The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-05
MEDGEFELD.
Mr.. Mcdonald Furman Writes up
Pretty and well Known Lit
tie Town of this County.

"Give US as big boom as you can. We
all love Wedge6eld very much. We have
some ver- nice people around here.'
Such was 10 substance the language which
fell from The lips of one of Wedge6ed's pleas
aut citizens while engaged in conversation
with your correspondent on Tuesday. Sew
eral months ago we we're invited to "write
up this pretty little town ana we are now
going TO DO so. We were there from Tues
day uuti yesterday afternoon for the purpose
of gathering material for this article.
Wedge6ed is situated in the western part of
this county, about two and half miles from
the Wateree river swamp, and is the highest
point on the railroad between Wilmington
and Cclumbia-it is eighty feet higher than
Sumter. The grade from there to the river
swamp is seventy feet to the nile.
The country surrounding Wedge6eId is
rolling and quite pretty. The place itself
may properly be described as scattered,
pretty little county town of residences, stores,
groves aud fields. The population numbers
about 800, colored predomioatiug. The town
is unincorporated 1t may be stated here
that the principal street stands on the old
Charleston and Camden public road, lon
which, according to a tradition which is
doubtless entirely correct, Lo-d CORVALLIS
travelled during the Revolutionary times. 10
troublous times of later date, Gen. Potter
and his federal troops travelled this same
road.
There are six general merchandise stores
kept by white people as follows: J. h
Aycock and Sons, John B. Ryan, Frank E.
Thomas, q Cohen, and W. B. Trouble6eld.
There are two stores kept By colored people,
T. W. C. Mintz and D. W. Williams.
Wedgefeld also has millinery store, which
is kept by Mrs R. B. Gamble. She and Mrs
Annie Rowell are the dressmakers of the
town.
Dr.. F. M. Dwight represents the medical
profession.
Mr.. E. NJ. Gilchrist is the depot agent and
telegraph operator About 2,5oo bales of
cotton are shipped from this point during a
season. There are two resident cotton buyers
-Messrs D. B. McDaurin and W. W. Ander-
son, Jr the former represents B. B. Ford and
the latter Alex Sprunt and Sons.
Two mails are received here day. For
the last three years Mrs Cleo Troutmau has
been postmistress and has filled the position
so efficiently that the Wedge6eld people wish
her to be retained in the Office. President
Mckinley would not only do the proper thing
but also graceful act, to accede to the wish
es of Wedge6eld's citizens in this matter.
The Wedge6eld section s famous for it's
farming lands. With ordinary masur ng
from eight to twelve hundred pouuds of seed
cotton is produced to the acre, and the aver
age yield of good corn is from fifteen to
twenty-five bushels to the acre.
The white Baptlsts, PresbJterians and
Methodists have neat church buildings; the
pastors are the Revs T. Hartwell Edwards,
of Richland John Bailey, of Clarendon !;
and W. j. Dowell of Wedge6eld. There is q
union prayer meeting alternating between
these churches. The Methodists have COM
pleted a neat, four room parsonage.
The colored people have three churches
Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist-tbe pas
tors are the Revs Harmou and Seabrook of
Sumter and Min;z Of Wedge6eld There was
a public school rup at the last mentioned
church, but it is now closed.
The late Mr. James q. Aycock, the promi-
nent planter aud merchant of this section,
who died in the autumn Of 1895, gave the
land on which the Baptist and Presbyterian
Churches stand be vas buried near the last
mentioned church, and his grave is marked
by handsome monument. The Aycock res
idence, which is on the edge Of Wedge6eld,
is large and handsome building.
Ooe of the most important things 10
Wedge6eld is the white Graded School. The
OQllQluR, WHICH 10 EOt J CT uo1eHoUi 10 q WY
large one, and when it is completed, will be
highly creditable to the town. Mr.. J. A.
Merritt, an earnest young educator, is the
principal, and is assisted by Miss Elise Sio-
gleton and Mrs. Merritt. This school is run
from eight to nine months, and is free. There
are seven grades and about 81 pupils. Latin
is among the studies taught, and the highest
mathematics taught is algebra. Both South
Carolina and United States history is among
the things taught. Mr.. Merritt is warm ad-
vocste of teaching or own history in schools
IN preference to the history Of other countries.
One tb ing taught at this school, which is e1-
tensively taught 10 both the private and pub
lie schools of the North, but seldom in the
South, is drawing and modelling. This de-
partment is taught by Miss Singleton, and
the modelling is taught iD connection with
and preceding drawing. Prang is the System
used. We saw some of the work of the pu.