The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, May 08, 1925, Image 1
The Camden Chronicle
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VOLUME XXXVII. CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROUNA.FRIDAY, MAY 8. 1925. ' NUMBER 6.
THE PAGEANT FRIDAY $
Brought Large Number of Visitors* To
View Historical Production
The historical pageant presented
hero last Friday afternoon was a
success from every viewpoint, and
brought quite a lot of delightful vis
itors from)all section# of the state,
who had nothing but praise for the
actors?both old and young?who
contributed to make it such a huge
success. Tho weather was ideal, the
natural stage all that could be de
fied, and the large roomy golf links
could have accommodated many thou
sand more without the least crowding.
The pageant was presented on a
sloping1, hillside, while tho audieoco
viewed it from anot&r hillside, with
,> valley between and with a setting
of pines for a background.
It is estimated that fully three
thousand people were in attendance.
The traffic was handled to perfecJ
tion and at no time was there a jam
or congestion from tho many auto
mobiles which brought the largo
crowds here. The gate receipts alone
imounted to $1,953 and quite a nice
sum was realized from the sale of
programs and refreshments.
Motion picture cameramen were on
?the scene0to make films of the pro
lusion which will be shown through
out the country, the cameramen stat-1
lug that it was one of the-most beau- j
iiful pageants they had cvCp filmed, i
Many of the daily newspapers sent
xpccial representatives here for the!
event and we are reproducing thijeo
?f their stories in today's paper.
Praise For The Pageant
.Former Senator Christie Bennett
and his family were visitors here last
Friday to witness the historical pag
eant. Mr. Bennett was so well
jlKased with the production that upon
hiA return to Columbia he sent the
following; complimentary message to
Mayor H. G. Carrison, Jr.:
"In the spirit of conception, in
netting ami in execution, I do not
believe that the pageant of Camden
Yesterday and Today could have been 1
bettered. It is a wonderful thing for
the community to be able to carry,
through so splendidly the reproduc- ;
lion of historic events of its past and j
still more wonderful to have so j
f*any descendants of the original
actors in those historic events taking
part in the pageant. Yesterday gave
pleasure and a new sense of pride in ,
the things of the spirit which South j
Carolina has achieved in the past. |
May I congratulate Camden and all ,
who took part in making the success!
as ^reat as it was. You are particu j
larly fortunate in having Miss Black-!
well as trainer and director and Mr.
Clark and the executive staff who
aidod* her in carrying out the entire
plans."
By John D, Rush
In Spartanburg Herald
Camden,May 2.?Its inception root
ed in the historic elements that* gave
Camden birth and prominence, the
historic pageant, "Camden, Yesterday
and Today", which was presented here
yesterday afternoon on the Kirkwood
golf links, gave a graphic, heroic and;
colorful panorama of events inter
woven into the making of the city.
The scope of the pageant spanned
-i period of time lasting from the
?lays in which the wilderness stood
alone against the skyline and King
Haigler's Catawba braves stalked
the deer, to the affairs of today. The
cast, which numbered 800 persons,
portrayed in costume and manner,
that beggared description, the 11
episodes of Camden's past. The
scenes thrilled more than 3,000 spec
' a tors.
Today as Camden citizens retum
to their daily tasks, could be heard
from all sides such expressions as
"It was remarkable, tremendous and
rendered so exceptionally/' and "It's
the biggest thing that ever came to
town." Miss Mary Frances Black
well, dramatic teacher in the Cam
den high school, was the author and
director of the pageant, She was as
sisted by Mrs. G. E. Taylor, Mrs.
R. B. Pitts, T. J KirkLand, historian,
Mayor Henry G. Carrison, Jr., and
others who gavo of their time and
talents liberally to make the event
a mccess.
