Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THREE SOUTH CAROLINIANS. Col. Pleasant Stovall Gives Early Memories of Miles McSweeney, Ben Tillman, John Gary Evans. Col. Pleasant A. Stovall. editor of the Savannah Press, used to work on the Augusta Chronicle. At -hat time three young men from South Caro lina had the habit of dropping into te Chronicle office now and then io see the reporters. Col. Stovall has been letting his memory dwell on those days recently and the result is the following editorial in The Press: About twenty years ago, in the Chronicle office in Augusta. some in teresting people used to come up at night and chat with the editors. Maiy of these visitors were from across tibe rive., for Augusta is very largely made up of South Carolinians, and in the course of a dayTabont half of the Ovisitors are from South Carolina. One of these men was a short, thick set. florid boy with light, sandy or reddish hair. He had gray eyes and wore a large mustache. If we re member aright his hair was curly. He was a modest, quiet newspaper man, who published the Hampton Guar dian. Most of these neighboring pa pers lived by securing advertisements from Augusta, and M. B. McSweeney 'bad good patronage in that city. He was a practical printer; in fact, had began his career as a newsboy. His paper was always well set up and neatly printed. He was a stickler for having a clean, bright print, and his was one of the, best of the country weeklies wihich came to the office. Ev ery time MeSweeney went to town, w.hich he did about once a week. he receivd a notice in the personal col umn something like this: "'Mr. M. B. McSweeney. the pro ',ssive editor (f the Hamupton Guar Lan. is in the city. The Guardian has a large circulation in the new county, and those wiho patronize the advertising columns of the Guardian find it a good investment." "Mae" was really a warm heart ed, attractive boy, and the newspa per craft was very fond of him. He probably had a little farm, owned a horse and buggy and enjoyed life in. the quiet, simple way of a country L editor-which, by the way, is about Sthe most satisfactory way that a man eou'ld live. Another Visitor to the Ohronicle of fice for wh9m the boys had a great liking was y~oung John Gary Evans. He .eame over from Edgefield to read law in his -uncle 's office. John had, not begun to take life seriously. He! was tall, slender, rather frail looking-, had smat1 dark eyes, wit-h a very fine brow. He was popular with every body. He was essentially a favorite in society. He possessed a fine, deli eate tenor voice, and even in conver sation his tones were rather high and ppn.After living in Augusta a fe w years. he came up to the Chronicle .ne nig-ht and told them to announce Sthat he was going to move to Aiken and'o.pen a law offlce. There was a perfect howl of protest. The crowd did not want him to leave Augusta. They told him t'iat the man who left Georgia left God 's country, and that; the move to Aiken was to bury him self and to.give up all thought of a career in the law. However, John Gary had thought it over, and next morning the Chronicle contained a personal item something like tihis: "Mr. John Gary Evans, our popu lar young townsman, who has been eding law in the city for the past two years, has decided to return to' his native State of South Carolina. -Mr. Evans wil-l hang out his shingle in Aiken, and we bespeak fot him the confidence of the people in 'his new me.'' latheio dKEE. .et.gro gggieB .fis John Gary Evans was the youngest scion of the house of Gary. His un ele, General Mar.t WV. Gary. had been a power in Edgefield during the ear ly days of Democracy. but for some reason he did not train with the po itic.al school of Hampton. Butler, Hagood, Richardson and others. The other uncle, Ma,jor William T. Gary had moved to Augusta just a.fter the war, and was practicing law. He was l ater judge of the Augusta circuit, was a member of the legislature from Ujnited States district attorney by President Cleveland. He also had a good practice in South Carolina. and it was probably by his advice that the young nephew returned to Aiken. Very frequently a plain farmer from Edgefield used to come to the Chiro.niele office. He lived at "Ro %pers'' South Carolina, which was a nostoffice in Edgefie'ld countyv.