Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-05-27
HAD THEM GOING.

So far as is known nobody was actu
ally touched; but half dozen or mor'
of the leading town builders In Rocl
Hill, were considerably stirred durint
parts of several days not long ago b!
some dazzling attractions that wer'
held up by a plausible stranger wh'
appeared among them suddenly ant
as suddenly disappeared.
A. ]. Porter was the name TIT
stranger gave. AS to whether ina
was his real name nobody knows, ant
II does not matter. What matteret
was that he represented himself as
trusted agent Of Henry Ford, sen
down to select q suitable southern sit
upon which to erect big plant for th'
manufacture Of Fordson tractors.
Among the people who were more
or less Interested were Messrs j. M
Cherry, w. J. Roddey, John T. Roddey
John w. O'Neal, John A. Shurley
Claude Cauthen and others, and al
though some Of them now say the!
knew the fellow was faker all tht
time," there are others who have theil
own opinions about that.
Mr.. A. A. McKeown was the frs
man to get wise to the mysterious new
conner. It was last Thursday nigh
was a week ago, coming down from
Blacksburg on the eastbound southern
train. Mr.. McKeown heard the CON
ductor ask the stranger how far ht
was going and when the stranger sale
he was going to the end Of the con.
ductor's run, Mr.. McKeown understood
that to mean Rock Hill, and for rea.
sons of courtesy and for company, Mr.
McKeown introduced himself
1t was not very long after mutua
introductions had passed until the con
yersation took on very great import.
ance to Mr.. McKeown. The stranger
was from Detroit, Michigan, specia
representative Of Henry Ford, SEN
down to look out for a location for
great manufacturing site for the Ford
son tractor. He had just Inspected the
Camp Site at Sewer; but had wired II
an adverse report, and although 1t mac
been his intention to go on to Wads
worth, Mr. Ford had wired him tt
eliminate Spartanburg and Greenville
and proceed to Rock Hill, with the idee
of going on to Columbia If Rock Hi
did not seem to offer what was wanted
He knew all about the Cherry farm
the Whitner place and other more OF
less notable properties, and among
other things said that he had gotter
most Of his information from Hamil
ton Carhartt, who was largely inter.
ested with Mr.. Ford in the proposed
undertaking.
Arrived at Rock Hill, Mr.. A. B. Por'
ter went to the hotel, and Mr.. NC
Keown went home with the under
standing that Mr.. Porter would have
the opportunity Of seeing as many OF
the representative citizens as he want.
ed to see next day. in the rooms of the
Chamber Of Commerce. But In a mat
ter like this, of course, Mr.. Mckeowr
did not feel warranted In leaving
things as they were, so he took occa'
sion to quietly tip off some Of the live
wires that night.
Not all; but a good many OF then
knew it next morning, and though
most Of them presented a calm exte,
rior, naturally there was a good dea
of suppressed excitement. A Fordsor
plant for Rock Hill A plant which
within a year or two would be shipping
train load after train load Of tractors
to all parts Of the country weekly, II
not daily! Whew! If, for instance
the fifteen hundred acre Cherry farm
should be selected, the price would Dc
not less than $3.50 or $500 an acre, anc
all the land within five miles woulc
jump up SO per cent in value over
night.
I'VE don't need any great big crowd
up there" said one. You leave tha'
to me, and I'll land him." And as
matter Of fact only about a half doz-
en- or such a matter did go to the
meeting; but they were well informed
men of affairs, capable Of giving all
desired information about everything
that Mr.. Porter might wish to know.