The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, August 11, 1955, Image 1
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Volume LVI
Clinton, S. C. # Thursday, August 11,1955
Number 32
Inquest Pat
Off in 2-Car
Fatal Wreck
Laurens, Aug. S — Laurens
county Coroner Joe P. Smith has
poetponed indefinitely any in
quest into the two-car collision
near Clinton July 30 which
claimed the lives of all six per
sons in the vehicles.
The accident occurred seven
miles east of Clinton on the
Whitmire highway about 7:15 p.
m. A 1850 Plymouth driven by
Ted M. Ellison, 28, of Whitmire,
and headed east on Highway 72,
collided almost head-on with an
other vehicle of the same make
and model. Ellison’s two chil
dren, Jerry 4, and Deborah 3,
also were killed in the crash.
Occupants of the other car, ap
parently killed instantly, were
Olin DeWitt Johnson, 19, of
Whitmire, and Ale Beaman Pin
ner Graham, 19, of Whitmire, on
leave from Craig Air Force Base,
Ala.
A third passenger in the latter
vehicle died the next evening;
Charles F. Lunsford, 20, also of
Whitmire.
Laurens county Sheriff W. A.
Lowery said that it has not been
established how the accident oc
curred.
Couiriy Farmers
Make Tour Of
Pickens Watershed
The Laurens Soil Conservation
District Supervisors along with
fifteen other Laurens county
farmers made a tour of the
Twelve Mile Creek Pilot Water
shed in Pickens county recently.
Following an interesting dis
cussion of the watershed pro
gram led by Brice Lathan and F.
y .G. Lindsey of the Soil Conserva
tion Service, dinner was served
the group at the new Pickens
county country club.
During the afternoon tour the
group was shown all phases of
the work being carried out on the
watershed program, including
retarding structures, stream
treatment of farm lands, flood
channel improvement, road bank
stabilization, establishment of
grasses and legumes, and refor
estation.
“The group was impressed
with what they saw and learned
about the watershed program,”
said Ryan F. Lawson, chairman
of the board of district supervis
ors. “We are anxious to get work
started in Laurens county on the
Bush River watershed which has
been approved for planning
work,” Mr. Lawson stated.
The board of district supervis
ors is composed of Chairman
Lawson and W. P. Dickson of Rt.
3, Clinton; J. W .Tinsley and
James D.Wasson of Rt 3, Lau
rens; and Sam B. Fleming of Ora.
All members were on the tour.
Also along were the local per
sonnel of the Soil Conservation
Service, J. B O’Dell. W. H. Flem
ing. If. Y. Blakely and S. C.
Gambrel), Jr.
Youth Activities Week
At Broad Street Church
• «
August 14-19 has been set aside
as Youth Activities week for the
Methodist Youth Fellowship at
Broad Street church.
Each evening from 7-10 ttie
youth in age groups 12-03 will
gather for a fellowship supper,
discussion groups, recreation and
worship services. The theme of
the week’s discussions will be “We
Believe.” On Tuesday evening
Marion Way, of Charleston, a
young missionary who has just re
turned from three years in Africa
will speak.
Adults helping will be Rev. and
Mrs. J. E. Merchant, Rev. Thom
as Jones, Mss. Lewis Pitts, J. L.
Sharpe, Mrs. Ruby Rey and D. B.
Smith.
PC Men At Fort Benning
■■
G. Edward Campbell, registrar of Presbyierain College, along
with representatives of other colleges, recently visited Port Ben
ning. Ga« where HOTC units of the various schools were undergo
ing summer training. Mr. Campbell is shown above with several of
the Presbyterian College cadets and officers of the corps. Left to
right, they are: Edward L. Hay, Johns Island; Ray Lord. Dublin,
Ga.; Capi. J. H. Rutledge, assistant professor of military science
and tactics; Campbell; Li. CoL Francis V. Smith, commandant of the
unit and professor of military scienco and tactics; James P. Flem
ing. Charlotte, If. C.: end Victor 8. Vierra, Mi. Pleasant.
Solons Pledge Aid
In City's Requests
Is Improving State Highways in City
The city of Clinton has re
ceived pledges of aid from the
county delegation to the general
assembly in seeking to get im
provements made on state high
ways leading into and through
the town.
