The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, March 16, 1909, Page FOUR, Image 4
E. H. AULL, EDITOR.
Entered at the Postoffice at New
*erry, S. C., as 2nd class matter.
Tuesday, March 16, 1909.
EXTEND THE SC:00L FACILI
TIES.
We desire to say a word more in
regard to the election on voting the
bond issue for the graded schools of
Newberry.
We at first hesitated to support
this proposition for ithe reason that
we thought a two mills tax for main
tenance was more than was absolute
ly necessary. We have looked into
this matter a little more carefully
and have come to the conclusion that
it will take an additional two mills
to maintain the schools of this com
munity'as they should be.
No one, we presume, for a moment
will insist that we are not in need of
idditional facilities-more buildings.
It is barely possible that the neces
sary buildings may be had for a lit
tle less than $40,000, but when we go
-to building we should not look to the
immediate present but build for the
future. While' we are building we
should equip our system so as to
have ample facilities for the lower
grades and also provide a high school
building.
If the lower grades building were
put on the college side of Scott's
creek and the high school building in
the East Main street section, with the
building now used at the cotton mill,
our school buildings would be dis
tributed so that they would be easily
accessible to the children of the en
tire city.
These buildings ought to be erected
at a cost not exceeding $25,000, but
ilots suitable will cost considerable
money and the present building needs
certain repairs and some little addi
'tions are needed to the Hoge school.
. At any rate if the whole $40,000 is
not needed it will not be spent by the
trustees.
We understand that conditions at
the present 'building now are deplor
able. Children are crowded in the
basement and this is certainly injur
ious to thieir health, and, of course,
they cannot study as they should, nor
can the teachers do their work as it
should be done.
We understand in the six lower
grades there are over 400 children,
and in the four higher grades near
150, making a total in one small
ibuilding which was originally equip
ped to accommodate about 200, of be
tween 500 and 600 children.
It seems to us that 'the bare state
-ment of the facts is* the strongest ar
gument for additional school build
ings.
Now let us look in a reasonable way
at the cost of maintenance. It is a
fact which we all readily admit that
we are not paying the superintend
ent what a superintendent for this'
-city should receive and we are not
paying the teachers what they should
receive.
The present income, we understand,
is about $7300 and two mills addi
tional tax .would give ,is about $4,500.
In other words the total income for
the maintenance of the schools with
the two mills additional would be in
round figures $12,000. We ought to
-pay our teachers at least. $50.00. per
amonth, and if we had two buildings
-with six grades in eaeh and a teacher
for 'each grade would gix(e us twelve
teachers. The high scho'ol ought to
'have a principal and three teachers,
which would. be fifteen rmachers for
the white- s.chool 'in addition to the
superintendent.
The following is a conservative es
timate of what it will cost to conduct
the school as it ought to be:
12 teachers at $50.00 per
month .... .. .... ... 5,400.00
3 High School teachers, .. 1,300.00
1 High School principal .. 1,000.00
Superintendent ...... . 1,00.00
Total .salaries ......$8,200.00
'Coal at least .. .. ......$ 600.00)
Janitor .. .... ...........300.00
5 colored teachers . . .. .. 1,500.00
Total .. .... .........$11,660.00
Nothing *i included in this for in
SuranI(Ce ()r repairs and noting 1f
t.he pay of the teachers in. the school
at the cotton mill.
It will be seen from the statement
given here that it will take two mills
additional to run the schools as they
should be, and even then we are pay
ing teachers less than first-class
teachers ought to receive, and it pro
vides for only a nine months' term.
These being the facts we certainly,
favor voting bonds as provided in the
act of the legislature, and also the
two mills additiorial tax.
We understand that the cotton mill
authorities have been paying these
teachers themselves. This school
should be a part in fact of the system
for the 4town, and the teachers should
be under the direction of the board of
trustees and the superintendent and
should be paid out of the same fund.
If the mill is kind enough to furnish
the building, with the amount of tax
es paid by the mill, it seems to us that
the town ought to pay the teachers.
It should be remembered that this
tax is not a tax in the ordinary sense
but it is making the property owners
of the community regardless of whe
ther or not .they have children to edu
eate pay the tuition for the education
of the children of this town.
We cannot conceive a better invest
ment whieh the people could make
than to put this amount in the educa
tion of the children of this commur.
ity, and when it is done demand f
the trustees that they put in charge
of the school from the superintend
cut down the very best trained teach
ers that can be had for the money.
