The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, May 07, 1948, Image 8
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tHI eAMDIN CMWOWiCLl,
fftMi '^nd I wu til* fint
DR. JOHN W. CORIETT
DR CORBETT IS INTERVIEWED.
BY REPORTER FOR THE STATE
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(By R. E. Qrltr.ln The State)
For 55 years Dr. John W. -Cor
bett practiced medicine in Camden
and ricinity and today, at 85,
"knocked down by the doctors on
account of my heart" he says, he
I ires In his bis roomy house on
Lyttleton street. But he is not idly
watchlns the world so by for.
alert and keenly alive to happen-
lags tb« world over, he has his own
pungent observations to make on
things in soQMwI.
Four daiiy newspapers, t^ree
published in South Carolina and
one "in New York, are delivered at
his hooM and these, with current
magasines and frequent talks with
visitors from, far and near — for
Camden is a cosmopolitan city —
keep him abreast ^ith develoi^
ments over, the face of the earth.
When a. man practices medicine
over half a century in# town the
"an<]
here with an' automobUm
"But before I got the bicycle, I
walked a lot, for I was as poor ai
the devil. When I got a call to go
out in the countnt. I’d go^ to *
livery stable and /get a horse and
make the trip, ^am Lathan and
George Little, who ran the livery
stables, were very considerate to a
young physician beginning bis
"Medicines chiefly used when
I started out were calomel, quinine
and opium," bo said, remarking in*
cldenUlly that about one-half of
his work was on a charity basis.
"Doctors today charge too much,”
he declared emphatically.
"Along in the 1880’s, I recall that
our fees were $2 for day calls and
$5 "for nlghL-There came a very
tough year, with poor crops, and
we doctors got together and re
duced our fees to fl.SO for day calls
and $3 for night.
"1 always figured it bras better
not to charge too much and collect
it rather than carry unpaid ac
counts for years. People today are
not more civilized than when I was
a young man," he said and he add
ed. emphatically, "the manufactur
ers of the atom bomb ought to be
blown up."
The doctor assisted in the or
ganization of the Camden hospital,
ran it for several years, is now
president emeritus. Naturally he
takes a pride ip the .work that in
stitution has done and is doing.
"Politics? Weil,.I’m going to
vote the Republican ticket un
less Governor Dewey Is nomi
nated in PhLIadelptiia. I can’t
vote for him. I’m hoping Van-
. denberg of Michigan will be the
nominee.
"I believe In states’' rights
SQd the individual determina
tion of mind. Under Mr. Tru
man S'man can’t’ call his hdsrt
his own.
"Any government that will let
John L. Lewis (Mine Work
ers’ boas) run over-it like he
has ought to quit
"I kick About things yet I don’t
know bow to get relief from things
that ought to be bettered.
"I have never been a’ Democrat
in spirit since Tillman was elected
and I never was a Jeffersonian
Democrat. I don’t believe every
body should bo allowed to vote —
I think there shonld be some- sort
of qualifications. Here I am. With
Mt** EisteCioai then it temlA vote
"I have never believed in prohi
bition, but in free liquor and high
licenses.’’
The doctor takes pardonable
pride in his wiwk for better health
in his community. "I was the'Drst
man in Kershaw county to take up
work against tuberculosis, follow
ing along the line of Doctor Daw
son of Charleston. I went out and
talked to the Negroes and got them
to screen their windows and leave
them open at night, and thus the
incidence of the disease was les
sened. But there is a lot of racket
in health work today.
"I practiced much amtmg the
Negroes and some of my best
friends are among the Negroes, and
I am not interested in the civil
rights bill.-
"Now about medicine. I believe
in nature but I'm not a naturo^th.
The math object
gradsated.
"Now when I wi
well. - I
’’bugs" were not known and there i
was not a microscope in college.'
But education, culture and trav^
have brought in ‘bugs’ of all kinds.
"Why for ten yfsrs, I never stml-
lized an instrument and I never had
any trouble^”
"Fve always enjoyed life," he
said. ’‘Now at 86 I spend most of
my time reading, talking, sleeping
and eating.”
Doctor Corbett served as a mem
ber of the Camden council, as its
intendent and as its first mayor
when the form of government was
changed, and he is interested in the
growth of his tofwn.
"The duPont development is a
great thing for Camden and this
section and it wUl have a wh<de-
some ^ect generally." he says, as
he thinks of the future growth of
the community he has served so
long and so well and which counts
Qiroiiide Clashed Ads CM
is to repair and
man of that combination and 'may
be that is why citizens speak of
him as Camden’s patron saint and
hold him in warm esteem and af
fection.
The 85 years that have passed
over his head have not reduc^ him
to a common denominator: rather
they have served to accentuate his'noiQQ property and interested in
individually and he expresses his the community, yet my yote can be
views on things generally with a offset by some one who maybe
blunt frankness altogether refresh- doesn’t care about the community.
