Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER. McCORMICK. SOUTH CAROLINA Thursday, August 12, 1937 Ranger David Dis cusses Forestry Prob- lems At Club Meetings In Greenwood Greenwood, Aug. 7.—On Thurs day night of the past week, Forest Ranger Wm. P. David addressed the Greenwood Lions Club on the subject of Forestry and Forestry Preble ms on the Long Cane Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest. At the Kiwanis luncheon on Friday, Mr. David again discussed this subject, commenting on the effect of the National Forest on tire town and county of Greenwood. Mr. David opened his talks with a short history of the United States Forest Service. He stated that the United States Forest Service was organized in its present form in 1905a Today there are approxi mately 160 National Forests, aver aging very nearly one million acres each. Seven out of every thousand acres in the United States are in side National Forests. The Forest Service is headed by Mr. F. A. Silcox, Charleston, S. C. Under him there are ten Regional Foresters, each of whom is in charge of a Region which is geo graphical in nature, each Region being composed of a number of National Forests. In charge of Na tional Forests are Forest Super visors. The Supervisor for the local National Forest is Mr. H. M. Sears, With headquarters at Columbia, S. C. Each National Forest is com posed of one or more Ranger Dis tricts, each headed by a Forest . Ranger. The Sumter National For est is composed of the Long Cane, Mountain, and Enoree Ranger Dis tricts. The headquarters for these Ranger Districts are in Greenwood, Walhalla,' and Newberry, respec tively. The Long Cane Ranger District now has acquired approximately 83,000 acres. It is expected that within a short time considerable additional acreage will be obtain ed and included in the National Forest. The Long / Cane Ranger District is located in the counties of Greenwood, McCormick, Edge- field, Abbeville, and Saluda, the boundary of which encompasses a total area of about 431,000 acres. The objectives of the Forest Service are several fold. One of the chief phases of the management of the National Forest is that which concerns the scientific growing and management of tim ber with a view toward selling saw timber and other wood products. The Forest Service practices the principle of sustained yield man agement; that is, cutting no more than is grown over a period of years. Among the products which will be 4old from the Long Cane forest are saw timber, poles, pulp- wood, cordwood and other wood products. This is a very important use of the National Forests, and the conduct of a National Forest is like that of a business. Another important use of the National Forest is that which in cludes the supply of recreational needs to the people inside the For est and adjacent to it. Several recreational developments are planned inside the Long Cane Dis trict and it is hoped that within a year’s time some of these will be available to the people of Green wood and surrounding communi ties. A game refuge has been estab lished approximately halfway be tween Edgefield and the town of Modoc; there is a possibility that an additional game area will soon be placed between Abbeville and Greenwood. These game areas will be chiefly devoted to growing and protecting quail; however, a great deal of care is being given to the protection of a few deer which are now inside the game area near Edgefield. This is another use of the National Forest. The Forest Ranger stated that the Long Cane District has been established for a little more than three years and that during that time a great deal of productive work has been accomplished. Many things have been done which di rectly benefit the town and county of Greenwood. To date, five steel lookout towers have been erected; standard Forest Service dwellings have been constructed at each of these five towers for lookout liv ing quarters; the grounds have had landscaping work done on them; approximately 60 miles of road have been constructed, some of this being rock surfaced from the rock quarry on the Long Cane District; about 70 miles of telephone lines have been built, connecting the towers with the fire fighting forces, as well as with the office of the Ranger in Greenwood; many scores of acres of open land have been lantcd to pine trees; approxi- nately 2C0 families pay rent to the Greenwood office in return for the ccupany and use of National For- st buildings and land—these fam- lics are those that were living on he property at the