Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The reason most women pay more attention to beauty than brains is that no matter how stupid a man may be, he is seld- om blind. 9 F'red feers has gotten tired of waiting around when he plays golf with Willy Arbuthot. He claims if Willy were being hung he’d ask for a couple of practice swings. VOLUME 20; NUMBER 16. NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1957 + $2.00 PER YEAR By The Way " by 2borid Sander3 TO BE CLEARED City Council, recognizing the danger and undesirability of the debris left on the corner wher formerly stood the Palmetto House, took steps Tuesday night, to see if something couldn’t be done to clear it up. They were a day late, however. The owners of the building, O. 0. Copeland, fin ally seeing that contract or no contract, it would be impossible to get the firm which tore down the building back to finish the job, contracted Monday with Hack Hendrix, who lives on the Mt Bethel Garmany road, to clear up what is left. Mr. Hendrix stated that he hoped to have the job finished within ten days to two weeks. Mr. Hendrix would like to sell the “fur” - I had never heard it called that-the bricks, etc. to someone who would like it for filling - in purposes. If you are interested in buying some of this material, please get in touch im mediately with Mr. Hendrix. His number will be found in the phone book. KIND HEARTED A gentleman I know was all dressed up the other day to make a business trip to a neighboring- city. As he and his wife drove a- long the highway, they saw a mother dog walking along the shoulder, trailed by four cute little pups only a few weeks old. Going on down the highway about a half mile, they spotted one little pup which evidently couldn’t keep up and was whining vigorously, try ing to get over a muddy bank. My friend stopped the car and backed up. By the time he reach ed the spot, the little pup had fallen into a five foot ditch. The gentleman climbed down, rescued the muddy, sad looking little animal, brought him back to the car, turned around and drove un til he again found the remainder of the litter and returned the pup to its family. In the process he muddied up his shoes and trousers but the only thing that concerned him the remainder of the day was was whether the little pup would get lost again. It is rare to see a person take time out from the constant rush of oar daily lives to perform such a simple but kind deed, and it was one of the nicest things I have seen in a long time. NOT FOR BRIDES I’m not going to tell you who was instrumental in bringing this about, but to my way of thinking the person has done a great service to all high school students and their parents. The Newberry Area Advisory School Board has under consider ation a policy, which I understand will be acted upon at their meeting today, that students who get mar ried must withdraw from school, with a provision, perhaps, that after a certain length of time, they may make application for re-ad mission and the advisory board will decide whether they should be allowed to come back. Marriages among high school students has been steadily increas ing, especially since the addition of the 12th grade. During the past session there were at least three girls—I don’t know how many more—in the senior class who were obviously pregnant before the end of the school year. This was em barrassing to many of the other students. I do not believe that married students should be allowed to con- • tinue in the public schools and feel that this should be a county -wide policy rather than just confined to the Newberry area. By being notified that they will not be able to finish school if they are mar ried, the students might think a second time and save themselves future embarrassment and heart ache. I hope that when and if the County Board ever gets around to adopting a “policy” this will be .‘. one of the things included. thing they can do about it. They can’t, but if you parents aie con cerned you can demand something- better. SURPRISE 1 hesitate to write this, because I cion't know exactly what to write. In this issue you will see the portrait of Judge Eugene S. B lease, and read the story con cerning it. The publication of this story and the picture of the portrait will come as a surprise to the Judge, just as the planned unveiling was to have been a sur prise. He does not know the story is to be published today or even that I have seen, the portrait One of his neighbors called me some weeks ago and told me about it. I went over to see it and, after learning the story behind it, ask ed permission of Mrs. Blease to publish the story in The Sun. She was reluctant to give permission, not knowing how the Judge would react to all of the publicity, but I talked her into it. I felt that such a fine gesture on the part of Judge Blease’s friends should not go unnoticed until after his death, which I hope will be many years in the future. I write this because if “Uncle Gene” doesn’t like it, he will know where to place the blame. Distinguished Jurist Honored