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L P GRAY O0 Editor The Advertiser: I have read very carefully the ar tiele on colunit 3, page 5, of your issue of 1Nth Inst., written by Mr. Ovcorgt' M. Wright, Secretary of Iaurens County lI ighway Comiiission, asking fie peopile of ILaurens county to vote for the two bond issues on 5th of next imonlith, and though 1I be what some folks5 (Il "an ou tsider," still I hope yotu will lbe 'ood enough to allow ime Ito dkienss Ihe opposite side of Ihe mat ter, and I take for granted that Iither he iior alny other ollicial will object. It might be 'that my le: ter will really work into theli hand. If so. they are 'wel come to it. of collrsc. Let it he lunderstood at the outset that there are i slurs of any kind in tiended by me for anyolne, for I have no -ueh thought whatevcr. Of coirso .lr. Wright by vir tue of his position is expected to boost for tbe things his oflice is Concerned vith . And if lie should lnot be at least wIl in1g to (10 SO, thieni veiry likely someione else would he liore acceptable in his j;b. AndI my experience with such men in his job i:, that they are etern ally advocating increased expenditure.; for "progre!s" and all kind of "for ward looking" things, etc.. just like soeii (if tile rpreseitatives of the state colleges for insta nev, and also like s;ome of the profcsiional and paihl adveates of Various drives of Ihe dif. ferent ('1urchles and Y. M. C. A.. et:-. For instance, the Y. A. C. A., in the war drivs, got a bi, ,hIare of (very thing. But the Ited C'ross, sopportl by the good voien of the land, and the Salvation Ariy. too lowly for "nice folks'" 10 Ie seen with it, really did the stunts that Served the boys everywhere and pulled them through. But the Y. M. C. A. really got the lion'.. share of the money, seemingly, and they s; ent it, too, believe me, and would have spent more if they could have gotten it. rheir paid .workers made drives for the money, and they got it, through appeals to sympathy, county pride, and everything else. But was it spent in a way to hell) the greatest number of our men? Ask any soldier. The very mention of the Y. M. C. A. will make some of them curse. And as to the state colleges, they are right now -being run on the most expensive basis ever known, and their teachers are provided for "nobly" to teach about three scholars for ev cry thousand of our population. Where as, oil the other hand. practically one half of the ipeople of the whole state aire in the public schools, but those teachers (an simply no to tile devil and get their money just when they can. Isn't that so? )o you sce the point? h'le.e "mai rous" serv , wihin tleniselv es, abhi:1ut a few pieoile as the "iaini colleges,'" but still they atworb about all tiie cash going. Iani'1t tiat true, too? iut these "coiilon road.s" and "conmion schools" that serve nine-teith i'. evermy noo1k anld corneri of the coutilty as a whole, ar'e simiply going to the (logs. And Some of them have been to the (logs for quite a while, too. Andl these very conditions canme und~er the adinilstr~ation of those .w ho iant tihe loudes't ab~out. "progress" and soliloquize most sweetly about 'look lng forward and keeping abreast'' etc., etc. May the dleai' Lord help us! The last sentence of paraagraph 31 of that letter says: "Clintoni is certainly entitledl to this road and we should1 ALL (10 otur best to see that she gets it.'' Well, cir, er, why? Simpuly imak ing such a statement is iio i roo(f of it. It sinm:ly means that ('lintoii wants it. Th'lat is all. Nothing nmoie nor less. Whuat sc et ion las there that does not wvan t a good ioad alIso? IIhtt rall e v ery othier sectionl oif the coiunity is fqy - eve r tweed~dieid out oif cash1 withi whilh to) fIx ioads "aomc(where else"' Th'ose in a uthiori ty inighlt be morei concerned( with grandl l.ouleva:ds, fron Chari'e' tou to I~endi'esonsiiile, but