Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, June 08, 1922, Image 1
The Fort Mill Times.
KlUblilhtd 1891., FORT MILL. 8. P., THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1922. $1.60 Per Year.
HISTORIC BELVOIR."
Colonial Mansion Where Washington
Enjoyed Life.
"Belvoir, Va., where George
Washington danced, where Martha
Washington was entertained
at week-onu parties, and, where
Lord Fairfax rested after his fox
iiuuung, now is popularly known
among Washington city people as
a 'destination' of interest for the
motorist und a luncheon place
for the motor boat enthusiast,"
says a bulletin . of the National
Geographic Society.
* 4 ' iMi ah fvfei t/\?lu If 10 O
AllVU^Il ivuaj II1UIC IO juni H
small pile of bricks mude in England
and a foundation which is
almost imaginary to tell where
the historic mansion stood, the
very spot itself speaks of the romance
of which early Virginia
history is redolent. Not a painting
nor authentic plun remains
tc tell what the old house looked
like, but its location 011 a high
green bank where the Potomac
bends gently southward just below
Mount Vernon and within
Bight of Ounston Hall, the home
of George Mason, author of the
Virginia Declaration of Rights,
was enough to inspire its preservation
by transferring it to the
United States army. It is now
posted as an animal reservation
and picnic ground.
"The estate stretched in the
old days for ten miles along the
river, and the house site is a
high point which juts out into
oue of the deepest pluces in the
river channel.
"From Washington it is easily
accessible by boat down the Potomac
or by un excellent military
road to Camp Humphreys, built
during the World war as a sta^
tiou for engineers.
"The stately gentlemen of Vir>
ginia had a magnificent view of
the curving banks of the river
~ and the soft blue kills, on the
Maryland shore from their front
windows or. frout yard. Though
the 1200 or 300 yards of land that
stretched off on the right toward
the intake from the river are
now overgrown with trees and
brush, they must have been
cleared out then so the planters
:_l. i _ i _r At...
uiigui nave a goou view 01 me
vessels from EngUnd that put in
^ at their wharves.
*4 Evidently the house was put
up early in the 18th century by
WiUiam Fairfax, the cousin and
colonial agent of the owner of
the land, Lord Fairfax, who at
that time huving graduated at
Oxford was baNking in the sunshine
of courtly favor and ladies'
smiles in - England, contributing,
as fancy pleased him, to Addison's
'Spectator,' and moving in
the inspiring and intellectual at?
mosphere of London.
44When his lordship was jilted
at the altar for a suitor with a
higher title, he decided to seek
surcease from his chagrin by
-visiting his cousin William, who
seemed to be enjoying life on his
vast holdings in the colonies. So
' I 1 1. .Ll. 1 A
pieascu was ne wiui wnai one
early writer terms 4 beautiful
prospects and sylvan scenes,
transparent streams, and majestic
woods,' that he afterward
took up his residence on part of
his estate in the Shenandoah valley.
44lt was at Belvoir that Washington
came under the influence
of the polish of an elegant English
household. Most of his sterling
virtues and simple morality
he had learned under his mother's
care, but in the Fairfax home
and on his' long hunting trips
with Lord Phirfax and in his
fireside talka with this veteran of
experience who could tell him the
opinions of the learned men at
Oxford and of the uraietv of En or
lish society he gleaned much that
stood him in good stead in Inter
years.
^ ~--"Lawrence Washington, older
brother of George,'"hid married
Anne Fairfax, the oldest daughter
of William Fairfax, and it was
for her that Mount Vernon was
originally built. Later when the
house was being remodeled for
hie coming of the "bride of George
it was William Fairfax who went
evet orery day or two to be sure'
Executive- Committee Meets, i
Three new voting precincts for!
York county were created by the
York County Democratic committee
at a meeting of the committee
held in Yorkviile in the court
house Monday morning pursuant
to the call of the county chairman,
J. A. Marion, Esq., says the
Yorkviile Enquirer oi Tuesday.
Thtt iimw vntiiur t'rt'iiImI
were: Santiago, with the election
booth to be at A. M. McGill's
store; Mitchell's store, "with the
precinct to be at Mitchell Bros',
store, in the Mount Holly section,
and Gannon mill of Yorkville, the
precinct to be at the school house.
