Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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DOING HIS BIT By LAURA J. NUNN. [(Copyright. 1918, hy McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Early in the great movement for the conservation of food Jessie had brocched v. subject to her husband. He had acquiesced most heartily. Cer tainly he would be glad to "do his bit." All I want is the plainest of food," he fsaid. "And your cooking would make the worst concoctions delicious !" For a while all went well. Delicious fdlshes based on rice or spaghetti, with ?nourishing meat sauces, appeared on the table, and occasionally an entire pneal of vegetables. And John had 'eater them, first with noisy approba tion of the economic value of the move jment, then with a great parade of {patriotism, but lastly in a pregnant si lence that spoke volumes of martyr dom. Several times he had tele jphoned that he would not be home for fdlnne r-detained by business. Anc! then one evening the cat was jout of *he bap. John had arrived home (almost an hour earlier than usual, [Jadea down with packages. Into the tchen he strode and slammed them {noisily down upon the tub-tops, f There !" he said as he untied a string and disclosed a huge steak; "there's a piece of meat. That's steak ! Beef ! Allow me to Introduce you, madam, to ^ meal. I have had all the makeshifts I want around here and I am off the war stuff for good and all ! Why," he continted virtuously, "all I want is 6lmple food. A good piece of meat, some vegetables, some good bread and butter, and a dessert. No frills to that And Tm going to have them." Secretly Jessie was just as well pleased The "makeshifts" had meant much ertra work for her, and lt must be admitted she did not particularly enjoy made dishes. . She, too, liked "good plain food." \ So matters jogged along until John produce! a pair of tickets for a lec ture on "Hooverizlng." "It ls nonight," pe said. "We will have to go-and ?thank goodness it is with a clear con science lhat we can hear him hand it to those people who have not been doing their blt." "Well, we certainly have!" laughed Jessie. ; An hoar later, from their comfort able seals in the hall, they looked at each other in consternation. But thei speaker's words still flowed on in ear nest appeal, and there was not time for discussion. . "Hundreds of you good people would tell me if I asked you, that you are doing all you can," he said. "You will say that you have cut out every thing but necessities. You are using nothing but plain food-and plain food with you means the best roasts of beef, lamb and pork; the finest steaks and chops; the whitest bread you can obtain, and the 'simplest' desserts Usually pies or cake which use up the white flour. "Do you honestly think you are do ing your best? This war will be won or lost by food. Don't forget that for One minute. Most of you. In your com fortable houses, feel that the war ls a remote thing which can never touch yon. You give five minutes of pity to the starving children In Belgium or Poland, and then sit down to heaping plates of food and promptly forget all about them. You have a vague sense that everything will be all right Uncle Sam is behind us, and of course that means that nothing can harm us. Other countries have suffered. But America? Impossible ! And so you go on day by day, grumbling a little at the increased cost of living and continuing to live exactly as you did before the war. "Many of you think because you have bought a Liberty bond you have 'done your bit* What right have we to give a 'blt' while our men In the army give their all? So must we. We cannot all go to the front; some of "us must stay here to keep things volng. But we can and we must do wiihout the things we like; must sacrifice what we most enjoy to help win the cruel est, most horrible war In the history of the world. "Begin at home-now-to save the foods that our men at the front must have. Cut out the roasts, the steaks, the pies and puddings. What if you don't like war bread? Or macaroni? Or beans three times a week? Do you think the men in the trenches like' it-especially now when winter is at hand? "Looking at it from this point of view the housewives of the country are of even more importance than its army. For of what use would be an army without food? "And get away from this Idea of do ing your 'bit' Go in all over. A 'bit' ls not enough. ALL of the BEST of yon ls necessary. YOU can win this war !" In silence John walked home beside his wile. She was doing some deep thinking but wisely refraining from saying anything-yet Finally it came out. Was it John's usually hearty, loud voice that spoke? "We'll begin tomorrow, Jess," he said huskily. "I guess we have not done much thinking-rve been wishing all along that I could do something. En vied the fellows In uniform and all that, you know. Even if I can't wear the khaki I can do something. How about lt, old girl?" And Jessie, as she thought of the ruined houses, the blind and crippled men, the starving women and children in Europe, gave thanks that she could I do her part to aid the men who would 'fight to make such conditions unpo? jaible in America. IOWA DOES GOOD ROAD WORK Lincoln Highway Official Is Pleased With Progress-Each County Pre paring to Aid. That good work is being done in the Improvement of the Lincoln high way through Iowa Is the assertion of H. C. Ostermann, field secretary of the Lincoln Highway association. Mr. Ostermann recently made a trip of in spection through the Hawkeye state and the results were more