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- The VOL. 2. NO. 89 SEMI-WEE The Road Question. An Enthusiastic Advocate of /-< - ? - utood Koads--His Plan for Improving Our Highways ?Some of the Benefits that would Result. Ed. Lancaster News: Permit me space in your valuable paper to say a lew words on the much important question of public highways in Lancaster county. I see the roads convention is^now over, with large attendance from different parts of the country, and not a word has Mr. L. J. ^ Perry said about it. Why doesn't he talk a little; puff aud blow some?say what he is going !o do, and what he will not do. Maybe he can get up a hustle on some of the boys and have the roads worked a little better. 1 am told ot one road that hasnh been worked in two years. We have a bad road law, or a poor way of getting work done 011 the roads under our present road lawp. And with said road law, or system ot working the roads, 1 fear we will never have any bet ter roads in this county. I would be very proud that I am a citizen ot Lancaster countv. if w? had a good road law and it pot into effect, like in Mecklenburg and Union counties, N. C. My idea of working the roads, is to not warn handa on the roads to work them, but to place a road poll tax of $2 on each hand, and a special levy of three mills on all personal and real property. This poll collected in the fall would get every negro, who has no renl estate, and but little personal property. The special levy would reach the | white man with his poll and real estate. His tax would seem i a little heavy?at first be might| complain some at the extra high tax, but when he would see the roads straightened by Surveyors, perhaps for miles in places, graded, with cuts and tills, it might then be that he would say, "I don't beurudge a cent of 1 the extra high road taxes I am J paying," and he would be ready ' to say, "Boys, let's raise our poll | a little higher, and our special!' levy a little more, and macada- 1 mize our roads, then we would ' have a road bed that would ' stand for ages. These roads are making my lands very valuable, buyers are coming along and olfering more than twice as muehj1 per acre tor my lands as they did before these reads were built." I He cou'd then say, ''I am proud of our roads, I am proud ol my home and farm, I am proud that I am a citizen of Lancaster county," and could boast, ''hav-; en't we done a grand work on this rocd question for . future generations to enjoy." 1 tir ^ ?11 ? >v e win Hjiy notmng about ^ li the saving of teams traveling f over these roads, everybody | v knows all about that, as the a question of good roads has been g talked before, but il we had the n roads, a portion of the business, t f LAN LEDGER 1852 KLY. t men of our towns could well m(I foriL it (l)Pl' r?lirk.?a? * ^ ' " r HJ 11?C 3'" * ! era 1 miles out in the country, whereby their families could enjoy country as weil ?s town lite. ! It would he easy to drive in J town early in the morning, aiul open up their places of business, it would be easy to hitch up the automobile, and the children go to school in towu. 1 ho countr> people could also enjoy their share of travel over these good i roads. Everybody ought to he proud of good ro.ds and I'll make the assertion that everybody would he proud of them. Now, I know it takes labor and money to build roads?let us go to work like other counties and have the roads. Talk about changing the constitution before you can make a road law ? I guess our Representatives can make a law to let the people vote the question for a road tax. without changing the consiitu tion. Then we can raise the money by voting, as above described. Our representatives ought to make a law to give the magistrates more jurisdiction, allow them to sentence as much as six months at labor on the chaingang, and a fine accordingly, and then appoint a good magistratA ir? * ' " .w vnvll tUWIlbllip, Pink Ca8key, and it wouldn't bue long 'till we would have a strong chaingang force to help build good roads. I am ashamed of our roads. Let us go to work, set together, raise the money and build the roads. What is the matter with our people? what are they thinking about? Progressive as they are in many ways, farmers, plenty of them in the county, raising from 50 to 100 bushels of corn and can? per acre and from 1 to 2 bales of cotton per acre and everything else in proportion, even graduating sons and daughters at from 17 to 19 years of age, and doing many other pr^ressive things in a business-like style, and yet >ve have only the same old roads that our loretftihers traveled during and early atter the devolution ary war. Uncle Sam is not going to build us good roads, but lie does lay our mail at our locrs daily, traveling over bad roads. We are daily doing business for miles and miles over olnnlmtrA K 1 u.vi'muuo nui-s, huh in a short j ivhile we will have our homes iphted up at nipht, all over this | and, from these preat dams be up built across the Catawba Iliver. Let's quit talaing, but lave the roa?ls at any cost. T. W. Sec rest. Osceola, Aug. 14. 1 Georgia Disfranchises Negro. I J f Atlanta, (thAugust 14.? l Vv a votje of 159 io 10 the I louse today passed the negro dis- I ran-hisetnent bill, which pre- 1 i u lv was adopted by Iho ~ei 1 ,te. The lower branch of the le- I islature made a lew minor a- 4 nendments to be concurred in Ifr ho senate. i t ICAST REVIEW 1S74 EN LANCASTER. S. C., AUGUST 17 H;iV, A Memorable Event. ___ Unveiling of Monument Erected by Members of a Colored Church tn White Benefactor. The monument erected in ibis county by colored people to a' white man, as heretofore publish- j ed in The News, was formally i unveiled Thursday with itnprossiveceremony and in I he presence of a large assemblage of both whites ami blacks. This is probably the first instance on record where negroes have tnus paid tribute to the memory of one ot the white race. The nearest approach to it in this county occurred some years ago, when Bishop I. C. Clinton erecNd a handsome monument at thegrave of his former master, Irvin Clinton, who in his day and time was a leading member of the Lancaster bar. The monument unveiled Thure day was erected by the members of Mount Moriah church, a colored Methodist church four miles west of Lancaster, in memory of the late