Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-11-26
Bill Arp'S Regular Weekly Contribu-
ton.
PHILOSOPHER GIVES HIS OPINIONS
On the Modern Tendencies Towards
Women's Emancipation From Her
Former Condition.


ciled. | never visited mans club bat
once. 1t was a gathering of very nice.
well behaved social gentlemen with
oatables and drinkables in the back
ground, but no body patrtook to excess
while was there. Thc excess came af-
terNardS. ii il came AT all. But wo-
mans club has neither eatables nor
turntables nor cigars. OF course il is
very social gathering but they mean
business and they do it. Only a few
years ago a few ladies OF this town de-
terminod to do some thing for the town
and they formed The Cherokee Club"
and soon had more members and went
to work. All the members had passed
their teens and the married ones had
laid by their crop. They secured a char
ter and then got lease from the city
and the state for fifty years control of
the ground between the hotel block
and the railroad and adorned IL with
grass and gravel walks and enclosed it
with a chain fence and placed hand
some iron seats by the shade trees and
planted beautiful fountain in the cen
ter and peopled it with gold fish This
beautiful park is the frolicing ground
Tor the children and cheerful rest
ing place FOR their tired mothers a!!l
maidens. Near by the trains are pass
ing at all hours. and our new beautiful
passenger depot is near ut hand, where
our people conSreSate to receive their
friends or bid them goodby And the
cluD dld 1t all, for the old depot would
sun be there If the women had not
stirred up the men to demand another
lAcn these women hegan to plant
flowers and shrubbery in the school
house grounds and next they started
n small library in small room. and
circulated good books among our peo-
pie and they kept on and on until they
got larger room and more books.
and kept 1t 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 nave established a rural circulating
library that has proven a blessing to
our country boys and girls. and the
books always come back unhurt ani
are sent out 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 Club Library
building that will hold thousands of
hooks and whore all the best maga-
zines OF the country Will be taken. The
clty fathers gave them a beautiful lot
ana II the weather permits the building
VIII be finished and paid for and occu-
pied in three months 1t will not only
library l,,st
rest for the travelling man as we'll as
Tor our country friends and their wives
ana daughters when they come 10
Town. BESIDES these uses it is intended
tC nave literary and musical entertain
mentS there that will be far more ele-
Vating and refining than the average
SHOWS that perform in our opera house.
Ihcse women organized lyceum
course for two winters and succeeded
falrly well. but TO send afar off for lee
turers costs too much for town OF
TINS size and so they are going to Sc
cure nome talent and talent from At
lanta and Rome and Dalton and have
entertainments at popular prices. say
al 10 cents admission, as Professor
proctor, the great astronomer did IN
north. lie told me he never charged
more in manufacturing town and al
ways gave the working people the pref
erence OF seats and always had
crowded house. 1t was a cheap and de-
llghtful school to them What these
ClC0 women will do next do not know
but they mean business. They mean 10
eleVate their own sex first and IL the
men and boys come in they will find
a welcome. | suppose that this library
building will be the first that any club
has erected in the state, and what
wish to remark and emphasize is that
there is not respectable town or viii
lage in the state but can do something
on this same line.
NOW near you ask, where did you
set the money to do all this? Heaven
helps those who help themselves" Our
women began with very l.ttle The rail
road gave them $50 to start ON ana
gave them part of the seats in the
park. Then the club gave an oyster
supper and made Il good little sum
Later on they held Il bazaar. and Iatc,
on Il concert, and after awhile another
supper, and al along at intervals thov
smiled at tho merchants and Otherq
ana Got some more money and whom
they run clear down they assess them
selves and we husbands and fathers
have to she'll out No. You don't noad
a Carnegie. but If you have ono groqt
big hearted man ana his wife in vour
community like we have you viii nor
become bankrupt. Where there is VIII
there is a way And my observation is
thai women can do any good thing ,hoy
combine on.
thoughtful man who witnessed Nh
lay ng OF the corner stone said to mo
Ihis is the best work that has ever
been started in this town and Is doins
more to uplift and encourage our young