The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, November 01, 1919, Image 2
umter jrrH
etic teams
Men Who Wifi Represent Sum
ier Y. M. C A. At Olym
pic Meet
> v - ? -
? At' the -Olympic meet, which in to
; fee-heid: in^Columbia this week, Sum
ter inH well represented by the
following teams: * *
Yotfey-Bail: E. M. Hall... Wendell
" i 4&SVt Carl ISeidt, J. A. MeKnight, B.
B. Hodges, H. M. Crowson, Julius
Chandler, Louis Bryan and David
^Doar. Hodges is acting as captain
of'.the team; wWeh is composed of
six. players and two substittues.
The. aquatic meet will be held in
the Columbia Y.~ M. > C. A.
Boys' Swimmers: ? Sheldon Rey
nolds? Stanley Weinberg. Harry Ry
. ttenberg, Ed Brooks, Henry McLaurin,
Saxrimy Harby.
Men's Swimmers': Aubrice Brad
ham* Ambrose Beetham, Austin Beck.
^?er^SrSeB, ^acfc Oarr, M. Rice and
Aticins.
Boys' Track Team: Jack Chan
dler; George Vaughn, Frank Sholar,
Hary Ryttenberg, Charles Cut tin o.
. Marion Burkett.
M**&'s Track Team: Harold De
Lorme. Wendell Levi, R. F. Battles.
^ ^ Bowyer, Carl He?it, B. D. Hodges
ahclxDr. Jacobus.
The rtemiis wili be played at Ridge
wood park on Friday afternoon and
Saturday morning in singles and dou
Bey^ Tennis Team?Hary Price and
^?trol? Wfi?dem
~"'Men'? Tennis Team: Dr. Jacobus
io? X S. Wiggins.- .
Track a?d voiley ball will be held
at;, the -fair grounds ?n Thursday af
ternoon beginning at -3. ">0 p. m. -
v Swimming will be held on Friday
afternoon and night in the Columbia
J&fcsM.^'C. - A. -
' ? The jSuiBter- promoters of the meet
o^e all people Sumter who are
going to the fair to be on hand at
tliCse^ events and support the Sumter
teams. tlietoshhph m mm m
^eai^s. .tl. is the hope and belief of
the authorities that this meet will be
a jbuge success although it is the first
of its kind ever neld in South Caro
lina," ci i r ? . -< > ? . :
OUR -TELEPHON E SERVICE.
Comments and S?ggestions by a Sub
& soriber.
.Editor-. Daily Item:
I note your very-timely editorial in
yesterday's issue with reference to the
inadequate telephone service that a
long suffering public is receiving at
the hands of the telephone *y>ropany.
?As one of the sufferers, k*r*d4y per
moit me to thank- you sincerely for
??3J??r* clear statement of the facts in.
the -case.- -The. situation for the past
few rwonths has been practically uni
ehdurabie and the delay and handicap
by reason of the loss o ftime entailed
by an inadequate telephone service
has passed the-limits of endurance. If
at comes within the jurisdiction of the
CUy Council an investigation of this
matter should be inaugurated at
once. -NO-fair-minded man can cx
pect a telephone comparry. or arny
other public utility, to render ade
quatev service- at a loss and if their
present rates are -inadequate, after a
carefm juvest^atibn- of their records,
a satisfactory rate should be agreed
upon, conditioned upon proper service
to : the public. No right-thinking
-business- man can object to this.-"
Ifi however, fin investigation of the
records.shows the revenue amply ade
quate to provide proper-service, then
drastic action should be taken by the
City Council to enforce same. Not j
only- the business men of Sumter, but
throughout the entire rural districts
operated by the Sumter exchange, are
vitally interested in this matter and
the howls of complaints heard from
every source- demand attention. 1
?? Here's hoping for a speedy and.
.prompt improvement to the present
conditions.
t - Yours -very truly,
A Long Suffering Subscriber.
Sumter, October 2&.
Bisbopville News Notes.
Bishopvile, Oct. 27^-There was a
wjreck at the A. C. L. depot this af
ternoon when - the freight traiR back
ing Into the side track the rear ca
boose j?inped -the track and was run
into the waiting room. It struck the
ticket office and butt 'out all of the
front of the ticket office, and over
turned the caboose and one box car.
