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t 4 •A, ^ V J The Chronicle Strives To Be A Clean News paper, Complete, Newsy and Reliable Volume LIV Wat dlirdim Clinton, S. C. # Thursday, December 24, 1953 If You Don’t Read The Chronicle You Don’t Get the New* Number 52 CLINTON FACES QUIET. ENJOYABLE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON Business Firms To Close Christmas Day and Saturday, With Mills Here and At Joanna Observing Closing Schedule. Streets and Stores Crowded Today With Shoppers. Yuletide Spirit In| Evidence Everywhere. The streets are crowded today (Christmas Eve) with throngs of people doing their last minute shopping in preparation for the glad season. ’ . City stores and business firms will close tomorrow and Saturday as employees and employers cele brate the season with a long week end holiday period pointing to a happy observance. Businesses will re-open Monday morning on regu lar schedules. The city and orphanage schools, and Presbyterian college closed last week for the holidays. The post office will be closed all day Christmas day with no deliv eries being made. The Clinton and Lydia Cotton Mills closed yesterday morning to re-open next Monday morning. The! same doing period is being ob-j served by Joanna Cotton Mills, Jo- 'i anna. Other local plants will close; down several days observing the holidays. THE CHRONICLE office 1 and plant will be closed until Mon day morning. Many will spend Christmas out of the city visiting friends and rela tives, while others, including col lege students, have returned to their homes in the community for the holidays. Indications point to a quiet en-i joyable Christmas for the people ofj this entire c o m m u n it y. THE CHRONICLE wihes for its thous ands of readers a season of happi-j ness, free from sorrow, tragedy and; anxiety. Parents Want School Named 'Whitten Village' The State Training School par ents club, meeting here Sunday, adopted a resolution caillng upon the legislature to change the name of the school to Whitten Village. The new name would honor Dr. B. O. Whitten, the school’s only superintendent, who is now round ing out 35 years as its head. The parents club met in the gym nasium of the school, where the school children presented a pro gram of sacred and secular music with a Christmas theme. Visitors at the meeting included George A. Buchanan, chairman of the State Mental Health Commis sion, and Dr. W. P. Beckman, di rector of mental health in South Carolina, both of Columbia. Clinton, Lydia Mills Give Employees Christmas Bags - Bond Refused Murdock Youth Employees of the Clinton and Lydia Mills are taking several days | of rest for Christmas. The plants ! closed at eight o’clock yesterday morning (Wednesday) and will re open at the same hour on Monday morning, December 28. The ownership of the mills, fol lowing an established custom of years, Jhis year distributed bags of fruit, nuts and candy to all em ployees, the distribution being made in the two villages Monday and Tuesday. Employees not resid ing in the communities were re quested to get bags for themselves and their families at Bailey Memor ial church for Clinton employees, and for Lydia employees at Provi dence school. Mrs. Joe Land and Mrs. W. O. McGee with a number of volunteer helpers, had charge of the distribu tion arrangements at the Clinton plant, with Mrs. lone Wallace and helpers doing the same job at Ly dia. More than 6,000 baskets were dis tributed with the compliments of the company for Santa Claus, di vided 2,9do bags for Lydia, and 3,- 100 for Clinton families. The management stated that more than 400 crates of oranges went in the bags, 6,000 bags of candy, and over a ton of nuts. With each bag there was expressed sin cere best wishes for a very Merry Christmas for each and every em ployee and members of their fam ilies. Louie's Closes 3 Days A typographical error appears in Louie’s Restaurant Christmas ad- vertisiment in today’s paper. Their closing days for Christmas are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 25, 26, 27. Newberry, Dec. 22—Judge Steve; C. Griffith Tuesday refused bondi to a motion by the defense to Dur- i wood Haynie Murdock, 19, who has been in the South Carolina State | hospital for observation since the fatal beating of his mother, Mrs. Reba Murdock, October 17 at their home in Clinton. Haynie’s father! was also severely beaten the samej night. Supt. William S. Hall of the hos-l pital notified Solicitor William T. Jones by letter that Murdock had been found “not insane”, .and that he had an IQ of 112. State Sen. Ralph T. Wilson and Homer S. Blackwell, Luarens