SWINGING 'ROUND THE CIRCLE
The Dillon Herald
September
28, 1905
Latta
A Little Giant.Illustration of What
pluck and perseverance w
will
do whenbestowed upon a
Progressive and Intelligent people.
By
W.
J. Galloway
Latta, S.C., Sept. 25. - In our swinging from time to time we are drawn, not very mysteriously either, to the progressive little town of Latta. We once lived and had our being in Latta and among Latta folk, and know for ourselves what it is to be there, and, often times, no matter where we are, through Latta is our shortest road home.
Latta is not the largest, nor the smallest, not the most progressive, but by no means the most languid, not the prettiest nor the plainest, not the richest nor the poorest, not the dryest nor the wettest, not the highest nor the lowest, not the best nor the most wicked town among our manly country towns. But when she is lifted up to the public gaze and compared with others she will stand the test handsomely. There is nothing to make her ashamed. Yet there is nothing extremely remarkable about Latta. When the traveler, as he flies across the country from town to town, checks his winged course and light upon Latta's soil, he finds no attractions here that would excite a wish to stay longer, more than at other towns its size. But to one who has been there long enough to know its people, drink its water and eat its "fried chicken," there is an indescribable charm that takes him back as though he were a wonderer returning home.
Latta owes her existence to natural resources as well as to any agency. Surrounded by many large and productive farms the fertility of which is unsurpassed anywhere. Her good, broadminded and conservative business men were drawn from among the ploughmen of the country around. Their employees came also from the plowhandles, and their customers are their former neighbors, friends, and kinsfolk. Could anything be more pleasant or lend more to a town's welfare than for everything of this kind to be congenial?
Latta is an excellent business centre. The junction of Latta Branch railroad here to the main line helps to make a logical trading point.
A desire for the best school facilities draws the country people together by common consent, and a sight of the bright faces of the youths of Latta will cause a look of admiration toward the building where the minds of the young people are moulded and trained to meet the demands of the times. It will be recalled that less than a decade ago a little school house with one room, in an oak grove near town, composed Latta's "institution of learning." But today a handsome two-story structure with ample grounds for play room, and an auditorium for public attractions stands in North Latta as a successor to old Vidalia school. Here we find a school second only to the best, a credit to a much larger town and the pride of Latta. Here, as in other places we find the school, the pulse of the expansive chord. A growing school is a sure sign of a growing town and vice versa. The faculty of Latta graded schools this year is H. W. Ackerman, Supt; Pearce Easterling, Prin.; Misses Bettie Monroe and Margarite Young, assistants, and Miss Francis Strother, music teacher. A glance is proof enough of Latta's growing condition. Until a few years ago she was content with her lot exclusively on the west side of the railroad, and most of her business houses were frame buildings. Now many beautiful residences, eight brick stores, one large brick hotel and brick livery stables on the east side, tell a tale of the awakening of her latent energies. The country around here wants more, needs more and demands more merchandise every year and Latta is easily responsive to the country's call. She provides a variety of trade to meet every requirement. She markets the cotton of the surrounding country and this for many years has been considered one of the best cotton markets in the country. The three leading cotton brokers of the South are represented here by old and experienced buyers who enjoy the esteem of all who have deals with them. Mr. J. W. Smith is with Sprunt & Son, Mr. D. M. Dew with Inman & Co., and Mr. J. P. McCutchen with Rogers McCabe & Co., and while they cannot be reckoned with the staple industries the tobacco and trucking interest of Latta are by no means insignificant. Two large tobacco warehouses are successfully operated here every year and the sales in both quantity and price oompare favorably with the other markets of the county. It has been said that Mullins last season was the only market in the county ahead of Latta.
The truckers are also very successful with strawberries. There are no real large fields of them, but those who plant them just make enough to manage well themselves and always realize a handsome profit. Sometimes solid cars of berries are shipped from this point. And while the farmers are marketing their produce here they have places to deposit their money. There are two banks here, both doing a fine business. The Framers and merchants Bank of Marion has an office here of which Mr. H. A. Bethea is the popular cashier. The Bank of Latta is a Latta institution of which Mr. J. S. Bethea is president and Mr. A. S. Manning cashier. They have been in business nearly two years and while their capital stock is only $25,000 they have made a remarkable showing.
To Be Continued Next Week
SWINGING 'ROUND THE CIRCLE
The Dillon Herald
October
5, 1905
by
W.
J. Galloway
There are two livery stables here, one owned by Mr. J. B. McCutchin and the other a large and neat brick structure of the Latta Live Stock Co., incorporated last year by Messrs E. B. Berry, L. H. Smith, J. E. Henry and P. O. Henry, but it is now owned by Mr. T. W. Berry and managed by Mr. H. C. Hays. Both these do a fine live stock and vehicle business.
Among the prominent merchants who are playing their part in the business of Latta are J. J. Bethea, Latta Supply Col, S. A. McMillan, George & Mitchell Co., Bethea & Covington, Finklea Bros.., John L. Dew, and J. S. Crawford, Latta Hardware Store owned by F. M. McMillan carries a full line of Hardware and has a growing trade.
