The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-04-09

placo me."
Senator lrby then branched out ant
discussed straddlels and fence. riders
lie said he frocly conceded tho righ'
OF any one to oppose him, but he die
not want any two-faced business. I" A
straddlcr," he explained, lis weak
man, who has not talent enough to dc
fend his cause, and therefore resort.
to uhle-doaling and hypocrisy. a
man OF brains has other weapons, ant
you will always find him taking u dc
cided and firm stand on all public
| matters"
After dinner, sitting behind the
Senator's fine team, we started out on
" ride through the western portion OF
Laurens County, taking the old Green.
vile road. This is Il beautiful section
While the land is thin, it lies we'll,
aud with the use of manure, produces
fine crops. Farmers are wcll up with
their work, and small grain far ad.
vanced over Spartanburg County. We
saw five acres in cotton to one in corn
There are numbers Of beautiful farm
houses in this section and every few
miles is thrifty railway villages. We
passed through Barksdale, Gray Court,
Owings and Fountain Inn, besides
taking in Mr.. Chris. Owings, who is
one Of the most successful planters in
that county. We took supper with
Mr.. Owings, who is a st3unch friend tC
Senator lrby. Mr.. Owings has q pen
of six Chester hogs for next years
killing, and which will now average
225 pounds each. He says he will
make them go to 500 or 600 pounds by
next winter. Mr.. Owings raises a
yellow corn and he says for stock feed
nj Inh 40 ,fDi l. 49,,
ment as ten ears of the white variety
and it is less susceptible to drought.
We met several friends at Mr.. Owings'
and spent delightful evening.
After supper we hitched up our team
and started for Fountain Inn, to spend
the night with Mr.. John w. Keilett.
Fountain Inn is one of the most pros
porous towns in Laurcns County. 1t
IS about the size of Woodruff, and buys
1000 bales of cotton a year. And
speaking Of cotton, we saw in front Of
many farm houses great piles of bales.
During our trip we must have passed
at least 500 bales yet in hands of farm
crS.
MIR. Kellett is one of the most hospi-
table Of men, and we met a warm vel
come. He has beautiful homo and
delightful family. His eldest daugh-
namented the house with handsome
paintings and portraits of the family.
Kcllctt showed us q patch Of two and
Il half acres, on which he last year
raised $500 pounds of lint cotton, and
says he intends to bring it up to three
bales per acre. This shows what the
land around there will do with the use
Of fertilizers and scienti6c culture.
The good people of Owings are re-
joicing over the fact of at last having
a post office given them, and which
has boon named "Rapley," as there
was another Owings in Laurens Coun.
ty, and it would have confused mails
Owings has three stores. a church and
school, and until this flee was estab-
lished her people had to send long
mile into the country to Powers for
their mail.
miles, going one road and returning
by another. If that section is an in
dex to the political sentiment Of Lau-
rens County. it is a waste of time to
try and defeat Senator Irby at home.
We stopped at number of houses,
talked with the people, and they all
report the country as q unit for Irby.
The people. have named their babies
for him, and every man or lady he
passed on the road would halt him and
have some kind word'to say. We never
saw such unanimity and enthusiasm for
a candidate. Andsparties tell us that
the other sections of Laurens arc Just
as strong for Irby as this. So those
who are predicting that Senator Irby
will be turned down by his own people
know not what they are talking about.
If they will 60 into the county, and
fn1l mi hn fn>, 4
that j. l.. M. Irby is firmly anchored
in their hearts.
And another thing we noticed
While the people are all strong advo.
Gates Of silver, every man we saw re-
pudiated the idea Of going into any
independent party. They believe that
the silver delegates will control the
Chicago convention, and have no idea
Of following the Populists.
We met Col. Crews, editor of the
Laurenvillc Herald. He tolls us that
the new paper to be started by his son
will be printed on tho Herald press.
Both Col. SHAY and Sheriff McCravy
deny having any stock in "The Silver
Democrat" In fact, q friend of Sheriff
McCravy's told Senator Irby that he
(McCravy) says it was false report
that he was fighting him. So it will
DC seen IlaI Ine OppOSltlOn to Senator
lrby in Laurens is largely imaginary,
and the work of outside parties.
Congressman Wilson is strong over
Laurens, and the manner in which he
handled Boutelle has made him MANY
new friends. He will have no opposi-
tion for reelection. It was REPORTED
that MIR. Patton, OF Columbia, would
oppose Mr.. Wilson, but it would DC
folly for Patton to make the race. We
heard in Spartanburg that there was
i'll feeling between Senator Irby and
Congressman Wilson, and we asked
the Senator if there was any grounds
for such IL report. He replied that
there was not, so far as he knew; that
just before he left Washington Mr..
Wilson and himself had talk, and
parted on kind terms. He also said
there was no truth in tho story that
Tillman and himself did not speak us
they passed "Why,' he remarked,
Senator Tillman frequently comes
over to my scat, and We talk together.
OF course our relations are not as close
as they once were, but we always
speak when VIC meet, and freely dis
cuss any measure relating to the good
Of our State. tell you | am not MAX