The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-02-02
COL. ROCHE AT HOME.

Col. Patrick Roche says lie - d.
home, and desires us to say so III
these columns. "The Press and Ban
ner must be the most read paper IN
the United States and South Ameri-
ca" he said, when telling US that he
came up town Saturday afternoon
only to collared by every white man
and several colored ones, and forced
to explain that he was not in Cuba,
with his reasons for not going and
all other circumstances connected
with the enterprise, all of which took
ur so much time that he didn't get
down to Hillbilly Headquarters in
time to play even one game.
It I'll happened because it was
stated in these columns that Col.
Roche had accompanied Col. w. A.
Calvert and Col. Jim Gillian on the
trip to the island, which we remem-
Der to have heard described good
many years ago as "a jewel racked
by the waters Of the silvery sea-
Col. Roche had intended to 60 along
with the other Colonels, but ne
thought the trip would cost about
twenty-five dollars, he said. When he
saw Col. Calvert count out little
ess than five hundred and Col. Gil
liam about the same amount, the
morning Of their departure, he chang
ed his mind, not that he did not
have the money, but he had not fin
ished paying the high taxes now lev
led in this city and was owing the
preacher little balance. So he de-
cided to stay behind and see these
matters Strengthened out. He told US
Saturday night, however, when it got
cold that he knew Coils. Calvert and
Gillian were having pleasant sail
ing" down around Havana and he
wouldn't mind if he were there.
The Colonel tells US that Jim Nc
MILAN was to 60 on the trip too, but
that Jim fell out at the last minute.
He objected to sending his picture to
Washington to have it compared with
all the hunted criminals, I. W. WIS,
presidential candidates, democrats
and other culprits now being looked
for, and as he could not get out of
the United States and Florida in any
other way, he decided to stay at Dy-
son and make bricks. :
Col. Roche was on hand Tuesday
to see his old friends Calvert and
Gillian off and to wish them a pleas
ant voyage and very early return.
He says that Col. Calvert was elected
Treasurer of the expedition, the
agreement being to make it fifty
fifty affair all the way through; that
Col. Calvert's money was to be spent
first, and when it was out, they were
to know that the trip is half over;
they would then stay as many days in
Cuba as they had been there already,
then commence the homeward jour-
ney. AS Colonel Gillian did not ex-
pect to use his money for some days
yet he decided to make it safe, so
he went down to the store of Ramey
& Gillian, where they have new
goods and low prices, and there Sc
cured the services of Col. Lamar Gil
liam in sewing the money in his left
hand hip pocket so it would not be
lost before the time for using it ar
rived. /
Col. Roche is fully persuaded that
the Mayor of Havana has not seen
more prominent pair of men in his
city in several years than his two
friends. His only disquietude on the
expedition is caused by his fears that
the Mayor might think they had come
down to buy up the ciyt and pro-
fiteer on it and in order to get them
out of any trouble on this score Col.
Roche tells US that he gave them a
recommendation of which the follow
ing is copy:
Abbeville, S. c., Jan. rs, 1920.
Mayor of Havana,
Havana, Cuba,
Dear Mayor,-Should these two