time it was icqu.ired by the Forest Service; ires have been reduced from 120 ast year to 15 for this year. This eduction in the number of forest ires was made possible through the showing to 58 audiences of mo- ion pictures; it was accomplished Dy making over 60 talks and pub ic addresses concerning fire pre vention; this progress was acceler ated by a record of 20 law enforce ment cases, of which 19 were won jy the Government; it was great ly aided by the writing of 10,000 letters to families inside the Sanger District; it was also helped oy the placing of 234 fire preven tion posters and signs along roads ind highways. Mr. David added that the trend toward the conservation of the nation’s forests is a great move for this country and every person living in it today—but it must be practical and it is only in this way that it can succeed. He stated that there has been too much of the im practical in the past, as, for in stance, since the year 1920, very nearly 75,000 acres in the South alone have become so washed and so worn that they have been aban doned for farm use. Now nothing but trees can be grown on this land. In the face of conditions like these, we can’t afford to be like a member of English Parlia ment who arose in Commons one day and stated that he had heard a great deal about our obligations to posterity, but that he would like to know what posterity had done for us! In view of the reckless manner with which some of us and our forefathers have handled our natural resources, such as our; j'VJT rirpam" land and our forests, we certainly can ‘ should do something to offset the terrible damage which has been done by carelessness and thought lessness in the past—this is an ob ligation to those who will come af ter us and it should be looked up- H on in the light of a very sacred sconce- duty. Too many people have an at titude which is somewhat like that of a negro soldier who was cross ing the Atlantic on a troop ship during the World War. The ship was in mid ocean when an enemy torpedo struck it. It began sinking and everyone was running around, putting on life pre servers and climbing in life boats. One colored soldier was making no effort at all to do anything to protect himself, ap parently being quite oblivious to what the commotion was all about. His Corporal rushed up to him and asked why he did not put on a life preserver and didn’t he know the ship was sinking. The colored soldier replied, “Shucks, boss, I should worry about dafc—it ain’t my ship!” Too many people look upon their obligation to others in just this same manner. They say to them selves that they have no reason to worry because it is not their land that is being burned over and washed away. All too many forget the duties of good citizenship. During these two speeches, it was emphasized that the soils of Greenwood county and surround ing counties—even though a great part of it is all too badly washed— jffer excellent opportunities for growing trees. Each acre that is best suited for growing trees should be planted to trees or allowed to go back to trees. Forest fires should be kept out and the trees allowed to grow. Every man who goes out in the forests to hunt, fish, camp, or for any reason whatsoever hould be careful with his natch, iis cigarette, and his camp fire— hat is one way by which every body can help in keeping our for- ■sts green. txt to get for farmers that which is not for the long-time welfare of the Nation. Now I w r ant to enu merate what seem to me the fun damental unifying principles of ag riculture, and I want to describe ?ach ode briefly as I go along. “First, farmers should have a share in the National income which will give the average iarmer as much purchasing power rela tive to the average non-farmer as was the case during the 50 years before the war. Briefly, this is call ed a fair share in the National in come. N “Second, the welfare of all farm ers, and of city people as well, de mands that the wide fluctuations in supply and price of the major crops be evened out so far as pos- Eig Game Cy STANLEY CORDELL © Associated Newspapers. WNU Service. Al/ - HEN Bobbie came home from ^ v school he found the back door locked. The key was under the mat, however; he found it and went into the kitchen. There was a penciled note on the table. “Dear Bobbie: Uncle Rufus ar rived this noon for a few day’s vis it. We have driven over to call on Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw. Do your chores and be a good boy until we get home. Mother.” Bobbie’s eyes shone. Uncle