davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-09-22
Perry Owens House
Burned Last Night

P. B. Ovens home on west
Magnolia was destroyed by fire
last night, the origin of the con-
fagration remaining a mystery.
Mr.. Owens was asleep in the build
ing when the fire started and it
gained considerable Roadway be-
fore discovered. 1t was a two
The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-09-22
FITZGERALD COTTON MARKET
Today IS 1-Sc
fitzSerald's Summer
Death Rate Has Been
UsusualIy Low.

That Fitzgerald is one of the
most healthful cities this side of
the Mason & Dixon line, and
doubtless on the other side of it
as well, is indicated by the ex-
tremely low death rate we have
had this summer. Since the first
of June there have been only six
white persons to die in the city.
For a place the size of Fitzgerald
5000 inhabitants-this is in
deed phenomenal, and is proof
that residents of south Georgia
and especially Fitzgerald do not
have to hike to the mountains
with the first hot wave, in order
to escape fever.
With our delightful climate,
coupled with such Incompatible
health conditions, Fitzgerald is
one of the most desirable cities
in the south in which to live, and
these feature together with our
superb school facilities are bring
ing us settlers every day.
The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-09-22

Morris, of the commercial de,
partment, reports a most en-.
couraging start in the way Of
deposits This savings depart
ments gives the students taking
the business course a thorough
and practical knowledge of every
feature of banking, and assists
them wonderfully in their study
OF banking business.
The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-09-22

Mr.. Lon Sheahan left several
days ago for Atlanta, to enter
Georgia Tech.
The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-09-22

Mr.. W. A. Green has returned
from a visit with relatives in
Tampa and Orlando, Fla.
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09
Unsightly Face Spots.

Are cured by DR.. Hobson,s Eczema
Ointment. which heals all skin erup-
tions. No matter how long you have
been troubltd by itching, burning, or
Scaly skin humors, just put a little
OF that soothing antiseptic, DIR. Hob
sons Eczema Ointment, on the scores
and the suffering stops instantly.
Healing begins that very minute.
Doctors use it in their practice and
recommend 1t. Mr.. Allenman, of Lit
tlctown, Pa, says; Had eczema on
forehead; DR.. Hobson's Eczema Oint-
ment cured it in two weekE." Guar
anteed to relieve or money refundtd.
All druggists, or by mail. Price so
cents. Pfiger Chemical Co, Philadel-
phia and SIT. Louis. For sale by The
Laurens Drug Co., Laurens, S. C.
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

Have you heard of any of these
counties being poverty stricken
and have any Of the citizens of any
of the above counties who have told
you that their counties are not as
prosperous as any of the old coun-
ties in their section?
If you have investigated these
matters, as colonel says he has,
you will find that the county af-
fairs Of these new counties have
run on a smaller tax levy than
have those of the older counties
from which they have been cut,
and at q less levy than have coun-
ties in the same section that have
not been cut.
The colonel being a wise man
leaves himself a prop on which to
fall back when the facts come out,
and this prop is, "If the same eff
ficiency now prevailing is to be
maintained" This efficiency evil
denty nowhere exists except in
the authors mind, and we are
sure the other readers of this
article have never before heard
of Spartanburg county's af-
fairs being held up as a mod
ell, and when the taxpayer sees that
the estimate for running the coun-
ty for the year 1913 is 174,440
see page 245, Comptroller Gener-
ais report for 1913, the word "ef-
ficiency" loses its charm, for he
knows that the county's business
has gotten to be so large that
one man or set of men, how
nv capable, can administer per-,
Nlly the affairs of "a county
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