Ing, and he hedges his sUtements voted against Mr. Tillman, one
not at all. “ of about 800 in Kershaw county
With his typewriter near his side, that did so.
he was on a chaise lounge in his ^ "What about Russia? Russia does
living room the other day, with a not want to fight. It wants to nag.
shawl over his legs, "rv# got to The Russians sre mean cusses, Just
keep my legs warm on account of half civilised and I don’t think they
this damned rheumatism,” he said, are ready to fight
A little bit about the background | "i hate innovations unless I can
of a, man whom Camden, is proud some improvements brought
to claim as a citizen. He was bom thereby, and I hate to vote against
at Cheraw, son of the Bgy, W. Bell President
■ lA f
Truman, but it is the
size of Camden—population was Corbett, a Presbyterun minister of best way. We have enough votes
1,700 when the doctor began his Charleston, and Sara Elizabeth to dam things up anyhow,
work there—he becomes much more Witherspoon Corbett of York. He “When I was 14 I wore a red
y
ilW ' :
•‘mi ’
. Jw,
than a mere medical practitioner
He is counselor and friend and
comforter, adviser of youth concern
ing life careers; he steers bewild
ered adolescents into safe paths;
and, if a man of kind and under
standing heart, wields a mighty in
fluence for the wholesome and
right living. Doctor Corbett is a
If'
was graduated from' the .Medical ghlrt with 'Haskell Guards’ written
(College in Charleston, under .21 across the front of it.” And he
years of age. studied in clinics in gpoke of the Darlington, riots and
New York and at Johns Hopkins in the troublous days in the ’Tillman
Baltimore and then went to Cam- regime.
den to begin a life of service to the >, “as to education, and I think
people of that community. *v?e have made tremendous strides
It was in November, 1885, that jn jt, i don’t believe everybody
he was carried to Miss Reta Me- should go to college. After some
Willie Burnett of Camden, a grand- early training, I think there should
daughter of W. M, Shannon, whoso g selective df«ft for persons-of
death in a duel was Instrumeptal talent. There are more loafers, who
in bringing Ijito being the antt-|a|.© college graduates hanging
duelling oath all holders of public around than you can shake a stick
office now take.
"We ought to have duela
now,” Doctor Corbett said, aa
he spoke of Mr. Shannonr. "Peo
ple would be more discreet In
their utterances IL they knew
they might be Invited to meet
some opponent on the field-of'*
honor. You would not hear of
candidates for office call each
other Hare. We did not have It
years ago. The duel would,
make gentlentan out of hoos-
lera:” ^
"How., .many babies have I de
livered? Well, I’d have to go
through my files to answer that
correctly: ever so often, some one
comes here to look up his birth
certificate.”
And then he talked a little about
at
’‘One other thing, I don’t like
Columbia’s influence with the leg
islature. The legislature should be
.moved out in the country where it
cJhild not be so subject to Colum-
GAU BLADDER
sumaiRs nND cuts po« misirt
DUR TO LACK OR HRALTHY DILI
SsMly RmIwK H«r« — Sidfww* R«Mm
H«w for nllklsddtr ■ufl«r«r« Ude-
•f ■
r«li«f for gallklsddtr ■ufl«r«r«
Ins bralthy bilt U icen today In announc*- ,
nrnt of n wonderful prtparation which ncta
with remnrknhU affact. Suffarart with
asonlxlns colic, ttomneh and Enllbladder
miB«ry dut to lick of hooltky klle now toll
of ramarkabla raaulta aftar uatnK thla medi-
clna which hua amaiinf power to atlmulate
flow of healthy blla. OAUUSIM U a very
cxpenilva modlelne, but conalderlnE reaulta,
the IS.OO It OoaU la only pennies per dote
OALLUSIN (caution, '■uaa only as dlractedl
la aoM with full money hnck nmranUa h-
his early career as a physician In
Camden. "I was the first man in d«kALB PHARMACY—PHONE 95
I Camden with a ‘safety’ bicycle,” he
<1 I
i
eCET
Redfe^ Motor
Company
Wa MUikSt
140
Relax and Enjoy Yourself
Get Close to Nature
Outdoors
You'll get much more but of life
wlien you equip your^lf with good'
t
outdoor furniture,
See Our^ l^wn or
Beach Chaii/s
Special
HOME FURNISHING CO.
Sb^ leviMity, yos, ovoii oighty hours without ro-zhorponing
•xparionco of oparertors with tho now Worron High
Spood Procision Chain. ’
This moons a vary substantial monoy saving ooch yoor in
shenponing timo dona.
Tho socrot is tho now plow-shopod high spood stool cutting
tooth, dovolopod by Hotiry E. Worron, invontor of tho Tolochron
oloctrfc dock and timing dovicos.
This dwin cuts fostor and usm lost motivo powor. Avoiloblo
only on Lombard choin sows—wiH Bf any Lombard sow now
In uso. Soo now modal wo now havo on ditpiciy.
