The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-06-13

are a shameless drinking set of people. We
are, aud iatend 10 drink while we live, spe-
cially, summer time, he the balance of the
country and world to the contrary wise, new
ertheless, Notwithstanding. We keep a resort
of our own, and have just bad a drink and
feel better. We took our'n cold anG straight,
and think i. was chemically pure, too. The
brand is pronounced akwa pewra, and is the
cheapest We know.
We've been drappin peas-peas in corn.
Now pea drappiu is not a particularly seden-
tary occupation at this season; nor is it a
specially intellectual avocation, but it has it's
peculiar interest aud a degree of fascination
all the same, provided it's your " peas
and corn. Firstly, you are ''laying by"
you've been buying it heretofore aad are yet,
we guess, AID if it's good corn you are in a
good humor. Then, now is your chance to
inspect every hill in the field, note the miss
ing ones and iIl the gaps and utilize the
spaces with another grain and forage plant,
and every hill you drop there is q sort Of q
''here's hopin' kind of feeling, provided the
pillow amt running you too close, in that case
you'll change to q boppin feeling and gait
too. Also, you can note the cunning intelli.
gence of the insidious morning glory aud the
gay and festive may pop and study out the
artful strategem by which they escape the
plcw and the cross blowing, by sneakieg up
close to the hill, and their provoking prone
ness to lean to and twine about the choicest
stalks of corn. why is this tbus? Then,
again, you have the satisfaction Of knowing
that all your pea seed has gone in your corn,
and not in Cufy's rice pot. We tried that
once, 10 a scarce time, and started Cuff with
a full bucket Of peas and directions to drar
from 5 to Z and 9 10 a hill Cts always best
to CRAP odd numbers, specially on "de dak of
de moon.") Well, he dropped two ''%rounds',
and wanted more peas. We said, ''hello,
what you done with the peas, Cuff" "You
tink / drappia' too heavy? got q mighty
heavy ham," be answered. We examined the
rows and there were 1--WE, and seven and nine,
and 6veaud seven, all right in the bills. We
re6lled the bucket and dropped ''four rounds'
proving a clear case of petty-er-%m isappro-
priation. In fact be was drappin' entirely
too heavy-on us.
Fishing lines and political lines an being
industrieusly drawn just now. There is a
lot of precious time wasted in drawing both
lines. The fishing lines don't catch anything
and the political lines catch . burned sight
= less. So far We feel more calm and serene,
and are enjoying q more undisturbed placid
ity than any campaigo year we've entered
since Of voting age.
We've been much interested in your agita-
ton Of the road question, and hoped the
subject would be taken up and discussed and
ventilated to some purpose, and eliminate in
some benefit. Now We have a large number
Of citizens who do know how TO make q
good road when furnished the means TO do 80;
but there is singularly little interest taken in
the road question, while the occupant Of
every goods box, work bench and stump
appears to feel. amply competent to discuss
every aabstruse question Of State and
National politics. 1t is rather provoking
~ amusing to hear this or that road
claimed as a 20 or a 80 foot road
and listen to the erudite opinions and
sapient decision thereon when there isn't a
10 foot track on any mile Of the way that is
properly kept up. The old road law requir-
ing "all roads leading directly, from any
point in this State to Charleston, Columbia,
Camden, Georgetown, Cheraw and hamburg
shall be 30 feet wide," should be obsolete
and is now simply absurd in a measure,
because the original object of the statute has
long since DISAPPEARED. For instance, Cam
den, Georgetown. Cheraw and Hamburg have
loag sioee been relegated to the rear as
business narts, Greenville, Spartanburg,
Sumter aud Beaufort are now ahead of
eithee Of them on the score of population and
busiGess Importance. Indeed, Charleston,
Colambia and Camden are three of them
alone now mentioned in the list of the ten
chief towns of South Carolina. Besides the
statute only inteaded to comprehend the old
stage mail routes which required wider roads
to provide for the wagon transportation of
those days. Now the railroads undertake the
maids and the freight, thus obviating the
former necessity for 80 foot roads, except
within reasonable proximity to cor marke,
towns. For gracious sake, don't require me
. give a 80 foot road to Candies, and only
20 foot road to Sumter. Sumter stands
ifth on the list of chief towns; Camden
stands seventh, while Georgetown, Cheraw
aad Hamburg are oct even mentioned. There
ie not = bale Of cotton or a pouch of mail
ever carried over land from this point b