VOLUME XXXVUI, CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1926. * NUMBER 26 .
1 1 * i ii
FJH5-; JOHN 0. RICHARDS. pM
. .. i %. '
L Interesting Pen Picture of South Car*
oIIm'i Neat Oeveraor.
(By Jno. K. Aull.)
Columbia, Sept..20.?-Known to h?8
friends and associates as "The Major"
and to the people pf South Cerolftia
generally aa Major Richards, he is
t nevertheless a full lieutenant . colonel
of South Carolina Infantry, having
been promoted to-that grade ihf >1014,
and still holding It on the* retired list
o/ the National Guard of the State. j
The big majority which piled, up for
him ou the face of the returns receivp
ed on the night of the #edbnd<.primary
early assured his? nomination is gov
prnbr, and he issued a card of thanks
to his friends, and Wore midnight he
r had left for his home at Liberty. Hill,
to be with-his family. He(returhed to
Columbia for a <fay, but had to gdtl
back home to gettout his dotton. Fori
he is a farmer, and has beeX all his
life. Almost continuously in public
life since a couple years after he!
, reached his majority, he has held to
farming as his main occupation and
as the means of earning1 a livelihood
for his family. He was born near"
where he now lives. His home stands
on a commanding hill;- and there is a
large formation of granite, there.
And ip. his physical build, standing
ihore than six feet Uhll, with bone and
musclenaoffftg the 62 years of his life
never hidden by apy soft tissue, and
in the strength of his character ami
integri?
ty, one isreminded the ruggediiess
of those granite Kershaw hil^ls among
which he has lived his life. He will go
into office untrammeled by any promr
ises save those made to the-publio a?
a whole, and standing upon the-tdat^
form which he announced at the opening
campaign meeting at Lexington
and reiterated upon every stump from
there on until and including the final
... meeting in Columbia,
A service of twelve years in "the
South Carolina house of representa(.s
tives, during ten yearSr of whiclk, fta
was a member of the ways and means
committee; of several years upon the
railroad commission, by appointment
of Governor Ansel, then by election
by thp people, and twice by election
by the general assembly; of four
years as a trustee of Clemson college,
and a close touch with all the affairs
of government during a long period of
'4. years, have prepared him for the duties
of the high office whijch he will
assume next h
begin the discharge of those duties
with hearty support from the people
. "StateTTtSe" big majority which
he received was made up of strong
support in ^very county, and it in1
cludes^very poUtiod. faction of the
^ past si pee the days of the '90's. His
promise is, with the help of God, to
. walk worthHygnd to be the governor
wit ell the people. He hayalwayslc?pt
:-^hU ^promiHesV a^ he Wlft keep this
To be governor of South -Carolina
has been his life ambition. Those who
have been in close touch with affairs
political in this state believe that he
fradght h&vtmttahted this artibi tiottj 15
years ago had blTtrimmed his sails to
the political winds. But he had taken
^-jp&bearinf* and laid out^i^dfSme,
and there was no deviation from the
. point of the compass. In those days,
as back jn the Ws, passions were
running high; nerves were taut and
strained; self-control was hard, and it
7 took a dear brahrand'm strong heart
i.i to be in the mdfelstrOm and hot be
blown away. But he was true to the
ptincipies tor which ; gd
true then, as always before and sinee,
to the friends who stood by him. On
the night before ladt Tue^a^a primary,
-ne tow ma . v
1i> .--5jMj-i v..
J afrit ImiMfrJmo" I'l go ih xt day, too
steadfastness and ..the loyalty of his
friends were worth more to him .per- .
sonally than any office, and; even
should there be defeat at the frolls,
that steadfastness and loyalty would
have given him a higher victory. And
now hp takes no credit to himself.
It is probable that he Will'Continue in
,the position of railroad commissioner
during the remainder of the year.
There will be heavy calls upon hi^
time as the governor-elect* but he
feels that, if it be physically possible,
he should not surrender the frust reposed
in him by the legislature until
he assumes the higher office.