than satis factory to him. On his journey across the state the Lincoln highway official was accom panied by D. E. Goodell of Tama, Ia., state consul of the Lincoln Highway association, and Thoma* H. MacDon ald, J. W. Holden and H. C. Beard or the Iowa state highway commission. Enthusiastic and well-attended Lin coln highway meetings were held at numerous points across the state; a splendid program of Lincoln highway Improvement was reyealed by the re ports submitted at these meetings. Covering the most important develop ments, Mr. Ostermann states: "Seventeen miles of the Lincoln highway in Clinton county have al ready been graveled with federal aid funds; applications for federal aid funds have also been made by Cedar and Pottawattamie counties, and sim ilar applications will be filed In the immediate future by Linn, Tama, Ben ton and probably Crawford counties." A Lincoln highway seedling mlle is now under way in Linn county, and existing arrangements call for thei complete graveling of all the rest of the Lincoln highway in the county. In a similar fashion the plans In Mar shall county call for the graveling of every foot of the Lincoln highway from county line to county line. Story, Boone and Greene counties are prac tically all graveled at the present time and an all-weather road is reported. The visiting officials found that Crawford county had spent more money than any other county in the state in grading the Lincoln highway. Field Secretary Ostermann and State Consul Goodell expect that by Good Stretch of Road in Iowa. the end of 1918 there will be 1,000 sus taining members of the Lincoln High way association In Iowa. Plans for the permanent marking of che route across the state were dis cussed with the various local officials, and consuls of the national associa tion, and each county In the state Is preparing to aid in financing this proj ect, to the extent of $300. A start has bpen made In this direction, following the action of Pottawattamie county In voting $200 for this purpose, to which the city of Council Bluffs has added $100. The importance of the Lincoln highway Improvement in Iowa was at tested by the presence and interest of State Engineer MacDonald and his as sociates at the various meetings. REPAIRS NEEDED FOR ROADS Necessity and Desirability of Eliminat ing Holes and Ruts Should Be Brought Out. In;order that the roads may not be entirely destroyed or put into a condl ton requiring complete rehabilitation, the government ought to impress upon states, counties, cities, villages and townships the necessity and desirabil ity of eliminating every mudhole, every depression, by filling In ; lt should ask that culverts and bridges be kept In a reasonable state of repair and it should command that every highway sliould regularly and systematically be dragged after every rain, that high spots may be eliminated, low spots filled and the roads made as smooth and safe as possible with this tem porary scheme to aid, as far as pos sible, transportation over public high ways.-Pitt and Quarry. Stand Heavy Motor Traffic. It is perfectly possible to build roads which will stand up under the heaviest motortruck traffic, as the state of Con necticut has amply proved. Road Builders Are Made. Road builders are seldom born, but are made and trained largely at public expense. You either pay for the trained man or you pay to train one. Cry Everywhere for Roads. There ls everywhere the cry foi roads, and for better roads. ?.0C?)CC09?00000eO*?*C????r0 j COMMON CLAY j . - . . By VICTOR REDCLIFFE. I alL?i'u-?.i?~i.MJi..jii ? i . Jo (Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.) "The same old Warren Boyd I" "Hasn't changed one particle 1" Two married sisters of the Elston family stood peering from behind a window curtain at Warren Boyd. He had just arrived, the guest of their brother Harley. It had been over six years since they had been playmates, great changes had transpired since then, but the worldly wise wedded sis ters speculatively viewed the young man whom they believed only one in fluence would ever bring to Walden, and that was Naida. She had been his bright star of hope in boyhood days; he had managed to meet her at least once or twice during a year. "A sneaking fondness I can't ret rid of for a divinity," he told Harley eighfully, who declared sturdily that Naida was true blue and was walting for him to grow up, and no one else. And now he had shown up, not one particle changed, and as calculating, shrewd witted Mrs. May Tolson turned over this young man In her mind as a possible desirable party for Na:da, her admiration of any fine points Warren might have faded away. . "He won't do," she told herself. "He is just the same big overgrown coun try boy, awkward, self conscious, clum sy. Why, he lets the little ones play with him as If he was some great good natured dog." From another window Naida peered also, but the sweet serenity of her face was almost angelic as she read in this great accommodating guest an innate love for children, and saw him enter heart and soul into their Inno cent pleasures. She had not seen him for a year. Yes, he was the same. Some of the crude lines of face and form had toned down, but there was not a trace of artifice, not the remot est attempt to act other than what he was. The little ones piled upon him as a good natured big brother. He amazed and delighted them with the various marvelous little parcels of sweetmeats he produced from strange hidden pockets, and when Mrs. Tolson and Mrs. Marcy sailed down into the garden in all their royal array of dig nity and purpose in view, he brushed back his hair as would some embar rassed school boy and sat uneasily on the chair between them, feeling some how that he was In the presence of unfriendly censors, yet knew not why. Naida stole a last distant glance at him. She fancied she liked a certain forced repose and guardedness that came Into his face as he confronted her officious sisters. "We learn great news. Mr. Boyd,* spoke Mrs. Tolson sweetly. 