FINE FARMERS ROUND FREE STATE
The Dillon Herald
Aug
24, 1905
Good
Crops and Pretty
Homes. How Small FarmersManage to Get
Rich. Free State Furnishes
a Valuable Example of
Latter Day Farming.Descendants Do Homage
to Isham Watson,Keeping Green
Memory
of Founder of Watson Clan
by
W.J.
Galloway
Free State, S.C. , Aug. 21
It was your
correspondent's pleasure to attend the 2nd annual reunion of the
decendents of
the late Isham Watson, which
was held at Antioch Baptist church on Wednesday
16th inst. This church is an
appropriate place for the reunion as it is the spot where this
remarkable old
gentleman worshipped and in its grounds his last resting place is
marked. He was remarkable in many ways. Beginning life very poor he naturally was
thrown against some trying propositions, yet he accumulated a vast
fortune but
all the way he maintained his integrity and handed down a good name to
his
children, which will follow through all generations to come.
The meeting
Wednesday was in every way pleasant. It
was opened in the church with religious services conducted by Revs. Ed. Pittman
and W. O. Allen, great grandsons of Mr. Watson, after which Rev. Joel I. Allen
paid a beautiful tribute to his memory.
He then very touchingly presented to Mesdames Mary Legette and Jane
Moore, the only surviving children, some little gifts as a token
of affections
from the younger descendents.
D. E. Watson was elected president of the business meeting which held a brief session before the congregation was dismissed. A long table had been built in the beautiful grove where the crowd gathered when the dinner hour arrived, and had it been possible the table would certainly have groaned under its load. Every one enjoyed this feature; all who have visited these good people in their homes knows what to expect when they come together in a picnic gathering. After the feast was over the fragments would have filled many more than twelve baskets.
Several of Mr. Watson's relics were on exhibition in the afternoon, among which were his shoe last, a pair of his shoes, a soldier gun, canteen, and ammunition bag.
A photo of the crowd was made by W. K. Hamilton, also several family groups.
We made an
effort to obtain the names of those present but failed.
The register was not complete when we had to
take our departure. The descendents
were framing it in such a way as to make a family tree when it was
completed.
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Well we
will start our swing again. Dry
weather, dusty roads, cotton picking and the labor question are topics
of the
neighborhood. The labor question is
indeed a serious one just now. It is
discouraging for some of the farmers to begin their work in making a
crop, and
after it is made he knows not how it will be gathered.
It has gotten so that the average laborer
does not regard a contract as anything but a mere show.
If they want to leave, all they have to do
is to dodge over the North Carolina line and that is the end of it. Such condition of affairs has caused some of
our people to be strong believers in immigration and I believe, with
them, that
if we could turn the side of immigration our way and all our farms with
honest
hard working people, and let the worthless negroes know and feel that
we are
not al all dependent upon them it would certainly have a wholesome
effect. We have vast scopes of country
through the
county yet undeveloped and with the right kind of workers on it, it
could be made to blossom as a garden and a full purse would be its
compensation.
We spent last Sunday in Free State. This is one of the finest sections in Marion county. It is a neighborhood of small farms, prosperous farmers and above all attractive homes. It is not a place of home seekers but to the contrary - a place of home makers. No pains are spared in making them beaufiful and lovely. The young men as a general rule do not seek their fortune in foreign lands but are content to remain around the scenes of their childhood. The people here do not try to cultivate the world but take just what they can work well and are eminently successful.
Upon entering Free State we stopped a while with B. F. Huckabee; we have seen no better crop of cotton and corn than Mr. Huckabee has. He is a good farmer and hard-working man. One thing that would prove to you that he is successful is the fact that he always has corn to sell.
J. Walter Nicholson is several men in one. Blacksmith, merchant, barber and still more an excellent farmer. He owns a valuable plantation and has a good crop although he says his crop is not as good as it was last year, the unfavorable seasons being badly against him this year. He operates one of the most complete and up-to-date blacksmith shops in the State. Go there when you will and you will hear the blows of his hammer and the roar of his bellows. He is in every way a successful man and yet it is very strange that he is content with pulling all the way through life in single harness.