There were some colored hands, in
caboose, but they got out before the
car struck The office. Fortunately
they were moving slowly or else the
damage would have been more Se
, rio?s. ?
The county Sunday school conven
tion was held at- the Presbyterian
church of this place yesterday. There
was a small attendance and very lit
tle interest manifested in the proceed
ings. Dr. Lapsty of Virginia, preach
ed last niyht at the union service held
lot -Hie same church, giving us a most
excellent sermon from the text "Go
^forward." Every one was pleated.
: Iwthe death of Mr. Bradley Wilson.
-county- has lost a* most excellent
citizen. --He Uras a kind and never
-^>oke nineharttably--vf any-one, which
C*n>*i be said-of many of us, and would
that we cocrtd att Imitate his example
"in-this respect. Our -sympathies go
..Out tb his-affHcted family.
Byard,-son of W. W. McCutchen,
had Iris collar bone broken in some
/^tfeietic performance*at Davidson Col
'?/legbs His parents -went on to see him.
but the injury was.-not serious.- ???
Miss Minnie Green of" Chicora Col
lege, with Miss Ferguson of Savannah
and ?? Miss Bailey of Clifton, two of
i her schoolmates, spent the week at
the home of Mrs. H. W. Scott, re
turning to their studies Monday af
ternoon.
Miss Estelle Scarborough from Win
throp College i* set home for a visit
The Methodist church will celebrate
children's, day next Sunday.
" Berne, Switaerland, Oct.
- broideries to the value of four, aiil
lion francs v^re exported to America
. X^s^jfwyrw'n ?^aredr with ??C.rtooi
2
women's Mission^
ary union
Additional List of Delegates to;
Baptist Women's Con
ference
The/ Baptist Womens' Missionary!
Union tvill meet in annual session inj
this city November 4th to 7th. Fourj
hundred 4tnd fifty delegates are ex-1
pected to be present:
Kirby, Miss Lizzie, Lynchburg, with
Mrs. J. Z. Tisdale.
Dew, Mrs. L. E., Latta
Whaley, W. H., Pelion.
Kneece, Mrs. D. R.,-Pelion., or Mrs.
J. H. Lewis.
Walker, Mrs. Charles A., Hardee
ville.
Wofford, Mrs. LilHe E..-Pauline.
Clinksscale, Mrs. Rossie, Starr.
Earle, Mrs. Paul R., Starr.
Bell, Mrs. Ada, Bowman.
Foster. Mrs. Bob, Simpsonville.
Willis, Mrs. J. E., Central.
Willis, Mrs. J. L., Central.
Ramsay, Mrs. Sarah K., Central.
Parks, Mrs. S. V., Greenville.
Able, Mrs. G. E., Norway.
Battenger, Miss Mary, Greenville.
Baxiey, Miss Daisy, Mullins.
Cranford, Mrs. R. E., Pineville .
Dacus,. Mrs. M. B., Pacolet.
Dixon, .Mrs. John, Camdeii. /
Jones, Mrs. W. M., Barnwell.
-Foster, Mrs. A. J., Columbia.
Falmer; Mrs. H. P., Norway.
Hood, Mrs. G. W., Fountain Inn.
Hiers, Mrs. A. J., Ehrhardt. -
Hankihson, Miss, White Pond.
Roland. Mrs. L. Lee, Landrum.
Law. Mrs. J. A., Scranton.
: ?Nicholson. Miss. Ridge Springs.
Dr. Brunson.
Rhodes, Mrs. E. L., Darlington.
Ratterree, Ruth Miss, Meyers Mill.
Putman, Miss Amanda, Owings.
Sloan, Miss Jessie, Fountain Inn.
Scott, Mrs. B. R., Jedburg.
Smith, Miss Bertie, Greer,
Foster^ Mrs. W. C, Latta.
Parker, Mrs. Walter, Camden.
or Wilson, Mrs. Jno. Camden.
?Schroack, Mrs. M. E., Camden.
Jordan. Mrs. J. N., Columbia.
.Bennett, Mrs. J. S., Bennett.
Bradham, Mrs. H. C. Inman.
peaft, Mrs: A. E., Starr.
Dean, Miss -Lula, Starr. ?
Funderburk, Miss Mavis, Pageland.