thle asr age maii Is inoie conceined with 'being able to travel firom his own house to hiis neighborhood echurch and school and( stor'e. Andl chiairity bleginis at home11, you know, or should (d0 50. Pieo ple are contendiing every day in ev'ery section of Lauriiens tounlty ,with iroads and( 'bridges almost impassable, but which they are unable to 'get county offlcials to fix. Some folks are not a-ble to even see the Supervisor, 'muich less get aniy relief. Still \ve are asked to conltinuie to furin ish all the money asked for "sommlrvher'e else." WVonder fu.l state of affairs, isn't it ? And by the way, is it t-he best to have the highway funds1 a nd the common coiln.. ty funds in the hands of the samie men ? WOuld( not 5deiariate 5ets oif men lie bet teir Does the preseint arraiunge ment produce -the best results? Tr'iavel all thle roads oif thle countimy a nd then look att your ever~ increasing tax re cipit andi~ juidge tim for you rsel f. 1 )o the countiles ariound you have suich a plan? Inq1uirie a littIe. Foi' inis a nc, Greenvllle county built 5t3 nuiles of top soll, even Incliding those so hieav Ily graded all thriough the 'mounta Ins, at. a cost to the coun tv uf a boniu .a;.-,0. BOND ISSUES I 000.00 and Mr. J. W. Norwood, chair man of t-he highwvay commission of that county, made a statement on the lith of last July that "the Greenville county highway commission has 1com pleted its work and gone out of busi ness." Of course since that time that County has authorized other work, and If it Is handled like the first part, they will get their money's worth, . and they won't 'he forever 'getting it, either. iI as the Lauuren.; colinty high way comillissioln Coiplet(ed their work and gone out of businie-s? Not on your life. They might he*l gone ou. of hu1.< ness, so to speak. but they "sio' Alike" do comnu ne to call for cash! .1. W. Nolrwood and his solarate highway conitlijsion have certaiily given ite people of that Conity the worth of heir money and every single section of Greenville 'has gotten a square deal from them as plain every-day bus ness mn. Affair 's ill there Ite not cluttered upl With courlt house politics, nor. siould they be in LaurenM couinty lit such is fhe case). No man invest ilig in I:iiirenls coityv property wotl(l lilild paying anything administered in the ohei way. Ca't a set of plain eve ryday busin0ess men011 be foniid ? Theni the people wouhl be willmng to Ct be hinld themIl sqiuare througph. Hutt for Cod's sake hold u111p imn the m alter till som('tlilg better is P-rov iled. Tile of ticial figulCres from G reenville county) indicnte ani average Cost per mile of top-soil road there to be $1,731.12, cv en including tle heavy costs of grad ilg through the 1ou1taislls. whi are not found in1 Laurens ('outy at all. Whi:1t has been thl average cost per milei( ili Laircnis colnty? Does any body knoi w? )oes even the grand jurly kill<-w? Ask them. They let last w(ek (Iuring the r'letular ses sion of tile re Cent court. Yes, ask them. If the same15 economy and business had been applied to Laaurel roads as to Green ville roads then you -would have some thing to be proud of. But aS it is, you are not proud of theil. are you? Anid why should yol voluntarily spend more in the samie way? I am1 remin(ded of an oliiial of Tau rens county, a meilber of your high way commiisslon, who wa- discussing certain affairs with sever men o1 the street of this town a go< while ago. One man asked him wNvay certain money had not .been smlcnt in a certain place as .wns duile to have been spent, and he replied: "I don't k now, nor d0 I care." Those hearing lhi; remark 'were almost bewildere(d and almazd. Ilow 1s' could they have be1ell ? 0oes such (hat and conduct in!lre coifi d'il.