Jas. S. Hayes is a practical farmer. He takes care of every feature of his farm. His crop is among the finest we've seen any where. He says that he has been farming for more than 20 years and has never had a better crop. For several years he has been making a bale of cotton to every acre he planted and this year he expects even a larger yield. It would do you good to see his corn. He is already building new barns that he may have room for his harvest. Mr. Hayes buys very little that he can make at home. He has not bought a pound of bacon this year. On the other hand he has sold more than $150.00 worth of home made meat, besides furnishing his five horse farm the entire year. If every farmer would adopt his rule it would not be long before the "time merchant" would have little use for account books.
We called at the home of J. A. B. Legette but as he was not at home we were deprived of the opportunity of talking with him. We looked at his crop however, and judging from general appearance he is still on the up grade. The part of his crop that we saw was very good indeed. He is a quiet and peaceful citizen and has a good farm. l He unlike his neighbor, Mr. Nicholson, believes in "good company" as he has led two of Marlboro's fair daughters to Hymen's alter.
Free State's "magic wand" attracted one of Marlboros old and useful citizens, in the person of C. M. Newton, here about two years ago, and in this move Marion's gain was indeed Marlboro's loss. Mr. Newton is a good old man who always walked in the humble paths of life, commanding the love and respect of everyone. He is one of the valuable farmers here and has an excellent cotton crop but his corn crop will be considerably short.
We saw nothing on our ride more promising than the cotton crop of D. S. Cottingham. He is highly pleased with his prospects for this crop but says that his corn crop is very much behind last year. Mr. Cottingham's neighbors all know him to be an up-to-the-times planter and our conversation with him impressed us that his enthusiasm is not limited to farming alone but extends to every thing that pertains to the betterment of the rural section.
W. B. Allen is one of Free State's safest and surest sons, and every community needs more men like him. An excellent farmer who has a reason for everything he does. His crops will average good. Fine cotton, but he says his corn is not what he had hoped for it.
His eldest son W. C. Allen recently entered the ministry with a talent, training and fitness for this work that bespeak for him a successful and useful life.
Mr. Allen's brother, David E. Allen who lives just a few hundred yards away has a good crop of corn and cotton.
Oscar J. Fennegan is one of Free State original native-born's and judging from the start that he has made he expects to remain here. He owns an excellent farm and this year his crop is above the average. A few years ago he won the heart and hand of one of Free States most charming young ladies, Miss Kate Cottingham and their beautiful and hospitable home is always open to their friends.
In speaking of the several different farms we cannot very much from the regular old son as all the crops through here are exceptinally fine. D. S Rogers is another one of those successful farmers who seems to stay on top no matter what disaster overtakes him. He not being at home, we could not talk with him but we took notice of his fine crops and the many signs of thrift and progressiveness around his place.
(Continued
next week)
The
Dillon Herald
Aug 31, 1905
(Continued
from last
week)
Mr. M. J. Fennegan is one of the most substantial citizens of this entire section. When he began farming it was on a very small scale but by close attention to his business and strict economy he has won for himself a seat in the high places among the farmers. His entire crop this year is a fine one.
We called to see Jas. G. Ellen but found him not. However that did not hinder us from taking a birds-eye-view of the situation around his beautiful farm where we found a nice crop indicating the kind of a man who was behind the wheel.
We cannot overlook Messrs. P. A. Miller and sons A. L. and P. A. Jr., who two years ago came here and purchased the fine plantation of T. C. Covington, and cast their lot in this favored country. They came from Marlboro where farmers grow. They are hustlers in the true sense of the word, their crop is a growing testimonial of what they have been doing this year. Their store is second to no country store in the county, and they also opened a public ginnery filled with latest improved machinery. Their home is a picture of beauty-clever folks indeed live there. They will keep posted on county affairs in the future through the columns of The Herald.
B. T. Fennegen is one of Free States old standby's. His farm lies directly in front of New Holly church. Mr. Fennegan says that he has long since found that is was just as easy to make a good crop as it was to make a sorry one, and has adopted the plan of making not less than a bail of cotton per acre. And his crop this year shows that he doesn't mean to drop from his usual custom. Mr. Fennegan talks interestly on all farm topics but he is disgusted with the present labor situation.
We wound up our day's journey with our genial friend R. L. Ivey. He is an original Tar-Heel who came here 34 years ago and stuck. He is a solid whole-souled man and sticks to his convictions as tight as Brer Rabbit stuck to the Tar-Baby." He has a good crop, yet he says he can't tell what his harvest will be, though his crop is much better than last year.