Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

THE NWERRY OF THE DAYS THAT ARE PAST LETTER FROM FORMER NEWBERRIAN, NOW LIVING,IN TEXAS. Great and Good Men and Beautiful and Charming Ladies Who Lived and Moved in the Old Village. Woodville, Texas. Here's to. them, to them that are gone; Here's to them, to them that are gone; Here's to them that were here, the faithful and dear, That will never be here again-no never; But where are they that are gone? Oh! where are the faithful and true? They're gone to the light that fears no night, And their day of rejoicing shall end no. never. Here's to them, to them that were here; Here's to them, to themthat were here; Here's a tear and a sigh to the bliss that's gone by, But 'twas never like what's coming to last forever; Oh! bright was their morning sun; -Oh! bright was their morning sun; Yet long ere the gloaming, in clouds it ga'ed down, But the storm and the cloud are now past-forever. Then speed to the wings of old Time, That waft us where pilgrims would be; To the regions of rest, to the shores of the blest, Where the full tide of glory, shall flow -forever. We closed our last with a 'possuui supper in the back room of Gracey's store. The adjoining. house west was a two-story building, the end fronting the public square (then the only two-story house on the square). Here Cy Bishop had a tailor shop; he was a joviel, quizzi cal fellow. Another Bishop, Q., lived at Maybinton; he was a good tailor, a good fiddler and a good judge of whiskey. It was told on Q. that he presented an account against a customer for a suit of clothes and the customer promptly paid it. Q. 'through forgetfulness presented it the second time, and, was again paid, when a receipt was demanded, which was given as fol lows: "Received of - dollars in full settlement of all demands, from the birth of Christ to the death of the devil. (Signed) Q. Bishop." This house was afterwards occu pied by Col. Simeon Fair, the son of William and Elizabeth (Young) Fair. Col. Fair had two sisters, Mrs. Mary Grahams and Mrs. Pa melia Moore, intelligent, charming ladies, and six brothers noted for their intelligence and energy and; height. Col. Fair's universally1 kind, straightforward .and upright course demanded respect of all men, while his lofty, animated spirit made his p'resence a ray of sunshine to brighten and cheer those he met. Physically and intellectually he was a grand man. His great excellency lay in a sound understandings solid judgment, with great sagacity, courage, energy and extraordinary quickness of perception, and he had the "restraining grace of great com mon sense." His success at the bar was won by strength of purpose, foresight, self-reliance and perse verance. He was kind and affable to every one, especially' to the young members of the bar; his courtesy. to them was proverbial, and he had the happy knack of en couraging them to put forth their best efforts. There was nothing of the Puritan about him: "He did not call his own opinion God, and the opposite opinion , the devil."' The tribute paid to him by J. F. J. Caldwell inCarwile's Remniniscenses is just and true, and I can say of it as Freeman said of Macaulay's style, it is a "literary luxury."~ Evary official position he held he filled with honor to himself and1 boenefit to the people. He married Miss Mary Butler Pierson, one of the acknowledged belles of the State. She was a vision of won Arous baty; wasgentle, lovely, graceful, accomplished and noble hearted; was intellectually gifted and had a sweet temperament. Like Col. Fair she had great common: sense and was a fine business wo man. The three boys we remem mer as light-hearted lads. Wife and I agree that we can pay the daughter, Miss Sallie, no finer com pliret than that she bids fair to rival her mother in grace, beauty and intellect. We next come to the long, low storehouse of Thomas Pratt. Every house on the public square was one story save Cy Bishop's. Pratt was post-master and one of the leading merchants of the village, and ac quired a considerable fortune. He was a man of -egged ste'dfastness, sturdy truth, and upright bearing. Judge O'Neall well wrote of him that "he deserved the respect which i honesty, virtue, piety, and