Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-06
ROW OVER COUNTY AGENT.
Some CASTOR Farmers charse Demon
ssration Agent With Loafing.

Some CASTOR Farmers Charge Demon
seration Agent With Loafing.
One of the most important meetings
OF the board Of county commissioners
held recently was that of Monday, May
2, when 100000 worth Of road bonds
for CASTOR county were sold to the
First National and the Citizens Ma
tional banks of Gastonia at par and ac-
crued interest, says the GaTtonia Ga
zette of Tuesday. The two local banks
took the entire issue Of bonds.
Other matters pertaining to the sum-
mcr road programme in the county
were discussed. A committee from the
board will meet with the state highway
commission at an carly date to perfect
plans and details for beginning work
on the Bessemcr City hard surfaced
road and>the Dallas road.
Probably the most interesting session
of the commissioners was that held
along toward the close of the day when
delegation headed by Mr.. Thos. Spar
row appeared before the board in pro-
test against c. Lee Gowan, county
agent. Mr.. Sparrow had Il geodly del
eration of farmers with him, principally
from the Union, Pisgah and Gastonla
sections. When this crowd made as if
to exclude all else from tiie hearing be-
rore the commissioners, Gowan's back
! ars from the Cherryville section, who
were in the city on another mission, let
it be understood that they were to be
heard from, too. Van Sellers, one OF
the war horses of Cherryvills township
VAS one Of the leaders Of the pro-Gow-
IN sentiment IIc declared that as a
free white and twcnty-one' taxpayer
Of CASTOR county. he was not going t'
be excluded from any public hearing IN
the county's courthouse. The meeting
then already several times too large Tor
the commissioners small room ad-
Iourned to the court room upstairs
There the two forces lined up around
the bar on opposite sides of the room
The opposition TO Mr.. Gowan, it ap-
peals, comes principally from the
southern and southwestern parts OF the
county, and comes mainly from the
dairy farmers of the county, although
there we're others who declared that he
had never been on their farm since ne
came into the county. 1t appeared tHal
the trouble began over some lorm OF
milk testing inauguratcd by the Jersey
Breeders association of the county. IN
which a fee OF 81 per COW per year was
charged by the association.
It was charged that Mr.. Gownn
work consisted principally in staying in
his office. and s"nling out propaganda
gotten up by stcnographers instead of
getting out on Castor county farms and
hc!ping the farmers. 1t was also
charged that owing 10 the lack OF CO.
operation between Mr.. Gowan and Mss
pickcns. the wurk o. the latter among
the farm women and GIRLS had been
discontinued in favor Of community
work among the cotton mills of the
county.
III sharp answer to these accusa tions
by the anti -GOwanitcS was the reply
from the pru-GUwHn side of the room.
Mcssrs. Roy Eakcr, Walden Weaver,
Sample Eaker, and Van Sellers were
among the defenders OF the county
agents work i'm CASTOR county. They
painted tu his work with the Cherry
Vile corn show rs being 4 very cCm-
incndabic work Of Mr.. Gowan, saying
that the work Of this show had at
tructrd nation wide attention. Mr.. L.
\. Barber said that the people Of his
section had profitcd immensely from
the work nf Mr. Guwan in tcrracins
seed selection, etc. 1t was the opinion
of the Chelryrillc AND Sunnysiae peo-
PIE that Mr.. Gowan had given salts
factory work wherever he had been
called upon, and that the grievances OF
the lower side folks were purely per
sonal. A[cSsrs. Ferguson, Rhyme and
Falls spoke briefly in opposition to
Mr.. >GOwan.
Toward the end OF the session Chair
man Davenport called on MI Gowan
for Il statement. The county agent re-
viewed the history OF the m:lk-testing
episode. and then gave Il summary OF
his activities for the past three months
rs n sample of what he had been dning
since coming TO the county. His figures
were to the effect that he had Travelled
more than the average mileage OF cuun-
" agents i'm tfc state. He also stated
that lie had gone wherever he hail been
asked to go Ia assist in demonstration
It WAS not his business he said, To 50
around where he WAS not wanted. any
more than il was tic duty of the regis
ter of deeds tn ga around looking for
deeds to record. m' the sheriff search
ing for warrants tu serve.
The meeting closed without any ac-
| inil hv illr commissioners.