The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-02-06
WONDERS WROUGHT BY ACCENT COTTON.

Under the above caption there appeared IN lhe
Times New York, Sunday, the article quoted oelo":
written by Boyd Lee, a native of South Carohna'
We give the article in full as we believe tnat Mr.
Lee has told of his trip back home and the testl-
mony thereof" just it would appear to the aver
age New Yorker, who had seen the South IN the
days of L. G. L. and 7-cent cotton and who had
made another visit this winter:
81 have lust returned from trip into the South,
home of Accent cotton, and the wonders l saw
there lie heavy upon me; heavy, indeed, that like
Marco Polo and other travellers into strange lands,
1 am moved to give testimony thereof.
ssNot that my journey was into country. l
was born and reared down, there, like thousands OF
others now dwelling in the larger cities, but the
complacency of metropolitan life had warped my
opinion of the provinces" until not prepared
for the tremendous strides which rich agricultural
section can make under the impetus of good crops
and fair prices. Whereas the rising cost of living
is the chief outward and visible sign in the cities
of the new era caused by the war, everything touch
ing ones daily life in the Southeast has been mold
ed into fresh shape. Inc effect necessarily is start
ling.
""My eyes were opened when I went up to the
, square the first Saturday of my visit to my
South Carolina home town, and was nearly run
down by fourteen different negro families in four
teen automobiles. The combination was new to me.
And those machines were not all "fivvers" by any
means.
"Whats the DEVIL" thought /, remembering the
mules and wagon of my childhood couple of
splint-bottom chairs in each for the women men,
bers of the family, perhaps gayly hued quilt over
their laps in cold weather These shiny automobiles
and plush robes were as novel as jinrikshas would
have been. went over to talk to merchandising
friend about it. '''', ...
They've got all the money in the world,'" he
said when he paused in his toll of selling silk shirts
s12 Shoes and other fine rainent to people who
were wearing ovetalls and brogans when had de-
parted thence some years ago. don't think he
was talking in hyperbole.
EYES, Sir, trade is better than ever BEFORE" he
continued. "We are selling fine goods and the
end is not yet. That suit of Clothes retailing for
$780," he pointed to window display, "is the
same quality as the line we have bought for Spring
to retail at $sO." =.
"And you expect to sell that stuff" exclaimed.
The same store had sold me quite decent suit
when was in college for $3.50.
Cali we can get," he replied. "Go ask the banks"
/ took his advice. Or rather I went to bank.
couldn't get close enough to my old friend, the
President to have any converse, The lobby was too
crowded with prosperous farmers and equally pros
porous negroes, all of them slowing away money.
The ebony-hued customer at the grille tossed in two
cotton sale checks for total of 5000. I was con-
vnced without any talk The Mayor later told
that the half dozen banks of the town had more
than s11, ,OOO, 900 deposits
I stopped many persons the street.
"You seem to we lots of money down here" I
always said suggestvey.
"Doin' pretty well" was the usual reply "Crops
have been good and prices are good. Everybody is
getting share, but, of course, the farm people
getting most of the clear money. They raise every
thing they need and each 5000 bale of cotton is.
practically velvet"
Up and down every street radiating from the
square the automobiles were parked in solid rows
each representing family with unprecede !
purchasing power. On every vacant corner was
springing up the ubiquitous filling station, which
with the garage seemed to be putting the od-fash-
ioned livery barns out of business Building was
evident wherever aborers could be found to do the
work. the scarcity of men sending wages to a
minimum Of S35 week. Motion picture theatres
for coored we'll as white-were doing well. 1t
significant that they drew their patronage dur
ing the week from the county as well as the town.
The automobiles were responsible for that Farm
dwellers who could afford only or two trips to
town each month behind the family horse or pow
mule, motor over" several times week to
form decisive opinions the merits of the differ
ent stars.
The general prosperity of the section is reflected