Rufus was the idol of all his childish dreams. Not only was he an es- Adventure By KARL GRAYSON © Associated Newspapers. WNU Service. sible by the use of the ever-normal 1 ^ ndul g ent ^ c | e » the life he led was one that would stir granary and crop insurance. Ag riculture has a responsibility in the Nation in maintaining an adequate supply of food and fiber. the imagination of any red-blooded American boy. For Uncle Rufus was a sportsman of the first water. Bobbie went out to the shed and Ihird, the people who live on “P bis arms with wood for the land must have security of; £* t ^ c „ r e " c ^* kin l dlln g ^ It. , 1 for tomorrow morning’s fire, placed tenure. They must either own their fresh water in the henyard ^ isheSt land or be able to rent safely on a poured out grain for the night’s long-time basis as soon as they j feeding. Presently he returned to nave demonstrated their farming tbe kitchen and glanced at the clock. Three-fifteen. Mother and dad and Uncle Rufus wouldn’t be home for an hour yet. Perhaps longer. Bobbie projected his mind ahead. ability and commercial morality. “Fourth, the soil must be con served for the sake of future farm ers and future city people. We Tonight, after supper, they would don’t want ghost farms and ghost al * sit around the table and listen to Uncle Rufus spin tales of his adventures. Bobbie wouldn’t miss it vxiwns. “Fifth, farmers through sound for anything. Uncle Rufus was cooperatives must come into con- sure a great guy. Sometime he was trol of those marketing, processing, ! going to take Bobbie on one of his purchasing, and service functions trips. He had promised, for which they are capable of dls- ! , Bobbie started for the kitchen playing superior business effi- door /? d u . pau ^ d ' * th°u« h t oc- & curred to him. Usually Uncle Rufus ciency. This is part of the problem stopped off on his way to or from of stable markets. j the hunting or fishing grounds. And “Sixth, family-sized farms should becaus ® of this reason his luggage be favored by the federal rules fishing rod> things that Bobbie of the game having to do with stared at it in awe and wonder, benefit payments and other such; Thinking of it, Bobbie glanced aids to rural Income. It is the fam- once more at the clock, turned and ily-sized farm which is most in Quickly entered the front hall and keeping with the traditional Amer- mounted the stairs. ^ Bobbie s gaze made a tour of the room and suddenly his heart leaped. “Seventh, Federal and State There standing beside the bureau, money should continue to be spent was a -22 rifle, almost a duplicate to promote agricultural research of tee specially-made gm Uncle had r . . let him handle last fall. Hesitatingly, a d better farm efficiency. Agri- Bobbie crossed the room, stood look- culture must never stop the march i ng d0 wn at the piece in reverent toward betterment through silence. And as he stood there a daring thought occurred to him. Why not borrow the gun for a little while? Bobbie picked up the rifle arid tucked it in the crook of his arm. A sensation of pride and importance and well-being passed through him. Almost without thinking he de scended the stairs, crossed the kitchen and went out into the back yard. It was easy to feel that the weapon was his, that he was start- Clemson, Aug. 7.—“No poultry- ' ing out on his daily hunt in order to -XX- Future Breed ing Flock Poultrymaii’s Concern Unifying Principles Of Agriculture Named Secretary Wallace Discusses Farm Solidarity And General Welfare “It is worth while from time to time to outline the principles for which all farmers can unite in battling, whether they are tenants, or owner-operators, whether they are dairymen on the export market, whether they live in the East or in the West”, says Secretary of Agriculture H. A. Wallace. “These unifying principles for which we should all continuously battle should serve not only»the welfare of farmers but the welfare of the entire Nation. It is time lost to try man has ever complained that he was all tired out from gathering too many eggs”, says Prof. C. L. Morgan, head of the Poultry De partment of Clemson College, in discussing factors for improving the breeding flock. “The high egg records of hens today”, he states, “are the result of persistent ef forts of breeders to identify the high layers and through judicious matings propagate a superior race of ‘egg machines’ so to speak.” A vigorous culling program fol lowed by the selection of the best for breeders and their mating for high-producing hens, Prof. Morgan