Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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OBSTINACY IS THE STRENGTH OF THE WEAK. EX TIKE SAYS IF YOU GIVE SOME PEOPLE AN INCH THEY’LL THINK THEY ARE RULERS. \ VOLUME 21; NUMBER 13. NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1958 + $2.00 PER YEAR By The Way * by, J&orid Sander3 THEY ACCEPTED The County Board of Education has voted to accept the band uni forms which were offered free of /»hftT*ge. for use at Mid-Carblina High School. The garnet and black uniforms, formerly used by the University of South Carolina Band, are reported to be in good repair, and according to persons who have seen the new Carolina uniforms, the older ones are much more attractive. Use of these uniforms, rather than buy ing new ones, will njean a tremen dous saving for a school budget already squeezed to the extreme and we commend the County Board for its action. While on the subject of the Board, some of its members seem to think I take delight in crit icizing them personally and the school system in general. This is not true. What I have to say is sincerely meant to be constructive criticism and some members of the Board have been kind enough to call it that. Today I am not going to criti cize, but recommend. The Board held a meeting Tuesday night of this week that lasted about two hours. You recall how hot the weather was that day. The ‘con ference room’ where the group meets is not air conditioned; and there was only one floor fan at one end of the room to cool off the 15 persons who were, at one point, assembled in the small room. Because of the intense heat, when the meeting was over I was on the verge of being sick and I don’t believe many of the Board members felt much better. Their hardest work—preparing the bud get and getting ready for school openings—comes during the hot test part of the year. These men, whether you like them, criticize them, or what have you, are paid only the token amount of $100 a year to serve on the county board. Attending monthly meetings—al though they are in session usually an average of twice monthly or more for various reasons, is only a small part of their job. They are continuously badgered by pa trons of their district and other districts; they are performing a public task to the best of their ability and are taking the criti cism which ordinarily follows their various actions, because nothing they can do will suit everyone. I am willing for my portion of the school tax money to be used to air condition that conference room. And I expect you would be too, if you served on the Board and had to sit through meetings such as that one Tuesday night. It is a small room and shouldn’t take more than an air conditioner costing about $200 to cool it suit- DISCUSSES SCHOOLS W. W. McEachern, president of the South Carolina National Bank, made some interesting observa tions in an address delivered at a conference held at the University on July 22, on the subject “The Schools We Have and the Schools We Want.” I quote some ex cerpts from his speech: “. . . teaching academic subjects is much more important than the activities for which the school has become a center,” the speak er said, and quoted an article in the August 1958 issue of Holiday magazine by Clifton Fadiman des cribing a school in New York which “boasts of five gymnasiums plus other education parapher nalia, including a retail store and a classroom devoted to something simply called ‘living’.” The appal ling part to Mr. McEachern was that the non-academic part of the school takes up 80 percent of the physical facilities and that part is air-conditioned, while the class rooms are not. The speaker quoted Sloan Wil son, author of “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,” writing in the June 1958 issue of Reader’s Di gest “It is hard to deny that Am erica’s schools have degenerated into a system for coddling and entertaining the mediocre.” It was the speaker’s opinion that “With greater emphasis on teaching and less on more costly and less important activities, I am convinced tne results will surprise even those under the Russian sys tem. . . much greater emphasis should be placed on the basic sub jects . . . the academically talent ed student should have two to; three additional years of science, three additional years of mathe matics and at least three years of a foreign language . . . greater emphasis should be placed on aca demic excellence and less on social activities at school.” Quoting the “Rockefeller Re port,” Mr. McEachern said “Be cause many educators reject the idea of grouping by ability, the ablest students are often exposed to educational programs whose content is too thin and whose pace is too slow to challenge their abilities.” “Discipline is badly needed in our schools instead of coddling,” the bank president said. “I be lieve