Visit of LaFayett*
Outstanding among the episodes
in the pageant were the visit* of
the Marquis de I a Fayette, a French
nobleman, who assisted in the Amer
ican cause daring the Revolutionary
war, and that of General ' George
Washington, the first precedent of the
ed on the centennial qf tho visita
tion of LaFayette. Washington vis
ited (Camden in 1791. The historic
sequence wai* carried through in pic
turesque style, the performance com
ing to a close after three hours ov
showing in u grand ensemble of all
the chraracters. In the closing scenes
when 13 survivors of the Confererate
cause, their bodies bent low with ago
nnd supported by canes, passed in
review, lusty cheers rent the air and
made the old soldiers, lift high their
hats as a -token of appreciation for
the recognition which was genuine,
i . Supporting Camden's claim to hav
ing build up a prelude that eventual
ly led to the Declaration of Independ
ence by the original 1.1 states, was
a scene portraying the Camden grand
jury of several years before the Rev
olutionary war, signing an edict that
was virtually a severance with Eng
land, the mother country. The char
acters in the scene, for the most part,
were direct descendants of those who
signed the original document. The
characters were dressed in colonial
uniform and wore the .powdered wig.
Leading Role
Miss Lottie Mae Vaughan, physical
director in the Camden city schools,
played the leading role in the dances
when she as a fairy enacted the part
of the spirit of the wilderness. In
all the gamboling of the sprites, the
i!v?<s, the nymphs, the wild roses,
butterflies, sunbeams and artful in
terpretation of her part was out
standing. .luck Frost,acted by Miss
Peggy Hopkins, was also excellent.
Dressed in an ermine effect, she
chased the sprites, the nymphs and
all before her.
The program was begun with the
bugle blast of. the herald, Clarkson
Rhame. Father Time, with his long
gray cowl, scepter and scythe, an
nounced the events. He trod forth
from a recluse near the rear center
of the open air theater and made
his announcement at the end of each
event. During the program the Im
perial orchestra?of Columbia render
ed the music, which harmonized with
the gambols, tho minutes, the war
cry and the ensemble, closing with
the National Anthem.
Romance, too, was interwoven into
the thread of events that made up
the pageant, when Miss Evelyn
Hruce, dressed in the costume of a
Scottish lassie, dramatized the Indian
legend of Agnes of Glasgow. The
legend has it that Agnes of Glasgow
left her native heath during the Rev
olutionary war to find her British
lover. She landed at Georgetown and
was paddled up the Wateree river by
two friendly Indians. Upon arriving
at Camden she inquired at the office
of Lord Cornwalli^iin Caiiiden, as'to
the whereabouts of her lover. The
freshly made grave was pointed out
across the way in an edge of the old
Camden cemetery. The legend also
claims that she pined away and soon
died. She was buried, it was said,
beside her lover under an aged cedar
tree, and the inscription carved on a
small tombstone. It was said that
her grave wa9 dug with bayonets of
Cornwall is' troops.
War Period
Then during the Revolutionary
War period was enacted the stirring
scenes that come with wars. The
battle of Camden was graphically
symbolized in an engagement be
tween the British Red Coats and the
patriots under General Gates. It
was during that engagement that the
brave Baron DeKalb, a former Ger
man, who camo to aid the colonists,
was mortally wounded. History
claims that the baron finding him
self surrounded by enemies, offered
to surrender his sword. Before giv
ing up his sword, however, he asked
if his captor was an officer. When
he did not understand the indignant
reply, he turned to effect his escape,
Then came shouts of "an enemy,
and during the wild ride, DeKalb
was shot down from hi3 horse. Com
wallis chanced to pass and ordered
that the fAllen DeKalb receive at
tention. He is buried in Camden.
Then came the period of slavery
of the Ante Be Hum days. The most
picturesque acenea came when the
white folk* danced the minuet and
the darkies gathered for their old
time songfesta, which included such
numbers as "Suwanee Ribber," and
4'Swin* Low, Sweet Chariot." The
scenes were then changing from Ante
Bel him to the war between the states,
Hampton's Bed Shirts, the period of
reconstruction and lastly the World
war. Veterans of all wars Camden
has known except the Revolutionary
war, participated ia the pageant.
