Swinging
Round The
Circle
Page’s
Mill to
Gaddy’s Mill
By W. J. Galloway
The
Dillon Herald
December 7, 1905
Leaving home on Monday Morning we determined to wend our way around to Pages Mill and Gaddy’s Mill and pay our next respects to this part of the moral vineyard, but in passing over faithful Balaam met obstructions in several different directions but we have at last landed. Reining up at Mallory for a few moments we peeped in and observed that everything there was moving smoothly we pulled on to Latta where we always find it hard to leave. Business in this town is by no means dull and everybody seems to be in good spirits and pleased with the past as well as the prospects for the future. While there we drove out to the beautiful home of J. Frank Bethea, Jr., and spent a most pleasant night under his hospitable roof. Frank is one of Dillon’s hustling young men who owns a large and valuable plantation one and a half miles from Latta – where he is fast becoming one of the most successful planters of he entire section.
Everything around the town seems to be on the push and some property is changing hands – the Latta Drug Company has purchased Edwards’ Pharmacy and consolidated the two stocks. W. G. Hyatt has bought the large plant of the O. C. Fore Ginning & Manufacturing Co. and still other changes will probably be made by January 1st.
Leaving Latta Tuesday we passed down through the Temperance section and viewed the farms of H. W., B. F. and E. C. Allen. These area all excellent farming lands through here and these gentlemen are among our best farmers. Mr. E. C. Allen now lives in Latta and is assistant cashier of the Bank of Latta. He also owns one of the prettiest homes on West Main Street.
We then struck the old plantation of the late Samuel Watson who was once one of the wealthiest and most progressive citizens of the county. He reared a large family here and among his “multitude of sons” Lamar is the only one who remains on the old home tract. He still clings to this portion of the estates and occasionally adds more to his share. He is an energetic and rising young farmer of the section.
Further down we turn and cross over Buck Swamp bridge at Dunbarton church – there we see the fertile land of ‘Squire J. R. Reaves spread out before us. And while now at this late day the flowers of his field have been gathered and dark and barren patches are there to be seen yet – the remains evident the fact that a bountiful yield and abundant harvest were his. See ‘Squire Bob when you will and he’ll make you fell so good that you’ll be glad that it was him who came. Turning there to pass on we found ourselves moving slowly and with watchful eye, by the stately country home of Capt. William J. Page. Capt. Page is in many ways a remarkable man’ he is one of the oldest citizens of the county and still, after leading a very active life, is now as active as man of many less years. His farm is one of the most valuable of he community. We are sorry we failed to see the old gentleman, as he is a very genial and clever to everybody.
From here we struck the Fork section again. This is, as has been stated before the home of many good farmers who own very valuable lands. The lands all over Marion county-especially those under high state of cultivation, have reached a very high market value, and the Fork farmers have not been slow to realize this fact. But they are slow to turn their places loose with the expectation of getting others “just as good.”
The town of Fork is also in a growing state and progressive mod. Four stores are successfully operated here –all of, which are practically new. The E. L. Moore Co., of Dillon, opened one of them here about a year and a half ago, with one of our popular Dillonites, Maurice Manning as manager, John Sherwood, another one of our boys, has a store of general merchandise here and as usual he seems to be pressing on in an upward way. J. S. Braswell and some with the son, S. J. Brasswell, as manager, conduct a general store with a popular trade. Sam is pleasantly remember in Dillon as this firm once did business there under the same management. Mr. Brasswell gives his time to this farm near Fork which is a valuable one. So does his son J. R. Brasswell who lives near his father.
Among other leading farmers near here are W. K. Frot (Fort), Daniel Edwards, D. D. McDuffie, O. Carmichael and many others who it was not our please to see.
Fork’s physician is one of her own boys. Dr. Thad W. Carmichael has a large practice here among the people with whom he was reared. He is an excellent young man, active and hard working, as will be shown in the fact that he is so popular here where everybody has know him for infancy up.
Fork is indeed a leader along educational lines. Here we find a county school second to none in the county, and one of the handsomest two-story school buildings that any community can boast of. Able and experienced instructors are always employed and the best of work accomplished. The faculty this year is composed of Prof. O. J. McCollum, or Rowland, N.C., as principal and Miss Mary Bromlett of Greenwood, and Bertie Carmichael of Fork , assistants. The enrollment is over one-hundred pupils. Everybody is justly proud of the Fork Graded School and not ashamed for anyone to see what kind of school they have here.
