Daily Archives: 08/13/2019
Outhouse blues
Being familiar with that little square wooden building at the edge of the yard makes me appreciate modern plumbing, but it does bring back memories of my youth. Having been raised, or reared as some folks call it, in the country gives 
one a different perspective on the morning constitutional.
I vividly recall our outhouse — or privy, if it needed a more dignified name. However, looking back, I don’t recall it looking too dignified. It was a wooden structure made from unusually wide oak boards and measured perhaps five feet by five feet with a narrow, hinged door. It had a concrete floor and a slanted tin roof.
If my memory serves me correct, it was a two-seater — or a two-holer, as they are commonly called. I never could understand the need for more than one hole.
In any event, I found that most privies were situated under some sort of shade tree, for obvious reasons. Did you ever go into a privy in midday in
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Where were you when the lights went out?
Once, some years ago, we had neighbors who had moved into the country for the good life, away from the hectic town life they had lived all their lives.
We could have told them the truth about the simple carefree life they thought we were living, but frankly I didn’t have 
the heart. After all, they’d sold their house in town and moved into their country home. Let the good times roll.
They wanted to grow things, they said. All you have to do is stick plants in the ground and sit back to reap the bounty.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have given them the magic wand we used on Fowler Farm to get all the work done? If, of course, we ever got all the work done.
We didn’t have flocks of sheep, herds of cattle or thousands of chickens.
But at that time, we did have three black angus, a mule, two horses, 25 chickens, one calf, four dogs, numerous cats and a hog. We had given up
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Letters to the Editor 8-14-19
A new and unpleasant experience
Dear Editor,
Having the Pickens Doodle Trail in my backyard was a new experience. Now I am having to get used to eating lunch and watching people’s kids use the bathroom on a tree on the edge of my yard.
Do people not know that people live close to the trail? We do have back windows. Would they like to see people use the bathroom while they eat? Can people respect others?
P.S. Go Blue Flame.
Lynn Whitlock
Pickens
What is it good for?
Dear Editor,
I believe most of the human race wants the same thing. To work and come home to their families. Enjoy life. Live and
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AARP offers scam alert map
The scammers sure have been busy. Is there no end to their creativity?
The AARP is helping us to fight back, however, with its Fraud Watch Network’s free Scam Tracking Map. You’ll find 
the map on the AARP website (aarp.org) when you put “scam tracking map” in the search box.
Be sure to click on the widest possible search area, 200 miles, after you enter your ZIP code. Click first on AARP user-submitted reports. You’ll see colored dots where scams have occurred. Click on one and scroll down to see the details. After you view those reports, go back and click on Law Enforcement Alerts, with authorities warning about scams near you.
The wide variety of scams is surprising. One involved an alleged refund where the thieves wanted to deposit the
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Courier Obituaries 8-14-19
MARTHA ROMAINE BARRETT JOHNSON
SUNSET — Martha Romaine Barrett Johnson, 96, wife of the late Bob “Scatter” Johnson, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, at her home.
Born on Sept. 22, 1922, in Pickens County, she was the daughter of the late Aaron and Tiny Galloway Barrett. She was the business owner of Bob’s Place in Sunset. Romaine loved music, flowers, her friends and bikers. She was a great storyteller and never met a stranger.
Surviving are her daughter, Mona Lisa Johnson; eight grandchildren, Chad, Owen, Weston, Chyenne, Tyler, Shane
‘We are one human family’
Hagood family slave descendants reunite at mill
PICKENS — The Hagood Mill was the site of a family reunion Saturday, welcoming descendants of the enslaved people of the Twelve Mile plantation.
The group included descendants of Berry and Caroline McKenzie, slaves once owned by Col. Benjamin Hagood, as well as descendants of Hagood himself.
McKenzie family descendant Aaron Mair organized the event with the assistance of the Pickens County Historical Society and the Hagood Mill Foundation.
“This is one of those special opportunities and occasions,” Mair said. “Today is a solemn day of memory, but it’s also a day of joy and hope and community.”
Very few African-Americans descended from transatlantic slavery are able to find the plantational spaces their
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Wesley Seminary agreement assures smooth transition for SWU religion majors
CENTRAL — Southern Wesleyan University religion majors can move more quickly toward completion of their seminary degree, thanks to an agreement signed with Wesley Seminary.
The signing took place July 13 during the annual conference for the South Carolina District of The Wesleyan Church in Central. This agreement paves the way for SWU graduates to pursue a master of arts in ministry, a master of practical theology, a master of divinity and future programs offered at Wesley Seminary.
“Helping SWU students develop a robust and applied theology is a high priority for us. For some of our students, an accelerated path to seminary is the very best thing we can offer them. Our Division of Religion
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‘Fantastical Fashion’ exhibit set to open at Pickens County museum
PICKENS — Twelve-year-old Teagan Leamey, a homeschool student in Pickens County, has a new exhibit opening at the Pickens County Museum this week.
Leamey, who is a member of and frequently attends events at the museum with her family, has served as a
junior intern at the museum this summer. One of her tasks was to create a new temporary exhibit for the museum. After sorting through artifacts in the collection with staff, Leamey chose to focus on fashion throughout the ages in an exhibit called “Fantastical Fashion.”
“I enjoy fashion quite a lot and like to research fashion history,” she said, “so I thought an exhibit about fashion would be fun.”
Her research has helped her not only learn more about historical fashion, but also about societal and cultural trends and how they change. She was surprised to learn, for example, that it used to be customary for people to forgo lavish weddings in favor of small, intimate ones so that they could spend their money on
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Courier Community Calendar 8-14-19
• Senior Center now offering yoga class
The Hagood Senior Center is now offering a new therapeutic chair yoga class. Held from 8:30-9:15 a.m. on Wednesdays in Room 3, there are no charges for the class at this time, but donations for Cheryl Smith are encouraged to help defray her travel expenses. This will be an introductory class for the month of August to determine community response. Contact Lucy at (864) 419-1794 with any questions about the activity.
• Elvis show coming to Hagood center
The Hagood Community Center will present “Elvis Was Never This Funny” with Ron Grant on Saturday,
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Treat kids to lunches that meet all needs
School lunch may seem like a relatively easy concept for parents to master. However, day in and day out, enterprising moms and dads grow anxious over what to put into kids’ lunch boxes or bags.
Parents have foods they want their kids to eat, and then there are foods their grade-schoolers will actually consider. Schools may also place limitations on what kids can bring to school due to allergies or school rules on sweets versus healthy foods. Then there’s the packaging itself. Parents may weigh the benefits of everything from clever accessories to eco-friendly
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