that many parents could give stronger support to disci pline at home and thus provide a basis for better discipline in our schools . . . The child should not be led to believe that school is a place where everything is easy with no work and no discipline re quired. Instead, he should be taught early in life that school requires work ... In the past, a great deal of attention has been given to handicapped pupils in proportion to the attention given to exceptionally talented students. In the future, we should try to provide every opportunity^ for the full development of exceptional students. “I would like to see our schools give greater attention to the American system of govern ment and economic system which made our country the greatest na tion in the world. I do not believe that one required course in Am erican History in high school is enough.” Discussing financing, the speak er believes “our schools could se cure some additional needed fin ances by cutting out some of the frills which are not needed for sound operation of the schools. It is my opinion that South Caro lina wants to provide such schools without outside help or outside in terference. I also believe that the much-discussed federal aid would increase other troubles rather than diminish our school problems.” Mr. McEachern concluded his speech: “I believe the next decade will see the development of the best schools we have ever known in Suoth Carolina, if we are per mitted to proceed along these lines without Federal interfer ence. The past few years have shown what we can do in con struction. Now we must advance more inside the classroom. Every South Carolinian must do his part.” Homecoming At Colony Sunday The annual Homecoming Day will be observed at Colony Luth eran Church on Sunday, July 27. The program being planned for the day consists of Sunday School at 10 a. m. wnth the regular wor ship service at 11. The Rev. Albert Owens will de liver the sermon. At the noon hour a picnic dinner will be serv ed to be followed by a period of fellowship. All former members and friends of the congregation are most cor dially invited to attend these serv ices. The 710 confirmed members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Pros perity, are proud of the fact that they have completed payment of indebtedness incurred in building the new church building. Announ cement that the debt had been paid was made at worship service July 13, and recognized with a prayer of thanks and the report on the financing of the program. The total cost of the new buil ding was about $85,000. The build ing fund was begun in January 1952, and construction began with removing the old building to an adjacent location in May 1954. (Photo by Nichols.) Services were held there until the new building was completed, and first services held on October 2, 1955. The building was dedicated April 21, 1957. The chtfrch auditorium seats 600 persons with an education floor which accomodates 550. The old building, the main part of which was 110 years old, was dismantled after completion of the new building. St. Luke’s congregation was organized in 1826. It's present pastor is Rev. Thomas F. Suber, who has served St. Luke’s since May 1, 1951. Reid Is Held In County Jail John Reid, out on bond from Greenville County, is now lodged in the Newberry County Jail where he is ’ charged with the break-in and robbery of the Belk- Simpson Department store in Whitmire, according to Sheriff Tom Fellers. Reid, whose brother, Willie, was killed as he attempted to shoot it out with Greenville County deputies on July 13, was charged with “participating in” | the Belk-Simpson robbery and is also being questioned by Laurens county officials concerning unsolv ed crimes, according to Mr. Fel lers. Meanwhile, according to the Sheriff, Deputy L. L. Henderson was in Gaffney Tuesday ques tioning two suspects concerning the safe-stealing at the Post Of fice in Chappells and at a dry cleaning establishment in Whit mire on Friday night, July 18. The Whitmire safe was later found about five miles from Chap pells on a country road, but the safe stolen from Chappells had not -been located Wednesday. Honor Students At Carolina The dean’s list for juniors and seniors and the honor roll for sophomores and freshmen have just been released by Registrar Bernard Daetwyler of the Univer sity of South Carolina. Those on the lists from Newberry County are: Mary Louise Dickert and Helen Kay Ringer of Newberry; Robert W. Pugh Jr. of Prosper ity, on the lean’s list; and Russell Aubrey Harley Jr. of Newberry, on the freshman honor roll. Miss Monts Dies At Lowman Home Miss Mary Leila Monts, 91, lifelong resident of Rt. 2, Pros perity, died at 9:10 p. m. Tuesday at the Lowman Home in White Rock. She had been ill for the past several .nonths. Miss Monts was born and rear ed near Prosperity, a daughter of the late Adam