The committee would have
gladly created a second precinct
for Fort Mill, but JS. 11. Epps, executive
committeeman from Fort
Mill township, objected to the
creation Of a second precinct
there when it was made plain to
him that he and others liviug in
the Gold Hill section ol' Fort Mill
^ ould have to vote at the precinct
to be established. Mr. Epps said
that W. R. Bradford and others
had gotten up a petition ask
lHg UUtl II HeCUIlll preeinci Uf
established in Fort Mill, tlie precinct
to be known as Fort Mill
No. 2 and to include the mill villuge
north of Fort Mill. Under
the rules of the party which ate
the law of the State it such a precinct
were created all those citizens
living nearest thereto would
have to vote at this precinct.
Married Yesterday.
Miss Kathleen llall, daughter
of Mr. ami Mrs. J. K. Hall of the
Providence section of Mecklenburg
county,4 and Clarence E.
Patterson of the Barberville community,
Lancaster county, were
murried yesterday afternoon at
4 o'clock ut the home, of Mrs. Lavinia
Davidson in Pleasant Vallev.
The home had been attract
ively decorated for the ceremony
which was performed by the
Rev. T. J. liouck, pastor of the
bride. Mrs. Patterson is an attractive
young woman whose
many friends will learn of her
iharriuge with genuine interest.
'Mr. Patterson is a graduate of
Cleuisou college. During the last
session he taught the school at
Marvin, N. C. Shortly after the
ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson
left, for a trip to the mountains
of North Carolina.
Bees Settle in Home.
J. "W. Dorman, whose home is
two miles north of h'ort Mill, recently
had an odd experience
with bees, two swarms of which
settled between the ceiling and
weatherboarding of his home. He
found it necessary to tear a strip
or two of weatherboarding from
the front side-of his house to remove
the first swarm he discovered
and in doing so located an
other swarm a few feet away.
The swarms were separated by
studding.
Talk of K'io-ht Pollen Officer.
There is considerable difference
of opinion among business men
of Fort Mill with respect to the
advisability of employing a night
police officer whose beat would
be confined to Main street under
a proposition advanced a day or
two ago as the fesult of the robbery
of one of the stores of the
town Monday night. An effort
was made to secure subscriptions
from Main, street" merchants to
be applied to the payment of the
salary of such an officer, the balance
to be appropriated by the
town council. Pledges for less
than $20 per month were secured.
, , ,
The primrose path never leads
to Easy street.
Gunston Hall, it was the center
of great social activity. Often
whole parties would move from
one colonial mansion to anothea
in a continual round of festivities:
One amusing and delightful
indication of the affection existing
between the Fairfax: family
at Belvoir and Qeoage Washington
is a note written by Wil
liam Fairfax to Washington after
the campaign against the
French at Fort Duqueane begging
him to come over on- the
next Sunday, 'or else the Lady's
will try to get horses to equip
our Chair or attempt their
mrangtk on Foot to Sahm^yoq."
: . * ~
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Ffri i i li i iii iii iMmht ' ' &*h
NAME SENT TO SENATE. |
Gapt. S. W. Parks Appointed <
Postmaster* of Port Mill.
The vacancy which had existed !
in the post mastership of Fort Mill <
since the late B. Henry Massey ;1
resigned two years ago was filled > [
by a permanent appointment last I ^
Friday wheu President liarding ' 1
sent to the senate the nomination ! (
of lapt. i>. W. larks, woo had j
been acting postmaster for the i
last ten mouths. It is presumed <
in Fort Mill that there will be no <
opposition to the confirmation of j
Capt. Parks and that in the course ,
of a few days his nomination will 1
be reported favorably by the (
post office committee of the sen- ,
att and then given the approval \
of that body. J
Capt. Parks first assumed the !
duties of postmaster of Fort Mill j <
as successor to J. C. McElhaney, | <
who resigned after holding the i
office as a temporary appointee ;
only a few weeks. Two months (<
ago Capt. Parks stood the civil
service examination for the per- (]
manent appointment. He was the '
only applicant for the office who '
appeared before the board of ex- [
aininers. During the time he has
held the postmastership of Fort
Mill, Capt. Parks lias given close \
attention to the duties of the !
duties of the office and has made |
office and has made a number of
improvements in the service.
Prior to the resignation of Mr.
Alassey two years ago, changes ;
in the post mastership of Fort Mill 11
since the Civil war have been :
few and far between. {Shortly
after the close of the Civil war,
the late Seth Hotchkiss was ap
pointed postmaster and held the
office until Grover Cleyeland became
president in 1885. Mrs.
