Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FOUR . THE SUE FRIDAY, APRIL 7. 1989 Jun 1218 College Street Newberry, 3. C. 0. F. ARMFIELD Editor and Publisher One Year fl.00 Published Every Friday Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at the post office at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of March 3, 1879. DEATH ON THE HIGHWAY Now that Spring is here the an nual slaughter of men and women on the highways of the nation begins to climb toward its peak. There are a couple of million more ears on the roads this year than last year, and greater incentives to motor travel in the attraction of the two World’s Fairs id New York and San Francisco. It will be, something like a miracle if the highway death toll of 1939 drops below that of 1938. In 1937 more people were killed in motor accidents in the United States than there were soldiers killed under the Stars and Stripes in the World War. In that year 39,500 Americans met death on the highway, while only 35,886 members of the A. E. F. were killed in action. Last year’s record of motor deaths was somewhat better, only 31, 500 fa talities in 1938. But whether we kill 30,000 or 40,000 a year with our motor cars, or even only ten thousand the price is still too high to pay for the privilege or driving a car. Everybody concerned with the pro blem of how to reduce this disgrace ful toll of highway deaths seems to be agreed that there are three major causes for the annual holocaust. The first of these is whiskey, the second is a sort at insanity which possesses even ordinary sane men once they get behind the steering wheel and impels them to try to pass the driver ahead, whether there is room to pass or not. And the third and greatest source of road catastrophes is the roads them selves. There may be no such thing as a foolproof road, but some of the European countries have built high ways which come close to being safe for any driver at any speed. It will take a long time and a lot of money to criss-cross the great area of the United States with wide smooth high ways separated into traffic lanes, with no side roads entering on the same level and no grade crossings of other roads or railroads, all well lighted and efficiently patrolled. THE RIGHTS OF A DOG The Legislature of the State of New York has refused to pass a law asked for by the post office authori ties, providing that a postman if bitten by a dog in the course of his duties could collect damages from the dog’s owner. Postmen have to go into people’s yards, at least as far as the door, unless there in an R. F. D. mailbox outside the gate. It is well under stood principle of law that a tres passer—someone who goes on anoth' er person’s property without permis sion—must take his own risk of be^ ing bitten by a dog. But it hardly seems fair to compel the servants of the people, going their rounds to deliver the mail, to assume that risk. To be sure, there is a remedy against a dog known to be vicious After he has bitten two or three peo ple a postman or anyone else can bring action for damage® if a dog of known bad character bites him. But the argument which prevailed in the New York Legislature was that under the old Common Law of Eng land, which is more or less the funda mental law of every American state except Louisiana, “every dog is en titled to one bite.’’ So the Legisla ture, with more sympathy for dogs than for mail carriers, voted down the proposed law. We like dogs, as most folks like dog's. We don’t like dogs that bite, especially when they bite the mail man. If there were some way whereby a dog could be taught to discriminate between the postman and the tax- collector, we would be in favor of giving the dog as many free bites as he wanted at the latter functionary. But not at postman. Spectator COMMENTS Some of my colored tenants give me a refreshing new slant at times. Occasionally I am indebted for a bit of wisdom; sometimes it is a word picture or a new twist to our lan guage which enlivens the day. Saturday morning a big strapping fellow said to me “The Seed Loan man says that you signed the rent waiver with an indelikin pencil and it must be in ink”. I went to see my old friend of the Seed Loan and quickly arranged about the indelikin pencil. Our town friends know, of course, that the Government will not lend money to a farmer—a tenant—unless the landlord waives his claim for the rents, giving the Government first, claim. Landlords some times waive themselves completely out of the picture, though the taxes have to be paid by the landlord, not by the Gov ernment, rain or shine. A couple of years ago a colored neighbor lost his wife. He had done all that he could for her—was good to her while well and took her to the hospital when sick, travelling fifty-four miles every day to see her. When I saw him several days after the funeral, and talked to him about his bereavement as sympathetically as I could he responded “Yes, sir, it was awful in the world, but now I can qualify.” He “qualified” quickly for within three months he had made other arrangements more pr less of a matrimonial nature. I used to have an old tenant who had a reputation as a “witch doctor”, whatever that is. Perhaps he com pounded herbs and roots and leaves into a horrible mess that frightened away the evil spirits which afflicted the sick