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The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 22, 1912, Image 5

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn93067846/1912-06-22/ed-1/seq-5/

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Kuu n*\ mi die rHsttoftkV at Sumter. s
l ., as Second Clane Matter
.Misses Nannie and Aimee Moofl
and M? *sr>. McKenzie and McSaussure
Moore have been visiting their father.
Mr M MeVeaux Monte, at 1-1 Broa I
I
Miss lA>retta MeKaln. of this i ity.
and Miss Julia lull Brown, pi Marion,
left hti.' M<-nua\ for a trip to Los
Angeles. California.
Messrs. Arthur Huynswoith and J.
M. Sand.ts left Monday evening for a
trip to Atlanta and ok'uhoma City.
Prot. S. U Edmunds left Tuesday
afternoon for Kock Mill, where he will
attend the Winthrop s immer school
for teachers as an Instructor In the de?
partment of English.
Mr. W. II. Nail, principal of the
t oy'a high school, has gone to Char
lotteevllle. Va.. to take tt course at
the summer school at the Cnlverslty
of Vlrglnln.
Mr. H. It. Lucas haa resigned as
agent for the Southet n Express Com?
pany and Mr. F. L. Dlckson of Rich?
mond. Va., has been appointed in his
place. Mr. Lucas will engage In
the Insurance business after a rest of
some time.
Mr* Oeo. W. M ck. K. P. l>urant.
O. R. llarrlnger and N. Q. Osteen are
at the tsle of Palms attending the
convention of the State Mental asso?
ciation.
.Mr. R. B. Belser. Mrs. Baiser and
Mrs. Erneat Field, have gone to Louis?
ville, where Mr. Reiser will attend the
National Convention of Real Estate
Dealers.
Mr. A. H. Williams. Jr.. of Lake
City, a recent graduate of the Cnl?
verslty of South Carolina spent Tues?
day in the city as the guest of Mr.
Nobh< l ?Ick. Mr. Williams Is repre?
senting the I'niverslty during the va?
cation.
Mr. S. J. Smith of Elloree Is in the
?City for a few days, visiting Mr. and
Mrs. C. W. McQrew.
Mr. John N. Jackson, of Elloree.
spent Tueaday in town.
Mr. William Klnard haa returned
home from Charleston where he went
to attend the commencement ex
ercieee.
M*- M*T. ? i V. l
end Mars' In ' 1 .c d a ? . e ,n to
Oreenv.'h where the; will spend too
eu Inn
Mr. w. j. ? rownt .. j? . Ii u return
?0 irom near Barnwell where he has
been for several days on a camping
trip.
Wendell Levl graduated from the
College of Charleston Monday with
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He
graduated with honors.
>lr. J. K. Jervey IMi?m in Columbia.
Mr. Jas. K. Jcrvey. who is well
known In Sumter. having for years
previous to the death of his wife, con?
duced the old Jervey House. died
Wedncnlav morning at U.M.") o'clock
it the Confederate Home In Columbia,
of which pi o e he has been an in?
mate for the past six or eight months.
Mr. Jervey was familiarly known
among his friends here as "Colonel."
having been I gaJgtf soldier in the
War Between tin States, serving in
the ?th S. C. civ air;.. His age was 71.
He |*aves a brother, Mr. Louis Jervey.
of this OKy, and a sister. Miss C,ra?e
Jer\?y. Mr. Jervev's remains were
t.ken to Manning Thursday morning.
the inbrnont tak'ng pSMS there In
the ufterno..n.
The body of Cd. J. E. Jervey, a
former well-known Sumter citizen,
who -do d Wednesday at the Soldi* I S
Home m Columbia, passed through
the city this morning on Its way t ?
Manning where It udt bs Interred this
afterroon at th, Manning oejnetnfy
at t o'clock.
