Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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If You Don't Rood THE CHRONICUS You Don't Got Tko Nowo. i- t THE CHRONICLE Strireo To Bo o Cloou Nowo* . paper, Complete, Noway VOLUME XXV CLINTON, S. G, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1925 NUMBER 10 BARUCH OFFERS BIG FUND TO AID SUFFERING S. C. BANKS Capitalist Will Supply One-Half for Establish ment of Three or Four Million Dollar Relief Fund to Aid Distress in Weevil Area. Spartanburg, Feb. 28.—Plans lor the financial rehabilitation of the boll weevil stricken sections» of South Carolina through aid offered by Ber nard M. Baruch, noted New York fin ancier and a native South Carolinian, are outlined in a copyrighted story from Georgetown, which the Spar tanburg Herald published Sunday morning. The plan involves the creation of a fund of from *3,000,000 to *4,000,000, to be used for restoring the working capital of weak banks, and Mr. Baruch, The Herald story says, has offered to furnish half the sum need ed provided the banks of South Caro lina will furnish the other half. It is revealed in this dispatch that the bill introduced by Senator Spivey of Horry, and already passed by the senate, to provide for the incorpora tion of the South Carolina agricul tural loan fund, is intended to pave the way for the Baruch enterprise of financial assistance. The Horry sen ator, who is a banker, drew up this bill at the request of the executive council of the State Bankers’ associa tion, The Herald story says. The dispatch will be published as follows: “Relief to low country banks whose capital has become impaired be cause of frozen loans made to farm ers in boll weevil infested sections, and through these banks to a large proportion of the population directly and to the entire state indirectly is embodied in an offer of aid made by Bernard M. Baruch, a native South Carolinian, noted New York financier and multi-millionaire and a personal friend of Woodrow Wilson during the life of the wartime president. “For Mr. Baruch has proposed to Governor Thomas G. McLeod that a fund of from *3,000,000 to *4,000,000 be established for restoring the work ing capital of all the banks in the lower part of the state that are un able to finance their customers be cause o& an excess of frozen, loan*. He has''offered to furnish half the money required, provided South Caro lina bankers join with, him in sub scribing the other half, and he has at tached few reservations to the terms of his proposal. Offer in December perous to help the low country. At present, the troubles of the low coun try are effecting the credit of the whole state and unless a change for the better takes place, this condition will be aggravated to the serious de triment of all. There is no risk in volved in this proposal to any of the bankers who participate and by join ing in it, they will render a very great service to the state and to themselves.’ Work Own Problems “In discussing his plan, Mr. Baruch said that his underlying idea is for South Carolina to work out its own problems rather than to seek aid from outsiders. He himself is a South Carolinian with many friends in the state, although he lives in New York, he pointed out, and the success of the idea would mean that South Carolina can take care of, its affairs by the united efforts of South Carolinians.' “The executive council of the State Bankers’ association met in Columbia February 5 to consider the Baruch proposal, it was learned from records of the meeting. The executive coun cil indorsed a plan for organizing a South Carolina agricultural loan fund, to be capitalized at *3,000,000, and ap pointed a committee consisting of one banker from each district to perfect the organization. DECEMBER BRIDE CLAIMED BY DEATH “This information was confirmed when Mr. Baruch told The Herald correspondent in an interview given at his South Carolina estate, ’Barony Hobcaw’ on Winyah bay, near George town, that he made such an offer in December to the governor. “He refused to be quoted on his plans for executing the details of the idea, as he indicated that he had im posed few conditions to his offer and that he desired the state officials and bankers of South Carolina to work out the proposition along independent lines. . “He declared, however, that the amount- of money , obtained must be sufficient to relieve every bank in the lower section of the state that is suf fering from unfortunate conditions and from no fault of its officials be fore he will consent to furnish aid. He asked the governor, he added, to determine exactly how much is need ed and then to invite bankers in such cities as Charleston, Spartanburg, Columbia, Greenville, Anderson, and other points to join in raising half the amount decided on. This done, Mr. Baruch continued, he will match the money subscribed, dollar for dollar. But if any effort is made to float the proposition with a smaller amount of money than is necessary adequately to provide for all, then he will refuse to join in the plan, he said. “Mr. Baruch mentioned one other condition to his offer. This, he said, is that the banks which receive por tions of the proposed fund must re lend to farmers at the same rate of interest that they themselves obtain the money. 