-e? I :loulid say not' I told him righi thn(-1 that I was sorry I ierdli him mdao such a reiark. A nan might not know, hut he :'-rtainly rhould enre. I het n1o man,111 in that crowd woild vote a s;ingit dollar for bonds after hearing such talk. In ':alagrapil 8 Mr. Wriht says: "C-f'rtainly c'it izen s of ross Ilill, Shoal1s, Pincii(etonl, and1 other ('om1 muitni ties whlo have got ten tihe beniefit of irapllrovedl roilds should also give thei!r unqualifleed endiorsement,"' etc. I sayt3 so too. Of course. Why not? And by the same logic, I reckon all of the host of all the other pllaces all over' the county that have never received, andl never wIll receive, any "improved b('net',ts" vwill v.ote againts it. And evr unl;:ased man51 e'ven in these illaeCs knows in his heart that1 those sections are getting, and have 'been gettin:g, an un falir pro poi tion of c'ouni ty money. Shall it con itie? .\ir. WrPkht also saysi: "'Anud should they faili In do .o the(y w ill 'he openl to a irng d eal of r1.ht:eoulS C itleism for theri set ash a ttitud. Wei'' u tu-hmlit sone of t hecse sect ion. 'i.'! Ibandl t l'ther in a (clandellstine ma::nerCl en1 pult thIi i kind of tiling overi un:~less t hey arie selfIsh. If suel Is done, then the 'C:'nking, pe&ople in the neglected see il.a s I) ve wlie will :;ckI relif i.n someW way, anid shculd (do /o. In paragr'aph 9 Mr. WrIght says: "And thlose sections not now.. benefitted sooni will 'be." Tis is the same 0111 gag and rot yotu hear every election. WVe ask "When shall these things be?" There Is no sign of it niow, certainl, and11 such a thling neveir has been since tihe world stood, and such a thira 1/: not in sight now. And jud~ging fr'c' tile mianer county matters have I. hlandledi in the ipast, the(re is no hopie it will eveir 'he0 any bletter hiereafteir. We all kno1w that - t of the m11n -y has bcen sp~ent on r'oads -that were al ready the besIt in tile county, and In some places tile aba ndond roads are, and11 hatve atlw'ays b)1eli, passle, anid ill bhe .hetter' In a few mlonthls thanil In s;piteC of tile 1money/) thlat is beingW suink thiere. If Mr. WVright s pronikse oIf glory land for the~ otheri ections oIf thle coutiiy e/ver wVoul d come true, or why, 'haisn't something hiapipeed al ready! Now let me give yoti somia facts, (not "camplalgn plromises" that yotur 5('ntion "SOnan will ha imnuovd.H' There Is not a single foot of "im proved'.roads on any of the 'hi-g'hways o0r byways or hedges leading to Mus grove bridge, Yarborough bridge, Eno ree cotton mill bridge (except less than one mile as you go towards Lan ford, which is said to have cost $13, 000.00, but people still had to 'be prized out of the mud there in the re (ent wet spell), EInoree depot bridge, Kilgore bridge, liarris bridge, Wood tilf brid-,e, Allen bridge, Wofford smUals, Van Patten bridge, Fowler brdge, Ford bridge, or Anderson !rI-idg. This Comprises the whole see tion of ile con y from the Newbe ry vo'inty clear' through -to the G reen ville liln. Tlere ae h 111111dreds of Imiles of roads and paths in this enormtilous 5 stretcl of territory but not a fill] mile of the "imniA'roved" hintd. SIwee promi ses have been held out time and a.ain, Just a referred to in Wr. right'; leter. llut I s:thmiit this whiol 'ection is simply payinig for 1'oken pronises and not squ1ar'e deals. TrIave the roads of this entire sectioni imcltioned above, and see for your self. The feelng is abroad t hat the city of Laurens will join with tle ot her' "improvc(l" sections and sitinly runit it over thIe rest of the coutnty. I hope this is not ill.t east' and wont't helieve such a thing a! possible, unless it really dces happen. All I would care to say of :uchjj a cotrse is that it v.oul'l he unifair -nd unkind. to say tI kuast. Ger'm'n "v ran the ho" lv r egil utim. just Iecause she could and bause the Other otrlit *'y was not strot enough to help it. li't did that nake it riglt? Did that promote 'ool feelings lhe t% w Ven tho.4e couintrie's? MrIt. WrH_,igh. in ;aragro h 3 says it "will no doubt I(. sult inl