Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, June 09, 1921, Image 1
* PRAISED BY TYSON.
General Urges Dsooration for OoL
T. B. Spratt
Praising unstintedly the "exceptionally
meritorious and conspicuous
service in the World
war" of Col. T. B. SpratjLof Port
Mill, former lieutenant colonel of
the 118th regiment, 30th division,
Brig. Qen, Lawrence D. Tyson,
59th brigade, 30 division, recommends
in a recent tetter to the
war department that Col. Spratt
be awarded the distinguished service
medal. Much of the credit
for the gallant record of the 118th
regiment is attributed by Qen.
Tvson to the work of Col. Snratt.
' The Fort Mnx' Times.
IttaUWMdian. . . - w=" \ rOKT KILL, B. 0, THOUDAY, JUWt ?, 1W. - - ?1.60P.r
i . ifrijjLir i >
who "wbb the mainstay of his immediate
commanding officer in the
preliminary battles of the Hindenburg
line" and on September
29, 1918, when the 30th division
plowed its way with shot and
shell through that series of German
forts, hitherto considered impregnable.
"During these battles," says
Gen. Tyson, in- his letter recommending
the decoration for Col. ,
Spratt, "the 118th# regiment
fought as gallantly, I believe, as
any regiment fought at any time
in France and this regiment bears
the distinction of having won five
of the 78 medals of honor won by
- the whole American army during
the World war."
It is a source of great pride to
Fort Mill people that two of the
five congressional medals of honor
won by the 118th regiment were
awarded members of the Fort
Mill company, Lieut. James ?*.
?3 ? rrn. r ?"i
rvuci oku ocr i. 111uinoo j. nan,
who lost his life in action a few
hours after performing the heroic
act for which the medal was posthumously
awarded him.
Tuesday the following eopy of
the letter of Gen. Tyson to the
war department was received bv
The Times. Accompanying the
copy of the letter is a note in
which Gen. Tyson says. 441 wish
. the people of South Carolina to
K ^understand what my opinion of
the 118t.h infAntrv anH f'nl T R
Spratt is." The letter in full follows.
"I recommend that Lieut. Col.
Titos. B. Spratt, 118th infantry.
A. E. P., be awarded the diRtinjbuitthed
service medal for exceptionally
meritorious and conspicuous
service in the World war.
Col. Spratt was second in command
of the 118th infantry from
its formation at Caiup Sevier in
October, 1917, until December,
1918, at which time he was ordered
to-the United States for promotion
in recognition of his conspicuous
services. Col. Sprutt
aided greatly in the training of
the 118th infantry, both in the
United States and in France.
"The 118th infantry did glorious
and distinguished service in
the Yores-Canal sector from Jnlv
to September, 1918, and later in
the great offensive in the Somme
from September to November,
1918.
"Col. Spratt was the mainstay
of his immediate commanding officer
in the preliminary battles of
the Hindenburg line in front of
Bellicourt and Nauroy, September
24-27. when his regiment took
over the sector assigned to the
30th division, ami did conspicuous
service in straightening the
line before the great battle of the
Hindenburg line on September
29, 1918. He also distinguished
himself nr? thp fttVi Qfli anil "Iftth
of October, when he materially
aided, by hi* advice and counsel
and aoldierly conduct, in the capture
of the towns of Montbrehain,
Brancourt and Vaux-Andigny,
where his regiment greatly distinguiahed
itself and where the
Germans were driven back and
routed, great numbers of them
being captured and killed, but at
the-. expense of a great many of
onr own men being killed and
wounded.
"Later Col. Spratt distinguished
himself on the 17th, 18th and
19th of October, when the Germans
were driven across the La
fie He river, great numbers of them
being killed and captured.
"Col. Spratt deserves espeeial
commendation and reward for his
services because muck of the initiative
and, success of his regiment
was due to him. Col. Wolfe,
at that time in command of the
regiment, being sick or indisposed
on several occasions during
these hard-fought battles and
COURT REMOVES OBSTACLE.
Way YorkA
decision of the North Carolina
supreme court upholding the validity
ot" the bonds issued some
time ago by the board of commissioners
of Mecklenburg county,
N. C? to finanee Meckonburg's
part of' the bridge to be built
jointly t>y that county and Yrrk
County across the Catawba river,
at the "Buster" Boyd site, about
12 miles up the river from Fort
Mill, apparently removes the last
of the many obstacles which for
several years have stood in the
. by ui itie construction ot tne
bridge. Actual work is expected
to be begun on the bridge before
the end of the present summer.