Golphin,-Mrs. T. M., St. Matthews.
Garrison/ Mrs: J. T., Fort Mill.
Gibson, MTs. J. R., Inman.
Ivey, Miss Judscm, Union.
Clement, Mrs. A. J., Inman.
Law; -Mrs. J. A., Scranton.
McAteer, Mrs. L. H., Mek-ose
Heights.
Prince, Mrs. C. B.. Enoree .
Sherwood,-Mrs. T. C, Dillon.
"Smith. Miss Frances, Rock Hill.
Shelling, Mrs. G. W., York.
Waugh, Mrs. B. H., York.
Houck, Miss Mary. North.
Branyon, Mrs. J. L., Honea Path.
Whitiock, Mrs. F. L., Chester.
^Wav^rs. R. :E? HoIly^Hi?, ... 4
lake, boat sinks
t .? ? ??
Ten Persons Drowned at Mnske
gon, Mich.
Muskegon. Mich.. Oct. ? 2&.?Ten
persons lost their lives this morning
when the steamer of Muskegon in
trying to- make the harbor here-struck
?a pfer-and sank in four minutes.
Three were passengers and the oth
ers-were members of the crew. '
?The-death-list is now twelve; .-It
-is believed- it. may 'reach twenty.- The
passenger list was lost with the ves
sel and the total dead may never be
known." ? ?"???? ' ?
MISS NAPIER TO WED.
A November wedding of especial
interest in Columbia and throughout
Richland county will be that of Miss
Dorothy Napier, who has been for the
last five years-the efficient home dem
tmstration agent in this county to
J. Rhett Clark, who heads the farm
demonstration work in ^Richland. '<
Miss Napier h*s-resigned her posi
tion to take effect\November 1, and
is at present spending her vacation
at her home in Greenwood.
Sincere regret will be felt, in the
rural districts hereabout that Miss Na
pier is to discontinue the work which
she has so successfully developed and
to which she has given so much of j
her capability, energy and Inspiring]
personality.
When she entered this field as the |
first home demonstration- agent in i
February. 1914, she had seven canning1
clubs for girls with a total enrollment
of 60 members. j
Now she has to ? have two assist
ants, one in the city and one in the
county, to such an extent has the club
work grown. There are 150 girls en
gaged in canning clubs, lafr in bread
clubs, 100 in poultry clubs, 560 wo
men and girls in the home demon
stration work. Besides this Miss Na
pier has introduced into nine schools
well equipped kitchens and has or
ganized- two sewing clubs.
The personal regard and confidence
which -M-iSB Napier has won from the
country people was evidenced by the
cooperation which they gave her -als
county chairman in three of the Lib
erty loan drives and two of the Red
Cross roll calls.
It is gratifying to her many friends
in- Columbia that she will continue to
live here after her marriage.?The
State. U
Miss Napier taught for several years
with marked success at Dalzell, and
made many friends here who remem
ber her pleasantly.
Stonimcry Site Wanted.
The committee- of the Sumter
Chamber of Commerce in charge of
the ereetion of the necessary build
ings for a tobacco steam drying plant
and stemmery in Sumter is in the
market for a suitable* site for this
very important enterprise. Therefore
any one having such sites are invited
to mention same to B. I. Reardon.
Managing Secretary of the Chamber
of Commerce w.ithfrjll/ particulars as
to location, size.- M ?Ptc. who will
informat^BML to the com
ehaj*ge iMBfrmatteiv
iraittee B BLhurry and
lg sjfr?fl BttUgf.ve t?>
[PEANUT"ft* PLACE !
j OF COTTON CROP j
i Farmers of Blackville Tell of j
I Methods Adopted in Sections |
I of Georgia and Alabama to i
Outwit Boll Weevil
The following article is reprinted
from The Columbia State at the re
quest of Secretary Reardon of the
Chamber of Commerce:
Blackville, Oct. 18.?"I made the
trip from Blackville into the boll wee-.
v? infested sections of Georgia and
Alabama to find out how I could grow
cotton with the boll weevil here in
vast numbers. I did not want to be
'persuaded that I could not make one.
i more full crop." declared "Bob"' Fick
j ling, farmer and former member of
the legislature of South Carolina, at
the largely' attended meeting held in
the auditorium of the high school
Thursday afternoon. * Fronv what I
saw and learned on this trip, I now
I know we can never again grow ootton
as we have grown it, and that the
man who attempts it will go down
to ruin."