'No Acceptance Yet “He said that while he had made this offer in December, he has not yet been informed of its acceptance by the bankers of the state. He indicated that he fears some of them are unwil ling to cooperate in a plan which ap pears to offer prospects of saving thousands of farmers from ruin and the entire state fronea loss of credit, and he declared that in offering to furnish half the money required for financing them, he does not expect to lose one dollar and does not expect the bankers who join with him co lore a dollar. . “Mr. Baruch expressed the opinion that within three years, the banks, aided in accordance with his sugges tion, would be able to return the money loaned them and that the en tire low country, noMr verging on bankruptcy, would once more be pros- ' perous and on the road to wealth. “ Tt is nothing but enlightened self- iehness,’ he declared, ‘for those sec- tiofts of the state which are how pros- “It was learned from members who attended the meeting that while a majority of the bankers present ex pressed a jgpiingness to cooperate in raising the fund a few from the upper section of the state indicated that they would npt join.. Nevertheless in the hope that enough who are able to fur nish capital can be persuaded to co operate, plans for a bill to incorporate the loan fund and to exemnt it from all licenses and fees were made. “The committee of organization is composed of the following: District 1, W. King McDowell, Charleston; Dis trict 2, W. E. Prothro, Williston; Dis trict 8, John M. Kinard, Newberry; District 4, John A. Law, Spartanburg; District 6, G. W. Williams, Lancaster; way; District 7, Alva M. Lumpkin, Columbia. “In addition a special committee consisting of Senator D. A. Spivey, who is also president of the State Bankers’ association, W. W. Bradley, state bank examiner, and Alva M. Lumpkin of Columbia, Was designated to prepare a bill for introduction in the legislature and to procure a char ter. Bill Passes Senate “In accordance with the decision made at the meeting Senator Spivey prepared a bill to incorporate ’he loan fund and succeeded in passing it | through the senate last Tuesday. It !is now in the hands of the house ways and means committee and it is expected that it can be passed before the session of the legislature ends. The fact that this bill is an effort to accept the Baruch offer, however, has not been a matter of common know ledge among, the members of the leg islature. “The bill provides that the secre tary of state shall issue a charter to a corporation to be known as the South Carolina agricultural loan fund without fees or costs. The capital stock under the terms of the bill is fixed at a maximum limit of *3,000,- 000 although it was learned that an official in the state bank examiner’s office is now working on data to determine exactly how much money will be needed to relieve all the banks and on the basis of present incom plete information it is estimated that nearer *4,000,000 than *3,000,000 will be necessary. “The bill further stipulates that the funds arising from the capital shall be loaned to the banks at a rate of not more than 5 per cent; that the banks shall indorse each application for a loan and shall pledge as security cur rent crop and chattel mortgages and such additional security as may be accepted by the administrative board of the corporation. Another provis ion is that the funds administered by the corporation shall be used for no other purpose than the actual pro duction fcf crops.’’ Passing of Mrs. John T. Ballenger Brings Genuine Sorrow To Wide Circle of Friends. Mrs. John T. Ballenger, of Seneca, before her marriage Miss Emmie Robertson of this city, passed away last Wednesday morning at the home of her father-in-law, Mr. J. J. Bal lenger after a critical illness, the out come of which had been expected for several days. The body was brought here Thursday afternoon and carried to the home of her aunt, Mrs. George Davis. The funeral service was held Friday morning and interment fol lowed in the Presbyterian cemetery. Her pastor, Rev. Edward Long, con ducted the services and a large gath ering of friends assembled to pay a last tribute* to a young woman who had endeared herself to all who knew her from her childhood up to the time of her untimely end The young men who served as ush ers at her wedding were the pallbear ers. They were: J. F. Jacobs, Jr., Barnie Parrott, E. J. Adair, S. W. Sumerel, A. W. Brice and Roger L. Coe. ' Few deaths have occurred in Clin ton that brought more genuine sorrow than that of Mrs. Ballenger, the only daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Robertson. $he had only been married about two months, the mar riage being performed on December 30th past in the First Baptist church of this city. Immediately after the ceremony she and her husband left for a two weeks visit to New York and other northern points of interest after which they returned to Seneca to make their future home. Ten days later she became ill and grew gradu ally worse until the sad end came last Wednesday. | The deceased had lived here all her life before her marriage. Her circle of