Welborn Infant Died Sunday Walter Wicker Welborn, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hentz Welborn of Keroes Ave.. died late Sunday afternoon at Newberry County Memorial Hospital. He is survived by his parents, Joe H. and Nellie Wicker Wel born of Newberry; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Walter L. Welborn of Newberry; the ma ternal grandparent®, Mr. amd Mrs. W. B. Wicker of Prosperity; great-grandparents, Mrs Emesjt Wicker, Prosperity, and James M. Heller, Newberry, and a step- great-grandmother, Mrs. Fannie B. Welborn, Pelzer. Funeral services were held Mon day at 5 p. m. from the graveside in Rosemont Cemetery by Rev. Paul E. Monroe Jr. Portrait of former Chief Justice Eugene Satterwhite Blease, painted by Charles Mason Crowson. (Photo by Nichols.) Prof. F. Scott Elliott attended a meeting of the Methodist Con ference Board of Education at Columbia College on August 13. He is a member of the Board ‘as a representative of the Green-* wood district. Mrs. Della Koon of the Lowman Home spent a few days with re latives in New r berry this week. THEY’RE DISGUSTED : I had not realized, until I start ed this series of articles of the various phases of education, that so many teachers were disgusted with the way the system works. One after another, teachers in our county school’ system have con firmed what I have been telling yon: schools are for the mediocre and only the mediocre. There is no time to give an education to the ients capable of getting it. The of the smart students much more of a burden on the ,. than the job of trying eh those who are not capable, all admit there is no- BIRTHDAY GREETINGS Aug. 17: Mrs. M. P. jJavis, Mrs. Seth A. Meek, Leila Kay Singley, John H. Boozer, Frank Gilbert, Rodney Outz, Jeannie Armfield, John Earl Smith, Boyd Hobson Parr, Mrs. Bobby Hawkins. Aug. 18: B. V. Chapman, Griffin Coleman, Mrs. B. F. Hawkins, Sinclair Kemper, Bil ly Vanderford, Michael Camer on Johnson, Clarence B. Hazel, Eugene Smith, Tom E. Long shore. Aug. 19: Mrs. Charlie Ruff, Jimmie Ringer, Jimmy Tim merman, Mrs. Irvine B. Leslie, Anita Myers, Frances S. Duf- ford, W. C. Wallace, Mrs. Ernest O. Wicker. Aug 20: Mrs. Clifton Graham. Mrs. H. B Wilson, Doris and Lauris Riley, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Riley, Jean ette H. Crooks, Virginia Ann Blount, Mrs. T. Collier Neel, H. T. Carlisle, B. R. Roton, C. T. Mize, Derrill Coleman. Aug. 21: Mrs. Perry O. Wick er, Martha Bouknight, Mrs. R. E. Green, Jim Shealy, Mrs. George Ray Richardson, Mrs. F. C. Merchant, Mrs. J. R. Bed- enbaugh, Mary Robbins Stone, John N. Livingston, Claudia Setzler, Forrest Summer Sr., Susan Sligh. Aug. 22: Mrs. W. R. Reid Jr., Mrs. Keith Wilson, Kent Cope land, Robert Bouknight, Mrs. W. L. Singley, Mrs. Oscar Jollay, James B. Franklin. Aug. 23: Sam Beam, George Way, Mary Sease Ruff, Linda Ray Ruff, Barbara Faye Thom as, Faye Davis, Caroline Wick er, Mrs. Ralph Lancaster, Mrs. Charlie S. Cromer, Mrs. Pete Parrott, Jonathan Beck Monroe, Mrs. Mary Sease Riser, John B. Lindsay, Nat Gist Jr. By DORIS A. SANDERS One of the finest tribute® to a living citizen of South Carolina was almost paid to a distinguish ed Newberrian this past Febru ary, but the recipient of the hon or found out about the “surprise” a few days in advance, and stop ped it. A large group of close friends of Honorable Eugene S. Blease, former Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, made arrangements to have a portrait of the highly-esteemed former Justice presented to the South Carolina Supreme Court and un veiled upon the walls of its court room. The ceremony was to have taken place on February 13. This was the first time in history a move had been made to unveil the portrait of a former Justice during his lifetime. The more than 100 persons who contributed to have the portrait painted by the famous artist, Charles Mason Crowson of New York City and Myrtle Beach, were in large part members of the South Carolina Bar Association. The committee in charge of mak ing the arrangements was headed by State Senator R. Aubrey Har ley of Newberry. Serving on the committee were the following members of the South Carolina Bar Association: D. B. Leatherwood of Greenville; Sam Watts of Spartanburg; Gist Finley of York; Stokes Houck of Florence; C. T. Graydon of Co lumbia; and Thomas Stoney of Charleston. After he had learned of the honor planned in his behalf, Judge Blease declined in the following letter of explanation to Senator Harley, dated February 4, 1957: “On last Thursday, you con firmed the truth of a report that I had received of your heading a committee whose members had ac cepted voluntary contributions from members of the Bar of this State for the painting of a por trait of myself by a talented art ist, and that your committee were arranging for the presentation of this portrait to the Supreme Court of this State for unveiling in its courtroom on February 13th. This evidence of affection by my fellow members of the Bar has overwhelmed me so that I have found it difficult since to do other than to rejoice in it. I have al ways coveted the love of the mem bers of the Bar, and this manifes tation thereof is a satisfying as surance that ‘my 6up runneth over.’ “After trying to consider the matter calmly, however, I have come to the conclusion that the honor thus offered me should be declined. One of the traditions of the Supreme Court of this State, which has been uniform ly honored by all of its former members sines it# creation, is that no portrait of any Justice thereof shall be unveiled upon the walls of its courtroom during the lifetime of that Justice. I, per sonally, feel that this is one of the precedents of that great Court which should be honored for all time. I, therefore, am writing to request your committee to defer the unveiling of my portrait until Council Raises City Employees’ Pay Five Percent; No Tax Hike Cotton Ginning Time Is Here Two bales of cotton, the first ginned in Newberry County this year, were ginned by I. T. Cous ins yesterday (Wednesday). The bales weighed 500 pounds and were graded 1 1-32. They were not sold. The cotton came from the farm of the Cromer Brothers in the Hartford community. such time as will conform to this tradition. “I hope that you will realize, and that all of my other cherish ed friends will know, that I have reached this conclusion with the greatest reluctance. 1 am fear ful that, in taking this position, I may hurt someone or more of these dear friends, who, with the highest motives, only wish to show anew their affection and es teem, which they have so grac iously extended throughout my life. But I hope that you will try to explain to each of them that I owe it to them to be worthy of the exalted position which I formerly occupied as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, and that in my feeble way I am trying to honor and preserve what I believe to be one of its finest traditions.” After Judge Blease had made this request, the committee decid ed to present the portrait to his wife, Mrs. Urbana Neel Blease, “until such time as the unveiling will conform to traditions of the Court.” Mrs. Blease accepted the portrait with mixed emo tions; regretful that the plans for unveiling the portrait did not ma terialize, but recognizing the logic of her husband’s position and be ing deeply appreciative of the fact that she will have the portrait in their home during the Judge’s lifetime. Mr. Crowson, the artist, stated in a letter to Judge Blease that in 21 years of portrait painting, this was only the second time he had painted a portrait without having the subject sit for the painting. The photographic reproduction on this page shows the true likeness captured by the artist, but does not reveal the excellence of the artist’s work. The portrait was painted from several photographs of the subject. Judge Blease was born in New berry and after completing the public schools here and graduat ing from Newberry College, he taught for several years, mean while studying law in local law of fices. He did not attend law school, but passed the South Carolina Bar examination and was admitted to practice law in this state in 1899. He practiced in Newberry and Saluda, and lived for a short while u\ Beaumont, Texas, where, after being admit ted to practice law in that state, he built up a large law practice in Beaumont and Port Arthur. The climate there did not agree with his health nor that of Mrs. Blease and they returned to Newberry. The former Chief Justice has served the city as city attorney and as mayor; the county as rep resentative in the House and as State Senator; and the state as Associate Justice and Chief Jus tice of the Supreme Court. He was first elected Associate Justice on January 14, 1926. In the spring of 1931, he was elevated to the Chief Justiceship, a position which he resigned in 1934 to re turn to private practice in New berry. His service to the bench of the Supreme Court was notable for its constructive value. Though delighting in tempering justice ffsknifniwul naoro Why Schools Are Started On Labor Day Because of a number of inquir ies as to the necessity of opening the school year on Labor Day, the following statement was prepared by P. K. Harmon, director of schools: “A few individuals have ask ed why the schools are scheduled to open on September 2nd which is Labor Day. The principal reas on is that in order to get in all of the other holidays which it has been custom to give and not run into June with one day in a new week, which was considered not very practical, it was decided that it would be necessary to begin not later than Monday, September 2nd. “The State Board regulations require that school must run at least 180 days per school year. “Also several parents called and informed us that their vacations or a trip was planned for the last week in August and they did not want school to begin before Sep tember 2nd. Therefore, the County Board of Education felt, after careful consideration, that September 2nd was the most suit able date for several of the schools to begin and Friday, August 30th was more convenient for