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THE CAREER AND HISTORY Of THE LAURENS ADVERTISER I * ! ' 1 _________ i ! (By W. W. Ball.) To the Editor of The Advortlser: Since the controlling Interest In The Advertiser Printing company was sold by M. L. Copelnnd and myseil tr? the Messrs. Lee more than a month ago, I have had It lu mind to write some thing about the newspaper and Its history, Inasmuch as the whole 20 years of my newspaper work has had intimate association with it and it is due the new controlling interests that tlie Laurens people know that they have the good will of the sellers. What 1 shall say will be in more of a per sonal vein than I like to write, but that cannot well be avoided und I must risk the exhibition of somo vanity in speaking of my long connection with the property. Tiie Advertiser was established by t lie late .lohn Con way Garlington and Its first Issue appeared August, f>, 188.r? ?a date almost coincident with that of Capt. B. It. Tlllman's Bennetttsvllle speech which began his public career. Politics, so far as I know, had nothing to uo with the beginning of the pa per. A few years before Capt. J. D. McLueas, of Marlon county, had begun the publication of the Laurens "Mer chant and Farmer" but its plant was burned, I think and w?s not replaced. The Lauretisvillu Horuid, established In 1818 I believe, was the one other newspaper and job office in the county, unless "Our Monthly" at Clinton be mentioned, ami Mr. Uurllltgton thought the field was big enough for another. He made the mistake of fixing the subscription price too low?the time was not rlpo.theu for one dollar week ly newspapers and I doubt if it he ripe for them now. The people of a county ought to have a better newspaper than one dollar a year will justify. The Advertiser under Mr, Gnrllng ton's management opposed the Tillmaii doctrines from the start and it was a bold and outspoken newspaper. At times Mr. Garllngton's experiences were stormy but he was never a man to shirk or waver. In 1800. a few days after I was ad mitted to the practice of the law, Mr. Garlington told me that he was going to Spartanburg to establish a daily newspaper ami offered to sell me The Advertiser for (l.BOO. He promised me the refusal. For ten day or two weeks before that time, during a vacation of Mr. Garlington, I had written the edi torial articles for him?the first I had written for any newspaper though the first thing of mine that appeared In print was In The Herald?about a trip to Washington that Judge Wvatts invited me to join In with the State Press association In lsxo, when he was part owner of The Herald. One of these first editorial articles In The Adver tiser?before 1 was the editor- coin batted the argument of Capt. Tillman that a boy at the proposed Clemson college could earn his own living on the farm of the college. I think sub sequent events have proved that at the age of 10 or 20 I know as much on that point as Capt. Tillman knew. (mediately after Mr. Garllngton's offer to sell I went to the University of Virginia for a summer law course and in August received a letter from Mr. Garlington saying he was ready to sell. I uccopted his offer, came home, borrowed the money on the endorsment of my father and uncle and took charge Lite In August. My purpose was to practice law and run the paper as a "side line" but in a few weeks law was the aids' line and I was mighty busy trying to get money to pay the print rs at the end of the week. When I began to conduct the paper, it was under the shadow of a "Fann ers' Alliance boycott" but that didn't hurt it. The frh lids of the newspa per everywhere in the county were working for It and the boycott indi rectly helped It. I learned then that political opposition is not to he feared by a newspaper if the paper have rea sonable honesty and some intelligence behind it. I don't think the notion of writing for policy's sake entered my head at all in those days. I wrote what I ChOSS and 1 made some blun ders which I regret, I said things that I should not have said as 1 do now sometimes hut, on the whole. It was, I think, a newspnpe.' or average eon science and respectability. I had no trouble in earning a good living out of it although the plant was anything hut first class. The press though was good?an old "railroad Hoe"--Hut no body could run It except "Jim" (hews. The success of The Advertiser Is largely due to "Jim" Crews because a good, clean typographical impression Is an essential and Mr. Crews knows more about a country ne wspaper press than anybody In tho Up-country. I edited The Advertiser until Feb ruary, isOl, when I took up dally newspaper work in Columbia, having at times before that worked for The State during the meeting of the leg Islnture nnil Tor the Spartanburg Her ald. After