-Reaching the city he would climb the high s:eps - (rincipally to see the lion. Patric-k Walsh, whot was thle editor and pub bher of thle Chironiele. His name Was Ben Tilman. and now~ and t hen 2B would write a commnincat ion tO ern farmr. These artieles were ai ways well writ:eii. [he madi, (ld iot seem to be cultivated in his manner. he had but one eye and his hair was rarely well brushed. But he evident IY had read a great deal and there was lots of vigor and originality in his pieces. Generally -ce sigmed Farm er" to his articles. They niainly re lated to South Carolina matters. Next, Captain Francis V. Dawson, the editor of the Charleston News and (ourier. h--eame attracted by these articles and wrote Ben Tillman. ask in him to publish them in the News and Courier. He wr(te sometimes for that paper, but was not entirely weaned away from the Chronicle, which was really 'his home paper. His brother. George D. Tillman, was a member of congress from that district. He was one of the brainiest and most original men who ever represented South Carolina in Washington. Ben Tillman was a free lance. but his ar ticles set people to thinking. Finally he got the farmers stirred up. They organized a farmers' movement and pretty soon Tillman became a politi cal factor in South Carolina. His first appearance in a convention w- s in Columbia in 1886, when John Peter Riclardson was nominated governor. He was a delegate from Edgefield and favored the nomination of ex-Gov ernor Sheppard, who was from the same county. Who was Ben Tillman? The people of Augusta began to talk about him. His cotton factors said that he was a good farmer, but that his wife was a better farmer. He was a stickler for paying his debts. He was not a large planter. but his credit was good on cotton row. When he used ti come to the 0hronicle office at night h'e invariably brought a pretty jar of fresh butter or a little basket OL frint for his friend. Pat Walsh. This shows that Ben not only raised cot ton. but he made his own supplies. He had a fine orchard, a good dairy; many people said that the manage ment of his wife secured these things. At any rate, he lived at home, and he lived well. Now and then the local columns of the Chronicle would print an article like this: "Our popular friend, Captain Ben jamin R. Tillman, of Ropers, has left upon our table some fine fruit and fresh eggs, just from his flourishing little Carolina farm. Come again. Captain, the latch string always hangs on the outside.'' W.b* was Ben Tillman? Well, he ws captain of the cavalry company or the red shirt fellows over in Edge field. When Governor John B. Gor don, with General Wade Hampton, was invited to Augusta to open the fair, Ben Tillman brought his compa ny over from Edgefield to turn out in the parade. The Chronicle boys remember that during the exercises the Edgefield troopers wvere bankedl in arn old field and the sun bec'ame vey *hot at midday. They remember Ben Tillman 's dashing across the field on horseback to ask the com mander if he might move his troop es in the shade, as the' men and horses had ridden across the river from Edgefield that morning and needed water badly. Now you have the t'hree personages who used to come to the Chronicle of-. fee at least once a week and relieve the long vigil of the boys at night by z.:lking polities; gossiping about per sons and4 things--discussing "the gradeur that was Greece and the glory that was Rome.'' Ben Tillman was remarkably well read; John Gary Evans was classie and delicate and MeSweeney was a very quiet man who talked but little, but was looked upon as a good friend and a deserving fel low. I do not recall that t'hese men ever met at that -time. They may have and they may not have done so. If they did I don 't remember that they impressed each other. Their lives moved in en:irely different spheres. Their ages and professions sent them far apart. Well, time changes and in tue great erucible of politics these men after a while got together. Ben Tillman continued to write his arti les. His faction became a majority party. I well remember the night he was elected governor. He came over to the Chronicle office as ustual and sat by the desk of the news editor. Te Chronicle received specials from al parts of the State and Ben Till man read, hot