Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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OLD MAIDS ARE SCARCE. in The Virginia Mountains All The Girls Marry. INe, York Sun. rmarried women are scarce in the V;rinia mountains. In a summer's sojorn in a mountain country of ,3k Virginia a tourist made the ac qua!rance of fully seven hundred enns, and found but one "old a.'' a,ld she was "talking." To 7,a.. 'in mountain vernacular, mean ?tn L.av court or to accept it." begin to "talk" at thirteen eve- -welve. in localities far removed ircm the railroads. The little maid leavt oft her red calico "sleeve fpr.." the "head band" that has hela back her lose hair, puts her - ia big knob on the back of her -hea. and lets her dress down-all dve:tisements of readiness for mar The young man's choice of a sweet-; iieart is more than likely to be his coUsin. Kinship makes no difference to him, for he is not usually suffi- 3 ciently enlightened to think of the effects of such marriages-effects t very aparent in the great number of people in the mountains, roll-eyed, cross-eyed. big headed. physically C delicate, weak of mind-the offspring i -of cousins. often of "double first" r ..oustls. When a young man selects a girl to whom to pay court he will brook n'c "-'ther youths "talking" to her. i-e may "talk" to several girls, if 3 -he likes. in several neighborhoods, I but he gives himself the right to t .quarel with one if she "talks" to an -other than himself. If the Roll Pone Creek girls ad- 2 -ire the Crane's Nest boys above C -the youth of their own neighborhood 3 .or vice versa, there is fierce enmity ~between the neighborhoods. and woe to him who takes away the chosen girl of another! The chief courting places are the log churches. where the elders sit ,on the rough benches inside and wor- P ship and the young ones sit under a -the shade of the trees outside and "talk." and the evening entertain- r -ments at the homes-"play parties" :and "cake cuttings." which last, with their dancing of "Boston" and n 'Snap," from dusk until dawn. -The schoolmaster. usually good p -'nannered, is popular, especially if - he isni't stingy, but as it often hap pens he is saving his money for a e college course, is not immediately. anarriageabie and cannot do any ear mnest-tki If a sawmill sets up for several -mnonth< stay in a big stretch of tim 'ber the girl.s of the neighborhood re -joice over -a new batch of beaus and' the women oi the sawmill's board ing house are 'beseiged with feminine -v!sitors and teased wth requests in -have fre(quenit evening "parties." e' urtThip is conducted in the most ipen fashion. Public demonstrations of affection are not censured. At the p,lay parfies and cake cuttings the lovers pay ,no attention to any one 'i"e, sit w-ith arnm about each other :anai exchange kisses and( honeyed wor-d s. 'The engaged girl is v'ery open inm expressing her ownership of a vouing 'man. She pins -a ribbon on her hair -and a button picture on the ribbon., -and lets hang over her forehead he --c!ain?s" her beau over any otnier -gir: and if at a dance it is his turn to swi' g a girl she doesn't Ike she 'has been known to seize him bodily 'and pull him out of the dance. The male mountaineer is muchI -given to drink. At the all night en tertainments the y'oung men seek their liquor bottles in the yard at frequent intervals, continuing until 'they drop down to the floor, dead druik. This, however, does not low ~er them -in the eyes of the girls. -T1 Tike;" confesses the mountain manid, "to see a boy have enough liquor in hm to make him lively." The only musical instrument in the backwoods is the banjo, yet mu sic plays no small part in the court ships. If the lover has picked up a new tune in the outside world to add to his repertoire of "Ida Red," "Cripple Creek" and "Poor Ellen Smith." he teaches it to his sweet heart. "Ellen Smith," an old English -ditty almost his only love song-die -sings constantly. Its story is of a girl murdered by her lover and of; his wretchedness after the deed. Thet ref:., tele that+ e "Never knew he' Raise Our Ver IS AT Quattl Dved her until he saw her coffin ass" and that "now the sheriff and loodhounds will give hirr. no rest!" When the wedding day comes. usu lly after a very short cor.rtship, the oung couple slip off at night, and all it "running away," even though hey have their parents consent. teal runaways are but few. The usual obstacle in the course f true love is the enmity of the other of "the other girl." One ,other becomes so angered because young man quits "talkin' " to her aughter to talk to a more attract e girl that sh2 threatens to reveal he "moonshin" business of the outh's family to the "revenuers," a roceeding she knows would ruin he family. The mountain folk seldom remain ingle after widowing. As long as man is not confined to his chair by Id age he considers himself "plenty oung enough to marry." Nor does e wait very long after the death of is wife to find another. If Marthy ies in April Dick is "talkn' " by ulv. and marred in September, and hen Marthy's funeral is preached i October. Louisy, her successor, repares the big dinner for the funer I guests. Love marriages are the rule in the iountains, but the marriage of con enience is not unknown, particularly i the second marriage. Brandy iaking (moonshine or legal) brings :s reward, and the grandmot.her. ast 