The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-02-14

home when seed can be held if it is
little more trouble. 1t paws to
hold seed anyway, if one possibly can.
A small fire occurred here last
Saturday morning in the little store
OF John Gregory, colored. He was
out at the time. Fire was discovered
coming through the roof and buckets
were soon put in use and ladder
procured but it was another thing to
get the water well on top, but the
door was broken open with sledge
hammer and by getting up on the
Jois's water cold be gotten to the fire
whioh was on the inside. A few
minutes and but for the barrels of
fire water" on the cotton platform
the house would have been destroyed
and probably the stores of Mr.. L. B
Jeter and two or three other build>
ings as the wind was right to carry
the fire on down the street. 1t must
have originated by fire popping out
and catching some things on shoe
makers bench then running up in
side. This was the same house broken
into week ago by thieves, and it
seems John is loser in the business.
think the bill introduced by Mr..
Crum that the counties emyloy few
overseers to work all the roads of the
caunty good one, and in the right
direction. Then get one or two more
road machines to do such work. 1t
is true we have many miles that a
machine would be a dead letter on,
but on the other hand we have miles
on miles of road that machine could
work and keep up cheaper than
force Of hands with plows, single
scrapes, shovels and hoes. If i'm
proved implements on farm is bet
ter than the primitive methods, why
not on the roads. I believe the
present method is an expensive one.
l believe you could find overseers
who want the place only for the
money they could get out of it. 1t
is not for honor or the good they
could do but would patch up the
roads in Cheap John way that is a
disgrace to the county and pocket
the most of it and show special privl,
leges. | say you might find some.
1t was sad indeed, the death of
MIR. j. Aubrey Rice. 1 was filled
with sadness when I heard of it. I
always regarded him as one of my
best friends and was assured that he
felt likewise by me. We were always
"chums' and had many pleasant
times together. Ills pleasant manners
and jovial and friendly disposition en-
deared him to me as much as possible
for man to man. l we'll remember
the time when he and I stood exam
ination for railroad mail clerk. We
were required to write a letter in ex-
animation to the Civil Service Com.
mission stating, in our opinion, why
should or should not a mail clerks
salary be increased.
Afterwards in talking over our
work he told me that he had stated
these letters was part of the ex-
amination-one of the main reasons
why it should be increased, the
danger aeing that the mail Car beign
next the engine, if the engine ever
went into a wreck, the mail car
would 60 too; the engineer and fire
man had better chance to Pump to
save their lives, the mail clerk
would be shut up etc. Poor Aubrey
was taken off just as he pointed out
in thst letter several years ago. 1t
was q sad coincidence l mourn
for mp friend and wish that he had
been spared. He was as fine a
young man as l ever knew, and I
believe he was christian. His
parett and all codnections have my
sympathy. HEY DENVER.