The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-06-17

ambition, lent his credit in assisting
him in taking it over-the considera-
ton being only the assumption Of its
indebtedness. The county was then
Democratic, and this paper not even
the official organ of the minority
party.
"With the enthusiasm of youth, and
the inspiration of one who has his
foot upon the first rung of the ladder
of his ambition, the young man bent
his energies to the task of making The
Star heacon-light which should shine
out of the darkness, and to lift it
out of the depths of all but bankruptcy
and give it financial standing above
reproach.
HE lived with it day by day, and
oftentime far into the night. He
dreamed of it. At times he performed
every function from "devil" to man.
aging editor. Thorny was the road
and sometimes the Golfers were so de-
rleted that it was necessary to re-
quest advertisers to make advance
layment of bills in order to keep the
enterprise afloat. But the story OF
how it grew and expanded, ultimately
outgrowing and taking over its COM
petitor is too long to be written here.
1t is the same story Of love, devotion,
energy, resourcefulness, and determi-
nation winning against all odds and
coming out triumphant in the end.
"The Star today is a prosperous,
money-making plant. It could not be
purchased at any price. There has
never been a strike or a threatened
strike in The Star office. His en-
ployees found him always liberal and
ever generous, and they love him as a
brother. After he had established
his paper on a firm foundation he
organized stock company, distribu-
ting shares to each of his employees,
and he and they still own it.
"Mr. Harding is closely identified
with many large business enterprises.
Since he took over The Star, Marion
has grown from country town Of
four thousand inhabitants to flour
ishing city of thirty thousand, and he
las been prime factor in this indus
trial development. He has been a
booster for every new industry which
has locator there, taking shares Of
stock in each to the limit of his abili-
ty. Because of his recognized busi-
ness sagacity he has been made, at
one time or an other, member Of the
Board of Directors of most Of these
enterprises, lending his counsel and
advice, and in turn gathering much
valuable information concerning the
difficulties which beset the various
lines of industry. He is at present
q director of bank, director of sew
eral large manufacturing plants, and
is also a trustee of the Trinity Bap-
tist Church, of which he is a member,
and upon whose services he is reg
ular attendant when in the city. How
ever, we are told, he has managed to
get out of town often enough to see a
bit of the world:
During the last score of years
Senator Harding has been three
ii es abroad, visiting most Of the Eur
ropean countries, not on pleasure
bent, but to study at close range their
systems of government and the eco
nomic problems with which we have
to deal-such as the tariff, the stand
ard of wages paid to labor in the diff
ferent countries, and the varied con-
ditions surrounding their mode of life;
but always he has returned with a
| ucSUcT lONS LUZ lio OWh lohO SAho .
firmer conviction that its form Of
government is the best which was
ever devised by man.
"After his election to the United
States Sanate, and before taking his
seat, he visited the Hawiian Islands
to get some first-hand information
upon the production and distribution
of sugar. He has spoken many times
IN almost every State of the Union,
addressing now a wool-growers' as
sociation, now farmers institute,
now convention of steel end irorn
masters, and now an association of
miners or of railroad employees, or a
combination of laborers from some
other branch of industry, thus famil-
iarizing himself with the needs of
every section, and with the thought
and hopes and aspirations of all clas-