at-J tomeys, represented Murdock at 1 the hearing, and Solicitor Jones and Sheriff W. A. Lowery of Lau rens county, represented the state. Murdock was first committed to the hospital on Oct. 19 on an order, by Judge Griffith for an observa tion period of 30 days. A 30-day 1 extension was later added to the original ortjer. Time for Payment 1953 County Taxes Drawing To Close Treasurer Sam M. Leaman re ports that collection of 1953 county taxes are running about normal, j with December 81 the last day for payment without penalty. A pen alty of 1 per cent goes into effect January 1. Treasurer Leaman reported total collections to December 1 of $107,- 142.06. The total to be collected this year will be $584,055.90, approxi mately $30,000 less than last year. Major collections come the last of December the treasurer said, when the corporations send in their big checks. Outdoor Christmas 1 Scene Attracts Many The annual living outdoor Christ mas scene was shown on the lawn of the First Presbyterian church on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday eve nings. A number of members of the church took parts as characters in the impressive presentation. The scene during the evenings was wit-j nessed by large crowds from the, city, community^ and elsewhere. Bobby L. Sanders Winner In Contest Bobby L. Sanders of Route 1, was announced on Tuesday as the win ner of the Treasure Hunt contest and will be awarded a $25.00 cash; prize by the Merchants association 1 who sponsored the event. Mr. Sanders was the only contest- ’ ant who named all 18 items correct ly. The next nearest entry was 14. GAS RATE HIKE IN THE MAKING, REPORT AT NEWBERRY MEET SHOWS Authority Considers Raising Rates To Consumers. System Reported Operating With Heavy Deficit for First Six Months Period Ending December 31. II a■ T I Takes Life 01 Milam Youth Today’s Christmas Edition Today’s paper goes to its large family of readers on Christmas Eve when everybody is busy with last minute shopping. It comes to you, however, when there will be plenty of time for the entire family to read its contents during the extended week-end holiday period. And we would point out that it contains much beautiful and appropriate Christmas material In addition to community news. Especially, we invite you to read three timely fea-i ture articles from the Kiwanis Magazine and Christian Herald. Don’t miss anything in the issue. With pleaure we present this, annual “Christmas Edition’’, fol lowing a long established custom. Shoppers will find many helpful and pgpgcially do WC Call to your attention the unusually large collection of attractive ♦‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' 1 greetings. They come to you from merchants, banks, mills and varied other business firms. Don’t over- look them. These messages, full of goodwill and beautiful sentiments are insert ed by local firms as a means of publicly expressing thanks and ap preciation to their many friends and customers for their patronage, confidence and consideration dur ing the year now drawing to a close. They likewise wish for ev eryone 365 days of health and hap piness in 1954. • We hope you will enjoy today’s paper MERRY CHRISTMAS. Last Wednesday night a meeting of the Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority was held at the New berry city council chambers with a discussion of raising rates to gas consumers and inadequate revenue as its chief concern. Report Of Meeting The Newberry Observer of Fri day carried the following account of the meeting: “The boost in rates was mention ed in the report of operations for the first six months of the CUnton- Newberry system, which was pre pared at the meeting by Goodwin Management Services, Inc., consult ant engineers for the system, and submitted in person to the Author ity by Jack W. Echols,- vice-presi dent of the corporation. It was brought out that Trans continental Gas Company was sell ing gas, under bond, at a higher rate than it was at the time the bonds for the local system were sold, and that a hearing would be held sometime in February to make the increase permanent. In effect the boost would be from 41c to 53c per 1000 cubic feet of gas. Mr. Ech ols stated that actually the boost would pass on the increase to in dustry, leaving the domestic rate as it, with the exception of the re moval of the “over 20,000 cubic feet, at 60c per 1000.” Domestic users, burning over 5,000 cubic feet of gas would have to pay 80c per 1000, under the tentative new schedule. Mr. Echols, reading from the pre pared report, stated that “sooner or later the rates must be increased to local