13? Farmers and business men of
Blackville, who last week made the
trip by automobile from Blackville
through Augusta, Thomson, Milledge
ville, Macon, Montezuma, Albany,.
Ga., to Dothan, Enterprise and Anda
lusia, Ala., returning by way of Co
lumbus, Ga., were the speakers at this
meeting, presided over; by Harry G.
vBoylston. who, since his graduation
four- years ago in the agricultural de
partment at Clemson, has been the
energetic county agent for Barnwell
dunty.
This meeting was the first held in
vBarnwell county in the crusade . to
save ?he agricultural situation since
the advent of the boll weevil. A third
of the seats in the auditorium were
set aside for negroes and were filled,
and-never have better listeners been
teen-in any meeting. Successful farm
ers-were to talk to (hem?men they
had known and worked with all their
lives?who had carried them over
poor crop years and through an era
.of 6-cent .cotton.
If the agricultural situation in the
Blackville area is saved froiu the hor
rors that followed boll weevil inva
sion in Alabama, despite the warn
ings from and?, harrowing experiences
of the cotton-growing -States from
Texas to Mississippi, it will be accom
plished only through the most com
plete and harmonious Cooperation not
only hetween the white land owners,
but also between them and the ne
gro farmers, whether renters, share
croppers or land owners.
Mr. Fickling detailed the progress
of the party, their stops at various
farms, big and little, and the results
secured this year by good farmers,
who, a year ago, were in the same sit
uation as now are the Blackville farm
ers, and. tempted by high-priced cot
ton, tried to "grow one more full
crop" and had one bale to 50 acres as
their reward. The names and loca
tions of the farmers were given, in
latitudes farther north than Black
ville. and much farther from the
ocean. At the farm of Mr. Watson*
Byron. Ga.. who average one bale to
50 acres, the cotton looked like an
okra plant, the absence of branches
leading them to believe a different
seed had been planted, but they found
out he had obtained his supply from
Montmorency. S. C. but the boll
Weevils had been on duty waiting
ifor every, form as it appeared, and
promptly puncturing it, the plant had
gone to weed. This was characteristic
of nearly-every field where extensive
cotton planting had been undertaken.
In no case did they see a profitable
crop of cotton where a man was a
"renter." In a number of instances
they h*d s<?en. "half a crop" on very
good land, under the wage or share
cropping .system, where the.land own
er completely controlled the situation.
"On the finest farm T ever saw."
said Mr. Fickling. "at Dothan. vAla..
owned by Spann brothers, -formerly df
Bamberg, on the richest spot Of high
land, that without boll weevils should
make at least tw6 and one-half bales
to the acre. Spann brothers this year
made sis: bale? of cotton- on seven
acres. And this is how they did it.
Land Prepared early and thoroughly:
the full cooperation of a large family
of the most competent negro cotton
farmers, and the supervision of a
United States department of agricul
ture expert, who lived on the place.
Punctured squares were picked every
day and there was no other cotton
near it. On this big 80-plow farm,
cotton patches were so few and small
they looked like flower beds around
your home.
. ."On this Spann farm the depart-1
ment of agriculture had a big latest |
improved seven row dusting machine
to distribute calcium arsenate. The
application was under the direction of
an expert, and the field it was used
on looked poorer aiid yielded less than
on the other fields of this fine place,
?c. "Boll weevils come out early, feed
ing until about 10 o'clock, and then
go into hiding until about 4 o'clock, so
that from 10 until 4 one sees very
few in the field*. At the sale-of the
Judson Hair estate here this week I
?Saw more boll weevils than I saw in
any field in Georgia or Alabama. All
the people we talked with and with
out exception all showed the greatest
interest in our visit, and each one
I seemed anxious to head us off from
the precipice of one more full crop,
(.declared the coming year would he
j our worst year, the weevil doing its
greatest damage.'