belieVes, is a job that any poultry- man can perform successfully. While all poultrymen are not breeders, all poultrymen can fol low the simple fundamental prac tices of a better breeding program. “In such a program culling is the first job”, says Morgan, “and the important culling season is through July, August, and into September. Culling properly done is in itself a step in flock selection, the next step being the separation of the high producers from the lower pro ducers. “After the best hens of the flock have been selected the next prob lem in the improvement of the future breeding flock is to mate them with the best males avail able. Breeders who are trapnest ing and doing official Record of Performance breeding have a sur plus of males from their good birds which it will pay most poultrymen to purchase to mate with their selected hens. FTom such a mating many high producing pullets should result as well as good males for general flock matings.” xx Willow as Soil Builder The idea of using the willow as a soil builder dates back to pioneer days when settlers planted willows to stop soil erosion along water courses and roadways where boggy conditions were encountered, says the Detroit News. It is well known that we have no native tree with a root spread as dense and with wa ter-absorbing qualities so great as the willow. Frequently the root sys tem is far greater in diameter than : the crown spread. It is our great- I est tree drinker, and when planted provide the supper table with fresh meat. At the bars he stopped in the very act of pulling one of the shafts from its slot. A disturbing thought had crossed his iriind—memory of Uncle Rufus’ regard for his guns and rods, his meticulous treatment of them, the blaze of anger that glowed in his eyes when once he told of someone borrowing a certain big game rifle uninvited. A sense of guilt, coupled with fear of the consequences of his act, seized Bobbie. He knew he was doing wrong, and he thought how dreadful it would be if Uncle RufUs became angered at him and refused to tell him tales of his ad ventures, or retracted his offer to sometime take him on one of his trips to the woods. The possibility of being caught was scarcely worth the consequences, and yet—Bobbie had never owned a gun. His folks were poor and they couldn’t buy him one. Despite his longing he had never complained or wished out loud for things that he knew would pain his mother because she couldn’t give them to him. He could see the hurt in her eyes if it be came known he had broken her trust and faith by borrowing Uncle Rufus’ rifle. Bobbie went back through the bars, replaced the shaft and turned toward the house. Well, anyway, he thought, sometimes I’ll—The sentence was never finished. He stopped dead still, staring wide- eyed at the automobile that had driven into the yard, staring at Uncle Rufus climbing out from be hind the wheel. Suddenly he felt weak and sick and very much afraid. Uncle Rufus had spotted him and boomed out something he couldn’t hear. He saw his idol striding through the yard toward him. “So you found it, eh? Well, by ii’- ks, I ought to take it back—rob- b rg me of the kick I’d planned to r?* out of giving it to you myself. V !1, how do you like it?” Bobbie gulped. “What—wha—?” ‘ Come, Come,” Uncle Rufus ‘v omed. “You might at least thank a chap. Had that rifle made special just for you. It’ll shoot true at 200 vsrds and knock a crow galley west. iu’d better try it and see. Plenty ' B ' HIS was my first view of the A ocean. I was overwhelmed by it. I couldn’t believe it. I scooped up a handful of water and tasted it. I stared and stared at the distant horizon. I rowed along the shore for an hour; presently sighted a point of land some 500 or 600 yards away and headed for it. I beached the boat and stepped ashore. This was a new experience. I was seized by a sense of adventure, and set off to explore. The place was quite deserted and I spent an hour or two on a high point looking out to sea. Returning at last to the point where I had left the boat, I dis covered with surprise that it was gone. My first thought was that I had missed my direction, and set out to follow the water’s edge south ward. It was then that my eye chanced to light upon a moving ob ject some distance off shore. I stood still, staring, realizing to my great dismay that it was my boat, drift ing steadily farther out to sea. There was naught to do but skirt the cove, which task I found diffi cult as the way was rough and the cove more deeply indented than I had at first