last Friday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Brickie, when their daughter. Miss JL-niy .May, gave a pound party in honor of her friends, Miss Lola Hoffman, of Denmark, and Miss Azalee Donald, of Norway. The evening was spent by playing numerous games, the playing of instrumental music, and the singing of beautiful songs. A cake walk was also greatly enjoyed. The successful parties were Miss Eloise Kirkland and Mr. Monnie Dempsey. Those present were Misses Lola Hoffman, of Denmark, Azalee Donald, of Norway, Rita Barton, Kathleen and Eloise Kirkland, Evelyn Henerey, Connie May Brickie, Mrs. W. H. Smith and Lilly Brickie, of Cope, and Messrs. Buist Brickie, of Denmark, Harry, Basil, Herbert and Ashton Antley John Turner, Clayton Smith, Archie and Monnie Dempsey, and Fred Brickie, of Cope. With the sudden change in temperature, butchering seems to be the tVi/a /lor and mnnv finp U1 UC1 U1 111V/ UU/ ) uuu porkers are being made into those old-time delicacies, such as pudding, sausage, hoghead cheese, and the more substantial articles of lard and bacon. The farmers are generally busy at something, and the syrup boiling is still occupying their attention, while others are hauling home their cotton seed meal for the coming season. Much lumber, is being shipped from Cope just at this time. The grain crops are all looking quite flourishing, and everybody is no^v looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Branchville Breezes. Branchville, Dec. 16.?Miss Garber has returned to her home in Baltimore, after spending some time in town. Miss Blanche Edwins spent sev eral days last week in Monroe, N. C. Miss Ruth Byrd has returned from Augusta. She was the guest of her sister, Mrs. Islar, while there. The Rev. S. P. Ingram, the new pastor of the Methodist church, has arrived. On Thursday evening the members gave him a pounding. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sikes and Mrs. M. C. Edwins were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Edwins Sunday. Mr. Rex Hunt arrived Friday from Alabama. Schofield Sketches. Schofield, Dec. 18.?Some Marchlike weather we have been having for the past few days. Mr. James L. Owen spent Sunday of Covonnah aw uafaiiauui Messrs. R. W. Schofield and Dr. Lewis Cave, of Philadelphia, were here several days the past week. They spent two days hunting in the Kearse section and had very good luck. Mrs. G. W. Sowers and daughter, Miss Mabel, will leave this week for their home in Pennsylvania, where they will spend the holidays with friends and relatives. Mrs. John Garris and son. Mr. J. H. Garris, of Colleton, visited relaj tives here Sunday last. Mr. and Mrs. Claud% Peeples visited relatives at Olar Sunday. Mr. H. T. Kearse has purchased a new car. Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Sanders visited relatives near Friendship last Sunday. The little folks are all looking forward to the coming of Santa Claus A PKKXCH ANTHOLOGY. H<?\v One Soldier Relieves His Mental Strain. "To relieve the mental strain of trench warfare, some men turn to poetry," says a writer in the New Republic; and he quotes the case of a soldier who had made a collection of his favorite poems: "It a small booklet in soiled paper covers. Loose leaves from books of various sizes had been sewn together in a compact little volume which fitted nicely into the pocket of his tunic. Among others he had 'Kubla Khan,' 'Comus,' 'The Ode on the Intimations of Immorality,' all of Keats' odes and 'The Eve of St. Anges,' Shelley's 'Alastor,' Henley's 'London Voluntaries,' some nineteenth-century sonnets out of an edition edited by William Sharp, and several poems by Francis Thompson." The Cowboy's Prodigal. A Texas preacher talked to a cowboy audience about the prodigal son. He described in detail the foolish boy's extravagance and dissipation; his penury and his husk-eating with the swine; he told of his return, his father's loving welcome, and the preparation of the fatted calf. The preacher in his discourse noticed a cowboy staring at him very hard. He thought he had made a convert, and addressing the cowboy personally he said from the pulpit: 4 "My dear friend, what would you have done if you had had a son returning home like that?" "Me?" said the cowboy promptly ,tand fiercely. "I'd have shot the boy and raised the calf."?St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Coming, Billie Burke, in a serial. next Sunday night. The Olar lodge, A.'F. M., held a regular communication on the 5th and elected the following officers for the next year: A. L. Kirkland, worshipful master. H. H. Kearse, senior warden. J. H. Kirkland, junior warden. R. L.