W. and Juliann E. Mayer Monts. She was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and a former member of the Un ited Lutheran Church Women. She had made her home at the Lowman Home for the past six years and prior to moving to the plowman Home she made her home with her nephew W. E. Monts for three years. She is survived by one brother, R. M. Monts Sr. of Cameron; and seven nieces and nephews. Funeral services were conduct ed at 10 a. m. Thursday (this morning) from St. Lukes’'Luth eran Church by her pastor, the Dr. Thomas F. Suber and the Rev. L. E. Blackwelder of the Lowman Home. Burial was in the church cemetery. A family picnic-pack meeting was held for members of three newly formed cub scout dens, sponsored by the Lutheran Church. Those enjoying the occasion were the boys who will become cub scouters and their families, den mothers and their families, and spon sors of the dens and their families. The affair was held at Mollo- hon Park last Wednesday evening. The den mothers are Mrs. Ches ter Hawkins, Den 1; Mrs. Dick Rodelsperger, Den 2; and Mrs. Gus Singley, Den 3. Among the clubs on hand were Jeff Catlin, Jimmy Zobel, Gene Brossy, Marcus Lester, Keith Nichols, Warren Cook, Bobby Sprawls, Phil Singley, Bobby Smith, Kenny Pruitt, Harry Moose (den chief). Tommy Moose, Eddie Rodelsperger, Miles Hawk ins and Steve Armfield. (Sunphoto.) Foster Spotts Services Held On Tuesday Foster Barnwell Spotts, 53, of 1253 Hunt St., died Monday morning at South Carolina State Park. He had been ill for the past seven months. Mr. Spotts was bom and reared in Abbeville County, a son of the late George J. and Tommie Smith Spotts. He had spent most of his life in Newberry where lie was a member of Central Methodist Church. He was employed by R. Derrill Smith & Son, Wholesalers, for more than 20. years. Since leaving this firm he operated Spotts Wholesale Grocery for sev eral years, and for 15 years was owner and operator of Spotts Grocery on Hunt St. He is survived by his wife, the former Miss Elizabeth Stockman of Greenwood; one daughter, Mrs. Margaret Ann Kinney of Greenville; one grandson. Gene Kinney; five sisters, Mrs. Annie Chappells and Mrs. Ellen Clamp, both of Newberry; Mrs. C. V. Tenny of Silver Springs, Md., Miss Mary Spotts of New York City, And Mrs. Frances Long shore of Newberry, now in Ger many; four brothers, Fuller Spotts cf Newberry, Ben Spotts of Silver Springs, Md., George Spotts of Abbeville and Joe Spotts of Florida. Funeral services were held at 4 p. m. Tuesday from McSwain Fun eral Home by Rev. M. E. Derrick. Burial was in Newberry Memor ial Gardens. Mrs. Lester, 87, Rites Sunday l\frs. W. Marcus Lj*ster, 87, formerly of Prosperity, died Fri day afternoon at Newberry Coun ty Memorial Hospital after a long illness. She was bora in Newberry County, a daughter of the late James L. and Sarah Fulmer Con nelly. Since the death of her hus band in 1953, she has made her home with her daughter, Mrs. T. P. Crooks near Newberry. She was a member of Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church and was an honorary member of the William Lester Chapter, United Daugh ters of the Confederacy of Pros perity and was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit of Post 24; and. Mt. Bethel-Gar- many Home Demonstration Club. She was a life member of the United Lutheran Church Women of Mt. Pilgrim Church. Surviving are one son William M. Lester of Augusta, Ga.; four daughters, Mrs. A. L. Shealy of Sarasota, Fla.; Miss Hattie Belle Lester, Miss Violet Lester and Mrs. T. P. Crooks, all of Newber ry; four grandsons, William M. Lester Jr., Valdosta, Ga., James L. Lester, Augusta, Ga., A. L. Shealy Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., and Marcus H. Lester, Newberry, and three great-granddaughters. Funeral services were held Sun day afternoon at Mt. Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Prosperity by Rev. J. S. Wessinger and Rev. Melvin E. Derrick. Burial was in Prosperity Cemetery. Rev. Bauknight At Central For Sunday Service The Rev. M. E. Derrick, pastor of Central Methodist Church, an nounces that Rev. A. H. Bauk night, a retired minister of the South Carolina Conference, who now lives in Newberry, will preach at Central Sunday morning, July 27, at the eleven o’clock service. The Rev. Mr. Bauknight is a native of Newberry and was brought up in O’Neal Street Board Swelters But Is Firm On Attendance Area Lines Six sweltering members of the County Board of Education met Tuesday night in a hot conference room to discuss school affairs and listen to a delegation from the Macedonia and Fairview section of the county. The only member absent was Joseph L. Keitt of the Newberry area, who is critically ill in the Newberry County Me morial Hospital. Appearing before the group Tuesday night were Richard W. Brown, Furman Fulmer, H. C. Martin and Carl Amick from