past Indebtedness of $4,000 and
run the county on 4 mill levy,
don't you think that is the mos ST
tangible and conclusive argumen,l
you can find for smaller counties
by referring to page 1913, covering
values for 1912, you will find that
Jasper county lands are assessed
at $3.50 per acre.
Article XI., section 6, Of the
constitution of 1895 says that the
poll tax in this state shall be one
dollar, so we presume the colonel
would have his readers be imposed
upon to believe it could be greater
III a new county.
Now we are sure the colonel did
not mean commutation road tax,
for he would only have to refer
to the statutes to find that only a
few OF the counties in the state
pay over two dollars, and that all
of these are old ounties-Lancas
ter, $500; Lexington, $500 Ches-
ter, $3.50; Horny, $500 Charles
ton $500.
What the colonel meant was
probably this; that the area cut off
in the proposed ney county hasn't
had much work done on it's roads
in the past and that in order to
keep step with the progress which
the new county will have to be
spent on the roads, and in this we
agree with the colonel, but dear
sir, if we get placed on the roads
which are coming to us you will
have nice 30 foot road reaching
this way as well as north of YOU.
Colonel, by taking a piece of pa
per and adding 318, the number
of miles of road in Beech springs
township in 1910, to BIT, the num-
Der in Campbello township for che
same time, you will get in these
two townships as much mileage as
there will be in the proposed new
county.
The colonel perorates by para
phrasing Patrick lIcnry's "Give
me liberty or give me death. F" And,
where Patrick Henry was at the
time clamoring for separation
ii may not be amiSS to dig furth-
cr into that famous speech and find
these words, Gentlemen, know
of no way by which to judge the
future except by the past" Using
this touchstonc of reason. all we
ask is that all reasonable. fair
minded honest. forward-look
(not Backward -lOoIiing) men take
the table containing the total
hHStNn" bl' property vi lHt HtW
counties and old counties, from
which they have been cut, and
counties in the same sections,
which have not been cut, and com
pare the average tax lcvicS of these
counties; and then, if such men do
not find it conclusivcly proven that
new counties pay less taxes than
old ones, then the only other con
cluSion they can reach is that fig
lrcS lie.
This comparative table has been
gotten up for us at a large expense
of time and money by former
member of the Comptroller-Gcn-
erals department in order that the
people may know the truth it is
now in the hands Of the printers
and will be given the people both
in circular form and through the
press.
w. F.. BRYSON,
l.. II. LRBY,
f.. a. BEASON,
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09


reaching from Landrum to Cross
Anchor.
Now let us see what some of the
new counties estimates are, from
the Comptroller- General report
for 1913, transmitting the differ
ent county boards estimates, we
find that they estimate they will
require the following amounts to
run their counties this year:
Bamberg. :. >. =. .$1S.315
(See page 2O3)
calhoun =. 80. ..-... =. ..18,870
(See page 207)
DlIlon 49,. 49,. 29, 200
See page 217)
Jasper =. ..... II, $50
See page 223)
Saluda ...... :. go. .21 ,130
See page 244j
These counties are well set up
for housekeeping and are running
their affairs on from one-tenth to
one-sixth as much as Spartanburg
county and on a smaller levy. BY
reference to the Acts Of General
Assembly for the present year are
as follows:
For all county purposes:
Mills.
'Spartanburg county 7 1-2
See page 252)
Bamberg county 6
See page 214)
Calhoun county S
See page 22O }
Dillon county Z 1-8
See page 229)
Jasper county 4
See page 24D
Saluda county 7
See page 252)
"He who runs may read", even
though he be looking for an Gun
business like proposition"
We are sure the colonel does not
care to mislead one Intentionally,
and has been watching the press
closely to see him explain new
county, assuming its proportionate
share of the public debt, does not
mean that it will have to pay one
cent more of it than it would were
it to remain a part Of the old coun-
ty.
Now let us look little further
and see whether or not the assessed
valuation Of property will have to
be increased in order to keep the
levy down. 1t has been stated,
not by the colonel, however, "that
no doubt you people can show that
new counties have run their af-
fairs on smaller levy than old
ones, but the way it is done is by
increasing the assessed valuation
Of property: in fact, we have
heard it stated that in Cherokee
county farming lands are assessed
at $15 per acre. Now let s go again
to the tax books and get facts, not
hearsay. By referring to the
Comptroller General s report for
years 1911, 1912, 1913, you will
find the farming lands in Spar
tanburg and Cherokee assessed as
follows:
Per Acre
1910, 1911, 1912
Spartanburg
county $6.17 $6.17 $6.19
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