Th* re were a ii'imber of the mrn
l?er?? of th.- lot 'I balge of Knights of
Cvthlas to attend th, bodv on Its
wav to Manning where It will
be i im d b) other membef ??(
the Manning b?lge of KnighU
ot Pythl ii. Th* re were al^o
a niinibr of friends gnd rOSV
iuo and tw . .\ Confedernts vet?r
gJsl from the i dd Soldb r's Home at
Cotnntbl).mnanylng the body to
It.4 last resting place.
New Yaek t'ottaa Market
Open- Close.
Rssj York. June ju.
Jan.11.41 ii.r,:*.?r.i
July.||,#J 17?11
October.i i.2h ir, t?;
I>e*em?-er.I i."a |gi?7
MVFrtrton, MAMsVf,
Op?n. Close.
Liverpool. June
Jon* Julv ?'? '1.
Juiv - Agsjsng I '?;!
Aug- sept ?;?:?;.
Sept ? ?, f. ?AM?
lansni Market
llasli Middling 10.7.".
Excuse
Me!
Four days of
fun and frolic
on board a
fraxnvcmtinental
limited train with
sixty laughs to
the minute?
and then some.
?
L
Come On
Along
The Greatest
Joy Ride
You Ever
Took
Of aD the mis
mated, love-sick
parties that ever
were thrown to?
gether, this spe?
cially conducted
excursion by
Rupert Hughes
? the runniest
thai ever was.
Watch for this
new serial we're
going to print
You Will
Enjoy It
All the Way
UK \ I)HR 111 .1*1,1 KS TO Mit KOLB.
A \irttier Discussion ??r the Prlvt
i> r ~ ii? ' i ii ,.? < oni o\ era.
*-.ufioT i n?. ~*a: )
Please allow me space In which to
reply to the article from Mr. J. M.
Kolb. in your issue of the 13th.
.Mr. Koll> charges me with false anJ
misleading statements. 1 said that
the P.ethel school had absorbed the
PrrmteCf school f inds. Here are the
figures:
Privateer Mhool fund last
session from all sources $4,167.87
Privateer spent for school
porpoOvi last sesion... . M.SSB.tl
Balance on hand at pres?
ent. 1.55
Bethel school cost to oner
ate last session.$1.880.00
Four a bite and sis col?
or.,! schools cost.$ 2.4 7 ">. V'
Before the Bethel school was built
the township had on hand at the be?
ginning of the session I2,'.?n5.55, it
has now at the close of tile third Ses?
sion $1,66, So for as 1 am able to
Und out all of the other schools have
not ?ost over I60.0S outsld< ol teach
en salary ami none of the salaries
have boei Increased except Provi?
dence which got 160,00 more last
session and the school at Btone was
discontinued. Where has this mon?
ey gone if Bethel did not get it?
These ttgurea i rove my statement,
without any comment and had Mr,
Kolb criticised my article only, this
would hnve been sunlclent( but he
criticised me personally ami said
thai i ruide false and misleading
statements, literally ||ed, s.. as he
i t left so man] places for crltlclam
I must in.ike some comments on his
arth le. 11 is tine- for eleet ion of
te.o hers ami how can the trustees
eleel them with only $1.68 In the
lt*4 isurj and no more can be ^..t till
taxes aie paid) which may mean that
there will be none to amount to
anything l?efor? January, ISIS, There
ma) be some befors thai time but it
Is i rIi i. to,, great to make any debts
upon, a patron '-t the Bethel school
suggests thai the trustees resign.
This would nol right f"i they not
the district Into tin< muddle and now
they ought to gel it out, Borne have
suggested ,i receiver but whal would
he receive? I do not suppose he
would get the ;ibuse directed ?? the
trustees and the $1.66 can be taken
vnfi of it the rourt house all right,
As t.. "gross charges against the
trustees." it does seem that men
who are accustomed to ittend to
business of ihelt own ami make n
stieeess of it would have Known bet*
t> r Ihan t.. allow the district gel
Into this condition, and bow they
ire Boing to run a cash business of
several hundred dollan for three
months with nothing but $1.65 cash
is something that a good many peo?