Fork is also the home of the North Mullins circuit. Rev. J. E. Rushton is closing his second hear on this charge and as he is very popular it is hoped by all that he will return for another year.
Just
before leaving Fork we were in John
Sherwood’s store
and heard a familiar voce call out: “Have you seen anything of the
Dillon
Herald man and his Balaam?” We stepped
out and recognized ‘Squire Lawrence
Page.
He told that that he knew our failing and had just slaughtered
his
thanksgiving shoat and was prepared for us.
So we drove out to his beautiful home and spent the night – not
only
enjoying a bountiful feast of sausage, pudding and spare-ribs but also
the
pleasures of being with the jolly ‘Squire and his interesting family.
The
‘Squire is a good farmer and believes in farmers
sticking together and working as a unit in the upbuilding of conditions
in the
rural districts.
We
next came to the May section and enjoyed a chat with Mr.
R. J. C. Ward, on of the Herald’s valued subscribers. Mr. Ward
is preparing to
move to Horry county where he will container farming and merchandising,
as he
has been successful in the county. He
says the Herald must follow him there.
We
dropped in for a short while at Kemper, another of the
Carolina Northern towns. Mr. C. P.
Hayes conducts a large mercantile business here, besides his
farm. He is also postmaster and depot
agent. He is an all-round pushing and
enterprising
man and no community is hurt by having such men as its citizens.
There
is a good school here with Miss
Carrie Rogers and
Claire Meggs as teachers. They will
have a hot supper there next Friday night.
Well, we have at last landed where we’ve been trying to get for sometime – and we have found it is so good to be here that we will remain for several days. Had our swing not drifted us into other places as well, we would have begun our person mention this week, but our story will now be a continued for some weeks yet. Everybody in this section is noted for extreme hospitality and we do not feel we are a stranger in a strange land, but as a friend among friends. Will come again to this place when we have longer to stay.
This part of the county is fast becoming one of the leading portions of Marion. It is filled with enterprising and hustling business men and has shown more signs of development within the last few years than ever before in its history. The whole section is a network of rural routes, thereby furnishing the people with convenient mail facilities. Hamer No. 1, Dillon No. 2, Pages Mills No. 1 and Kemper No. 1, all wind around through here covering a large territory between the Florence and Wilson Railroad and the Carolina Northern. Owing to the late schedules on the Carolina Northern the mails which come out from the offices on that road are always a day late, while those from Dillon and Hamer are always on time if the trains are mot unavoidably late. And it would be a great service to a majority of the patrons of the Pages mills route, especially, were exchange boxes placed at the junction of this route and the Hamer route, for instance at Gaddy's X roads. This would not only bring the mails, to a large number of people a day earlier but would also place the different sections of upper Marion in closer touch with each other which natural conditions insist upon. We think these exchange boxes would meet with the approval of all concerned and that the attention of the proper authorities should be called to this important fact.
There is a movement on foot now which bids fair to be a successful step, which when completed will bring these thriving sections into closer communion and will add a great deal to the commercial advantages of the whole people. An independent telephone company is being organized by the leading businessman of Kemper and Pages Mills to connect these places with Dillon. Mr. C. P. Hays of Kemper is an enthusiastic promoter of the enterprise and it deserves the co-operation of every one who is interested in the growth and upbuilding of his section.
Another item of interest along the lines of improvements is the good roads question. We hope that we may not appear "cranky" on this subject but if we are we feel quite sure that we are turning the same direction of manly others who have to travel some of the joints of our public highways. And the people of these communities through which I've traveled for the past two weeks are completely 'roused on the subject; and justly so too.
So they join The Herald man in defense of the Balaam and call for better roads.
There is five or six miles of road just beyond the Dillon Bridge --one prong leading thro' the Carmichael section by Mr. A. J. Carmichael's and the other leading over to the Bermuda road in the direction of Capt. R. H. Rogers' that is so deep in sand that the wheels seldom find the bottom. These communities are filled with large and successful planters who make a lot of money every year, and who spend a lot in some town. Dillon, it's true, gets a large share of this, but with an ocean of sand between them and the market places it is natural to suppose that with good roads it would get even more. These short joints of roads should be clayed and could be easily, without much cost to any one man, and the town of Dillon would be bringing business to her own business houses if she would contribute a mite to the claying of these roads. This is a simple, yet sensible suggestion as anyone will readily agree, who tries to cross the sand. It is worth the consideration of the business men as well as the riding public. It has been said that some portions of it are so deep that "a scared horse will not attempt to run-a-way." It certainly needs attention when it reaches that point.
