: V
j. BUSH, Publisher
The Only Paper Published in Pclk antyj VLfre fepcpcr jfer'tha Hoc
Price ,5 Cents
Volume XXVirNo. 24
Tryon, , . C;i? .DecekbwSi 192i;
2.00, aYear
"
r5"- x ' ' ""-"' ;. ''. ,v vi-Xr 4 '; ...,''., , '' - , ; ;- " ."j v. ' r
(Em
Showing How One Country Newspaper Pulled His Farmers Out;
of a Hole Cotton Lined and Led them From the Bond
age of "Cussing" to "The Land of Plenty."
What can one little country
news paper do standing " alone?
fhy it can raise the devil on the
one hand and on the other it can
restore local business to normal
and it can lead the farmer into
the promised land providing
the publisher has the heart, the
ability and the energy to go at
his task with a will.
This has been demonstrated by
the Paris (Texv) Morning News.
The story was told in a Septem
ber issue of that paper, an issue
that showed the people how the
farmers of Lamar, county, Tex.,
in a short time . nearly pulled
themselves but of the holelined
with cotton in which they found
themselves. Before the winter
sets in properly they are going
to be out entirely, and- they will
have money to. spend after hav
ing made enough to pay their
debts. "
Read this characteristic story
as written by the editor of the
Paris News. It will instruct and
inspire. Its style is unique, its
purpose is splendid, its record of
accomplishment amazing. Read
it. It ran under the caption : The
Cow, the Sow and the Hen at
Home in Lamar County :
THE FARMERS RODE HIGH J
In Lamar county just like
they did everywhere else for
a couple of years. '; Gottbn was
high and they could afford to pay
high wages for labor and they
did. Just like everybody else,
they got caught when the bottom
fell out. They were in a hole
lined with cotton and it was
deep hole. You folks don't
know about cotton. The farmers
had the cotton a lot of it (We
had a partial crop failure in 1920
and only grew about 58, 000 bales
-and the market quotations said
it was worth two bits a pound;
but the local buyers are a canny
lot (recrular Scotchmen) and
thought the market would go
lower -and it did.
The farmers were willing to
sell for two bitsL but the buyers
wouldn't pay that and the farm
ers were not willing ( to accept
ii . . . -
me price tendered even as you
and I would not. V
The banks wanted their "money
-and they wouldn't accept cot
ton at the market price for notes.
The market kept sagging and
the farmers began, under pres
sure, to accept fifteen cents: and
finally a good many of them took
a dime.
They got sore about it and
cussed cotton and the buyers and
the banks and the government
a"id themselves and most every
thing else. Sure was some cus-
cin' match.
THE COW, THN SOW AND THE HEN
With the farmer in that frame
f mind, the Paris News began
to sing a song of which Ithe
chorus was: The Cow, the Sow
d Hen.
There were verses about food
&nd feed crops and doing your
wn work. i
We intended it to be 'classical
5tuff with some deep "heart in-.
merest" ("Old Folks at Home,"
1
ni live at "Home, Sweet
U0lae,'' you know) but it didn't
Jet to 'em that way because of
wieir feelings having been hurt.
, relieve us, it sounded like jazz
"use it was mixed in with that
ussin' the farmers 'were doing.
were running around 4,600
slllii
then. The farmers cussed worse
than ever and they took it out on
the News.. The circulation drop
ped just like that 3,400 there
were, requests, demands and com
mands to "stop, the durn paper"
by mail, by personal visit and by
word of mouth of the niral car
riers where the sub didn't dare
trust himself to come or write.
They were good and sore.
The'News was only one of the
folks getting cussed. Some of
the bankers advised us to 1 'lay
off" because they were being
cussed also. The farmers thought
the banks were m league with us
but only a couple were. '
The banks closed down tighter
on the credit and insisted more
strongly on payment-didh't like
to renew but didn't want the cot-
kon or the mules.
The farmers cussed and cussed
and got sorer and sorer.
- WE WERE CUSSING' SOME, TOO
But we stuck to that song
ran it on the first page, the ed
itoral page, in the "country cor
respondence,; in the'local columns
and referred to it on the church
page.