ple want to Know. As to "Interests <?f
majority of trustees being centered In
Bethel school," Mr, Kolb admits that
"their Idea Is to abandon all <?t" the
other schools for Bethel," thereby
admitting that statement, but it
seems thai they have got the wrong
Idea oi centralisation, 1 have taken
notice ,?f til,- movement lor some
time, and l have never seen or heard
of any educator advising it except tu
get better teachers ami to reduce ex?
pense. The mere fac| of a school
building being in the centre of the
district has no merit whatever. Co?
lumbia is the centre of South Caro?
lina, it has schools, colleges, the
Siate house, a court house and a
skyscraper. Why should the town
of Sumter want any of these? Why
not du all of the banking business and
hold ill Of the courts in Columbia,
and take al. of the school children
there to be taught? Sumter is the
centre Of the county, it has schools
second to no city of Itl size, w hy not
take ail of the children In the county
bete to School? Sumter also has
magnificent churches of many de?
nominations, with the best preachers
obtainable. Why not abandon the
country churches and let everybody
go to Sumter to church. The reason
Of this must be plain to any one. that
people live all over this broad coun?
try of ours and they all want ar?
rangements to meet their needs and
Conveniences wherever they live. As
to the central location of the Bethel
SChOOl. it may be near the centre of
the district but 1 am only able to find
two of its pupils who live within a
mile of it. and more than one-half of
them live three or more miles dis?
tant, and three-fourths of them live
on tin* west side of the Cain mill
BWamp. Certainly convenience had
nothing to do with its location*? I
am iti favor of consolidating schools,
wherever it will reduce cost, be con
ventent to patrons and secure better
teachers, but the condition of roads,
COIt of consolidation all have to bo
aken into consideration. It seems,
however, that Mr. Kolb lost sight of
all of these facts and has tried to
consolidate by "the steam roller pro?
cess." Any one who will look at the
conditions In Privateer district will
see that it will be inconvenient for a
great number of the scholars and Im?
possible to not a few to attend any
[ O fl 4 RC* %t OO ? 1^1*. Kn t I ? S M V S? Tili* III'}
patrons of th< Bethel school repre
?. i i one-nan ?? aiau ? ov.
.? h. make t iis? It needi only a
look iti " .?,?.?> yl irivu'eei w see
that they live on scarcely one-third
of the territory. The number of
voters will show that they have less
than one-third and the census figures
may give Mr. Kolb some strange light
on this subject, not at all agreeing
with his statement. As to the best
land. How does he make this? The
soil survey shows the opposite. As
to improved farms. I grant that Mr.
Kolb has a fine and well improved
farm, but there are others outside of
the ' benefited section." 1 could enu?
merate several do/en of them but
space will not permit ami the peo?
ple of Privateer ami the business peo?
ple <>f Sumter km?w that all of the
line farms of Privateer are not locat?
ed in one corner, Mr. Kolb says that
"the patrons of the Bethel school pay
their full share ,,f the taxes. Will,
what about that? Do not all of the
p? opie in Privateer pay their full
share of taxes also? I have not heard
of any one getting a discount or get?
ting out of paying them. Ami it will
be remembered that two of the three
members Of the township board live
in the Bethel section, they should
look after their neighbor's interests
better than this. if Mr Kolb will
vbit the auditor's office he Will in all
probability Und some figure: on this
Subject not at all to hi. liking. He
claims the A. \\ I., railroad tax for
the Bethel school, by what method of
computation? The taxes paid on
their track south of Mr. Osteen's mill
trestle should go to the Reld School
by justice, so that Bethel cannot claim
more than live-eighths of that tax.