bringing at c.onsIderWbe atuoun1lt of trade into our County." Germany was "':eeking trade" -when site ran ever othcrs just becautse she was oil :tniiiizId aniid prepared to (10 so. Will tile :ind People of these places make hi istory repeat itself and thus outdo the Kaiser's own organization? Also, is this a time for anything that wotild add to the burdens of people? I say no. All over the country we hear of cases where rich corporations are being excused from making Improve ments desired ;by certain communities on account of money matters. Lau rens is practically a farming county, and the Lord knows the farmers are lilt as hard as any corporation. Now why excuse some rich concerns and 'turn right around and uit on your own citizens 'burdens that are "griev ous to be borne"? What set of men were behind this thing to start with, atnyhow? Sutch practice iwould be a fnn1y way of manipulating things, wolldn't It? And T stibilt that the morality of sich conduct I; open to :eriouts question. in paragraph 12 .\r. Wright asks till' POPle of the county to "continue thoitr progressive polIcies." Now lis ten. If you have paid your tax in the last five years, then look at your re veijts and take a mental inventory of yourt comumunity andl see where these "progre'ssive policies" have drag-ged uts to. This r'eminds me of a lady friend of mine .who Ilives in bautens countty aind defends the 'iprogressive Policies" of that county in season and out of season. As to why she does so, I cannot see, unless she has heard somte other "nilce guy" or "good folks, dlon't you know" defend it also, and tr'ies to be like some other' "big folks" andl say amen and "inc too" to It all, to appiear' big thenmselves. She says that of course the county muist pay high for' "things worth whIle." IEr, yes! Don't you know. Of c'ourse. lurr'tah! I hlit there is not a foot of such "'wor'th .uthle'" stuff' in her' 'whole section of the coutnty, anid she never' sees such an article tinless she goes "'somi('eher else.'' That Is '"pro' g:'ess'' wIth a 'vlii. It Is a lilty, and almo1(st ai tragtedy, and this whole iounmt ry is fillled w ilth j1 ust suchb cases. S'ial I you add to thueIr hurdens ? Shall ',it take advantage of their weakness? Ihil y111~ ou mock lthem in their helpleIss.. ness? 'Nuff' 5111(, except to thank you most corrlIally for helpIng ime talk to the "deat' lpeople" who needless to say, ar'e very fond of paying taxes, and who are now sImply bubbling over with jute joy at. the very pr'ospect of be lng allowed 'the hig'h prtivilege of pay lng more. And if ClInton can build1( ;everal miles of cemnenit sldewalks out of "'(itrrenit funds" and stIll rutn hot' of hie-r (itv actIvIties Iin a busInesslIke awl ' acceptable niananer'; amid If Gr teen w'.ood can a'sstume the debhts of the old1 coun ties and pay her teachers and all it her claI ims and1( pay all her gener'al out sitnding dlebtsl antd also have worlds of delight fut Iroads and not ev enI needl to hortrow motiey for rut ntnng exnse~"is, in slilte of slowu collectIon of tax;ind if GreenvIlle county can tuld, and maIntain at least from thr"'- to five timies as much t'oadls with r;mtn montey, besIdles hiavling heavIer i ense oif doing so; anI If even Spar tanhnuarg and Nowhberry countIes can e'ven stay In sIght wvithi their cos~ts generally, to say nothing of lUnton county; then why, oh why, can't Lau. renas conty onmcia with $en0 nro.. tax, and practically unlimited .property tax, at least keep our roads In good and qassa'ble condition? If you say they can't (o any better, or.they are doing -best they can theli that within itself Is suffleient proof that no more should be spent in the old way, and that a halt should be called till bet ter arrangements are made. J. P. GRAY. Woodruff, S. C., March 26, 1921. 