(Continued on Last Page)
SOl'Tll 18 BIG 1.0SBR
In lt? Failure To Raise Morf Fwd
Products on The Farms
President II. G. Garrison, ?Sr., of
the Bank of Camden, has received *thv
following letter from Harvie Jordan,
managing director of the American
Cotton Association, which we think
of sufficient importance to givte to
our readers. The letter to Mr. Carri
son, and the letter from Mr. Jordan
will be found below: I
"I am enclosing for your attention
and publicity, if the same meets with
your approval, a most astounding rev
elation of the present dependence of
the cotton South upon the gr&in
states of the West for food and feed
product*.
"So long as this uneconmie policy J
is pursued by the grower^ the cost :
of cotton production will be abnorm-;
ally high, local bank deposits limit
ed, merchandise sales light and the (
purchasing and debt-paying powers!
of the growers unsatisfactory. Pub-j
licity, education and co-operative sup
port. of all interests art- essential to!
the adoption of a sound and self-sus
taining system of agriculture in the
cotton states:" *
"I am indebted to Mr. K. J. Hod
man, chairman, agricultural commit
tee, Arkansas Bankers Association,
Little Hock, Ark., for the statistics
from which the following information!
regarding a foodless South is com-!
piled.
The ten cotton states covered in
Iho inquiry as to homeraised food anil
feed products, are North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ok
lahoma, Texas and Tennessee. In
these states in 1920 there were:
Total number of farms . . . .2,560,407 ;
Total farms growing cotton ,1,872,320'
Total acres in crops.. .. 92,645,780 j
Total number of persons *
living on farms 13,367,4071
Average number of persons |
living on a farm . 5.2 j
Average acres in crops per . !
per farm, including Texas
and Oklahoma 36
Average acres in crops per farm,
not including Texas and
Oklahoma .. . . 27
The following data shows the num
ber of farms and percentage of far
mers principally engaged in cotto'i
production who neglected to raise the
staple food products listed and who
were consequently compelled to sup-1
ply their needs for man and animals j
from food and feed largely imported j
from other states:
No. of farms |
Raised no corn .. 299,827 j
Raised no hay or forage .. 1,382,918
Raised no oats 2,185,500
Produced no eggs .* 500,411
Had no garden 597,247
Without a dairy cow . . . . 915,333
Did not rai*o a chicken . . 950,980
Made no butter 1,172,720
Did not raise a pig 1,438,541
Raised no sweet potatoes . . 1,481,297
Raised no Irish potatoes . . 2,005,394
Grew no cane for syrup . . 1,942,445
Had no pure bred animals . . 2,145,960
Farms operated hv tenants 1,407,347
White farmers 1,708,494
Colored farmers 841,9*11
(100 white farmers to 49 colored)
Growing cotton 1.872,320
Bales per farm for farms
growing cotton . . ' 0
The above information taken from
the records of the U. S. Census, is
astounding apd ..clearly indicates the
reason why most farmers in the
cotton belt have but little or no pur
chasing power from the cotton crop
each year except to provide for them
selves, families and work stock the
barest living necessities of life.
It ha* already been estimated that
fully one bilHon dollars of the ag
gregate value of the cotton crop in
1924, went into the grain And live
stock states of the middle west for
imports of food, feed and dairy pro
ducts, and the most of this enor
mous bill for supplies was for food
consumed on cotton farms.
The cotton states east of the Miss
issippi river have lost more than one
million farmers and farm laborers
out of the cotton fields since 1920.
This exodus of farm kibor has loft
behind, lying dormant and unculti
vated, millions of acres of fertile
lands. The boll weevils destroyed the
cotton, the corn cribs and smoke
houses were empty because food and
feed crops were not grown and the
exodus of empty stomach* and de
pleted purses had to be made for more
lucrative employment. The prodigal -
i ity of Providence In the rich inheri
Mew granted the South in fertile
ieoila and cMwIm for die
? ? ' C> -
BKTHINE NEWS NOTBS
Item* of Internet an Told by Our
Regular Correspondent
Bethune, s. C., May G.?Bethune
High and Camden Bull Dog* met in
A spectacular game of baseball hen
Tuesday afternoon. The game wa&
featured throughout by disputes and
dissensions, The only agreement held
in common \Vas that both sides were
burlesquing America's favorite sport.