friends and acquaintances was a wide one, and by all she was recog nized as a young woman of the high est Christian character, possessing a pleasing personality that made and held for her many friends. Her death coming so closely upon her marriage was peculiarly sad and brought genu ine regret in this community and in other places where she was known. STUDENTS HEAR MISS CARNES Temperance League Worker Speaks to Preabyterian Studfemts On Liquor Evils The student body of the Presby terian College was privileged on Thursday morning to hear an address from Miss Carnes of Baltimore, re presentative of the Temperance Lea gue of America. She spoke on the Evils of Liquor” and presented a wonderful array of figures and facts for the young men’s thoughtful con sideration. She told of the realization of the medical profession that whiskey and alcoholic liquors are not benefi cial, but are only narcotic drugs. She told of how the American Doctors Association had forbidden any refer ence to these narcotics in their annual book for the doctors of America. Continuing, the speaker told of the tests that have been conducted by leading insurance companies of the world. She showed the young men that total abstainers live longer, stqy out of jail longer, and do not have as many accidents as even moderate drinkers experience. * She further told the student body of the tests to determine the effect of the drinking of even 2.75 per cent beer on the vision of a man. It has been pro ven that beer effects the vision worse even than wine, and especially affects those parts of the vision which are affected by the danger color red. It was also shown that beer affected the ability of a human to steer a boat or an automobile. Miss Carnes closed her address with a plea to the young manhood of America to come forward and take its stand against the curse. Today, she said, it seems that many think the breaking of the law, having petting parties, and carrying hip flasks is smartl But she urged hpr hearers to fight Wgainst this course and to do something constructive* and of bene fit to humanity. She charged the young men to use their power and energy to run the liquor traffic out of the country, do as Paavo Nurmi did when he broke the world’s record. Blaze a trail to a new record, and make America a better place for all mankind to live in.” | COKER WARNS FARMERS OF WEEVIL DANCERS THIS YEAR Well Known Farmer of State Says Maximum Boll Weevil Danger May Be Expected Unless Farmers Act Intelligently. CITY TO EXTEND SEWER SYSTEM Besides her husband, she is surviv- cLm. 0 n"og.?T,m.' I>m R< ' b * rt “ n< “WSTRICT ROTARY LARGE AUDIENCE HEARS GLEE CLUB MEET IN CAPITAL NEW YORK VISITORS HERE THIS WEEK The New York owners of the Joanna Cotton Mills, of Goldville, are spending this week in the city, arriv ing here Monday from Florida where they have been spending some time. They came down to attend the organi zation meeting of the Joanna Mercan tile Company held Tuesday afternoon and for' an inspection of their pro perty at Goldville—Clinton’s fast growing suburb. Those in the pai-ty are: Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Boyce, Mr. H. W. Hack, Mr. W. M. Byrd, Mr. B. E Bushnel, Mr. E. L. Durgin, and Mr. S. H. Hartshorn. Presbyterian College Men In Initial Appearance Here Are Well Received. The Presbyterian College Glee Club, composed of twenty men, and under the direction of Prof. J. H. Townsend, made its initial appearance for the season last Friday evening in the or phanage chapel. Their program was well balanced and consisted of classi cal and popular music, and each mem ber entered into his part with enthus iasm. In a commendable fashion the club presented the following program: Battle Hymn from “Rienzi”....Wagner Soldier’s Chorus Gounod To Thee, O Country Eichberg The Club Gypsy Trail Galloway Allah’s Holiday FrinH * The Club Saxaphone Trio Selected Townsend, Player and Brown Massa Dear Dvorak Sleepest Thou Still, Mine Own Hodges The Club Who’s Dat Knocking Townsend Climb Up Chillun, Climb—Negro Spiritual. Hush, Chillun, Hush The Club Jazzologue .... Mr. Townsend Popular Numbers The Club The club left Monday on a week’s itinerary. Monday evening it appear ed at Lander college, Tuesday at Honea Path, last night at Belton, to night at Greer, Friday at Union, and Saturday at Chester. The following is the personnel of the organization: First tenor: W. H. Dendy, Y. A. Montgomery, H. Prince, L. D. Strib- ling; second tenor: E. G. Beckman, J. Dendy, J. K. Roberts, E. L. Wilds; first bass: G. L. Cunningham, D. D. Edmunds, W. O. Player, J. M. Stokes; second bass: J. P. Brown, J. D. Mc- Innis, E. T. Wilson, G. Wilson; J. H. Townsend, pianist and director; J. M. Stokes, assistant director; E. L. Wilds, manager; W. O. Player, assist ant manager. Wood Selected Selected KIWANIS MEETS FRIDAY The Kiwanis club will hold its regu lar meeting at the Clinton Hotel Fri day evening at 7 p. m. Several guests will be present and in interesting pro gram will be presented. Miss Elizabeth Hines of Seneca, and Miss Margaret Alexander of Newry, spent Fnday with Miss Willie Putnam. \ Thirty-Eighth District Will Gather For Convention. Rodeheaver To Singi Columbia, Mar. 2.