A meeting of the commissioners
of the two counties is to be held
within a few dayR and at thiR
meeting it ia thought that final
details looking to the early erection
of the structure will be
agreed upon.
The cost of the bridge, which
will be a modern Rteel Rtruetr.ro.
was originally estimated at $120.000.
the agreement between the
wo counties being that York will
bear one-third of the expense and
Mecklenburg two-thirds. York
bus hud her share of the cost of
the bridge. $40,000. available for
some time. The movement to
build the bridge waR begun four
vears ago. but the plans were held
up by a series of obstacles. First
here wns n .tiff f?o nf ,\ni.iinn
between the commissioners of the
.counties as to the proportion of
the cost to he borne by each;
next there were divergent /lews
as to the location of the structure,
and finally, after the other dif-!
ferences had been settled, there
was the attack on the legality of
the Mecklenburg bonds.
Completion of the "bridge and
the opening ofr the r.>ud to it
through bethel township will :
shorten the distance between ]
York and Charlotte 15 miles.
The distance over the ctreuirons I
route between the two towns is
now 46 miles, whereas d e distance
over the" new bridge road
will be only 30 miles.
While it is generally understood
that the bridge will open up territory
from which Charlotte expects
to draw a big volume of
husinew, Fort Mill also is expecting
to derive considerable benefit
in the way of trade from the
building of the bridge, r* the
town will then be much more accessible
to the people of Bel hoi
township than it now is.
MilUio A *?_ 1
imjiioa nbbcuu aouuiuu.
The Kort Mill militia company,
the Tom Hall Guards, has accepted
the invitation of Meech Stewart
post. American Legion, of
York to attend the first annual
reunion of York county veterans
of'the World war at York on July
4. Many of the members of the
company are ex-service men and
these especially are looking forward
with much pleasure to the
reunion. It is planned to take the
company through the country in
automobiles and motor trucks and
as July 4 is a holiday the officers
anticipate that few members
of the company will be left behind.
Many York business houses
are joining with Meech Stewart
post to provide entertainment for
the former soldiers and other visitors
and a joint invitation iR extended
"every soldier and every
relative of a soldier and every
friend of a soldier" to spend the
day in York on July 4.
William H. Grier, who was a
student at Clemson college during
the last session, is at his home in
Fort Mill for the summer vacation.
Col. Spratt then being charged
| with the command of the regi{
intuit.
"During these battles the 118th
j infantry fought aR gallantly, I believe,
as any regiment fought at
j any time in Prance, and this regj
iment bears the distinction of
having woi five of the 78 medals
: of honor won by the whole American
Army during the world war.
"I have always felt that the
118th infantry would never have
attained its great success had it
not been for the initiative, devotion
to duty and invaluable yjd
of Col. Thomas B. "Spratt.
"Lawrence D. Tyson,
"Brigadier General."
NEWS OF YORK COUNTY.
Gamut Item* of Interest Found
in the Yorkrille Enquirer.
Maj. Lindsay McFadden of Rock
Hill is a candidate for election to
the position of lieutenant colonel :
of the First regiment, S. C. N. G.,
it was announced in Rock Hill
Saturday. Mai. McFadden has
had many years experience as a
National Guard officer as well as
in the late World war. He received
his discharge months after
the signing of the armistice, having
served many months overseas
as a major of the 118th infantry,
80th division.
At- a recent meetin of the
town council it was decided to
turn all license privileges of the
town over to the Meech Stewart
post of the American Legion for
July 4 for the sum of $10. Council
also gave the post permission
to bring in a number of shows
for the week of July 4, if they
saw fit. in connection with the reunion
of the service men. A
committee from the post appeared
before council requesting the
action which was taken.
It was staled in Rock Hill Saturday
that former Capt. Murray
F. Mack of Fort Mill ia a candidate
for major of the Third battalion
of the First regiment,
which includes the companies at
Rock llill. Fort Mill, Camden and
Hartsville. So far as has been
learned there is no opposition to
the election of Capt. Mack, who
sow service in the World war in
the intelligence section of the 30th
division. Election of National
Guard, officers, it is understood, is
to be held on June 14.