In connection with his office as railroad
commissioner, it might not be
amiss, now that the campaign is over,
to refer briefly to the opinions - fi*?.
pressed by some during the campaign
getting back,to constitutional government
was inconsistent with his being
himself a member of a commission,
and drawing a salary as such during;
the campaign. As a matter of fact,
whije.it is called a "commission,* the
railroad commission fs created by the
constitution, and a member of the
commission is a constitutional officer,
And as a member of the commission,
so far as the salary is concerned, Major
Richards l receives compensation
only: or_ j?ht& days hie actually serves
at the meetings of the board, and he?
was not drawing a salary from the
3tate while he was out on the campaign.
There was not time for him,
at the campaign meetings, to refer to
all these matters, but . this is now
stated in justice to him.
Major Richards' family consists of
Mrs. Richards and nine daughters?
and these daughters have been entering
Winthrop college as they became
'of sufficient
. Members of the new governor's
family are: Mrs. Elizabeth Coates
(Workman) '.Richards; Mrs. John
Wells Todd^ Jr., Laurens; Mre. Thomas
McCrad, Denmark; Miss ' Betty
Richard, teacher in Lauren* ^PHy
Schools, Lkurens; Miss Rekjth Richard
tocher in Laurens City Schools^
"Laurens: Mla?~ -Margaret Richards,
teache? Queenif^CoIleg^
<Jharlotte,.N. C^ MrSy^ilorgan Sauls,
LiberfflfjHflJ; Miss Mildre<E Richards,
student Winthrop College, Rfick Hill;
Jean student: Wlnt.hrnp
College, Rock Hill; Hiss Johnny Richards,
. studentj^Li berty gpflP school,
liberty
, His only son, Stephen M. Richards,
difed at a military cdifcp in Iowa during
the World war. In Mrs. Richards,
the state wHl have a first lady who,
with her'Charming family, will grace
the governor's mansion.
As an index of Major Richard's life,
his attention- to thieu.duties o??the
duties of the trusteeship of his local
school at Liberty HiR stands out in
bdtfreBeLHe regards the elementary
schools as of prime importance, and
in all the positions he has, held he has
not lost'sight <>f the home school op
one of Ke^shaW's h?lav
~ With W.unquestioned mon^Nmd
! Major Richards ' was badfc scared
once in htrlife. Thal<yras durmftbe
year when hia Presbytery elected hm?
lumbia next 4uy, he had not yet got
V>ver the fright. But they say he made
a good one. HI* earthly trinity ewraiata
of hii family* his church and hia
1 - .1 i in
CAR PLUNUKD INTO CREEJC
, j
BeverdI Ladies and Children Narrowly
Escaped Serious Injury.
Loaded with human freight, a Hudeon
car plunged into the Hermitage
canal on the Camd?u*Bishopville highway
last Thursday evening, but aside
from a few bruises none~ of the six
occupants wej-e injured. The car belongffH
to Mrs. B. L. Inabinet of Bitrtippville
and was being driven by he^.
Accompanying heV was her child; Mrs.
Fallow and little baby, of Columbia,
Mrs. Jack Shaw and Mrs. Audrey
Reeves, of Bishopville. They were
enroute from Columbia to Bishopville,
and when op- the bridge .they were
struck by a Ford car belonging to Joe
Adams, colored, which the ladies claim
was being driven at a rapid rate., ?
The cars met on the bridge and thrf
Ford struck the left front wheel of
the Hudson and caused the heavy car
to head in the Opposite direction and
run into the water* of the canal,
Luckily, the water was low or the
ivhole party would very likely have
been drowned. As it was the ladies
had to hold the children's heads above
water until help teached them.
.Two Bishopville cars were just behind
the wrecked car and carried the
occupants on to Bishopville. The" Hudson.
"Was pulled oflt later and found not
to be bajlly damaged and was'driven
op to Bishopville. The Ford was considerably
damaged and we learn that
the negro paid all costs of the damrages.
MISS THOMPSON D&AD.
Baltimore I.?4y Gave Catholic Church
To Camden.