—Rotarians of the 38th district, which comprises South Carolina and Western North Caro lina, are coming to Columbia April 16 and 17 for the district con vention and Columbia Rotarians are anticipating with pleasure their visit. Among the features will be Homer Rodeheaver as song leader. The Rotary club of Columbia is making elaborate preparations for entertainment. There are thirty-one clubs in the district. It is expected that every club will be represented and many of them with large delegations. The “Rotary Anns” (as the wives of the Rotarians are called) are ex pected to attend in large numbers and arrangements are being made for their entertainment and comfort. Chesley R. Perry will be on hand as representative of the international board of Rotary, and Rodeheaver will be on hand as one of the conference song leaders. All Rotarians will re joice to know that Joe Turner, for mer district governor, is down on the program for an address. The program committee consists of Christie Benet, of Columbia, L. W. Perrin of Spartanburg, and Houston Hiott of High Point, N. C. The offi cers of the conference are: G. Hey ward Mahon, Jr., district governor, Greenville; W. Sidney Tomlinson, pre sident of the Columbia club; Carroll H. Jones, chairman of conference exe cutive committee; Charles C. Muller, secretary, and James Macdonald, treasurer. The housing committee is making ample preparations to take care of the hundreds of delegates who will attend, and those who desire ac comodations engaged in advance are urged to write J. Perrin Thompson, chairman of this committee. Reduced railroad rates, on the certi ficate plan, have been granted from all points to Columbia. The railroad agents in each town will be able to give the necessary information as to how to get the reduced rates. Council Approves Plans For Additions Sewer and Water Lines. Num ber of Streets Will Benefit. City Council recently approved plans of the City Engineer, Mr. J. Newton Johnston, relative to the extension of the Sewer, system of Clinton. These plans included an addition of a large septic tank on the northwest side of the town, which is now about complet ed, the complete, and sewer system for Clinton Mill section of wards 5 and 6. Additional to the above sewers are to be laid in Providence street, south end of Elizabeth street, a section of Academy street, Musgrove street. North Adair street, the New Davidson street connecting the south end and also the north end of Woodrow street, all of Jones street, a. section of South Adair stree*, Fifth Avenue, Third Avenue, East Carolina Avenue from Jones street east tp the Hospital, and North Jones street with a section of Florida street from North Adair street to East Carolina Avenue. These additions to the sewer system exceed considerably the plans of th6 former administration, but were thought desirable and wise, and in spite of the fact that this will run a deficit on the sewer account of about *9,500.00, Council decided to proceed with the program. The above deficit would not be produced but for the fact that there was left over from pre vious administration obligations of contracts for storm sewer on Centen nial street, culvert on Davidson street, and sewer work in the College View city addition. However, the fact re mains that the completion of the sewer system as above described will leave a deficit of about *9,500.00. The plans for the addition to the David R. Coker writing in The State Tuesday, gave this timely advise to South Carolina farmers on the boll weevil situation this yean Those of us who are familiar with the history of the boll weevil since his entrance into Texas 32 years ago, believe that &>uth Carotiaa will prob ably suffer maximum damage from the boll weevil this year unless intel ligent weevil control is very general ly practiced. This opinion is based on the Tact that conditions last fall were ideal for the propagation of weevils, and that they continued . to multiply until November 18—much later than usual. A greater number of weevils than ever before existed in South Carolina went into hibernation last fall. No very cold weather has oc curred (22 degrees minimum at Harts- ville). It is almost certain that hibernated weevils will come out in larger quan tities than ever before to damage the young cotton. If this happens, it will be impossible to make a crop of cotton without using the well under stood methods of boll weevil control, unless very dry, hot weather occurs almost continuously during the sum mer months. The greatest danger in the present situation is the 'belief that the ma jority of farmers have that they can afford not to fight the weevil. This belief is based on the experience of the past two years, when weevil dam age has been much less than average. The year 1928 was an extremely dry year and, although weevil control measures paid there was not a very notable difference in the yields of poisoned and n6n-poisoned fields. Those familiar with the his tory of the weevil for years under stood that the damage would be com paratively small during dry, hot sea sons. In 1924, although the wettest season ever known in large sections of the fration to the extent of putting in two 1,000-gallon-per-minute pumps at the power