Judging from the reports of
growers and others who sell the
seed, more peanuts are being
planted throughout Vork county
than ever before. Inquiries develop
the information that hnn11
ivds nf huahala tinvu I....... . .I.I
'? f?M? V WW II nvivi)
and that sales continue, but ao
far aa can be learned the plant in
If generally is in small patches.
Peanuts ure great feed for hogs
and cattle, and then also it fob
lows aa a matter of course that
with the production of peanuts in
sufficient quantity there will also
develop the manufacture of peanut
oil aud other biproducts.
Alleging slander in that the
defendant called him names aud
accused him of stealing tools
from his automobile. Charles H.
Ratterree. automobile garage
man of Clover, has brought suit
in the sum of $25,000 against H.
P. Jackson, wealthy merchant of
that town. The suit Is the result
of a terrific fight between the
two men which took place in Ratterree's
garage at Clover several
months ago. It is alleged that at
the time Jackson accused Ratterree
of stealing tools from his
au'omobile while the machine was
a* the garage for repair.
Rather than pay a fine of $10
imposed on him by Mayor E. A.
Hall following his conviction in
mayor's court Saturday morning
on a charge of using profane language
on the streets, I)r. M. W.
White, well known dentist of
V* I...Ill- i"?1
i urnviiir, whk column ipu 10 jait
Saturday aflernoon, to begin service
of a ten day sentence imposed
in lieu of the fine. The dentist
remained in jail a little more
than an hour, when he was released
from custody on order of
M..yor Hall, who stated that the
fine had beeu paid. Dr. White
protested vigorously at his release
tolling Sheriff Fred Quinn that
he had gone to jail for principle
and that he did not want any of
his friends or others interested to
pay the fine. When the sheriff
informed hiin that he had no alternative
after the mayor had ordered
his release, the dentist quietly
left the jail. There was a
lively scene in the mayor's court
Saturday morning in connection
with the trial of White for alleged
use of profane lauguage and
the case against James McDowell
and George Ferguson, young
boys, charged with aggravating
and annoying the dentist by eallir.g
him "Buttermilk."
W. B. Meacham, Sr., J. B. Mills
and F. E. Ardrey are in Charleston
this week attending the meeting
of the business men of the
State being held under the auspices
of the chamber of commerce
of that cily.
nJuns "DESTROY OAR.
A. Y. .Williamson Lams Machine
in Accident Near Anderson.
The Anderson Mail of Monday
afternoon tells of the almost miraculous
escape from death Sunday
evening in an automobile accident'on
the Belton rout' near
that city of A. Y. Williamson of
Fort Mill and Sam Bailes and
George Bailee, Anderson citizens
who ihoved from lowe- Mecklenburg
county to that city some
years ago ?nd the complete destruction
of Mr. Williamson's ear,
n fi VP.nncuall rror I
M ? ? -w \ hit i \nri, uv
fire.
The party, including the wife
and child of Sam Bailes, had he en
out in the country for u ride in
Mr. Williamson's car. Something
went wrong with the engine anu
Mrs. Bailes and the child were
put in another car and returned
1o Anderson. Repairs were made
on the engino, but the car had not
gone far when it ran over an embankment
35 feet high and landed,
demolished, in a ditch, there
to catch ffire and burn up.
According to Mr. Williamson,
who returned to Fort Mill Tuesday
afternoon, the car, when
about the middle of a high fill,
developed a tendency to wobble
and in an instant had run beyond
the edge of the fill and began to
tumble to the bottom. In goin?
down the embankment the gasoline
tank was smashed and the
contents caught fire at once. Soon
the car was a mass of wreckage,
bpt none of the occupants was
hurt in the accident.
Victory for Ar&gon.
With three regulars out of the
; im-i *
game aaiurtiay aiteruoon. trie Dest
the Fort Mill ball team could do
was to score 7 times while Aragon
mill of Rock Hill was putting 8
men across. There was no lack
of vocal encouragement for the
Fart Mill boys. buL things did not
break well for them and the most
intense cheering and choicest assortment
of baseball lin^o heard
on the local grounds this season
fell short of the desired end. A
featnre of the game was a four
base hit by Attdral Ferguson.