the Macedonia and Fairview sections, and Judge B. V. Chapman. Judge Chapman was present to ex plain that the Macedonia annexa tion election, held in Newberry County, was motivated by a de sire of residents in that section to send their children to the Pros perity school, instead of to the Chapin school in Lexington coun ty. The territory was annexed to Newberry County, and the chil dren from the section have beeb attending the Prosperity school. Mr. Brown, speaking for the group, told the Board that school patrons in that section wished to continue sending their children to Prosperity instead of to Little Mountain. It was explained by Board members that the Mace donia and Fairview sections are in the_ Little Mountain attendance area, but that the children had been allowed t6 continue school in Prosperity until the consolidated high school was completed, at which time attendance lines would be strictly observed. After spending an hour discuss ing the situation, the group de parted. It was later learned that a similar request was made at a special meeting of the County Board held on Wednesday night, July 16th. Patrons from a section of the Little Mountain area, who had been sending their children to- Pomaria school, have been noti fied that they would be sent next yea£ to Little Mountain. In both cases, the Board decid- Methodist Church. “It is rather indicative of his success as a minister to know that his entire ministry was spent in the Green ville District,” stated Mr. Der rick. “He is recognized as one of our able and effective preachers.” His friends are invited to hear him Sunday. Mrs. W. E. Pelham is a patient in the Columbia Hospital where she is seriously ill after having undergone surgery Tuesday morn ing. She will remain at the hospi tal fdr an indefinite length of time. Free Salk vaccine shots will be given to anyone over 20 years of age on Friday, August 1 on the porch under the steps of the Community Hall. The program is being sponsored by the Newberry Jaycees. The shots will be given by Dr. Yon A. Long, District Health Officer, between the hours of 10 a. m. and 5 p. m. Chappells Moves, Thrives} By MRS. A. H. COUNTS The town of Chappells, about 16 miles above Newberry in the upper part of the county, has mov ed from its original birthplace of many years near the banks of Saluda River to the main highway ways about a quarter of a mile away. At one time the road led off from the Newberry-Green- wood and the Clinton-Saluda high- days down through the town to the bridge over the Saluda River which continued traffic on to Sa luda, 14 miles away. Chappells was once a big trading area since there were many large land own ers in that section of Newberry county as well as a large number across the river in Saluda county who patronized the town. So Chappells was no different than thousands of other small towns throughout the country when the business on the River banks mov ed to the cross roads on the high ways. The two did a big business in shipping cotton, cotton seed, wood products and other farm commodities. One firm in parti- lar, Coleman and Scurry, were among the biggest cotton buyers in that part of the state. Hund reds of tons of fertilizer were shipped into the little rural town of Chappells. With the paving of roads lead ing from Newberry to Greenwood and one leading from Clinton to Saluda, the postoffice and all the business establishments moved to the paved cross roads. Soon the highway erected a nice bridge over the Saltida River a few hundred yards up the River, and this led the practically abandonement of the road and bridge through the heart of this fine little town. Farmers began to grow less cotton and agriculture too made a decided change in general in the section, oil and coal replaced the wood products. Trucks and cars replaced the mules, wagons and buggies, consequently the top of the hill at the cross road prov ed more inviting and profitable. But old timers remember the days when the small town was filled with wagons and buggies whose owners came and spent most of the day. But something remains at the old birthplace of yesteryear. The Southern Railway is still there with its roadbed intact along witff just one other industry. This is the big pulpwood yard of the Champion Paper and Fibre Com pany of Canton, N. C., which helps business as shown by the large number of shipments of »pulpwood to Canton to be made into paper products. It is proving one of the life savers of the rail road as well as a fine asset to the farmers of that area. W. E. Spearman Sr., is content on remaining at his job near the banks of the River as agent for the railway. The Southern is fortunate in having in its employ ment such a dependable, likable and popular employe. He has been their dependable agent for 47 years and for a long time was both agent and telegrapher. Be sides being their agent he