-. Beard, senior deacon. . A. W. Brabham, junior deacon. J. G. Brabham, secretary. C. H. Brabham, treasurer. O. B. Lain, tiler. DRABLER. Oak Grove Greetings. Oak Grove, Dec. 18.?Everybody is i looking forward to Christmas, i Miss Pattie Miley spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Carter and family. Mrs. W. D. Bennett, of Ehrhardt, spent last Sunday night a week ago ' with Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Copeland. i Mrs. Eddie Sease has returned to her home at Barnwell after a pleasant visit to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Carter. | A good many of the young folks attended the box party in Little; Swamp section a few days ago. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Copeland and / two sons spent last Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Bishop, in the Lodge section. Mr. D. P. Smith has purchased a new car. Miss Mamie Copeland spent last Sunday with Miss Lonie Copeland. Mrs. Martin Hughes and son spent last Friday night with Mr. and Mrs. 1 A. K. Rentz. 1 Oak Grove school honor roll: -Fourth grade, Kate Rentz; third j - r*o rtor- Qornnd erade. graut;, xitricii \^a.? w Callie Bishop; advanced first grade, Esther Smith; primary, Elizabeth Hiers, John Jacob Carter. 4*^ Buford Bridge Budgett. Buford Bridge, Dec. 19.?We are now having cold weather. It now seems like winter more than ever. Dr. Frank Kirkland spent several days last week in Bamberg. Fletcher and Elizabeth Kirkland, of Carlisle school, and Misses Rebecca and Yancey Graham, of Bamberg, were the pleasant visitors of Mr. A. L. Kirkland and family Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Kearse, Mr. P. McMillan and Miss Minnie Kirkland, of Colston,' were visitors at the home I of Mr. J. B. Kearse last Sunday. Miss Sarah Neeley, of Columbia, college, arrived home Tuesday for the Christmas holidays. Mr. J. Hammond Kirkland spent a few days past in Columbia. The deer hunters who went down on the Savannah river last week returned very much enthused over , their trip. They brought back with them two deer. .Miss Ruth Shuler spent last week. end in Ehrhardt very pleasantly with Mrs. E. D. Grant. The school will close here for the holidays Thursday. BOAGUS. ) I FACES $1,000,000 DEFICIT STATU INSTITUTIONS UXAI5LK TO / (?KT MONKV. Tax Levy Insufficient.?Matter of Financing Will He Anions liig Questions in Legislature. Columbia. Dec. 13.?The State of South Carolina is facing a deficit of over $1,000,000, and for the first time probably in its history, has no money on hand to meet current needs. Of the $1,000,000 deficit the State has already borrowed $700,000 for expenses, the total amount authorized by the legislature, and tonight the State is short $340,000 of its actual needs and cannot borrow any more money. The State institutions are unable to get the money which has already been appropriated for them by the last legislature. The State Hospital for the Insane has been without funds for three months and the Citadel, Winthrop college, the University of South Carolina and other institutions are going through the same experience. The trustees of the University have made arrangements for borrowing money to run the institution and it is understood that the regents of the Asylum recently borrowed $100,000 to carry on the current needs of that institution until taxes are available. Small Sum Collected. Only about $100,000 in taxes due since October have been collected by the State. The warrants for the high schools which have been delayed on account of the depleted condition of j the treasury will be paid now as vouchers for those in the hands of the county treasurer were mailed out by the comptroller general, Carlton W. Sawyer, tonight. The whole trouble appears to be iK A i 4 Vt /s 1 A 4 ?tA A 4 *4 A 1 A A4 AAAftl Liiai Liit; icgisiaiuic at its tasi scosiv/11 failed to make a tax levy sufficient to meet the appropriations. In spite of the fact that the appropriations last year were as large, if not larger, than the preceding year, the levy was only six and one-half mills as against seven mills the preceding year. Should Have Been More. One high State official estimated that the levy should have been one mill more than it was and he believes this would have prevented the present deficit and the embarrassment to the State together with the prompt payment and forwarding of taxes. The matter of financing the State will be one of the important questions to be solved by the approaching session of the legislature. They will not only have to levy a tax to take care of the deficit which will be carried over, but unless they hold down the demands the appropriations will out run even those of the last two sessions. The appropriation bill last session carried about $2,500,000 and if one-half the demands for increases is allowed it will reach the $3,000,000 mark next session. The State has always had to borrow money until taxes were collected. i JOFFRE KISSES DOOMED MEN. _____ French General Shows Affection fori Fliers About to IMe. A little story about the chief of] the French *army is typical of. the whole of his relations with the armies of the republic. He had called for voluteers for a special air service, which meant almost certain death. The three men selected from the crowd who came