Laura Drakeford was then made
postmaster and continued in the j
office, until _she was succeeded by
Mr. Massey during the second j
Cleveland administration. Mr.
Massey was postmaster for 26 i
years. When he resigned^- two
years ago, W. B. Ardrey becuine 11
acting postmaster and held the |
office for one year. He was in ,
turn succeeded by J. C. McElha- ,
ney, who resigned after Htayiug
in office one month. Mr. MeElhaney
was suoceeded by Capt.
Parks.
Big Amount Unpaid Taxes.
Unpaid taxes in York county
that will go into execution this
year approximate $60,000, by far '
the largest amount on record. |
This, too, thispite^the extension of
the tax paying time two and a
half months by the General Assembly
at its last session. The
total tax claims for"T921 Amounted
to $632,750 and approximately
one-tenth of thie sum will have
to be collected by the sheriff.
The amount of taxes that went
into execution last year, which
was for taxes due in 1920, was
$12,930, the high water mark up to
that time. The unusual situa^
tiou is brought about by the fact
that this year the unpaid-taxes
are about five times greater than
they were for the record breaking
amount of last year. In preceding
years the taxes that have
gone into execution have averaged
from $5,000 to $7,000, according
to H. E. Noil, county treasurer.
The amount two years ago
was ^5,125.
W
fT^L, BIBLE THOUGHTS 1
TT -?FarThi*Week? i
|>M> *> ?,y; 'ft& jfluT** *1
nUDNRW IH SERVICE?Serve the
Lord with gladness. Knter Into hts gates
with thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise: be thankful unto him. an?l
bless his name. For the Lord is good.?
Psalm 109:2-4.
A NKBDKUL I'llAYKK?Shew me thy
ways, O Lord: teach me thy paths. Let
Integrity and uprightness preserxe me:
for .1 wait on tliee.?Psalm 36:4. 2i.
THE LOVE THAT HAVKH-Koi (led
so loved the world that M gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever belleveth
In him should not perish, but
haver everlasting life.?John 3:16.
REWARD OF THE RIOHTBOl'S-Mark
the perfect man. and behold the
upright: for the end of that man la
peace.?Realm I?:f7.
PEACE AND SAFETY ? Thou wilt
keep him 'in perfect peace, wheee mind
la stayed on thee: because he trusteth tu
thee.?Isaiah 31:1.
LOVE MASTERS FEAR?There to no
fear la lore; but perfect lore eastern out
fear.-t Jete 44*. _
. * % i
tfjjW. *. ^' t
\ ? A*
N * * -
PUSHING BRIDGE WORK.
Contractors Busy on York-Mecklenburg
Structure.
Word from the site of the $100,-^
XX) bridge being built jointly''
Across Catawba river by York
And Mecklenburg counties at
Blister'' Boyd ferry, 12 miles
northwest of Fort Mill, is that
lie construction work is well tinier
way and that the bridge will
be completed and ready for use
within a few months if unforeseen
lifliculties do not confront the
sontractors. The approaches and'
foundations are being constructed
by the llardaway Construei
i i x i
liOll CUI[|[)(II1V itllU Hie HICCI SWpCl?t
fiict lire is being built by an
Atlanta bridge concern, to which
the contract was sublet by the
llardaway company. Most" of the
steel to be used in the bridge in
on the ground and the contractors
are said to be ready to rush
their work to completion as soon
us the foundations have been
completed.
The bridge will open a new
highway between York and Mecklenburg
counties ami will shorten
by several miles the distance
between the town of York ami
Charlotte. It also will make more
accessible to Fort Mill the Bethel
section of York county. Considerable
work will have to be done
on the York "county end of the
highway leading to the bridge,
however, before it can be of much
Service to the public. Most of j
the highway winch will have to
he worked over is in Bethel township.
Mecklenburg county is to pay
two-thirds the cost of the bridge
ami the other third is to be paid
by York county. ^ ?
Cooperation Needed.
"If citizens of Fort Mill who
indulge iu harsh criticism of the
trvrn authorities for their efforts
to edforce tlie town ordinances
would show instead a spirit of
cooperation, we would have a
much better community/' yester-j
day said Dr. A. L. Ott, recorder,
"Every time an arrest is made
and the defendant pleads guilty
or his guilt is proved, there are
those to say that a mistake was
made and to talk of 'persecution.'