The voting of these bonds should
not keep us from voting the addition
al bonds for the extension of the sew
erage and the improvement of tl
streets. It should be remembered
that the three a-ill tax which is pro
vided in the constitution and which
we pay goes into the general schol
fund and is distributed throughout
the county. The town proper do;es
not receive much more than one-third
for the town schools of the money rea
lized from this tax.
If it should be found that the two
mills tax would give us more money
than we need it can be reduced, but
no person should vote for this tax
with any idea of reducing it, because
it wiil take all of it with what we no av
have to support the schools.
"THE DARK OORNER."
The popularity of Zach McGhee 's
novel, The Dark Coraier, is beginning
to spread into other sections than the
South, and to be noted by ether pa
pers .than the general press. The
ner:.w.aper~S have been higho, .--:A
mentary in their estimates of the
story. It is being even more favor
ably spoken of, however, by the edu
cational papers of the country, which
are looking upon it as a more or less
professional work. The New Eng
land and National Journal of Educa
tion, published in Boston, is the most
widely circulated and influential edu
eational paper in the United States,
and in its book review column in the
current issue, it refers to the book,
anee to the profession that it is co:
sidered in a speial editorial article.
In its editorial estimate of Mr. Me
Ghee's work, The Journal says:
Zach McGhee,. Washington corres
pondent of the Savannah News, has
written an exceedingly interesting
story on the rescue of a far-from-the
railroad community through the skill
and devotion of a school master. It
is an educational novel with a love
story 'of course, for spice, but it is a
great story along the line of educa
tional betterment for the improve
ment of the domestic, industrial, civic,
moral, and religious interests of a
densey dark corner of an inten'sely
prejudiced and ignorant community.
There is a graphic portrayal of the
course to a community that comes
from ignorant school authorities; a
senseless, bumptious "professor'' in
eharge of the little school; a bigoted,
superstitious, conceited, ignorant
preacher, and a people easily preyed
u.pon by political shysters. All this is
given a rainbow effect under th'e pat
ient leadership of a co.nsecrated, culi
tured, brainy young man who was
willing to take the chances of losmng
everything in life in order to beeonie
a country schioolmaster that he might
a country sehoolmaster that the might
use, the opportunities therein for lift
ing' the homes and farms, the schools
nd cr.chbe t.hu highways and by
WaVS (jo ideal con(dition. Nowhere
s it o he Iuid as vivid a contrast
of what prejudice and neglect do with
that which cultured leadership and
noble devotion may do.
No one can read this book and
thereafter be content to make teach
ing merely a m-atter of petty school
room detail.
A committee from the Farmers'
Union -has met with the trustees of
Clenon celleg,e and they have come
to the solemn conclusion that the
principal tax should not be
reduced and unat Clemson need
ea the mone- We do not think
it would oe wise to reduce the tqv.
at the same time we do not believe
that Clemson needs all the money now
realized to conduct the institution on
a liberal and yet an economic basis.
There has been collected this year al
ready over $170,000 and the indica
tuns are that it wili reach 4.
With the other sources of income at
Clemson this tax is ample for the sup
port of Clemson and Winthrop both.
We desire to endorse what Senator
Mauldin of Greenville says in re
gard to the policy of the State bor
rowing money in anticipation of the
collection of taxes in the fall, and also
what he says about having- property
returned at its actual value.
Like Senator Mauldin we were once
of .the opinion that it was bad policy
for the State to borrow money and
that the property ought to be assess
ed at its actual value.
An experience 'in the legislature as
well as an observation of the acts of
the legislature has convinced us that
it would not be wise for .the State to
levy sufficient tax to have money to
pay in advance. It would tend, as
Mr. Vauldin says, to make the mem
bers.of the legislature more extrava
gant.
The history of taxes in this State
for the past ten years also shows that
as assessments increase the levy does
not decrease, and judging from this
record if property were assessed
at its actual -value, which would pro
bably be .twice what it is now, the
levy would not go down in propor
tion, but the legislature would find
some place to spend the money.
We h.ave an article from Miss Kate
Lou Neel which we cannot print be
fore Friday. It is on the school sit
ation.
STATE OF SpUTH CAROLINA,
COUNTY OF NEWBERRY.
-Court, of Common Pleas.
Mary A. Spehl, Plaintiff,
Against
Theodore H. Spehi, et a.l., Defend
ants.
By virture of an order of the court
herein, I will sell at public auction
at Newberry Court House -S. C., with
in the legal hours of sale, on Monday,
April 5th, 1909, all that lot of land
lying and being situate in the county
of Newberry and State aforesaid,
about one and one-half miles east of
the town of Newberry, S. C., same be
ing lot No. 8 of the lands of Theo
dore Spehil, deceased, containing 107
feet by 150 feet, and bounded by lots
Nos. 9 and 7 of said estate and a 40
ft street and Johnstone street.
