- Hamilton 1920 -
The following are articles from the 1920 Hamilton Grit.
“ A certain customer upon receiving a request to send a check to cover his bill, sent the following letter: “For the following reasons I am unable to send you a check asked for: “ I have been held up, held down, sandbagged, walked on, sat on, flattened out and squeezed. First by the United States government for federal war tax, excess profit tax, Liberty Loan bonds, Thrift Stamps, capital stock tax, merchant’s license and auto tax, and by every society and organization that the inventive mind of man can invent to extract what I may or may not possess. “I have been solicited by the Society of John the Baptist, the G.A.R., the Women’s Relief, the Navy League, the Red Cross, the Black Cross, the Purple Cross, the Double Cross, the Children’s Home, the Dorcas Society, the Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A., the Boy Scouts, the Jewish relief, and every hospital in town. Then on top of it all came the Association Charities and Salvation Army.
“The government has so governed my business I don’t know who owns it. I am inspected, suspected, examined and re-examined, informed, required and commanded, so I don’t know who I am, where I am, or why I am here. All I know is I am supposed to be an inexhaustible supply of money for every known need, desire or hope of the human race. And because I will not sell all I have and go out and beg, borrow or steal money to give away, I have been cussed, discussed, boycotted, talked to, talked about, lied about, lied to, held up, hung up, robbed and nearly ruined, and the only reason I am clinging to life is to see what is coming next.”
Considerable discussion has been created over the proposition to build a water and light system in Hamilton. The sentiment so far as we have learned seems to be in favor of calling a special election to vote the necessary funds to build the system. It is the opinion of the Grit that if the people of Hamilton are desirous of making this town a better and safer one to live in-and we firmly believe they do- a “straw vote” will be overwhelming in favor of a combine Water and Electric Light Plant. The cost will probably be in the neighborhood of $50,000, rough guess.
Madison our progressive neighbor on the north paid $35,000 for her plant and sold the bonds at a good figure as they bear 5% interest on 20 years.
The board of county commissioners of Greenwood County rejected all bids yesterday for hard surfacing six miles of road leading west from Eureka. There were four bids received and all bids were above the engineer’s estimate. On a concrete road Davis of Eureka was the low man with a bid of $48,000 per mile and the high bid was $55,500 per mile. The engineer’s estimate was $44,592 per mile. On the bituminous macadam the low bid was $39,000 per mile by Cook & O’Brien of Kansas City and the high bid was $41,000. The engineer’s estimate was $30,500 per mile. The board will re-advertise for bids, dividing the work into three parts.
The Empire Pipeline Company has started the actual work of laying an oil pipeline from the Teter lease to Sallyards, where it will be hooked up to a loading rack. The line will be 21 miles long, and will be composed of three- and four-inch pipe. It is presumed that Sallyards has been made one end of the line with the probability that some time in the future it will be a junction point for another line coming from the Beaumont field to the south.
The electric light proposition has bobbed up again in Hamilton. Rev. C.U. Hughes circulated a petition last week for a call for a special election to vote on the issue, and presented same to the City Council for their action. The City Council did not have a quorum present on account of the rain. Adjourned until Friday night, September, 17th, as by that time a more definite plan will have been formulated.
Frank Wildoner was hurt on the head by being struck with a revolver in the hands of Marshal B.F. Hardman early Wednesday morning while the latter was trying to arrest Wildoner, having a warrant for that purpose for driving his truck without lights the night before. The affair occurred near H.G. Manis’s, but started down Main Street near the feed store, where Hardman first pulled the warrant and tried to serve it, Wildoner kept going in his truck , and the Marshal got in his car and gave chase, shooting in the air a number of times to stop him. At Mr. Manis’ he caught up with Wildoner and the Marshal says Wildoner pulled a wrench on him and then he hit him with the butt of the revolver. The services of both Drs. Lewis and Winegar was had in dressing the four wounds.
The Grit has been urged by several parties to start running its “No trespass notice” and has done so. Farmers tell us they lose valuable stock every year by reason of men and boys shooting on their lands, and even just a scare will do many dollars damage to a bunch of cattle sometimes. One man told us that last winter he lost a registered cow and a hog and had his team scared so that it ran away and broke the wagon tongue, all done by hunters. It is any wonder farmers are up in arms about it, and are determined to put a stop to trespassing. So, the Grit gives fair warning if you want to go on a man’s land for any cause better have permission first. The ball game Sunday was poorly played by both sides, Moline scoring 4 runs in the first inning through errors and Womack’s wildness. Moline’s negro twirlers with the aid of good luck held the home boys fairly well until the 8th inning when the merry-go-round started. When the dust settled Hamilton had nine runs to Moline six. Hamilton has won 14 out of 20 games played this season. Hamilton plays Quincy on the home diamond Sunday. Batteries, Hamilton Womack and Barngrover; Quincy Knowles and Thompson. This will probably be the last game on the home diamond this season.
Yearly salaries of Greenwood County rural high school principals and superintendent for 1920. Reece-$1,600, Piedmont-$1,800, Climax-$2,250, Fall River-$2,000, Virgil$1,500, Severy-$ 2,700, Quincy-Supt.-$1,600, Neal- Supt.-$2,000.
The Hamilton Telephone Exchange has filed an application for permission to enforce a new schedule of rates for telephone service, before the Court of Industrial Relations. In brief, the application is for a raise of 25 cents per month on residence phone. Rural phone switching service from 35 cents to 75 cents per month, with rebate of 20% if paid during 1st month of quarter. To discontinue the free service to Hamilton subscribers to Eureka. To discontinue to charge 25 cents per month switching rate to rural subscribers for Eureka and Madison service. To permit the charge of 10 cents for five-minute calls to those two towns.
Resident phone in Hamilton to have rebate of 10 cents per month if paid by the 10th of each month. Business phones a penalty of 10% if not paid by the 10th of the month. It is alleged the proposed rates are necessary to meet the advanced cost of operation and maintenance.”