ROAD MACHINERY COMPANY
430 MMtinf St Weat Cohimbia, S. C
Surveys
Maps
Noi,
M. <
1 O’CAIN
1 . ^ REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL
1 CIVIL ENGINEER
<
Pbone 2213
Caiiidao,s.c
Estimates
•
m m
nanmurau
MIHWIBig
DBIVE-IN THEATEI
/ C B. BLYTHER, Owner
Lctcated on State Highway 26—Town of Lafoff
MONDAY-TUESDAY, MAY lO-li
“Gun Fighter’”
Randolph Scott, B. Britt
News
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12
“Captain Tugboat Annie”
Jane Darnell, Edgar Kennedy
Cartoon, **Andy Played Hooky**
THURSDAY-FRIDAY, MAY 13-14
“Gallant Bess”
Marshall Thompson, G. Tobin
Cartoon ...
SATURDAY, MAY 16
“Under Nevada Skies”
Roy Rogera-^alao—Honeymoon Blues
Sousie Come H<
• List your suggestion for a name fw
the new Drive-In Theater on a slipoj
paper with your name and address
give to ticket man at Theater. CJontol
egds May 15.
Person giving name selected drowsy
award.
SHOWS AT 7sa0 and ttl8 P. M.
STRIKE
In contrast, dilo omall grmq)
union leaders are attcnu^hif to
intent and spirit of the lUilway LatorM
and dictate their own terms.
Union leaders representing less than one-tenth of railroad employas
rejedt recomiriendations of 1*residant’s Emergency .hsard—refuse to *'
negotiate except on their own terms—threaten to paralyze nation by strike!
THI LEADERS of three railroad vnhMis, rep
resenting lest 4han one-tenth e( aU rdfaread
employees, have called a railroad strike diat
would paiidyxe the natioii.
’These leadwt refuse to accept a 15H cents
an hoiir wage increase retroactive to Novem
ber 1, 1947. ’Hiis increase was recommended
by an impairttel Emergency Board iqxpointod
by President Truman.
This irt£reaae of ISV^ cents already haa been
accepted by the 19 other rsdlroad uniona. But
the Brotheibood of Locomotive Engineers,
the Brotherhood of Locomotive FIremm and
after hearing cvidehc^for SS days, made
batea on all the facte in
recommendations
the case. Hm railroads have accepted these
recommendations.
Who’s to blame?
Althou^ they ^lorcd so large an axtra coat
spied the report of
burden, the railr^ds accept
the Board because they felt It was in tlve pui^
lie Interest to uphold the qpirR and intent of
Labor Act ,
the Railway
They have dictated a paralyzinf
strike.
You will be the victim!
How kmg win
(or the
use of the right'1
of the obUgatlea to prvM
How long can the Aias ‘
a few dicteterial aaiao
processes providad hr
of dispates?
Force addeta
eithar (afar ar bntfaw. Marsavw, •
dtea reacfaad absa pqnaaal fadwB^-a
be held ndterdfaMlB to lha gnolfF*
wdfare. That la why toa laihoRdR
eepted (faa Wmmmmey Bsotd loetOM^
tions. That to aha why (ha teadmsfW
tlwaa aaiona shadUl rocaadd
to caD a pardyaiaE slilca.
' V h'i i» ■ im——■
Enginemen, and the Switchmen’s Union ofi
-- - - - - J
North America won’t accept what more tiian^
90% of all railroad employes have accepted.
They have called a strike to get more!
Hare Is a comparison
of averiM|e annual
Unions refuse rules discussion
Certain mlet dmages .demanded by tiiese
union leaders—which would increase wages
still fiirtfaw —were recommended by the
Board. But ^ union leaders want aiore-r
they demand timt the railroads ^ into offset
ALL ths changw fbey asked far, Incindiiig
those the Beord fdt ahonld be denied.
On top e( this, they insist that certain rules
dianges proposed by the railroads be with
drawn—ia sptoe a( the (act that the Board
recommended tiiem! These union leaders
have refused to negotiate except upon tiiese
arbitrary terms.
earnings ot engineers
and fireman (or 1989
(pre-war) and 1947.
Alaotixown la what 1947
eaminfi would have
been U the ISMi cents
Compare them wages with what |0ji aalMl
^tmkmtrn wnRomsi
Immi laiaiiai Imml Iwiiai
IMT
atot
t»pi of Uelaii I
INOINIfRS
R^-FreigM ..... .. |g,aat
^ (Local and Way)’
Road PaaMngcr sffn
Ro^ Freight (Tluo^) »,i«y
Yard 1,749
FiREMIN
R<^ ia.Taa
. (Local and Way)
Road ^sew t,71S 4M€
Road Freight SASO
Yard 14^8 S4Sa
Railroad wages computed from Interstate Commaroe
per hour increase, of
fered
by the railroads
4#ra
and reiected by tho
i leaders, *
union leaders, had
been in affect throu^-
out the entire year
19(7.
I
Greater wage increase not justified
Engineers and flreroen afl% among (he htgh-
est paid of aQ amplwcs in Amerka, as fifurm
r. IThls
in the box show.
strike threat doein’t
southeastern
railroads
Jui^ glvinji a incraaie than otiier
d wonera reoaived.
railroad
Emer nancy Boards ara a moona
by tha Bailway Labor Aok fax tea mifatteilntatw
sat to avsid'alrlkaa. Tha Prasnwa )ipa>4
We arc
thto
to talk.
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