The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, January 16, 1969, Image 1
WEATHER
(Week of Jan. 9-16)
Higii: 68 Low: 20
(Jan. 9) (Jan. 9, 14.)
Rainfall: .02 in.
Clinton Cljronttle
Vol. 70 — No. 3 Clinton. S. C., Thursday, January 16,1969
INDEX
Three Sections, 20 Pages
Classified 4J-A
Deaths 8-A
Editorials 2-B
Hospital News 8-A
Society 2-A
Sports 7-A
-V
Seeking To Aid Illiterates
Literacy Rally Is Scheduled Sunday In Clinton
The Clinton Jaycees will spon
sor a literacy rally Sunday, Jan.
19 at 2:30 p.m. at Hodges Hall,
behind the site of Broad Street
Methodist Church.
The Jaycees are seeking volun
teers to assist with a literacy
census which is aimed at en
rolling illiterates in adult educa
tion.
Persons wishing to assist in
the campaign are requested to at
tend Sunday’s meeting.
The local Jaycee effort is part
of a statewide Jaycee program in
which 1,000 volunteers are ex
pected to start knocking on doors
to sell adult education.
Tallies also are set for
Charleston, Columbia, Mauldin,
Conway, Sumter, Georgetown,
Union, Bennettsville, Anderson,
and Kingstree.
The South Carolina Jaycees,
sponsors of the statewide liter
acy crusade, hope that this ef
fort and others to follow will re
verse the downward trend in adult
education in South Carolina. En
rollment has dropped from 20,000
in 1966 to 17,000 in 1967 and 13,000
in 1968.
Target enrollment for the Jay
cees is 13,000 by Easter, a tiny
increase over last year, but a
good gain from the projected en
rollment for 1969 of 11,000.
Jaycee hopes stem from the
success of a pilot program in
Greenville last summer, when
enrollment in basic education
courses increased 50 per cent
after the Jaycee promotion began.
While State Dept, of Education
figures show that 6,000 adult
South Carolinias moved upward
from the ranks of illiterates in
the past three years, the figures
show that at least that many more
adult fimctional illiterates have
joined thk 230,000 adults in this
State with less than a fifth grade
education.
While aiming primarily at the
functional illiterates in the State,
the Jaycees also hope to persuade
some of the 600,000 adults lack
ing an eighth grade education
and some of the 800,000 adults
without high school diplomas
to get back into the educational
system.
Phase two of the Jaycee lit
eracy crusade will be a follow-up
campaign conducted by members
of volunteer literacy groups.
Three South Carolina counties
already had volunteer literacy
groups, and the Jaycees or
ganized the first such group in
Charleston County and plan to
organize other groups in counties
lacking them.
Phase three of the State cru
sade starts the project in all
South Carolina counties not in
cluded in the pre-Easter cam
paign. This phase is planned for
between Easter and September.
The Jaycees enphasize they
are not seeking to start new pro
grams of adult education, tyit
instead to provide enough stu
dents so that current programs
can operate closer to capacity.
Volunteer literacy groups
formed in the various cities serve
as back-up groups for the state-
financed program and do not com -
pete with formal adult education
programs.
The Jaycee project has been
endorsed by: J. K. East, director
of adult education for the State
Department of Education; Dr.
Frank Laubach, internationally
acclaimed literacy crusader;
Bishop Paul Hardin of the South
Carolina United Methodist
Church; the Rev. George Lovell,
former president of the South
Carolina Baptist Association; Bi
shop John A. Pinckney and Bishop
Gray Temple of the Upper and
Lower Dioceses of the Episcopal
Church in South Carolina; the
Rev. Arthur M. Martin, execu
tive secretary of the South Caro
lina Presbyterian Synod.
ritOM»WN
BY DONNY WILDER
Editor, The Chronicle
Mr. Joe H. Simpson of Whitmire has published
a book which should be of considerable interest to
many Clintonians.
Mr. Simpson, founder of Simpson’s Department
Store in Whitmire, was born in Clinton in 1896 when
his father was making
bricks to be used in
construction of Clinton
Mill. The author later
became the first man
ager of the Clinton Mill
Store.