on Enoree river, or $l2, 100, making
a total of $36,250, had all been
washed away in that time, which
hasn't been the case, from this
please state how you explain the
$375,O0O debt, and especially how
you arrive at the conclusion that
the area cut off will have nearly all
the costly bridges in the county
We note in your article in The
Herald on June % that you find
Cherokee bankrupting itself by is-
suing SAT 500 bonds to meet de-
ficiencies incurred from building
bridges and for ordinary county
expenses; by referring to Acts of
General Assembly for 1909, page
3OS, you will find that Spartan
burg county, for the purpose of
providing sufficient funds for the
payment of the floating indebted
nes of the county of Spartanburg,
and for the building of bridges
therein: (the words are those of
the act itself), bonded herself for
$25O,0OO.
"Pluck the beam out of thine
own eye" and you will probably
find the moat in Cherokee county s
eye splinter in comparison. AS
long as Cherokee county, with So
537 SOB assessable property in
in 1913 only has to issue SAT SOC
in bonds and Spartanburg in 1909
with $18,000,000 assessable has to
issue $25O,000 bonds with which to
do identically the same thing, we
are sure the colonel will have TO
place deeper into bankruptcy his
own efficient county and pray
for the homestead.
The colonel taunts us that all we
would have to do is to go to the
auditors or supervisors books,
and to the Comptroller General s
indeed he claims that he
has found from the latter that in
1910 Cherokee county paid 5 10
mills and Spartanburg county 5
mills county taxes; we know Of no
way that taxes can be levied cX-
ccpt by an act passed by the lcgiS-
laturc, and on page 800 OF the Acts
of 1910 we find that Cherokee
county paid 6 ID mills county
taxes for the year 1910, and on
page $50 of the same acts we find
that Spartanburg county paid Z
1-2 mills county taxes for the year
1910. If the Comptroller- General
or the county auditors Of these
two counties in sworn statements
will say these are not the facts,
then the writer promises Col.
Moore that he will vote against
the formation of the new county.
We do not know how the col
oncl arrived at the figures quoted,
but we submit that any fair-mind-
ed, reasonable man will agree that
the only honest way TO arrive at
the facts i'm regard to taxation, is
to take the average lcvies for the
whole life Of a new county and
them with the average
levcs of the old counties cut for the
same period. Now we have shown
you that property assessed at a
lower rate in Cherokee county
farming lands at from $110 to
$1.12 less, farm buildings at half,
horses and mules $37.79 per
head less, and COWS at about
the same figure, Now, by taking
the total levics for the whole life
of Cherokee county, from 1896
down to and including 1913, and
getting the average for both coun-
ties for that time you will find that
for that time Snartanburo county
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

The following is the reply, of the
committee of the proposed new
county with Woodruff as the coun-
ty seat, to the letter of Col. II. j.
Moore, which appeared in the
Spartanburg Herald several weeks
ago and which was copied in this
paper:
To the Spartanburg Herald:
Col. Moore assures us that as
he has been cut off into the pro-
posed new county, he has taken
at upon himself to investigate the
running expenses of counties, and
proceeds at once to lay down the
proposition that the new county
would start out poorer than Spar
tanburg was at the close of the
Confederate war; as for the latter
statement, until the Colonel can
produce the figures in support of
this we will be compelled to be
suspicious of this statement and to
rely on the overwhelming weight
Of authority which our older men
and forefathers have handed down
to us; that Spartanburg county,
along with the other counties Of the
state at that period, was poverty
stricken, whereas the venerable col
onel himself says that the new
county will start with $3,O0O,OOO
assessable property; the real facts
being that the assessable property
will be between $3,500,000 and
$3,750,O0O, more closely approx
mating the latter; the further
facts being that if the colonel had
taken the trouble to look into the
matter he would have been COM
PEELED to tell you that the new
county would start out with more
assessable property than has any
new county since the constitution
of 1895, under which such coun-
ties are formed.
Now we find from the comptrcl-
ler-general's report for the pres.
ent year covering values for 1912,
that of the nine new counties
formed since the constitutional
convention only three Of that num-
Der had last year as much assess
able property as the proposed new
county will start with, and most
of these six counties have been run
ming for II years; here are your
figures, taken from pages 93 and
81. Comptroller generals report
for 1913:
Total taxable property for year
commencing January l, 1912:
Bamberg $1,000, $50
Calhoun 1881, 40
Cherokee 5,537, SOB
Dillon 3,776,972
Dorchester 3,185,952
Greenwood 6,SO3,O92
Jasper 2,467, ,442
Lee 3,423,74o
Saluda 2,619,462
Have you heard of any of these
counties being poverty stricken
and have any of the citizens of any
of the above counties who have told
you that their counties are not as
prosperous as any of the old coun-
ties in their section?
If you have investigated these
matters, as colonel says he has,
you will find that the county af-
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09
June 25, 1913. From this table
is extracted the following:
AUerage 4sSessable Values.