from the telegraph ticker, t'he news of his triumph. Pret ty soorn the office was filled with Edge fled people and Carolinians generally, ongratulating "Captain Tiliman,'' or "Governor Tillman," which should it be? "Boys, ealb me Ben,"' said the lead er. and it wais generaJ.ly that way. anhow. I don 't reecall that .John saog ti ia i le 4lidn *i Ilke it-never dran ;t. ;mil that as for a raw oyster, lie wouldn t touch one. Weil. Join- Gary .vans plodded alIng il Aiken. The (Iarvs all joined the Tillman movement. and first thing we knew little John Gary had been ected to tile sena-te-the same pale face(d. delicate little chap who used to sing tenor and make his remark able speeches in the jus:iee court. Then. after Ben Tillman. he was nom iInated and elected governor, by the farmers. The rest is known. He be came president of the constitn:iznal conveitiol which pu.t dispensary. ne -ro disfranchisement and non-divorce in the organie law of South Carolina. His career was meteoric. No one i-n Augusta dreamed of it. But Ben Till man went to the United States sen ate and John Gary wen.t to the exec ittive office in Columbia. But truth is stranger than fiction. In some way MeSwee7ey-quiet. plod ding. popular-had broken into the legislature. He. too, was a Tillman man. Finally he went to the senate, and then became lieutenant governor. During his term of office, as second in command. Governor Ellerbe died and McSweeney actually became gov ernor of South Carolina. This accounts for all three of the Chronicle visitors. McSweeney died the other day-the quiet newsboy and careful printer. Jo.bn Gary Evams is living in Spartanburg, rich and suc eessful in his law practice, and Ben Tillman is senator and lecturer. mak ing about as much on the platform as he makes from his salary in the upper house. The Fired Man. Neither of the partneriz had arriv ed. and the clerks that morning were indulging in their usual bout -of gos Sip. "Did I tell you. chaps, t.hat I was leaving?' drawled the languid swell of the staff, whose incompetence was as palatable as the splendor of his a.t tire. "Heard you got the sack." re plied the spectacled cashier gruffly. 'I answered an advertisement yes uerday for what looks like a first class job," resumed the overdressed one, ignoring the remark. I've pitch ed rather a strong yarn, but you've got to do that if you want to keep up with the times." Just then the senior partner enter ed and all wrote intently. Within five minutes the "old man" who had been opening letters, called the last speaker into -his room, and the following dialogue became plain ly audible to those outside:. "'Have you bee.i in our service seven years?'' "No, sir; only fifteen months.'" ''And is your salary four pounds and ten shillings a week'?" "Ehl, no, sir; 30 shi'lings. And are you ina entire charge oft the counting house?" No reply. --And are you leaving us because of a difference with the firm regard ing the management of our colonial branches?'" Dead silence and a short pause. '*You should .be more careful in in your stat-ements, sir. This is a small world. The advertisement you answered was for the situation you are leaving on Saturday. That will do." Oh, What's the Dif? .The gentleman at the foot of the stairs--Greatesh- difficulty getsh here 't all. F'got whether you told me t have two drinks an' come home at 11, or elevensh drinks an' come home at 2.-The Sketch. STATE OF SUUTH CAROLINA. County of Newberry. In the Probate Court. The Newberry Sav.ings Bank. Plai tiff, Against Eta R. Spearman, Lucia Spearman. Rosai Speartman. James H. Spear man. Sarah Spearman. Marguerite Spea rman. William W. Spearman. Milto~n A. Uarlisle, John C. Gog gans. as Eexecutors of the last will a-ndl testament of William W. Spearman, deceased, and Robert M. Kennedv. Defendan': s. M. A. (Carlis:e and .John C. G;ogans. Executors of the last will and tes tament of W. W. Spearman. dle eeased. Plaintiffs, Agai-nst Etta R. Spearman, Lucia Spearman, Rosa Spearman, James Henry Spearman, Sarah Spearman. Mar gueri: e Spearman, William Worth ington Spearman, and G. F. Long, Guardian. Defendants. BV order of the court herein. I will sell.i t publi:- out'ry. to the higheist .. . ; Ji l New" ra Cust IM~ Styl4 other 7 will f A . ? wea6~ styles in our are fa mode wear. ini the following( tracts, to wit: Trae: -No. 1.