On Thursday of last week ~ word
P? received in Camden of the death
of Misa Charlotte M. Thompson in
Baltimore. The news was somewhat
of a shock, since Miss Thompson,
though ill for some time, had nevertheless
not been considered as being in
immediate danger M death. The end
came.quietly. At the bedside were
her surviving brother,, Mr. -Oliver
Thompson, her attendhig physician,
Dr. GHlis, and her nurse, Mrs. Stemblen
Previous to her death she had
ffsefved the last rites of the church.
The 'remains arrived in Camden
Monday morning at 10 o'clock and
were immediately brought to St.
Mary's church for funeral services
Hps! interment. It will be remember ft\
that Miss Thompson built St.
Mary's church in 1914 and at that
time she superintended the construction
of her own tomb in a little 'aide
mortuary chapel. In this tomb her
mortal* remains now rest. 7. " - jT I
The Requiem Mass was celebrated
By the Rector Rev. Thomas J. Mac-kin,
Assisting in the sanctuary were Rev.
Nicholas A. Murphy, of St. Peter'B
Church, Columbia; . Rev. James D.
Quinn, of St. AlyiVchurch, Sumter;
KeV. Martin Murphy, of St. Francis'
church, Shandon, Columbia, Rt.
William T. RusSell, Bishop of Chhrleston,
had expected to be present, but.
was not sufficiently recovered from"C'
recept illness to be able to make the
journey.
following the Requiem Mass/ the
rector proceeded to the rite of the
Absolution of the Dead, after which
clergy went in procession to the
vault, the remains being borne along
by the p?Ub||{rgf)s, who were: Messrs^ '
K. G. Whistler, Beunie DeLoacbe, Jr.,
W. L. DePass, E. M. Workman, Jo-'
seph Sheheen, L. T. Mills, Normals
Huckabee and Abraham Sheheen. 1
I fe Beeffles the mourners, Mrr Thofiop-t
son, Dr. GiUis and Mrs. Stremblcr, I
there were in the church a large fathering
of friends from Camden and:
surrounding country. A delegation
pupke of the -Chat4oHe -Tbompaon
School attended, accompanied by Mr.
Norman Huckiybee, principal, aivl several;
members of the f acultyanjd tviusthe
tamcb the committal service
was read, the grave blessed and
the casket lowered into place. It was
covered by an exquisite blanket of
fern* and roses. a last gift of the
brother of the, deceased. The grave
was sealed with a solid slab of Georgia
marble and .on top of the slab was
placed a great wreath of lillies, the
gift of Charlotle Thompson School.
Principal J. G. Richards, Miss Alberta
Tean and'Mrs. Laurens" T. Mills
were named to represent the teaching
faculties of Camden schools and several
pupflfc constituted a committee
from the atiwtfr? bodies.
On the wall above Miss Thompson's
grave; was placed a beautiful broiute
memorial tablet, which reads as follows:
"Of your charity pray for the
soul of Charlotte M. Thompson, who
built, this' chmyfr |*fjpi914. 'Jesus
Christ is the Propitiation of our Sins,
and nbt burs only, but for the tins of;
the ,whole world.' St. John I Epistle,
.'" I
i. In the little, mortuary chapel at the
head of Miss Thompson'* grave stands
the altar which formerly'stood 1n the
domestic chapel at "The TehrTaces",
her country home a few utiles out of
town. The remains of a beloved citizen
of Camden now rest in pfeace and
quiet of the church ehe built. -Her
monument is the temple of good
her mo^^midnf uPsJ^LNv^jr'77'^
' . 1 r yf
Mrs^ Conway Morris, of Woodruff,
age 28, was found lying <m the floor
with a bullet wound in the temple and'
[another In her body, when her busband
Returned from preaching services
Friday night. Mrs. Morris;'who
m in a Spartanburg hospM? says a
man , came to the door and shgt her.
The husband believes it was an at*
tempt at suicide, as Mrs. ^fcorris has
been in ill health. The shooting was
done With Morris* pistol, which hftjiad
hidden and thpugbt was out of the
wife's reach. & ' /TV-;: 'V
" " : ' ? '
STORM TAKES HEAVY TOLL.
Hundreds Deed end Millions hi Property
Damage in Florida.
