The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-06-29
.seR. zl4 3 RITES
FROM TYRON

81 b. l34l RITES
FROM TYR0N
10 The Editor:
Permit reader and contributor
to the Watchman ana Southron
and The Daily Item for nearly TWO
score years to express regrets at
the disastrous fire that DESTROYED
Your plaat Saturday night. It IS
like a personal loSs-our relations
have been so long ana 50 pleasant:
Il know that voice the wishes OF
!. the readers Of the Item and
Watehman and Southron that. a
better plant will. soon take the
1t was a refreshing change Sat
surday to come from the SO to 100
teulperatures of Sumter 20 the ~
place of the one that was burned.
Z to so sf Warrior mountain. Sun
dav afternoon we had an unusual
fhnpder storm with torrents Of
rain and that night and Monday
night we slept under extra cover.
Monday it was cloudy and drlzziy
and we kept up a small fire all
dayto drive of the chilli
Tuesday and today the weather
is clear, mountains and valley at
their best. The first peach crop
is over, and the succeeding ones
not yet ripe. But wine berries are
so abundant that we can not keep
up with them. We are market
ing dozens OF baskets each day.
They grow like raspberries, a
bright scarlet color, and fine fla
svor. Several dozen baskets adorn
the bannister rail just outside my
window as I write, that we will
take to Saluda in a few minutes.
The valley road up the Pacolet-
gorge is one of the beauties Of this
section that We never tire of see
ing.
had a long conversation this
morning with a mountain-ralSed
man of 68 years. Born and rear
ed near Texaway where he owns
thousands OF acres of mountain
land. He has for SO years lived
just above US on the otner side OF
{ Warrior mountain. He showed
me a proclamation Of Wade
Hampton. governor of South Caro-
lima in 1877, offering $500 reward
each for several men who had
committed murder at Landrum.
Mr.. Fisher captured two or three
OF them and is row trying to col
1ect the reward. I asked him why
ne did not present his claim SOON
er. Said there was $500 in all
and he waited hoping he could
capture all of the men and get it
all in a lump sum. His stories OF
Hampton whom he knew when
Hampton had a summer home IN
Cashiers vaHey near Toxaway, OF
Zeb Vance, Kitchen and other
North Carolina eeseDrities, Hayes,
Cleveland and Mckinley would
make Interesting reading II prop
eriy written up.
He was -pardoned by. Hayes for
shooting revenues" and was COM
naissioned by Cleveland and Nc
kinley as special detective. He
takes great pride in his Hayes
pardon than IN the others COM
missions.
He was also one of Tillman' s
sources OF supply for corn liquor
IN the early days of the state dis
pensary. Says he sold Tillman
2.0e9 gallons a month from MIS-
distiIfery at the block house, the
old place between Tryon and Ian
drum that is said TO be in two
states and three counties, Polk
county. North Carolina, Spartan
burg and Greenville counties,
South Carolina.
IN about two months new
road from Tryon to Landrum al
together west of the railroad, will
leave this old historic spot on a
by-road. It will be of better grade
than the old road anG avoid dan
gerouS grade crossing on the rail-
road. Also shorten the distance
by.a mile it is said. We can now
go to Spartanburg in Is minutes
and it will then be but an hour s
trin.
trust our hard surface road
commission will make "a carefui
examination Of the top 3oll road
system up here in comparison with
concrete roads. I believe they will
find that Sumter county can build
and maintain 500 miles of such
roads for less than the cost Of 121
miles OF hard surIace roads. It is
worth careful examination and
the wait until after the next ses-
sion Of the legislature for the en-
abiing act to change the author
ity Of the commission. It may
be said that Sumter county has
not the proper Top soil. This is a
mistake. There are abundant
supplies of the right top soil ON
BIa lex river and several places in
the StaEeburg neighfiofhUOd. Sand
and gravel with the right admix-
tnre Of clay to build ideal roads,
If the roadbed is properly drained
and the gravel pu. on thick
enough.
Ora road authorities are cutting
down the trees along our roads to
let the sun dry them out until
for miles we have to travel in the
broiling sun. wonder if they
know that New York states re-
cent appropriation of twenty-one