A meeting was held here Mon
day night attended by Senator
Ralph Wilson and Representa
tives C. L. Milam and Robert
Wasson during which the various
projects were presented by May
or Hugh Eichelberger. Repre
sentative King Dixon was the on
ly member of the delegation not
present.
Eichelberger was joined by
R. M. Vahce, representing the Ki-
wanls club; B. O. Whitten, the
Lions club; Van Jones, the Ex
change dirt); J. J. Cornwall and
J. W. Curtis, the Chamber of
Commerce; W. L. Corbett, the
Merchants Association; James P.
Sloan, chairman of the finance
committee of city council; H. R.
Jones, superintendent of the
city’s department of streets; R. L.
Plaxico, S. Gary Dillard and Geo.
R. Blalock, who are intreested in
several phases of the proposed
improvements, and Harry C.
Layton, city councilman and
newspaper representatvie.
Streets and highways on which
improvements were requested in
cluded South Broad street (high
ways 72 and 56) at a point from
Walnut street to the city limits;
North Broad street from intersec
tion of highways 72 and 308 to
Musgrove street; highway 306
from Buice street to city limits;
West Main street from CNIcL rail
road crossing at Yarborou^i’s Ser
vice station to city limits; East
Carolina avenue near chy limits;
Laboratory
School On
At College
Approximately 80 Presbyte
rian women leaders and children
are meeting on the Presbyterian
College campus this week for the
first annual Area Laboratory
School for the Synods of Georgia
and South Carolina.
The school, which will extend
through Saturday, is planned to
provide laboratory experinecet
for teachers and leaders of nurs
ery, kindergarten, primary and
junior children in the two sy
nods. It is sponsored jointly by
the Christian education commit
tee of the two synods nad the
departments of leadership educa
tion and children’s work of the
General Assembly’s Board of
Christian Education.
Persons attending have been
meeting daily this week for lab
oratory sessions with the chil-
dme, followed by periods of
evaluation and planning. Each
laboratory course includes: char
acteristics of a given age group,
ways of guiding children as they
learn, use of the Bible and other
materials, suitable organization
and program, and guidance to
the teacher iVi evaluating her
work.
The school opened last Sunday
under the direction of the Rev.
Ted Jones,' director of religious
education for the Synod of South
Carolina. Miss Sallie Thrower
director;
Miss Elise Merriam.as registrar
for Gerogia;' and Miss Jessie
Hodges, as registrar for South
Carolina.
Elizabeth street from West PPts
to city limits; East Maple street; serves as educational
South Holland street from Maple
to East Carolina avenue; North
Adair street from Phillips street
to intersection with highway 72;
Gary street from Thornwell street
to point south of Lydia Mills toj
connect with highway 25 running
from John T. Young’s store.
The presentation was made with
the aid of maps of the c^y which
had been marked with the pro
posed improvements, consisting of
widening, curbs and gutters, side
walks, etc.
Included in the discussion were
proposed by-passes for traffic from
Atlanta to Charlotte and from
Greenville to Columbia.
Senator Wilson stated that the
Greenville-Columbia highway was
Hay Joins
PC Faculty
Next Term
The Rev. Lewis Scott Hay of
Charleston has joined the Pres
byterian College faculty as as
sociate professor of Bible and
Greek, President Marshall W.
Brown has announced.
Dr. Brown said the appoint
ment represents another step in
the over-all expansion and
strengthening of the faculty.
Hay, an alumnus of PC in the
class of 1949, returns to the cam
pus directlv from Princeton The
ological Seminary where he re
cently received his Master of
Theology degree. He received
Theological Seminary in 1954,
finishing magna cum laude. Hay
was also president of the stu-
seminary.
Hay was ordained by Charles
ton Presbytery last spring.
President Sown, in making the
announcement of the new ap
pointment, said he was pleased
to welcome back to the campus
a young man who had compiled
an outstanding record as a stu
dent. A Who’s Who student while
at PC, Hay was graduated mag
na cum laude in 1949.
The new Presbyterian College
professor is married to the for
mer Miss Carol Jones of Colum
bia.
24 County Departments
Show Deficits of $173,461
To Lead Baptist Revival
Reedy River Baptists
Plan Two Leadership
Training Schools
Two Training Union leadership
schools for Reedy River Associa
tion are planned the week of
September 5-9. One school will
be held at the First Baptist
church in Newberry for church
es in that area. Another will be
held at the First Baptist church,
Whitmire, for churches in that
area. Both schools will begin
Shealy-Sheely
Reunion Aug. 21
The annual Shealy-Sheely re
union will be held on Sunday,
August 21, at the old Daniel
Shealy homestead, five miles
south of Chapin, S. C., with the
program beginning at 12:00 noon.