Mr. Fickling declared that the peo-1
pJe of the boll weevil sections who j
had survived were those who quickly
turned to corn and velvet beans, pea- j
nuts and pigs, and the party was re-1
peatedly told by substantial men.)
men who had gone bi-oke, planting
cotton and had come back and were
now wealthy, that -with peanuts at 4
cents a pound and hogF at 8 cents a
pound, they would not go back to cot
ton if they were guaranteed 50 cents
a pound and immunity from boll
tweevils. t
Cm the ma.ioriiy of f:>rJjfcfipv"
ever, from 6 to 8 acres ofjBSHBto
the plow is planted :im Iliv
makes about half a crop, iM Has
are all favorable, under the following
plan:
Plant oh the richest high land, well
removed from swamps and overgrown
ditches.
Prepare thoroughly, so as to plant
earliest practicable date to avoid
frost.
? Don't cut out fertilizer.
Make rows three feet apart, and
take a single hoe chop between hills,
leaving two stalks to each hill.
Plow every week, even if the other
crops must be neglected.
Use a heavy application of top
dresser or nitrate of soda to force top
growth so as to provide plenty of
forms for the more numerous weevils
later in the season, as weevils will
not puncture bolls as long as ? forms
are there. ,
Pick up all squares or forms.
Limit the cotton acreage to not
more than seven acres to the plow.
Plant Wannamakers Cleveland big
boll cotton.
Remaining acreage to be planted to
corn and velvet beans and peanuts.
Clarence Fickling, who operates a
'large farm on the ; share cropping
plan, and who is the active head of;
the Commercial Bank at Blackville.
followed. Six years ago, John Far
rell told me he regarded Clarence
Fickling ?s the best farmer in the
Blackville section, thoroughly prac
tical, conservative to a degree, and
possessed of such a thorough scien
tific agricultural ^education that there
was no guess work in his methods.
Mr. Farrell added that Mr. Fickfing
planted a row of peas in every cotton
middle.
Mr. Fickling's admirable talk was
full of meat from start to finish. He
pictured the ravages of the boll wee
vils in sections slightly infeBted last
year for the first time. - as he saw
them on this trip and the prosperity
of the farmers and all the people ifi
the sections ? of- Alabama where the
boll weevil first appeared in 1913, of
the thriving-peantit oil mills, peanut
shelling and products plants, meat
packing plants and the e\ growing
deposits of the banks, of interviews
with bankers who contrasted the
peanut and pig prosperity with the
inevitable farm mortagages seldom li
quidated when cotton was king. And
then Mr. Fickling got in high gear on
the money value of peanuts, the ready
market, the keen competition for the
crops from Virginia buyers, and
showed the proletarian pinder to be
the one crop that would bring more
blessings to a boll weevil -infested
community than any other that our
farmers could turn to, because of the
wide adaptability of our soils, the
training of our labor, the world de
mand for its products, its small and
inexpensive fertilizer requirement,
the small output for labor, the ease
of its harvesting as compared with
other row crops, the adaptability to
mechanical gathering, a larger acre
income than - cotton, and a larger
acreage per plow.
Mr. Fickling related the story of
one farmer with whom he had talked
in Alabama who .through illness and
deaths in the family, had been un
able to work his peanut crop. Despite
that, on-- very ordinary larfd. this
grass infested crop had yielded 35
bushels M?r acre of peanuts, sold for
$2 per bushel, half a ton of finest
hay, worth $20, a total of $90 an acre
under adverse conditions. The farm
er and two small children harvested
and stacked three acres of peanuts a
day. Another profit would come from
grazing hogs on the residue.
Investigation proved, said Mr. Fick
ling. that where 70 bushels of pea
nuts and a ton of hay had been har
vested, yielding $180 an acre, that a
sow and her four pigs could run on
that acre until it was to be plowed in
the spring, at which time" the pigs
would be hogs, weighing nbt'ress than
160 pounds eachf total of 640-pounds.
worth 596. ? grand total of $276.
Looking at the negro farmers. Mr.
Fickling told them they might- have
some doubts about a readv market for
their peanuts, and he Wanted to as
sure them, and all other farmers, that
,he would have a warehouse for the
purchase of every pound they
brought, at top market prices, accord
ing to grades. That besides, buyers
from other sections would be there to
compete for them, just as cucumber
and cantaloupe buyers flocked to
Blackville to buy those crops. That
the farmers and people of-Blackville
would establish a peanut OH ? mill,
with a peanut "sheller* annex, so that
their own mill would crush the home
grown peanuts, and compete in other
centers: that they must grow a pea
nut for every cotton seed they didn't
grow.