31r.. Wright ]ii Reply This being the last issue of The Ad vertiser i before .the -hon1d election next Tuesday, Alr. iWright was shown a copy of Mr. Gray's letter and allowed lie opportunity of making a reply to it. lie has written the following: Editor The Advertiser: Permit me to thank yott for the op portunity to reply to tile letter of Mr. J. P. Gray of Woodrufft 'published in this issue regarding highway work in our county. inless \1r. Gray is a prop'r"t' owner in Laurens County, Uand I assum he is not from his let ter. then it seens to me that he had better ie finding out the cost of roads in his owi (Spartanburg) county. lie refers to the cost of roads inl Green vil.' ('ounity, and compares the cost 'V. 1ovk 'le in 191-1 with the cost of u ork done during the past two years n hen lJabor anld material were at their highest poitit. Mr. Norwood is a personal friend of inie, and he tlls me that at the tile hiIs ('0111 m)wiion were enigaged inl ro:1 build Ing, their labor was cos.ting ole dollar tper dvy, and teaims 42.-0 per day, lie further tells ue that a ve* ry large ,0 mount of w\ork was contributed, frni Cr'i' 'ndiig in their teamis at nto ex lr 0i- to grade. and inl a great many instancs thie lando'.wln' not only do inated the top soil but hauled it on Ihe road. Piturthrimore Greenville ec(-uity had si1licnmt iu'ndi s at tile a :rt to build considerable il cage, and tLeir chevt:) roads have .heie av traged inl with those inthat cost iot, wihereas in Laurens county, the high v.ay commission ifas built only the roads carrying the greatest trallic and have not had suficient funs to -build c ' haper roads, which would material lyI lower the cost per mile. In addli tion to this. in Laurens county a 'great deal of grading has had to -be done (n account of poorly graded roads and bad location. For Instance -the road from Laurens to Clinton traverses a section where there was no road at all, and the saie applies to the i'oad between Laurens and Madden station as well. IRi so far as the L/aurens County lighway Conmision's work Is concerned, we can state that our cost of work has compared favorably with road work done In Chester, Green wood. Anderson, Cherokee. and other counties who have built roads during the past two years. 1 (o not care to notice the many insinuating reiarks directed against our comilission by one who does not ev\ei live in our county. Woodruff evi dently thlinks if the road is built from Clinton to .lsgrove bridge on FEnorce river, Clinton will get considerable trade now going to Woo.druff, and Mlr. Gray is using a subterfuge in order to beelould the ma1.24n issueo. .v. Gray states that the funds for impr-oved highway work and ordinary couity funds should not be handled by the same set of Rmen.1. 1 Ie in right in this. as the highway commission has nothing whatever to do with the or dinary conity road work, which is in) the hlandl.s of tile Supervisor and Coiun ty Board of Commnissioners. It is true that the Supervisor is all ex-olicio mem'Rber of thle highway comiission, the other' mlCdebr' having been ap ipointedl by tile legislatIve dielegation. He would Infer that 'we ai'e In poli tics, and -want to hold onlto our job. As .a malletr of fact none of .the menm ber's oif the commission are in lioll tics., We are paId the sum11 of three dollars pier diem when atteniding tmeet ings. For lmy own part I have prloh ably spent foit the beneflt of the couin ty myi own funds In the r'atio of thtree diollar's to ever'y oneC receivedl. I am nlot serving the counity for the money ther'e is In it, whiih figures less thlan $75 perl year. .