The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-12-07
BURGLARS IN BARLOW,
BILL ARP DISCUSSES THIEVES.

The Georgia Philosopher is Robbie,
and He Blamcs the Tramps.
" Hark, bark, the dogs do bark
The burg lars nave come to town"
For fifteen years this has been al
orderly, peaceable and honest town
Ever since the saloons were abolished
there has been no disturbance of the
public tranquility. During all tina
timo our doors have not been locked a.
night nor has our chicken roost beer
robbed by the fowl invader. The pre-.
sence of our faithful dog may have
been our protection, for there have
been some few chickens stolen in these
parts. Our neighoor, Charley Patter.
son, suffered some in that way until he
bought the old gallows on which a
man vas hung few years ago and
built q chicken house of the timber.
Since then he can hardly get darky to
| put chickens in it by day, much less to
take them out by night. But our
negroes in and around Gainesville are
Il clever, industrious people and as
honest as mankind are generally. The
domestic servants will take some
liberties with little things that thew
think we won't miss, but they have
many good traits that are set-oir,
and so we compromise on general prin-
ciples
But now the burglars have come to
town and alarmed the whole COM
munity. | believe they come from up
north where every bad thing comes
from, even to BAD weather. The other
day tramp came to our house and
asked for something to eat. He was
fairly good looking and we'll dressed.
My wife got him a lunch and asked him
where his home was, and whore he
was going. He smiled and said he had
no home and was raised in an orphan
asylum up north and was going to
Atlanta in search of work.
How do you travel said she, IF
you have no money? ?"
Well, ride on the froights until
they put me off" he said, "and then
wait for another one and ride some
more. am just taking little trip
now to see the country"
There were two Of these fellows in
town and they took the rounds asking
for something to eat and always got it.
My opinion is that they are profes.
siOnal thieves and their purpose in
calling at so many houses is to prospect
the premises. The night after they
were at our house burglars entered
four houses and stole money. They
took 800 from under a sleeping mans
pillow and smaller sums from the
pockets Of other men. ~ few nights
after they entered three houses and
took Il fine gold watch from under
bankers pillow and the next night a
watch and some money at another
anything to eat They are white folks, |
| nrtS in hni,
business.
Well, of course, the whole COM
munity is aroused, and especially the
women. My wife is not q timid wO-
man. She is more afraid Of snakes |
than OF men, but she, too, got alarmed |
and made me get the hammer and the |
screwdriver and some bolts and nails |
and fix up every door and window.
She held the lamp and watched me all |
round from room to room, and | |
mashed great blood blister on my
finger and it hurts yet. When all was
done to her satisfaction and we got |
ready to retire, she suddenly told me I,
not to lock the back hall door, for
Uncle Sam had to come in there in the
morning to make a fire. Considerate
woman. She knew that ] didn't like
to get up out OF Il warm bed to unlock
the door. Reckon she thinks the bur-
glars wouldn't be so impolte as to
come in at the back door. Bet they
don't get any watch from under my
pillow, for | haven't got any Forty
years ago they got mine just that way
in old DR.. Thompson's hotel in Atlanta,
and ] have never carried one since.
They got my pocket book, too, and a
little money and some valuable papers.
They were from up north and were
very clever men, considering, for in
about week they sent me all my
papers back through the mail and the
letter was postmarked Philadelphia.
They will give a man back everything
they can't use. Bill Fort told me that
they were a kind hearted set OF thieves
and he had known them to lean over
and kiss a sleeping man after they had
robbed him.
No, it is white folks who are steal
ing these valuable things. Negroes
haven't got above chickens and turkeys
yet heard the other day of an old
darky who prayed every night during
Christmas for the Lord to send n tur-
key to him, but the turkey dident
come, and SO he changed his prayer
and asked the Lord to send him to
turkey and his prayer was answered
that very night. a negro don't banker
after gold watches. He wants some
thing to eat.
But now | want to know what is all
this racket about that they call CO.
education. | thought it was Just an
other fad and would soon pass away,
but it seems to get bigger and bigger
the more they talk about. One would
think that there were no female col
leges in the land and that the boys
were getting all the education when
the truth is there are more educational
facilities for girls in this state than for
boys. | don't know what it all means.
Do the girls want to mix with the boys
and improve them and be inspired by
them ? Then why should not the boys
claim similar privilege and go to- the
female colleges and to the girls in
dustrial school at Milledgeville If
we are going to bunch, let us banch the
whole concern and include the agrcul-
tural attachments and let the girls do
some blowing II they want to. But |
reckon it is just the new woman who
Is contendipg for the abstract right to
go to the university. OF course they
/ won't go, for their fathers won't let
let them as long as the female colleges
are open at Macon and Athens and La
Grange and Decatur and Rome and
other places. There Ia plenty of edu-
cation for them there without the CO..
The best mothers, | know, never got
higher than high school and. the best
co education is for the girls to get
| ma orripl 81 nd tp aisin HI u