Edgefield advertiser. (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, September 24, 1913, Image 1
(?ihi? JtopaperIto ?mrth toolina
EDGEFIELD, S. C., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1913
JOHNSTON LETTER.
First Meeting of Mary Aim
Buie Chapter. Mitt Dessie
Stewart to be Married.
Y. W. A. Meeting.
Carde annoncing the marriage of
Miss Dessie Stewart to Mr. Robert
Kenneth Laney have, been received
here by friends. Miss Stewart taught
in the High School here for three
years and has many friends who re
joice with her in her happiness.
After October 1st, Mr. and Mrs.
Laney will be at home, Cheraw, S.
C.
The first meeting for the fall
months of the Mary Ann Buie chap
ter, will be held on Thursday after
noon, October 2nd, at 3:30 o'clock
and at this time all arrangements
.will be made for the annual flower
show. This show is open to the
county, there being no entrance fee,
and any one wishing to exhibit
flowers will send in theil names to
the registrar, Miss Zena Payne. The
show promises to be a fine one and
in all probability, Mr. P. J. Berok
man of Augusta, will be judge.
A very enjoyable meeting of the
W. C. T. U. was held on Friday
afternoon in the home of the presi
dent Mrs. T. R. Denny, at which
time a full account of the state con
vention was given by Mesdames
Fannie P. Hoyt and P. B. Waters,
Sr., and others that attended also
gave interesting points. This was
the time for the election of officers,,
which resulted in a re-election of
this able body: President, Mrs. T.
R. Denny; vice-president, Mesdames
M. A. Huiet, J. W. Marsh, H. C.
Bailey and J. L. Smith; recording
secretary, Mrs. Olin Eidson; cor
responding secretary, Mrs. A. P.
Lawia; treasurer, Mrs/ .Fannie P.
Hoyt. The superintendents of the
departments were also re-elected,
and superintendents were elected to
the departments being taken up.
The members of the W. C. T.
U. enjoyed two most happy hours
in the home O? Mrs. J. L. Walker
on last Monday afternoon and had
the pleasure of meeting and con-?
versing with two state W. C. T. j
U. officers, Mesdames Joseph Sprott
of Manning, and Mrs. C. P. Rob
inson of Chapin. Dr. A. T. King
and the teachers of the High School
were also honor guests. The hostess
with Mrs. A. P. Lewis welcomed
the guests, and pinned the emblem
of the organization, a white ribbon
bow, upon them, and Mrs. T. R.
Denny served each with a glass of
sparkling water, the temperance
beverage. Mrs. Sprott made a very
interesting short talk, and those
who had not already met her were
charmed with her. Refreshments
were served in the dining room
which wa6 artistically decorated.
The centerpiece of the table was of
pure white roses and dahlias, and
streamers of white satin ribbon
came from a hnge bow on the chan
delabraej to the corners of the table.
Banana and tutti frutti cream with
cake was served by several young
maidens.
Dr. A. T. King left on Monday
for Richmond and will return in
about 10 days with his family.
There will be no preaching on Sun
day at the Baptist church but he
will fill the pulpit the first Sunday
in October.
. Mrs. W. P. Dean of Greenwood
spent a few days of the past week
here with friends and relatives.
Mr. Charley Nickerson Bpent
last week bere with hii mother,
Mrs. A M. Nickerson and on
Thursday went to New York to
complete his stock for the fall. He
will enter business for himself in
Augusta, and will open np a'shoe
store.
Miss Helen Perry, of Columbia,
ie the guest of Mrs. Beckham.
Miss Bertha Woodward spent last
week in Batesburg with friends.
Mr. and Mrs. John Lott of Co
lumbia, have been visiting the for
mer's sister, Mrs. Chas. Lamb.
Mesdames E. G. and A. A.
Rodgers, of Augusta, were guests
of Mrs. Goodyear last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot Ouzts,
Misses Nina Ouzts and Orlena
Cartledge were visitors to Augusta
recently.
Miss Luelle Norris was the
charming hostess for a party of
friends on Wednesday afternoon,
and the hours were bright and hap
py ones, progressive games, music
and pleasant conversations filling
ibe time. A salad course, with ices,
were served and were prettily ar
ranged.
Miss Ola Smith hae gone to Mc
Cormick, to teach in the high
school.
Mrs. Mclntire, of Bennettsville,
is the guest of Mis. B. T. Boat
wright She is pleasantly remem
bered as Miss Alice Owens.