Mr. Fickling stressed the necessity
of growing uniform varieties. Spanish
peanuts wher<* they are to be har
vested, and Nortb Carolina "Runners"
where they are to be hogged off. He
also declared that the greatest profit
to the farmer was in hogging off all
peanuts, "seling them to the hogs."
under which condition the soils were
not impoverished, but highly im
proved. If they would plant cotton
however, (to plant only what they
could afford to lose.
Mr. Fickling declared Alabama a
less favorable section for boll weevils
than the Blackville area, for there
the branch and stream banks w*rc
clear, while here they are swampy,
with underbrush and trees to protect
weevils in winter time.
. Mr. Chester,Matthews followed in a
brief, too brief, talk, for he talked ex
tremely well and with the greatest
ease, detailing the cultivation of' the
peanut and advising every one pres
ent to secure a copy of Clemson bul
letin No. 21, on peanut growing, and
made a. strong plea for every land
owner present to stand by the negro
share cropper, making the customary
;ui\ ances to him for the coming year.
Personally he would be glad to take1
care of all his croppers on the custom-'
ary basis, where they agreed to plant
crops named by him. fertilize them
according to the plan he would out
line, and work them as they had to
be. worked in order to make profitable
crops; that for each plow there would
be not less than five nor more than
seven acres of cotton. lf> acres of corn
seven foot rows, with velvet beans in
e?very other middle, and North Caroli
na "Runners" in the Other; corn-to
be broken, velvet beans picked and
peanuts either hosged off or harvest
ed, ftvery acre of his land would l>c
under fence, and as crops were graz
ed cross fences would be put in. Cows
enough to graze off the waste would
be run in the corn fields so that there
would be the minimum of litter left
where peanuts would be planted in
the rotation in 1921. if it were not
for the dogs, sheep could be used
profitably, and particularly to under
brush the branch swamps and "heads"
on the farms, but until a sane -dog
law is enacted sheep can not be used
and swampy places will give harbor
age to weevils during winter. Mr.
Matthews declared that the velvet
bean was the best feed for hogs he
had ever seen and the only one that
will keep them all the year round.
Mr. Matthews said that in the
main the lands around Blackville were
better than the lands they saw in
Georgia and Alabama, with the pos
sible exception of around Americua
and Dothan, where the best of lands
were undoubtedly better, but not as
well farmed; that in none of the sec
tions visited had he seen crops to
compare with the corn and velvet
beans of the Blackville section. Mr.
Matthews made a fme impression on
the audience.
Crum Boylston said he made the
trip not to find out how to grow cot
ton, but to investigate the programs
of the busted cotton farmers who-had
come back; that any farmer who
would go to Tiliman, would see what
the second year of the boll weevil
would do to the man who tried to
grow one more full crop of cotton;
that there was a fine cotton gin there
that last year ginned 2,800 bales
and this year, despite a big acreage.,
it had not fired up its boilers. "Cot-j
ton as a main crop is a thing of the
past with us here," he said "and
peanuts will be our salvation; Pea
nuts as a cash crop tfdlt make us
more money per a?re: th?'n cotton, at
lower cost for labor and fertilizer and
peanuts sold to the hogs will make us
more m?hey per acre and per man
than peanuts sold off the farm." On
his farm, the peanut', corn, velvet
bean and hog program would go on
January 1, though ah effort would be
made to grow a little cotton on the
rich high land well removed from the
swamps.
Winton T. Walker detailed his in
vestigations of conditions at Meri
dian, Miss., five years ago, where cot
ton production shrunk from 42,000
bales in four years to 8,000 bales. Re
cently he had again visited Meridian
and learned from the district agri
cultural supervisor that shipments of
hogs, cows, chickens to the St. Louis
market tar exceeded in value thfe big
gest cotton crops at the highest
prices. Mr. Walker emphasized the,
necessity for the community to adopt
uniform varieties for live stock and
chickens, as well as peanuts, so that
thorough grading could be practiced
in cooperative shipments, in order
that the best products be sold at their
.quality price instead of being pulled
down to the price for the lower
grades. ? ? ?.--?:???-<
Before the ? meeting adjourned,
County Agent Boylston notified the
assembly that he would be prepared
to-get the best seed peanuts-at-close
prices, and would/also be able to -get
them fencing at the carload price for
less than carload quantities. He urged
them" to place their orders with him
early for limestone, as every speaker
had stressed the necessity of its lib
eral use in growing peanuts.
