SWINGING 'ROUND THE CIRCLE
Carmichael Section and Gaddy’s Mill follow-up
By
W.
J. Galloway
The
Dillon Herald
January 18, 1906
What shall we say this week? This is a question that often comes to us when we have a dearth of words; when everything seems blank and commonplace. But why not say it even, if we have said it before? Is not this an age of repetition, a day of enthusiasts when one subject is talked and written, and rolled and kicked about on every side until we grow accustomed to a name, or a place or an incident before the press is cold? Yet while new it is old.
We flop and flounder from one new sensation to another and are never tired of drinking in the red hot stuff poured out to us by the enterprising news gathers, but we all have the common fault of making a subject grow stale and thread-bare before we let up on it. One week we have an unusual character lauded to the skies by a pleased populace; again an unfortunate actress toys carelessly with the life of her lover and too comes in for a splendid round by the press. The name of Cassie the soap-bubble financier, supplants that of Carrie, the saloon smasher, and the magical rise to international fame of the wiry and wily Witte, and all for the while are forgotten in the heated discussion of John A's insurance predicament and Chauncey's duplicity and Miss Alice's prospects.
But, whatever may interest us in some places and however often it is commented upon by others, the stern fact remains that mud, water and slosh are about all we can find in our roads now. We do not think that there has ever been a time in the history of our county that we were cursed with worse roads. Some one has humorously said that we have two roads now where we used to have only one-the new one about three feet below the old. These are mostly the roads where the "great thing" of a road machine has subsoiled them and let the rain do the rest. It is somewhat distressing too for fertilizer time is nearly here, and what are the farmers to do? It is a perfect see-saw for mules and wagon when a team tries to travel. Some joints of the road have been deserted and the edge of the fields resorted to. It is almost impossible to carry a load, and even terrible for a light vehicle. There are yet some joints of the road where the machine has not been, and a comparison will almost make us believe that the machine is not what it's cracked up to be. But I will not dwell here longer as you might think that I'm as bad to grumble as some other folks. But I will add this: That a road machine operated by men whose experience is very little more than the mere mechanical operator is not quite the proper
thing
that this work is deplorably incomplete is practically
demonstrated wherever we find a newly worked section.
But now away with these disagreeable subjects, and back to those
which always give us inexpressible pleasure.
A glance at the farm yard, a stroll on the farm, a peep inside
the home,
a taste of those good things that we always find on our farmer friend's
table,
a grip of the hand, a smile, a warm open welcome and interesting chat
with the
scores of good farmers we meet on our swing while going about. We have rambled not perchance either into
the Carmichael section and right here we mention Messrs. Albert J. and
William
B. Carmichael. Their farm is one of
neatness and beauty and they certainly claim success and growth. They lead when that is the thing to do and
hold back when they think conservatism pays.
Their farm pays them profits every year; their home is a model
one and
why they don't get married is a question that is often asked.
A prosperous farm and a profitable mercantile business under the skillful guidance of Messrs. J. F. McIntyre and Shell Regan, places Miss Margaret Carmichael in the front ranks as a merchant planter. Her plantation is a valuable one, and a glance at the cotton stacked around would tell us that hard times never linger here.
We engage in a
short chat with Mr. P. M. Stuart,
one of our readers here, but he was
in a
hurry and we did not see much of him.
However he is an enthusiastic farmer as every
one should be who makes a living that way.
It was our extreme pleasure to dine with one of the oldest men in the neighborhood; who back in the 60's stood by the writer's father in the ranks of the old Twenty-Third South Carolina regiment and passed through many a fiery trial with him. We did not know Mr. C. C. Carmichael before, but we are glad now that we've seen him. Ere another score of years is ended he will have answered the last roll call. A good soldier was he, a good man and a good farmer is he now, why cannot some of the good things be said of a person before their ears are forever closed to earthly sound?
Next we find
some
of the younger farmers, Messrs. J. F.
and C. K. Culbreath.
These gentlemen have beautiful lands and
grow good crops every year. Their
trouble now is the labor situation and says it
s hard to find, and most of what is found is very unsatisfactory. They are advocates of the Cotton Growers Association and believe that the farmer will yet win his victory if he will only stick to the end.
We called on Mr. J. H. Wiggins, but he was away hunting birds so we didn't spend much time hunting him as he would have been harder to find than a covey of quail.
Mr. D. F. McIntyre is one of our good farmers near the line who is very successful. He has cotton stacked around him too, and is by no means obliged to see. He is waiting for more and means to get it.
We go back now to a section that we visited sometime ago, in person but not through these columns. It is one of the most prosperous sections of the county and its people are unsurpassed anywhere for their extreme hospitality. They justly belonged to the Gaddy's mill report, but once the rural routes covered this section it placed them on the Hamer list. It is a very short joint of road but many nice farms are found thereon. Mr. J. M. Gaddy lives near the X roads and is one of the coming planters of the county. Next is Mrs. Regan, 'Squire B. F. Edwards, Mr. S. T. Gaddy, H. W. Gaddy, Mrs. J. R. Oliver, Ed Gaddy and H. W. Miller. 'Squire Edwards has been very successful in the culture of tobacco and is a strong believer in the week as a money crop. He is an all-round man, a good farmer who likes the work, a good magistrate who is a terror to evil doers, and can tie a matrimonial knot that will hold. Mr. S. T. Gaddy is one of the boys of the old school and is living on what he made and laid aside when he was younger. He has a nice farm and comfortable home and is in a position to take life easy. Mr. H. W. Gaddy is his son who lives near and is an excellent citizen and farmer.
Mrs. Oliver's plantation is now being operated by her son, Fred. Fred is a hustler and bids fair to soon become one of the county's leading farmers and business men. A more hospitable home cannot be found anywhere, and one visit there calls for a repetition.
Mr. Ed. Gaddy is another one of the young farmers whom we have failed to catch at home so far. Yet we hope to see him later on.
Mr. Miller is doubtless the oldest man in the neighborhood. His life has been a successful one, as he accumulated large tracts of land. He has, however, make a division, among his children who are successfully operating them. Ira is on the home tract with his father, and he is doing well. Withal the stranger finds this a good land flowing with "milk and honey," and also a good people who are not strangers. Our last trip through here carried us across the line and next week we want to mention some of our valued Tar Hell readers who are staunch friends of The Herald and interested in the welfare and growth of upper Marion.