The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 9

The Index-Journal PAGE 9 Monday, September 21, 1987 CITYSTATE IP! IfoailU Ifoolld tiradlituiiii Caesarian section r. I A' lip Ifi i I Only the proper name has changed By JAN WESTMARK Staff writer ABBEVILLE As long ago as 1936 people gathered at Hagen Brothers Billiards to play pool and enjoy themselves, and although the Hagen Brothers name is no longer on the window, little else has changed at the billiards room on the Abbeville square. The sale of the billiards room removed the Hagen Brothers name from the window, but many visitors to the pool hall prefer to call it by its unofficial title anyway The Rough House. "It has been called The Rough House for a long time," said new owner Shelley Reid, "which is ironic because it has never been a rough place." A restaurant located in the back of the pool hall once catered to customers, but stopped serving full meals during the 40's. The restaurant closed but the nickname Rough House, taken from a Popeye cartoon where Popeye and Wimpy ordered hamburgers from a place called the Rough House, stuck with the billiards room.

"The Hagen Brothers began serving hot dogs in 1946 and over the years they developed their secret hot dog chili recipe which is known as Rough House Chili," Reid said. Reid bought the billiards room, along with the secret Rough House Chili recipe, from Bob and Walter Hagen in July. Reid sees the billiards room as an "institution" in Abbeville, and hopes to continue the same success the Rough House has enjoyed over the years. Reid continues to use the Hagen Brothers secret hot dog chili recipe, and even continues to serve some of the same customers that have been visiting the pool (See Abbeville, page 13) rate concerns S.C. insurer COLUMBIA (AP) The state's largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is concerned about the high number of Caesarian sections being performed in South Carolina.

Officials with the company recently looked at all maternity claims they received between April and October 1986. They found that five hospitals had patient Caesarean rates above 33 percent and two others had rates of nearly one-third. "As a medical administrator here and in other settings, I have been advised by consultants of national standing that rates exceeding 20 percent are excessive," said Dr. Ashby Jordan, corporate medical director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina. A Caesarean section is a surgical incision of the walls of the abdomen and uterus for delivery of a baby.

The word stems from the belief that Caesar was born that way. Overall rate in 1984 The overall Caesarean section rate for South Carolina in 1984, the last year for which figures are available, was 20.6 percent. The national rate in 1985 was 22.7 percent. In the past two decades or so, Caesarean deliveries have increased in all parts of the country, in all types of hospitals and for all types of patients young and old, married and single, affluent and poor. A task force convened by the National Institutes of Health in 1980 when the Caesarean rate was 16.5 percent concluded that the rapid increase in such deliveries was a "matter of concern." The Blue Cross study in South Carolina found that, between April and October last year, the company paid for 3,026 deliveries statewide, 861 of which were Caesarean sections.

Hospitals and their percentages Facilities with the highest rates included: Richland Memorial Hospital, 35.79 percent; Baptist Medical Center, 35.45 percent; Greenville Hospital, 34.58 percent; Conway Hospital, 34.48 percent; Self Memorial in Greenwood, 34.06 percent; McLeod Regional Hospital in Florence, 32.69 percent; Tuomey Hospital in Sumter, 29.03 percent. Dr. Manley Hutchinson, chief of obstetrical-gynecological services at Baptist Medical Center, said his hospital's overall Caesarean rate of 31 percent is lower than the 35.45 percent rate among Blue Cross patients at Baptist. He agreed that the Caesarean rate at Baptist was high. "We are all doing more C-sections.

We'd all like to see a lower rate, but we are driven by the forces we have to deal with." Hutchinson said Caesarean sections are being done more frequently now because obstetricians fear they will be sued if they are not aggressive in terminating labor when problems develop. "People demand nothing less than a perfect outcome," he said, adding that many obstetricians would rather have a Caesarean birth than risk using forceps or putting their patients through protracted labor," he said. TIP" Dedication of medical center honors the late Charles A. Johnson By JAN WESTMARK Staff writer CALHOUN FALLS Family and friends of the late Charles A. Johnson gathered at the Calhoun Falls Medical Center Sunday to honor the man who was "the driving force behind getting the clinic built." The dedication ceremony, held by the Calhoun Falls Area Medical Services, named the medical center the Charles A.

Johnson Building. "Charles Johnson was only concerned that the clinic at Calhoun Falls would serve the people," said guest speaker Rep. Butler Derrick. "He wanted to be of help to people in this area and he wanted to make life better for others because he had been here." Derrick also praised Johnson as a man that got the job done. "I think it is only fitting that we name and dedicate this building after Charlie," Derrick said.

Johnson was a member of the original board of directors of the Calhoun Falls Medical Center, serving as president! "We honor and memorialize the man who is responsible for the very fine medical facilities we have today," said Robert Mahon, original secretary of the board of directors. "He was a man of integrity, experience and great determination." The Calhoun Falls Medical Center was opened in the fall of 1978 and is staffed by two doctors and staff personnel. (See Center, page 13) Boy Scouts set fall roundup The Boy Scouts fall roundup is beginning this week and all boys in Greenwood and Abbeville county schools will be invited to membership programs at their local schools. Long Cane District Scout Executive Scott Dublin said fliers are going out at the schools to all boys. The fliers will invite interested boys back on a certain nights to learn more about scouting and decide if they want to be a part of it.

