Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-25
HERE AND THERE

The 18th Field artillery of the
Thirtieth division, Is expected to reach
Columbia today.
From talks The Enquirer has had
with farmers from different parts OF
the county, there will probably be
some slight reduction Of the cotton
acreage; but very few think that the
reduction will amount to anything
like 80 per cent. "But there may be
some reduction in the quantity Of fer
tilizer used" said one well-informed
sarmer Yesterday. "a good many peo7
pie delayed placing their orders for SO
long that it is question now as 10
whether they can get their supplies.
OF course if the use Of fertilizers Is re-
duced the production will be reduced;
but l am not quite sure that there is
going to be any big things in the way
of reduced use Of fertilizerss"As, =
1.-The French people take a little in.
terest in football; but as to Daseoaii
they seem to be utterly Indifferent,
writes Lewis M. Grist from La Pallice'
France. while in La Rochelle the
other day." he continues, Il went to a
game that some Americans were play
ing, and I was struck with the careless
manner in which French civilians went
across the diamond in any dlrectlon.
They seemed to have no idea OF possl-
BILE danger; but II you tnlnk those
boys made any allowance for the tg-
norance of those Frenchmen, why
you've forgotten about the boys. One
man got struck on the shoulder py
batted ball, and at least two others
we're hit by thrown balls. Maybe the
mishaps were the result Of accident;
but it did not appear that way TO me.
It did occur to me, however, that even
If the French never learn to ike pase-
bail. they might eventually learn TO
remain beyond the lines while game
is in progress"
OF course the road working system
of today is not nearly what II ought 10
be: but to get an idea OF the improve
ment there has been, ask some OF tne
middle-aged men to tell you ABOUT
their recollections of thirty-fve or Tor
ty wears ago. In those days there were
weeks during the winter ana spring
when it was practically impossiple 10
travel from place to place IN puggy'
and there were many pupnc hisn-
ways" that were impossible even on
horseback. There Is no exaggeration
about this and no joke. 1t was not
uncommon for people to go 10 to"n
for miles over footpaths' ana on LoE. ,,,
Of course, because that was the only
way to travel. And as to the road
working system that was really ana
truly a farce. The law made every
man from IS to 60 liable to ROAD
duty" for four or six days out OF
wear. Each section Of road was IN
charge of an overseer appointed oy the
county commissioners. and the ROAD
hands were warned" out whenever
the overseer, in his judgment, tnousht
it a good time to work. There was ho
Communication tax alternative; put
man who was liable could get OUT py
sending as a substitute another man
who was either under or over age or
otherwise exempt. There were some
exemptions, of course, Tor various re- Iea,
sons, but not many. But the WORK tney
did was a farce. The people olu no'
take kindly to the idea OF enforced Id
Dor on the roads, and they maae
frolic Of it usually. One great diver
sion was to seize and impress the pass
ers-by. A luckless traveller VINO De-
longed to another section, Would De
taken off his horse by force, II neces-
sary, provided with a shovel or noe
and made to work until his tormehtoIs
felt like relenting. 1t was great oio
times for fun; but not much LOT ~oik.
occasionally an overseer would lnslst
on a little serious and intelligent "ork
in spots; but that was the exception
rather than the rule. There mas peeh
more road improvement In YORK coun-
ty during the past thrifty years than
there was during the previous lou
years.