He attended school in
Clinton and was a
member of Providence
A.R P. Church.
His memoirs deal pri
marily with his family
but sprinkled through-
o u t are accounts of
events dealing with
many Clintonians, in-
eluding the Baileys,
Godfreys, Sloans, Sum-
erels, Neville, Jacobses,
Joe Simpson a nd many others.
Mr. Simpson wrote his memoirs “that my pos-
teriay might know something of the era in which I
lived.” In the foreword Mr. Simpson apologizes
for “the scarcity of my English composition” but
he owes no one an apology His book is interest
ing, informative and he accomplishes hig^stated
purpose^ he draws a fine picture of the era in
which he lived.
Particularly well done is a section bevoted to his
childhood years between six and 12.
Anyone over 30 will enjoy that section as Mr.
Simpson recalls the joys and trials of a rural child
hood in which youngsters built their own “wash
holes”, saved tobacco tags, made rabbit gums from
old logs, played tricks with Indian Turnips, and
marveled at the wonders of a hand-operated cotton
gin and the threshing machine.
His recollections of the old Long Branch School
are particularly warm and often humorous. The
teacher was Miss Lucy Sloan, later to become Mr.
Simpson’s aunt.
Concerning his North Broad Street neighbors,
Mr. Simpson wrote, “Just below our house was
Uncle Clyde Todd’s. The next was the Bobo fam
ily. Above us was the home of Mr. A. P. Little,
who later became my first regular employer.
Across the street was Mr. George Bailey, who had
a large mulberry tree in his back yard which was a
joy to all kids in the community. Next was the
Godfrey home- Dr. Godfrey was our family doctor
when we lived in the country. He had the first au
tomobile that I ever saw. He even took me for a
ride in it. It was a Cadillac that was cranked on
the side and the motor was under the front seat.. .”
Because Mr. Simpson was growing up at the
time when Clinton was beginning to grow, the
book makes an excellent supplement to the history
of the town.
I recommend it to anyone interested in the his
tory of Clinton and to anyone who ever enjoyed hot
combread and fresh buttermilk.
Mr. Simpson will present a copy of the book to
the Clinton High School Library and the Presbyte
rian College Library. He also has had a few extra
copies published for anyone who might want to
purchase them, They can be purchased at Simp
son’s Dept. Store in Whitmire or at The Chronicle.
Mr. Simpson recently sold the house on North
Broad Street to the Church of Christ which is con
structing a new sanctuary on the site-
When the old house was tom down, a picture
was found in the wall of the building. At first no
one could identify it but it has been determined
that the picture is of the 1901 graduating class at
Due West Female Academy, later to be incorpor
ated into Erskine College.
One of the members of the class was Miss Lucy
Sloan, Mr. Simpson’s grade school teacher who
later was to become the mother of Sloan Todd of
Clinton, Mrs. Charles Workman, Mrs. Hugh Eargle
of Florence: Mrs. Harry Bolcik, II, 1 of Germany;
and Col. Walter B. Todd, chief of staff at Fort
Jackson.
File County Tax Returns By March 1
Laurens County Taxpayers
have been urged to make their
county property tax returns be
fore March 1, at the office of
Miss Jennie V. Culbertson, Lau
rens County Auditor, in the court
house. |
Miss Culberteon said, *1 es
pecially requeA all who have
made changes in real property,
bought, sol eke reeled new build
ings, removed or demolished old
ones to come by the office and
make corrected returns for the
year 1969. Also, please list mo
tor vehicles or any other person
al property which is taxable by
law."
Due to the flu epidemic, her
regular itinerary usually sche
duled in January, has been post
poned, but will be made at a la
ter date to be announced.
CITY HALL PETITION — Robert
Vance is shown above signing a peti
tion which calls for a referendum on
a new city hall for Clinton. Vance,
Sloan Todd (left) and Robert Hamer
(right) are members of the City
Bond Commission and Heath Cope
land is chairman of the City Planning
Commission. Over 1,000 signatures
of freeholders will be necessary to
call the referendum to issue about
$250,000 in general obligation bonds
to finance construction of the city
hall.— (Photo by Truman Owens)
General Wingard
Dies In GreenviUe
Brig. Gen. Barringer F.
