The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-05-24
LOCAL NE w s..
COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE.
Squire rewel Tells of His Recent Trip.

COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE.
Squire Fewel Tells of His Recent Trip.
The best way to find out that you have
the best couDtry-that is, the most pro-
ductive, the most prosperous, and the
most progressive in the State-is to start
out and travel through few of the other
Counties, and you will come back con-
yinced. Don't stay at home all your life
and mourn and grieve because you can't
20 to all the good places you hear OF, but
strike out and look at some of them, and
I'll bet q wooden fourpence you come
back satisfied to stay where you are
that is if you live in Anderson County.
took little trip off through Green
vile, Spartanbnrg. York and corner OF
Union a few days ago, and was sup
prised to see the difference in the crops
of those Counties and that of Anderson.
I didn't know that our County was so
much better, but it's SO and we can't
help it, and we don't " ant to if we could.
GreenYille shows up little better than
the rest Of them, but ours is the best OF
ALL
Cotton predonlinates to considerable
ex tent in the above named Counties over
all other crops put ttogether-yes, would
venture to say, that in Spartanburg there
is more acres in cotton than there is in
corn, wheat, oats, and I tell you that
won't do. It will bankrupt any farmer
to make cotton to buy his provisions and
horse feed with. I don't think the far
mers as general rule are doing as well
along the line have travelled as they
were three or four years ago. You can
tell this without going out in the farming
communities. You can see the effects OF
their lack of prosperity by going through
the towns. Some of the 'reformers"
attribute this to lack of patronage of the
country people to the towns and cities to
their prosperity-that they have become
more independent and don't have to 60
to the merchant for his goods, but that is
a sad mistake, for I never have seen the
time yet when if people have anything to
buy with they don't make use oft. Veal
buy more when we feel like we can stand
lt-when we have made good crops and
realized good prices for them than we do
in adverse circumstances.
Ifyou take bale of cotton to town and
get ten cents per pound for it and it
weighs five hundred pounds, that brings
you fifty dollars, but if you only get
seven and three-eights, it's only thirty
six dollars and eighty-seven and one
halt cents. There is thirteen dollars and
twelve and one-half cents differe nee in
the money received without there being
any difference in the cost Of its produc-
tion to the farmer. So you see If there is
profit in cotton at ten cents-and there
is-there can't be much profit in it at
seven or eight cents unless the farmer
will make all of his provisions for his
family and feed for his stock at home,
with little of that to sell, then his cotton
money comes in on the balance sheet as
net profit. This all the farmers will tell
you and about one in fifty will adopt it.
AS was going to say, when the farmer
has made his corn, wheat and meat at
home and has good fat sleek horses and
mules and few pigs to squeal and warn
wind and the cows lowing for the merry
milk maid with the peach and rose on
her cheeks and q muscle in her arm
sufficient for any emergency to come and
relieve her of her burden Of milk, and the
sheep bleating for his evening meal of
cotton seed, and chickens, turkeys and
ducks swarming around we'll filled corn
crib for their ration Of corn before retir-
ing for the night, and with general
merry prattle all around. why then he
don't mind spending his profits in cotton
freely nor will he parley with the mer-
chant long about the price of a new dress
or hat for his wife. Now, gentlemen of
the Jury, have seen just such phenom-
enon right here in this County, and it
could be at every farm in the County as
easy as it can be in one or few. That is
no ideal figure drawn, but Is taken from
actual facts. So let US progress and be
happy. All we lack Is willing mind.
We have all the natural resources at
hand. Let US 90 to work and utilize our
superior advantages, then others will
follow suit. Don't wait for Governor
pass laws to make you prosperous and
won't be done.
Andrew Adkins and Miss Lida Bell
were united in the holy bonds of matri-
mony on Thursday, 18th inst, the Rev.
G.. L. Stewart officiating.
Crops are doing we'll since it has turn
ed warmer. Wheat is looking better,
but I don't think there will be many
oats made, lot about here nor anywhere
else I have been. Cotton begins to show
some in the heat of the day. We are
almost done planting corn, but don't
forget what I told you some time ago,
keep on planting little rich patches until
the middle Of June in corn. It makes
good late roasting-ears and is mighty
good to have to cut down and feed to
stock, and don't cost much.
I had the pleasure of meeting that
genial old patriarch-one Of the old land
marks Of our County-the venerable
Capt. Micajah Williams few days ago.
1t is great pleasure to US to meet one Of
those old time-honored citizens-.one who
has lived through two or three genera
tions and has kept apace with all the i'm
provements and progress Of the times.
Yes, 1t is instructive and comforting to
our minds to converse with snoh intelli-
gent patriarchs az Capt, Williams. /
wish could have some such to converse
with oftener. don't think that the peo-
pie who are so favored as to have few
Intelligent old citizens right at them
where they see them every day appreciate
their advantage until they have passed
away and are forever gone. Then they
are brought face to face with the fact that
Capt. live and enjoy good health.
1 will give the boys a problem to solve,
which is this: i have ditch one hun
dred rods long, which agree to give one
hundred dollars for cutting. A. agrees
to do fifty dollars worth at one dollar and
a quarter per rod, and B. agrees to do
fifty dollars at seYenty-five cents per rod.
How many rods will each have to cut9
You see rod at one dollar and quarter,
and rod at seYenty-fve cents will make
it cost one dollar, If you can't get the
answer to the above problem want to
know why. SQUIRE FEwEL.
Piedmont, S. c., May %, 1898.