SWINGING
‘ROUND THE
CIRCLE
Kirby Township
By
W. J. Galloway
The
Dillon Herald
September
7, 1906
How
the Farmers in
Kirby Live and Make Money. Good Lands
and Still Better
People. Mention Made of Many Names Long
Linked with
Marion History
Oak Grove, Sept 4
Kirby is one of the largest townships in the county, and is in the extreme corner, with Marlboro as one of its boundaries and Pee Dee river as another. A great part of this township is deep sandy soil while the sections bordering on, and within the “slashes,” are red and very stiff river bottoms. The sandy lands produce well and are very easily cultivated—in fact so easy that as much money can be made per acre here, with even a smaller yield, as can be made on any of the average lands of other sections. The stiff lands are very productive, indeed, when seasons are at all favorable. In some parts, near the river swamps, fresh water covers the lands when the river is unusually high, and when this is the case the crops are totally destroyed. While on the other hand when these bottoms escape the “freshets” the yield is marvelous indeed.
Upon entering Kirby from the Catfish side we strike the sandy region, and Kirby’s X roads, or Oak Grove is the first settlement of any note that we find. Here two churches, Bethesda, Methodist, and Olive Branch Baptist, and the country school of Oak Grove are located. These folks are to be congratulated upon their firm stand for education. They have recently erected as neat a school building as any section of the county can boast of, and have voted on themselves a special tax to supplement the public funds, for the extension of their school terms. They employ competent teachers, whose work is thorough.
Mr. William Harper has a store here and while he carries only a small stock, he is found with a liberal patronage. He also does some farming and has a good crop. Yet while others are singing the song of short crops Mr Harper joins heartly in the chorus.
Tracy E. Fore is one of the most substantial citizens of the entire section. He owns and operates a very large from in the “stiff lands.” As a rule his crops of all kinds are among the best, as there are few better farmers to be found. He runs a public ginnery, and country saw mill and with both he does a good business.
Last year Mr. Fore with Mr. E. Lide Berry bought Brown’s Creek plantation from A. J. Matheson, and formed the partnership of Berry and Fore. They do a large farming and mercantile business in connection, and if the success comes to this firm that it deserves it bids fair to become one of the strongest in the county. Brown’s Creek is where Mr. Matheson lived in his early life and here is where he laid the foundation of his massive fortune.
Leaving Mr. Fore’s we took in the upper end next to the Marlboro line, and saw several good crops and many nice farms, some of which , however, are operated by tenents. They all have creditable crops and will make money this year.
W. D. Smith, a carpenter by trade, decided a few years ago to lay down hammer and saw and try “his luck” between the plow handles. He says now that he is done with farming and will go back to his tools next year. The writer, knowing him to be a first class workman, thinks he has made a wise decision, for it is a pity to spoil a good carpenter for a poor farmer.
Jas. R Smith, M.M. and H.S. Porter are farming on the Jno. Porter place where they have a good average crop, though they complain of “tough times on the land.”
H. R. Hayes and son, H. R. Jr. are very large and successful planters here. They have made themselves what they are for when the old gentleman started out early in life, he was indeed in humble circumstances. Success awaits the honest hard worker and these gentlemen are clear demonstrations of this truth. One fact especially worthy of note is that they have never bought a bushel of corn in their lives. Wonder how many others can say as much? H. R. Jr., has sought his fortune in many parts but has drifted back to the old stand where he knows a good business will always be doing.
M. C. Harper, a good farmer of this neighborhood has been very unfortunate for the past few years as he suffers intensely with rheumatism, and now he cannot walk even with the aid of crutches. He has this consolation, though, that when he was able to work no man could beat him. His business now is in the hands of his son, James.
Geo. M. McDonell says he is a little farmer but what he does he tries to do it right. His crops will show that he has “done it well” this year as there is none better in this section.
We passed through the fine plantation of Geo. W. Harper, which lies partly in this county and partly in Marlboro. Mr. Harper’s home is across the line, yet the attractions on this side are so great that he is often seen hover here. He is a good farmer and makes money every year.
Next we come to Joel E. Napier’s, where we had a pleasant chat with his son, Robert. This place was formerly known as “Megg’s Island,” and more fertile lands are nowhere to be found. A fine crop is made here every year. While Bob says it will be short this year yet he will gather a good average crop. They have been very successful in the culture of tobacco. Every year they realize large profits from this crop. And growing the golden leaf has been indeed a little gold mine to them. Bob says his crop of tobacco this year is much better than usual and if they get good prices they will realize more money than ever before. More hospitable lmen are gard to find than these gentlemen. Robt. K. Napier entertained a “stag” party at his tobacco barn last Wednesday night, and it was enjoyed to the full by all present. The violin and guitar were skillfully handled by H. R. Hays Jr. and Phil Harper, and their sweet music was rendered as if they had been “veterans in the business.” Refreshments in the shape of two large pots of “chicken and rice,” prepared and cooked by the boys were served. Every one helped themselves freely and when the bottom of the pot was found we all felt that it was good to have been there. Those present were: H. R. Hayes Jr., R. K Napier, W. J. Galloway, Vernie Lane, John Gunter, Fayette Whittington, Phil Harper and Harry Meggs.