supposed. After an hour I stopped dead still and stared. Ahead lay naught but wide and emp ty ocean. The cove was not a cove at all! The point of land not a point, but an island! My spirits sank and my heart was filled with horror. The distance to the mainland was, at the nearest point, fifty yards, and the inter vening water was filled with treach erous eddies. There were but few remaining hours of daylight, and it occurred »o me to make the best of them. So I tramped back over the island and came at dusk to a little sheltered ncok among the rocks. And here, cold, hungry and miserable, I crouched down, trying to sleep, buoyed up only by the thought that -n the morrow some passing vessel vould pick me up. I left my shelter at dawn, stiff and .ore, and scanned the ocean. A few boats were abroad, but none near enough to hail.^Keenly disappointed I sat down to wait, ^nly to become more qonscious of the emptiness in my stomach. At length, desperate, Alas! By INDA MILLER © McClure Newspaper Syndicate. WNU Service. TpRUTH to tell, I was not notice- ■*- ably heroic that memorable first night of my stay in Cooksville whither my unreasonable father ha't sent me. The Cooksville Daily gave me all the glory, presumably because I was the owner of the stolen bag containing a platinum wrist watch and some odd dollars. Also my van ity case had been stolen. But the heroine was my Cousin Madeline. Had she not awakened me when she did I would probably have died in my bed. A strong odor which per meated the room convinced all that a drug had been used to put us; more profoundly asleep. Madeline’s screams had awak ened the entire household. “I felt a choking sensation,” she recounted to the listening famllyl group, after the police patrol had; come and gone. “I nudged Nora.”; “Yes,” I interposed, “and I eon'-, tinned sleeping.” “And when she woke,” Madeline! went on, “I murmured: ‘Get up,- Nora, there’s someone in the room.*- Now, what do you think she said to that?” Madeline paused for effect,; and I supplied the information for which my distressed aunt, uncle,; and young cousins waited. “ ‘I’m afraid!’ is what I said. Aft-i er all, that is logic, isn’t it?’ r ! My relatives eyed me with adhni- ration, as though marvelling that I* bad sufficient presence of mind to. be afraid. Madeline continued until day-: break to enlarge on the night’s hap penings to the sleepy family. Then,: convinced that we would be safe, from intruders, they betook thenw selves to their respective bedrooms.* Late in the morning a reporter came from the local newspaper,! along with a detective and an army of neighbors. Again and again Madeline recounted the story of the noise near her bed, the shadow on; the wall, her screams, my con-; fessed fear, and the odor in the room. I, however, said little. I had enough to occupy my mind. Eachi ring of the doorbell, eaclr tingle of; the telephone, found me apprehen-; sive. At 1 o’clock that afternoon the policeman brought my vanity case,!; I rose and began to hunt for berries, ! battered, but recognizable. He had; which, upon investigation, proved to 1 found it in a field near my uncle’s! grow in plentiful quantities. They home. served to allay my hunger, and- after quenching my thirst at a tiny '•reck I returned to the high land Doors and windows were securely- bolted before we again retired for a: night’s sleep. I tried to> insist on- My heart leaped. A boat was going occupying the i*oom that had been; by. not twenty-five yards off shore, mine the night before, but this- my: I set up a mighty shout and waved aunt and uncle would not allow; my hands wildly. The boatman ' “My room is safer,” said Made-; looked up, and waved back at me. line, “and there we’ll sleep.” And! It was then that I realized the seri- there we slept without disturbance. 1 ousness of my plight. The boatman i Fortunately for my nerves, the! ^.ad thought my cries and gestures following morning much of the in-- were merely a friendly salute. He terest in Madeline’s story had could not believe I was stranded on ’ waned, and thus there were fewer on island so near the mainland. The . repetitions. realization made my blood run cold. Miserable, unhappy, forlorn, I spent another wretched night. The next day, wearied of my diet of berries, 1 remembered reading how a certain castaway had survived on shellfish, and went in search of some. J found great quantities among the rocks arid they proved a welcome change. All this second day I spent at- empLng to hail passing boats and explaining my plight. By night I fell utterly discouraged. It appeared ‘hat I was destined to end my days here, and few there were remain ing, I felt quite sure. The will to live, however, is strong, and instead of giving myself over to fate I turned toward the heat h once more and my hunt for kcllfish. Strangely, there were few er than heretofore, and I began But my anxiety was not allayed! until, with the morning mail, I re-; ceived the following letter: “Dearest Sweetheart — Tarnation take the tov/n of Cooksville! I see; by its local paper that ‘the country side is being scoured’ for me. Dear? heart, I arrfsafe! But how, oh how, did our plans manage to go astray? 