Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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c ? TOUR OF WEEVIL SECTION*. Mr. Edward A. Eve Describes Trip to Territory Attacked by Enemy. Mr. Edward A. Eve, of Charleston, has written the following interesting account of his tour by automobile through cotton boll weevil territory: Having just returned from an S00mile auto trip through Georgia and South Alabama, where I spent an entire week studying the effects of the boll weevil and the remedies being resorted to, I feel that I have accui mulated some first-hand information which should be of benefit to every farmer in South Carolina. Instead of going from city to city, hearing and making speeches, I went direct to the farms in nineteen counties of Georgia and nine counties of ANJbama,v and saw conditions with my eyes, and heard dozens of farmers tell how the boll weevil had wiped out\fheir cotton crop and how many of thPm are now recovering and becoming "more prosperous than ever before. I\ would take a book to hold all the ' interesting things that I saw and learned about diversified farming and stock raising in the once chastened but finally blessed boll weevil ridden counties, and I could write another book about the wonderful roads through these counties that enabled me to cover 800 miles in a Ford car with positive comfort and pleasure during the six days that I was making'these investigations! But, for many reasons, rfly narrative must only touch the high places in this inspiring journey. ~ ' ~ - 1 J 1 /vnrvk Starting irom my oia iiome, Deem i Island, in Aiken county, in company with seven of my boyhood companions, who are now the leading cotton planters in that part of the country, we cranked up two trusty Fords and crossed the Savannah river early \ Monday morning. We paused in Au* gusta to tank up and make minor re\ pairs; and then we made a dash for Macon, where we spent the first night. J- ' This first run of 130 miles brought * "us well into the region of "first-yearinfestation." The Bibb county demonstration agent told us that he almost regretted to say that the weevil had done practically no damage to this year's cotton crop. Consequently, the farmers were still blind to the havoc that the weevil is bound to play next season, and were determined to plant one more big cotton crop. He khew what was in store for them and was working like a Big Ben alarm clock to warn them; but he seemed to be almost despondent as to -results. The lure of 20 cent cotton was simply insurmountable. ' ? ? it-r\ tL' q cnnthwpst' X lie 11CAI ua.l nc Luvn M WV?.? eriy direction and gradually penetrated deeper and deeper into the infected region. Soon after we passed the peach belt and got back to where cotton was the principal crop, the effects of the weevil began to be apparent. The fields everywhere were covered with fine stalks, but the upper half of these stalks was bare of fruit. The yield was about half what it would have been under normal conditions. This was the beginning of the region of second-year-infestation, and the weevils had multiplied enough to be destructive only during the latter part of last summer. A little further, however, the destruction was almost complete in many fields where the greatest diligence had not been observed in fighting the weevil early in the season. Most of the farmers in this region were in a desparate condition. The previous cotton crop had been short and had been sold for a poor price, and this .rtyrn-w nnt them still further in V* vy at*u Jf v? w? debt. They were discouraged about planting cotton, and they did not have the necessary experience or capital to start at anything else. At Fort Gaines we crossed over the Chattahoochee into Alabama, and reached the thriving town of Dothan by night. Here conditions steadily got worse, as far as the cotton crop was concerned, and almost every cotton field was bare of fruit with the exception of a few bolls near the bottoms of the stalks. These counties that had made over 30,000 bales two years ago will not make over 8,000 this year. We found & very different feeling among both the farmers and the business men, however. They swarmed around our party everywhere and were overpowering in their attentions and in their eagerness to tell us of the new light that they had seen. They were all learning to "live at home," and many of them had this vear tried other money crops and stock raising with marked success. They were beginning to prosper and were full of hope and confidence in a cottonless future; but they told us to go on to the westward and see for ourselves what one more year of boll weevil experience could do for a1 country. Our third day out found us driving westward from Dothan as fast as gasoline could carry us against a bitter cold blast that; would sometimes swerve us from one side of the road to the other; but we were still on a i magnificent highway, and