The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-23

reward comes in the way that your
fellow citizens patronizcd the special
edition, and the spirit in which it was
received, more than in the hopes of
financial profit.
AS 'one of the old guard that nev-
~ surrend ered' to the dark clouds of
adversely which have periodically ov-
ershadOwed Sumter's prosperity, and
one who has fought good fight, and
thoroughly imbued with the never say
die Sumter spirit, you are one who can
take gratitude and appreciation, CO.
operation and public spirit in place of
cash rewards if your fellow citizens
show that what you are trying to do
for your home city and county is ap-
| preciated.
The Twenty-frst Anniversary edition
of your paper Mr. Editor, is all that
high class journalism, brains, and en-
lterprise, coupled up with good business
management cou' possibly produce.
1t his a special value which I am
going to emphasize. That value lies
| in the absolute reliability of the state
| ments made and so carefully verified
| by you from official records or other
| reliable sources.
Its value as an advertisement for
| Sumter city and county is based upon
the fact that what you permitted
printed about Sumter and Sumter
county had to be verified before you
of the special edition.
If you had put in as much time
seeing how much money you could
make out of the special edition as you
did in verifying statements, you could
now be riding around in a Ford tour
ing car with a string band accompany
ing you. 1 know this to be fact. You
required me to stand up to the Sum-
4 ter Chamber of Commerce motto The
Truth is Good Enough" and you had
to be shown by every writer, regular
and special, that what was written
was absolutely correct.
| Your special edition leaves the beat
en- track of ordinary specializing in
journalism. The edition is not only a
business edition, and valuable ad-
vertising proposition for the entire city
and county of Sumter, and for those
business establishments which used
| advertising space, but this edition is
very valuable from a historical and an
educational point of view.
4 You have done much for Sumter
and Sumter county in the past. The
special edition but adds to the value of
yoru services to your native city, coun-
| ty, and State.
1 / can imagine your thoughts going
back twenty-one years ago to the old
! O'Connor little wooden building on the
site of your present magnificent three
story buildings, and you recall how
YOU saved Emmetts life many a time
by not publishing some Of the fool stuff
l wrote. Candidly 1 think you ought
to have a Carnegie hero medal for the
patience and friendship you displayed
for a hot headed young Irish aspirant
for journalistic fame.
You doubtless recalled the oldcn
time hand press, worked by elbow
grease" motive power, we didn't have
hight tension magnetos in our office
them days." And how the type were
set by hand, and how we use to say
that Joe Darr's red hair was red
enough to keep the room warm with
out a stove, and how we didn't know
half the time where the pay roll mon
ey was coming in, but how you always
paid off whether you got anything for
yourself or not.
! Well, Mr.. Editor. you have a lot to
be proud of, and a lot to be thankful
for, and 1 know that you are well
pleas 1 with your lot in life. l Just
wanted, in my good olden time, "ramb-
ing way OF VOlumlnOuS emphasis to
let you know what Sumter people
think of your splendid anniversary ed
itiOn. Like the writer you are Just
crossing the middle ground slopes of
the great divide" and / want you to
feel that you are still useful and ap-
preciated so that you wont allow our
premature grey hairs and threatened
| bald heads to dampen our we'll pre-
| served youthful enthusiasm.
We have worked so well together.
IN uouple harness, for so many years,
In getting up fall festivals, organizing
and helping to keep up chambers of
commerce, advocating sewerage and
the WaterWOrkS systems pavpd StraefS