?V I
(Wednesday's Associated Press.)
Leaving a long trail oi destruction!
and hundreds of dead, injured and!
homeless, the tropjcal hurricane which 1
came out of the Bahamas Friday to
rage across southern Florida and!
along the eastern gulf coast Anally I
has blown itself out in southern MU-I
1PP1- *>
With direct communteation restored I
with the last of the isolated cities?I
Pensacola?it appears that there was I
no loss of life along the gulf, although I
the wind at times reached a velocity!
of 120 iniles an hour, even greater!
than that which leveled towns of the!
Southeastern Florida coast leaving atl
feast lOO dead; ISO or mqi-e missing;]
6,000 injured and 50,000 Homeless.
Property damage in Pensacola was
estimated at $2,000,000, while that of J
Mobile was less thanhalf ibhat amount]
Smaller towns in Alabama and Miss-]
issippi suffered some loss and crops in I
the southern portions of those states!
were badly damaged. I
Identification of the dead was pro-J
ceding only slowly aqd many of,those I
who perished in the worst storm Flor-1
ida probably has ever felt, likely will!
go to the graves of theunlniOV?IL.
Early last night the list of the!
knqwn dead still stood at 388, but res-T
jCjae workers believed the total would J
reach 700Jn south Florida alone. Korfll
$han 1,500 were nw>rq or less seriously!
injured and that the property damage I
was estimated at anywhere from $50,-1
7)00,000 to $100,000,000,
Government agencies, relief work-J
ers and railroad officials were bending!
their efforts to get JUltO Pensacolafor]
an assessment of the damage there to I
carry relief to the stricken population* |
There was no estimate either of the!
dead or of property damage, but the!
reports coding through toht' of.. the 1
.wrecking of the station and property J
pf the Louisville & Nashville railroad 1
' f^resa dispatches from Mobile^early 1
last night said that Gulfport had as*
caped with a property damage of only |
$700,000 arid naJosA-of-llfe^ Property]
loss was caused by the high winds un- ]
roofing buildings and the rising water]
Hooding buUdirigs;vrW? l>aw>met?ij
there set a new lowjgcprd JruLthg 1
fifty years' history'of the weather bu-J
reau, I
Other gulf towns escaped the full!
force of the blast which veered _qff|
into southern Alabama! where there]
were unconfirmed reporta'e| some ldss |
of life and property and into southern
Mississippi, where it was dissipated'after
wakings had been issued at
New Orleans that the blow was headed
for that place. K :
Although only 48 hours had passed
since the hurricane hqd swept Miami,
fiollywood-by-the-sqa, Coral Gables,
Fort Lauderdale, Moore Haven,- gnd
many other Florida towns, the work
W rescueaqd i*Kef wall in hand.
Hotels, and other buildings, ^
[ though roofless and windowless, werqr
converted into temporary , hospitals
for treatment of the injured . ^
| M?ny agencies, federal, itabe and
fraternal, were pooling their efforts
in relief work. The American Red
Cross alone had . raised nearly $1,000,000
to Succorrthe homeless and the injured
and other agfencfes were supply?4ng
fund# for riefcabUtating $he defMtated
regions.^ ^ 'iVSV
Mddical and food supplies wete beinglftisbeAto^thg
eaitcoast fromCMeago,
Jacksonville and, nearly cities.
Food supplies were -going; feJJnirge
quantities* but the VYest Palm Bqach
chapter of the Red <frosajM^_ogt,frn
urgent appeal for tents,'cots and bedding,
oil stoves, babjr foo^k, bottled
1 water, blpnkets and other necessities.
Aitplanes carrying anR-tetsnus and
aulUlyplHlid SilfUmt Were rushing to
the storm area in the hope that epl-1
demies might be avoided. Through
most of the district sanitary condK,
tiona were reported as bad, particularly
in the inland towns which were leveled
by the storm as it swept across
|*ke Okeechobesr and on to the west
coast, where some lives were lost and
property *nd crop damage estimated
at $16,000,000 waa caused.
t With; the receding of the k waters
and' the^e-establishmcnt of lines of
communication, refugees began pouring
out of the storm area into Jacksonville,
where fcity officials made immediate
arrangements to house those
who were unable to continue their
northwajdJqtttW*.
was ft 1 most
recfc word as to the fate of ldved
ones. As a result, roads down the
east coast were congested
Proportionately some of the inland
towns suffered even greater damage
than did ih osih o j ec tionVfscing
the Atlantic! and the full fury of the
hurricane's first blast. Moore Haven
practically.was wiped out, as was Fort
v/ ..