consumers.” But he continued to say that increasing the rates im mediately would be “psychological ly wrong.” Authority members George W. Martin and Ernest H. Layton of Newberry said that the increase should have been put on before the first bill was mailed, to give local users the true picture of the situation from the beginning The Authority decided to wait until the February hearing was over be fore making a decision on this mat ter. Excessive Deficit The report gave a complete out line of construction and operational expenses from the time the $2,900,- 000 worth of natural gas revenue bonds were sold through the six months period ending the 30th of December. During this period 'the number o( customers in Clinton and Newberry has grown from 14 to 786. The report went on to say that the system is being operated at a present deficit of $13,339.79.; which “in our opinion is excessive.” ; It went on to say that total opera-, tional expenses to date were $26,- 975.48, and that administrative ex penses ($9,780.00) nearly equaled the cost of the gas sold ($10,228.41).) We quote from the report “The I administrative expenses must be re duced, or the system will be in trouble within a short time. Some-; thing must be done to get more cus tomers on the system. Without a complete change, the trustees or- bondholders will step in and take over operation of the system* Wej expected 4,000 customers at the end of the first year of operation.” The report indicated that for the| first month of the six'the system ! has been operated in the black dur ing December, clearing an estimat ed $325.00. The "normal” operating cost per customer per month is sup posed to be 83c, but December’s in- the-black operation was carried out at a cost of $3.82 per customer. In conclusion, the report recommend ed that auditors be employed to check the operational records of both city’s systems. This was acted on later in the meeting. DuboM Resigns At the beginning of the meeting, Authority member James E. Wise man asked why the manager of the gas system, Bill Dubose, was not at the meeting. Chairman Joe P. Ter ry of Clinton said that Mr. Dubose j had informed him that he did not feel he would be needed. Mr. Terry was asked to phone Mr. Dubose, who resides at Clinton, asking him! to present himself before the Au thority. Mr. Dubose’s phone failed to answer, despite the fact that Mr. 1 Terry tried until about ten o’clock to reach him. During the meeting Mr. Terry stated that he had been given a letter of resignation by Mr. Dubose, effective January 1, 1954. , When asked by Mr! Layton for the reason behind the resignation, Mr. Terry stated that the manager had been offered a better job, call ing for a salary increase of $1,500 a year. He added that there had been certain problems encountered by Mr. Dubose in working on the local system. He emphasized that the salary increase was the major reason. ( continued on page 6) Laurens, Dec. 21.—A hunting tragedy marred the approcah of Christmas in Laurens county. Charles Eugene Milam, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs . Charles L. Milam, Jr., of Laurens, was fatally wounded while hunting Monday afternoon and died before he reached Laurens county hospital. Sheriff W. A. Lowery, who talked with the family, said the shooting was accidental. Coroner Joe F. Smith said an inquest prob ably would not be held. According to the story told the sheriff, young ‘ Gene” Milam, ast he was generally called, was hunting near Mountville on the farm of his grandfather, Rep. Charles L. Mil am, about 2 p. m. He had as his companion Furman Neathery, 16, .a fellow student at Laurens high school. The youths were standing close- together when young Neathery at tempted to fix the pump of his gun which had gotten out of order. The .load went off and struck Milam in the right chest, puncturing a lung. Neathery tried to carry his wounded companion out of the woods but reabzing he was losing time, ran to the nearby house of H. Wade Milam, uncle of the youth, and gave the alarm. Mr. Milam went to the woods and tarted to the hospital with the wounded boy who died on the way. A physician said death was caus ed by hemorrhage of the lung. Gene was a member of the 10th grade at Laurens high school and was a member of First Presbyterian church and the local unit of the Na tional Guard. Young Neathery, overcome by shock, was carried to Laurens county hospital for treatment. Besides his parents, Milam is sur vived by two sisters, Mary Frances and Bettie; one brother, Charles Robert: his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Milam and Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Rowland. Funeral services were conducted yesterday morning (Wednesday) at Kennedy Mortuary chapel the Rev. Tom C. Cook and the Rev. Vic, Broomall. Burial followed in Lis bon Presbyterian church near Mountville. Laurens N a t i o n a 1 Guardsmen served as an honorary escort. MAUNEY IN HOSPITAL Friends of C. N. Mauney will re gret to know he is ill and a patient at Hays hospital. CHRISTMAS WEEK IN CLINTON 15 YEARS AGO 1 Items of Interest Then About Happenings and People You Know. (From Files of The Chronicle. December 22. isSB) The board of directors of Tho Commercial Depository has ordered a 6 per cent dividend paid to i‘ stockholders for the year 1938. Monday will be quietly observe-.} in the city as Christmas with a gen- ral holiday observed. Mrs. Mary W. Little, 77. died Tuesday afternoon at the home of her daughter. Mrs. R H McDonald Funeral services were held in Co lumbia and the body brought here- for interment in the Presbyterian cemetery She was a native of th: > city, a daughter of the late Dr Jobe Johnson Boozer and Georgian* Griffin Boozer. The Chronicle's big subscription contest came to a close Saturday night. Winners of first, second and third prize were Miss Helen Adao I Miss Iona Blakely and Miss Clara I Johnson. ) Fink. Beckman of Lodi, Califor nia, student at Duke University, i the guest of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Fer guson for the holidays. Mlss Copie McCrary' of the Or angeburg school faculty, is spend ing the holiday season with her parents, Mr and Mrs. L. D Mc’ v ' Crary. Friends of Dr. T. J. Peake will be glad to know he is able to be out again after an illness conf.nemen: at his home. Mrs. George Taylor was in Deca tur, Ga., for the golden wedding anniversary of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. N. P Platt on Sundav, the 18th. Thomas Baldwin, who attends Brevard college, is spending the Christmas season with his parents. Mr. and Mrs. W C Baldwin. Miss Louise Jacobs of Converse college, is with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Jacobs, for the holiday season. Miss Elsie Neighbors of Coker college, is spending the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs W E Neighbors. Dr. D. J. Woods is spending the holidays with his father. Dr. F. M Woods, in Martinsburg, Va Dr. and Mrs. Charles Anderson ot Welfare Island, N. Y., are the- Chrismas guests of Mr. and Mrs George W. Bailey. Mr and Mrs. S. Y. Adair have returned from a wedding trip to Florida. Miss Frances Simpson, Colder col lege student, is with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Simpson, for the holidays. Mrs. H. M. Wise and little daugh ter, Tocoa, of Jacksonville, Fla., are spneding the holidays with her par ent, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Vance. Mrs. J. W. Leake will spend the holidays in Eastover with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Hamer. Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Bray i f Grif- i fin, Ga., and Mr. and Mrs. W. P Anderson of Greenville, will spend I the holidays with Mrs Bray’s moth I er, Mrs. R. L. Bailey. James P. Sloan, teacher at Geoi gia Military Academy, Colleg Park. Ga ., is spending the holidays with his mother, Mrs. E. B.* Sloan. Miss Maude Sumerel is spending i Christmas with her sister. Mrs. J. ! S. McGregor and family in Ruby. Cadet Dill Ellis of West Point, is spending the holidays with his par onts, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Ellis Miss Mildred Young, student nurse at Columbia hospital, will spend the holidays with her par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Rex Young. Miss Elsie Browning and Samue, Young Adair were married in Greenwood on December 11 at tm* home of the bride’s pastor. Rev W. B. Garrett. They will make their home here where Mr. Adair holds a position with Young's Pharmacy On Friday evening Mr. and Mrs. H D. Rantin honored the bride and groom with a lovely reception. Monday evening at the home of Mrs. Alec Henry the Helen Ander son class of the First Baptist church entertained with a lovelv Christmas party. Mr. and Mrs. John Boyd who re side near here, announce the mar riage of their daughter, Miss Hattie Virginia, to Eddy Livingston Newberry. The ceremony was per formed at the home of the bride's pastor. Rev. C. J. Matthews, of Lit tle River-Dominick Presbyterian church on the evening of December 20 Bob Oxley, student at Georgia Military’ Academy, is at home with his parents. Mr. and Mrs W. C. Ox ley, for the holidays. Miss Mae Dicus, student at Win- throp, will spend Christina with her parents. Mr and Mrs. W. A Dicus