The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-05-18

line from .Abbevile to Hodges each
afternoon connecting with the Colum
bia and Greenvillc branch of this road.
This will be good news to a good many
people, we think, and it is in line with
the promise made sometime ago to
the Press and Banner and to Mr..
Barnes Of the Chamber Of Commerce,
these two institutions ,busying them
selves in the interest OF better sched-
ules In and out Of Abbevlle For this
consideration, we feel sure the people
Of this city will be duly grateful.
But with all our gladness over the
announcement, some OF us will be
sorry that we will not be allowed to
wait at Hodges for an hour and a
half and that we will be denied all
the joys and privileges which go along
with such wait at the meetingpoint
of the main line and the branch. Ibe
cause something is always happening
In Hodges. For instance, yesterday af-
ternoon the up-train came in on time.
Two poor lawyers and one or two ric
men changed for Abbeville, and they
waited. AS they sat in the coach OF
the Syfan Special there were many
things to be observed Over across
the railroad two or three stores were
open, ready for business. We watched
the doors, and we saw nothing going
out and nothing going in, except a bee.
While the proprietor Of one of the
stores sat in a split bottom chair,
leaned back against the counter and
took a nap, the bee got busy and went
In and helped himself to a grain OF
sugar. The proprietor didn't know 1t,
all he knew was that the main line
engine backed up the Greenville end
OF the branch line to turn around. and
he didn't know that long, because he
only opened one eye to look at it, and
then closed it. 1t is busy life they
lead at Hodges Depot. or course it
was not always thus, because at one
time there was only one store in town
and nine barrooms, we believe 1t was.
The. town was small then, and not
much attention was given to business.
And out lin the yard in front Of the
station. the walters saw two drum
mers. They were talking-about
hotels, Of course, and how "they feed"
That is about all drummers talk
about except when they are trying
(mind you, we said trying) to sell
goods. One said that country hotel
away off somewhere had more good
things than he had ever "et" at hotel
before. The other told OF few bad
hotels he had seen and heard Of. He
claimed that he was up in Vermont
many years ago and that he heard two
other drummers talking about poor
hotels, and In the conversation, one Of
them was alleged to have said that
the "Glen-Ethel Inn, at Abbeville, S.
c., Us the worst hotel in the United
States,I have been to all of them"
both agreed that the hotels are charg-
Ing a good deal just now when It rs
considered just how they feed" and
the price OF feed" and that not much
Is "et" when a man is not working
hard. In fact they about figured 1t out
that the high freight rates and the high
hotel rates were cutting down the
travel just now.
While they were talking Col Court
ncy Wilson, OF the Seaboard, was
growing impatient He had gone out
to Hodges to meet Mrs. Wilson and her
little brother. who were expected from
Brevard He sat on the bench in front
Of the station for few minutes, then
walked out to the tracks OF the road,
looked up towards Greenvile for
little while, and then walked back. He
repeated this several times saying
nothing outwardly. Judging by his
looks a Seaboard man who waits for
Southern train should be paid time
and half for the time he waits. But
not so with young Woodrow Wilson.
He played about in the yard and
turned rings for playing marbles with
his feet, like the boys did when he
had real marble shooters in this coun-
try. He planted his heel In the ground
and carefully stuck down his big toe
and turned perfect circle marking
the place for the middle man" and
for the other four. When he was not
doing this. he was busy doing some
thing else equally as interesting to