Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-16

McCorkle, Of Mecklenburg county,
color bearer of a North Carolina regi-
ment which lost heavily in the Get
tysburg fight. A line Of march, with
the old veterans In the lead and fol-
lowed by the local camp Of Boy Scouts
In full uniform, was then formed at
the school building and the crowd
marched to the city cemetery, where
the graves Of the Confederates were
decorated and the exercises were con-
cluded.
Bethany High School.
The Bethany High school closed a
very successful school year yesterday,
and the closing exercises were at
tended by a goodly number Of people.
Hon. John E. Carroll Of Yorkville, who
was to have made an address at the
school yesterday morning was un-
able to be present. A basket dinner
was served on the grounds to the
large crowd from the surrounding
crowd was again disappointed by the
absence Of Rev. ]. L. Oates, Of York.
Vile, who was to have made an ad-
dress. Rev. Mr.. Oates and Mr.. Car
roll found 1t impossible to attend. The
evening exercises, commencing at
p. m. consisted Of drills, short plays,
recitations, ETC., and the whole Of the
exercises were we'll presented and
highly interesting. A play, Ten Nights
in a Bar Room" was the closing fea-
ture OF the exercises. This part OF
the school closing was well delivered
and those taking part were heartily
applauded. The exercises closed with
"a song, Good Night" in which the
- hoo
a successful year for Bethany High
school, and the patrons Of the school
are we'll pleased with the work Of the
principal, Prof. C. A. Griffith. The en-
rollment this year is considerably larg-
er than that Of last year, and the
outlook Is for a larger and better
school next year.
LinvilIe Fruit Crop Destroyed. .a
Chester Lantern, Wednesday: A
prominent member Of the Carolina &
North Western railway this morning
was talking about the great loss of
fruit and timber in the Linvslle sec
ton, just beyond Edgemont and which
is connected with the latter place by
a splendid Turnpike road. The rail-
road is somewhat disappointed in the
failure Of this crop Of fruit as we'll as
in such q great loss of timber. An
nually 1t has made thousands Of dol
lars hauling this fruit south and dis
tributing all along its line, whence II
was carried hundreds and hundreds
Of miles to other markets. All Of this
revenue Will be practically cut on this
year. The mountains, declared this
railroad man, will indeed be without
fruit this year. In addition to losing
the greater part of the blackberries
and nearly all the huckleberries by
fire, the late frosts have killed the
peaches and now the apples. The
peaches were destroyed in all this re-
gion, even as low as an altitude OF l.
700 feet, two or three weeks ago. Sat-
urday and Sunday nights severe frosts
laid all early vegetation low and 1t is
the general opinion that all the apples
except in sheltered coves away from
watercourses, have been killed. Not
withstanding the heavy apple crop OF
last year, the trees were generally In
full bloom, promising another big
crop, when the frosts came. Early
garden truck was nipped and many
tender shoots on trees killed. Grapes
which usually give bountiful crop OF
first class fruit here, have gone the
same way. Some Of the apples will
be saved because Of their location
away from streams and in protected
places, teaching a lesson that many
are observing that It Is mistake to
try to raise apples and peaches at this
altitude along low bottoms where
frosts are always much heavier and
later. AS the smoke Of the big fires
clears away and reports OF the dam
age are circulated, 1t Is more certain
that no such destructive or extensive
fires have ever occurred In this region
within the memory Of the Oldest resi-
dents. They seemed to spring UP In
all directions, as far as one could see
from the highest mountain tops and
as far as reports have come, from the
north and west Of this place. All these
reports tell the same story, OF some
ones carelessness or recklessness in
starting fires which "got away" and
went tearing through the forest for
days and days, destroying millions of
dollars worth of property that nothing
but time can replace. Few now living
will ever see the mountains looking as
they did before these fires. The most
experienced timber men are OF the
opinion that even the large trees are
mostly killed, or will die before anoth-
er year, where these fires were. In
nearly every instance the persons who
started these fires are irresponsible.
They can do nothing to right the
wrong they have done, even II they
wanted to. The penalties for this OF
fense are inadequate, and there is
much talk to the effect that drastic
punishment must be provided in the
future for such criminal carelessness
The mountain people are realizing the
loss they have suffered and the senti-
ment is strong for better protection.
In two years from now when all the
underground killed this year Is thor
oughly dry, the forest will be ready
for more and still hotter fires.