'Tour uncle has made permanent provision for your cousin and yourself, we un derstand?" "The grand old trump 1" cried War ren. "He's cared for ns orphans, he's educated us and now he's started us out in life-a man to love, truly." "Has he-has he quite settled his business affairs?" delicately Mrs. Mar cy Intimated. "Oh, quite," answered Warren blunt ly. "You see, there's the town proper ty and the bank. That was the bulk. He wanted to divide it between Arthur and t 'No sir!' I said 'Arthur is a cripple, an Invalid. He needs a sure Income. Give him the sure end of the estate so he'll have no worry.' Dear, brave Arthur ! gentle as a girl, patient amid all hrs great sufferings." "Why-why-," overflowed the as touunded and Indignant Mrs. Tolson, "what was left for you-?" "The oW brick works down the riv er. You see, that was a losing Invest ment for Uncle Carr, who never un derstood the business, and neglected it. I went down there last week and looked it over. I saw all those neat little cottages gone to neglect and ruin. I saw the workmen half employed, half paid, half hearted. 'Oh, Uncle !* I said, 'give rae these raen, these women, these children. Give me Mud Creek, sunk in the slovenliness of indiffer ence, give me this business to raise to something worth while, these souls to place upon the higher ground of a new existence.' Thank God! he did it, and I have found my life work." Naida Elston had come down into tho garden. Twenty feet away, she stood fairly entranced by the sudden inspiration that had flashed from the soul of a man who to all had been a mere lump of common clay. Her soul took fire in turn. His face was irradi ated, he was at once transformed. "The blind, perverted idiot!" mut tered Mrs. Tolson, under her breath. "When he could have grabbed ease, luxury, wealth I" echoed Mrs. Marcy. "Oh, Indeed; this plodder, this being who whittled away his chances would not do for Naida at all !" "I heard you-lt is splendid !" cried Naida, with beaming, overflowing eyes, an hour later. "Yes, yes, dear War ren, say lt again," she pleaded, and she clung to his outstretched hands. Ton are to go among those poor, for gotten people, a little brother of the poor. You are to have money, abso lute control, a free hand. And yon come to ask me-" 'Tf yon could suggest some (one willing to help me shoulder the bur den, and lead the benighted out from the shadow into the glorious sunlight .of a new and beautiful life." "A little sister of the poor, Just as yon are the friend, the brother, the guide and the leader? Oh, Warren 1" and how that dear, sweet face yearned Into his rapt, eager own-"make me worthy c? this, the proudest duty and privilege that ever fell to the lot Pf worran 1"_ THE WORTH OF A NAME TO YOU. Every one realizes how valuable certain names become to their owners; how years of association with quality, reliability and fair dealing haye made their good-will worth million of dollars. Such names, however, are EQUALLY valuable to the PUBLIC for goods thus identified may be bought with the confidences that a reputation so valuable, once gained MUST be maintained. When you put your time, your money and your labor into making a crop, why not pro tect them by insisting on RE Gi STE SEQ. OKBE? EARLY AND AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT F. S. ROYSTER GUANO CO. Norfolk, Va., Baltimore, Md., Toledo, 0., Tarboro, N. C. Charlotte, N. C, Columbia, S. C., Spa^tanburg, S. C. Atlanta, Ga., Macon, Ga., Columbus, Ga. % Montgomery, Ala. LARGE STOOH OP Builders' Supplies The war practically stopped all building, but now people can resume their building operations. We cany a large supply of building material of all kinds. When in need of BRICK, LIME, CEMENT . PAINTS, OILS IN AILS and Builders7 Hardware of kinds. Come in to see us. OUR STOCK OF GROCERIES and Plantation Supplies is always complete. Come in to see us. W. W. Adams & Co. AUDITOR'S NOTICE. All persons owning property of any kind whatsoever, or in any ca pacity, as husband, guardian, execu tor, administrator or trustees are re quired to make returns of the same to the Auditor under oath within the time mentioned below and the Audi tor is required by law tc add a pen alty of 60 per cent to all property that is not returned on ov before the 20th day of February in any year. All male citizens bt.tween the ages of 21 and 60 years except those ex empt by law are deemed, taxable polls The SO per cent penalty will be added for failure to make returns. For the convenience cf tax payers, I or my representative ivill be at the following appointed places on the dates mentioned to receive tax re turns. The office will be open to receive returns from the flrat day of January till the 20th day of Feb. 1910, as pre scribed by law. J. R. TIMMERMAN, Auditor, E. C. S. C. Dec. 17-1918. WANTED: Tenante foi several good farms. Apply to Mrs.M. J. Norris. BRICK FOR SALE. We will soon begin tie tearing away of the oil mill buildings and will offer second hand brick for sale at $5.?0 per thousand. Now is your opportunity to buy good brick at almost half prices. ADDISON MILL. T. A. HlGHTOVTER. Supt.