6o. marries the sickly individu I of 40 because she and her f.mily :ish to secure the "best brandy mak r in the country" to themselves. An aged widower wife seeker hires woman to kep house and do his )oking for a few months. I'll try er. and ef she is of any account to ork I'll marry .her." he announces > his friends. "and ef she haint, I TEACHERS AND SWEEPERS. treet Sweepers Get Better Pay Than School Teachers Yet They Re quire No Training. tlanta Journal. Some figures have just been col cted and published, upon good au ortty which ought to make all pub c-spirited Americans blush with In New Haven. Conn.. one of the ountry's most prominent seats of earning. there are school teac.hers :eting only $300 a year. while the rwest pay given street sweepers is Street 5weepinlg is a worthy occu ation. deserving of a comfortable ying. "Cleanliness. the world has nng been admonished. "is next to ~odliness." But the street sweeper equires no special talents or training. -s character need not be such as to xert an influence for good mentality id morals upon the uprising genera ion. A pull at the polls is the only ~ualification commonly required. That the street sweeper should be tt above the school teacher on the a roll, in the shadow of one of the reaest colleges in the world, shows strange inconsistency in a people ,ho make education a fetich. Unfortunately. New Haven does ot stand alone. The figures show that Chicago, Nashingon, Columbus, Ga., and Nferidian, Miss., are the only cities n the United States where the mini ium pay of school teachers is higher han the minimum pay of street ;weep ers. Ae do a lot of bragging about the ommon school system of this coun Vour Mi -y Fine OUR STABLEI ebaum PROSPERf eaion. \Ve like to think and to say that our learning is illuminating the remotest points of the earth. But there is not so much com placent satisfaction for self-respecting people in the fact that these great results have been brought about not through our own liberality, but through the sacrifice and self-denial of the thousands of noble men and - women who give their trained minds, their high character. their whole Ives, to the uplifting of our children, and get but a bare pittance. High talents and long training are required to teach school-talents and training that if applied in a more selfish occupation would command rich returns. The school teacher accepts a self sacri ice that is unappreciated and wholly uncalled for. The prosperous and fair-minded C American people ought to be ashamed to permit it. There may be many reforms need ed in this land, but none that would F more advance justice and increase our self-respect as a people than the elevation of the school teachers above the level of street sweepers and the paying of salaries commensurate with u their high services. The Origin Of Baseball? 1( An Oklahoma paper says it was a r baseball editor with religious convic tions who originated the following: "The devil was the first coacher; he coached Eve when she stole first; Adam stole second. When Isaac met Rebecca at tlhe well she was walk ing with a pitcher. Sampson struck out a good many times when he beat the Philistines. Moses made the first run when he slew the Egyptians. Cain made a base hit when he slew Abel. The prodigal spn made a home run. David was a long distance thrower and Moses shut out The Egyptians at the Red sea. The game was called when a flood came, on ac count of wetr grounds." It's easier for a wise man to act foolish than it is for a foolish man to act wise. WANTED! Your Watches, Clocks an~ Jewelry to be re paired. Satisfaction Guaranteed, J. W. W HITE. 5 ANO 10 CENTS, Everyhing in our Store for that Price. Newberry's only 5 and 1o Cent Store. In Store formerly occupied by Todd, Main Street. CAGLE BROS. PAINLESS *ft*; au Mcai.eorw.Isken,s large book of par 'p lo ticulars on home or AND B. IL..WOOLLEY, Whisksr Cure it i." &a Lles at lack, "P s ALL THE &Lar ry, s. C. .outhern Lime CHARLES~ Building Material of a Roofing "R Write fo FOLLC WE ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN NO GRASS GROWS WE Ht. Long before the advance in c hases for the fall 1905 were m ill goods has arrived and is arr ze core and we propose to give ;EGULAR CUSTOMERS the One Word to A genuine brrgain and a fair 11 who trades with us. We c nless we can sell you better as ian you can find in any other s :t them be wholesalers, retail ag-a-bears. Yours for genuine bargai 0. KIE No.2 Fi Br os A wonderfully capabi built on the Kodak p satisfy experienced i simple that children PICTURES 2 Loads in dayl Cartr Fitted with menis< with iris diaphragm Full description in h at anp photographic EAST] Home. 'aragon" TIME. igford, and Cement Co. FON, S. C. ill kinds. High Grade UBEROID." r Prices. )W USI FRONT OF THE PROCESSION. UNDER OUR FEET, JSTLE. :otton or cotton goods our pur ade. A large portion of our iving daily. Profits are cut to to the public, especially OUR advantage. Everybody. and square deal is assured to lon't wan't any of your money ad more goods for your money tore this side the Atlantic ocean, ers, milliners, millionaires or ,ns, ttner, The Fair and Square Dealer >lding Price, Sand accurate camera lan. Good enough to >hotographers, yet so can use it. x 3%/ inches. ight with film idges. :us lens, and shutter stops. odak Catalog TREE~ dealers or by mail. VAN KODAK CO., Rochester, N. Y.0