body. Seeing the old man one day during a long drouth I ask ed what he thought of the chances for rain. “I speck it go rain, ’cause I dream of Mr. last night. That a sign of rain, when you dream about dead men.” And the rain soon came. One of my tenants was blessed with a boy and a girl. He named the boy “Expert” and the girl “Others”. They still thrive as Ex pert and Others. By DOROTHEA BRANDE If the Will to Fail announced its presence with symptoms as uniform and unmistakable as those which in dicate measles or a bad cold, it would probably have been eradicated, or a technique for combatting it would have been worked out, long ago. There are, for instance, those who sleep from two to six hours a day more than they need to sleep to keep in perfect physical health. In any individual case, unless the sleep ing houna far exceed the normal quote, it is very hard to be sure one has not to do with merely an unus ually long sleeper. But when the note of compulsion enters, one can be sure of having found a true vic tim of failure Those who are bad- tempered or only half alive if an early bedtime must be postponed, those who anxiously count each morn ing the exact number of hours spent in sleep the night before, mourning inconsolably and interuption, every hour of insomnia are looking to sleep for more than its normal re storative function. Next, still among the inconspicu ous failures, the “introverts,” are the waking sleepers: persons who allow some activity to pass before them almost without parljicipatioji, or indulge in time-killing pursuits in which they take only the most minor and unconstructive parts: the solitaire-players, the pathological bookworms, the endless crossword- puzzlers, the jigsaw puzzle contin gent Easiest of all to recognize as lovers of failures are the heavy drinkers. There are thousands who show the symptoms in so faint a form that they pass almost unsolicited; all those who drink knowing that it means a bad morning the next day, a vague and wooly approach to every problem until the effects have pass ed off; those to whom any drinking means physical discomfort, whether acute or trifling. Anyone who has learned to expect these consequences and yet continue to lay himself open to them stands convicted of the desire to handicap himself, at least to that extend. It makes very little difference what the drink in question may be. If coffee disturbs you, if you cannot digest milk, and you nevertheless continue to drink it, you may escape the disap proval which is meted out to the highball drinker, but you are in the same class. And, plainly, unwise eating comes under the same head. Turning to the active type, it may be said that the extroverts who pur sue failure as their primary career find so many ways of doing it that the attempt to tabulate them all would be hopeless. But, as examples, there are the relentless movie and theatre-goers, the nightly dancers, all those who count the day lost which has not a tea or dinner or cocktail-party in it. .. No, of course, there is nothing against relaxation and recreation when they are really called for, after a period of contributory activity. But those who enter an objectior to this classification too early and too angrily, crying that one must have recreation, give themselves dead away as setting an abnormal value on release. As to aimlss conversationalists, we can more easily see that others fail in that group than that we are included ourselves. No reminiscent ring, no forced smile on our auditor’s lips will stop us when we are habitually marking time with words—when we have the same unevolving round of topics, the same opinions to repeat mech anically, the same half-aimless ob servations to make on the same re curring situations, the same illustra tions to prove the Same points, and a few lukewarm arguments to bolster up what may once have been opin ions but are now seldom more than prejudices. Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Sligh, Mr. and Mrs. George Minick, and Boyce Banks, visited Magnolia gardens at Charleston over the week-end. Miss Elizabeth Banks, student nurse at Anderson county hospital, visited her father, P. B. Banks, last week. There is a peculiarity about names, Among the Peruvians I knew sev eral men named legally as Segundo, the Spanish for second. They, then, were the second children of their respective homes. I have read of men in Spanish life called Prtaero— which is the word for first, but don’t recall any Tercero (third) or Quinto (fifth) of Octavo (eigth) though I have knowq families of eight children. Of course it may be that they stop counting after the se cond. The Spanish are devout Catholics and usually Christen their children with the name of the Saint on whose day the child was bom. That pre sents no difficulties for there are saints for every day, sometimes more than one for a day, as Pedro Pablo (Peter Paul) a frequent com bination. Saint John is a favorite so all Spanish countries abound in men called Juan (John). For the girls, Mary is remembered as Maria in Spanish and Marie in French. The Spaniards have a feminine form for masculine names, Juan for the man and Juana for the woman. Juanita is little John for a girl. The Spanish like to use diminutives to express affection or a sort of possessive res pect. A child usually addresses lbs mother as