Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-12-16
3 y Cook h Reply % 8, 5. lsosstsl.ll [

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Fort Madison, December 7.-Editor,
tconrter; Please ALLOW mo space in ycd,
paper for Q few wurds in fcply foFfB n
boggA He See,as 20 be on his meta
besanse called tho small houses ut tlt
cotton mills huts.
Now, Mr. Boggs, owing to the faci
that have but very little education, |
don't know whether was speaking good
Language OF not. thought any small
house. bOyel or cabin, was n hut Web
ster says so, bnt probably he did moi
know, and. unfortunately for him, nc
did rot have y. s. Boggs to inst,act him
Ia writing bis dictionary. What pity
tnet WeGster did not meet Mr.. Boges
and learn somethiug.
expect the houses or mansions around
the mills are good enough to make ont
with very well, and nice enough, but II
have nor been misinformed, they are
not so nice as the rent price wbicb lis
charged up to the occupants. Mr. BogQs
says: " will not pretend to saw what
kind OF houses Mr.. Cook has for his ton.
ants to live in. b It am persuaded to
believe that they are no better than the
cotton mills.
Now, Mr.. Boggs, L have one tenant.
wish small family, who lives in house
with ten rooms and hallway through
the center, (all well oeiled). three rock
cbimneys, five fire places, and we'll
house; also q barn 40 feet long. 81 feet
VIDE, stalls in lower part for stock, and
upper part full Of feed. This tenant has
al TINS free OF rent charges. He also has
az sn tne nre-wood he wants, and the gar
den and potato, turnip, roasting ear and
melon patches free of rent. have an
other tenant who lives in an Groom
house, all well ceiled, verapda on each
side, two rock cbimpeys, two fire places: !:
also log barn 20 feet wide and IA feet
long; also ono new barn that hai, just
been built which is SO feet long and 81
feet wide, with eight stalls for cattle and
upper part full of feed; also two corn
cribs-one new, Just flushed, which Ia
rat proof. This tenant has his fire-wood
free OF charge, also the garden and truck
patches free of rent. I have another
tenent, Who has just moved in, " no saws
ne is goihr to make you some 12 cents
cotton next year. am now hauling
lumber to build him house.
-, Now, Mr.. Boggs, when you have q
iO'room house at your mills. how much
rent would your operatives have to pay
annually for itP Also how many differ
ent families would be compelled to live
cooped up i'm the house at the Same time.
and how many different Characters
would be among them, paying rent for
each room In the house separatelyp
Mr.. Boggs says: "If the mill men are
not paying speculators' prices to-day for
cotton we will admit that we know moth
ing about it." Yes, suppose they are
paving good price now, simply because
they are obliged to pay for it il they get
any, but the high price is no good to the
FARMER after the bulk of the cotton ia in
the hands OF the speoulators. This is
just what have been striking at.
Mr. Boggs says: "Could not the mill
men combine and wait until January to
buy their cotton and thus force the price
down, as you seem to think they have
tried to do this fall, and hence rob the
farmer of his honest rights?" Why, yes.
Mr. Boggs; we have never doubted their
ABILITY to oppress the farmer. That ia
precisely what we were striking at. The
mill men have furnished all che proof
necessary in the past to convince any
line. 'n''
Now, Mr.. Boggs, think I was lust
right in what 1 said about the cotton
mill combination. They not only opprese
the farmer, but 1 have been told that
some OF them don't treat their opera
tives as they should be treated have
been informed that certain mill presi-
dent refused to pay the farmers ten cents
per pound for their cotton, which thew
had been digging out of tho ground
within sight of the mill, and the same
week he bought enough cotton TO rnn
his mill week from party In South
west Georgia, paying eleven cents per
pound and the freight. This looks un-
but my informant is one of
the best citizens of our county, and I
believe he is stockholder in the mill.
Que man, who is a laborer in a mill.
owned house and lot of his own in
sight of the mill, but he is not allowed
to live In his own house. He Ia com
PEELED to rent it out and live in house
owned by the mill company. How does
this look to an honest man?
IL there happens to be an election on
hand-municipal or otherwise-each
operative is instructed how he must vote
ana man is placed to watch him. If
he fails to vote as he was ordered. he ia
1T once discharged and ordered to get
out of the mill company's "mansion'
ana hit the grit. For whatp Not for
misconduct or neglect of duty, but be.
cause he would not be intimidated and
submit to be slave.
gentleman told me that few wears
ago he happened to camp in a mill town
morning and heavy frost was ON the
ground, and that before daylight he
could hear the little children-from eight
20 Twelve years old-going to their work
IN the mill, crying as they went. and
some of them barefooted. Their old
daddy would whip them to make them
90 to work., and he would sleep until
sunrise, and then go out loafing, depend
ng on the children to SUPPORT him.
such men as these ought to have Mayor
Sullivan, of Anderson, to deal with them
III vagrants. '
have been told that since our Lepis-
ature passed an act to prevent mill men
rom working children under twelve
'ears, that the mill people continue to
employ them, but give their time to an
'lder member of the family, thereby
Seeplng the child's name off Of the paw
oil. This Is the way in which some OF
he mill people dodge the laws of orr
State. See?
hope Mr.. Boggs and the people in
general will not understand me as saving
hat think all the cotton mill men are
with this combination that I
'peak of. There are some that are as
rood men as we have in our country.
Who have an interest in the mills of our
,tate, put L think the other kind are in
he majority. Sorry to say 80.
use to think that Ben Tillman, in re-
gard to his extreme views on the farmers
noveHouU, Was wrong, but now am
Inclined to think that he was very nearly
light.
1t seems that majority of the people.
when they start out in the world to
make living, try to think of some plan
~ which they can beat the farmer ont
II something that he has been digging
'ut of the ground.
There Is an insignificant, contemplate,
nfernal, little old cotton seed oil mill
rust IN existence in our country, hut |
haven't the time to say what want to |
ay ABOUT them, and 1T wouldn't do to
publish it anyway.
Mr.. Boggs, hope you will build your
enants some decent huts to live in before
'ou write again. Put only one family in |
house and charge no rent
Yours. atc r Cool,