Another class of citizens
think the town authorities entirely
too lenient 011 persons they
say arc guilty of infractions of
the law. It is a fact, however,
that these citizens never swear
out warrants for the arrest of
persons they say should be punised."
Many Attend Revival Services.
Large congregations are attending
the ten day revival services
which began Sunday at the Fort
Mill Baptist church. The services
are being conducted by the
Rev. Dr. R. G. Lee, pastor of the
First Baptist church of Chester.,
The singing is under the direction
of Carlyle " Brooks of Atlanta.
Services are being held each evening
at 7:45 o'clock and will continue
through the middle of next
week. Dr. J. W. II. Dychcs, pastor
~r .1. . _ 1 L i. 1.. *l. Ki:?
Ul liir rmurii, rAiuuun un; puuuu
a cordial iuvitation to attend tho
services. Dr. Lee is a Fort Mill
man and many of his old friends
are taking: advantage of tho first
opportunity they have had to
hoar him preach since he entered
the ministry.
m m m
? ? - 0
I QUESTIONS ?1
| ^ and Bible Answers |
1 If Pi?to wfll wumm eMMraa to look o? E
t sadiwooOy ttw Billwwii, tt wifrpcov I
B ft pr>a?l iM baritaa* to Oi? ia aftar yaftrm.J
How did God express hl? Infinite love?
?John 3:16.
Whttt u said tn the vemea^of scripture
that are carved on the tonTb of Ueortfe
Washington??Jqhn 11:35, 29Which
Is the First Commandment 7?
Kxodus 20:3.
What did David aay to, Solomon ho
odM Chron. 23:3What,
doe* Solomon aay la the bejjlnnln*
of wladom??Proverbs 1:7.
Which ia the Second Commandment??
Kxodua 20:4-6Why
should we revere the Creator??
Rev. 4:11.
What doea G?d re?|iifre of man??Deuteronomy
10:12-13. (
#
It seems to be generally agreed
that Warren G. Harding is the
best drensed president we have
had since Woodroff Wilson.
Plan Big C^bration.
Plans of the American Legion
post of Fort Mill for the celebra- '
tion of July Fourth which was
decided upon at a meeting of the
post some weeks ago are being
worked out by the several com- I
mittees selected for the purpose (
and these committees are -cont'i- 1
dent that tlui program they arc 1
arranging will prove of great interest
not only to the people of
Fort Mill but to the people oi
XJKXl ? UUU L U III | M1 I i < I 11
|will stand for all time as a tribute
of the Southern people to the
'gallant defenders of the cause of
the Confederacy. It will be
something for all America to be
proud of, for it will be great eleven
than the sphinx or the pyramids
of Egypt.
A description of the memorial
says: "The seven leading figures
will be mounted. Jefferson Davis
president* of the Confederacy,
will be the third main figure and
will be followed by a troop of
cavalry, supported by a vanguard
of the army inarching in
close formation?infantry, artillery
and combat trains. The effect
will be such as to make it
appear as if the soldiers came out
of the mountain." At the base
of the mountain a memorial hall !
will be carved out of the solid J
rock. This hall will contain a
chamber for each State of the |
Confederacy for the preservation j
of records and also a museum for j
relies of the great struggle from ;
1861 to 1865.
Stone mountain is one the line J
of railway and trolley between ;
Atlanta and Augusta, 16 miles !
from the former city.s Through- j
out its entire length it has no ;
crcvide or fissure of any size, not !
even a crack worth mentioning, j
thus making it a solid mass of i
granite, admirably adapted ior
the carving of the greatest memorial
ever undertaken by man.
I an exciting municipal election
yesterday, E. *A. Hall wr.s reelected
mayor of Yorkk oter J.
C. Wilborn, 253 to 180. Women
cast more than a third of the
votes polled* in the election.
York county generally an*I thai
it will also draw to Fort Mill for i
the day many visitors from other
nearby counties.
In response to an invitation 1
extended him to be present and
make an address as one of the
features of the celebration, Congressman
W. F. Stevenson a few
days ago wrote Arthur C. Lytic
that if it were possible for him
to be away from Washington at
the time, it would give him pleasure
to accept the invitation. Another
proposed feature of the celebration
which the committees
hope to work out is for a coin
peiitive drill aud a sham battle
to be participated in by the two
Fort Mill National Guard companies
and the Koek Hill company.
There will be numerous athletic
contests lor which prizes for individual
excellence Will be given
and in the afternoon a baseball
game will be played between the
Fort Mill team and a team from
one of the nearby towns.