Terms of sale: One-half cash and
thh bal'ance in 12 months with interest
on credit portion to be secured by the
bond of the purchaser and a mort
gage of the premises sold, with leave
to pay all cash. Purchaser to pay
for papers and recording of same.
H. H. Rikard,
Master.
I HEREBY NOTIFY ALL subscrib
ers on the Bell Telephone No. 287
288 lines I forbid any tresspassing
or working with wires or poles
on the land of the undersigned; al
so forbidden from climbing poles
on which I have bought right of
ways, recorded in the clerk of
court's office, to the full extent of
the law. I forbid any of you mov
ing any wire on the land or right
of way above mentioned until you
pay to me $7.20, that is due me.
Take notice that you only have 30
days to do this in on the account of
indecent talk over the line. This
indecent talk started because I ob
jected to a certain party coming on
287 line. Thlis party will ring 2
rig so he can say something con
trary to the family it matters not
who it is; he denied the 2 rinn
which was proved on thec line that
it was more than one ring and his
reply was that it is a lie.
B. B. Sloan.
Newberry, S. C., March 13, 1909.
* THE IDLER. *
* *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Duties never conflict." I sup
pose that is true. Sometimes though
th-ey do seem to lead in opposite direc
tions, but of course they don't. If
every one would do his duty honestl:,
fearlessly, and conscientit(naly this
Would h(e a pretty good old world,
and there would not be so many ap
parent conflicts.
-0
The Ledger office is getting oat a
swell little four-page "booster" for
Gaffney. The boa.d of trade is fur
nishing the sinews.-Gaffney Ledger.
Newberry -has a chamber of com
merce, but the policy is, so far as I
ihave been able to learn, not to
"boost." Our body prefers to do
things without letting the publie know
much about it. By the way, do you
know who is secretary of the Newber
rv chamber of commerce now? I did
not see where he was present at a re
cent meeting of the secretaries. We
have nice rooms for our hbamber of
commerce. An assembly room; a read
ing room, and a pool and billard room
where t1he members can enjoy them
selves but the body does not believe in
exploiting or letting the newspapers
know what is being done.
-0
The Idler has been thinking a good
deal about that proposition to vote
bonds for new school buildings. There
is no doubt that more buildings are
needed. Over 400 children in one lit
tle building is cruelty to animals. It
is a .pity the legislature put that levy
for maintenance in with the proposi
tion for additional buildings but then
we need more money to pay the
teachers and no investment pays the
individual, or the community so hand
somely as money spent for education.
And while we are at it, we just as
well do the thing right. The right
thing is to put up another building
for the lower grades and then a high
school building separate from the oth
er two. If that is done more money
will be needed for maintenance. Noth
ing so advertises a town as fine
schools. Nothing so helps a town as
good schools.
-0
Voting the school bonds still gives
t.e city the opportunity to extend the
sewerage and to build istreets. We
must not forget this. Every citizen
is entitled to have the privilege of
sewerage.
Alderman Green sent word to the
Idler that it had occurred to him
that there ought to be a bridge in Col
lege street over Scott's creek and he
had tried to get it. I thought Ald
erman Green got everything he tried
real hard to get. Try again, Mr. Ald
erman Green. If at first you don't
succeed-you know the rest. That
bridge must come.
-o
" The only fellows, outside of mil
lionaires, that marry rich women
these days are chauffeurs. This is a.
hint to youn men who are hunting
for a 'short cut to wealth.''
What's the matter with the dukes,
and the barons and the noblemen of
the old world. But the chauffeurs
have had their innings recently.
"Governor-elect Brown has deeded
the city of Marietta five acres of
ground for a public park. Put down
another merit mark for Little Joe.''
Will not somebody in Newberry let
us give them a merit mark. There is
a beautiful plot of ground in original
orest at the corner of Johnstone and
Glenn streets that could be turned,in
to an ideal park. I have no sugges
tion to make~ but I feel satisfied if it
were deeded' to the city for ,a public
park the city would set down a merit
mark to the donor.
A dispatch from Washington de
scribes the meeting of President Taft
and Vice-President Sih'erman on ttie
reviewing stand just after taking the
oath of office as follows:
"'Put her there, Jim,' command
ed President Taft, and the good right
hands of the chief executive and
Vice-President of the nation met in
a hearty hand-clasp."
