A
DAY AT PAGES MILLS
By
A.
B. Jordan
The
Editor of The Dillon Herald
April 26, 1906
Some years ago a writer in one of the magazines said the garden of Eden was somewhere in the vicinity of Charleston. For lack of sufficient data to warrant a contradiction, this claim was permitted to pass unchallenged, but of one point we are very certain--that is: that Paradise is a little further removed up the coast--say somewhere in the vicinity of Pages Mills. But whether it is the real Paradise which is frequently alluded to in such glorious terms matters little. It is a Paradise in its own way and if anyone sees fit to contradict the assertion the only evidence we shall offer is the community itself and the excellent people who call it home.
Pages Mills is not an accident. Force of circumstances had nothing to do with its beginning. Nowhere in its history do you find that its first settler was forced to locate there because of a broken cart axle or some other accident to the immigrant's traveling equipage. The first settlers were drawn there by reason of its fertile lands and other natural advantages, just the same as the prospector is drawn to the gold fields of Colorado or the diamond fields of Africa.
Last Friday morning at 8:30 o'clock the editor of The Herald left Dillon in company with Messrs. L. C. Braddy, W. T. Bethea and D. N. Oliver to attend the annual picnic which celebrates the closing of the Pages Mills graded school. Seated in a carriage drawn by a span of high spirited horses we went with the speed of the wind down the river road, across the New Bridge, through Marion Wiggins' plantation, out by N. E. McQueen's, Berry Harrelson's, Albert J. and D. M. Carmichael's, Jim Gaddy's, Frank Edwards' and W. J. Adams' fine plantations; then through the land of the Rogers' and the Lupos' till we came to the Gaddy Mill school house. The lands through this excellent farming section are in a fine state of preparation. They have been favored with good seasons, and many of the farmers have already planted cotton. There has been a most remarkable development here during the past five years, and where it used to be uncommon to find lands that would produce a bale to the acre, now it is just as uncommon to find them that produce less. The Gaddy's Mill place owned by Mr. W. J. Adams has, to use a common expression, "been turned completely upside down." With big plows Mr. Adams has gone deep into the soil and turned the best to the top. His own dwelling and the numerous tenant houses on his immense plantation have been remodeled and repainted till the entire community seems to breathe an air of progress and prosperity.
At the picnic we were most cordially received by Dr. Maxcey Smith and his excellent wife who provided a place for us at the table and bravely undertook the task of satisfying our rapacious appetites; and that they succeeded well cannot be doubted, for our friend Braddy grew to such immense proportions that is was with difficulty he maintained his equilibrium, while our own shriveled up and shrunken carcass became so huge and misshapen that our two year son fled in terror upon our return home that night. After the meal we grew alarmed at the absence of our friends Oliver and Bethea whom we found vigorously pumping water upon each others heads in what appeared to be a vain effort to keep alive the last remaining spark of life. That afternoon we gathered the remains together and tenderly placed them in the carriage which was driven to the ball ground where, our friend Braddy, after laying wagers on both sides, shouted himself into insensibility over a ball game between Union and Oruum.
The Pages Mills people have a prosperous school. Three years ago it was founded by Rev. J. A. Mason and now it has an enrollment of 109 pupils. They have a splendid school building and in addition to the regular courses of study have a music department which is self supporting. The closing exercises were held the night before the picnic and that day short addresses were made by the retiring principal, Rev. J. A. Mason, County Superintendent of Education Williams, Mr. W. T. Bethea and the editor of the Herald.
Half a mile further down the road is the town of Pages Mills. We use the name "town" advisedly because we cannot yet call it a city; neither would we be justified in calling it a village. Here are handsome residences and substantial stores. Dr. Maxcey Smith, who was born and reared in this end of the county--a kinsman of the well-known Smith and Bethea families of this section--has a well-equipped drug store in addition to his large and growing practice. Mr. L. W. Temple owns a fine residence on the hill overlooking the mill pond and conducts a large store in addition to his farming interests. Here are to be found also some of the best farming lands in the county. Mr. Temple is an extravagant farmer in one sense only--and that is is in the preparation of his lands. He uses modern methods altogether and has grown wealthy beyond comparison merely from his farms. Thirty years ago Henry W. Grady said, "Go west, young man." Five years ago Henry Watterson said "Go south, young man". To-day we say "go to Pages Mills, young man!" In it we see another Dillon. Just as our town has grown and widened and prospered in a manner which can only find comparison in a page from the "Arabian Nights," so will Pages Mills do likewise.
The strength of Pages Mills is in its back country. It is surrounded by the Rogers and Hayes and Pages and Olivers--names that are synonyms of substantial citizenship.
The return trip that evening was very pleasant. The atmosphere was cool and bracing and--stimulating. Though ten thousand years have lapsed since our primitive ancestors dwelt in caves the art of making man happy by satisfying his appetite has never been lost, and our party was in its happiest mood. It was full - we mean of the many good things to eat and full of the pleasures of a day most happily spent.