Tuesday evening the town
council of Fort Mill appropriated
$100 for the. general expense
fund of the celebration, which
will include a barbecue or picnic
dinner in the Spratt spring grove,
near town.
GREATER THAN PYRAMIDS.
Stone mountain, a mass of solid
granite, 000 to 1,000 feet high
land 1,000 feet lonir. in Do Kalh
| county, Ga., is to be made the
I liggcst and most enduring memorial
of all time, for on its surface
is to be curved "The Spirit
of the Confederacy," representing
the Confederate army on the
march, with Lee and Jackson at
its head. There will be more
that 1,000 figures, each 50 feet
high and when completed the
great memorial will be distinctly
visible five .miles away, it is said.
.. Gutzon Borglura, the famous
sculptor, is to supervise the tvork
and will himself curve the head
'of Gen. Lee. Many other sculptors
will he engaged in the gigantic
undertaking, which is not
expected to be completed for 13
years and will cost millions of j
.t?..* ...I 1. - I I
DECLINES TO ENTER RACE.
Col. T. B. SpiKtt Not to Rui for . .
Lieutenant Governor.
Col. T. B. Spratt of Kort Mill
Monday afternoon said that he
luul finally decided not to be a
i-andidate for lieutenant governor
in the Democratic primary
next August. Since the suggestion
was first made some time
ago that Col. Spratt become a
canuiuaie lor Ilio office, he has
received many letters and telgrams
from citizens in vurious
sections of the State urging him
o enter the race, but Monday he
said he could not afford to leave
his business for the two mouths
it won hi be necessary to devote
to the campaign, nor would it
be convenient for him to be in
Columbia during the months of
.Inuuary and "February, while the
Legislature is in session, to preside
over the senate. Among the
letters and wire messages received
by Col. Sprat t were a score
or more lrom men prominent in
the political life of the State as
well as others from men of whom
he had never before heard.
To The Times Col. Spruit said
thai while the temptation was
great to waive consideration of
jus private aitail's and announce
j?is candidacy tor lieutenant governor,
he had finally concluded
ihat the sacniice involved in accepting
the otliee, assuming that
he would be elected, was such
that he could not at lord to rnuke
it tie added that he was deeply
grate!ul to those who hud urged
mm to enter the ract\ and out ot'
consideration for their friendship,
if tor no other reason, he
tiail given the matter cureful
consideration.
Col. Spratt is president of the
First National bank of Fort Mill
and lias targe farming interests
in the. community. Huring the
World war he was licutcnuut colonel
of ilie llSth infantry ^old
First South Carolina regiment),
dOth division, and was with his
command during the strenuous
days it spent in Belgium and
France opposing the advance of
the Oerinuu army, lie was in
personal command of the regiment
when, in cooperation with
other regiments of the dOth division,
it attacked and broke the ,
ijiudonhurg line, at which the
French and British armies had
haltered in vain for four years.
Col. Spratt was popular with his
regiment and his Trends were
continent that practically every
member of the coinuiaiui would
have supported him wholeheartedly
hud lie sought the lieutenant
governorship.
World's Most Deceptive Lake.
What appears to be a luke covered
willi a thin coating of ice
oil which show has fallen is fouud
in the midst of a barren and wutei'lcss
waste in liritish Last Africa.
So complete is the illusion
that the stranger for a moment
fails to realize the impossibility
of there being any snow ami ice
in that locality. It is in reality
an inexhaustible deposit of soda,
but bears such a striking resemblance
to a sheet of frozen water
that it has received the name of
Lake Mugudi.
To traverse this district in the
dry seasoir is to have one's feet
hiii'iicd through one's shoes and
the sharp soda spikes will pierce
any but the thickest soles. After
rains there is a layer of water
over the greater part of the surface.
which turns a beautiful
shade of pink, and by moonlight
the scene is wierdly attractive.
The "lake" contains millions
of tons of soda deposit and both
surface and uiidergroud streams
o!" saturated liquid feed it. Natives
have collected soda from
the same spot year after year
without noticeably diminishing
the supply found in the "lake."
Explosion Kills White Convict.
Floyd Craven, white convict, 30
years old, 011 the York county
chaiugang, was killed yesterday
by the explosion of a charge of
dyuamite he was attempting to
light. The body was taken to his
old home at Concord, N. C. Craven
was serving two and a half
years for grand larceny. He was
convicted last July. '
. 1 ~v