The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-06-16
PICNIC At SMITHS MILLS.
THE SAGE OF POSSUM FORK TELLS
OF THE JOYOUS OCCASION.
Disputed Boundary Line Fixed, Showing
Smiths Mill to be in This County
The Picnic.

At Smith Mills, on the 9th inst.
the supervisor of Georgetown county
Nr J H Read, with Mr. W (
Snowden, surveyor, met the supervi
sor of Williamsburg county, Mr }
j Graham, with MIR H Eaddy, sur,
veyor, and, and as required by 4
JOINT resolution of the General AS.
sembly, proceeded to locate the dis
puted line between the two counties
at and near Britton's Ferry, on the
Great Pee Dee river.
Guided by the act creating Will
liamsburg county and by all infor-
nation obtaiuable, they agreed that
the old road-bed, loug since aban-
doned for more than a quarter of a
mile from the river, is continua-
tion of the county line to the said
Bntton's ferry, the mlll-house being
on the Williamsburg side; but the
lumber-yald and wharf, as well as a
part of the Clubhouse were found to
be on the Georgetown county side.
1t was fortunate for the surveying
party, Mr. Editor, that the day set
for their work proved to be the same
Cay for the grand picnic at Smiths
Mills, which also was inadvertently
advertised as a political picnic for
Congressional candidates to make
public orations, and that they were to
be on hand. Only two came, however,
Mr. James Norton and Mr. j w Rags
dale, but they refused to take ad-
vantage of an absent rival.
The crowd enjoyed chatting,
swinging, sitting around and walk
ing about the big mill, all cleaned
and swept from end to end. Tables,
too, were in position and all made to
sparkle with ice-cold free lemonade.
The picnic committee spared no
pains to make to make all glad and
happy. Capt Smith and his kin d.
hearted wife were among the blithest
of the blithe, Mr. and MIS- Van Keu-
len were at their best and the Others
of the committee Wed with one an
other in their hospltable attentions.
Capt Smith however, won the palm
with the old folk when he announced,
"Dlnner is ready; all who ar. thirty
five years and upward, come to the
head of the table,. The oldest man
present, Capt Stanley, aged eighty
years, took the head and about twen-
ty more came. Then there was
stand-still, so another invitation had
to be extended to those under thirty
five and down before the long line of
plates were taken up. The dinner
was delicious, served with Ice lemo-
made and coffee hot from the fire.
After dinner the people claimed
a speech from the candidates any
way-so Rev Mr. Harden introduced
Mr. Norton and Mr. Ragsdale, who
delighted the audience with beauti-
full speeches on moral and educa-
tional lines. This reminds me, Mr.
Editor, of Austin Stones tale. He
went to town and at dinner time
stopped in at hotel for big dim
ner. When he took a seat at the
table no one seemed 10 notice him
for while, but finally some one, in
a big white apron, brought about a
dozen little dishes and placed them
around abort his plate and left. In
one was little rice, in another a
slice of meat with a little gravy, an
other held a peeled Irish potato, an
other sweet potato, another some
garden peas and so on, which he COM
menced to eat. He tasted and tasted
till all was gone,, when, calling the
waiter to HIM, he said: "Your sam
pies were all right, now bring in
the dinner. just so, candidates,
those little sample speeches were
fine, but you must bring along now
some dinner pals full of solid cam
paign speeches for US before we'll
let you off. The day was gone al
most before we realized it and it
was nearly night when we crossed
the tall Sockee bridge. But 1t is
now into substantial
safe crossing, with the strong hand
railing reinforced by good side
SO that a wheel hub can
not strike a post, nor can a horse
back wagon off the bridge sideways.
Well done! Mr. Carpenter, | wish
YOU could hand-rai that johnson old
j L., L Id