\r. Gt'ay further' stales that tile hightway comilssionl spient $13,000 for a R1ile of r'oaid i eenl l'not'ee and1( Lanford Stationi. Tis as absolutely uintrute. As a matter of fact the whlole rOUad U wsi survOeed and1 mappl led, and one and one-iilarte'r miiles bult at a cost of $6,000 per mlile. This was ver'y hieav'y work coing upi fr'om the river'. As to why this r'oad -wias 1101 built into haui'ens, the commlissIonl found out thait If they butilt thIs R'oadn ther'e .woul d not1 be 51illcIentt funlds to bild hi e PIedmont highiiway fromi I~autreniS toward Gretenville, anld the county wouttld thei'eby sacrifice it coin siliderabile atiounii of I"ede'ral aidl. A few hiund~r'cd dollars spent1 (il tis shoi't str'cteh of r'oadl 'will ,1put It in first class conditionl. TPhere Is conlsider'able critIcism In Mr. Gray's letter regardinlg roadl woi'k (lone 'by 'the Super'visor' thr'oughout tile county. My owni opinloln is that the r'eason the cross country r'oadls in the past have not received better wor'k has been ndue to the fauct. that it was nlecesl sar'y to keep the chalin gang constant Ily at work 011 the miaini highways, and they :had niot timie to (10 good wvork on the cross countr:y reandr. The~ situ:: tion for the past fewv motihtls has been differ'ent; the m~inR htightwayse ate be Inhg compllltedr by tile h i'hwa conun) (0111. s1011; -thiese hhgibwey"s at' nifow 'bcinlg inalntailnd hv the State, and~h tile Super' Pil'r can tnow ('miploy h1)is chain gang on cross5 'outrty loads. Fr'omt miy ownl obsert''tIon, tihe eross coitn tr!y r'oads ore now.'. gettI ig thle benerfit of mor01e anld impr~loved work. In conclusionlet m( ie siay that the pe'opl e of Laitriens 'outiiIy arte P i'rfn't ly comp~oeent to I'unI thet' own iffaiirs withoumt outsIde adv Ice. Thiie ;people of this county are mUore Interested~( ill btulldling up and limprovinlg Laurlens county than they are In Woodrtu ff. Of course, we wish Woodruff wvell but not at tile expiense of OuR' own coutly. Voira vaCry trimly FINAL SETTLEMENT duly proven or be forever barred. Take notice that on the 28th day of C. A. P'WEA1, March, 1921, I 'will rene(or a final ac- Adndnlstrator., count of iy acts and (loings as dinin- February 23, 1921.-ino.-A istrator of the estate of Jim James de ceased, in the office of the Judge of Probate of Laurens county, at 1 No WVerms In a Healthy Child o'clock, a. in. and on the sane day vill All chIldren trotiblcd with Worms have On un. apply for a final discharge. from my healthycolor.wich licates poor blood. and may. trust as Administrator. rule, there Is more or 1053 ctomnch distdibaam. Any )crson Indebted to said estate GROVE'S TASTELE8S CHILL TONIC given regu is notilled and required to make pay- larly for twoor three wceks will enrich the blood. uncuton tat dte; auid i ~Improve tledlirestion,a'id act as a generalIStrength mient on that date; anid all peroso n n ol otewoesse.Ntr ilte having claims against said estate willt dselo wyrte. ate ill the present thed ov or beforesaid dateb, In perfect health. Pleasauttotake. O(eperbott IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE What your ideas in jewelry are, if you make them WEAknown to us we will fill your requirements. W ARE SPECIALISTS In our line and pride ourselves' ont our ability to satisfy you. WHETHER YOU KNOW What you want orare looking forsuggestions t'will pay you to see us. hr o RDt d ia a muuus$1.19 a Pair u known 3 to us. wTe irs ou requeme.) WeT, AE S EAS TS o and O IMPOR TANT NEWS PUBLISHED BY COHEN'S FOR THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY Men's Blue Buckle Overalls $1.19 a Pair' Sizes 32 to 42. (Three pairs to a customer.) Men, why buy sub-standard overalls and pay more than we ask for them. Fruit of the Loom Bleaching 10 Yards for $1.59 The standard Bleaching of the world. Absolutely no starch. Cateechee Yard-Wide Bleaching 10 Yards for $1.19. Good grade; formerly sold for 25c a yard. Yard Wide Pajama Checks 15c a Yard Ladies' Busier Brown Silk Hose '69c a Pair Black, Brown and White. Not over 6 pairs to a customer. Supply your needs for months in ad vance, for the prices quoted in this ad vertisement are good only for this week-end. Next week they go back to their former prices. COHEN'S DEPARTMENT STORE "The Store of Better Values" Laurens. . . . S.C