The following have gone to the
various colleges: Messrs. Stanton
Lott, Earl Crouch and Joe Scott,
to South Carolina University; W.
Wallace Turner and Fletcher Horne
to Clemson College; Robert Kenny
and Anburu Moyer, to Wofford
College; Miss Virgie Courtney to
Elizabeth college, N. C., Miss An
toinette Denny, Converse college;
Misses Kate and Fannie Pruiet and
Mary Lucia Mobley to Coker col
lege, Hartsville; Misses Ella Ja
cobs, Helen Lewis and Fannie
Pratt Andrews, Winthrop college;
Miss Martha Watson, Hollins In
stitute, Va.; Mr. John Fleming
Marsh, Charleston college; Mr.
William Watson, Citadel, and Mr.
Sales Andrews, Atlanta.
Mr. H. W. Crouch has fitted up
an opera house on Main street, and
an excellent lyceum course is being
arranged lor the winter.
James U. Jackson's Electric
Railway to Reach Connec
tion With Duke Roads.
Interesting facts have recently
developed concerning the construe
tiou of two electric interurban rail
ways in South Carolina. It appears
that the Greenville, Spartanbnrg &
Anderson, railway, which is already
operating between Greenville and
Greenwood, and is rapidly complet
ing an extension from Greenville to
? Spartauburg, with a prospect of
'soon starting construction on an
other link from the latter point to
GastoniavN: Cr, *. Thus connecting '
up the two sections of the Pied
mont Northern lines, will be con
nected from Greenwood via Edge
field,, S. C., with the Carolina &
Georgia railway, which James U.
Jackson and others are about to
build from Augusta, Ga., to Colum
bia, S. C., via Johnston and Bates
burg. The connection will be con
structed by the Carolina & Georgia
railway, and it will supply the de
mand for an interurban line from
Greenwood via Edgetield to Augus
ta. J. B. Duke and others are back
of the Piedmont northern lineB, the '
?South Carolina end of which has
just decided upon an increase of
$2,500,000 in its capital stock,
presumably for financing the Gas
tonia-Spartanburg line of about 50
miles, which is all that is needed to
make up a through highspeed elec
tric railway from Charlotte, N. C.,
to Augusta, Ga., about 205 miles.
Contract has been let to Michael
P. McGrath of 17 Battery Place,
New York, for the construction of
the Carolina & Georgia railway,
and he is expected t begin work
within 30 days. Gadsa .n E. Shand
of Columbia is chief engineer, and
he is finishing up the surveys.
There does not appear to be any
plan for concert of action between
the two railway companies, but the
fact the Carolina & Georgia rail
way has definitely decided to con
struct a branch to Greenwood and
bas awarded conLrai;t,leads to a con
clusion that the lines will operate
together for through service sooner
or later. It may be observeu that
the Duke lines have not intimated
that they might extend to Augusta,
although some consideration has
been given to a suggestion that they
be extended to Atlanta. This latter,
however, seems just now to be at a
standstill.-Manufacturers Record.
A minister in a small town, an
eloquent speaker, became afflicted
with throat trouble and was treated
for some time by a local M. D. Af
ter a while he requested the phytji
cian to present his bill, but as it
did not appear, the minister called
one day and asked the doctor for
his account. Whereupon the doc
tor he?itated, stepped around and at
last said: "Well, look here, brother;
you are a minister, aren't you? and
I am a doctor. Now, I'll tell you
what we'll do. You do all you can
to keep me out of hell, and I will
do all I can to keep you out of
heaven, and we will call it square."
With the coming of two trolley
li..;* to Johnston, is not this the
time to buy land? Y. May, sells
it.-Adv.
HOT SPRING BATHS.
Mr. Whatley Sends Another In
teres ti ag Letter From the
. Health-Giving Springt
of i Arkansas.
Dear Editor: On my arrivai in
Hot Springs I domiciled at Ann's
hotel on Central avenue, which'leads
through the heart and lung of the
city. The last census gave Hot
springs about 15,000 population,
when really she has, from 40 to 125
thousand. The 15 thousand are per
manent residents and the big re
mainder are guests, bathers, crip
ples, gentlemen, sharpers, million
bucks and doctors. Thirteen doc
tors are located in the hotel where
I am staying. <
This is a city of hotels, rooming
houses, eating houses, restaurants,
curiosity shopB, souvenir shops,
large beautiful jewelry stores, etc.
At home we think Hampton Ter
race some hotel but compared to
some cf these hotels its but a shanty.