-All that tract or plantation of land, lying and being situate in the County and State afore said, containing One Hundred and Forty Nine and fifty-six one hun dreths, (149 and 56-100) acres, more or less, boun-ded by lands of Mrs. E. L. Spearman, W. S. Spearman, Tract No. 2 and a pubie road. Tract No. 2.-All that tract or plantation~ of land, lying and being situate in the County and State afore said, containing One Hundred and Forty Three and fifty-eight one-'un dread'ths, (143 & 58-100) acres, more or less, bounded by tracts Numbers 1 & 3 and lands of W S. Spearm,an and lands of D. M. Ward. Tract No. 3:-All that tract or plantat,onl of land, lying and being ~situate in :'he County and State aforesaid, containing Sixty One (61) acres, more or less, and bounded by Tract Number 2. and lands of W. S. Spearman and Thomas Werts. P]ats of the said tr:-uets of hund will be ex Qee befor'e :ba: time~ a: offie of Clerk of Court. Terms of Sale: One-thirl oif the puchase money to be paid in cash, and the balance on a credit of one and two years, the credlit portion to bear interest at the rate of eight per cent. per annum from date of sale, and to be secured by a bond of the purchaser and mortgage of the prem ises sold, with leave to purchaser to anticipate the payment of the eredit portion eit-her in whole or in part; .aid mortgage to contain a stipula Ition for the paymen.: of ten per cent. attorney's fees in case the same iis placed in the hands of an attorney for colection or foreclosure of .the same, and for the insurance of the build ing or buildings thereon for the benefit of -the parties interested in the mort gage debt. Purchaser to pay for all pa pers and record.ing. Proat Jdg '. G. Thompson, Probte JdgeLaurens County. sit ting in Newberry Coun.ty. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. County of Newberry. Court of 'Common Pieas. Ag~ainst. Elizabeth Jones, e... al.. Defendants. Br- order of the Court herein. I will' se'l at public uctirm, to the hiaest bidder. bePfore thle Court House, at New,berry. 8. C.. durving legal hor of sale, on the 1st day of November. 1909. the same being sales day. all tha.t tract of land lying in Newberry Countyv and State afore said, containing seventy-six (76) acres, more or less, bounded by lands of James Denson, S. P. McCrackin, J. T. McCrackin. and the public road ,leading from Whitmire to Goldvsille, Ithe same being known as the Home Place of Benjamin Bird, 'deceasede, upon the following terms, to wit: One-third of the purchase money to he paid in cash. and the halhmee n :wo egnual annIual instalihments. on '. I In the ('redil t arion 01 t he :t.c (it eirht peri (lint. per' a n iinm. -.-o ay unisae. thle credit portion 4;, 6 0 1*,, it *I tol II usive York om ou go to New York or any metropolitan center, you ind the best-dressed men ig the same Regal Shoe we have on sale right here store. REGALE mous all over the world for their exclusive ls embody every fashion-feature found in Moreover, Regals fit like made-to-measu er-sizes. Come in and look over the new $350 $400 rnier Bros. C( to be secured by bond of the pur chaser and a mortgage of, the prem ises sold, with leave to the pu-rehaser to anticipate payments in whole or in part, the purdhaser to pay for pa pers and the recording of the mort-1 gage, the. said mortgage to provide I for an atIzorney's fee of ten per cent. of debt 'and interest in case the i said mortgage is foreclosed or col lected by an attorney. H. H. Rikard, Master for N. C., S. C. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Cornty of Newberry. Court of Common Pleas. Loisai Dominick, eit. al., Deeaints. Loili Dominick, et. al., Pleaints. In cmplancewit anorder of the Cout hrei, wil sllto the highest bider efoe te CurtHouse alt Newbrry S.C..Monday, Salesdlay, ~November 1s,10.during the legal hours of sale. all that tract of lanid lying and being situate in Newberry Coisty. State of Sou:h Carolina, con taining thirty-three and three-fourthis 33-)acres. more or less, bounded bvlnsof H. L. Dominick. .1. B. IDomiiniek and Marion S. Dominick. the same being a part of the tract. of one hundred an'd ten acres pur chased by Henry P. Dominick from George H. Taylor, as evidenced by deed dated 7th day of March, 1887. and recorded in the