There was no pessimistic note in
this meeting. There was no hesitancy
in recommending the program. There
was no indication of fear. At the sale
of the Judson Hair estate this week,
with boll weevils in every field, land
brought $150 an acre, and some of it j
close to town more than $300 an acre.
The speakers at Thursday's meeting
have volunteered to speak in every
school house in the Blackville area,
in every negro church and to work
with the share croppers so that under
the new conditions they will get not
less from the beginning than they got
under the cotton regime for their skill
and labor. And one of the banks has
already advertised the fact that in
1920 cotton will not be/the basis of
credit, but peanuts will be.
A flour mill, with a self rising at
tachment, is to be established at
Blackville by Claude Fish burn and
every farmer is to be urged to plant
enough wheat for bis own needs next
y->ar. It would be better- if they would
plant r-ytigh for themselves and ?
little to sell, for seed wheat commands
a good price, and there are plenty of
non-producers who would be glad to
get home made flour - from home
grown wheat.
In the rotations discussed at this
meeting, there was no mention of the
cow pea,- either, as1 a grain crop or as
hay. On farms where peanuts are
grown there is always a plentiful sup
ply of hay from the tops and the tes
timony of the Blackville delegation
that in Alabama mutes were "buck
fat" and they saw no poor farm stock
is ample testimony of the palatability
and feeding value of peanut hay.
Blackville is a very considerable
center for the growing of asparagus;
cucumbers and cantaloupes. Few
watermelons are now grown. Cucum
bers and cantaloupes require very
thorough preparation and, cultivation.
Other crops grow better after these,
showing how thorough tillage, affects
soil conditions. These lesfeons have
not been lost and in the main farm
ing is at a higher level around Black
ville than in many other sections of
the State. This well learned lesson
will be a big factor in favor of these
farmers "beating the boll weevil," for
they will fight it to a frazzle.
? - Edmund A. Felder.
Hie Brown Tlianksgiving Reunion.
The morning of October 18, 191.9.
opened auspiciously for the splendid
day that awaited us. It was the
thanksgiving reunion of the family of
our honored citizen, Mr. D. W. Brown
of Myers Mill. The immediate occa-,
sion was the return of his four stat- j
wart, manly sons from overseas, to
whom we met to pay homage, and
extend a cordial welcome. It was a
great day and every guest present left
saying. "I am glad that I was ? nsr
mitted to be here." About fifty
guests were present to share with
Mr. and Mrs. Brown in i their great
joy and to partake of the bountiful
Southern barbecued dinner which
was served out on the spacious lawn'
under majestic oaks and elms-- Af
ter the assembling of the guests at
the table we feasted first on the writ
ten words of "Welcome," read by
Mrs. W. B. Turner.
Mr. D. W. Brown, the host, spoke
as follows:
v This is an occasion for rejoicing and
it is not my intention cr desire-;to
mar the pleasure of the day with
any reminder of the gone dark days,
but I wish with these few words to
sum up the reasons* for our joy and
thanksgiving.
Knowing that my feelings on this
occasion would be too deep -to permit
of my making any effort at a speech
and wishing to express in some way
those feelings, I have jotted down
those few jwords to be read to you..-?i?
I wish first of all to extend the
most hearty welcome a father arid
mother could extend to our sons and
daughters and their.wires and hus
bands, to our grandchildren and to
you. some of our dearest friends who
were able to join us here today in this
reunion. - ? ''
The prayers of all of us were an
swered on November the eleventh, of
last year when death and destruction
on the battlefields of France ceased.
That was a day of great rejoicing in
the whole world but to this family
today is a day of -much greater joy
for in answer to our prayers and the
prayers of our friends my four sons
who were then in France have return
ed and are here together with tny
cither two sons, three daughters, ^twO
sons-in-law and three daughters-in
law, and our eleven grandchildren.
