French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-06-01
MI. D..H. Counts Gives His
Side of Recent Labor Trouble
To the Editor of The Hustler:

~ IAO EuCOr VI lie HUSTLER.
My name is D. H. Counts l live in
Laurens, S. C. have spent the sum-
mers in Hendersonville continuously
for about thirty years, which l can
verify by Captain Toms and J. L. Orr.
OF THIS city.
Ny sister, Mrs. s. H. Sanders, OF
Florence, S. c.. recently concluded to
build a summer home here. We
bought lot from Mr.. W. A. Smith at
Laurel Park. The agreement between
us was that should build the house
and that we would divide the costs.
live within Is miles of Henderson
Vile and she lives within 800 miles of
this c.ty. 1 came here on the 18th
day of May and brought my own help
with me, big majority of which lived
on my own farms in Laurens county,
S. c., to do this work. In addition to
this 1 employed three colored carpen-
ters, who owed me more money than
they could possibly have worked out
on this job. / was to pay their rail-
road fare and credit their accounts
for the balance.
We broke ground on the 18th May
and everything ran smoothly for about
a week. On Saturday last, May q, a
committee of white men supposed to
be twelve or fifteen as estimated by
the proprietor sof. the Blue Ridge Inn
hoteIs came to "wait on me" as I un-
derstand. to inform me that 1 must
dispose of my colored labor.
1 went to the sheriff of the county.
He was not Tin his Office. A young
man, who informed me that he was
deputy said could get no assistance
from him. / went to Mr.. Brooks,
mayor of the city, and he said that he
would see me at o'clock in the af-
ternoon. / went to Mr.. w. A. Smith
from whom my lot was purchased
and asked 4t,m for protection of my
laborers. He replied that he could do
nothing. .~
On Monday took this matter up
with Mayor Brooks over the phone and
he told me that the sentiment was
against my working colored labor.
That same night Mr.. w. A. Smith
phones me that there would be fifty
men at my building the next morn
ing to keep this labor rom going to
work. I said to him that this is a
"devil of a country" His reply was
that eve are doing here like they do
in Georgia"
On tbs information from Mr. Smith,
whom 1 had known for good many
years and believing him to be one OF
the leading citizens of Hendersonville.
I took these negroes to the depot and
purchased their tickets for Laurens,
s. c.. and sent them back to my farm.
want to state that 1 am South
Carolina Democrat. 1 never did
th ng in nv life to advance the negro
above a white man. l bought every
>
into my house in the city of Hender-
sonville and paid spot cash for it. l
wish to say that in conclusion that
am the last man living that would
come to Hendersonville knowingly
and violate any law, social. moral or
civil.
l write this statement to put the
matter clearly before the, good citizens
of Hendersonville.
Every tool chest on our place was
broken open atxnight between the
time We quit work On Saturday afte1-
noon and Monday morning at the time
we started to work, and the tools
taken away. My paint and oils were
destroyed, absolutely. l haven't the
remotest idea who did this dirty
work nor have I made any effort to
find out the guilty parties. 1 leave
this for the good citizenship of Hen
Jacksonville to do.
D. H. COUNTS.
June 1, 1916.