The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-05-19

than when they were young. One hundred
wears ago nearly the entire population was
agricultural We had no large cities and
many of our villages had but halfa dozen
families in them If times haven't i'm
proved, how did they build those cities?
In former days most Of the people lived IN
| log houses; they made what they consumed;
they bought nothing that could be raised at
home; the ladies planted their one-fourth
or one-half acre in cotton, cultivated It,
picked it, then picked the seed out with
their fingers, carded it. spun it, wove it
into cloth, cut and made the garments;
the husbands and brothers ct night taking
gourd and cutting out the buttons and
the mothers and sisters covering them
even shirt buttons were made. They
bought nothing for the reason that they
had nothing to buy with. The whole
family dressed in clothing of their own
make and the ladies went to church with
sun bonnets on and looked as pretty and
sweet as if they had $40 hats pinned Oh
the tops of their heads that give, no pro-
lection to ;heir fair compilations. If times
are hard, it's their own fault as we have
the same lands, equally os good seasons.
and from increased knowledge, moro can
be raised Oh the same lands than formerly.
I have personally known men who
owned no land, 90 on another mans land,
| build a comfortable cabin for his family,
clear ten acres and fence it for wha. he
made on it and $50 and made a good, COM
Portable living.
But now, things have changed. Not the
times but the people. What would be
thought of lady who went into church
M
speak to her-not even the minister-oT
sit in the same pew. Go into any little
village or railroad station and you will see
o lot of cid and young men holding down
the steps Of the store and depot talking
hard times and they ere the last who should
talk it, as they usually have on good
clothes and look fat and in good health,
and not earning dollar. l don't know
who feeds and clothes them, aud If times
were hard they would have to 60 to work
and earn them.
There are class of men who are always
abusing the man Of wealth. You made
him so; if you didn't borrow his money, 1t
would become valueless. You abuse the
manufacturer; if you didn't buy his goods,
be would have TO shut down. You need
not do it, for it was not done in those good
old times you tell Of I, for ole, like the
present. In the good OLD times, if man
travelled, he went on horse back, making
thirty or thirty-ive miles day. Now, if
be doesn't make as many miles an hour, he
"cusses" out the railroad company and
wants their charter taken from them. II
he took his family, they went in q wagon,
camping out, the only expense being ferri-
age over rivers. Now, he wants vestlonle
train at fifty miles an hour, nothing less
Talk about hard times. / can now find
some families who started IN life thirty
years ago with little OK to plow, and now
have good home aud a few thousand LAID
by. 7 can show some colored families as
| it is we'll known how they were left, now
own their homes, have them all paid Tor
and riding in their buggies behind good
mules To hear intelligent men talking
.shard times" is ridiculous.
Now,young man, get you small piece OF
land, build you one-room cabin, get you a
nice little w;fe-the country is fnll Of them
take her home, go to work. Never look
back, but keep your eyes on the top rung
of the ladder and you will soon become
one of the happiest Of men and You will
have no cause to cry hard times.
lam aware my suggestions will meet
with objections such as If work I won't
be respected" acknowledge such is the
case with many in different localities.
mans standing in society is according tc
what he is worth and mans religion Is
measured according to the amopDt be gives
to support the church.
COOP TINES.