Put the old time reporter we
employ to mingle . " with t h e
fafmera-to r work interviewing
them' on "How to Live at Home"
and "How I Succeeded With a
Cow, a Sow and a Hen.' ?
That reporter has been ming
ling with the farmers of Lamar
county for twentv-five years; but
he used to implore the editor to
please find him some; other as
signment. Said he didn't know
what minute he might have "to
go to the hospital. Said he lov
ed the paper and didn't like to
hear it cussed so .columinously,
copiously and generally.
The editor went out into the
country and sang that song.
The Chamber of .Commerce laid
off the county-, demonstration
agent as a matter of economy
and the farmers they cussed the
editor, the Chamber of Com
merce, the banks and themselves.
They keep getting sorer all the
time BUT the sorer they got the
more sober they got.
'Then they got to studying
about it. Then the circulation
got to going back and the first
thing you know we had (in less
than sixty days) most of them
back despite the fact that money
has never been quite so tight in
this county before. -
THE FARMERS WENT TO WORK
They didn't have anything else
to do, particularly; and it was
easier to go to work tlian it was
to stand around the Plaza and
they had exhausted their power
to cuss.
There have been results of
that work. They havn't been
able to borrow more money at
the bank, than actually required
for them to make, their crops on.
'a
The grocer couldn't " borrow
money on which to carry them
and they had to play it close. . -
They have, believe usl
. But they also played it safe.
They have made the biggest corn
crop, tlje biggest alfalfa crop in
the history of the county, Oats
didn't pan out very well, but they
made a fair crop of it. They are
putting away rnpre hay than has
ever been put up in Lamar coun
ty in any one season. The mel
on crop was good,-" apples and
peaches added something and
nil;-:
mm
sweet potatoes will help out. ;
Here's where you are " tpistop
and do some figuring. In 1919
and 1920 (figures compiled Jby
the county demonstration agent)
the farmers and other ; users: 'pi
feedstuff in Lamar county sent
ancayerage ot $30,.000 a; month
into other counties and states to
pay for feedstuff; . They will
have feed to sell this year instead
of buving, I
Just figure that one item and
think what it will mean in the;
capacity of the farmers to get
along this year, now that they
are beginning to realize upon
their season's work.
A FAIR COTTGN CROP IS MADE.
But,-despite this increased yield
inv feedstuff, and despite the fact
that the acreage devoted to cot
ton was cut about 30 per cent,
despite the fact that the boll
weevil got a 'lot of the . first
squares put on, the bankers of
Paris, the merchants of Paris
who maintain a crop reporting
system and the cotton men who
makeheir living buying the cot-
To all the readers of
the Polk County News and
our friends, we extend our
best wishes for a Merry
ana prosperous JNew; rear.
The editor, his wife
and Mickie
ton,' figure that we shall have a
crop of approximately , 35,000
bales and that is conservative.
1 The News maintains its own
crop reporting system publish
S; daily interviews with farmers
in all sections of the county and
estimates that the crop- will be
about 40,000; but. cotton is de
ceiving and itma vary 5,000 or
6,000 bales either way.
The Texas Industrial Congress
estimates the entire crop of Tex
as at about 2,000,000 bales, so
you see that Lamar county will
have a very good percentage of
"what is grown in the state.
4 So if the price of cotton is any
thing above a dime and from
Secretary Hester's statement and
the dope the Department of Ag
riculture is sending out it should
be around i2 cents the farmers
of Lamar county are going to
have a right smart of mnjey
from their-cbtton and the seed
this year.
. They will have enough to pay
off the banks, to clean up with
the merchants andlhen have a
couple millions to spend. They
haven't been buying much this
year, you know mighty few
hew cars,, practically no new ma
chinery,-no new dothes, nothing
for the house.'
"This cotton money is not all
they willhave, either: for you
Wijl remember they will have
their feed, mohev and some other
funds. r r-r A
- - , - - '. '
THE COW HAS COUNTED HEAVILY,
;The local ice cream factory is
run by a fellow named-Bryant.
