The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-08-15

mills at Pe,zer. He was commission
! ed on the recommendation of Senator
Geo. ". Sullivan, of Williamson. Mr..
Merritt was commissioned on the rec
! ommendation of Representative J.
Belton Watson, Mr.. Horton, who is
mayor Of Belton, and president of a
bank there, was commissioned on the
recommendation of Representatives J.
! ". Ashley and J. W. Jackson. The
owner Of the Bolton Times is Repre-
sentative J. Archie Willis, of Laur-
ems.
! Governor Blease sent the following
! letter to Jas C. Harris of Belton in
reply to an article in the Bolton Times
! of last week:
Jas. G. Harris, Belton, S. C.-Dear
! Sir: Your letter of the 4th inst-~nt re-
ceived. In reply beg to say. that on
my way home on Saturday, July 29th,
I walked up to the ticket Office win
dow at Belton, laid down two mileage
book covers, with some strips left,
but not enough to bring me through
to Columbia. I did not know at what
time either train arrived at Bolton,
but was Of the opinion that I made
close connection. When I presented
the mileage books I asked the young
lady for ticket to Columbia; she re-
piled, 'fI have no time to wait On you
now" I said, *sWell, I want to go to
Columbia, and I want a ticket" She
said, II have not got time to compute
this mileage and make the calcula-
tions.' smiled and said, every we'll,
I will tell you who I am, and you will
please remember, I am Cole. L.
Blease." Il did not say governor Of
South Carolina" or mention the fact
that was goVernor.) I told her who
I was because it was my intention
10 get on the train without a ticket,
present the mileage and state why I
did not have ticket and if the con-
ductor declined to accept the mileage,
I was going to sue the railroad for
damages, and I wanted the young lady
as witness to remember that I had
applied to her for ticket, presenting
the mileage, and that she had refused
it. When told her who was, said,
II will report this matter to your su-1
perintendent" She then took the mil
cage, quickly made the calculation,
told me- that there was 70 cents due,
which I paid very promptly. She
handed me back the ticket, together
with the two vacant slips and said,
THANK you" I said, "I am much
obliged to you; you can Keep the two
old covers, as you may wish to send
them in" She said, 'tNo; you might
need them to show to the conductor
when he asks for your ticket" T re-
piled, ."All right" and picked them upI
and walked away.
I showed no discourtesy whatever|
to the young lady; only was exercising
my rights as q passenger on the road
and told her who I was, as I have
stated, and for the purpose that II
have stated. I showed her no discour-
tesy, but was polite and treated her.
the same as would if every relative
of hers in the world had been present. !
There were two young men sitting
behind her in the Office at the time!
and an old Confederate veteran stand.
ing by me with a badge on. The con-
versation did not even attract their at
tention, which shows that there was
nothing whatever about the matter to-
have caused any one to write a lie
about, such as has been written by the
airy, scurrilous little editor of the!
Belton Times. T do not know who he
is; have never seen him, but from this
article, I am satisfied the Ae is only
another pimp Of the newspaper combi-
nation that is continuously lying about
NE. :;
I thank you for your letter and for
this opportunity of explaining the
matter.
Very respectfully,
Cole. L. Blease,
Governor.