a few others. “It is never possible to have an opening date which would satisfy Newberry Be Saluted On WJBF Station “Sunday Night at Home,” a weekly feature of Television Sta tion WJBF, Channel 6, Augusta, will present a salute to Newberry on the program of August 18 at 10:30 p. m., according to Carroll W’ard of that station. The show features fifteen min utes of news and sports, with sev eral minutes given to saluting a city in the WJBF viewing area each week. The Salute to Newber ry will feature information as to population, industry, education and other general information compiled by Mrs. Celia Dodgen, acting secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Newberrians are urged to turn their television sets to Channel 6 Sunday night at 10:30 to see this program. everyone Taylor To Be At Central Church The Rev. Voight O. Taylor, pas tor of Grace Methodist Church, North Augusta, will preach at Central Methodist Church here Sunday morning. Mr. Taylor was born and reared in Newberry and, having been a member of Central, will be wel comed back for this service. He is a graduate of Newberry College, having received an A. B. degree in 1929. He did graduate work at Columbia University, New York, during the summers of 1931-34, entered Duke University in 1935, graduating in 1939. He has held the pastorate in North Augusta for five years and has done an outstanding job there. During his service, an new church and a new parsonage have been completed. Faculties For City Schools Are Listed Newberry City Schools will open on September 2nd, the date set by the County Board of Education at its last meeting. All students will report at 9:00 a. > m. that morning at their respective schools, according to J. C. Kneece and R. E. Beck, superintendents of the high school and elementary schools, respectively. Pupils who are planning to enter the New berry schools for the first time and have not previously attend ed school in the Newberry at tendance are requested to enroll at any time between August 12 and August 30. It will not be nec essary for the high school stu dents who atttended school at Bush River or Silverstreet during the last school session to report for registration, as these students have already been registered. Students who will enter grades 8-12 will enroll at the high school building between the hours of 9:00 a. m. and 12:00 noon; and 2:00 to 4:00 p. m. Students entering grades 1-7 will enroll at the junior high school building on the same dates and during the same hours. Books will be available for rent under the State plan if the student desires to rent his books rather than purchase them. Those high school students who maefe applic- tion last May to rent books for this session (1957-58) may get their books on August 29 or Aug ust 30 between the hours of £:00 a. m. and 12:00 noon or 2:00 and 4:00 p. m. by paying the regular rental fee. Otherwise, books will be rented from- the high school office from September 2 through September 6. Members of the various white city school faculties are listed be- (Continued on page 2) City Council has accomplished an amazing feat. It has provided a five percent increase for all city em ployees plus an additional bonus for policemen who work extra hours in the summer to provide vacation time for the force; it has added an extra full-time employee to the fire department; it has made plans for the purchase of a new fire truck, for which it has set aside $20,000 in a reserve fund; and has done all this without an increase in taxes. The budget, as it presently stands, will run some $2500 lower than estimated receipts for the 1957-58 fiscal year. After the budget committee had completed its recommendations for the year which begins October 1, full council met Monday night to go over it item by item. Some few changes were made, but the total amount as finally adopted was $672,829.77 for expenditures with an estimated income of $675,340.00. This is the first time in recent years the proposed bud get has been lower than expected income, although the city has, by efficient management, continued to stay on the black side of the ledger, usually with a few thous and dollars on hand at the end of the fiscal year. The $20,000 set aside in a re serve fund for the fire truck will not come out of the 1957-58 in come. Funds for the truck have been accumulating in a sinking fund taken from the current year’s income, a manifestation of the careful operation of the city’s affairs by City Manager Ed Blackwell, Acting City Manager W. C. Wallace, and the wise de cisions of city council on expen ditures. There was only one exception-to the across-the-board five . percent salary increase for all city em ployees, which will go into effect October 1st. The salary of the city clerk and treasurer, set up in the budget for the same salary in crease, was raised to a nine per cent increase by the full council Monday night. The reason given for the increase was the fact tha the city clerk had received no extra compensation for the added work and responsibility of various accounts such as