Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-01-19
NOTES FROM BETHANY.
Cold Besiesed Correspondent Tells
What He Sees and Thinks.

What He Sees and Thinks.
Correspondence The Yorkville Enquirer
Yorkville r. F. d. No. /, Jan. 15.-
Saturday night, the 9Th, instant, the
first snow Of the season fell here. On
Monday, the Sth, before dawn 1t be-
gan sleeting, and full day Of contin-
uous sleet fell, finishing up with rain
late in the evening. The rain froze
over the top Of the sleet and made an
almost solid crust Of Ice, strong
enough to hold up the weight of a
horse. Travelling was almost entirely
abandoned, except to school and other
absolutely necessary trips, until the
latter part of the week, when on Fri
day night, the 18th instant, and dur
ing Saturday morning, snow fell to
the depth Of six inches. Then again,
on Sabbath, 1t showed about three
hours from 11.3O and during the. bal
ance of the day intermittently. The
unanimous judgment Of this locality
is that this is the coolest and heaviest
snow and sleet storm experienced
there for several years. Regular out
door work has been almost entirely
abandoned in this vicinity for the
period above mentioned. The present
Indications are that 1t will be several
days before general activity will be
resumed.
During last week found 1t neces-
sary to accompany the children to
school. On Tuesday morning, after
hod from
the carriage to the steps Of the Beth
any High school building and the team
hitched on the grounds, / went up
stairs to the stove in the school room
to get warm. The High school occu-
pies this room and Is taught by the
Rev. w. A. M. Plaxco, principal of the
Bethany High school. l was made TO
feel welcome by teacher and pupils
On attempting to take my leave was
constrained to continue my visit In
definitely and finally until school
closed for the day. No one interested
| in school work could be but as 1 was
very much entertained during the
whole days exercises The what!
and the "why2" were the popular In
lterrogatories during recitaions.
came away feeling that this little band
of students was being drilled with an
~"--
efficiency to a commendable degree.
| A large percentage Of the students
/ here are making fine progress In their
studies, and the inevitable fruit OF the
effort of teacher and pupil, we trust
will be realized bv the community.
Our farmers are taking the slump
in the price Of cotton like man. We
| hope all Is for the best. The inevita-
BILE must be reached sooner or later
with conditions continued as for the
past four or five years, viz: high priced
cotton and correspondingly increased
acreage and effort Of production
There seems to be no rule entirely
successful in controlling the worlds
supply or an exact way Of keeping up
with the demand. The immensity Of
the cotton business, the changed sea-
sons, and other considerations affect
| ing the production, all conspire to
make the cotton business one OF un-
certainty and often hazardous to the
producer. Still, it remains fact that
| Ii Is the best money crop or the south,
raised as a surplus crop. If our sunny
south would learn this lesson well, so
we'll that they raise cotton only as
surplus or money crop, this alone
would solve the whole problem now
confronting us, and this south land
would blossom like 1t should do ana
become the land of plenty-a veritable
Garden of Eden. This would not re-
quire extra effort, only some effort put
in diversified farming, as is now con-
centrated in cotton production. l say
again. the advantages thus experienced
would be little short Of marvellous. we
have longed for these very conditions
and endeavored with all the power we
possess to bring them about. VIII
our children's children learn by our
experience to adopt our decision OF
the best policy, known as the hog and
hominy plan, or does 1t remain for the
New Englander. with his shrewd busi-
ness characteristics, to solve the cotton
problem in the years to come?
While nothing has appeared In the
public print of the all-cotton farming
moving up higher in the Piedmont sec
tion, yet 1t Is a fact to be deplored.
While the government has attempted
to encourage corn culture by increas-
ing yields our people have used the
discovery more to increase cotton
acreage, and the motto Is, not more
corn, but some corn on less acreage.
Thus a smaller acreage devoted to
corn has only made possible an in
creased acreage of cotton. And our
| farmers calculate as to what pays
best generally, only for the present.
A year ago all caution or fear Of a
slump in the price of cotton was ridi-
culed, and many were saying, You'll
never see any more cheap cotton!"
Now we don't hear any explanation
from these same people since what
they said could not happen has hap
lpened.
1t will be we'll. for US in this Pied
mont section to be careful lest we
gain the habit of all cotton farming.
For while l would be afraid to meet
a few of the boys out from home If I
included them with the all-cotton
farmers, yet 1t is a fact that such are
decreasing annually. 1t Is a fact, fur
ther, that in this locality the last Of
the diversified farmers Of York county
practically have gotten on the danger
line of all cotton, or cotton in excess
Of other crops. 1 am, however, glad
to report a larger acreage sown to
grain than for some seasons past, as
1t affords us pleasure to note the
smallest turning toward diversified
farming. This subject Is worthy the
consideration of our best and most
conservative citizens, for on its So
luton the south depends for its prog
ress and final success. n.
Too tall to Be a SoIdier.-Nothing