(Barry) Wingard died at 6:50 a.m.
Wednesday in Greenville General
Hospital.
He was Assistant Adjutant Gen
eral of the South Carolina Nat
ional Guard at the time of his
death.
a
Funeral services will be con
ducted at 2 p.m. today, Thurs
day, at First Presbyterian
Church in Clinton.
Survivors include his wife,
Mrs. Nellie Wasson Wingard; a
son, Barringer F. Wingard Jr.,
a student at the University of
South Carolina; a sister Mrs.
R. C. (Beulah) King of Darling
ton.
A daughter, the late Barrie
Jean Wingard, was a former
Miss South Carolina.
Gen. Wingard, 62, was a
veteran of nearly 38 years of
military service, beginning his
career in May, 1928, when he
graduated from Clemson College
and was commissioned a second
lieutenant in the Officers Reserve
GEN. WINGARD
Corps. He was commissioned a
second lieutenant in the S. C.
National Guard in 1935.
An Elder of the First Pres
byterian Church, he also is a
member of American Legion Post
56 and is a past president of the
Battery B 107th AAA Association
of Clinton. He also was teacher
of a Men’s Bible Class at First
Presbyterian Church. *
Bolick Named
As President
YMCA Board
Harry E. Bolick III was in
stalled Friday as president of
the Great Clinton YMCA board
of directors.
Other officers installed at the
first meeting of 1969 include
Dr. Louis M. Stephens, vice
president; Don Creighton, secre
tary; and James Von Hollen trea
surer.
NeW board members also were
installed. They are: one-year
term, Rev. A1 Bixler, Dr. Fred
Chapman; Richard Casque; Joe
Holland, Claude Howe; Charles
Related Story
On Page 3
Oakley, Mrs. Nancy Sherrill,
J. B. Templeton; two-year terms,
Rufus E. Sadler, J. R. Sweten-
burg; three-year term, Mrs. Ann
Cornelson.
Holdover directors are: two-
year terms, Tom Addison, C. W.
Anderson, Harry E. Bolick, Lynn
Cooper Jr., Rev. E. W. Rogers,
Ralph Tedards; three-year term,
Don Creighton, Claude Crocker,
Bailey Dixon, Dr. Stephens, Wil
liam Tiller, James Von Hollen
and Dr. James Walker.
Petition Circulated
New City Hall
Campaign Opens
The campaign for voter
approval of a new city hall for
Clinton opened this week.
City officials began circulat
ing petitions calling for a re
ferendum on issuanceof$250,000
in general obligation bonds to
finance construction of a new City
Hall on North Broad Street.
The petition must be signed by
a majority of the freeholders
(property owners) of the city in
order for the referendum to be
held. It will require the signa
tures of approximately 1,200
freeholders.
If a majority of the freehold
ers sign the petition, the re
ferendum then will be held. All
registered voters in the city
limits will be eligible to vote in
the referendum.
If a majority of the voters
approve the issuance of the bonds,
it is expected that construction on
the project might begin sometime
in the spring. It has been es
timated that it will take about
one year to complete construc
tion.
The new city hall is to be built
on a North BroadStreet site which
already has been purchased by
the city. The city also has al
ready paid architects for work
done thus far.
The new city hall would cost
about $500,000. For the past few
years, the city has been setting
aside in a building fund the city 's
revenue from the Clinton-New-
berry Natural Gas Authority. The
city has approximately $220,000
already in the building fund.
Clinton Mayor Harry Layton
has stressed that construction of
the new city hall will not re
quire a tax increase and nei
ther will it require all of the
city’s revenue from the Gas Au
thority.
City Clerk and Treasurer
Brooks Owens has explained,
"Last year, we received $117,000
from the Gas Authority. We ex
pect those revenues to remain
stable or increase. The revenue
could approach $120,000 or
$130,000 within the next year or
so. Unless there's some major
catastrophe, we should be able to
apply $30,000 to $40,000 of this
revenue toward other needed pro
jects, in addition to the city hall
financing.”