Pages Mills is one of the prettiest, and fastest growing towns on the Carolina Northern railroad. Until four or five years ago all that could be said of Pages Mills was that is was one of the largest water mills of the country; a large and productive plantation; the beautiful home, country store and ginnery, all, the property of Mr. L. W. Temple, one of the county's leading citizens. Today Mr. Temple's fine estate is more valuable than ever before because of the fast growing town just "across the mill." Many beautiful residences have already been erected and others are going up, besides several stores in operation all favored with a liberal patronage. DuBose Ford & Co. do a large lien business here and they are very successful in this line. Messrs. J. M. Hill, W. Horn and O. L. Rogers run cash stores and as this surrounding country is fertile and rich they have no trouble in finding the cash to keep them going.
Mr. W. G. Bullock, a farmer who lives near here, conducts a large steam ginnery and planing mill, and also at Kemper. So we see that the people of Pages Mills are in reach of nearly every convenience that is needed. Building lots here are selling at $100 and upwards, and are by no means slow sales at those prices. The owners of these lots, principally D. K. Ford and Bros. are deeply interested in the growth of Pages Mills and extend a glad hand to honest and industrious in-comers and have placed the prices of their lands at such figures as to encourage investigation rather than drive it away to the other town. And as long as this course is pursued this town will always undergo a healthy and substantial growth.
Located here we find two physicians both young in years and comparatively so in their professions, but their practice extends for miles around covering the best territory of the community, while they are fast forging to the front. Dr. J. G. Rogers recently located here and in connection with his practice he carries a neat and attractive line of drugs. Dr. Maxcy Smith has been here for the past seven years. He also carries drugs yet his office is not open only when he is in town. Dr. Smith is enthusiastic over the growth of his town and the excellent school they have here, of which he is a trustee. This writer is indebted to Dr. Smith for some of the data of this article.
Oak Grove Academy has abandoned the little public school building which for several years constituted the Pages Mills school system, and is now comfortably situated in a large and commodious building erected in the beautiful oak rove adjoining the late Dr. Oliver's plantation. Here the best teachers the country affords are employed, each peculiarly fitted for their respective works. Rev. J. A. Mason, a graduate of Wake Forest college, is principal, and he has lived here so long that he is no stranger and all who know him recognize and able instructor, in whose hands no school will suffer. The primary department is under the efficient care of Miss Mary Bryan, of Rocky Mount, N.C., and the music department is gracefully presided over by Miss Belle Cooke of Ark Port, N.Y., who is thoroughly equipped to make this second to none in the county.
(Continued
Next Week)
Dec. 28, 1905
We are now, for the present at least, taking our leave of Pages Mills. Passing on from the Academy we came first to the large and beautiful plantation of the late Dr. Oliver. This place is a valuable one and among the most productive of the community. The road forks here, one prong of which leads over to the Kemper road, and the other to Gaddy's mill. Turning either way we find ourselves entering a section of good farms and farmers. Turning towards Kemper we see a goodly number of attractive places, some which we failed this time to find out. We passed however Mr. Frank Elvington's., Mrs. Booth's and Mrs. Thompson's, all of whom have pretty places and lands unsurpassed in the county.
Before leaving these parts we found it quite natural and with no effort at all to push up the long avenue to the beautiful home of Mr. T. B. Hayes. Mr. Hayes is being numbered with the older citizens of the county and while the greater part of his life has already been spent, his record as a citizen is an enviable one. With the exception of one or two terms, he served as county commissioner, he has never .et politics disturb him. But with push and enterprise he became one of the leading planters of his community. He has retired from the active duties of the farm but the reins have safely fallen in the hands of his eldest son, Rembert K., who is a thorough going young man endowed with sound business qualifications who is always on the alert for something doing. The neat little cottage just completed across the road shows that in the very near future he will "double his capacity" and then success is sure to be his. Congratulations old fellow; let the good work go on.
Mr. Elly D. Hayes is another of the old landmarks of the community who has been one among the successful farmers for manly years. Mr. J. Martin Hayes is one of the younger farmers here, who, by push and thrift, is going ahead toward the front ranks among the farmers of the county. He says he makes enough of such things as he needs for home consumption and then comes in for all the cotton he can make. Mr. William B. Hayes is one of the oldest settlers of the entire neighborhood who has been a marked success as a farmer. A few years ago he had the misfortune to lose all of his buildings by fire which was so destructive that he has never fully recovered. Next to him we find J. Arthur Bethea, who is his son-in-law. Arthur is a Latta boy who taught school over here for several years, and succeeded in winning a helping hand. He then decided to take his abode in this thriving section where he has built a beautiful home, and it is a genuine pleasure to visit him there and partake of his hospitalities. He is farming now and shows signs of his home training along that line. This community has among its residents a great many of the older citizens of the county, some of whom have always been active in county affairs while others have been content to remain in the quiet surroundings of their home and farm.
