The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-02
TIE GARDEN SPOT OF CAROLINA.
What carswell Saw and Heard in Wedge
feld...A Thriving Business Centre
Set Amid Fertile Fields.

Wedge6eld, March 2.-Ten miles
from Sumter on the way to Columbia
is in glorious farming country with
the red soil famous for raising cotton,
and which extends from away down in
Georgia up to Marlboro county, $. c.,
the strip getting narrower as it points
north.
The Wedgefeld plantations are too
large, one estate being over 9, 900 acres
that of the Aycocks who are cousins
of the Governor Of North Carolina.
From the station go generally 5000
bales OF cotton, but the 1903 crop was
not up to the mark from 60 to 70 cars
carry cotton seed, and the receivals
of merchandise reach over 250, 600
pounds per month.
j. n. Aycock & Sons, estate, have
an elegant mercantile house measur-
ing 55x106 feet and warehouses
thoroughly stocked. They also have
two cotton ginneries one with 2 7o-saw
Van Winkle stands and the other 2 60
saws, the cotton gin and cotton house
in same building.
S. Weinberg, general merchant, does
the biggest lien business in Wedgefeld
and carries from 81, ,0e01 to So, 600
worth of goods. He also buys cotton
and handles cotton seed for the South
ern Oil Company at Columbia. He
was born in Charleston and is born
merchant. The six brothers are all
successful business men.
Aaron ". Weinberg was Florence
pioneer who now resides at Manning,
wealthy and retired. Abe Weinberg is
doing a big business at Darlington.
Isaac Weinberg is farming success
fully in Darlington county.
Henry Weinberg is doing a lien and
cash business at Mayesyille and Sam
Weinberg at Wedgefeld is doing well
at Wedgefeld and is a member of the
Z. OF P. and Ladies and Knights of
Honor.
Two miles from Wedgefeld with the
Southern Railway. running through it
are fine clay deposits which on crude
test have proven first class brick
material and it is thought that stratas
of pottery clay are in the region, and
j. B. Ryan has charge of the lands.
The liveliest all around business man
of NWedgefeld is unquestionably F. E.
Thomas who personally superintends
each of his varied enterprises.
His plantation, 500 acres in high
state of cultivation, is at the village
and he raises cotton, corn, oats, wheat
and stock peas, and is great advocate
as to the manifold properties of the
"cow-p peas'' popularity SO called, and
he ships pea seed to New Orleans and
ether distant as well as nigh points,
and the pea hay is not only nutritious
but as a fertilizer. COW peas are valu-
able.
On his farm, which is near and in
the village, Mr.. Thomas has 81 build
ings.
: TIE F. &. Thomas Cotton Ginnery
is according to the latest Munger sys-
tenn and has 7o-saw stands. Of the
1903 crop he ginned 1920 bales, and
outside o; that raised, bought and
shipped $50 bales, and he is the buyer
and shipper Of cotton seed for the
Independent Oil Co., at Darlington.
With his ginnery he has engine of
go and hcilsrof 6o b. p, which also
propel grist mill and saw mill and
other woodworking machinery. The
corr meal is made by a foot French
bdhr and the saw mill is well equipped
with circular saw, 8 edgers, and band
saw, and lathe will soon be added
for the rhnaufacture of axe and other
handles, and be is manufacturer and
shipper to different markets of hard
woods-notably, hickory, oak, red gum
and maple, and is now filing a con-
tract for street car builders in Phila-
delphia. The F. E. Thomas mercan-
tile house carries up to $4,000 worth of
goods-has trade from as far as
dozen miles, and employs two to four
clerks, and every department of his
several industries is kept in constant
harmony.
F. E. Thomas was born in Thomas
vile, n. G.
In 1872 be came to South Carolina
and superintendent. turpentine opera
tions for the late James H. Aycock
who was the Turpertine and Rosin
King OF the county. Mr.. Thomas also
was associated with the same interests
for.Mr. Aycock in Georgia Tn 1879