that my father, Col. B W. Hall, and Miss Sara Ball ( now Mra. Cope Innd) edited and managed the paper untll January, 1899, when for 21 mouths f again managed the business. Col. Ball continued to do the writing until his death in March, 1902. Re turning to Laurens from Florida in Match 1902 1 conducted the paper un til March, 1904, though I was absent from Laurens much of the time. From March 1904 to April, 1908. to April, 1910. Mr. 8. E. Boney. now of I the Charleston News ami Courier, was the editor, at a salary. Since 1 left the paper in 1904 it ha? been greatly enlarged and a new mechanical out fit has been installed. It includes a Mergenthaler linotype machine and a new press. The Advertiser of the last five years 1b a much bigger con. i cern, Incomparably bigger, than It was in the nineties or during my active connection with it and this expansion is due to the sagacious and attentive I management of Mr. M. L. Copeland. Of course be bad the valuable assist- , at ice of Mr. Black well and also of Mr. W. L. Taylor and Mr. Boney but the firm business direction and good credit ; of Mr. Copeland have been the prin cipal factors in the prosperity of the . concern. Tbc Advertiser has never had a ma- i Jortty of the people, in a political sense, in sympathy with it in Laurens county. It always opposed Tlllman and Tit I man ism. In 1892 or 1893, at the beginning of the free silver agita tion, it declared Itsoif in favor of the single gold standard- and it has lived to see the free silver agitation aband oned by Mr. Bryan and the Democratic party. With one exception I do not think that it has supported a success ful candidate for governor, who had opposition, in Its whole history. There never was a time probably when one of its editors could have obtained political preferment In Laurens coun ty. Nevertheless, always It had the strong backing of farmers and mer chants, whether they ogreed with Its utterances or not, and there has never been a day when Its credit wasn't good ; In the bank. In short, it has succeed-1 ed because Its views have commanded i the respect if not the sympathy of men whose support was most worth having. While I gratefully remember the support which the people of Lau rens gave the newspaper, it is only fnlr to say that The Advertiser as a aewspaper has consistently given more than a dollar's value for a dol lar always?at least, I think so and I I think that it will do so under its new management, too. The first important undertaking for1 the city of Laurens that The Adver- i User engaged in under my mangement . was the establishment of the graded ' school system. Frank Evans, now of Spartanburg, was the founder of the system in 1890 and The Advertiser carried on the campaign for it at his i suggestion and with his advice and ; aid. There was considerable opposi tlon to Its establishment. The Advertiser was active in the work of arousing interest In cotton mill building in Laurens and its edi tors and owners have been original subscribers to the stock of both mills. In 1891 or 1892 The Advertiser ad vocated the "Torrens system" of land tenures. Unless I am much mistak en, it was 16 years or more ahead of any other South Carolina newspaper in favoring this reform. Except during Mr. Honey's editor, ship, The Advertiser has always od VOCated local option and usually has supported prohibition for Laurens. From the beginning It opposed the i State dispensary. Mr. Honey as editor advocated state prohibition. One political movement In which The Advertiser agreed with Senator TUlinan, in opposition to most of the Antl-Tlllman newspapers, was the j calling of the constitution convention j of 1896. I could mention other movements I In which The Advertiser has taken a leading part but what I would most cmphnsl/.e is that politically it has i usually been In the minority and has prospered in spite of it. It could afford to he In the minority because it bad no favors to ask. Its editors gave their attention to the business of pro ducing a newspaper and selling It. together with Its advertising space, and sought no Offices, and Its success is accounted for by the fact that what it sold was worth the price asked otherwise It would not have, continued to receive that price ror 2!