The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-05-05
IHE STORY OF "A
CREDIT" FARMER


farmer who lives not over 10 p,ilec
from Dillon. The story came TO The
Herald man through a big merchant
who heard 1t from the farmer and
its veracity cannot be questioned. n
describes condition which exists to-
Gay In many sections Of Dillon county
and In thousands of communities
throughout the cotton belt.
How did / get on my feet?" ask
ed the farmer in reply to a question
from the merchant. "You remember
when started. rented a one-horse
1arm on Mr.. Blanks place. It was
ialrly good land and the rent was
reasonable enough. 1 had no capital
and my worldly assets represented a
few pieces of cheap furniture which
L bought on the installment plan. 1
went to the credit merchant. Credit
merchants were plentiful in those
days You are hard-worker," said
tpe merchant, "and l will take a
chance on you. Your line of credit
this year will be $35O.OO, including
tertilizers, and you will have to put
l5 acres in cotton"
Il gave the lien for $3.50 and
planted the Is acres in cotton. I
worked like a beaver. On fair days I
p'oughed and on wet days I cleaned
ditch banks and hauled vile smelling
guano from town. 1 remember late
one cold rainy evening as / came in
from town with a load of guano I
saw my little boy and girl, scarcely
more than tots, way down in the field
cutting splinters from a huge light
wood stump. AS unloaded that
guano with the cold rain pelting me
on the back of the neck I looked up
occasionally and saw that little boy
and girl trudging, homeward with
heavy loads Of wood. At night 1 ate a.
frugal meal of white sides and corn
bread, washed down with black cof-
fee, and by 8 o'clock 1 was in bed. 7
arose early in the mornings and
waded through dew and grass doing
The chores around the place and by
sun-up l was in the field. I ploughed
all through the hot blistering sum-
mer, and the only rest got was when
the crop was laid by and 1 got a few
days fishing down by the banks of
sickly looking stream. did not
nave money enough to get five miles
away from home and was too tired
and exhausted from the work of lay
lng by my crop to walk. When fall
came L took my wife and children
and went out and gathered that Is
acres of cotton. 1 went to town and
got enough money to have 1T ginned
and as fast as 1t was ginned l
hauled it out to the merchant. When
<x;~
liVered / asked the merchant for a
settlement. He had my bill drawn off
with pretty red lines at the bottom
and when asked him to let me have
the balance in cash he looked up in
surprise and said: "Why, man, you
have no balance. The balance is on
the other side of the ledger You have
come out $40 in debt" / questioned
tis statement. but he went over it
With me carefully and when we got
through L was convinced that he had
given me square deal and sure
enough l was in debt to him to the
amount of $40. He said he was sorry,
but / was not the only one. Very few
of his customers had been able to pay
out that year, but I could give anoth-
including the old balance in the new
lien, and my wife and children could
get what few things they could man.
age along on during the winter.
gave him the new lien and the next
day L brought my wife out to towr
and she bought few cheap articles
amounting to probably $4,000 and we
went back home. went to work
however, with renewed determine
ton. hauled guano for the next croI
Through freezing rains and contin
ued to watch my little children a..
they struggled along under the heavy
work OF the farm. The sun was JUS
as not that summer and the food jus
as scarce. When the crop was harvest
ed took in the last bale and asked
the merchant how we stood thi.
time. He had another sheet ready
with pretty red lines and when
looked at 1t my eyes almost bulged
out OF their sockets. Instead OF havine
balance to my credit I was in debt
to the merchant something ovel
$4,000. My feelings are better imag.
ined than described. But what was
10 DO? Jobs were scarce and then
again L was not a skilled workman
III L got a job somewhere it would
nave to be as a common laborer. The
merchant was a kind man and he
patted me on the shoulder and said
Oh, well, John don't get discourag-
ca; try IT another year. Make another
lien' including the old Indebtedness in
the new lien, and bring your wife out
and buy your winter needs I thank
cd him, but told him No, Will study
this thing over for day or two /
went home that night and talked II