intelli gence demand." He married Miss Dorothy, the elegant and beautiful daughter of Major F. Nance. (Wm. P. Butler, one of the handsomest men ever in the village, clerked for Mr. Pratt and married Miss Laura, ,another of the elegant and accom plished daughters of Major Nance.) Mrs. Pratt like Mrs. Drayton Nance, ,as another lovely example "of the radiant dream that lurks in the i word woman.' They had three i sons: Robert, a good looking, pleas- I ant man, married Miss Cornelia 1 Calmes, an attractive young woman. Simeon never married, and his nom de plume, the "Queer Recruit," fitted him nicely. For several years I before his death I occasionally cor- 1 responded with him. He was gen tle and kind, noble-hearted; original < and wrote well. Priestley was my 1 daily chum at school and corres- I ponided with me while I was in col lege. He had a fine head, well fur- I nished, a pair of frank eyes, pleas ant *smile and joyous manners; was full of humor and life. Carwile gives a beautiful description of him -he fills a soldier's grave in Mex ico: "When hearts, whose truth is proven Like thine, are laid in earth, - Then should a wreath be woven To tell the world your worth." They ha<f five daughters, a bevy of beauties; a very shower of beauty was their earthly dower; they were soft and genial as a breeze that had ] blown over a bed of violets. Amelia, I a fine musician, married Maj. Jack McMorries, an upright, -good man. Mary married Arthur Simpkins, a * man of fine in,tellect, pleasant man-c ners and a fine writer. Mary was a 1 happy idealization of female beauty. She and Miss Ann Calmes who married J. F. Harrington, were the belles of the village, .both radiantly beautiful, but of different types of beauty. Carolina and Virginia were twins and like twin rosebuds. Caro lina married - Kincaid, of whom I knew but little. Virginia married W. W. Calmes (known as Tobe). He was a true, solid man. Ange lina was rosy and pretty; her bright eyes running over with glee. Many sly glances were turned towards her, but my good friend, James Mc Morries, captured her. He was one of my attendants at my mar riage. I have overlooked two long, low, onestory houses south of Stewart & Coates' store. - The one next to Stewart & Coates' was first occupied by John Young and then by O'Con-! nor,' an Irish tailor, a jolly fellow who loved his dram. Hie fished, sometimes, but always said "he wanted to fish wid a seine, that he didn't care a d-n, wheder dey bit or not." On the corner south of O'Connor's was another one of the "gates of hell." Who the "Cer berus" was I know not and am glad of it. The State then licensed the' grog sellers to sin, but now the State does its own sinning. Con siderably over half of the counties n Teas have voterd ont the license shops, and prohibition in Texas is "zooning." At the times at which I write Amasoka had not been invented, nor had V. B. Pope named it. On the hill near the Columbia and Greenville depot, in a cluster of small timber, perched on the side of the hill, was the little home of Mrs. Esther Moore, always kept neat and clean. She was a weird old lady, shrewd and bright, with a keen incisive tongue that she did not hesitate to use, and given to superstitious beliefs and practices. She was a finicky old lady, some what thin and fidgety, but I never knew her to harm any one. She had two children: Isabella was very pretty with a sparkling eye and very industrious and neat; she mar ried well but to whom I have for gotten. John A., the son, over :ame by his energy and perseve rance the adverse circumstances of his early life and became a good lawyer and useful citizen. He married Miss Sarah Arthur, an ele. gant lady of Columbia, whom I had the pleasure of knowing sixty years go. Mrs. Esther Moore one time at our house shortly after the death :>f Mrs. Barbara Boozer, the mother f Big Dave, spoke up suddenly to my wife and said, "I wonder what :ld Barbara s doing today." The life of Jno. A. shows to young men what energy and perseverance will accomplish. For this time we will pass over :he public square. On the block ronting on its east side we see thei ;hoe store of Guy Thompson, a nirthful man. He was a jovial, luizzical fellow with .an