The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-08-13

The board of directors Of the Alb
beville Chamber of Commerce met in
the office of the president iasr even
ing and unanimously agreed to en-
ploy George T. Barnes of Nashville,
Tenn. as paid secretary OF their or,
ganization at 4 salary of $4,000 pei
year.
The meeting will go on record as
one characterized by rongeniality
and unanimity of purpose. Practical
ly I'll of the fifteen directors were
present with the exception Of few
who were engaged in ente. Saining the
visiting doctors in attendance upon
the Third District Medical ASSOCIATION
about the city.
Pres. J. NJ. Nickles called the meet
ing yesterday morning when he re-
ceived a telegram from Mr.. Barnes
stating that he would arrive at 500
that afternoon to meet WIN the d.
rectors of the Chamber of Com
merce. Mr.. Barnes was present at the
meeting and freely gave tls ideas
regarding the work of commercial
organization and impressed the di-
rectors as being gentleman OF
character and. initiative. Numerous
questions were asked the applicant
regarding his past experience in such
lines of work as would 1it man for
the secretaryship of Chamber of
Commerce.
: After going over the plan of@work
as will be taken up by the local Or
ganization with Mr.. Barnes the di-
rectors unanimously agreed that he
was the man to guide them in build
ing a Greater AbbevilIe and the pro-
position was made Mr.. Barnes that
he accept the work for one year at
a salary of $4,000. A committee was
appointed composed of T. G. White,
J. D. Fulp and Bradley Reese to no.
tify Mr.. Barnes, who had retired
from the meeting earlier, of the ac-
ton of the board. When the commit
tee had seen Mr.. Barnes and talked
the matter over with him he an
nounced that he would accept the
proposition and would bring MS fam
lily to Abbeville September 1 to be-
gin his new work.
George T. Barnes, the new;y eject
ed secretary is a man of middle age,
is married, has three grown children,
and has been engaged in publicity
and association work practically all
of mis- life. From 1905 to 1914, the
year the United States entered the
war, Mr.. Barnes was secretary of the
Birmingham, Alabama Fair Associa-
ton and consequently has had un-
usual experience dealing with farm
ers and business men in this work.
It was due to the taking over of the
faiz grounds in Birmingham by Camp
Sheridan that the Birmingham Fair
association was forced to relinguish
their work.
Since that time Mr.. Barnes has
been connected with the publicity
work of the Firestone Ship-By-Truck
association with headquarters in At
lanta. He has had six of the Southern
states under his jurisdiction in the
Firestone association ana states that
as soon as he learned of the excellent
spirit moving the people. OF ADbeville
to cooperate in a chamber of COM
merce to put Abbeville permanently
on the map, that the position of Sec
retary of the local organization ap-
pealed to him as he had fully made
up his mind to get "off the road" and
se:c:.,,a down with his family in some
gcrG, progressive community.
me directors of the Chamber of
Commerce feel that they nave made
a wise choice and that they are ex-
ceedingly fortunate that Mr.. Barne'
happened along just when they arr
in urgent need of a live, energetic
man to take the he I'm of their organ
ization.