The dead at Moore ftaven was
placed at 61, with the search, for bodies
still in progress, while the total
at .Fort Lauderdale was given as 11,
still were underwater and ^fSfScuo
workers believed many bodies ?|83|
were in wrtjcked homes or in nearby
'iixslmf* ' '' 1 -" ' vwnvcim.
.. a' >._+
Some of the refugees from the
stricken districts gave vivid pictures
'of Conditions in Miami when the
storm ems at its height One refugee
declared streets were impassable and
thai houses and trees ? were every;
Ambulances daihad about the * eit j
picking up wounded and rushing then)
tog to this refugee, the air wan litem
||lly full of debris borne before the 100
mile gale. SoraetbMii whole roofs of
houses could be seen flying by .
A- -large construction bw*e vth*
washed up directly in front 6t :-Tthc
Royal Palm hotel, from which the
roof was torn by the wind. A lsrgr
FOOTBALL SEASON OPENS
Camden Eleven Meet* St. Matthews
Eleven Here This Afternoon.
With the longest string of candidates
ever seen here, among whom
are many veteran player#, the prospects
for Camden High school football
re more favorable toward a completely
successful season than has
been represented In many a long day.
Fifty men are daily lining up for the
grueling practices as > required by
Coach Richards and Assistant Coasts
Villepigue, and Nettles.
? SowelJ, entering his third year- of
high school play and a stellar light
in former contests, is captain of this
ycar'a. team, and, close to him in the
expectation of big things, local enthusiasts
are pointing to Campbell, whose
husky two-hundred pounds tied In
sprinting With the fas^st man of last
year's squad. Goodale^ Trapp, and
Davidson will also likely prove firstline
material of the choicest variety ML
their ability has' received favorable
recognition for two full years.
s Ratllffe who was ruled ineligible
fast year is expected to again come into
hie own this season and Flowers,
Jenkins* Mills, Burns, Watts and
lfouts are also plliy?rs of* experience
and ability and of v whom much will Joe
expected when the Camden Bull Dogry
go into combat with the various high
school teams of South Carolina.
The Camden high school football
team in former years has ever held an
enviable record and was the "only state
team to register a ecore against the
invincible Columbians of last year and
when the whistle marks the local
opening of the 1926 season , St. Matthews
who plays here at the trace
traelf field Friday^ as well as all the
football world, will still realise that
Coach Richards men are fighters real
and withal natural lovers of the best
of good clean sport..
'.I '' m I, ' n ~'i, m i.'.i i i iii
Building Being Erected.
Contract has -been let to : Corbet t
Brethew,-: ftfotrac'tar^, to ersct
an exhibition building for thd Kershaw
County Fair Association on the'
fair grounds near the Seaboard
freight.depoL Thi? Building wfH Jw
100 feet long and 40 feet, wide and
vfcill be of metal construction, costing
around $1,000. ' J / ' ;
The committee will materially increase
'-the premiums this year, espeeially
on general farm and swine
exhibits.
; The fair yill.be held the; .week gf
November 8th, and- the county fair
premium lists will be issued around
tlie first of Oetober.
. Z
Registration Bpftf# To Jliwt.
The Chronicle is in receipt of a
communication digned by .Norton Kclley,t)'.
T, Gardner and G.SR. Clements,
members of the Board of Registration
for Kershaw, county, stating that the
hoard will meet on Friday, October 1.
This will be the last; opportunity of
securing a registration certificate before
the general election- ht ~ Novemmil
mi i i in I 9 ii ins i mi in ii i i
mmpmenarnamKammmsazmamm, , .
