Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-03-21
FACTS AND FANCIES.

a. There has been no direct 1nforma-
tion lately from the Negroes who went
from this section sometime ago to pick
cotton in the Mississippi valley; but 1t
is reasonable to assume that they are
getting a taste of some Of the disad-
vantages of the west. Dispatches tell
of scores of large planters, each OF
whom is complaining Of the loss of
hundreds Of bales Of unpicked cotton
by the floods and the same dispatches
tell of thousands Of acres Of recently
planted cotton that are now under ten
or fifteen feet Of water.
s5 The demand for stock in this Sec
ton this year has been stronger than
for several years past. The price of
good mules has been high compared
with the figures obtaining a few years
ago; but nevertheless the trade has
been so brisk that 1t could be supplied
only with difficulty. 1t would not be
unreasonable to approximate the sales
Of shipped mules" at Yorkville and
Rock Hill at something like three hum
dred. 1t is probable that the correct
figures are ever greater. But this COW
ers only a portion Of the business that
the stock men have been doing and are
still doing. Since last fall the regular
dealers have been paying long prices
for every good mule they could buy
from people who had them to dispose
Of. Mules-good ones-have been real
ly as staple as cotton. This is the
case now to a more noticeable degree
than for many years past. Even good
plugs" are in strong demand. For
quite awhile up to three years ago,
plug" mules were looked upon by the
regular dealers as "hard stock" The
dealers took them in trade for better
animals; but made little allowance on
account Of their value for the reason
that they had to be disposed Of after
ward at almost any price, and fire.
quently it was impossible to find a
market for them this side Of Charles
ton. But now the plug rejoices in a
price pretty close to that Of his more
respectable brother, and the dealers
find it almost impossible to supply the
legitimate demand.
a5 Speaking Of the recent sermon In
which Rev. w. E. Hurt condemned
Sunday work at the York Cotton mill,
a gentleman who is interested In that
corporation delivered himself to the re-
porter about like this: IT don'7 want
to get into row with the preachers or
with the newspapers, nor do I believe. in
unnecessary Sunday work. I am not
so grasping as to ask other people to
work for me on Sundays, In order that
I might get more dividends. 1t Is true
that there is some Sunday work going
on out at the York Cotton mills, and
possibly there Is some unnecessary
work there; but that Is a question.
matter and about all the Sunday
work have been able to find is where
they examine the boilers and clean
them up on Sunday so as to keep them
from blowing up on Monday. It is
quite true that this could be done at
some other time. 1t might be done on
any other day Of the week; but If it
were done on any other day the opera
tives in the mills would certainly lose
that day out of their weeks work, CIV
ing them only five days instead Of six.
Again, so far as am able to learn,
the management Of the mill does not
compel anybody to work against his or
her religious scruples. The people who
do this necessary Sunday work, do it
voluntarily, and so far as know, they
do not make any special complaint.
But when all has been said that can be
said, I venture that it will be found
that such work as Is done out at the
York Cotton mills on Sunday Is about