The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-27
PHILOSOPHER GIVES HIS OPINIONS
On the MOdera Tendencies Towards
Women's Emancipation From Her
Former Condition.

I've been watching these women
these club ome Fer a long time |
did not like the name, but am reecn-
ciied. L never visited a mans club bat
once. 1t was . gathering o. very nice.
wesl behaved social gentlemen with
eatables ana ~d"inkables in the back
ground, bnt no Eoay patTtook to EXCESS
while | was there. The excess came al
forwards, if it cane at ell. But q VIC
mans club has neither eatabies nor
drinkabies nor cigars. OF course it is
a very social gathering but they niecu
business and they do it. only a lew
years ago a few ladies OF this town de-
termined to DO something for the town
and they formed The Cherokee Club,
and soon mad more members and went
TO work. All the members had passed
their teens and the married ones a
laid by their crop. They secured a char
ter and then got a lease from the city
and the state for fifty years control OF
the ground between the hotel block
and the railroad and adorned it with
grass and gravel walks and enclosed it
with a chain fence and placed hand
some iron seats by the shade trees and
planted a beautiful fountain in the CEN
ter and peopled it with gold fish. This
beautiful park is the frolicins ground
FIR the children and a cheerful rest
lug place for their tired mothers aid
a trysting place for young men and
maidens. Near by the trains are pass
ing at all hours, and our new beautiful
passenger depot is near at hand, where
our people c~ongregate to receive their
friends or bid them goodby. And the
club did it all, for the old depot would
still be there II the women had not
stirred up the men to demand another.
F.. Then these women began to plant
flowers and shrubberyTn the school
house grounds and next they started
a small library in a small room, and
circulated good books among u peo-
pie and they kept on and on until they
got a larger room and more books,
and kept it open two days in a week.
and the demand for books soon wi
dened to the country and every week
they sent out four boxes of sixty vol
umes each along the mail routes, and
Sc have established a rural circulating
library that has proven a blessing to
our country boys and girls, and the
books always come back unhurt and
are sent cut on another mission. Next
these good women started a sewing
society among the poorer classes in our
community and are taking turns in
teaching the girls how to cut garments
and make them and where they are
very poor they give them aid and COM
fort 1t is all charity But last of all
and best Of all they have actually laid
the foundation of a Club Library
building that will hold thousands of
books and where all the best maya
city fathers gave them a beautiful lot
and IL the weather permits the building
viii be finished and paid for and occu-
pied in three months. 1t will not only
be a library for books but a place for
rest for the travelling man as well as
for our country friends and their wives
and daughters when they come TO
town. Besides these uses it is intended
TIC have literary and musical entertain
ments there that will be far more ele-
waiting and refining than the average
shows that perform in our opera house.
These women organized a lyceum
course for two winters and succeeded
fairly well, but TO send afar off for lee
turerS costs too. much for a town OF
this size and SO they are going to Sc
cure home talent and talent from At
fanta and Rome and Dalton and have
entertainments at popular prices. say
at 10 cents admission, as Professor
Proctor, the great astronomer did up
north. He told me he eve charged
more in a manufacturing town and al
ways gave the working people the pref
renee of seats and always had q
crowded house. 1t was a cheap and de-
Iightful school to them. What these
club women will do next l do not know,
but they mean business. They mean to
elevate their own sex first and if the
men and boys come in they will find
a welcome. l suppose that this library
building viii be the first that any club
has erected in the state, and what /
wish to remark and emphasize is that
there IS not a respectable town or viii
1age in the state but can do something
on this same line
Now / hear you ask, where did You
get the money to do all this? Heaven
helps those who help themselves" Our
women began with very little The rail-
road gave them $50 to start on and
gave them part Of the seats in the
park Then the club gave an oyster
supper and made a good little sum-.
Later on they held a bazaar, and later
On a concert, and after awhile another
supper, and all along at intervals they
smiled at the merchants and others
and got some nor money and when
they run clear down they assess them
selves and we husbands and fathers
have to shell out. No, you don't need
a Carnegie, but if you have one great,
big hearted man and his wife in your
community like we have you will not
become bankrupt. Where there is a will
there is a way. And my observation is
that women can do any good thing they
combine on.
A thoughtful man who witnessed the
laying Of the corner stone said to me,
This Is the best work that has ever