> years. ' One of the things that It gives me ?special pleasure to say is that The Advertiser's relations with the Herald have through all the years been cor-1 dial and that between Col. Thomas B. Crews and the writer there exists a warm piutual regard. Although, my connection with The Advertiser has been secondary to my ; professional work except for two ] years, since 1891. I putt with It with a good deal of sorrow. The knowledge j that 1 could never he "out of a Job" - while I owned The Advertiser has I brought me a great deal of satisfaction ; and there Is some jo> tn Knowing that one has a medium through which lie can Bay all that he wishes to say. Finally, Mr. Copeland and I would not have sold The Advertiser without Inquiring the character of the buy ers. "Business is business' but there is a little sentiment left in the world and we obtained the assurance of men we knew that the new purchasers of The Advertiser were gentlemen?hon est, straightforward and high-minded young men. That much we Owed to the men who have been the staunch friends and supporters of the news paper through good and evil report and that much we owed to the memory of a very noble gentleman who was very dear to us both and who for some years wrote with a fine grace and trenchanoy the editorial articles of the paper and always with a high purpose that his people of Laurens county might be.the better and happier for what he said. Columbia, S. C. Hoarseness in a child subject to croup Is a sure indication of the ap proach of the disease, if Chamber lain's Cough Remedy is given at once or even after the croupy cough has appeared, it will prevent the attack. Contains no poison. Sold by Laurens Drug Co. NOTICE -OF THE County Treasurer The Hooks of the County Treasurer will be opened for the collection of State, County and Commutation Road Taxes for fiscal year. 11)10, at the Treasurer's Olllce from October 16th, to December "list., 1910. After De cember 'list., one per cent, will be added. After January :?lst. two per cent, will be added, and after Feb ruary 28th., seven per cent, will be added till the 16th of .March, 1911, when the books will ne closed. All persons owning property in more than one Township are request ed to call for receipts in each of the several Townships in which the prop erty is located. This Is important, as additional cost and penalty may be attached. AH able bodied male citizens be tween the ages of 21 and 00 years of age are liable to pay a poll tax of $1.00 except old soldiers, who are ex empt at .">o years or age. Commuta tion Itoad Tax $1.00. in lieu of road duty. Road Tax to be paid by the 1st day of March, 1 ft I i. Other taxes to be paid at the time r.s stated above. The tax levy Is as follows: For State purposes.5% mills For Constitutional School Tax 3 mills For Ordinary County purposes mills For Interest on Railroad Bonds 1 mill For Roads and Bridge Bonds .*' mills For Court House Bonds .. ..I mill Total.10% mills Special Schools?Laurens Township. Laurens No. 11.6 mills Trinity Bidge No. 1.1 mills Maddens No. 2.2 mills Narnle No. 3.2 mills Baileys No. 4.2 mills Mills No. ."..2 mills Oak drove No. 6.2 mills Special Schools -Youngs Township. Youngs No. 2. mills No. 4.3 mills No. ."?.3 mills Fountain Inn No. 3B.10 mills Lnnford No. 10.IV-, mills Ora No. 12.2 mills Special Schools -Dials Township Qreen Bond No, I.3 mills Dials No. 2.3 mills Shlloh No. 3.2 mills Gray Court-Owlngs No. r? .. ,.2 mills Barksdale No. ?.2 mills Dials Church No. 7.2 mills Special Schools?Sullivan Township. Princeton No. 1.3 mills Poplar Springs No. f> .. ..2 mills No. 4.4 mills No. 6.4 mills Tumbling shoals No. o .. ..2% mills Brewerton No. 7.3 mills Sullivan Township R R Bonds I mills Special Schools?Waterloo Township. Waterloo No. Ii.I*, mills Mt. Oallagher No. 1.3 milts Bethlehem No. 2.2 mills Bkom No. 3.2 mills No. 4.2 mills NO. >'.?"> iniiin Mt. Pleasant No. ?.2 mills Mt. Olive No. 7.I mills Special Schools-Cross Hill Township Cross Hill No. 13.6 mills Cross Hill No. I.2 mills Cross Hill No. 2.2 mills Cross Hill No. 4.2 mills Cross Hill No. ;"..2 mills Cross IBB No. ?.2 mills Special Schools?Hunter Township Mountvllle No. 10.4Vj mills Hunter No. 2.2 mills Hunter No. 3.2 mills Clinton No. .3 mills Hunter No. 8.3 mills Special Schools?Jacks Township Jacks No. 16.3 mills Special Schools, Seuffletown Township Scunietown No. 1.2 mills Lnnford No. 10.2V6 mills Ora No. 12.2 mills Prompt attention will be given those who wish to pay their Taxes through the mall by check, money order, etc. Persons sending In lists of names to be taken off are requested to send them early; and give the Township of each, as the Treasurer Is very busy during the month of December. J. D. MOCK, County Treasurer. Oct. 7th., 1910?tf. LUMBER Now is the time to Build or Repair your houses. We have a complete line of building material and we will make it to your interest to call and get our prices and see our lumber be fore placing your bill. ! Gray & Easter by LAURENS, S. C. BIG LAND SALE! I Offer You the Following: 307 acres of land in Scu?letown township near Byrds Cross Roads, bounded by lands of M. B. Poole, Will J. Adair, Will Myers and others, known as the Yarborough place, 3 dwellings, $0,000. 8 room dwelling, on Centennial St., Clinton, S. C, with 81 hundredth^ of an acre of land, known as the Qriffln place. $4,000. 