Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-04-12
Miseetlaneul,s 8eaaina.
CAN'T AND WILSON.
Poor Larry Tells His Plaintive Tale o
Woe.

rise and fall of "The Piedmont Head.
light" The alleged occasion of the
story is rumor in Spartanburg to the
effect that by manipulation Of stocks,
Mr.. CAN'T had contrived to absorb
THE Peoples Journal" leaving the
stock holders with nothing.
Mr.. CAN'T tells how he went from
Columbia to Spartanburg on the
strength of big promises, how the
promises were not fulfilled even it part,
and how, after devoting his mind and
soul to the service of Stanyarne Will
son for six years, he was finally turned
adrift. That is the substance of the
story. He admits that the existence
of The Piedmont Headlight was all the
while most precarious one, and he
inveighs very strongly against the in
gratitude of Mr.. Wilson. The wind
up of the story, in Gantt's own words,
is as follows:
"Now for a plain business statement
of the People Publishing company.
"Slx years ago, last February, l
leased your printing material, and on
the 1st day of every March, Stanyarne
Wilson, your secretary and treasurer,
has received from me an annual rental
of 5000. Without counting that old
worthless press I found in the Office, l
have paid on an investment of about
$500 In the space of six years, 81 200.
Every pound of type turned over to
me is now in The Headlight Office, and
can be accounted for. The press is
worth at least $1OO more than when l
took charge of it.
"After Mr.. Thackston had organized
stock company and sold out his in
terest in the paper, proposed to con-
solidate the stock of The Peoples g
Journal Publishing company with The
Headlight and gave my personal guar
antee of a net dividend of 8 per cent.
as had property sufficient to amply
secure the same. I stated that the
books would show that under proper
management the business would pay a
handsome dividend on even $4,000.
Mr.. Wilson refused to accede to this
proposition, stating that The Head.
light stock was watered. I would
right here ask that distinguished law
yer and congressman if there was not
more "water" in The Peoples Journal
Publishing company's stock, with
which 1 proposed to consolidate my
business, when he only a few days
ago sold a $1,000 investment for the
paltry sum of $3.50.
"But l would still have held on to
The Journal, and kept up the divi-
deud that 1 had been paying, had not
Stanyarne Wilson, an officer in the
company and its principal manager,
taken advertisements away from The
Headlight and given them TO another
paper that had most bitterly fought
him in the past, when l was battling
for his political success. That this
statement is true, refer to Dixsou
Fowler, whose request 10 have the
masters sale of his property adver-
tised in my paper was refused. l did
not feel authorized 10 take 5000 per
year from my pocket TO pay rental on
material that bad no earthly use for,
when the manager Of that company
was taking business from me.
Il had become sick tired and dis
gusted with the scheming machina-
uous aud ingraliLude Of. politicians,
and determined to cut myself loose
from them and from any newspaper
that they controlled.
Now, had my proposition to con-
soldate The Journal stock and pay 8
per cent. dividend been accepted, MIR.
Stan, arne Wilson would have no long
er dominated and controlled the pa
per. Hence he refused proposition
that would have secured those farmers
their Investments. Had this trade
been made, l, too, would have
been beneftled. could have used
the old press and saved the cost Of d
new Que. But when the proposition
was declined, l saw that | would be
left in the power of MIR. Wilson, when
he felt inclined to throw me overheard,
so 1 went to Atlanta and bought a
press of my own, and turned over The
Journal material to Mr.. Wilson. l gave
him the use of my Office to store it,
and advertised the printing material
for sale iu my paper without charge.
IL have nothing whatever to do with
distributing the money amoug the
stock holders, although several OF them
came in my Office and complained that
they did not receive their dividends.
II know one thing, however, that
Stanyarne Wilson collected that rental
from me with promptness that would
have done credit to Shylock OF old,
often sending in his dunning letters
two months before the money was due.
For six years he got his money prompt
ly on the first day of March, although
it would be months before the divi-
dends were distributed among the
stockholders.
"When The Peoples Journal Pub
fishing company was first organized,
told Mr.. Wilson he ought to pay the
stockholders dividend of 16 per cent,
as the rental would do this and leave
surplus for taxes and insurance. He
stated that he wanted to create q sink