Turning again towards the X roads, we took the sand road which leads us to the home of Thos. R. Hayes, where we found him at work as usual. He was preparing for his winter edibles by sowing a large turnip patch. Mr. Hayes is well pleased with his cotton crop, but he says: “My corn scares me; I am afraid that my pigs will get hungry before time to kill them.”
We also visited Rev. Wilson Hayes, the father of Thos. R.. Here we partook of the hospitalities of this good old Methodist gentleman. He is a good farmer, on the small scale, who has never tried to spread out in the larger fields but what he has done was always on a solid foundation. His cotton crop this year is very good, and one field of corn is indeed fine. His pea crop is the best in this section. We failed to see his son, Joel E. Hayes who lives nearly but he is a hard worker and has a good crop. Dwight Porter, another closely neighbor of Mr. Hayes’, is a good farmer and his good crops this year are well deserved fruits of the hard labor he has put on them.
Mr. C. P. Hodges of Brownsville owns several valuable tracts of land in this section which he operates through the tenant system. He also conducts a large ginnery on one of his places. Mr. Hodges is one of the most extensive land owners in Southern Marlboro and every year he adds to his possessions in real estate, a large part of which now lies within the borders of Marion County.
The last, but by no means the least, to mention this week is Vernie Lane. When we first called to see him he was in Mullins attending the Sunday School Convention and “prospecting.” However since that time we have found him at home and doing well in the “Bachelor Den.” Vernie’s farm is an attractive one, it being the estate of the late Capt. Stephen D. Lane. His crop is very good, much better than last year. All his beautiful home lacks of being complete is the companion, he so much desires.
He is a firm believer in the doctrine that “it takes two make a trade.”
Generally speaking the crops of this section are very good, while in some instances they do not compare with last year. Yet it is known that last year was an exceptionally good year, and this being true I am afraid these good people ran their calculations too high.
This winds up our first trip through Kirby, but it will take one or two more to complete this pleasant task, and we will be with them again next week.
"SWINGING 'ROUND THE CIRCLE"
The
Dillon Herald
Sept. 14, 1905
How
the Farmers in
Kirby Live and Make Money.
Good Lands and Still
Better People.
Mention Made of Many
Names Long Linked With
Marion County
by
W. J. Galloway
Kirby, Sept. 11
It is
strange, very strange, how opinions will be formed and how reports will
be
circulated and ideas advanced about things and places that we have
never seen
or know nothing of. I have in mind some
of the ideas that some folks entertain with regards to the Kirby
section of
this county. There are a great many of the good citizens of this
county who
have never visited this section. They
know or believe there is such a place because occasionally they read of
some of
its happenings in the county papers and by reference to the map they
see it
laid out in one corner. But what it
contains, or what its people are to them as a glance in the dark.
We are sometimes asked such questions as, "What kind of place is Kirby? What kind of people are there-do they know anything or are they worth anything?" And sometimes, readers, we allow our prejudices to draw our eyes away from the true and correct picture and force us to see things as we want to see them. To such, I wish to say that within the last week I have visited sections in which I had never been before, and had I been told that conditions were such as they are, I am afraid I would have been tempted to refute it. And this calls to my mind the one fact that we should never jump at a conclusion or anything until we are able to substantiate our opinions by the true facts of the situation. Being in no great hurry I took my own time to look over the country and see the things as they really exist, and now I am in a position to draw such other comparisons with other sections as I deem necessary in order to place Kirby in its true light before the people and for the benefit of the Herald readers.
Like other sections of the county, this one has its drawbacks, yet it also has its many attractions and advantages. It has its small farms and farmers, its poor people and land renters, which are not drawbacks as long as they are honest and attend to their own business. And too, it has its wealthy and progressive citizens standing over large and fertile fields. The people generally are hard workers, honest and lawabiding. There is as little deviltry, lawlessness and crime committed here as in any section of the county.
Everybody is clever, and hospitable and when you visit their homes you are indeed among friends. I hope I may not be censured here for advancing the few suggestions as my sole purpose in doing this is to place this section and its people squarely before those whose pleasure it has never been to pay them a visit.
And now I will dwell briefly upon some of the farmers, their farms and their crops.
Giles Love is a good farmer, hard worker near the X roads, who has a good crop. He ways in gathering he finds his cotton much shorter than he had expected.
T. Linwood Fore is a rising farmer of this section. He owns a nice three horse farm here, two of which he "lets out" to tenants and the third he works himself. He seldom hires a hand, as he himself can do as much work in a day as any man. Lin enjoys life and always looks at the bright side of everything. He says his crop is short, but he'll get there on the home run.
Leaving this road then, crossing over towards Tracy Fore's again we come first to F. D. Kirby's who by hard work and economy is adding to his accumulations every year. The same may be said of his nearby neighbor, H. W. Weatherford. Mr. Weatherford says his crop is short, but conditions could have been much worse.
Will K. Fore's place is a good one and he has a good crop on it. Will is one of the youngest farmers of the section and has been on the up-grade all the while. He is now erecting a neat and handsome cottage which indicates that he does not mean to "keep batch" forever. We wish him "much luck and a plenty of it."