it did not take us long to reach the town of Geneva, where we were given a warm reception. Mr. Jenkins, the county demonstration agent, took us in hand and taught us more about the boll weevil than we could have learned from all the books ever written. He took us out into the fields and helped us each catch a bottleful of weevils, and answered a thousand questions about every phase of weevil operations. He explained how cotton might be made under boll weevil conditions if the season was dry and favorable; but he said Geneva county did not have to make any more cotton. They were making all the money they needed raising hogs. He iic Vuip-a nons nf fat llOSTS. all ouu " vu ww i4V'C5v w. - ? w? , ready for the market, and said they had shipped 300 carloads of hogs to a nearby packing house this year, against three carloads two years ago. What Enterprise is Doing. That afternoon we went on to the hustling town of Enterprise. (One of our party referring to it as "Progress." and when we got there we found he was not far wrong.) This was a community where the boll weevil had come and gone. It had gone simply because cotton had gone ?and they had both been forgotten 1 atymt, except as blessings that "brighten as they take their fight." They really looked on the boll weevil as the greatest blessing they ever had. because it drove them from cotton to crops that were more profitable. Everyone seemed prosperous and happy?almost intoxicated with the taste of the new freedom that they were enjoying! They showed us their diversified crops and their cattle and hogs and mules with the greatest enthusiasm. The farmers held a meeting for ~ot tlio town hanlr that UU1 UCUClK ai. Liiv I.- ? night and one after the other told how he .had paid off all his back debts during the last two years and was now laying up money in bank. The bank president confirmed all of this, and .was the biggest optimist of them all. He told U6 most emphatically that during the last two years he had sent thousands of good dollars after bad ones, and that in every case where the farmers had planted peanuts instead of cotton the good dollars had come back and brought all the bad ones, too. The manager of the local oil mill showed me a few tons of old cotton seed that he had thrown out on the ground, and said that' he expected to crush nothing but peanuts from now on. One ibig hearted farmer insisted very much on taking all eight of us! out to his home to spend the night; and they begged us to spend at least a week with them. A Modern Packing House. It was hard to resist such jolly good fellows and such genuine hos pitalitv, but we baa to tear oursexves away next morning and force on to Andalusia, our final objective. Here we found somewhat tue same conditions as at Enterprise, but the town was more of a commercial and manufacturing centre. We were practically interested in a fine new packing house that was handling 300 to 400 hogs per day. The "wealthiest man in south Alabama," who happe: s to be the owner, showed us through the entire plant and made it most interesting by his clear explanation of things. They had been paying 8 1-2 cents for hogs until recently, but had to cut the price because they were coming in too fast. We saw about 4,000 splendid hogs in the pens. We all agreed that our Orangeburg friends who are interested in a similar enterprise could get some helpful and encouraging points from this thriving and up-to-date plant. Our trip home, by way of Montgomery, Tuskeegee and Columbus, was full of interest, and a high tribute to good roads. If I can possibly find the time I would like to write something about the efficiency of the splendid highways all through Alabama and Georgia that enabled us to cover more than 400 miles in two days of easy, comfortable running. The boll weevil is now reported to be within fifty miles of the Savannah river, and is practically sure to cross over next season. This means that in about two seasons it may be expected to cover the southern and western parts of South Carolina. NOTICE. All persons are forbidden hunting, trapping, or tresspassing on our land. P. M. KEARSE, J. 0. KEARSE, L. W. RITTER, rt ^ Ox i\OV. Si. 61. NOTICE. Pursuant to an order of the Probate Court for Bamberg county, notice is given that on December 8th. 1916, at eleven in the forenoon, in front of the residence of Mrs. E. A. Smoak, on Carlisle street, Bamberg, S. C., I will sell at public sale for cash to the highest bidder the movable personal property of the estate of Geo. P. Harmon, deceased, said property consisting of furniture, stoves, household goods, and other personal property. J. B. HARMON, Administrator. Nov. 22, 1916.?2t. MASTER'S SALE. Pursuant to a decree of the Court heretofore filed in the case of Mrs. Jane M. Rizer vs. G. B. Kearse, I. H. C. Folk, Master for the county of Bamberg, will sell to the highest bidder at public auction in front of the Court House door, Bamberg, S. C., on the first Monday in December, 1916, between the legal hours of sale on said day, the following described lands, to wit: That certain plantation or tract of land, situate in the county of Bamberg. State of South Carolina, containing three hundred and seven | acres, more or less, and bounded as follows: On the North by lands of j John M. Dannelly, East by lands of Estate of C. R. Folk, South by lands ? T ^ ^ 1 J J Al,^ U .. 