has proven to be one of the main sparkplugs of the town and com munity of Chappells. In fact he has held every job in his section except that of mayer and to quote him, “I don’t want to be mayor.” He has held so many jobs around the section that it is well they run concurrently else he would be a Methusaleh in completing them. In addition to serving the rail road at his two jobs for a long period of time he Aas kept tfte water guages for the United States Department of Agriculture and has acted as a Weather Ob server for 35 years. He also checks the river guages when as much as an inch of rain falls phones the result immediately to Columbia. He delivers the mail from the depot to the postoffice at the Cross Roads. He has served as the superintendent of his Sun day School, a deacon in the church, also a janitor of the church and is a prominent Baptist Church member and worker. He (Continued on page 3) ed it could not change the at tendance area lines without throw ing the gates open for requests of a' like nature from every part of the county, so the decision to keep school buses and children within attendance area lines stood firm. The Board awarded the contract to furnish coal for all county schools to Farmers Ice & Fuel Company, at $11.60 a ton. Gul Oil Corporation was low bidder for fuel oil for all county schools with a bid of 3.60 off tank wagon price. The Board announced that Charles Wise, who served as prin cipal of Stoney Hill school for;' nine years previous to last year, had been appointed principal of the Bush River area. Mr. Wise was connected with the Joanna schools during the past year. Director of Schools P. K. Har mon distributed information shoe ing enrollment and average at tendance for the various schools in the county for the 1967-68 school year. Supt. of Education James Brown furnished copies of expenditures by schools for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1968. The attendance records showed an enrollment of 4176 pupils in. the white schools of the county, with a 92.2% average attendance. There were 3176 colored students! enrolled in all county schools, with an average attendance of 86.6% The expenditure sheet shows. $1,227,079.16 spent for operating the schools during* the past year with an income of $1,336,556.92, leaving $109,447.76 to operate the schools through the summer and meet the first teacher payroll 1 fe*' September. With a larger balance than this hist year, the County Board had to borrow about $8*000 to tide over until tames were paid. The resume of school costs is broken down by each school is the county, and shows amounts paid for such items as salaries of sup erintendents, teachers. Shop, lib raries, special education, visual aids, teacher supplies, band, other * instructional expense, health, sal ary bus drivers, transportation ex pense, salary, janitors, telephone and telegraph, fuel, lights and 4 water, custodial supplies, care of grounds, contracted service, re placement of equipment, other ex penses replacement and materials, insurance, school lunch salaries, other expenses, school lunch, ex tra curricula, athletic expense, adult education, veterans educa tion, building sites new building, new equipment, other expenses fixed charges. A copy of this expenditure sheet is on file at The Sun office and may be inspected by any interest ed party. W. E. Spearman takes time out from his work at the Southern Railway depot in Chappells to pose for the photographer. (Photo by Nichols.) BIRTHDAY GREETINGS July 27: Mrs. D. D. Darby, An nette Young, Mrs. Ada Living ston, Miss Aliens Graham, Bobby Hawkins, C. A. Dufford Sr., Mary Regnery, Allen Graham, Elsie HL Creekmore, Mike Darby. July 28: Mrs. Bill Stuck, Thom as H. Pope, D. L. Nance, C. B. Parr Jr., Louis Ray Ringer, Jos eph Lincoln Tolbert Jr., Mrs. E. EL Epting, Robert Hipp Copeland, Neal Dickert, Clara Coleman, Jackie Bozard, Mrs. George P. Hawkins, Woodie Livingston, Robbie Anne Creekmore, Hugh E. Merchant, Miss Bertha Gray Gall- man. July 29: D. L. Wedaman, Welch Wilbur, Horace Cromer, Mrs. % G. K. Dominick, Tommy Milton Folk Sr., Doris Goree, H. T. Oxner, Clarence DeHart, S. Q. Williams. July 30: Harriette Morehead, Bill Hawkins, Maybelle Yates, Mrs. J. C. Counts, Mrs. C. S. Hazel, Mrs. Lillian N. Werts, Mrs. Hugh Ballentine, Lillian Vander- ford, Ceile Purcell, Kenneth Cook, Mrs. Joe Bedenbaugh, Beverly DeHart. July 31: Mrs. Danny Pay singer, Mrs. Robert Lee Ruff, Mrs. EL B. Carlisle, C. E. Bauknight, Annie L. Sutherland, Roy Bedenbaugh, David Folk'. Aug. 1: Mrs. W. H. Spivey, Tommie Len Henderson, F. A. Longshore, Ann Stewart, Mary D. Boozer, Mrs. C. E. Long, Nathan Culclasure, Gordon N. Clarkson. Aug. 2: Mrs. M. W. Clary, Rev. Louis Patrick, Debra Jane Bow ers, Mildred Chapman, Ann Bow ers, W. P. Lathrop, B. B. Leitz- sey Jr., Willie Graham, Eva B. Clary, Nancy Bouknight, Mary Ellen Gist.