Pretty live fellow and "sees! his
opportunities He was told that
tmore :people got a; start in times
ilike these than in the flush per
iods.:;- ..v
Bryant had a capital of $20,000
to operate onfe" :4r- -
Last year he spent $38,000 for
milk products oufeide thenty
and state for his ice ' cream fac
tory. ; ''rrftE-y
This year he tallceof it: over
with the News manirW f started
a creamery , of - his; ownmakes
first-classLbutter and sells . every
pound he can make, . - , f
EWitKthebutterf at market )n?
Pallas around :19c, Bryant wis
paying two t bits - in -Paris; and
when .Dallas went to ?3 . cents
Bryant raised the price to 30
cents in Paris. ; . - " ,
I He hag prospered and the far
mers have been bringing in their
Jbutterfat which left them some
skim milk for the hogs we are
rgOmg to tell you about .on the
next page. ; . I
Bryant has sent mighty little
money out of the state thiayear
arjd that for cartons arid such
like things. - ,
A; He 's going to expand his com
pany; into one with $100,000 capi
tal'this f all-and the Editor of
the News is to be one of the
stockholders.
.Bryant was going pretty nice
ly, but the News realized what
he needed, induced another live
man to secure the agency for
Metzger Bros, of Dallas biggest
dairy house in the Southwest.
They thought Lamar grew noth-
I ing but cotton. Metzger is put
ting out about ibzUO a week a
for cream right now; and Sam
Schleicher, his agent, told the
manager of the firm the other
day that he would be ablex to
spend at least a thousand dollars
a week this fall.
The dealears report that . the
sales of separators have been
larger this year than in the
whole of the five, years preced
ing. ' i 'V -
THE SOW AND OPPORTUNITY
But the cow wasn't the only
one of the trinity to evidence
that she was appreciative of the
notice being taken of her. x
Local capitalists put in about
$15,000, secured two of : the
brightest young men m the statei
and started a hog breeding farm, j
The county demonstation agent
induced a progressive young
capitalist-to put $25,000 into an
other. ' -
(And. by the way, their herd
boar was made the state grand
FEiOrji QUEI FfllENDS ! TtjE COUrlM
terns of Interest Gathered Vrci Vazcus Sections of PcUi Ccur-ty by 0a
Corps of Faithful Correspondents. ' -jj'
Kill Spring
, A number of the young people
enjoyed the birthday dinner at
E. B. Edwards'- Sunday : -
School will close Thursday for
the; holidays. :, J : 1 C; , -
Miss p Janet Stroud will leave
Friday for her home in Concord,
N.,C. to spend Christmas. ''
Wewill miss our teachers very
much during the ; holidays, bu
we wish for them a Merry Christ
mas anol a happy New Year. ' "
Let's all attend church services
some where .. on Christmas Day
and make jt . the - best ; day yet.
:Misses Odessa Mills and E.
Janet Stroud spent Thursday
night at: the home V)f Sherriff
Jackson Mi .S':- -. ; '-''
Wishing every one a Merry
Christmas and a Joyous New
Year." ' -''..'"T-v
champion in the class.) 3 A -
f -The Pure Bred Stock -Associa
tion (its members represent an
investment of about $200, 000 in
breeding stock hogs, beef and
dairy cattle) began to preach the
doctrine of what the sow can do
and they, backed that' up with
letting the farmers have shoats
and sows at reasonable prices.
There was a lot of skim milk
as a result of the activities of the
creameries; and- the feed 'crop
camaon
One of the bank xikmte6
pig club scheme and interested a
lot of the boys.
The price of hogs .on the hoof
has gone back to the dime mark
for the sort of pigs which we
grow in Lamar pure breds that
are ripe within twelve months
after the sow has been bred
and there is a demonstration
that there is money in pork which
has impressed the farmer.
The superintedent of the swine
division of the Lamar District
Fair has notified the directors
that they will have to increase
his space a least 500 per cent
and then he; will have to hold the
very best. ; The editor of the
News is the secretary of tfiat
Pure Bred Association and he js
running big "display ads in the
paper to further the. good work
as well as boosting in the news
columns.
THE HENS ARE CACKLING
The News induced the Red
River Valley Poultry Association
members to put on an advertis
ing campaign this spring the
first time they had ever, tried the
plan of bunching their hit's and
going after the game right.