The programs will stress the fun of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, Dublin said. Scouts hike, camp, perform skits, make crafts, race homemade cars and learn to do may other new things, he said. For parents, Dublin said, the programs will stress that Scouting teaches character, citizenship and personal fitness. Troop leaders will also begin their organization at the meetings, he said. There are now 12 Boy Scout troops and about 19 Cub Scout (See Boy Scouts, page 13) 4 ft de la Howe.

"My husband was from Greenwood, but he grew up down there and we both grew up loving de la Howe," she said. The nearly 200-year-old state school for children is dedicated to helping those who for some reason must be separated from their home environment or community or who are orphans. James D. Mars served as a de la Howe trustee for 11 years, 1958-1969. "After he died they asked me to be a trustee," said Mrs.

Mars, a veteran of 35 years of teaching ir, Abbeville County schools. She served as a de la 4t Afternoon activities Relaxing at the Rough House bar, above, is how these gentlemen spend a rainy afternoon. The antique back bar was purchased for only $15 during the 1930s. Concentration is the key for this pool shark, left, as he prepares to sink a ball in the leather pockets of the pool table. The slate top tables are considered to "roll true and be completely level." (Staff photos by Jan Westmark) Dedication ceremony "I loved teaching school and loved children," she said.

She never had children of her own, "but I had plenty while I was teaching," she was quick to add. "I was from a big family, nine boys and three girls," said the daughter of the late Foster B. McLane, Abbeville County sheriff for 25 years. "I grew up a politician's daughter." Mrs. Mars has been away from active teaching for 21 years, but still is attentive to things happening in her profession.

"Teaching today seems entirely different than what it used to be. We were able to better control the children than they seem to be now and now they say they have so much paperwork. "But I've been retired 21 years and most don't teach that long." Roses spread joy, caring Mrs. Mars' other passion has been her roses, a hobby which has allowed her to spread joy and caring to others. are Deborah Derrick, Johnson and Christina Westmark) The family of the late Charles A.

Johnson stands with Third District Rep. Butler Derrick outside the Calhoun Falls Medical Center during the Charles A. Johnson dedication ceremony. Standing from the left Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Michael Johnson with Charlie Ranelle Johnson with Johnson. (Staff photo by Jan Mrs.

Willie Mars life filled by love of school, roses Mi tw Jr ilk ABBEVILLE For the better part of this century a love affair has been blooming. Although the formal relationship has ceased, neither party will forget the other. Willie McLane Mars, widow of Abbeville attorney James D. Mars, fell in love with John de la Howe School in McCormick as a child. The relationship grew and nurtured through the years in numerous ways including 26 years of service by the Mars family on the John de la Howe board of trustees.

Mrs. Mars, a gracious and dignified lady who doesn't care to have her age announced to the world, sat on the comfortable, screened in porch overlooking her rose garden and talked of her beloved de la Howe and her roses. "My relationship with de la Howe began when I was a child," said Mrs. Mars. "My mother was a great historian and she took us to see the campus.

"There were no paved roads from Abbeville and I don't remember the trip itself, but I remember the excitement of getting ready to go," she said. "My mother loved anything historic and that trip got me started with More than 100 rose bushes adorn her North Main Street yard. While September is not a prime month for roses, there are enough blooms to beautify the yard and homes of friends. One aspect of her rose-growing is unique. Some bushes haven't been watered in 35 years.

"Those roses have been there 37 years since we built this house," she said, "and I never put a drop of water on them in the last 35 years. "I cut some every morning and share them with somebody. I don't keep one in the house for myself," she said. "I have about 100 roses now. I used to get out every morning at 5 a.m.

and tend to them. But I haven't done that in a good number of years. I have someone to do the yard work. But the roses keep blooming. They are in a good place and get lots of sun," she added.

She extended her passion for roses to de la Howe some years ago when "I went down there and helped them put out some roses." TW7 With ADD PENFIELD Howe trustee for 15 years until her recent retirement from the board. "It has been a great experience to be involved with de la Howe," she said. "I just love de la Howe." The attraction? "Working with children, it's a pretty place and a wonderful school. "I'm proud I was involved with Enjoyed teaching Teaching school was also a 35 years of it. "I taught first graders and loved every day of it," she said with a wink and pixie smile.

MRS. MARS The Hessie Morrah Cottage on the de la Howe campus enjoys the beauty of those roses through Mrs. Mars' efforts and knowledge she shared with the school's staff. She still shares some of her personal roses for various events on the de la Howe campus. Fellow trustees and de la Howe staff and students honored Mrs.

Mars at her retirement with a fitting a gold pin adorned with an ivory rose..