Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-10-12
that everybody seems to appreciate
them both at their splendid worth.

whom I had v met before, kindly
sent me from the Chronicle Office to
the Seaboard station, a distance Of
more than a mile, and when I offered
to pay his son, who drove the spirited
horse that drew the buggy, the young
man told me that his father a in
structed him to take no pay. Just how
this came about, or Why l did not and
do not understand; but I do not hest
tate to say that I feel very much
pleased and honored because Of the
circumstance. OF our I know that
all Camden people do not do business
that way; but all Of the dozen or more
people I met personally while in the
town gave me an unusually pleasant
impression Of the place.
On taking the Seaboard train at
Camden I happened on Mr.. w. F.
Stevenson, and rode with him to Col
umbia, where he was going on busi-
ness. l enjoyed his company very
much. There was very little talk
about politics, except that he made 1t
clear that he is a candidate for con-
gress, and that he does not want his
friends throughout n district to lose
sight of the fact. I found Mr.. Steven
son q most entertaining talker. 1t de-
yeloped that he is q close and appre-
ciative reader Of The Enquirer, and
that he Is remarkably we'll informed
as to York county affairs, who the
people are, what they are interested
in and what they are doing. He seems
to know almost everybody 1 n the coun-
ty. In the course Of the conversation
he related an incident in connection
with the sale of his last years cotton
crop. It seems that as the result OF
the depression Of last fall he put his
cotton crop in q warehouse, and when
he decided to sell at about 9 cents, n
bale turned up missing. n bale
was not produced until last week, n
when he sold it at IL IL cents he got
a very regretful demonstration or Wnat
he would have had II he had only held
his entire crop until now. But say
would not we all have been fixed II we
had only gotten through that legisla-
tive plan whereby it was proposed to
lend the farmers bonds for their cot
ton 10 to a value Of 8 cents q pound!
The state would have gotten interest
on a oar that cost It practically moth
ing beyond the lithographing Of the
bonds, and the owners of cotton would
have made millions Of dollars by the
transaction"
I saw Governor Blease after / got
hack to Columbia. He was just get
ing ready to take the train for Green
wood, where he had an engagement
to make a speech. He said that II ne
could arrange to do so he would come
up to the fair at Rock Hill on Thurs
day for the purpose OF meeting as
many of his friends as he could. he
said also that he expected to come up
y-.1l1o n1nn for tho nnrnn9q OF
making some arrangements prepare
tory to the Eisenhower trial at the next
term of the court. But more than
anything else he seemed to be inter-
ested in the plans Of the Columbia n
augusta people looking to the organi-
cation Of q big Independent Warehous
syndicate, having for its object the
blanketing and squelching OF the state
warehouse system. He seemed to rear
that II the plans of the syndicate sue
coed. the benefits that the state have
in view for the farmers will be retain
ed by middle men and organized CAPT.
tai. His views or the subject are set
forth more fully in his GREENWOOD
speech, which is published elsewhere
in this issue.
Columbia is pretty dull. A large
crowd filled the streets opposite the
office Of the Columbia State, watching
the baseball bulletins and listening TO
the megaphone man as he
the plays in the world series between
the Philadelphia and Boston teams;
hut there was no conspicuous eviden-
ces of hustling business. Several peo-
pie told me that they had never seen
the city duller at this season or the
wear and also, it was common to hear
references of bad financial conditions
generally. 1t appears that Columbia
people went wild during the boon pc
Rod and put real estate skyhigh,. IN
many instances higher than thezsky-
ape It seems to have been a
frenzy Of mortgages. Speculative pur-
chasers bought property on small mar
gins of cash and gave mortgages ZOE
the balance. Later, as prices would
advance, there would be other trans
fers and more mortgages, second mort
cages, third mortgages and SO on.
Now that the bottom has dropped out
of the boom, prices have gone down
and down and in many cases properly
covered by several mortgages will not
at forced sale, bring the face value OF
the original papers. The gen.
orally is pretty gloomy.
One of the most noticeable things
along the railroad between Columbia
and Rock Hill, is the striking evil
dences of the result Of last falls d.
y~ersification campaign. Where 1t used
to be nothing but cotton, cotton, all
along the line, now the corn fields al
ternate pretty evenly with the cotton
fields. Neither the cotton or the corn
along the railroad appears to be es-
--ttt ~ool. hut nann1a Uhn are IA
miliar with the pitching Of the crops
along this route in former years, are
necessarily impressed with the strik-
ing contrast that Is now being pre-
sented.
While waiting at Rock Hill, I talked
with DIR. ]. B. Johnson about various
matters, and he told me n story
that Is interesting as we'll as signifi-
cant. There Is an old negro on my
place near Ogden" said DR.. Johnson,
who is quite a character as well as a
philosopher. He came up here to sell
his cotton seed and when he found out
the price, he said: 1 jest tells you
what's a fac, cotton seed jes' aint wuf
no 60 cents a bushel. Vas, sir; vas,
sir. dat's too high. But den when we
go to buy dem fertilizers mex spring
dey's goin' to mex us pay more'n OATS
wuff tool"
John Roddey has two subjects in
which he is especially interested just
now. He is proud about n Of them
and he is indignant about the other.
The thing he Is proud Of Is what he
has been doing with the price Of cot
ton seed, and the thing he Is indig-
nant about is the policy Of the munic-
ipal authorities in putting stripes on
the offenders against municipal ordi-
nances. 81 do not like this thing Of
putting stripes on city prisoners at all.
Here is a man violating a city ordi-
nance, just a matter Of a little INSIDE
meanor, and because he has not got
the money to pay out, he is subjected
to the humiliation and degradation OF
stripes. 1t Is wrong and it is no credit
to the town Of Rock Hill" AS to cot
ton seed, he says, he is only trying to
make them bring what they are worth.
In reply to the suggestion that the oil
mill people say they cannot manufac-
ture them at present prices. he said
something like rats. look where meal,
rulls and oil are going to, won't your
Then he called attention to the curl
Gus fact that cotton seed are worth
more to the bushel than wheat. lone