The secretary of the associa
tion reports to the News that the
success was so great .that when
the fall breeding season' opens
the members of the assoctation
wish to contract for half a page
in each Sunday edition and may
be a page on some Sundays.
The manager of the White
Produce . Company a million
dollar concern'doing four million
dollars worth of business" annu
ally with 7 branch houses oyer
North Texas and Oklahoma
tells the .News that he has
doubled his appropriation for the
Paris territory this fall. Says
that he paid out about $285,000
last year; and expect to pay our
over half a million this year for
eggs, chickens, turkeys and
country butter.
' the management of the Lamar
Fair has been giving the poultry
fanciers 200 coops each year.
The secretary of the poultry as
this ? section
x lie - icu mex o - uj. urna ?
have finishedliarvesting. a boun
tiful crop, but have -failed -to
plant the usual amount xrf small
gram on account of so much ram
for .the past mohthHog killing;
and '. moving seenis -to - be the
things thatmost people are en-'.-gaged
in at the present. '
M. Cudd has had a coat of
paint j)ut . on his residence which
hais improved its appearance
very much w C " V. ;
D. C. Westbrook has had some
reparing done at his home; ; also
an addition built -to one of his
tenant houses. "
Mesdames M. M. and :E. 1 L. j
Cudd and Miss Millie 'Rcigers
were shopping .in Spartanburg1 5
last.Tuesday.v "viztrw'
We are very sorry that Jessie ' ;
Lamb the small .; soh 'ot . P D. g J J
Lamb : who lives near.here ; was ;
bitten by a dog supposed tbjhave -' ;
rabbies.-. The child and: the' head ,
of the dog which was killed were -
carried immediately"; tf Raleigh ;
for investigation; jihlji .-lM,
; H. B. Cudd has solo! his sck
of merchandise! toC. H. , tVilkihs
of Harris lC.fi-;i ft
. : Quite a number pf yoiingVpeo-
pie attended a party given by
Miss Millie Rogers at ". her -;home
Juesday evening. .iViJs:-:
selves.. t-.f. w j ;.'i ' 4" ; v
There will '.be a, Christmas tree
at 'Sandy Springs church at 2. p.
m, December the 25th. Every
body invited to come. ?
Resolution By Board of Trade. .
The Committee appointed to
express the sentiments of. the
Tryon Board of Trade 9Ver the .
departure of its worthy member, "
the Rev, H. Norwood Bowne,
beg leave to repprt as follows:
The members of The Board
offer him their profound regrets
but also their congratulations:'
He goes to a wider field of use
fulness, of larger remuneration,"
and greater opportunities for his
activities in every good work; :
tHe is' a first-class citizen, for
the improvment and welfare of
his community; not only helpful
in public affairs, but of keen
practical sympathy for private.
heeds and personal bereave- ,
ments. He is prompt with his .
kind services, stable and trust
worthy in his friendships. In"1
the well kriown phrase ' 'He looks
lip not down, out and not in and
lends a hand." v
; We expect his continued sue- ,
qess, wish him even greater. We :
know that he will leaye behind,
and trust that he will take away,
many sweet and cherished mem
ories of his vears of labor and
joy, spent with us in Tryon.
Robert W. Peattie
Edward G. Holden
- Commitiee
Largest forett is tn Canada. y
Canada--iias tlie largest forest in the -wrld.
It Is tn the Labrador and "Hud- .
Mn Bay district, and Is, roughlj, LO00
tj 1,700 mUcs. ;
X-R Detects Swallowed Coins.
In the governmentmint In apanjin -X-ray
machine is used to examine sus
pected employees as , tliey Urtc the
establishment dally, and It ; rs
Teajed the presence of coins ' - had'
beta concealed to jthe fulltj J
levqdin pa avpiL oia3a
pvtprfl WnULieo tnraswa .Vaamna,
raedsesrnis Jo aiaa2 c ' ,
t oepieJ em m sniusJ nipasjr.o :
em fia9B 'towk ai a '83Bdja
o jo np 'em w mnpuoii-
a(n 9H 01 saSpnf taajadaioo lua
Lq paaapisaoD si pau P opwio?