registry for New berry County in Deed Book No. 17, at page 50, i:he thirty-three and three fourths acres beirng the part of said tract of which Henry P. Dominick died seized and possessed. >Terms of Sale: One-third of the purchase money to be paid in cash. and the balance in two equal annual installments, with i.nterest from day of sale at the rate of eight per cent. per annum, the credit portion to be secured by -a bond of the purchaser and a mortgage of lthe premises sold, with leave to the purchaser to pay all his bid in casih. The purchaser to pay for papers and recording of sa'me. Mortgage to provide for a ten per cent. atmonney 's fee in case of fore elosure or eo:leKtionl by an attorney. H. H. Rikard. Master for N. C.. S. C. Oct. 8. 1909. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. County of Newberry. Court of Common Pleas. James D. Wheeler. Pl-aintiff. Against David A. Kleekley and Frances C. Kleekley, Defendants. By virtue of an order of Court herein. I will sell before the Court House at Newberry, within the legal hours of sale, on Salesday, Monday, November 1, 1909, at public outcry. to the highest bidder, the following described property, to wit: All that tract or parcel of land lying andt being situiaae in tEe county of Newherrv. State of South1 Carolina. o,snn Thre IHindred 1and Twen alary jV. Pa.) MrsVt. U'ny Chabuer(-.~.: Sim B3iekley and1 others. lit T ! )HOES ustom style and quality. The new the most expensive custom foot. re shoes, became they are made in Regal styles. d *500 is d ewhbrry, C Also all that other tract or parcel of land lying and being situate in the county and state aforesaid, co-ntain ing One Hundred and Forty-Two and three-fourths (142 3-4) acres, more or less, and bounded by lands of Mm A. C. Caldwell, J. Earle Sondley, es states of Mrs. Sibbie D. Cromer and Jno. A. Cromer. Also all that other tract or parcel of land lying and being situate in the county and state aforesai'd, contain ing One Huindred and Thirty-Five (135) acres, more or less, and bound ed by lands of J. M. Wicker, Thomas Hentz, G. H. Cromer, Will Folk and= the Ashford Ferry road. Terms of Sale: One-half of the purehase money to be paid in cash,. the balance on a credit of twelve months, the credit portion to be se cured by the bond of the purchaser and. a mortgage of the premises sold, said bond to bear interest at the rate of eight per cent. per annum and to provide for the payment of ten per cent. of the amount due as prin eipal andc interes: t:eereon as attor nevr's fees in the event of the same being placed in the hands o fan at torner for collection, sui: or fore elosure; purchaser to pay for papers and for recording same. H. H. Rikard. Master.. Oct. 11. 1909. SALE or LAND FOR DIVISION. For the purpose of the division of the wi:hin deseribed~ real estate be longing to the children of Joseph H. Goree, deceased, ai,l of whom are of age, we will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder at Newberry Court House, on saiesday, Monday, Novem ber 1st, 1909, .immediately after tihe pub]ic sales, the following described real estate: All of that tract or plantation of~ land, lying and being situate in the County of Newberry and State of" South Carolina, containing one hun dred (100) acres, more or less, and bountled by lands of Neils Thomas son, Estate of H. C. Wilson and others, the same being the tract of land heretofore conveyed to Joseph H. Goree and his children, by Laura E. Knight, by deed of conveyance dated the 10tYl day of December, 1879. which has been duly recoirded in the office of the Register of Mesne Conveyances for Newberry County in Deed Book A.AA. at page 553. Terms of. Sale: One-half of the purchase money to be paid in cash. and the balance on a credit of one year, with leave to the purchaser to aticipate the payment of the credit potion either in whole or in part ; e credit portion to bear interest at the rate of eight per cent. per annum from date of sale and, to be securedby the note of the purchaser and a mort age of the premises sold; said mort age to contain a stipulation for the payment of ten per cent, attorney's fees in case the same is placed in the ands of an attorney for collection or forelosure of the same. Purchaser to pay for al! papers and recording. Blesse & D)ominiek. Atf.:o*nev