Theee large hotels, and there are an
endless number of them, are built
of stone or brick. The wooden ho
tels are usually called ropming
houses .As one walks the citv, the
sign ^'furnished rooms to rent''
meets his eyes at every nook and
turn. There are numerous placeB of
amusement, theatres, moving pic
ture shows, shooting galleries, dance
halls, etc.
Hedged in by the mountains I
thibk this the most beautiful of
cities. At places the valley is only
wide enough for a street and a row
of houses on each side. Back of the
houses are the steep high moun
tains, so thickly wooded;.^b^9?J%
ground can not be seen -froth
streets and so steep a cataWfiHl
Ijrjrvlifttb? ?urtber-~iiib:;.;
tains are not so steep and far 'tip.the
side are houses. One side of the;;
house may be three stories and the
other one story. Some two and
three stories high in front and one
story in the rear.
Boiling hot springs are many and
are surrounded by people drinking
the beverage. One soon learns to
drink it so hot he cannot hold the
cup unless it bas a handle. Every
body goes equipped with a cup,
usually a collapsible ohe. This wa
ter is not allowel to run off on the
surface of the ground and beat up
the city, but is piped away. Then
there are the cold water springs if
you wanta drink of ice water. Un
cle Sam has a large hospital and a
reservation here where he sends
many sick soldiers.
His shower hot water bathing
house alone, Will accommodate five
huudred soldiers at a time. The
reservation contains many acres of
most beautiful grounds and build
ings on the mountain side, with
steps of stone, cement and marble.
Beautifully fashioned balestrades,
lion and tiger head? are everywhere.
On the 5th inst, a great fire broke
out in the city of Hot Springs.
When it became evident that the
local tire fighting force could not
control the flames, a telegram was
shot to Little Rock 50 miles away
for help. A special train soon
brought the great engines and re
doubled efforts were made to save
the city. Everybody, thousands,
turned out to fight, using garden
hose, buckets, etc., and great was
the fight from 1 o'clock that day
until 3 o'clock that night.
To the southwest the fire moved,
as,a tide moves, not stopping until
it burned itself out in that direc
tion, hundreds of people fleeing
with part of their household effects
on their heads and back, wagons,
buggies, automobiles, all loaded and
fleeing to the open.
Water seemed of little effect.
Wind carried the burning debris for
blocks and falling on other houses
took fire and raced on through
lawns and parks, enveloping beauti
ful residences, hotels, schools and
churches. Most magnificent groves
of large oaks now stand charred,
limbless and black. The very ground
seemed to burn, so intense was the
heat. Great flames ?wrapping them
selves together from adjoining
buildings broke off and ascended
skyward lighting upf the town and
elements. '?y
The dynamiting of buildings was
heard in all directions in a fruitless
effort to stop the tire, but it licked
across the streets and bare blocks
and relentlessly ate its own way.
! The power plant was completely
! destroyed and the town has been
without electric lights and street
icare* except the cars ?hat are pulled
by mules. The gas plant was des
troyed and the city ie without gas
except that which . is piped from
Lou:si ina.
About 1-3 of the city 1res in ruins.
I One hundred and twenty acres lie
j blackened and desolate. No one was
'without abel ter, however, that night
ag the city consists of more hotels
and rooming houses than any city
of its size in the world. Almost a
'hundred thousand more people
could be taken care of yet.
There had been no rain in about
two months but the next morning!
it began to rain and has been rain
ing pearly ever since.
Uncle Sam's reservation with its
large buildings and hospitals was
not damaged. Neither were any of |
the bath houses except two or three
that were not connected with ho
tels. The hot springs are 46 in;
number and in audition to the hot j
springs there a. ?J many cold springs
extensively used both in the treat
ment of disease and as table waters.
According to tradition the cura
tive properties of the springs were
known to the Indians before the ad
vent of the Spaniards. There isa
tale that the various tribes battled
from time to time ifor control of
these waters, in which they believed
the "Great Spirit" to be ever pres
ent.
It is believed that the earliest
white-settlement was made in 1800.
Dunbar and Hunter, who visited
the,place in 1804 found signs that
white men had been there. The
springs were probably visited by
De Soto in 1541. The l^ot springs
reservation contains 911 acres. The
igs are.all , grouped' about the
n this-,source are ??l eir
T the- <3?T^ti^-DY-?3?
secretary of the interior in improv
ing the service and in beautifying
the reservation. No one is allowed
to set his price forgiving the baths.