mamacita and its father as papacito. A family physician may be called by the servants “Dctorcito.” I recall a visit from two young women. The elder was frail and short, the younger being robust and tall. To my surprise the little wo man presented her big sister as “Ml hermanita”—my little sister, Of course we do that here, too When I was at Carolina there were two fine fellows by the name of Scott. “Little Scott” was the younger, but he loomed high and large over “Big Scott”. I have a serious-minded colored tenant who is a real farmer and wor ries a lot about debts. Incidentally, he doesn’t owe a dollar to anybody and owns mules and machillery. But he fears he may owe something. That b an old-time virtue, but entirely out-of-date. The practice of today is to buy what you want and let the other fellow worry. In fact the United States Government operates on that plan, and the State Govern ment has adopted it, too. Somebody read my titles clear some days ago in the House because I contend that we are not able to throw about like a sailor on a sp. ee. Called my name and all that; revealed the se cret of the authorship of Spectator, etc. Impaled me with forks of righteous anger and condemned me as a puling infant challenging the mighty wisdom of the golden spend ers. My word! When the odor of this was wafted to me I thought it smelled like a whale, but it turned out to be just a minnow. The papers tell us that the rulers of the state are gravely pondering the question where to get money. We are told that even if revenue should come up to expectations we shall still have an operating deficit of a million and a half dollars dur ing this fiscal year ending June SO. As everybody seems to be at sea or up in the air about our state fin ances it is desirable that our think ing to be predicated on facts. Let us contemplate the facts: 1. The probability of this deficit was well known last June. It is therefore not a sudden and unex pected affliction. The operating de ficit is for this fiscal year. Now if we are so childish as to continue to operate the state on the present scale we may expect another deficit of a million and a half dollars next year. That totals three million dol lars. Then if we venture forth on a further squandering of public money to feed and clothe and minis ter to all the underprivileged and unfortunate men, women and child ren, white and black, we shall be face to face with a still greater de ficit. This is putting the question before you in its simplest terms. Let us make a point here. We have a Budget Commission, compos ed of the Governor, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. This committee is authorized by law to reduce the amounts authorized so as to bring the budget into balance. The Budget Commission last year made a sort of grandstand reduction and the Se nate immediately passed a bill for about seven hundred thousand dol lars to pay it back. So much for the Senate’s effort to defeat economy. The Farmers were cut to the quick; the merchants (out of Columbia) were in the red; and the industries were standing with backs to the wall. Income tax payments have fallen off 28 per cent. But the public functionaries must not be cut, nor public programs be curtajled! All public salaries and programs are sacred; only the taxpayers must suffer loss of income! We have a pri vileged class; it is those who feed on the public. The taxpayers are a democracy of underprivileged, but the tax-eaters are an aristocracy of special privilege. Why does not the Budget Commis sion reduce the allotments even to day? Why must all the thought and investigation be devoted to new re venue, new taxes? Why not step in and do the perfectly obvious thing- - reduce the spending? While the Legislature is in ses sion, at least until the appropriation bill is passed by the Senate, the pub lic services of the state keep in be hind the legislators at every turn. In the Senate and the House; in the lob bies; in the rotundo—everywhere— are officials of state services argu ing, explaining, pleading—all to get increases or avoid cuts. One city of South Carolina is said to carry a man on the payroll as a teacher whose function is to lobby for the teachers! Fine business, isn’t it? And the legislators are beset in the restaurants in the hotels — and wherever they go. People who want this, that or the other hang on like a lot of leeches. If we consider the condition of the taxpayers,—the farmers, the mer chants, the manufacturers, — is it not apparent that deep cuts should be made? We haven’t enough courage, in the aggregate, to do the thing our intel ligence so plainly indicates. Every two years the voters elect a new house, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. NOTICE OF JURY DRAWING We the undersigned jury commis sion of Newberry County, shall on the 13th day <xf April, 1939, at* 9 o’clock A. M. in the Clerk of Court’s office, openly and publicly, draw thirty-six names to serve as Petit Jurors, for the Court of Common Pleas, which will convene in New berry County Court House on the 24th day of April 1939, at 10 o’clock A. M. H. K. Boyd, Clerk of Court, J. C. Brooks, Treasurer, P. N. Abrams, Auditor. April 1, 1939. PAGEANT WILL BF. MAMMOTH SPECTACLE Charles McDowell, Director in charge of giving the Newberry Coun- the Sesqui-Centennial pageant,arriv- ed