is extracted the following:
AUerage Assessable Values.
Spartanburg county-Lands per
acre, $6.1S; horses and mules, $685.
10; COWS, $11.19.
Laurens county-Lands, per
acre, 1926; horses and mules,
$46.34; cows, $9.69.
Greenville dounty-Lands, per
acre, 1928; horses and mules,
5000; COWS, 1915.
Cherokee county-Lands, per
acre, $5.O7; horses and mules,
$5O.22; cows, $11.61.
"In the name of the great god,
Justice" Mr.. Spartanburg
County farmer, get your gun and
shoot somebody"
Let us follow the colonel fur
ther into his realms of speculation
and be exceedingly practical, as
would measure up to the colonel s
standard. He assumes that Spar
tar rF'e county's levy is Z mills;
however, lss proper levy is I 1-2
for 1913 (see Acts 1913, page 252).
Now let us apply this proper levy
to our assessable property of $3,-
100000, and this would give us
$28, 1875 from that SURGE; we pre-
sumo that $4,000 ought to be
realized form communication road
tax, especially as there will be only
three small incorporated towns in
the territory, viz: Switzer, Reid
vile and Woodruff, so the coun-
ty roads will get the benefit of there
being very few people Incorporate
ed. Just here now we will say that
the citizens of Laurens county
pay $3.50 communication road tax,
but the above $4,000 is estimated
on the basis of 81, as in Spartan
burg county. We presume also
that the fines from magistrate s
courts will amount to $1,000 per
year; from circuit court fines and
clerk of courts licenses there
should be $1,000 (Spartanburg
county estimates she will get ST.
500 from the two latter sources
(see Comptroller Generals s re-
port, 1913, page 245) so this will
make total Of 1873, ,125.
Now we do not intend for the
tax levy to be as high as Spartan
burg's but let us take the colonel
at his own word and figure on this.
The citizens of the town Of Wood
ruff are pledging themselves to
give $4,000 to build court
house and jail, and whereas this
may not be as much money as the
colonel would put into such were he
going to put it in the great city of
Spartanburg." but it will be am
pie to furnish good dignified hous-
ing for our county for twenty
years, and by that time Spartan
burg will probably have one cost
ing 100000, and will spread it
over the Magnolia street school
building lot, which the chamber of
commerce of that city is endeavor-
ing to get the county-board to take
over at a figure around $50, 900.
When we assure you that the
school building at Woodruff only
cost a little more than $15, 900, we
are confident that the most exact
ing will agree that building like
it will fill the bill, especially as
IS 900 could be added to that and
the remaining $4,000 put into a
Jail. Several of the citizens of the
town have offered to give a free
site.
But to get back to the question.
Now the colonel didn't mean to
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

