The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-11


for keeping a gambling-room. The
editor discovered that there was real
| ly a gambling-club, with some of the
leading men in town as members.
The keeper was merely hired scape-
goat; they paid his fines.
The Banner" printed the facts
and the names.
1t put the club out of business
and nearly did the same for the Ban
ner." And, if one-tenth of the
threats of bodily violence had been
carried out, they would have put
Clelland in the hospital. But none
of them were, in spite of Sandy's fire.
quently urging the belligerent ones
to "come on down to the Office and
try it," always adding as final in
ducement, "He never run in his life,
and amt even been licked yet.'
The papers business dwindled very
low after that, and the editor was
very blue. He had been planning to
buy a lot, and perhaps build a house
in a year or two. But now
In time the trouble blew over, how
ever, and he got back more of the
business.
But once more, right in the rush
of the fall trade, there was a serious
conflict of principle and interest.
One Sunday case of smallpox was
discovered in town. Early Monday
morning a delegation of business men
came to the Office.
Keep it still, Mr.. Burch; keep it
STILL" they urged. eve will deny all
rumors, and maybe we can keep it
suppressed until the case is we'll. II
it goes out over the country that we
have smallpox it will ruin the fall
trade"
IF newspaper has positive duty
in the world" said the editor, lit is
to tell it's readers when there is dan
ger, either moral or physical"
The business men were angry, and
declared that, if he mentioned small
pox in the paper, they would put
him out of business.
Early Monday morning they began
to suppress all rumors. But in spite
of their frantic efforts few people
came to town Tuesday. Wednesday
the streets looked as deserted as if
the Fourth of July was being cele-
brated somewhere else; and Thurs
day scarcely a team from the country
was seen on the streets.
The Banner" was printed Thurs
day night, and went out on the rural
routes Friday morning. 1t contain
ed in a conspicuous place on the
front page an account of the small
pox, giving tn exact truth-where it
was, how bad it was, and how quar-
antined. The article added: "Per-
sonally we are not at all alarmed,
are not afraid to pass within a block
of it. But our readers can judge for
themselves whether there is danger
or not, as we will print the exact sit
uation aech week."
The next day two or three hundred
people came to town.
I'VE heard,' some of them explain
ed to the merchants while trading,
that there were fifteen cases and
two deaths. We were too scared to
come within sight of town until the
Banner came OUT
Then the merchants reluctantly
and rather shamefacedly admitted
that the papers policy was the best,
and that it's reputation for truthful
ness had saved the town thousands
of dollars.
Slowly the business came back,
and by spring Clelland once more saw
prosperity ahead; and once more the
world was full of roses and white
clover. And because of Miss Irma's
graciousness all mankind seemed just
a little lower than the angels, and
womankind little higher.
But alas and alack! That was the
spring when John Martin, Irma's
father, took it into his head to run
for representative.
Martin had been attending every
political convention for twenty years
in an effort to be nominated for some
office for which he was not qualified;
in fact, he was not qualified for any.
He had a very good little business
that made a fair living for his family
when he attended to it. But in elec-
ton years he spent so much time try
ing to be politician his business
wilted like a loose cabbage-leaf in
August.
One day about the middle of June
Martin came to the Banner" office,
.,l +o1d +ro o6itor hic friends were