1 There I stood clutching your bag, your vanity case, and that big coat- you had handed to me, when I heard: a woman’s scream. Was it ‘Mur-, der’? ‘Robbers’? What? I waited! until suddenly lights flashed. T heard the clanging of a police pa trol, and then, dearest, I took to my heels and ran to my car. On investigation I find that I haven’t your vanity case, nor the belt of your coat. These must have dropped. But I reached New York, safely, though I expected every o' crows up in the woods where we’re going.” Uncle Rufus’ voice became e irmble of words “—had to talk U your mother and dad to get ’em te let you off from school a couple of days—four days in all with Satui day and Sunday—maybe we’11 get a deer—have to be pretty straight shooter to hit a deer with a .22—Ho! in dense stands it has been known | What’s this? Crying? Shucks! E..r to lower the water table of the area. ( game hunters don’t cry.” walking along the shore, search- 1 minute to be taken back to Cooks- rg sedulously. Presently I had col- j yBle jail. Dear, the license waits iected enough to appease my hunger ■ impatiently, and so do I’.” and locked up to get my bearings. f There was more, but that has real- The sight that greeted my eyes ; ly no bearing on the case, caused my heart to stop beating. 1 “Dear Ed”—I wrote that same I blinked, rubbed my eyes and J afternoon—“Here’s how- it hap- ’ooked again. But the scene hadn't , pened. That loquacious cousin of changed, it remained quite the same. , mine, Madeline, insisted on keeping I had come to that section of the j me company in the guest room. For island that was nearest the main- j two hours she talked in bed. Of’ ;and, but instead of an intervening 1 course, I had to undress so as not fifty-yard stretch of water the dis- 1 to create suspicion. She had been, tance was noy filled with a gully pf j asleep but a short time when I dry land! It wasn’t till I had wallowed through the muck and had my feet securely placed upon the dry soil of the mainland that I gave the miracle any thought. And then it was explained all at once. Piqued, I justified what would appear like my stupidity to a seaman by re peatedly telling myself that an in land dweller such as I could not be expected to know anything at all about tides. But for all this. I have related my experience to nobody, for now that I think of it I feel very foolish. Old World Viewpoint In the United States the individual whose property is damaged by flames is looked upon with sympa thy. as an unfortunate, even though he may have been responsible for the occurrence by his carelessness or lack of interest, whereas under European laws the fire sufferer is viewed with suspicion and required to explain why fire broke out in his premises. He also becomes sub ject to claims from a landlord if he is a tenant and from neighbors whose possessions are burned. heard your signal. And, dear, I had just handed you my few things, and had turned back to slip off my robe and into a dress, when I heard Madeline murmur sleepily, ‘Nora, there is some one in the room.’ I threw off my robe and crept into bed again, hoping she would fall asleep. Seems as though she had noticed a shadow on the wall, and it had worked wonders with her imagination. She nudged me, she yelled, she switched on the light, and is still talking of her heroism. “Oh, dear, she gives me a pain? They found the old red belt belong ing to my coat, but as no one here had seen the coat, they do not know the belt is mine. I had to own to the loss of the bag, watch and van ity case. The latter, by the way,, h; c been found. Some powder that I -pilled has convinced every one b- e that it is a scented drug. So li :’s that! But, honey boy, I’Ve been think- j —don’t you think we had better- f tpone the elopement till I am? fc. k in the city? It’s safer!” 1 wrote more, but I have quoted sufficient here to explain the mys tery of the Cooksville robbery;