Every single one of all these are here,
four having been spared from thfe
horrors and seeming certain death.on
the battlefields and the others spared
with us here where we were -doing
our necessary part' toward winning
the war and where there was. equal
chance of death from influenxa and
other causes. None missing?and
from this summing up you can sfce
that we have been remarkably' bless
ed and have just reason for great jOy
and everlasting thankfulness. I wish
to thank our friends for-their.., pray
ers, kindness and ever .thoughtft?nesS
to - us during those trying days arid
to . invite their thankfulness with ,03
now.-.
To our family I say, remember what
God has done for us during -these
days of distress and let none of ,us
fail to give thanks to Him the rest jotf
our days. I am growing old now and
during my life have felt the sorrow^
of two wars and although I did net
wear the uniform of either I was dur
ing both in a position to know of "t?e
horrors andvhardships which war al
ways brings and from this knowledge
I urge that we all exert our influence
and pray that the world , may hence
forth be rid of this great curse
through wise leadership and.^trust *n
God. ? ~'
I saw and worked under Conditions
which prevailed during -the :r.econ
struction days after the Civil War.aaid
now I, see the great work which is to
be done after this war. We wiU help
as long as we are able to- but .? this -is
work which belongs tQ>you who axe
young and strong. Our task was in
the sixties, seventies and.^ ejgjtojes.
This is your job and I hope that if, I
live long enough to see it that Lsla^ll
be as proud of the part yoii play .in
this reconstruction as I was. and am
proud of the part you played ^during
this, the greatest of aU wars.
1 To everyone present I again .extend
to you a most hearty welcome today
and for any time you may) be able
to visit us in the future and during
the rest of my days I will continue to
pray Gods richest blessings upon you
all: ' ??
Then Mr. W. B. Turner in a few
well chosen words spoke of the esti
mable character of Mr. Brown and
what an acquisition he and: his family
had been to our community. Mr.
Frank Youngblood offered a -very
touching prayer. The Honorable Dr.
E. W. Ellis, Barnwell representatixe,
spoke to the thought "What Brown's
friends think of himi, and what he has
been to his friends/' . - .
? Then came the repast of the inner
man. the barbecued pigs, cakes, pies,
ice cream and all. Very rarely it* such
te, dinner surpassed.
On January 10. 1883, Mr,-and, Mrs.
Brown were married in Sumter *coun
ty where they spent the greater part
of their lives, having moved to Bfttn
well county about six years ago. To
this union were born nine children:
Mary Alice. -Lola B.. Perry M.. Rob
ert T., D. Allen, J. Clifton, V. Lee,
W. M., and Ruby. , . . .
Mary Alice is now Mrs. P. C Mat
thews of Sumter - and Lola * :ried
Mr. B. (X Cantey, also.- of bumter.
Robert found: Miss Mildred .Hall-.of
Concord. N. C. who was w?liag. . to
share -his fortunes with him and: Al
len sought one of BarnweU's fair
daughters, Miss Luc?e Crayton, while
Clifton- left his , fair southland to
seek among Ohio's maids, and there
found Miss Florence Ditma.r. .These
with the eleven grandchildren pre
sent a solid phalanx of twenty-seve?.
No -grave marks a broken rank.
Better than gold is a peaceful home
Where all the fireside * characters
: . come;- _ - - :
The shrine of love, the heaven ofrJife
Hallowed by mother or sister, or-wife.
However humble the home may be
Or tried with sorrow by heaven's -de
cree
The blessings that never were bought
.or sold
And center there,, are-better than
gold: - . ; I"';*.
Mr; Brown's 62 winters and , Mss.
Brown's.55 .summers hang lightly on
their brows. We wish for them many,
many seasons yet.
Berlin. Oct: 28.?Generals yon Hm
denburg and Ludendorff will partici
pate in the deliberation of the com
mittee that is investiating the guilt
of those responsible for the war.
when it reconvenes October 31st,
to hear the testimony otf former Im
perial Chancellor von Bethmaa
Hollweg. according to The Tageblatt.
Boston. Oct. 2S.?No citizens of the
United Stfttes will be removed from
Jobs in the navy yards on account of
lack of work or lack of funds for.: na
val construction until all aliens have
been discharged. This was the 'jam
stance of an order by Secretary ttan
fels received at . first naval Jfimrtyt
headquarters today.
- ? .. .- ???? t t a