Looking Back: A Journey Through the Pages of the Keowee Courier for the Years 1915, 1918, 1924 and 1935

By Ashton Hester

The Keowee Courier, a small weekly newspaper located in Walhalla, South Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was founded in 1849 and has published continuously ever since then, except for a brief interruption of two or three years during the Civil War.

In fact, the editor and publisher of the paper, Robert A. Thompson, was one of the signers of the ordinance of secession in 1860, whereby South Carolina seceded from the union. In fact, Mr. Thompsonwho later in life was awarded the honorary title of colonelwas the last of the 160 signers to die in 1914.

This book contains highlights from the Keowee Courier during four representative years1915, 1918, 1924, and 1935.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514432839

Ashton Hester

The author, longtime reporter, photographer, editor Ashton Hester would like to compile another book or two containing more years, if health and stamina permit.

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Copyright © 2015 by Ashton Hester.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015920333

ISBN:         Hardcover      978-1-5144-3285-3

                  Softcover         978-1-5144-3284-6

                   eBook             978-1-5144-3283-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 12/09/2015

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Contents

I - 1915

II - 1918

III - 1924

IV - 1935

V - Walhalla’s Famous ‘Last Man’s Club’

I

1915

JANUARY 6, 1915

Picket Post Local Farmers’ Union, No. 70, will meet Saturday, January 9th, 1915, at 7:30 p.m.—T.Y. Chalmers, President. I.L. Garrison, Secretary.

Cotton is not the only money crop. Bring me your corn, hay, fodder, etc., and get spot cash for it.—W.M. Brown, Walhalla.

Civil War Veteran Assesses Current European War

John W. Cannon of the Salem section was in Walhalla Monday and showed us a Paroled Prisoner’s Pass that he received at Appomattox Court House, Va. on April 10th, 1865. It states, The bearer, John W. Cannon, Sergt. of Co. C. Orr’s Regt. of Rifles, S.C.V., is a paroled prisoner of the Army of Northern Virginia, has permission to go home, and there remain undisturbed.

Commenting on the current war in Europe, Mr. Cannon said, You young fellows can’t appreciate like we older ones can the horrors of what is taking place over in Europe now. I wish something could stop it. Even we old fellows who fought in the Civil War can’t fully appreciate this awful thing taking place over there. They kill hundreds with their deadly machine guns and heavy artillery, where we killed by ones and tens with muskets and small cannon.

JANUARY 13, 1915

Oconee County Statistician B.R. Moss furnishes us with the following figures as to the ginning of cotton: Bales Ginned to Jan. 1, 1914… . .19,574. Bales Ginned to Jan. 1, 1915… . .18,265.

Teachers’ Association Plans Fair and Field Day

The regular meeting of the Oconee County Teachers’ Association was held in the Court House on Saturday, January 9, at 11 o’clock, with about 60 teachers and trustees present. The Association decided to hold its Fair and Field Day, in which every school in the county may take part, on Friday, April 9, in Walhalla.

At the close of the meeting Superintendent of Education Thos. A. Smith invited the teachers to the Walhalla Hotel, where lunch was served. (The Walhalla Hotel was formerly called the Biemann Hotel. The name was changed in 1897.)

Old Soldiers Deserve Better from the State

The following is an excerpt from a Keowee Courier editorial:

We have two of our old soldiers who are inmates of our county home. One of them was in the Confederate Home in Columbia for about a year, but he came home and said that our county home is better and he prefers it. Would it not be better to abolish the so-called home in Columbia and divide what it costs the State pro rata with the counties, and let each county care for those who are entirely dependent on charity for a living?

Ours is not a pauper State, yet the Confederate soldier has always been considered on a basis that would indicate such a condition on the part of the State. Surely South Carolina can at least do better by the few remaining old soldiers and widows than she had been doing.

Items from Walhalla High School Notes

The Senior Class met on Monday afternoon and elected officers as follows: Mary Cornelia Barton, president; Linnie Cudd, vice president; Clara Beth Ballenger, secretary and treasurer. The members of the class have decided to purchase class rings of 14 karat gold, with a seal, upon which appears the letters W.H.S. ’15.

School Day for the relief of the suffering Belgians was observed on Tuesday, January 12. Two boxes were placed in the auditorium, and as the pupils marched in they deposited their gifts, consisting of condensed milk, rolled oats and other package foods. The donation will be shipped to Charleston to be loaded on the relief ship that leaves that port on January 25th.

Booth Lowrey, the Blue Mountain Philosopher, will appear at the auditorium this evening, January 13th. Mr. Lowrey will deliver his lecture, Simon Says Wig-Wag, a lecture full of humor and fun. The prices for this attraction have been reduced to 35 cents for adults and 15 cents for school children. This is the second attraction on the course, season tickets for which may be secured from Superintendent Gasque for $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children.

Engineer’s Sudden Death Shocks Community

Probably no announcement of any death has so shocked this community as did that of J. Ramey Hughes, who died at his home here on Tugaloo street last Monday morning about 2.30 o’clock.

Mr. Hughes was stricken suddenly Saturday evening while on his regular run as engineer on the passenger train between Anderson and Walhalla, and when a short distance out from Anderson he was compelled to go from his position at the throttle to the train proper, his fireman completing his run on to Walhalla. When the train reached Walhalla Mr. Hughes was in serious condition, and was removed immediately to his home.

He was 45 years old, having been born at Abbeville on July 31st, 1869.

JANUARY 20, 1915

At the meeting of the Oconee County Farmers’ Union, held at Fairview last Saturday, Robert N. Smith was elected as delegate to the State Union meeting. Mr. Smith is in attendance upon this meeting, which is in session at Columbia now.