IL VI ClCIh Ol court ana
register combined, not
to include fees 200
For sheriff 1000
For magistrates and con-
stables .@1,4oo
For coroner 100
For poor house and poor 500
For roads and bridges 10000
For books, stationery and
printing 300
For contingent expenses 500
For post-mortem examin-
ing and conveying lunatics 300
For Jail expenses 500
Total amount to be
raised by taxation $1S,45O
Please note colonel that we have
provided $4,000 for roads and
bridges, and we are sure you will
agree that this amount is as much
as has annually been placed in the
area cut off-but our amount rails
ed as per levy, etc, was $33, 125 so
we have a surplus of SD, ,675 to our
credit and were we to place this
on our roads and bridges would we
ever have to dream of half mil
lion dollar bond issue for such, as
you did a few years back, and in
pursuit of the dream tried to place
on the county?
Now the trouble, colonel, is that
your point of view is that of the
IS horse farmer, who can conceive
of no business being business unless
it is stupendious, and you have lost
sight of the fact that our most eff
cient farmers, as well as other
classes Of citizens are those of
medium size, who do not have to
thcorizc, but can give the details
of their business their personal at
tcntion, apd who really know what
a dollar means and what it can do.
Colonel, if we cut the nice ex-
pensive bridegroom, as enumerated
by you,, wilfthey not belong to us;
and even were there as many and
costly as you claim, don't you think
that they would be replaced more
quickly by being at the very door
of the county seat than having to
wait several years, as at present?
You enumerated 20 brides which,
according to your estimate, cost
50 900: one Of these you note has
been replaced, so this reduces your
cost to $4,000. We have not the
figures at hand, but are reliably in
formed that one bridge on PacOlct
cost $14 900, and rather expect it
| would not be difficult to find others
close by costing $4,000 each, so you
have five bridges costing more than
you give the new county, or if
you give the new county, or if you
prefer add the cost of several of
the fine concrete arch bridges
around Spartanburg and you will
not have to add far until you have
your amomt--in saying it is pro.
posed 10 saddle rs with nearly all
the costly bridges in the county"
What county do you mean? We
are sure you did not maen to imply
to your readers that the bridges
on Fnoree river are owncd by Spar
tanburg county wholly. Now, col
onel, aren't these the facts about
the bridges in Spartanburg coun-
ty2 There are over 125 large
bridges in the county and the area
cut off in the proposed new coun-
ty will include between 80 and 40
of them, which takes in the bridges
on Enorec river, which are only
half-Owned by Spartanburg coun-
tyq
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09

tOpoh
excess :. =. Slip $1.10 $1.12
You will find farm buildings as
sessed as follows:
Spartanburg county (per build
ing)-191O, $181.52; 1911 $192.80;
1912, $184.93.
Cherokee county per building
1910, $84.19; 1911, $96.51; 1912,
$96,96.
Spartanburg's excess-1910,
$97.33; 1911, $86.29; 1912, $87.-
81.
(For above computations see
Comptroller Generals report for
1911, pages SOB, 504; for 1912,
pages 973-974: for 1913, pages
85-86.)
Since the above was written our
attention has been called to a ia
BILE of comparison of tax values
over the state, gotten up from the
Comptroller General IS books by
Hon. j. w. Garfield, auditor of
Greenwood county, and appearing
in full in the Laurens Advertiser
Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-04-24
Widow Wants To Escape Bond.

Widow Wants To Escape Bond.
Special to Independent.
Little Rock, April "a. State
Senator J. r. Wood of Hamburg
was in Little Rock yesterday to
see Acting Governor Futrell rel
alive to proclamation he would
have issued to relieve a widow
of Ashley county on a bond
which was forfeited recently.
The woman went on the bond
of a brother-in-law who was
under arrest for selling proper
ty which was mortgaged. He left
the country and the widow must
now pay the bond if she is not
relieved by proclamation by the
governor. The widow has
property little in excess of the
$500 bond, according to Senator
Wood.
Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-04-24
INCH RAINFALL
HELPS PLANTING
Much Corn and Considerable
Cotton Already Planted
Rain Was Needed As Il
Rule for Soil.

After day of high winds, the
clouds gave up an inch of mois-
ture Wednesday night that will
prove beneficial to crops already
planted and put the soil in better
shape for blowing and cultiva-
ton.
Much early corn has been
planted and some of it has been
plowed over the second time,
while cotton planting is under
good Roadway and the rainfall
will be very helpful in bringing
it up to good stands. Much
ground was in need of moisture
to break well and particularly in
the river bottoms, where corn
and cotton are yet to be planted,
will the rain prove beneficial.
Newport daily independent. (Newport, Ark.) 1901-1929, 1913-04-24
Odd Fellows to Form County
Organization.

The Independent Order of Odd
Fellows will hold a special meet
ing at Newport on next Monday,
April 28th. In addition to cele-
brating the Oath anniversary of
the order, a county organization
is to be formed of AN the Odd
Fellow Lodges in Jackson coun-
ty.
An interesting program 1Ras
been arranged and the serviceE
will begin at l p. m. and con-
clude with lunch and social ses-
sion late Monday night. Dele
gates and visiting members from
every lodge in the county are ex-
pected to be here on that day.