The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-04-06

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trade generally he manufactures To-
tions, linaments, tinctures, cough
syrups, emulsions, elixirs and sarsa
narillas and his business is not locally
confined. Nh. Rhame also owns a
very attractive and commodious home
which originally cost about So, coo
and two story frame store and dwell
ing combined which he has rented out.
The gentleman was born in Florida
and is q son of Judge T. B. Rhame,
of Lynchburg. tMagnolia) S. C.. He
has stddied medicine as we'll as phar-
macy and graduated as pharmacist in
1894 at Charleston and as said became
decided acquisition to Summerton In
1898.
He has been Mayor but has no ambi
ton personally for political prefer,
ment, but is right good citizen and
gracious gentleman.
Summerton's claims as CONNER
cial centre did not receive much re-
cognition even locally until about
| three years ago.
The start ofssthe present Avant Mer:
camille Company was made then, and
that enterprise is now known as big
| one over the Palmetto State. They
do a wholesale and retail trade occupy
| ing double stores measuring 5Ox12O
feet with upper story 60 feet and en-
ployi. 8 busy people inside, and they
have .en in as high as 81, 600 cash
day
Besides the grocery and provision
departments supplied in car load lots,
they have dry goods and fine dress
goods in separate departments, aud
| The dressmaking and millinery rooms
are presided over by ladies from
Baltimore and other cities, while the
aggregate stock includes supplies and
| rainent and foot and head covering
| in fact it is modern establishment In
equipment, stock and management.
Hon. G.. M. Davis, State Senator is
President.
H. T. Avart who has built up the
enterprise, is general manager. He is
now in Horny county, where the COM
pany has several thousand acres Of pine
and cypress timber and options on
many more tracts, ard he has just
started their new milling plant, capa-
| city 25O, 900 feet Of pine per day. be-
tween Sanford and Loris, Horny
county, with Sanford as postofice. He
| will add planning mill right away.
His son W. Ashley Avant, is Secre-
tary and Treasurer, but does not con-
fine bimself entirely to the Office as he
is all over the establishment. he
has been with several commercial
houses and is at home in sales as well
as clerical departments and is also re-
cogrized as buyer of ability and a
young gentlemen who can keep busi-
| ness on the hop.
The Avant Mercantile Company has
accomplished wonderful progress in
less than three years, but the manage
ment believes the future will exceed
the past.
A. A. Strauss, of Mayesville, has
big, Wholesale and retail house in
Summerton carrying from $4,000 to
sic, 900 North of goods according to
season-the brick building being 90x25
and ssL'' 40x2O feet and in the rear an
ice house is being built for ten tons OF
frozen liquid.
The Mayor of Summerton, L. S.
Rogan, is also manager OF the Strauss
interests at Summerton, and he built
them from their inception. Now, at
the dull season, he has only clerks,
and he has four men on cross tie con-
tract wood and seed, and in the fall 25
| men in the village attending to cotton
gin, grist mill and store duty and has
bad as high as $50 MEN in summer
| getting out ties and wood and in other
avenues of industry. Mr.. Rogan is
also general manager Of the Tindal
Furniture Company in which he has
half interest, and be is general manager
| of the Summerton Ginning Company
and has a third share therein, he owns
individually a square of lots, and half
interest with the Hon. j. G. Lanhan,
member of the legislature, in 40 va.ua
bic acres adjoining town, and is one Of
| the most successful in this land Of
! blight men.
| Besides the foregoing he has shipped
for Strauss Company 40 car loads Of
cotton seed for Independent Oil Co.,.
and handled car loads of machinery
and nearly 40 car loads of fertilizers
and meal Mr.. Rogan was the man
who secured Summerton its telephone
exchange and he is manager thereof,
and as His Honor the Mayor (2nd year,
he is progressive and popular. The
gentleman was born in England and
came to the United States in 1864 to
Pennsylvania, and about 30 years ago
to South Carolina.
He was with ". L. Webb in whole
sale crockery business in Charleston,
then in like houses in Richmond and
baltimore, succeeding which he
travelled South Carolina and Georgiae
then established the Sumter China
Hall, which he controlled until COM
ing to Summerton six years ago and
placed life in it's nostrils. Mr.. Rogan
has able and ever willing lieutenants
in A. P. Burgess, son of the late DR..
Burgess as accountant-and Fl. A.
SRichburg in charge OF shoes and no.
tious-Gus Fischer, groceries and
hardware and Miss Alene Richburg in
charge OF Ladies Department., in fact
all of the interests of which Mr.. Rogar
is manager move in happy harmony.
One of the most enthusiastic Sum
n,ertonians is unquetionably Dr.. W. w.
Anderson, who was raised in old State
hnro Snmter county, he studied al