The city proposes to market
the bonds on a 10-year issue, with
a provision that they can box
called, without premium at any
time within 10 years."
Mayor Layton has said, “We
could retire them in five years,
with ease. However, it might be
to our advantage to set them up
on a lu-year issue so that we
can get a better interest rate."
City Clerk Owens said that the
city’s general bonded endebted-
ness after February 1st will be
about $54,000 He said, “I don’t
know of but two other towns in
South Carolina that have a gen
eral obligation debt that low.”
The new city hall would be of
colonial design and would house
the city clerk's office, Police
Dept., Fire Dept., and would
feature a community room, with
kitchen, upstairs.
Setzler Named
Lutheran Pastor
i
Mr. John L. Setzler, a senior
at the Lutheran Theological
Southern Seminary, Columbia,
has notified the St. John’s Lu
theran congregation that he is
accepting its call to become its
pastor on or about June 1.
His letter of acceptance to the
congregation was read at the ser
vice last Sunday morning by Mr.
Ratchford W. Boland, the vice-
chairman of the council and of the
congregation.
Mr. Setzler will assume the
work of the pastorate upon the re
tirement of Dr. E. Bryan Keis-
ler who has served the congre
gation as interim pastor since
July 15, 1964. Dr. and Mrs. Keis-
ler plan to move to Lexington
County where they are construct
ing a house.
JOHN SETZLER
With an excellent record,
academically and otherwise, Mr.
Setzler is scheduled to graduate
from the seminary in late May
and to be ordained, possibly in
Clinton, in early June.
A native of Kingstree and a
High School graduate of that city,
Mr. Setzler graduated from
Presbyterian College and spent
his year of internship at the
Trinity Lutheran Church in
Greenville. He comes highly re
commended by the President of
Synod, the seminary faculty and
the pastor with whom he interned.
Mrs. Setzler, formerly a valu
able employee in the Clinton
Mills office, is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard C. Bugay,
formerly of Kingstree but now
living in Barnwell. The couple has
one son, about 21 months old.
In the May-June issue of the
tamed “The Upper Room” (daily
meditations) one of Mr.Setzler’s
contributions will appear.
Tuesday Morning
Housing Topic
NEW YMCA BOARD MEMBERS—New members
of the Greater Clinton YMCA Board of EHrectors,
who were installed last Friday, are, front row, left
to right, Mrs. Nancy Sherrill, Richard Gasque,
Mrs. Anne Cornelson, Joe Holland; second row, J.
B. Templeton, Claude Howe, Rev, A1 Bixler, Dick
Swetenburg, and Charles (Buddy) Oakley.—(Yar
borough Photo) , *
For Qiamber Meet
A discussion on the availability
of a low-cost federal housingpro-
Ject for Clinton will be included
oq the agenda of the quarterly
membership meeting of the Clin
ton Chamber of Commerce on
Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The meeting at Mary Musgrove
Hotel will start at 10 a.m.
The two-pronged program also
will feature an address by Dr.
W. Fred Chapman, executive di
rector of the recently organized
Junior Achievement program in
Clinton.
W. T. (Billy) Bolt and J. Allen
Thompson Jr., officials with the
S. C. Regional Housing Authority,
will discuss the availability of
low-cost ^deral housing for
Clinton.
They are appearing at the re
quest of the Chamber of Com
merce which has been asked by
several interested Citizens to in
vestigate the possibility.
The Regional HouSlttfjAuthori
ty has federal housing jurisdic
tion over 18 Northwestern coun
ties in South Carolina. The au
thority supervises 57 housing
projects which are in operation
in 29 different mifnicipalities in
the region.
The first projects were begun
in 1952 and initial occupancy was
in September of 1953. The au
thority supervises a total of 1,007
apartments, of which 80 were
built in Laurens in 1964 exclu
sively for the elderly.
Bolt, executive director of the
S. C. Regional Housing Authori
ty, is a former member of the
Laurens County Legislative De
legation and is a former mayor
of Laurens. Thompson commands
the Fourth Battalion of the 118th
Infantry, National Guard, with
headquarters in Union.