The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-27
- x. WOODS WRITES Or SUMTER,



Editor Item:
The writer had intended sending
the paper his Christmas congratula-
tons and good wishes but the pres
sure OF some writing that could not
be postponed was in the way, and he
VIII do SO now, despite the fact thar
several weeks have elapsed since the
close of the holidays.
Inc Item is always a welcome visit
or Tor 1t contains a great many things
that make good and entertaining read
ing' but best Of all are it's editorials
winch are always timely and inspired
by an earnest desire, on the part of
the edltor, to elevate the moral senti
ment and advance the material inter-
ests of the people of the town AMI
county of Sumter. 1t, the paper. is
always so real and true that it re-
minds the writer of one of Sumter's
DAINTY little maidens, and the city, by
! the way, has more than a fair share
OF them, when clad in her most be-
"i'chlng attire she takes a stroll on
Main street and makes eyes at the
| folks, getting some of them in such a
mental tangle that they just can't de-
eide whether she is saint or sinner, or
a Kind Of inconsistent mixture OF
| poth' But then who can blame the
dear little saints or sinners, just as
we choose to call them, for being
pretty and going round with their
races wreathed in smiles. 1t will sur
prise your fair young readers to be
| told that during the reign of James
the Second, of England at which
time there We're a great many strange
laws and customs that there was a
law that positively forbid any female
from putting paint or powder on her
| face, For ye purpose of taking in We
majesty's subjects" Now these dear
girls. of the present day, at least in
SumtC-, have no occasion to use the
| paint or powder, but they take in "Ye
Majestys subjects with the coloring
| that nature has given them, and this
| being Leap Year the young bachelors.
the writer won't mention any names,
| had just as we'll make an uncondition-
al surrender or take immediate ref
uge in the gloomy recesses Of the
Santee swamp.
The writer, having so many friends
in Sumter, notes with a great deal Of
pleasure the rapid growth and pros
perity Of the city and hopes that the
next census will see it very near, if
not quite, up to the $4,000 mark in
the way Of population. But there is
one thing that passes the comprehen-
sion of the writer and that is with
its growth and enterprise its people
are allowing the city to lose a good
many thousand dollars every year by
not having a fine hotel, and this loss
will become greater every year and
will, unless remedied, be a vertable
millstone in the way of retarding it's
progress. Sumter has a larger popu-
lation and is a richer place than Flor
ence, yet the latter place has two fine
modern hotels, while Sumter contents
itself with an old firetrap that the best
hotel manager in the State could not
F, make comfortable. There can be no
| question but that nice hotel, two Of
them would be better, would be a
profitable investment, yet it looks as
if the capitalists and business men
of Sumter are just sitting down and
waiting for some outsider to turn up
and give them something that they
are abundantly able to provide for
themselves. The writer may, of
course be wrong in his belief, but he
IS thoroughly of the opinion that
100000, or possibly $125,00O. put
into two hotels would pay Sumter
better than the same amount put
into any manufacturing enterprise
that coulud be secured
w. d. Woods.
Darlington, Jan. 10, 1912.
Odd Fellows Elect Officers.