social security, recreation, and others which have * been added since he accepted the position. Members of the police force will receive an extra $100 a year for vacation time. While each mem ber of the force presently receives a vacation, he must work extra time during the summer in order for all members of the force to take time off. The officers have received no compensation for this extra time in the past. The additional full time em ployee for the Fire Department was requested by Chief Sam Beam some months ago. At that time, council authorized funds suf ficient to hire an employee for the remainder of the fiscal year. This was not done, however, and the only explanation given by Chief Beam to council at its regular meeting Tuesday night was that he did not employ the extra man “because of conditions.” He did not explain what the conditions were. He does intend to hire the extra man now, he stated, so that there will always be a person in the fire department to accept calls recitations they will present in their recital en J^ridsy, September <» st Jnnior at 7:15 p. m. On Tuesday, September 10, they will be guests on “The Specs Program” over WIS- TV from 4:30 until 5:30 p. m. The students are, left to right seated, Martha Jean Smith, Susan LeValley, Eleanor Kirkegard, Keith Nichols, Connie Sanders, Monty Smith, Alyce Counts, Polly Livingstonn. Standing, Emily Grier, Brenda Turner, Jimmy Clamp, Mrs. Abrams, Dan Pay singer, Louis Fennell, Allan Paysinger, Nancy Mayer, David Bennett, Rey Lominick. Absent when the picture was taken were Mfndy Der rick, Susan Lipscomb, Charlie Epps, Mac Cobb and Karen Boozer. (Sunphoto by Doria A. Sanders.) if two of the trucks are already out. He also notified council that if a new truck is purchased, he will need another driver, a total of six regular firemen, three of whom will be on each 24-hour shift. All three would be driv ers, he stated, and if jthe new truck is purchased, there will be three trucks available in satisfac tory running condition. “There will be no need for three trucks if we don’t have someone to op erate them,” he told council. After lengthy discussion, coun cil decided to have specifications for the new trucks drawn and to accept bids for same. When it ar rives, six to eight months after the order is placed, council will then consider the advisability of hiring a sixth full-time em ployee for the department. Acting City Manager Wallace reported that concrete strips have been constructed and meter posts set at the parking lot at the corner of Caldwell and Harrington streets. The meters have also arrived, and will be placed on the posts as soon as the lot is surfaced by Sloan Construction Company. Council decided to nulla bona 1964 taxes in the amount of $661.06. .. A tax levy of 39 mills was &~ dopted, of which 30% will be used for general operating expenses; 8% to pay on bond issues. John F. Clarkson was re-appoint ed a member of the Newberry Airport Commission. A drainage problem of water from Crenshaw and Harrington streets, and a sewer problem on Nance street were discussed and action postponed pending receipt of further information and advice. A letter from William R. Wise, former engineer of the Public Works Commission, to T. H. Light- sey, concerning installation of wat er line on Mr. Lightsey’s property about ten years ago, was read and received by council as information. The decision by council to ask advice of the city attorney as to what steps the city might take to have the debris cleared at the comer of College and Friend streets seemed unnecessary, as it was later learned that arrange ments have been made by t he owners to have the debris removed. Councilman Dufford expressed the pleasure of council that City Manager Blackwell had recovered sufficiently from his illness to be present at the Tuesday night meet ing. Mr. Blackwell has been spend ing some time in his office during the past two weeks but had not attended a meeting of council since he suffered a heart attack. A letter was read from the Public Service Commission, giving not ice of a hearing to Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company for changes in tariffs for intrast ate toll telephone service in Col umbia on September 10. Kendall Changes Are Announced A. B. Hair III has been trans ferred from the Oakland plant of the Kendall > Company to Pelzer, where he. is assistant to the man ager, W. H. Taylor, according to an announcement made recently by Mr. Taylor." He also announc ed that Bob Hawkins, recently of the Mollohon Plant, has been transferred to the Pelzer plant to become personnel director. - Mr. Hawkins replaces E. W. Mimms, who resigned to accept a job with the State Labo* Depart ment in Columbia. Gerald Culcl&aure will move to Newberry to fill the assistant overseer position in the card room held by Mr. Hawkins. Other changes announced in the Kendall plants were: Horace Reece will temporally assist Hart Jor don, Albertville (Ala) plant man ager, in the weaving department. Charles Higgins will serve as overa—r in the Lower;«Jisl|ifl| plant. . T