Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-20
LETTER FROM GOLD HILL.

Measles and Mumps-Model School House
Busy With tho Crops-Not SO Mad as
They were-Road Working-some sensi-
BILE Talk-Tillmsn and His Speech.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
GOLD HILL, March 1s.-It is 80 seldom
that there is anything in The ENQUIRER
from here that intend to write letter
even If it does not prove interesting. 1t is
not exactly in my line to write much.
have better voice for eating.
Well, we have had a rough time with
the measles and mumps; but they have
played out and at last God Hill is once
more on her feet.
On account of sickness we had to close
our academy, and we have decided not to
open up until summer as we do not want
our school to run down. Miss Maggie
Alexander Is our teacher, and she Is an
excellent one. We are thinking Of in
creasing our building; and will have to
employ an assistant, as our school Is very
large, numbering 80 pupils. We have a
nice building 20 x 40 feet, with bell tow
or. The school room is handsomely fitted
up with patent desks, and the trustees are
now having the building nicely painted.
Everybody is just as busy as they can
be fixing up for another crop. We are
still going to try to make our hog and
hominy, and then what cotton we can.
The cotton crop will not be increased
much in this community, only on one
place, and that is the Marshall place.
That is now owned by B. D. Springs.
He is going to work 300 acres. If
we could only get the big farmers to
cut down, I think we could manage the
cotton but it seems to me whenever we
small farmers, reduce the area, the big
ia mers always increase theirs, 80 there
is really very little reduction as whole.
But so it has always been-the big fish
try to swallow the little ones.
There has been large crop of oats and
wheat sown but on account Of the recent
freeze it does not look very promising.
I think the fruit crop will be very light.
Well suppose the time is not far dis
tant, when our friends will be around ex-
tending to US the right hand Of fellow
ship. Well, brother, we are hurrying up
trying to get through with our work so we
can shake. There is nothing like cam
paign year. We are generally glad, when
it comes, and gladder when 1t is over.
These candidates are such lot Of good,
honest, social fellows, especially every
two years. Well there are twothat I want
to see elected and they are Speckle Trout
and Frank Ashe. They will do to tie to.
The rest are all o. K, but want these to
work in the lead.
I was reading in last weeks paper what
IS. H. Epps said about the effect of Spain's
treatment of our flag on the Gold Hill
boys. Well it did raise our dander right
smart; but we are gradually cooling off,
and think that by the time war is de-
clared, if it ever is, we will be 80 cold
blooded, that we will be willing to look
on and let somebody else do the fighting
In fact we are not mad now.
The last three days have been pretty
busy ones in this community. Everyone
oil d enough has been working the roads,
and the overseers have done some good
work. In fact, the roads have been
worked as we'll as they can be with dirt.
They have been ditched on both sides and
thrown up in the middle and that, think,
is about all that the chain gang is doing.
There is this difference, however. We
won't have to drive four or five miles
out of our way to get to Fort MILL. like
they have to do to get to York. I do hope
the supervisor will not put the chain
gang on the Tirzah road for we all like to
90 by the dispensary and am afraid we
would have to 60 some other road. Now,
Mr.. Editor, if you have any influence
with the board, please get them to don't.
If you will work on the members over
there, think we can manage our man
Culp. You know he has to 60 that way.
But laying all jokes aside, it does seem
to me that it is a perfect farce forthe coun-
~ to 90 to the expense of keeping up
chain gang to work the roads with dirt.
Common sense ought to teach any one
that the more dirt, that is piled up into
road, the worse it makes it in wet wealth
er. The mud is too deep now without
making it deeper by throwing more dirt
on it. Now, would it not be better to go
at it intelligently? Let some of the board
20 over into Mecklenburg and study grad
ing and macadamizing, then employ a
competent man, get the right kind Of
machinery and fix the roads so they will
stand forever.
I have been informed that they have
what is called chain gaug tax in Meek
lenburg which amounts to about one and
a half mills, and that with this amount,
they are making the best roads ever saw.
1t is real pleasure to ride over them.
They are now thinking o! issuing bonds
to the amount of S2OO, 900, to complete five
of the main public roads clear across the
county. One of these roads leads from
Wrights ferry to Charlotte. Don't you
see if they do this it will be nearer to
Charlotte than to York? A good road
will surely capture the trade.
Now if every township in York would
subscribe as literally for the purpose of
macadamizing the public roads, as they
have done for building railroads, we
would have the finest roads in the State
and besides we are not benefited directly
by railroads like we would by building up
our highways. By building up railroads,
corporations reap the benefit. By build