J. Rich Hays is another progressive farmer here. He lives on the old homestead of his father and it is indeed a fine farm. He says that he has never had a better crop and if the price of cotton holds up he will be alright. Mr. Hays son, Benjamin, left last week for Macon, Ga., where he will take a business course in the Ga.-Ala. Business College.
J. Madison Berry, a brother-in-law of Mr. Hays, and a "door neighbor" has a good crop. We do not know how it compares with last year, as Mr. Berry was not at home when we called.
Mr. R. C. Wise was not at home either, but a glance at his crop told us that he was not far behind his neighbors in this respect.
We are now coming into the immense plantation of one of the most substantial and successful planters in the county, E. Lide Berry, and right note should be made of the fact that while Lide is endowed with sound business principles and the qualifications of a good farmer, he is not altogether responsible for his success. His mother was several years ago bereft of the companionship of her husband, and left a widow with several children, some of whom were quite small, to support and educate. And no one, man or woman, could have exercised more practical business judgment than has this noble woman. Under such condition it would be hard to imagine anything but success from Lide. He operates 20 plows on as fine plantation as anybody can boast of. His crop is good this year, yet he says his cotton will not turn out as well as he expected before he began gathering.
Mrs. M. D. Atkins, a sister of Mr. Berry, has a beautiful little farm adjoining him, and has one of the finest crops in the entire community.
John C. Hays is a natural born farmer. He has never done anything else with the exception of one year when he tried the livery business at Red Springs, N.C. But finding this not to be his calling, he returned to his old home, where he is sure of a good living and some surplus cash. He has a beautiful country home and at present he is remodeling his swelling which when completed will present an imposing appearance. He spends no little time and money on the beautifying of his premises and when you see a man of this type you may rest assured that he is living for something else beside the accumulation of dollars. It is a pleasure to visit his home as he and Mrs. Hays are always "at home" to their friends.
Mr. L. E. Hays owns a nice farm here, on which there is a good crop. Mr. Hays rents his lands every year as there is no one in his family except himself and Mrs. Hays. They easily live on the rents.
One of the most remarkable men in this whole community is John D. Coleman. Sixteen years ago, just of age, Mr. Coleman left his father's home almost penniless. And for four years he worked as a farm hand for wages. Having saved nearly all of his earning, he married and bought a little tract of land from his father-in-law, Mr. D. S. Allen. From year to year he has made enormous crops on the economical plan and bought other lands until now he owns a valuable plantation with an eleven horse farm cleared. He says "I have never made a crop that didn't net me a profit. I always cut my expenses so they can be met with a short crop, and if I make a big crop, I have gained that much more profit. My crop this year is about 75 per cent of an average crop for me, but I will not attempt to compare it with last year as I have never seen such a crop grow as I had then. From 78 acres of cotton I gathered 108 bales, and from the whole place I gathered over 1800 bushels of corn. This year I will not get more than a bale of cotton to the acre, and while I will make enough corn to run the place, my crop is not near what it was last year. Mr. Coleman is also a successful tobacco planter. Aside from his cotton, corn and tobacco last year, Mr. Coleman sold $700 worth of produce such as peas, potatoes, etc.
It has not been my custom heretofore to advance lengthy quotations and I hope I amy be pardoned for "crossing the line" this time but I feel that Mr. Coleman's experience will be beneficial to his less successful bretheren, by showing them that hard work and economy will left many a farmer from the dull and monotonous plane to the paying platform.
Like others, Mr. C. E. Haselden says his crop is mulch shorter than he expected it to be before he commenced picking cotton. But what we saw of it will compare favorably with that of his neighbors. Mr. Haselden owns a nice farm here which he bought from Mr. O. C. Fore a few years ago.
Next we find ourselves with Mr. J. R. Fore and his brother Clarence. These excellent gentlemen still hold their membership with the "Bachelor's club,," and neither seems anxious to withdraw their names from the roll. They have a beautiful home, surrounded by a very productive farm. One remarkable feature of their farming is that they never use a pound of commercial fertilizer. All their fertilizers are made at home and their lands are improved to such an extent that they would produce without any at all. They will make bale of cotton per acre this year, notwithstanding the fact that they complain of the boll worm destroying a good portion of the fruit.
Turning our course homeward we came by the plantation of Mr. W. B. Atkinson. Mr. Atkinson now lives in Latta, but we had a talk with his foreman, Mr. Gaston McDonald, who speaks encouragingly of the prospects for a harvest this fall. This place is composed of fine lands adapted to the growth of all crops and especially tobacco. Mr. Atkinson has made as fine tobacco here as has ever been grown in the county.
Mr. Lide B. Hatchell also lives on Mr. Atkinson's place and is now busy gathering cotton. He is well pleased with the outlook. We wound up this trip by chatting awhile with Mr. T. W. Atkinson. He is a hard working old gentleman and has a good crop though he complains of it being short.
Withal we had a pleasant trip as well as a profitable one. We have placed The Herald in many new homes and everybody speaks highly of the work we are now doing.
We shall look forward with pleasure to our next opportunity to visit this excellent community and its people.