Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-11-23


the modern steel hoes.
Those were days Of hardship en-
tirely unknown to the farmer Of to-
day-the farmer with a bath tub in
his house and an automobile in his
electric lighted garage. To get their
-four the Rankin family sent their
wheat to mill operated by horses,
hitched to sweep, and each patron
had to furnish the power to grind
his grist At one time young Ran
kin made seven trips to the mill, a
week apart, before his grist could be
attended to, going fourteen miles
each trip with a yoke Of oxen. In
the meantime the family lived on
potatoes and bread made from wheat
ground in coffee mill or corn
pounded o., t in mortar.
In 1916 Mr.. Rankin attained his
majority, and he had to decide what
he should do---and then do it-and
right there he came near to making
a vital mistake His boyhood and
youth had been years of hard labor
and deprivation, and he had often
sighed to be rid of it all. In his
eyes a clerkship in country store
meant life Of ease and affluence,
so he decided to become a clerk. But
nobody would hire him. The store
keepers didn't seem to have much
faith in his ability to measure out
sugar and coffee and molasscs. So
1t was back to the farm for young
Rankin, and it is scarcely necessary
to say he never regretted his choice,
even If it was forced upon him. Mr..
Rankin, beginning his career with
one bull as assets, purchased ano-
ther to complete the yoke, paying $S
in work for the animal. A new plow
point cost Sc, and he had to go in
debt. for that and couldn't get it
until he found friend to go his
security.
In lSi7 Mr.. Rankin drove bunch
Of cattle to Chicago, across the prai-
rie SO they could feed as they tray
eled. There were no regular pack
ing houses in those days, except in
the winter. They were all closed in
the summer. as there was no such
thing rs cold storage and rcfrigcrat-
ing plants.
In 1913 Mr.. Rankin, ever on the
alert for improved machinery
bought one Of the earliest types OF
reapcrS. 1t wasn't to be compared
With tn modern scli-bindcra. hut il
was a great Improvement over tho
cradle. 1t cost $l25 and cut five
foot swath. Three men were rcQuir.
ed to operate it.
Mr.. Rankin was married in 1850
! and he paid his last 81 to the
preacher But he had so acres ol
land at that time and few head OF
| cattle. They had to trade for every.
thing to eat and wear.
1t was in 1865 that Mr.. Rankin
first began TO make big money. He
bought cattle in Chicago at $1.25 a
hundred pounds, took them to Pax.
ton, fed them corn, fattened them
and sold them in New York at Sc. 80
a hundred. Then he embark a in
the broomcorn business, having pur-
chased large area Of land, and he
cleaned up 100000 i'm this venture
which people said would break him.
1t goes without saying that a man
of Mr.. Rankin's varied interests was
busy man, but it Is said OF him
that "he found time to help make
life better and brighter" lie assist
ed the poor and he made fortunes
for at least twenty men who had
served him in different capacities.
He contributed in many ways to the
upbuilding OF his town and county.
lie was man OF simple tastes and
IN appearance was the typical far
mer, more than six feet of height,
but plain Of dress and unassuming
Of manner. In brief, David Rankin
seems to have been a fine specimen
OF the gentleman Of the old school. "
Cant look we'll, eat we'll or feel
we'll with impure blood feeding your
body. Keep the blood pure with
Burdock Blood Bitters. Eat simply,
take exercise, keep clean and you
will have long life.
AT the election last week Oyster
Bay, Mr.. Rooscvclt's home precinct,
went almost solidly Democratic, and
now Teddy is as silent as clam.
When a cold becomes settled in
the system, 1T will take several days