Every known variety of baseball
was given. Throughout the first part,
the players were seized with an
ennui that could not be shaken off.
As the game progressed the home
team threw off its lethargy and used
their bats effectively to score a 19
to 20 victory over the visitors',
Prof. (). U. Bel) and family were
week end guests of Mr. Bell's parents
in Lancaster.
Mr. C. A. Bird, principal of the
giammar school, was called to his
home in Jefferson Thursday after
noon on account of the sudden death
of his father. '
Miss Luella Coyijigton was*. th?;
week end guest of her parents in
Clio. . .
Miss Kathleen Hamerick of Ker
shaw is spending some time with Mrs.
Loring Davis.
Mrs. J. K, .Severance was the week
end guest of Mrs. Janie Vaughn.
Miss Dorothy Parrott spent tho
week end with Miss hula Bell Mc
Kinnon.
Air. and Mrs. (J. B. McKinnon of
Lancaster were week end guests of
their parents here.
? Motors. G, B. King ami N. A.
Bethune are attending the 'state- re
union in Abbeville They were ac
companied by Messrs. M. G. King
and P. 11. Hester who will visit Green
ville and other places while the re
union is in session. The trip was
made in Mr. King's ear.
Miss Mary Arthur and mother have
returned from an extended visit to
relatives in Philadelphia.
Work was begun this week on the
handsome brick bungalow of Mr. A.
A. K. McLaurin, just south of his
present residence. The contract has
been let to Mr. Claude King, con
tractor of Sumter.
Dr. J. K. McLure is having a hotel
erected on the site of the old one,
which was burned this winter.
The Supday School rooms of the
Methodist church have been com-*
pleted.
Mr. Karl Roseborough, of Lugoff,
was the guest of his uncle Dr. E. Z.
Truesdell Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Helms and little
daughter of Statesville, N. C., wero
the week end guests of Mrs. D. J.
t'lyburn.
M iss Inez McManus of Cheraw
spent the week end with Mrs. E. Z.
Truesdell. ?
Mr. J. C. Foster of Hartsville has
been elected superintendent of tho
school for next year. Mr. Foster
comes highly recommended. Home
Economies wiill be added another year.
The full corps of teachers have not
been elected.
Display Old Silver
Charleston, S. C., May 2.?A sil
ver--coffee urn once belonging to
Oliver Cromwell, dating 1653, and
now in the possession of the Pinck
ney family of Charleston, is on dis
play af. an exhibit of rare jold silver
articles, many of them priceless fam
ily heirlooms, loaned by citizens of
Charleston to a firm of the city.
production of food and feed crops, is
unequalled in any other section of
the world. There can be no general
prosperity in the field of agriculture
and no purchasing or debt-paying
power beyond the barest needs of
human existence so long as the en
tire operating expenses of the cot
ton farms, including food and feed,
are put upon the white staple. What
t'he boll weevil don't devour, the value
of the cotton crop must be paid out
to the grain states of the west, fer
tilizer companies, automobile and gas.