1 HO acres land, one-half mile of Dial church, with a handsome dwelling, 3 tenant houses and good out-hulldings. Come quick if you want this place. Price $50 per acre. Six room dwelling on Fleming street in city of Laurens bounded by lands of .1. T. Ledford, .1. F. Walker and oth ers. Price $1,350.00 100 acres of land one half mile from Lanford Station; eight-room cottage, good out buildings, in high state of cultivation. Come quick If you want this property, bounded by W. 11. Drum mond, .1. M. DeShlelds and others. Price $00.00 per acre. 219 acres of land bounded on north by Mrs. Milton Robertson, on south by .1. M. Phllpot, east by Mrs. Martin and on west by B. F. Terry and others. Price $10.00 per acre. One nine-room new dwelling, fin ished throughout, 4 acres of land, sit uated in town of Criss Hill, prlco $1,000.00 .terms made right. 25 acres land, 5-room dwelling, barn and out.buildings. Adjoining land of Qeorge Wilson. Price $775.00. 3 acres land, four-room cottage at Watts mill, price $1,300. 91 acres land, ono building, bound ed by lands of Mrs. Boyd, S. O. Leake and others. Prices und terms made right. 47 acres land, bounded by lands of Friendship church, Joe Waason. J. A. Coats and others. Price $30 00 per acre. 59 acres, town of Lanford, dwelling and out-buildings, nicely located over looking town of Knoree. Price $2, 000.00. 50 acres land bounded by lnmln of Walter Nash, and Rufus Gray, dwell ing and out buildings. Price $20.00 per acre. 70 acres of land bounded by lands of Jim Ad Moore, Will Hudgens and others, cottage house, 40 acres under cultivation. Prlco $1,700.00. 65V6 acres land, bounded by lands of Albert Burns and others; 6-room dwelling, tenant house, barn and out buildings. Price $40.00 per acre. 7t acres on Reedy River, bounded by lands of James Downey, Will Cald wcll and others. With tenant house. Price $20 per acre. Terms made easy. 150 acres land bounded by lands of Five room cottage on Oarllngton Ludy Mills, It, E. Burns and V. A. street, city of Laurens. Prlco only Mills. Prlco $30 per acre. 41,500.00 J. N. LEAK The "Land Man" 74*4 ncre? of lnn/t near Green Pond church, 8-room cottage, with fine barn and out-buildings, 4.room tenant house, bounded by lands of Jno. Tay lor, Mrs. Abercromble, and Jno. Curry. Price $60.00 por acre. 169V6 acres of land bounded by lands of Bryson place. Beo Hailey. Hnmp Holland and thers; 5-room dwelling, 2 tenant houses; good barn and out-bulldlngs; known as tlio old Ferguson place, owned at present by Will B. Motte. Price $27.50 per acre, terms easy. One 8-room dwelling in city of Lau rens. No. 330 Hampton street. Price $3,250. 50 acres land near GreenPond church, hounded by the Yeargln es tate and others, nice G-rooui cottage and out buildings. Price $35.00 per acre. 52 acres near Dials church, bound ed by lads of Ludy Abercromble, L. I). Curry and others. Price $35.00 per acre. 92% acres of land near Tumbling Shoals; hounded by lands of W. D. and .1. O. Sullivan; 8-room dwelling; good out buildings. Price $22.50 per acre. 2 lots Watts cotton mills. Camp street fronting, 150 by "0 ft., price $200. 01 ac.'es land bounded by lands of Robert Nash and others. Price $20.00 per aero. 121 acres land, hounded by lands of J. N. Leak, ('apt. Martin and others; G-room cottage, one tenant bouse. Price $30.00 per acre. 1 twelve room dwelling with water works fronting North Harper street, known as Owlngs' hoarding house. Price and terms made right. 200 acres fine farm land, 2 1-2 miles of Laurens, on road leading to Clin ton. ? mile of Parks station, seven horse farm In cultivation. Good dwell ing and tenant houses. Price und terms made right. 50 ncres land, well located in town of Lanford, G-room dwelling, l tenant house, out-buildings. Price $3,500.00, $1,000 down cash, balance on easy pay ments. 127 ncres land, bounded by lands of S. H. .and M. E. Johnson, one mile of Friendship church, Sullivan township; Two dwellings, good barn and out nuiiuings. Price $30.00 per acre. 500 acres, 5 miles from city of Lau rens, bounded by lands of A. Huff, John Brown & Lalley land. 8 horse farm in cultivation, well supplied with tenant houses. Price right and terms easy. 228 acres land, bounded by lands of Daniel South, Davis land, Miss West and others, known as the Cullen Lark homestead, 7-room dwelling and 3 ten ant houses. Price mado right. Terms ensy. 313 acres land, 1% miles below J. D. M. Shaw's placo, good dwelling and barn; 5 tenant houses, 245 acres In cultivation, good school near by; 2% miles to Waterloo, same distance to Cold Point. Prlco $35.00 acre. Good terms. If you do not see listed above what you need, see mc and S will try and get it for you. Let your wants be known. If you have land to sell, place it in my hands. People come to me for land. Real Estate pray Court, S. C.