The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-15

oAi 1hC hcotHcSS anu dtCenClOn TO Ue-
tails so characteristic of the old time
bookeeper.
The first date is April 18th. 1861.
The names of the customers call to
the recollection of the older citizens
people who were wealthy, or "well-
to-do." At the end of each month
the cash sales and credit sales were
tabulated separately, and indicate
that the firm was doing a safe and
profitable business. On Sept. 18th,
1851, occurs this entry: Ger. By IS
and 20-60 bu. wheat at 80 1880"
There are no futher entries until
January 22nd, 1857. It is evident
that the war interfered with the con-
duct Of the business. The proprietor
possibly refugeed.
The entries In this old book of an
te-bellum days seem strange to our
farmers Of today. 1t was not able to
find but one single entry of meat
lard, -four, corn, or meal charged to
a customer. The farmers bought
drygoods and hardware. Not one
single th.lg Of those we generally
speak Of as groceries" was charged
to customer, though some of them
lived in the little town. In every in
stance where feed or food stuff was
entered 1t was a credit to some farm
er who was paying his bill. The far
mer sold wheat, flour and meat to
the merchant. He bought none from
him.
Beginning with January, 1867, the
old book tells different tale. The
$50 pages following are full OF en-
tries cha ged TO farmers reading:
"3-4 bu. onions at $500" l bu. meal
$1.25." ''1-2 gal. syrup So" "To
20 Id. bacon $4.O0." "To 1 SIX. flour
(10o lbs ss. 90" etc gal. syrup
$1.25." ITO lb. peaches 80" 'To
l bu. meal 81. 40," etc.
Occasionally occurs credit Of
lone Be at 49," Occasional
charges against other firms for can't.
paid Revenue on cotton" weighing
and marking cotton"
cur under date of November, 1867,
under this heading: Payments to
Assignee And the pay
ments were small. 1 doubt not that
many an old book has the same pa
thetic ending. After nine months of
charging 'onions, meat, flour, corn,
meal, etc. to people gone wild raising
cotton the end is told in the three
words paid to Assignee"
Am I not right in saying this old
book holds a lesson and a warning?
VIII the farmers Of Georgia learn
the lesson and heed the warning?
Let me carry the lesson of this old
book little further. Raising cotton
to buy food stuffs evidently did not
pay the merchant, even if he did
charge $1,000 per barrel for flour,
$1.4O per bushel for meal and 90
cents per pound for meat. paid to
Assignee closes his history. What
OF the customers? They got the
good price" Of Is cents for their
cotton. Yet today many of the
farms and plantations which in 1861
and 1867 were as fine as could be
found in Georgia have been sold for
debt, or are so heavily mortgaged
that the descendants Of these men
or 1857 must turn over a new leaf if
the mortgage is ever paid by the
farms
The town itself was not helped by
trade. 1t is not as large as it was
in 1867. The merchants do less bus
mess. I am told, and the new build
ing has hardly kept pace with the
slow process Of decay.
1t did not help the farms. Much Of
the land on which this Is cents cot
ton grew is scanned with gullies bare
OF vegetation, and absolutely with
out profit to the present owners or to
the community. The descendants Of
these men OF 1867 have cleared and
worn out" yet other land raising
cotton at good price"
The same economic error which
caused failures in 1867 and since
then will cause disaster in the year
1910 and after. Effect will follow
cause as sure as the sun shines. No
matter how good the price for cotton
the Southern farmer can not depend
on cotton to buy his food and feed.
NO matter how much profit the
Southern merchant may book, no
matter If he again charges $1,000
ho rra1