The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-02-02
"OLD TIMER" WRITES.
If Taxes are Higher, We are Reaping
the Benefits.

,articles on taxes in your paper have
been read with interest, and must
say that while they are higher than
formerly they, or part of them al
least, are spent to good purpose
Our schools are run much longer thar
in other days, our teachers are better
paid, and from the bright smiles
nearly or all of them wear, feel thai
their efforts are being appreciated
and then the public highways that are
being constructed and maintained
are worth more to the farmer than
the average over former years and
the marvel is how our worthy super
visor has accomplished so much fol-
the good of the travelling public with
so small amounts at his disposal and
so few to do the work. None of this
was done in the years of old Barn
we'll, and such roads! sand beds
logs, unkept bridges, brush and
briars up to the ruts was the rule.
not the exception. Four mules to
draw a wagon with one ton a bur-
den gives place to two or more tons
at half the wear and tear to vehicles,
and if the teams could speak would
praise the man or men who tighten
ed their burdens. These mentioned
above will more than compensate the
extra dollars We have to pay.
While perhaps some of our officers
receive too much pay for the amount
of work may be granted. This l am
not in position to say, but stand first
and last for good schools and public
roads if taxes have to even go higher,
for good roads are what we need, for
they cut half the distance to the
markets and we want to develop our
resources and beautify our homes
and landscapes intelligent,
well-educated boys and girls taught
to farm and make the desert places
blossom as the rose-all this takes
money.
The warm and balmy days of the
past week have made the small grain
turn a dark green, the little violets
are blue, and how they cheer US
when all nature is taking its winter
nap, and to see great punches of
them worn by our young ladies and
girls is a pleasing sight to an old
mans eye. Then the fragrance they
shed around reminds him that to be
bright and smiling even through the
tears, and the fragrance of little acts
of kindness are all to be learned of
the little blue and laughing eyes Of
the violet. Soon the jonquil, and
spirea, the cowslips and daisies, with
the rose to follow with the song of
birds gladden. the vision that spring,
solft balmy spring, will soon be here.
The farmers are busy now and all
of last years failures are forgotten
as the hope of new year brings re-
lief. But my! what is an old farmer
to do. He buys fertilizer-some one
says ho-ho, you will never pay for it..
Then some one says you are running
that field plowing it seven inches
deep; another this or that. When
the city editor of our rural maga-
zines says 12 or even 16 inches is
the way to do it, and the old farmer
who has never accomplished any,
thing in his past would like to make
an effort, knowing that only a few
more years at most mark his destiny
and failure engraved on his grave
stone is not to his liking, for he must
try and leave the world better than
he found it, is the problem to solve,
and scratching the first three inches
of field don't bring large returns,
so the old farmer is going deeper
each year trying to find the hidden
gold that is buried in old mother
earth. With shallow and nearly level
culture he fails, then the plow fac
tories and fertilizer companies can
say poor old fellow he did his best,
tried and failed, peace to his ashes.
But failure won't come, boys. The
soil is deeper and richer, and with
grain, corn, peas, and cotton growing
on them, these old fields will be bet
ter each year. and will smile for
every. bit of extra labor given them
and will make the whole world smile
in triumph over the good times the
we'll filled barns will bring.
Now the boys are laughing at the
old man and are laying plans to beat
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