How could a man like that help be
ig popular. I heard a gentleman say
the other day who is an old acquain
tan ce of Mr. Taft - that that remark
was eharaeteristic of the man. Such
a man can't help making friends.
I noticed the other day when in the
ne weourt house that the signs about
spitting on the floor had been put up.
Court is here this week and the visit
ors to the court house had better heed
the sign. The order of Judge Mem
minger makes it tilhe duty *of the
sheriff to arrest all who do not 'heed.
Su.pervisor Fea4le will have to b)e
iven a little more time on fixing the
court house grounds. The rains have
interfered with the speedy completion
of the Cha.ppells bridge. I am still
betting that he is going to d3o it as he
rmised jus a soon as he completes
hlm(Chappells brid.s.
I see it stated that Senator Till
man's health is aright and that he
feels as well as ever. I do really be
lieve it would be beneficial to my
health if Dr. Babcock would take me
on a trip to Europe and let ma take
Mrs. Idler along with me. Well, any
hIOwN', we are all glad that Senam,r Till
man has regained his 'health.
"Talking It Over" in the Augusta
Chronicle has the following bit of
observation. When the Veteran was
doing those stunts that now entitle
him to wear a Cross of Honor I bet
you they never stopped to enquire
even if 'he now and then drank a lit
tI.. real beer. The prohibitioniscs are
generally good people but there are a
lot of cranks among them. A cross
of honor is to be prized but if it is
to be withheld on account of what the
man is doing now it better not be
given:
"Isn't this a pile of rot?-to take
away a Confederate Veteran's "eross
of honor" because he elects to sell
near beer?
"Was it presented to him because
he sold real beer I
"Or because, like the ihero that he
was, and is, he went to the front in
battle, and offered his life, if needs
be, for his Southland?
"There is much to say in favor of
prohibition. There is much to criti
cize in the methods of the prohibi
tionists.
"A "rcz. or honor" is, and ;Iould
be, a prized possession-not because
its owner is cross-eyed, buys cheese,
sells liquor, drinks buttermilk, prays
when the clock strikes, pretends to
hypocrisy, looks pretty or is knock
kneed; but because it is a b vig of
bravery, of patriotism, of loyalty, of
,4elf-sacrifice-,of valiant serv;.e on
the battlefield under the Stars and
Bars."
---
Speaking about prohibition I read
the other day a very sensible article
in the Southern Christian Advocate
on that dispensary church at Living
ston in Orangeburg cointy by Rev.
Geo. H. Pooser. I saw where the
town of L:a-n aad *onLriburea
from dispensary profits to the erec
tion of the chureh and some of the
Mebbkodist oppose accepting it. Mr.
Pooser says the money belongs to
God and the church should be dedi
cated to 'his service. Wonder if any
money made from the salp of whis
-e -'r went into the cause ofE the
churches in Newberry and if any of
it was ever Tefused. I never heard of
it.
-0
My young friend Harry Dominick
has been reading the Annals of New
berry. A good thing for him to do
and for other young men and women
hereabouts. But Harry has foun<i
that the ser.ew auger was invented by
a Newberriani and he sends the fol
lowing story to the Augusta Chron
iele:
''It 'has just been found by a per
son, who is al-ways on the lookout for
something out of the ordinary, that
the serew auger, than which there i's
hardly a more useful tool, was inven
ted by a Newberrian-a Quaker
Benjamin Evans, daring the latter
part of the 'eighteenth century. Ev
and Tator i., ~.' " ;&M other z, a~ s to
Ohio.
''In this enterprise, Evans had as
sociated a e Joseph Smi a a
John Ed.morndson, who learned the
trade and followed it after Evans left
Newberry. Edmondson is said to
have 'made quite a little fortune out
of the manufacture of the implement.
''Judge John Belton O'Neal!. in his
Annals of Newberry, states that
'many a box of screw auger., have I
seen sent by wagons to CJharlea.on
between 1800 and 1807. I think that
Samuel Maverich. then residing~ in
Charleston, shipped some to Eng
land.'' The kind of auger, used pricr
Ito the invention of Benjamin Evans,
was the barrel auger, with a mere bi
to enter the wood.''
-o-- -
Mr. Featherstone says he attended
the Methodist banquet in Newberry
partly out of curiousity to 'see what
sort of thing a "'church banquet'' is.
He says a banquet is usually asso
iated with liquor drinking. I won
der if Mr. Featherstone never at
tended a Knight of Pythias banquet
and if he ever saw any ''liquor drir.k
ird' there. But Mr. Featherstone
then writes a good and sensible arti
cle on the importance of the church
emphasizing the social side.