While on this subject I will say, that
there are four stores in the eastern
part of Privateer that do business
during* business hours during the en
tii ? year and three stores that do
business during certain hours every
day, th< re are four ginneries also in
the eastern portion of Privateer. Bo
far as I tan learn these all pay their
full share of taxes. Then there Is the
Northwestern railroad. The general
Impression Is that Mr. Wilson pass
tuxes on it. I have heard nothing to
the contrary, Mr, Kolb says that
tie Bethel school is three schools
combined," There are live others.
lb- says that "Bethel has one-half "f
tie )>U|?il-;." The records show 107
pupils at Bethel, the other four
Sell,,,,|s that Were lain last \e;ll had I
total of 1 ?;. pupib, ;Hi,i 111 tin 1H for
tin stone achooi which did not run
last year, ami you have .1 total of 163
pupils.
He suhl that "the Bed ' >ak s< hool
wan consolidated with great success"
in whit way, please? I happen to
know that two <?f iti pupils did not
get to school at all, one had to be
scut to Sumter, the parents having to
pay for board und tuition, and two
were transferred In an ox cart to
Bethel. Mr. Kolh says that "any oth?
er seh? ols tha< want t<> consolidate
within themselves will he paid for a
wagon." How about tin- school at
Stone".' It had 11 pupils and there
were 7 on Mr. a. .1. Jones' plantation,
and when it was learned that they
would get no teacher Mr. I. T. Davis
offered to take them to Providence
for $20 per month which offer Mr.
Koih would not accept. Perhaps he
remembers a conversation over the
phone in whic h he stated that he
would not pay for transportation to
any school but Bethel, this remark
was made to i patron of Providence
school. Mr. Kolh says that "he will
not consent to pay for transportation
except to consolidate either, while he
is trustee, or at any other time.'* Ho
also refers to the people as "his peo?
ple." When did this transaction take
pbuc? i have seen no account of it.
How did he get possession of the peo?
ple of Privateer? Where and by
whom were they sold, and what was
the price paid? And what authority
has he except as trustee? He wishes
that "we could be lighted to a sense
of our duty as the Bethel people
have been" and that "if we had
common sense and a considerate view"
What does he conceive to be our duty,
th?. Bethel people 01 the trustees for
them have seen it their duty to es?
tablish a good |< hoc 1 lor their chil?
dren with no regard to the children
of other people and spend more than
onethird of the total amount of school
funds used last year on this one
school. leaving considerably .ess
than two-thirds to be divided be?
tween the other white and colored
schools together and also use up a
surplus of almost three thousand dol?
lars which the district had on hand
three years ago. on this school also,
and now he blames us for not keep?
ing quiet About this and add on two
mills more for the Bethel school to
get. I admit that were Privateer an
ear of corn and the Bethel school the
Kolh then this arrangement might
?lull but I for one am thankful that
the Creator saw tit to spare us this
humiliation. He says that "we should
have taken this up with the trustees
or some one capable of giving ad?
vice. How does he know whether we
have or not? 1 am thankful to say
that when that grev material
we managed to attend to our business
with it and do not have to run around
hunting a "ready-made" opinion from
some one who can only see one side
I of any question, And as to the trus
EverTravel
inaPullman
You'd never imagine
that all the ripping,
roaring and complex
comedy situations
that you 11 read about
?' * he new serial story
we ha *e arranged to
print were possible
within the confines of
an ordinary sleeper.
EXCUSE
E!
That's the title,
but there is no
excuse for you
to miss reading
this story by
RUPERT HUGHES
The Well-Known Author
It's a tale that travels
st s mile-a-minute
gait from beginning
to end, with a round
of laughter in every
chapter. Watch for it I
All Aboard
Dornet Miss
This Serial
tee*, they ha v.- had three yean in
which to adjust then things but so
fur as I know not a sinyle effort has
been put forth. H is Mr. Kolb for?
gotten what Mr. w. .j. Ardls wrote to
Tii,. item last fall with regard to tho
trustees giving the Reld sch >ol an
old stove ami the children having to
drink water ??nt of a ditch. Xo atten?
tion was paid to ir, however, as they
were only "the ?log town children."