Manager Wilburn Ferguson played
his usual good game behind
the bat, but afterward said that
hr caught with difficulty, as a
finger on his left hand which a
coworker some time ago hit with
a sledge hammer while striking nt
u piece of iron annoyed him t?o
little.
Encampment of Militia.
The annual encampment of the
First regiment, N. G. S. C\, of
which the Fort Mill company is a
unit, is to be held this year at
Mt. Pleasant, near Charleston.
Mini will begin on Saturday, .Jul>
and 'last 15 days. Officers of
the Fort Mill eompauy already
are making plans for their organization
to participate in the encampment
and recently they have
been impressing the men with the
necessity of making the best showing
posible when the regiment is
brought together. Eight of the
company's "non-coms" will precede
the company to Mt. Pleasant
by several days to attend the noncommissioned
officers' school.
Oil 8tov? Explodes.
Explosion of an oil stove id the
kitchen at the home of J. H.
Bailes, near the graded school
building late Wednesday afternoon,
gave the town fire company
the first run it had had in some
'time. By the time the company
reached the home, however, the
fire had been extinguished and
practically the only damage resulting
from the explosion was
the wrecking of the stove.
Judge Favors McNinch.'
Judge Harding in the Mecklenburg
superior court has refused
| to set aside the verdict of u Meek!
lenbtirg jury giving 8. S. McNinch
damages of $20,000 against the
American Trust company in litigation
affecting the sale of the
plant of the Charlotte Brick company
in Fort Mill township. Mr.
McNinch claimed that the trust
company, which had a mort$gf
on the brick plant, of which ne
was owner, had disposed of it in
circumstances which were unfair
and unjust to him and in violation ;
of a pledge made to Jura. The
case will now go to the supreme
court on appeal.
APPROVE ROAD BONDS.
Port Mill Township Electors Vote
Issue of $75,000.
Fifty-six for, 21 against, expressed
the attitude of the Fort
Mill township citizens who last
Thursday voted in the speial election
proposing a bond issue of
$75,000 for the improvement of
the public roads of the township.
Much more interest developed *hi
the election than either the friends
nr nnnnnmita
-rr vu VI. IIIC plV|f?SIUU?
apparently anticipated and ut one.
time during the day runners were
sent out to various parts of the
own to urge itizens to come to
the polls and vote. There was
more or less ?juiet satisfaction expressed
by advocates of the bond
issue when the result of the election
was announced, with a corresponding
amount of disappoininent
heard from those who considered
it unwise for the township
to incur such a debt at the present
time.
Since the election public interest
has turned to the selection of
the men to compose the township
road commission which will have
charge of the expenditure of the
money arising from the sale of
the bonds. At least one petition,
signed by practically every citizen
of the lower section of the
township, urging the appointment
ot Col. T. B. Spratt as that section's
representative on the commission,
will be presented to the
legislative delegation for consideration
when the tiine comes a
few duys hence for the selection
of the three members of the commission.
The general understanding
was that in selecting the commission
the delegation would
give three different sections of
the township representation?one
member from the town, another
from the (rold Hill community and
the third from what is known as
"The Fork" section.
Along with the $711,000 bond is.
sue approved last Thursday, the
township commission also will
have pnder its direction the expenditure
of $20,000 which the
legislative delegation some time
ago agreed to provide as a supplemental
fund for t'\e improvement
of the public roads of the
township. The board of county
commissioners also has agreed to
expend $10,000 in the erection ol
a steel bridge over a branch be
tween Fort Mill and Catawba
river should the township commission
decide to improve that
road. To these various sums will
be added at least $10,(XX) from
the federal government, the understanding
being that this suiu
also was to be used on the river
road. The township commission
will in~~flll have at its disposal
approximately $100,000.
Under the law * providing for
road bonds for York county townships
the board of township commissioners.
composed of thco; eiti-'
/.i.ns, is appointed by the go- *titer
upon recommendation of ihe
legislative delegation. The c
missoin is authorized to seleci die
roads to be improved and is the
sole judge of the material to be
used in making the improvements.
r?o far as l he l imes is informed,
men will be selected for the commission
who will enter upon their
duties without any preconceived
ideas of the necessity of the im
provement of any of the roads of
the township without considering
their obligation to the whole township.