-0
I heard a former member of the
board of health say that the rule of
the hoard and the ordinance of the
town use to require the garbage eart
to make the rounds of the city twice a
week on Wednesday and Saturday
and t-hat trash puit on the street on
thee dlays before ten o' clock in the
morenin-z would be taken up provided
ij .e nmot t:reXwn in a ditch and tin:t
if it were put out on other days d
was put there. in violation of the law.
Is ,that still the rule and the ordi
nnce. T was aso told that it was not
m- . -dinances ae ineeldt. An n
forcemneit of those we have is the
thing.
-0
The Idier strolled down st:,at i
few mornings ago rather early and
Superintenuent of Streets, J. M-nroe
Wickrer, 13(ta ei0rce of nine hands and
a two horse wagon sweeping off and
hauling away the (irt and trash oa
tiic paved"' -loin of !treet. It to
this force about one hour, just about a
day for one man. It occurred to me
that if council would adopt the sag
gestion, made, I believe, by Mrs. E.
M. Evans, of the Civic Association,
and employ a man and give him a
two wheel cart and let him take all
of his time, the street could be kept
clean all day the offices and stores
adjacent would not have the dust
daily swept into them and the cost
would be less, certainly no more. Sup
pose city council give this a trial. I
am only suggesting.
-o
A gentleman in Altanta is building
ihimself a very unique and handsome
residence. Among other features he
is going to have one room in which
no woman shall be permitted ever to
enter. Now, a house without, a woman
is not much of a place to live, but to
have one room where you can go and
leave your desk and know you can
find it just as you left it is not a bad
idea. The women, God bless them,
want to clean ,up your room -and
straighten out the papers on your
desk and they mean well, but too of
ten- after such a straightening and
cleaning you can never find your pa
pers.
-0
Geo. Moore,:of the Honea Path
Chronicle makes this observation:
"An Ohio minister says kissing is
intoxicating. Maybe in the course of
time we will be 'having local option
elections on the question of kissing."
No, we will make that election
State-wide. Conditions in reference
to this intoxicant are about the same
in all parts of the State and country.
Then you know, Dr. Wiley, the pure
food expert, says that soft drinks are
very injurious. We will have a State
wide election on this subject also.
-0
In Georgia they say now that the
arrests from drunkenness are much
greater than before they had State- -
wide prohibition. In fact I believe it
is stated that they are 60 per cent
more. I remember when the law first -
went ~into effect one of the Atlanta
papers printed a cut with the prison
gate standing wide open and the gate
guard wound asleep and the recorder
out of a job, so awabiding had the
people become. Maybe the reaction
is taking place.
-0
The Idler has been requested by
citizens of No. 7 to say that Super
visor Feagle has finished the Chap
pells bridge but the roads in No. 7
are in such condition .that it is neces
sary for 'him to do some work on them
before he can move. Besides the peo
ple of No. 7 feel that they are en
titled to have the chain gang do a
little work in that toivnship. They
claim that the chain gang has not done
as mueh as one week's work up there
in five years. Besides that Mr. J. S.
Dominick and' his boys have placed
Three teams at the disposal of the
supervisor to help in hauling rock to
work these bad places in the road.
That being the case the supervisor
should keep the chain gang there as
long as he can get the citizens to co
opera.te in this substantial way. I
commend it to other sections. Do not
depend exclusively on the chain gang
but encourage the supervisor by put
ting your teams and hands to work.
on the road. Mr. Dominick says the
farmers up there want the supervisor
to plant the new court house square
in Bermuda grass and that it -ought
to be planted in June.
Do you read Buster Brown i'i th
Funny Paper? I do. I generally
find something good in the resoIu
tions. In a recent issue he ga - no
ticc of a new insurance comapany and
advised everybody to take out a po
ley. It is worth passing on. The
title of the company is Happiness In
surance Company and gives notice
that ''You can insure vomi happ:
ness by becoming kind. generow;, temn
prate. getting plenty of sle.p, rxer
cise and fresh air. Don't wur-:'. it
will make you sick. Don 't eat too
much or hate anybody. These are the
premiums you must pay for your po
liy."'
That is a good company. You can
take a policy, dear reader, and the
beauty about it is the policy will be
paid every day ten fold the amount of
the premium. Don 't you think so.
I understand that Newberry has a
good show at the C., C. & 0. railroad.
We should keep alive to the situation.
It would be a good thing for Newber
ry. It seemns to be p)retty well settled
thait the road will go to Columbia and
Charleston.
The Idler