The scale of charges are regulated
by big Sam and range in price
from $9 to $17 per course of 21
baths, including attendants. Uncle
Sam will give you this service him
self if you will take an oath that
you are not able to pay for the
baths. Hundreds of poor people
avail themselves of Uncle Sam's
generosity.
On entering a bath house, you
purchase your ticket for a course of
baths and a box is banded you in
which you deposit your diamonds,
money and other valuables. The
box is shoved into a recess and
locked: The key is made fast to
your wrist by a rubber band. Arm
ed with your robe, slippers, cup,
soap and mit you repair to undress
ing room, where you leave your
clothes, and go into an individual
bath room where boils a big tub of
water, fresh from the bowels of the
earth but a little cooled down, rang
ing in degree from 98 to 106. The
attendent souses you in and holds
you down till the skin slips, then
he takes your corn cob mit and
rubs all the hide off. After this 20
minutes treatment, he takes you and
puts you into Hades vapor bath, 130
degrees, for five minutes. When you
cease to kick he takes you out, lays
you on a cot in a room of 96 de
grees and covers you with a sheet.
There you sweat and blow for half
an hour. Then he takes you to the
shower bath, where the water ,is
turned on blazing hot and gradual
ly cooled down to about 80 degrees.
You are then rubbed and curried
till you feel like a iour-year-old colt.
Into a cooling room you go where
you spend another half hour and
wonder how you survive it all.
Then into another cooler room and
into your clothes. You surrender
your key, which has not malted,
bedeck yourself with your diamonds,
put your money into your pocket,
get out ou the streets, look up at
the mountaips and at the one hun
dred and sixty-live feet tower which
stands on the mountain top and
wonder if you could not leap to its
skyround.
By the time your readers are pe
rusing this I shall be making big
tracks in North Augusta, the flower
of the great state of South Caroli
na.
J. C. Whatley.
Hot Springs, Ark.
Facts and Figures Concern
the Schools of Edgefiel
County.
? full review of school conditi
in Edgefield county, as ?bown
the annual report of county sui
intendent, W. W. Fuller, for
scholastic year July 1, 1912,
June 30, 1913, cannot be giver
short space. Some of the most f
nificant facts, however, should pr
of interest to trustees, teachers i
taxpayers.
The enrollment shows 1,038 b<
and 1,611 girls, making a total
2,049 white pupils attending 7 to
and 46 country schools, and tauj
by 9 men and 72 women. Of
boys 779 were in regular attendai
while 797 of the girls were in sch<
every day. These figures indie;
that 1,576 of the 2,049 pnpils,
j nearly 77 per ?cent made good t
of their educational opportuniti
? The term of 14 schools was li
than 100 days, or five monti
While the average session in tov
was 157 days, the average in t
country was 110 days, making: t
average for the entire country on
116 days. This is a marked ii
provement, but it is considerab
below the seven months' term tb
might be maintained in every scho
district.
The trustees of the oounty ha
exercised good judgment in loci
ing most of their schools, becauf
only seven communities report ?
enrollment of \'? pupils or less, an
only five additional communities r
port an average attendance of lik
numbers. Thus only 12 schoo
seem to fall below the ninimui
standard in these two iiqportan
particulars.
Country schools taught b; two c
three teachers sire rare. The.patron
y district con? - man
Th . iii :
-by TnT^elrcIr?Yrj?ci--err?T?<5s- sue
a community to $200 state aid, an
the policy of schools like Whit
Town in making prompt use of thi
appropriation should be promptl,
adopted in other districts.
The value of all public schoc
buildings is placed at ?20,750, am
their equipment at ?3,010.. Man;
counties have already adopted th
consolidated rural school and th
transportation of pupils, lt is in
teresting to note that the trustee
of Pickens District now prefer t<
eonvey their children to Edgefiek
in order to secure the advantage
of a well-organized school.
During the year the white enroll
ment increased by 33 while the ne
gro enrollment increased by 703
over the corresponding figures foi
last year. In this connection it \\
interesting to note the following
facts concerning negro education ir
the county: Enrollment-boys.
2477; girls. 2815; total for boil
sexe;?, 5292; average attendance,
boys, 2020; ?irls, 2270; total, 4290.
These figures show that the negro
enrollment was 2$ times that ol
the whites. Nearly SI per cent ol
the negro enrollment was regularly
in school, although this high per
centage is probably accounted foi
in part by the average negro term
of 54 days, barely three, months.
School finances show great im
provement over last year. The re
port shows that the poll tax in
creased by ?383, and the special
taxes voted by resident electors
likewise increased by ?2167 41.