The Oconee Creek school opened last Monday with a good attendance, the school being in charge of Miss Kate Smith. Oconee Creek is a new school district. At the present school is being held in the store of W.J.O. Ray, but a new and modern building will be erected in the near future. The building will have two good sized rooms. J.H. Hall, W.M. Murphree and J.H. Hunnicutt are the trustees of this district.

Wanted—Wagons and teams to haul lumber from Tamassee to Walhalla. Apply to Jas. C. Shockley at mill or West Union, S.C.

Item from the News Notes from Seneca column: Seneca and Keowee basket ball teams played a good game here last Saturday. W.C. Irby, of the Keowee school, refereed the game, which resulted in a score of 28 to 3 in favor of Seneca.

Newry Woman Gets Medal for Heroism

Miss Sophie Thomas, a daughter of John Thomas, of Newry, has received from the Carnegie Hero Commission, a medal for her deed of heroism. It will be recalled that Miss Thomas rescued a child, little Eva Greroy, from a rabid dog attack in June, 1913, in Newry. Besides the medal Miss Thomas has been awarded $1,000.

Pioneer Walhalla German Settler Dies

William C. Schleuter, one of our aged and highly respected German citizens, died last Saturday at the age of 85. Mr. Schleuter was a mill-wright by trade, and was instrumental in setting in operation nearly all of the flour mills of this section of the State, and especially of Oconee county.

He was one of the few early German settlers of Walhalla who remained with us, and now that he has been called to his long rest, we count but four left—H.L. Brandt, Julius Hoffman, August Brucke and William Waldt.

Mill Operatives Recruited in Walhalla

What seems to us to be another of the many good signs that are coming to the front as indicative of a general resumption of business activity and prosperity came to our notice last Saturday when we met one of Walhalla’s former citizens, Clarence E. Gaillard, now of Newry. Mr. Gaillard informed us that his mission to Walhalla on this occasion was to see if there were any idle operatives about the Walhalla Mill village, and if so, to offer them work at Newry.

The Courtenay Manufacturing Company, one of the largest, best equipped and most progressive independent cotton manufacturing concerns in the South, began working day and night last Monday.

JANUARY 27, 1915

One of the greatest improvements that the Blue Ridge road has made for a long time has just been inaugurated. This is the replacing of the old coaches with modern steel vestibuled coaches. The new coaches are of much larger size than the old ones abandoned, seating 100 passengers each.

Walhalla Gets a Second Newspaper

The first number of The Walhalla Citizen appeared yesterday afternoon, the new paper being 6-columns, 8-pages in size, two pages being printed in Walhalla. The editor and proprietor is W.C. Crews, of Laurens, who decided to enter the newspaper field at this place.

The office of the Citizen is in J.R. Earle’s building, next door to the office of The Courier. We extend a hearty welcome to Mr. Crews and the Citizen.

Senate Nixes Moving Pictures in Public Schools

After about an hour of debate, the (state) Senate refused, by a vote of 21 to 15, the enacting words of the bill offered by Senator Verner, of Oconee, to authorize moving pictures in public schools.

Senator Verner stoutly defended his measure against objections that were raised. He said that it is not a dangerous bill, as it does not compel any one to have moving pictures. He maintained that moving pictures in schools would not hurt the eyes of the children any more than the pictures in the theatres.

He said that he favored the proposed amendment to place the censorship of the films in the hands of the County Superintendent of Education.

FEBRUARY 3, 1915

Loyal Confederate Refused to Cut His Hair

The news of the death of Benjamin Franklin O’Kelley was brought to Walhalla last Saturday morning, he having died at his home northeast of West Union during Friday night. Mr. O’Kelley was in his 92d year, he having been born June 10, 1823.

Uncle Ben O’Kelley was a quaint figure in these parts. Our first recollection of the man was as he came into town from his home in the country—generally walking—and making merry with the children in the streets as he chanced to meet them.

It was his custom to wear his hair long, his gray locks falling in long ringlets about his shoulders. It is stated that when he entered the service of his country, taking up arms in behalf of the South’s Cause, he told his comrades that, until the Confederacy shall have whipped the Yankees I will never again cut my hair. He kept his word, his flowing locks being a distinctive feature of the man until he went down into the grave.

Mr. O’Kelley and his wife, Ara Knox O’Kelley, had seven children.

(The writer of the above commentary was not identified, but it was undoubtedly Keowee Courier editor J.A. Dick Steck, who was 39 years old at the time.)

Banner Enrollment Day Was a Success

The following is an excerpt from a notice To the Trustees, Teachers and Patrons of Rural Schools of Oconee County from Annie McMahan, Supervising Teacher, and Thos. A. Smith, County Supt. of Education:

Last winter we sent you a circular on the subject of Banner Enrollment Day, and we are proud to report that great good was accomplished. One hundred and twenty-two children in the county entered school on that day as a result of our combined special efforts to bring them out, and the enrollment for the whole year was increased 457 children attending free public schools. A fine showing!

But the work is not complete. In fact, it is but fairly begun. Let us give you an example of our condition. This is an average case: Just before Christmas a school was reported where the enrollment to date was 42, and the average daily attendance was 36. The whole number of children of school age in that district is over 60. The teacher is a good one; there is no personal opposition to her; the community is a prosperous one, having many fine farms in it; December is a month when but little farm work is being done to keep children from school. Why the small attendance? We do not know, but some one must find out and conditions must be changed.

We have decided to have another Banner Day for attendance, and