The rural banks are depleted of de
posits, merchants' stocks of goods are
reduced to the barest necessities,
while country homes are falling into
decay and labor-saving implements
on the farm are growing more
scarce. The cotton trade, the domes
tic textile industry and the vast cor
porate interests of this nation v*ho
would preserve the American mon
opoly of cotton production, must give
their support and co-operation toward
a great educational campaign that
wili educate and train the cotton
farmers to the adoption of a self
sustaining system of agriculture un
der a more intensified method of cot
ton growing. All cotton and no food
crops means the ultimate breaking
down of the industry. In the mean
time, it is vitally important to so
amend the present Federal Emigra
tion laws to permit the right Land
Colonization Association* to contract
with selected farmer emigrants from
the northern countries of Europe for
the purchase and settlement of mil
lion* of acre* of fertile lands in the
cotton belt bow lying dormant and
unproductive
MIRDKR NEAR CAS8ATT
l.tland Anderson Instantly Killed By
John Melton
Iceland Anderson, about 18 years
of ago, of the Cassatt section, was
instantly killed Thursday afternoon
by a knife wound thrust into his
heart by John Melton, of the name
soolion. Five men?four whites nnd
one negro---had met in a pasture for
a game of poker.. Anderson is said
to have won Melton's money when a
dispute arose and Anderson was stab
bed twice in the heart. He remained
where he had fallen In the woods
until viewed by Coroner Russell late
in the afternoon and was then remov
es! to his home. Melton loft the
scene, hut was later captured by
Sheriff Welch and placed in jail.
Melton is nbout'35 years of age and
is a married man with a family.
Witnesses state, that Melton and
a negro named "Sug" Lee drove up
W> Sheorn's house looking for a game
and that Sheorn and his son and tho
Anderson lad agreed to join them.
Melton and the negro are said to
have been under the influence of
whiskey.
The dead lad was a son of M?\ |
and Mrs. J* T. Anderson, of that sec
tion. Mr. Anderson is a member of
the Wateree Mill band and part time
is employed in the cotton mill. The
lad is a grandson of Mr. W. A. An
derson, a meat dealer of the mill
section, well known in Camden. Ho
seems to have been tho victim of*th'<3
association of bad characters older
by far than himself.
We learn that Mr. Anderson has
employed former Judge M. I>. Smith,
of Camden, to assist Solicitor Spigncr
in the prosecution, while Melton, who
is still confined in jail, has employed '
Attorney K. I). Blakeney, of Camden,'
and Williams and Stewart, of Lan-'
caster; to represent him.
The killing took place on a farm
owned by J. W. Sheorn, a White man, |
who has figured in several tragedies
of late years. He was shot through
the foot when the late J. F. Bateman
was killed in a raid on a Mill. Sheorn
also served a sentence for harboring
Barfield, the slnyei* of Constable You
mans.
Pageant in Motion Picture*
Motion pictures of the Pageant of
"Camden Yesterday and Today" will
be shown at tho Majestic Theater
Monday and Tuesday, May 11th and
12th. The films are to be shown in
connection with the regular pictures
and no advance in admission will bo
charged.
StcvenHon To Run Apin
Congressman W. F.' Stevenson
states that he has roceived numerous
suggestions that he run for the sen
ate nertt summer but that he has
no intention of doing so. He will run
to succeed himself in the house ofj
representatives, according to a dis
patch from Cheraw.
Value of Live Stock in State
The estimated value of all live
stock on all farms in South Carolina
January 1, 192&t was $48,372,100.
The per farm value was $251. In
total values, Orangeburg ranked first
with $2,200,937; Jasper was last with
$375,915. As regards values per
farm Hampton leads with $356, fol
lowed by Colleton and Bamburg with
values of $$33 an^ $331 respectively.
Clarendon hi last with $175. Lancas-1
ter county ranks 37th with a value
of $225 per farm; Kershaw county,
16th with $370; Chesterfield, 17th
with $258; York, 21st, with $257;
Chester 29th, with $240; Fairfield,
10th, with $283. The figures are
based on the 1925 estimates of tho
South Carolina statistician and 1920
census'.
Knightt* To Meet
A stated conclave of the Camden
Commandery, No. 12, Knights Tem
plar, will be held Tuesday evening.
May 12th, at 7:30 o'clock. The orders
of Malta und the Temple will bo
conferred upon h companion of the
Red Cross. Other business will also
come before the Commandery. Light
refreshments will be served. Knights
are requested to wear uniforms and
be on time.
L\jr6ftYANT NMIcfe
Notice is hereby given that the
ordinance prohibiting the operation on
the paved streets of the city of Cam*
den of a vehicle with flanges on the
wheels or any device of whatever kind
attached to said vehicle which will
cut or cordurize said paved etreets
wilt hereafter be
W. I). WHITARJERj
May tt, 1125.