Tin parents, however, pay taxes and
have tiic right to vote ami they de?
serve some consideration. I sympa?
thise with Mr. Kolb in haying and
equipping a wagon and furnishing
two mules and a pupil to drive it and
only got *40 pi t- month, and then the
muhs ar>- left on his hands at a
time when teams are scarce and
many people would he glad to give
goo.] money for ;t mule for a month j
or two and the school opens at a !
time when there is little work, for
mules tO do and SQme people would
be glad to get employment for theirs
to make their feed, and some who
were at the meetings before Bethel
school was built claim to remember
that Mr. Kolh offered to send his
children and furnish a conveyance
free to all who wanted to take ad?
vantage of the opportunity, if the
Bethel school was built. I was ac?
quainted with the piano transaction,
Now most people know that a piano
is absolutely worthless to a school
without K music teacher, he did not
say if the good ladies would present
that ,.r If *he trustees would be
"ft i cd" to furnish one. A good mu?
sic teacher gets good pay. as all who
have had experience know.
Mr. Kolb says that I used the word
"chunk throwers;" if he will refer
to my article he will see that I used
no such word. A man who could use
English well enough to write the ar?
ticle which he wrote certainly does
not need to have my meaning ex?
plained to him. 1 suppose however,
I
that ho takes this way of nicknam?
ing those who do not send to the
Bethel school "chunk throwers."
I Well, he certainly used little discret?
ion In exposing BO many of his "glass
windows" to well directed "chunks"
when they were not out of range of
even a random throw.
I Mr. Kolb closes his remarks by
\ "hoping they will give light to the
benefited sections." Certainly, just
as anyone would have expected. Keej*
the others in the dark if possible. I
could comment on several more state
those also wh 1 tiia> id this who
are not in this district. I have given
facts and leave J* to a fair minded
public to decide whether 1 had any
reasonable grounds for writing the
news article of the "list, or not. Let
me say in conclusion that 1 have no
personal hard feeling against any
one on this matter and I have tried
to he as impersonal as I possibly
could be on this very personal sub?
ject, which the remarks Mr. Kolh
made forced me to reply to in justice
to myself and those <>n my side of this
affair and I hope that it may yet be
adjusted to the satisfaction of all
concerned, and with best wishes to all
l am. Very respectfully,
READER.
PRIVATEER SCHOOL AFFAIRS.
\ t aim. Conservative and Enlighten*
od l)i>i-u-sioii of tlie Situation?
A Word in Benson in Favor of
Progress ami Better Schools.
Editor Item:
1 have been an interested reader of
the communication in the Item, in
reference to the school matter in
1 Iva teer. While I don't wish to get
into the controversy, vet as a tax?
payer ami cltlsen of this school dis?
trict, and too. one having consider?
able experience in the School Trustee
line 1 would like to make a lew
r< marks on the situation. To a cas?
ual observei it might appear that the
Bethel School is getting the lion's
share of the public funds, hut is ibis
the case'.' Let us see. Bethel is
Ideally situated, for the purpose of
having a graded or high sc hool. The
public had no land or building for
the purpose. So as soon as the trus?
tees dec ided 'hat tiny would locate a
school there. Bethel Church donated
a beautiful lot for a graded or high
school. The offer v\as made to the
w hole sc hool distric t to send their
advanced pupils to this school. also
to any one or all of the local or small?
er ..hoots to consolidate with this
im ntral school und the trustee- guar
nteed to conve> them back and forth
in wagons. Two schools have adopt?
ed this plan, an I it* I am reliably In?
formed, Which I think 1 am. they
would no' change back under any
consideration. V'hat has been the
result, several bright lioys and uiris
have, taken the o nirse and are now
to enter some of the state schools,
such 11s Clemson ?r Winthrop or
Knme of the colleges. Kven if they
wet, not going to a higher school
the> have u very fair education now.
and gol ? in a Privateer graded
school, Thi - ime school, I tethel
graded school, took at the county
Held day contests more prizes than
any other school in the county
ar.d won first honor. Now. Mr. Edi?
tor, this is constructive work, and
Work that is bringing results that
will reach away into the future his?