Capt. R. H. Rogers is one of the old and prominent men of the county whose fine plantation and convenient surroundings here is an index to his business qualifications. He is a staunch Cotton Grower's Association advocate and is highly pleased with the good work it has done, and is still doing. He says he cut his acreage 25 per cent this year and if necessary he will cut again. He's still holding cotton for higher prices and says if enough farmers will stick they will get there yet.
We are nearing Gaddy's mill now so before we take it up we will go back to the other prong of the Pages mills road which we left at the outset, as this is the direct road from one to the other of the two mills.
Leaving the Fork here we land into a neighborhood of Horns, among whom is Mr. William P. Horn, a valued reader of The Herald and a successful farmer. It was not our pleasure to see all of them but judging from their surroundings they are all good farmers and good citizens.
We next came to a neighborhood of Rogers'. Mr. D. W. Rogers is a hustling young man who after gathering his crops would not be idle and put in a saw mill with which he is cutting his timber and realizing some of the high prices for lumber as well as for cotton.
Mr. E. L. Rogers was away when we called at his home. He was in Ala. on a visit to relatives and we failed to see him. Yet he is one of the leading farmers on this road. We hope to see him yet.
Mr. Barfield Rogers is one of those old settlers who believes in making plenty of hog and hominy and have what you want at home no matter what the markets are doing.
Mr. Lon Loupo is another of the young farmers whom we failed to see, but he has a beautiful place and every sign of prosperity is shown there.
Mr. R. A. Rogers says he is going to leave these parts, having sold his property here. He has not yet decided where he will go.
We are now coming into Gaddy's Mill again . The old Gaddy's Mill farm has changed hands several times since it passed from those of the original owner. It is now occupied by Mr. W. J. Adams, a young Marlboro planter who bought it a year ago. He is fast making it the most attractive places here. The lands are productive and all they've needed heretofore was a hustler to operate them. He is hard to catch at home as he is always turning at something, and after several repeated efforts we left the neighborhood without seeing him. He is one of those Banner county farmers who means to be a banner farmer of his section.
Mr. John McKenzie lives on the edge of the mill. His beautiful home and fine farm is lying just to the right as we go towards Gaddysville. He is one of those good farmers who does things well, and is making money on the farm.
Practically the same story that we've told on manly others will be fitting here with many more of these good citizens whose farms are their chief supports and if you get among them you will find that they are supported handsomely too. Among others are Messrs. Joseph Arnet, W. S. Lupo, Thos. Gaddy, A. B. Carmichael, W. M. McDonald, C. B. Arnet, and W. S. Grantham. These gentlemen are all neighbors living on the short joint of road from Gaddy's Mill to the North Carolina line. And this is indeed a prosperous portion of the county, made so by these its prosperous and industrious citizens.
At the end of this road we find ourselves taking up at the hospitable home of Mr. Joseph Burns on whom both States lay a claim. He lives in two States, two counties and four townships. His dwelling in White House township, Robeson county, N.C.; his barn and stables in Thompson township; his ginnery in Hillsboro township, Marion county, S.C.
and his tobacco barns and tennant houses in Carmichael township. So we see that the "House of Burns" is pretty well divided. Mr. Burns is an all-round good man and if the country was filled with such men we would have little need for law and order Leagues. In his old age he has retired from active business and his son, J. Worth, has taken charge and is continuing in the successes of his father.
The Union High School at Gaddys Mill is among the best country schools of the county. The only objection now is the lack of room to accommodate the children who crowd there. Prof. Davis of Chesterfield, a citadel graduate, is principal and he with two assistants, is crowded. It is only a question of time when a large and commodious building will be erected, as they are sorely in need of more room. Some months ago a storm swept thro' this community and almost demolished Union church. The members did not attempt to repair it, but went to work and built a new one of modern design which is the best country church in the county and will compare favorably with any of the town churches. These folks don't go at anything by halves and believe in having the best of everything. And they have a church that they'll never be ashamed of. They with the pastor, Rev. J. E. Rushton, are to be congratulated for their fine work.