01 J. L-. tsrcimiu, unci uii me w est u,> lands of Mrs. J. M. Rizer. Term's of sale cash. Purchaser to pay for papers. H. C. FOLK. Master Bamberg County. I Nov. 9th, 1916. MASTER'S SALE. By virtue of a decretal order directed to me out of the Court of Com-1 mon Pleas in the case of Lizzie Inabinel, plaintiff, against Moses Johnson, et al., defendants. I, the undersigned Master, will on Monday, the 4th day of December, 1916, the same being sales day in said month, during the legal hours of sale in front of the Court House door at Bamberg, S. C., offer for sale to the highest bidder the following described property, to wit: "All that piece, parcel, or tract of land, suuate, lying, and being in the county and State aforesaid, containing sixty-one and a half acres (61 1-2) more or less, bounded North and West by lands of W. I. Johns, East by lands of Lucia Bellinger, deceased, and by lands formerly of Jane Bellinger deceased and known as the Moses Johnson tract of land." It is also provided in said decree, that the successful bidder or bidders, shall immediately and before such bid shall be considered deposit with the Master the sum of One Hundred ($100.00) Dollars, either in cash or certified check, as earnest money and the same shall be a credit upon the purchase price of said lands when the said bid shall have been complied with. Terms of sale cash. Purchaser to pay for papers. H. C. FOLK, Master. MASTER'S SALE. By virtue of a Decretal Order, directed to me out of the Court of Common Pleas for Bamberg county, in the case of F. W. Free Company, plaintiff, against Richard Hays, et al., defendants, I, the undersigned Master, will on the 4th day of December, 1916, the same being sales day in said month, during the legal hours of sale, in front of the Court House door, at Bamberg, S. C., offer for sale the following described property, to wit: "All that piece, parcel, or tract of land, situate, lying, and being, in Bamberg county, State aforesaid, containing two hundred and forty-three (243) acres more or less, bounded North by lands of M. A. Move, ana Charlie Steadley, East by lands of Tom Rice, and Estate lands of Bellinger, South by lands of E. C. Jennings, and S. H. Sanders, and West hv lands nf the Estate of Shady Broughton, and known as the Landy Hay's tract of land." It is provided in said decree, that the successful bidder or bidders, shall immediately after the sale shall be knocked down to them, that they shall deposit with the Master the sum of Two Hundred ($200) Dollars, either in cash or certified check, a^ earnest money ^,nd the said sum shall be a credit upon the purchase price of the said lands when said bid shall have been complied with. Terms of sale cash. Purchaser to pay for papers. H. C. FOLK, 1 Master. rmrnmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | ; No one w J freight i comfort riding F : { So with a I I! oooular I I f | jf freight < I f | old fashi I M | 4 1! UNTIL FURTHER I I Gin Cotton on OF EACI ' Farmers Bamberg, Soi An Army 2,00( And every one guarding a Perfection Heater army, ness against sudden chan* get a Perfection. It travels light ? you can It's clean, good-looking, a little to buy and little to form of comfort insurance in 9 000.fJOn Vinmps. Ask (jQi&&k utomobil ^S|N Which I ? - is^'hi PJfi Do You i j ttyt>W-??-^.?.?.??^\iC= 3 Pullman or Frei mid think of riding in a Many m car if he could enjoy the to use of a big, comfortable easy The Ovei 'ullman parlor car. Overlai cantih utomobiles. Most of the springs priced cars ride like theeasi -.ars. This is due to the One derm ioned type of spring. $635 f. o. FOLK & SMOAK Telephones 68-L and 26-L Bamberg The Willys-Overland Company, Toledo, "Made in U. S.A." ^OTIC^ WE WILL Saturdays Only i WEEK > Gin Co. uth Carolina ),000 Strong | home ? thafs the v rui icai yicpaiwu *es in the wither I carry it anywhere I ind durable. Costs I use ? the cheapest I On the firing line I any good hardware I ment store. S5 ?tor b*af rmtult*. I COMPANY 1 Va. cOarltttofi. W. Vi I N. C. CWI?at*n. .X C- I V ^ Df DriirTinN , , r a AJ JVJ ?1 w 'VJ ? HEATERS ? ^ II 1 "-uW |^BdHHj|H|^^^fe||^^^3HB^?jhlHHBAI HHHHHnWESBHHHHB i ______________________________ ?) nil fes^/ ' J ght ? anufacturers still continue them. ' rland does not. The 75 B irl Vioo fV?o Infoef frrno nf Liu. xicio iiiu ia. lwo l ijr v/x g * jver shock absorbing i. As a result it is one of iest riding car sin the world.. - j Dnstration will prove this, b. Toledo. s. c. Ohio | i ... c'