BUS1NK88 OUTDOOR GOOD v ^
p* ' p: '1 ^~'v
Good Crops sud Building Operation*
Incresses Activity.
With the recent politicsl campaign
now ? thing of history, and the refreshing
quietude that has followed
in its wake, it would appear that
Camden; and Kershaw county generally,
la beginning to take stock of its
actual holdings as well as the potential
assets of a winter season surmounting
the best record yet. |H
An afternoon's ride, or better , yet,
a full day's trip into the Locfchart
aection trailing, or toward Cassatt
and teto Eastern Kerahatf or acrbss
the Wateree to the farthest Southern
tip Ind again to the red tolls aud
roek creeks of the north?or wherever
one might travel within the county?
there will unfold fields of cotton, lib- ^
erally planted and rich in l^p harvest
award, but more pleasing, perhaps, is
the sight of pigs and porkers, peat
and plenty of corn and everywhere *
sweet potatoes in ample measures.
In Camden the Schloeburg interests
itafr* made yet another store opening;
a new candy kitchen comes to jtpwn, .
and W. P. Thomas last week consummated
a trade for the msgpificent
Savage property near the Court Inn,
where . he ^likewise:. JifejiB
hrtfSBT the coming winter season the^jl
very exclusive King Halgler Hotel
The building trades are finding full
tfihe operation; at present are prin[ctpally
employed upon the erection of
the Baptist Sunday achool extension,
the home of Mr. W. T. Stewart in
Lake View and numerous other small
residential properties.
Contractor W(. G. Adanur is busy
With the erection of four bed rooms
^ eight batfi rooms to " the Court
Irtn in order to take care of more
guests during the coming winte^. He
[will also begin the erection of a modem
bungalow in the northwest cornsv
of the <k>uii l?hv^rounds b
occupied by Captatp arid Mrs. Dwlght
Partridge. * ~ irU-^3
Virtually every home occupied last
season by visitors from the North will
hghin be taken and even at this
date a number of families have eatab*
lished themselves amidst the pine and
sunshine of Camden. The tourist ho-'
tela andrgjmg rounds surrounding eadh
are being Shaped for record bookings
I when they will open around -the first "
of November.
Meanwhile the local market con|S?Uf.s
twenty-five to fifty points better
thap adjoining towns ?v<| glpiefs
hereabouts have turfied out 4 ground
1200 bales of the new cotton crop,, ?
wfclchjp* nyining 40 per cent 1 ater
than last year, and Mr. Bruce is
placing his official weight stamp at
the rate of 1,900 times per every
three days to the ulfim'ate benefit of
every local buyer and his brother's
son and friend!
l-- : P?retit-T?eli.r AModillon.
A^meeting will be held at the school
auditorium Friday evening, pctol^.;^
1st, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of organising
a Parent-Teacher Association.
Thb object of this Association t?
to bring into closer relation the home
and the school, that parents and '
teachers may co-operate intelligently .
in the training of the child. Any one
interested in the welfare of tto? ^om- j
munity Is cordially invited .t'oljbe p^ras-^1
ent. After the mfeetlng light refresh- ;
ments will be served and an informal
reception wil} be held in - ronton that \
the parents may meet new teachers '
and renew the acquaintance of those
returning again to Camden.
J. G. Richards, Principal.
?
Mtta EfirtTy Lang InjuredT?? Fall.
Telephone -< advices reaching The
Chronicle jaafflt goes to pregs Thursday
afternoon are^ that
M1ss frmiiy Lang, popular young audc
ty girl of Camden, now * student at
Plor* McDonald^ collegia, pigtu Red .
SpHrtgfc, N. C.j sustained very painful
i in juries in a fall at the college Thurs*
day
The injuries are said to consist Of
j^hroken ankle, Apteroken. arm and
about thq body, and whiK
their agtoiit' o'ff^ianouaaeaa | Is not;
'-klent* it is stated, is a case of faiut^;
ing toKterlntfuced by a short but wealroiung
I Relatives weire Immediately advised
t arid tle> are nov Miss Lang'in
. tfceXorth Carolina cty. ^
if When no hi are
' .. n laruujhr svvt