On Visit to Boyhood Home.
Xesalie Powell of Charlotte has
been spending several days this
week in Fort Mill with relatives
and friends. Mr. Powell is an old j
Fort Mill boy who moved to Char- |
lotte from Fort Mill many years
ago with his father, the late B. F.
Powell. For 28 years, which ended
about 18 months ago. he was a
mail carrier in Charlotte. He Was
then retired by the government
on the commutation provided by
law for fuithful postal employees
and is now in business for himself
in Charlotte. Mr. Powell says the
fact that he is a South Carolinian
is a source of great pride to him
and that, although he has been
out of the State for many years,
he still feels that his home is in
Fort Mill.
Hundreds are attending the
State Sunday school convention
in session at Winthro}> college.
LURE OF SECRET MINE.
Qold Hunters Fail to Reaoh Treasure
Hidden in Jfexican Tunnel.
For 300 years, according to reliable
records, the Sierra Madre
mountains of Sonora and Chihuahua,
Mexico, have held the secret
of a gold mine of fabulous richness
and a vast treasure of gold,
mined and hidden awav in an inaccessible
tunnel.
* The romance of the gold hunt
r? i? winumi 111 the history of
men's efforts through the centuries
to reach and bring back to
civilization this wealth of the old
Tyopa mines. Murder ami violence
have marked many of these efforts.
Mexico city contains records
of the old mine and several
prospectors have reported seeing
the ruins but none ever reached
them.
According to the records in the
Mexican capital, in the latter part
of the 17th century the isolated
village of Tyopa was raided by
Indians, who destroyed the town
and killed all the inhabitants except
a priest. After wandering
for several weeks the priest arrived
at a little town where he
was received and cared for. His
hardships caused his death, but
before he died he gave to the family
at whose home he was staying
a description and map of the mining
camp. He also reported that
gold obtained from seven years
of mining had been stored in an
oiu tunnel because of the impossibility
of shipment to civilization.
The story uiul map. it is said,
have been handed down from family
to family for generations.
Those who attempted to reach the
mine lost their outfits ami many
did not return. The Indians for
years menaced all prospectors,
and this condition still exists.
Max Covita, for several years
Mexican consul at Naco, Ariz., is
said to have been the latest possessor
of the priest's map. lie
declared he twice succeeded In
getting as fur as ('asa Blunca,
from which the ruins of old Tyopa
are visible, and it was reported
he had given up hopes of reaching
the place at the time of his
death several years ago.
TOLD TRUTH ABOUT AQE.
And North Carolina Girl Failed
to Get Marriage License.
Refusal to tell an untruth in
York yesterday about her uge resulted
in the failure of Miss Mary
Leageau of Canaan, N. C? and
Clyde .Jarvis of Farmville, N. C.,
to seeur? license to be married in
York county. Yesterday morning
Miss Legcun and .Jarvis arriveil
in Fori Mill from their North
Carolina homes expecting to he
married here. Learning that it
would be necessary to get a license
from the judge, of probate
of York county they enguged a
motor vehicle and were soon driver
to York.
Application to Judge Houston
for the liceuse brought forth
from Miss Leagean the statement
that she was only lli years old,
whereas the minimum age the
South Carolina law sets for women
to whom marriage licenses
can be granted without the consent
of their parents or guardians
is 18 years. They fajled to get
the license and yesterday afternoon
returned to Fort Mill greatly
disappointed that they could
not be married. Later in the day
Miss Ijeagean and Jarvis left for
Chester, expecting there to renew
their effort to get a license and
were hopeful that the judge of
probate of that county would neglect
to ask the usuyl question
about the girl's age Jarvis appeared
to be about 20 years old
and both he ami Miss Leagean
were neatly, dressed.
Wild Aases of Arixona.
Some 2,000 wild asses, direct
descendants of animals that wen*
domesticated in the Ilolv Land
and neighboring regions in the
time of Abraham, now roam in
the depths of the Orund Canyon
of the Colorado. Their forebears
were brought to this country by
the Spaniards, who were first to
explore northern Arizona, through
which the (Jrand canyon runs.
They took with them asses to
carry food and other supplies and
the progeny of some of these
beasts have remained there ever
since in a wild state.
.J* w"