ABOUT T11K REFUND
TreaHurer Will Pay Ah Boon Ah Lints
. Arc JU'ffivwl
County Treasurer I). M. MoCaskill
hits had s?o many inquiries in regard
to the motor vehicle license refund, he
has received the following letter from
W. W. Goodman, snpervlfcor Of motor
vehicle division of the State High
way Department, which makes itself
perfectly clear ami the treasurer askv
us to give it as wide publicity as
possible in order to save him from
answering so many inquiries:
"As you know, an amendment was
recently passed by the General As
sembly of this state to the Act 73J,
which is generally known as the
"Pay as You Go I(oad Act", pro
viding that a refund shall be made
to owners of motor vehicles who paid
their license fees prior to the date
of passage of this amendment.
"The method by which this refund
is to be made was prescribed in thiit
amendment, and for your information,
it is as follows:
"This department is required t??
furnish the Comptroller General ot'
this state with three lists of refunds
due in each county of the state. Such
lists will ho audited by the Comp
troller General, when he will deliver
to the State Treasurer two copies.
The State Treasurer in turn retains
one copy and forwards to each County
Treasurer a list ol" refunds due in
his county, when ho is required to
see that the i]V(livi^uaT*T?funds are
made. Such lists have been practi
cally completed by this department,
but 1 believe it will be several weeks
before these will be audited by the
Comptroller General and forwarded
to the County Treasurers, T am.
therefore, unable to state on what
date you may expect to receive this
list or the reimbursement for refunds
due."
A Good Ordinance
We are publishing in another place
today an ordinance requiring the in
noculation of all dogs within the city
j limits against rabies. This is a
| good, precautionary measure and the
citizens of the rural districts are in
I vitcd to take advantage of the pres
j ence of the veterinarian hero on the
date specified. The fee charged this
year will be 65 cents instead of 8f>
cents as charged last year.
Dunce Tonight
? There will be a script dance tonight,
Friday, May 8th, nt St. Mary's Hall,
from 10:30 p. m. to 2 a. m. Music,
by the Carolina Gamecocks orchestra.
Note: This danco will start imme
diately after the Carolina Glee Club
concert.
Wateree Mill Dam Breaks
For the past week engineers- ami
a large force of laborers have been
kept busy day and night repairing a
break in the Wateree Mill dam. Tho
leakage was discovered Thursday
night near the mill's hydro-electric
plant and before being brought under
control had undermined a considerable
portion of the building nnd for n
time threatened serious damage.
The plant was erected six yearn
ago to furnish electric lighting cur
rent for the mill property and dur
ing the recent interruption its lines
were transferred to the city lighting
system without inconvenience to
residents of the village.
Fletcher Moore, loeal eontractor
and builder, has the repuir work in
charge.
Hanks To Cloee Monday
Memorial Day falling on Sunday
this year, all four of tho hanks of
Camden will be closed on Monday.
Robinson Succeeds Sheriff Howard.
Columbia, April 30.?Deputy Sher
iff Nollie Robinson today was appoint
ed .sheriff of Aiken county to succeed
Sheriff Henry H. Howard who was
killed last week in a prohibition raid,
it was stated late today at the office
of Governor McLeod. Sheriff Robinson
was a member of the raiding party
last Saturday and was one of tho of
ficers attacked by Annie Lowman,
negro woman, who was shot and killed
during subsequent fighting. v
The newly appointed officer was
in conference late today with Gover
nor McLeod. He is forty years of ago
and has been n deputy eleven years.
Catholic Church 8ervices
Services aft the Catholic Church on
Sunday, May 10th, will be as follows:
Sunday school at 9 a. m., Mass and
sermon at 10 a. m. Sermon oiv "The
Special Mission of the Holy Ghost".
ATT are cordially welcome.
Marriare
and
WCmM
W. L.
M.