tory of Privateer. It is for the up?
lift of the whole township. The
public spirited Privateer citizen
wherever you lind him. or her. is
proud of it and grateful for it. Now
the same that is being done at the
Bethel graded school t an be done in
the eastern portion of the district. I
believe, say at Providence church
when- there is already ;> fine school
and two as good teachers as there are
in the township. Why not let thi
smaller schools around Providence
consolidate, as around Hethel, and
have another school that th? while
township will be proud of? I know
the trustees to be large-hearted, pub?
lic-spirited, successful business men
and a fair appeal to them will not
be turned down. Do not understand
me to advocate compulsory consolida?
tion, as I know human nature too
well for that. but. if these smaller
sc hools will c ome in and let us have,
say two line, large, well equipped
graded or high schools it will
eventually be cheaper and the re
suits four-fold, and any prophet could
safely predict for the new and com?
ing Privateer, what was once the
condition of the old?the seal of re?
finement, prosperity and intelligence,
surpassed by no community on earth.
As long as the patrons of the small
schools contend for the "maintenance
of these schools, so long, in my hum?
ble judgment will they retard the
progress that might and surely would
attain were they to come in with us.
I believe in giving them all that is
rUht and just in the way of the pub?
lic funds, however, if they will not
come.
In reference to the increase in tax
es for the schools, what I say canno
be construed to mean self-interest, a
I have already educated a large fam
lly and cannot benefit by it now, bu
having the public benefit of my neigh
bor's children at heart and 1.0 mak
it better for coming generations
want to see the best schools possibl
and if by voting an extra levy w
can get an appropriation from th'
State to aid us I will vote for one.
One word to "Reader" before
close. You are quite a young mat
yet and in all human probability wil
outlive these trustees. Don't let th
Olie. if io iUi ta. .v.. t - .. .. .
building of your neighbor that t<
'pitch in and build one yourself.
know that you favor education an<
I progress in every line and are com
Petent to inform yourself and un
derstand the problems that perple:
,the trustees, and it has been a wonde
e
I to me why you have gone into pub
lie print over little local matter?
Without first exhausting home re?
sources. Some of these little local
reports and opinions expressed in
private conversation are sometimes
very amusing, but are frequently very
destructive to great and good prin?
ciples when in public print. Let us
work for a better Privateer, a more
harmonious Privateer and a more
prosperous Privateer. Let us do con
stuctive. rather than destructive
work in our school and all public en
terprlses. *?*;
To go back to the Bethel sehoot.
When the trustees decided to build a
School house oil the lot don; ted for
that purpose by the church they
wtsel) decided to build one that would
mee t the already growing demands of
the surrounding community and also
future demands. This building is al?
ready being pretty well taxed as all
of the rooms are occupied and if the
school grows, as grow it surely will,
soon additions will have to be made.
There was opposition some years ago
to an extra levy to increase our
school facilities, but you could not
find a man now to vote to rescind that
levy. What citizen worth the name,
would vide to curtail the w >rk at
Clemson or Winthrop or South Caro?
lina ITnlVerstty. While there nay be
lavish appropriations in the judgment
of some who would vote to cripple
these institutions, we claim th; t there
are no lavish appropriations for our
sc hools, and the very thing we are all
asking f<>r is an appropriation from
the State for our rural schools, and it
seems that the only Way to secure it
is to give i little more ourselves. We
will have a school then. that will
give, right here in our midst, an ed?
ucation far superior to anything
beamed of by the fathers and moth?
ers oi Privateer for their children.
This [m an age of progress and he who
would go to mill as his grand rtre did
on horse back, with a bushel of corn
in one end of a saek across his horse
ami a rock in the other to balance it.
i~ ou: of date, and has no place in
Privateer. t am not trying to
trample on the rights of anyone, nor
impugn the motives or opinion! f
anyone, but give this as m> vlee of
the school matter in Privateer.
w. ?i. Welle.
Sumter. .Tune 1 v

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