The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-09
Some Random Thoughts.

oil the evening trdln Oh the 4tn tnat
night was spent at the hospitable
home of Bro. j. ID. Montgomery. The
residences and spacious lawns of the
pretty old town were shown in
short drive about the city, 1t re-
minded me of the Sumter of 25 years
ago. when some of the best crops of
cotton, corn, peas and oats were
grown right in the heart of the
town. One field of corn Of two acres
VIII be near the top next fall when
the yields are being published. At 9
O'Clock Bro. Montgomery, Bro. Dun
can Mcintyre and Bro. Pres. Jones
and the writer comfortably filled Bro.
Jones handsome car and the IS
miles to Nebo was covered in an
hour and half. We drove almost
due south right down toward the
fork of Big and Little Pee Dee riv-
ers, but it was 26 miles further to
the fork. Our meeting place was
some five miles from Shows Island
and the old fort that Gen. Marion
built to command Big Pee Dee river.
For three miles we were within a
mile of Little Pee Dee where. al
though 8 miles from Big Pee Dee,
the waters of this river in 1908
covered the road in places deep
enough to swim a horse, and along
some parts it was so swift that boat
could not be padded against the cur
rent, the freshet Of the larger river
breaking across the upper end Of
Britton's Neck to find an outlet in
the Little Pee Dee which was not
on such a boom. South of this point
the land was higher in many places,
but September 9Th 1908, fully three
fourths OF all the neck was under
water and not two hundred yards
from our meeting place / was told
the water covered what appeared to
be high land. The country is very
much like this Black River, Pudding
Swamp section. and when drained
and brought into close touch with
the outside world, will he equally as
good farming section as Little Rock
or the Ridge.
The County Union was a very good
one in spite of the rains and grass.
The Union is numerically as strong
as Lee, Sumter and Calarendon coun-
ties combined. and will build an up
to-date cotton and storage warehouse
this fall. There will he a meeting of
the subscribers to stock tomorrow to
organize. And t3ey were so much
pleased with my account of the sum
ter brokerage Company and Produce
Exchange, that a called meeting OF
the Union will he held on the first
Tuesday in August To consider the
advisability Of incorporating our
plan with theirs. Members Of that
Union viii visit Brother Brogdon to
personally inspect the working oG
our plan. Brethren of Sumter, Lee
and Clarendon. we have builded
more wisely than we thought. Now
let us support our institution ana
bring every good farmer into our
| order that We may not only help our
selves, but hc an object lesson and an
! inspiration to our brethren all over
the state 10 go ana do likewise.
Several good talks were made. ana
/ except ON the theory that "A Prophet
is not without honor save among his
own people" they did not need 10
! hay" an invited speaker to entertain
aud instruct them. We say, and truly
] watch Sumter! We may also keen
an eye on Marion.
After bountiful dinner the writ.
cr was intrOduccr to a fine audience
of several hundred Of the people of
| Britton's Neck, who "live at home
and board at the same place" and II
was real pleasure to talk TO such
an intelligent and appreciative peo-
pie.
The mission of the Farmers I'm
ION. stressing education as the first
plank In our PLATFORM i'm fact the
foundation bedrock upon which al
our structure must be built. was the
theme 1t was very happily follow
ed up by speech on Education and
the kind we need, by Hon. James
Norton, former Congressman and