J. W. Williams, who donated the land now used Ktr llio m no ** ~ ? * no a cemetery, WlllCl) 18 located at the church. The idea of thus honoring their white benefactor, originated with one of their number, Jarvis Cunning ham, a hii-hly respected and wellto-do colored citizen ot thispoun- < ty. Tlie suggestion took well with Cunningham's fellow church members and they contributed liberally to the fund which was raised to carry out the plan. The monument, which stands ??n the cemetery lot, was made by Mr A J. McNinch, proprietor of the Lancaster Marble Yard, and is ot what is known as Vermont blue marble. Though no* as tall as such monuments usu ally are, its heighth being 6 feet ( S inches, it is a hichly creditable, handsome piece of work and presents an imposing appearance. ( The principal inscription is on , the side facing the east, and is as follows: , ' On motion of Jarris Cunning- , ham this Monument was Krect- ( od by the Members of Mount t Moriah Church in 1007 to the | Memory of Mr. J as. W. Wil- x liams, in appreciation ot the Gift to the Church by him and x Ins family of this Plat of Land I; I for a Cemetery." "G. W. Mackey, C. T. B." t The letters, "0. T. B." stand t for Chairman Trustee Board. , Tlis names of the trustees are L inscribed on the south side, as follow-: M. M. Young, Jitn Brown, ^ 1) Johnson, J. T. Thomas, D. Mc-, Kinney, Adam Watts, dec'd, John Wren, sec., Joe Brown, Ireas. Beneath tlie names are die words, "GodLoveth a Cheer- , ful,Giver " Iusciiption on the 'J North side: Born Dec. 27. 1830 t Died Feb 10 1903. Peace to His Ashes." On tlie West side : v ' lie v. /,. Belton, Pastor". V The unveiling exercises consis- \ ,ed principally of an address ap-'b ' " ' ,v mm* ER IS TERPRISE J 891 . 1907 PR J propriat? to t!io occasion by Prsa cipal M. D. Lee, ot the Lanca*I tor Normal and Indirstrial In?ti lute, Bible reading and prayer. Dr. A J. Warner, of Charlotte, was to have delivered an addiess, but was prevented from coming by a call to Boston Mass The veil that covered the monument was drawu aside by two small colored girl?. Mr. Williams, the man whose memory the colored people have signally honored, was, as is well known, one of Lancaster county's best and most highly esteemed citizens. IJe was a large and successful farmer, and lived in the Douglass section, not tar trom the location ot Mount Moriali church. He was a public spirited and patriotic citizen ; and he left as a heritage to his large and interesting ainily an enviable record as a Confederate soldier. He participated in many of the bloody battles of the war and on every occasion acquitted himself with honor and credit. In recognition of his bravery, coolness in emergency and fine judgment, Mr. Williams was chosen as one of Gen. M. C. Butler's trusted scouts, in which capacity he served the greater part of the war. To him was delegated the responsible task ot piloting Butler's forces through this county about the time of the Sherman raid. Mr. Williams was fair and just in his treatment of all men, whether white or black, which accounted in large measure for his popularity with both races. He was kind-hearted and generous and was ever ready and willing to help the needy aiv' de serving regardless of color. Panic on Stock MarketPrices Melt in Sensational Fashion. New York* Aug. 14 ?D strust of the Government's attitude towards corporati >"s. the threatened monetary stringency in all of the leading markets of the world, ami the financial embarrassment of the Pope Manufacturing Company combined to cle-1 moralize the stock market, to 1 lay. Prices melted in a sensaional fashion, and the average | evel of de dines was below that i eached in the memorable Northern Pacific panic in 1901 Stocks Vrtffl arklit t li.it. n- I*-'- ? --V. uw. -U? VI limn cv n u their history. Of the several causes named ho failure of the New F* lorporation probablv greatest amou^' ui. JVreci Ashevill 'a-semrer Southern ra Vsheville this foxaway, was our miles hey01 ho .cars were o vent ilowu a sm * vith the result th yere injured, t houuh y. The wreck is s ceil caused by spread. r ? ICE?FIVE CENTS PER COPY I Dr' R. S. Beckham Bead. ; Thp /"??' i _ t ciuic v^mzcn and Leading Physician Breathed His Last Yesterday Morning, at His Home in Kershaw. Dr. liobt. IS. Beckham, one of Lancaster county's oldestcitizens and leading physicians, died yesterday moini-hi at 7 o'clock, at his home in Kershaw. Though not unexpected, his death is nevertheless deeply lamented by his numerous relatives and friends in this and other counties, lie was stricken wi'h paralysis about two years, ago which forced him to cease the active practice of his profession, and a second stroke ? ??uut ?iirre weeks ago, as noted in The News at the time, resulted in his death, as stated. Dr. Beckham was a native of this county, was a son of the late Simon Beckham and was about 70 years of age. The greater part of his long and useful life (was spent at his old home in the Pleasant lliil sec'ion, where tor 1 ft many years lie was successfully engaged in the practice ot his prolession- When quite a young man he read medicine in Camden, where his mother lor a while resided, la'ev euteriug the Charleston Medical College, trom which institution l>e was graduated with distinction. For about lour years he was a resident of Loundeeville, Abbeville county. He was living there during the trying times of '76 ami took- * ing and aclive part in the redempion of the fct te from Radical rule. While m Abbeville he read law and was admitted to the oar, but never practiced to any extent, deciding to return to his old home in this county and resume the prac'ice of medicine. About ten years ago he moved to Kershaw, wher? he continued to reside until his death. Dr. Beckham was an intensely patrioiic, public spirited citizen and always took an active interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare ol his country. He was ever outspoken in the expression of Ids opinions and had the courage ol lis convio tions. He was a man ol culture, pleasing address and was truly loyal to his friends. As a physician he ranked among the best til this ptrt of the State, being otten called in consultation by other physicians in dtllic"' c tses. For n a *v years nr,j iiis dea'h he was a member of the M' Dr. Beckl* who w? da* * 4