forward saluted and were quietly walking away when he stopped them with a word. "Est-ce que les enfants I | vont a la mort sans embrasser leur papa?" (Are the children going to their death without kissing their papa?) he asked, and kissed them each in turn. The depth of the brotherly and fatherly relations existing in the French army between officers and men has always, throughout the war, seemed to be one of the great secrets of the strength of the allies.?London Times. Long Ride for a Nickel. ^ ' " Viin "tferore we were iuamcu, mo venter-half complained, "you always engaged a taxi when you took me anywhere. Xow you think the bus or the trolley is good enough for me." "Xo. my darling. I don't think the bus or the trolley is good enough for you. It's because I'm so proud of you. In a taxi you would be seen by nobody, while I can show you off to so many people by taking you in the bigger conveyance."?Ladies Home Journal. IXCLK SAM WITH PAPKKS. Senate Adopts Resolution to I'robe I'a|>er Scarcity. * Washington, Dec. 15.?The senate today adopted a resolution by Senator Kenvon, of Iowa, directing the committee on printing in view of the scarcity and increasing cost of print paper to investigate the subject and to recommend what government publications might be temporarily suspended and what economies might be nrQPtir>?iH in tho vorinnc aAtr^rnmnnf 1*1 tliV IttI 1UUO gv v V^l UUlCUi. departments in the interest of conservation of paper. Farm Machinery Progress. Progress in agriculture owes much to the machine methods of doing hand labor. Back in primitive times, the savage planted seeds by means of a sharpened stick. This marks the beginning of farm machinery. When the savage learned that by destroying the weeds that came up with his crops his yields would become greater, he ceased to be a savage. When he learned to prepare a seed bed and cultivate his crops, he became civilized. An old adage says that "Civilization begins and ends with the plow." Reaping was at one time performed by hand. Jack-John invented a reap hook which saved much time and labor for these ancient farmers. Later the cradle came into use. Less than a century ago Mr. Mc* Cormick invented the reaoin? ma chine. About thirty years ago the self binder was put into operation. ) The latest harvesting machine puts the threshed grain into sacks in the field. There is nothing to do except to gather up the sacks of wheat after harvesting, thereby saving the extra expense required to have the grain threshed. With this machine nearly two hundred bushels can be put into sacks in one day, which would have required the ancient people who gathered by hand more than a thousand days to put in the same condition. Thus by the use of the i up-to-date machinery the saving in ~ time is all the way from half to a thousand times. One day in this age of the world means something. Hun ' dreds of acres of growing crops may | be cultivated and harvested by one I man. In ancient days one man did \ well to care for a small garden spot. -* . The influence of agricultural machinery on quantity and quality of farm productions has brought about many changes. The year 1850 marks jtf the transition from the use of im- / plements for hand production to % those for machine production. In the time of Columella the Roman farmer spent four and a half (lays in the production of one bushel of wheat. According to government reports, in 1830 in the United States the farmer spent three hours at a cost of 17.7 cents in producing one bushel of wheat. At the present -u ^ time the same result is obtained in nine minutes at a cost of three and a half cents per bushel. I have dealt only with machinery i for the wheat grower, but improvements along other lines have been equally great. The secret of successful and profitable farming at the present time is the use of tractors. Of course some of our lands are too steep for tractor farming, in which case good machinery drawn by horse power will be the only solution for some time yet. But I verily believe that the time is near at hand when some of our great agricultural inventors, will ! come to our rescue with some fcind I of machinery that will put the hill farmer on par with the farmer on I the plains. Let us hope that that , time is near at hand.?Home and Farm. A CENTURY AGO. ; "1 How the Christmas Tree Came to Broadway. According to a story in the December issue of The American Boy, a youth named Oliver Stedman was the first Christmas tree merchant in New York city. More than one hunt dred years ago it was when Oliver and his friend, Mark Carr, went out into the woods up the Hudson river, and cut a large wagon load of fir trees and carried them down to the corner of Broadway and Vesey streets, where they made their stand. Before that, if a New York resident wanted a Christmas tree, he crossed the river and cut a fir tree for himself and carried it home. Colds sometimes get well in spite of the excessive use of alcoholic beverages. ?8 m - : -