There are several other stores here who do a cash business exclusively all of whom enjoy excellent patronage. Among them are P. J. Hays, Fancy Groceries, S. E. Love, J. C. Allen & Bros., M. H. Mims, and Blum Bros, General Merchandise, Campbell Bros, of which Messrs W. J. B. and P. S. Campbell are members conduct a grocery business here.
They have nice farms in the country near by which divide their time between the store and the country.
The first named of the merchants do some furnishing and deal somewhat in fertilizers while J. J. Bethea, Latta Supply Co., and George & Mitchell Co. deal largely in them. Four of the merchants here deal largely in furniture from the cheapest to the finest. Finklea Bros, Latta Supply Co, S. A. McMillan and J. G. Crawford. The Hardware store also carries some furniture. George Mitchell Co. conduct a large wholesale Grocery and they handle an immense amount of goods in this line. Mr. Mitchell withdrew from the firm a few weeks ago and N. E. George is now sole owner.
T. W. Berry has bought the entire interest in the Supply Co. from Messrs. E. B. Berry and L. H. Smith but this company will undergo another change on January 1st next and reorganize with T. W. Berry Pres., T. W. Fennegen Vice Pres, and Jno C. Bethea, Sec. & Treas.
Jno L. Dew also conducts a wholesale grocery in connection with his retail business.
A nice and well selected line of millinery can be found at S. A. McMillan's and Bethea & Covington's where experienced milliners from the North are always ready to serve you with the latest styles.
There are four drug stores and six doctors here, and if the coffin dealers depend on them for a living they would perish. S. A. McMillan has a drug department to his store. Dr. H. A. Edwards conducts an uptodate drug store and also does Dr. E. L. Brown, Dr. F. L. Carpenter is connected with the Latta Drug Co., a new concern organized in the spring. Dr. Major is associated with Dr. Edwards, Drs F. M Monroe and R. A. Bass live in the country a short distance from town but are numbered with Latta's physicians.
There are two blacksmith and repair shops here. W. G. Hyatt Son do a general repair business in all the blacksmith and machinery lines.
S. A. Lewis devotes most of his time to the manufacture of the famous Lewis plow stocks. He ships them in large numbers to several of the leading jobbers of the south.
Latta has unsurpassed mail facilities. She has three rural routes leading into the surrounding country. No. 1 with A. W. Berry carrier takes in the Buck Swamp section, No 2. with A. N. Edwards carrier takes in the Kirby and Gum Swamp section, No. 3. with J. M. Freeman carrier takes in the Spring Branch section.
For its size Latta can boast of as many handsome residences as any town in the state. Among them is the magnificent brick mansion of Mr. Jas H. Manning. It is said to have cost about $15,000 and would be a credit to any city. Mr. Manning was one of Little Rock's most substantial citizens but two years ago purchased a great deal of valuable property here and recently moved. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of Latta and was its first president. But he was forced to resign as he had so much private business that demanded his attention.
Latta is represented by the three leading denominations and has fine preachers residing within her incorporate limits.
Withal Latta is a nice and attractive town of a thousand people who are as hospitable and clever as the best.
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For the past few months much speculation has been done as to how this years crop would "turn out" and there are about as many opinions advanced as there are men to advance them. Some say that this year's crop will be fifty per cent behind last year, others say 33 1/3 per cent, others 25 per cent and on down until some with whom I have talked say that while the weed is not as large as last year the yield will be about as large. I find though that nearly every one bases his estimate upon the existing conditions of his own farm. In my humble opinion the yield this year is not what it was last year. What per cent I am unable to say. This is harvest time however, and it will not be long before we'll know.
It was our pleasure to travel over the entire western portion of the county last week. But as it was no little job we had to "make haste in a hurry" to get over. We visited 50 or more of the leading farmers in the county all of whom we would like to mention this week but time and space will not permit; but we will in time pay them our respects as every one of them treated us most hospitably.
All of them are very busy in their crops picking cotton, moving hay, cutting corn for shredding and in fact every thing that tends to make a man busy. The rattle of the old plantation wagon and the song of the happy "darkie" are almost as sure signs of harvest time as the opening cotton and ripening corn.
These things are very common in the country now and they carry one's mind back to days of long ago and cause him to long for a return of those good old days, when mule and darky were his chief farm pleasure.
Among some of the beautiful farms through which we passed, that we have not heretofore mentioned, were Messrs J. C. George, E. B. Berry, Capt. W. B. Evans and L. B. Haselden and N. A. Berry of Sellers. Of these Mr. E. B. Berry and Capt. Evans rent out their farms and now live in Latta. Mr Berry's plantation is a very large one and is operated by Mr. E. T. McLellan. They have a good crop this year. He also runs a public ginnery.
L. B. Haselden operates the large and valuable estate of his late father Capt James Haselden. He has made an excellent crop this year and is having no trouble in gathering it.
Others around here we will take up when we have visited Sellers on our Herald rounds.
We came through Latta and stopped awhile with the O. C. Fore Ginning Co. This is about the most complete ginnery in the country, and in connection with it Mr. Fore runs a large brick factory and grist mill. This company was organized two or three years ago composed of W. W. Holland, W. G. Pace and O. C. Fore, but later Mr. Fore bought out the whole business and conducts it very successfully indeed.