plant, building an addition to house same, building a house over the filter, purchase of land and building for a sedimentation basin to hold 600,000 gallons of water on Sloan street, also additional mains and hy drants. The total deficit on the com pletion of the water system will be about *35,000.00. The plans, however, for the water system have not as yet been approved by Council and proba bly cannot be approved until further water system also extend beyond the original plan of the former «dmiiu*? state, wmvUs did not become abun dant in most fields until late August, and a majority of the damage to the crop was done by rains and not by weevils. The late date of the average weevil damage in that year was due to a combination of circumstances that will probably not happen again in a generation. During the preceding October (1923) the leaf worm killed the cot ton plant over most of the state, and the destruction of the food killed most of the weevils before hibernat ing time. The few that survived and provision is made by the people for ^ went into hibernation were further additional water bond funds. Other- thinned out by the extremely cold wise the floating debt of the town will grow to extremely unwieldy propor tions. NEW MERCANTILE FIRM IS FORMED W. W. DAVIS LOSES HOME BY FIRE The country residence of W. Watts Davis in the Rock Bridge section, was completely destroyed by fire last Thursday night. Along with the home, all household effects were bur ned. The fire originated in a pantry in the kitchen, the cause being un known, though it is thought to have been due to rate. The many friends of Mr. Davis and family sincerely sympathize with them in their lows. Joanna Mercantile Company of Gold ville Is Incorporated With *40,000 Capital. At a meeting of the stockholders and incorporators held Tuesday after noon, the Joanna Mercantile Company of Goldville, was organized with a capital stock of *40,000. The firm will carry on a general mercantile business, offering its customers and the people of the Goldville section a large and complete stock of dry goods, notions, groceries, etc. The company is headed by, H. W. Hack of New York, as president; C. Reeder Workman of Goldville, vice- president; S. Gary Dillard of this city, secretary and general manager; W. A. Moorhead, treasurer. The beard of directors is composed of H. W. Hack, E. L. Durgin, B. E. Bush nel, S. H. Hartshorn, all of New York, and C. R. Workman, S. G. Dillard, and W. A. Moorhead as the local stockholders. w . . A fifteen year lease has been secur ed on the three brick store rooms of L. W. C. Blalock. The property will be improved immediately and convert ed into a first class connecting store room for the new firm. S. G. Dillard, one of the well known and successful young business men of this city, has assumed the position of general man ager and will give his entire time to the concern. January weather. In many fields the past spring no weevils at all could be found, and although the wet season, was ideal for their increase, it required two gen- eratibns of new weevils to -begin damaging the cotton, whereas the first new generation usually causes serious damage the latter part of July. We have only to go back to 1922 in this section to see what the boll will do under favorable conditions. In that year this (Darlington) county, which made 60,000 bales in 1920, dropped to 12,000 bales, a large pro portion of that amount being made by those of. us who persistently fought the weevil. The knowledge of effective means of boll weevil control has greatly advanced during the last two years. Methods of control have also been simplified and cheapened, and it is now known that effective control can be secured at a cost approximating *5 per acre. Such a cost would be liquidated by about 50 pounds in crease in seed cotton yield. In both 1923 and 1924 weevil control meas ures netted a far greater increase than this. NEED IS MET AT THORNWELL Friend of Local Institution Gives *4,000 For Installation of Kefri- geration Plant A friend of the Thornwell Orphan age, ^rhose name is.withheld at his re quest, has authorized Dr. L. R. Lynn, president of the iastitutipp, to pro ceed with the installation of a modern refrigerating plant in the Turner GROUND IS BROKEN | Kitchen and he will provide for its FOR OFFICE BUILDING 1 cost which will be approximately *4,000. The plant will be purchased Ground was broken Monday for the new office building at the Thornwell Orphanage which comes as a gift from a friend whose name is withheld. Contractor J. R. Tucker has charge of the construction of the building and it will be pressed to a speedy comple tion to be dedicated in June along with the Louise Mays Memorial Baby Cottage. It will be erected just below the Turner Kitchen building opposite the Technical SchooL f . - \ at once and soon be in operation. A refrigerating plant has been one of the institution’s most urgent needs. It will be ample to care for the neces sary surplus food supply that must continually be provided for, thereby eliminating waste and contributing to the health of the institution. The authorities are gratified that this seed is to be met through the gener ous offer of a kind and interested friend.