The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1909-08-12

The substance of vhat he did say
is as follows: That I could give
more correctly the approximate fg-
ures of the division of townships
through which the proposed new
county line passes than have any one
else in the county, and confessed
satisfaction at the approximate di-
visions made by me, in every par
ticular; and finally added, volun.
tarily, that he believed that the fig
ures would prove as nearly correct
as humanity possible, under the
circumstances. to make them: x.
hereby certify that the above isE
the sum and substance of the re-
marks made Dy MIR Starr at the
meeting, the day Mr. Starr and my
self got the certificate from the Au-
ditor relative to property within the
proposed territory~for new county. 4
(Signed) RIB Smith, g
ChairmanI.Board of Commissioners
for Rutledge 90. IS
Can any fair and uabiased mind
accuse Mr. Smith of crushing into.
PRINT" because he gave this certif-
cate? Nh Starr, the defamer, ac-
cused me of crushing into print"s
for no other reason that / am aware
of but that gave the editor of The
County Record certain data from
the records of auditors Office which
he required of me, and which l had
no right, legal or otherwise, to re-
fuse, and which he, in his (Starr's)
defamatory article admitted was
practically the same as l gave him,
Notwithstanding the fact that sew
eral weeks had elapsed from the time
I gave him the one until I gave Mr..
Wolfe the other. and l had kept no
copy to be governed by. Doesn't it
prove, conclusively, that was gov
erned entirely by the records? Es-
pecially so when / had the prope-
sltion up to me of an approximate /
division of three townships, besides
railroad and other properties? Why
did be not publish the data with my
certificate a part of same? Echo
answers why! y
I have acted throughout this at
fair strictly from a standpoint Of
duty, honest and unbiased with the.
lights before me; and with many diff
6cult problems to solve, have ''ren-s
dered unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars" without fear and prom.
Use of reward, Mr. Starr's assertion
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
| MIR Starr claims that Rutledge'
will have by January 1910, an as
sessed valuation of $2,300,OO0. I
trust this will be true, for there isn't
a town, community or farm in the
county and State that would not
like to see prospering. Yet the fg-
ures for the past year are not very
encouraging, tie total increase feS
1908 beng only S65,291 of which
Lake City township showed an in
crease of $l2,O7l and Kingstree
township S45, 1903 leaving ut$7,41T
as a total increase for balance OF
county. None of the railroads, ex-s
press, telegraph, Pullman Palace Car
and insurance companies are included
in this, (being listed separately ex-
cept the Salem railroad, which is
cluded in Sumter township, and
Kingstree Telephone Co, which is
inincluded in Kingstree township.
The assessment for the North
eastern railroad was reduced
last wear for the whole county
1885, ,62O in round numbers. In
creases in other corporations, not
included above, will explsin any ap-
parent discrepancies that may sp-
pear upon total abstracts for the tive
years compared.
Mr. Starr even floats into music.
"Don't musical instruments, such
ss these, IN county indicate the
wealth and refinement of the same!"
asked Mr. Starr. Of course they do,
and I will show where they are and
what they are assessed at.
i In old territory there are 2S4 in
struments, assessed $15,75O. In new
territory there are 232,assessed value
$9,964.Average value for old county,
$55, average value for new, s3S, in
round numbers. In Lake City town.
ship there are 81, value So, ,4S5,and in
Kingstree township II, value 1880.
Now pass into the next-es to
the $50, ,299 returned in cash. In the
new territory $500, in the old,
$49,69 500, 1925 of this last a.