here last week. Practice on the Pageant has been started. “Clever acting and effective symbolic prw sentation of early life in Newberry County will be featured in this New berry County Historical Pageant to be the attraction of the Sesqui-Cen tennial Celebration on the nights of May first, third and fourth”, says Mrs. J. H. Summer, Publicity Chair man. Mr. McDowell, director in charge, states that he will endeavor to por tray through the stage the most im portant historical events and happen ings of Newberry county. The cast of the Pageant is composed of six hundred people ranging in agea from five to ninety selected from different sections of Newberry county. “Work on the historical episodes, which will portray early life of Newberry county is being whipped into shape, and will prove to be in teresting in historical value and beautiful in setting and costuming designs,” says Mr. McDowell, in charge of presenting the Pageant for the John B.' Rogers Producing Com pany, of Ohio. TREASURER’S TAX NOTICE The Tax books win be open for the collection of 1938 taxes on and after November 1, 1988. The following is tne general levy for all except special purposes: , Mills Ordinary County 11 Bonds and Notes 7 Int. on Bonds A Notes 8H Roads & Bridges 2 Hospital K Con. School 8 County School 6% County Board Ed. Vi Total ■ 88 The following are the authorized special levies for the various school districts of the county: No. District Mills 1. Newberry 17 2. Mt Bethel-Garmany 4 3. Maybinton 2 4. Long Lane 8 5. McCullough 5 6. Cromer 0 8. Reagin '. 8 9. Deadfall 8 10. Utopia 8 11. Hartford 0 12. Johnstone 6 13. Stoney Hill 5 14. Prosperity 16 16. O’Neall 8 18. Fairview > 4 19. Midway 4 21. Central < 4 22. St. Philips 8 23. Rutherford 4 24. Broad River 4 26. New Hope-Zion 4 26. Pomaria 18 27. Red Knoll 8 28. Helena >.... 28 29. Mt. Pleasant 4 30. Little Mountain 16 Vi 31. Wheeland > 3 32. Union 4 33. Jolly Street 8 34. St. Pauls 0 36. Peak i 4 37. Mudlic 8 38. VaugbnvUle > 8 39. Chappells 6 40. Old Town 8 41. Dominick 8 42. Reedersville 16Vi 48 Bush River _...10Vi 44. Smyrna 10 Vi- 46. Trinity 8 46. Burton > 8 47. Tran wood lOVi 48. Jala pa 8 49. Kinards 2 50. Tabernacle i.... 8 51. Trilby 4 52. Whitmire < 12 63. Mollohon 4 64. Beth-Eden 8 66. Fork 8 57. Belfast 8 58. Silverstreet 12 69. Pressley 4 60. St. Johns 4 There will be a 1 per cent discount on general County Tax during Nov ember. On and after January 1, 1939, the penalties prescribed by law will be imposed on unpaid taxes. Those who had their dogs vaccin ated for rabies during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938 by one airflborired by law, and expect to be exempted from dog tax will please bring their certificates of vaccination when appearing to pay taxes. You are requested to call for your taxes by school districts in which property is located. The Treasurer is not responsible for unpaid taxes not called for by districts. J. C. BROOKS, Treasurer Newberry County. • This*week*i^offer special savings on LANE —the onlv tested aroma- it cedar chest with winch you get a free moth insurance policy written by one of the world’s largest insurance com panies. See our big dis play. THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD FOR WOOLENS Sfor* Winter Woolms m a Genuine LANE ... the Only TESTED Aroma-tight Cedar Chest V LANE GIVES ' GUARANTEED MOTH PROTECTION BE£ MOTH INSURANCE POUCT Given with Line Cedar Hope Chest Lana Cadar Chest No. 48-1690 —Large mmm 43-inch chest of modern waterfall design. The front is matched Oriental wood in center with $ m H H■ diagonally grained American walnut at each rod. Has Lane Automatic Tray. *A great value at AH Other less MeJeli at Special Price* from $19.95 Up on Easy Terms G. B. Summer & Sons NOTICE OF ELECTION OF TRUS TEES FOR NEW HOPE - ZION SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 25 A petition having been filed with the County Board of Education by the patrons of New Hope-Zion School District No. 26, for the election of three trustees from New Hope-Zion School District, pursuant to the terms of a recent act of the legisla ture, it is ordered that an election of trustees be held in New Hope Zion School District, at New Hope- Zion School house, on the 15th day of April, 1939, from 8 o’clock in the forenoon, until 4 o’clock in the af ternoon, by managers hereafter to be appointed by the County Board of Education. The patrons and resi dent taxpayers are entitled to vote. Each voter will cast a ballot on which is written or printed his choice of the trustees. The County Board of Education will declare the result, and will appoint persons as trustees who have received the majority of the votes at the election. The trustees must be elected from the qualified voters and taxpayers residing in the school district. One trustee shall be chosen from each of the 3 sections of this district: New Hope, Zion and Board River. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION NEWBERRY COUNTY. ROYAL portable^ Tarn in your old typewiim, any make or model, office style or portable. Make it help pay for a genuine factory-new Royal—the portable with “big machine” features that make typing easier, faster. S models ... 5 reasonable prices. ss rttt* I'Assd m^-dependina « model selected. Yoon of nm mxtom cos»— a hand tom* Higgoga [ carrying com. *ot fio S’Utt mm