The total of receipts was ?32,186.
26; and the total of expenditures
?30,867.10. These figures show
that the per caoita expenditure on
the basis of white enrollment wa*
?12.57 for each white child, and
96o for each negro child.
These figures show an increase of
32c per white pupil, and 2c per ne
gro pupil over last year. But the
average for both races fell from
?4.42 in 1911-12 to ?4.21 in 1912
13, because of the heavy gain of
more than 12 per cent in enroll
ment. These items are still below
the average for the State, and might
be liberally increased with advant
age. Corresponding figures for the
Nation show a per capita school
expenditure of more than ?25.
The high schools at Johnston,
Trenton and Plum Branch are do
ing excellent work. The addition
of Edgefield High School and th<<
levying of an increased school tax
at the courthouse should strengthen
every educational force in theocun
ty. This step places Edgefield
alongside of other towns in the
State, and invites every ambitions
boy and. girl to accept eighth, ninth
I and tenth grade instruction without
money and without pri?e.
J. E. Swearingen,
State Supt of Education.
The Methodist Meeting.
Rev. J. R. Walker was *very for
tunate in being able to secure Dr.
S. A. Steel to conduct the revival
services, in the Methodist church.
It has been a long time since the
people of Edgefield heard so ver
satile, so forceful and so ejective a
speaker as Dr. Steel. From the out
set he won the hearts of the people,
consequently the interest and at
tendance have steadily increased.
His plain, logical and convincing
presentation of gospel truth has
touched many hearts, and even after
he goes from among us there will
be an increasing manifestation of
the fruits of his labor. Dr. Steel,
will be here but a few days longer.
Do not fail to hear him evjry after
noon and evening in the Methodist
church.
Judges For The Cora Contest.
As the season for harvesting corn
has arrived, the judges for The
Advertiser's 5th coin contest have
been selected. Those who have
entered the contest and desire that
their corn be officiai ly measured
will pitase notify the committee of
judges appointed for their respec
tive community when they are
ready lo gather their corn. If we
have overlooked any community in
appointiug judges, the contenants
in those communities will please
notify us at once and we will
promptly select some one to act as
judges. The following are the
judge**, for the contest; of .'?9.13.
?
firman:
Wright and JVI. DeLoach.
Trenton: P. B. Day, J. M.
Swearingen and James Smith.
Clark's Hill: John t?. McKie,
Henry Adams and J. W. Johnson.
' Colliers: E. B. Mathis, T. E.
Miller and H. W. JVlcKie.
Morgana: Philip Markert, J. W.
Boyd and J. 0. Scott.
Meriwether: John Briggs, Wal
ter Cheatham acd Henry Cooper.
Ropere: D. 72. Lanahm. J. B.
Timmerman and W. T. Lundy.
Opening of the High School.
The graded school and High
School had a very auspicious open
ing Monday morning. Public ex
ercises were held in the auditorium.
Maj. T. J. Lyon, the superintend
ent of the High School, extended a
cordial welcome to the parents pres
ent and urged them to give him
their co-operation in his efforts to
build up a strong school in Edge
field. Short addresses .vere also made
by the following gentlemen: Rev.
J. R. Walker, Dr. M. D. Jeffries,
Mr. A. S. Tompkins Mr. J. T. Mc
Manus and Dr. R. A. Marsh.
Mr. P. N. Lott, the county
demonstration agent who is working
under the Department of Agricul
ture in Washinton, was present by
invitation, and in a most effective
manner explained the plan of
demonstration work that is to be
conducted by five schools in the
county. He will visit these schools
at regular intervals, instructing the
boys and encouraging them hi this
new feature. It is boped thai Mr.
Lott will meet with the hearty co
operation of the teachers in the
special work in which he is engag
ed. The pity is that agriculture,
both theoretically and practically,
was not taught in the public schools
of the state 25 years ago.
There are four teichers in the
High School, Maj. T. J. Lyon,
Prof. S. A. Genes, Miss Gladys
Campbell and Miss Marcie Gwalt
ney. The following compose the
corps of teachers for the graded
school: Mrs. W. C. Tompkins, 1st
grade; Miss Grace Tompkins, 2nd
and 3rd grades; Mrs. H.' N. Gren
oker and Miss Mattie Johnson, 4th,
5th and 6th grades and Miss Hor
tense Padgett, the 7th grade.
Monday morning there were 40
enrolled in the High School and 140
in the graded school. Others will
yet enroll, making the total enroll
ment over ?00.
Fresh pigs' feet.
L. T. May.