abundant ;upply of rich anecdotes and jokes, which he dealt out to the amused :rowds, who were filled with .aughter. He afterwards went to olumbia, where he engaged in the ;ame business. On the next corner was the fam )us candy store and liquor shop of atoine Gilbal. He was a quaint, >d, whimsical, fanciful, irascible ittle old Frenchman, and was sup yosed to have been with Lafayette. remember bow old Sol's song "All dem ladies jis from France Come to see old Gilbal dance," mraged old Gil. There was an. )ther song Gil. used to sing to Alf qance and "Silo Hello." but it vould not look well in print. Car rile in his Reminiscences gives a nost amusing account of him. 'here are several other amusing in idents in his life, of which I have ieretofore written. He made his >wn candy and it was good: 'How good all candy seemed to me, ack in those days of memory; 'ink checkerminnts and lollipops, Twixt heaps of yellow lemon drops; long with wistful look to stop knd eye old Gilbal's candy shop; o stand with eager face again, 'ressed close against the window pane. )h, turn, kind Time! be good to me! 3ring hack those days of memory, 'or I should like tjo taste once more, chat candy at old Gilbal's store." I always had an exalted opinion >f the old village, bnt since I have yeen writing of its great and good en, noble and excellent women, :at opinion has been more than redoubled. I hope in the two next to close up on the village and then take an xcursion among the Renwicks and 'olands, &c., &c. J. M. Crosson. A Prisoner in Her Own House. Mrs. W. H. Layha, of 1001 Agnes ve., Kansas City, Mo.. has for several gears been troubled with severe h'oarse ness and at times a hard cough, which he says. "Would keep me in doors for lays. I was prescribed for by physicians with no noticeable results. A friend gave me part of a bottle of Chamber lain's Cough Remedy with instructions to closely follow the directions and I wish to state that after the first day I could notice a decided change for the better, and at this time after using it for two weeks, have no hesitation in myg' I realize that I am entirely ured." This remedy is for sale by Smith C. Newber, Prosperity' Dru Co..,ty s. J.w 0I A statement cannot be too strong when founded on fact. Our adver tising would be wasted if it were not absolutely correct. We stake our reputation on every representa tion we make, and ask our custom ers to hold us to a strict account therefor. We are best liked where best known. The longer you do business with us, the better you will appreciate our low prices, and the more money you will save in the aggregate. Having enjoyed an unusually large patronage from our many friends this fall and winter, we desire to express our apprecia tion in a substantial way, namely: By selling them their Mid-Winter Goods at a Big Reduction. The goods mentioned in this ad. are in cluded in this sale. S.JA Cigars, Smoking ] Chewing I The Best Bran THE' HERALD a A Full Line of STATIO Beautiful Have Yoi Linen Cl The Newberry Steam Lanndry the very latest Collar and Cuff every respect. We give the la If We cannot please Ye your patronage. We dc because we leave all th Newberry, but because You Get Be~ Alld Beti We would be pleased i ur machinery in opera Phone 118 and have wagol L. B. DOTEN. Heavy Wool Dress Goo cs Gray Skirting worth $1 at 79c. Gray Skirting worth 75c. at59c. Gray Skirting worth 60c. at 48c. Gray Skirting worth 50c. at 44c. Checked Skirting worth 60c. at 48c. Mixced Skirting worth 60c. .at 48c Mixed Skirting worth 50c. at 44c. All Black Dress Goods, Consisting of Serges, Henriettas. Cashimers, Chevoits, Prunellas, Ladies Cloth, Granites, Zibilines, Mohairs, and Armours. Pg'Make your wife or sister or mother a Christmas present of one of our fine Furs in black, gray and brown. All included in this cut price sale. No matter what prices are quoted by oth' WE ARE CHEAPER. rooten. obacco, obacco, Is hay be Found at SNEWSORB so.. NERY, and Up-to-Date. ir Soiled eansed. OME Company has installed one of Ironers. It is up to date in :est gloss or domestic finish. u then we do not want not want your support a money you pay us in Iter Service :er Work o have you call and see tion. t callifor Your Soiled Linen AulL.