The public is invited. Come and
bring a well filled basket.
REV. L. B. MARION. JR.
REV. M. R. OSBORNE. JR.
Plan Special Services
For Week in September
— i———
A special series of evangelistic Baptist Theological Seminary.
services will begin at the First
Baptist church Monday, Sep
tember 12, and continue through
Sunday, the 18th. Services will
be held each evening at 8 o’clock
He served as pastor of the Char
leston Heights Baptist church in
Charleston before going to Ala
bama. During his pastorate at
Charleston there was a marked
and announcement will be made increase in the membership of
later as to the time for the morn- the church and the Sunday
ing services. school and Training Union were
Rev. Lucius B. Marion. Jr, a among the largest in the state.
native of Clinton, pastor of the
First Baptist church of Tusca
loosa, Ala., will be the guest
evangelist for these services. Mr.
Marion is a graduate of Furman
University and the Southern
already receiving attention from each evening at 7:30 o’clock.
rtf
Nabors Reunion Aug. 2T
MAt Hurricane Church
The Nabors reunion will be held
at the Hurricane Baptist church
Auggst 21. All friends and ncrigh-
bors are invited to attend and
bring picnic lunch and tea. Plates
and cups will be furnished.
Officers are John Henry Nabors,
of Laurens, president; Frank Na
bors, of Union, vice president;
Mrs. Vida Mae Barnette, of Char
lotte, N. C., secretary, and Whit
Neal, of Charlotte, historian.
the highway department and a
Clinton by-pass is included to run
north of town. He stated that for
the Allanta-Charlotte route to get
the attention of the highway de
partment it would be necessary for
the group to pass a resolution re
questing surveys be made of the
proposed route and present it
through the delegation. Such a
resolution was passed, as was a
resolution requesting the other
improvements.
Senator Wilson and Representa
tives Wasson and Milam expressed
themselves as being ready at all
times to aid the people of Clinton
in any way they could be of ser
vice and would lend their efforts
in behalf of the requests made
through them to the highway de
partment Monday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Lee and sons
are spending this week at Myr
tle Beach.
Conferencse for all age groups
will-be held. State workers will
assist in both schools. Local
teachers for the younger groups
will assist.
The following courses will be
offered: Adult Training Union
Manual, Young People’s Union
Manual, Junior - Intermediate
Leadership Manual, Junior Man
ual, Intermediate Manual, Nurs
ery, Beginner, and Primary
Leadership Manual.
Programs of teaching are plan
ned for the nursery, beginner
and primary children.
BLAKELY REUNION j
The descendants of Ludy Blake
ly and Milton Blakely, brothers,
will have theijr annual reunion at
the Ora Community center Wed
nesday, August 17. Picnic dinner
will be served on the grounds at
12:30 o'clock. All are cordially in
vited to be present.
Clinton Merchants Offer
Three Big Dollar Days
Today, Friday, Saturday
That’s what the merchants of the city are'offering the
buying- public today, Friday and Sautrday.
They are joining in the city-wide event — which is
staged in February and August each year—to give the
buying public an opportunity to take advantage of the
many bargains to be offered this week-end.
Stores in the city have been preparing for these Dol
lar Days for many weeks and the public can expect to be
well rewarded for their participation in this value-giving
festival.
The red carpet will be rolled out for three days with
hundreds of special values offered the public. The
American Dollar will be King today, Friday and Satur
day. You, your family, neighbors and friends are invited
to supply your needs in merchandise priced in many in
stances below the actual wholesale cost of replacement
on today’s market.
You are invited to Clinton to take advantage of the
special values you can’t afford to pass by. Don’t miss
$*$$$$ Days.
The WMU membership doubled
at this time and a new educa
tional building was completed.
Since moving to Alabama, Mr.
Marion has served as a member
of the executive committee of the
Alabama Baptist state conven
tion; chairman of the state evan
gelistic committee; president of
the Tuscaloosa Baptist Pastor's
conference; chairman of the As
sociation Missions committee;
and chairman of the budget com
mittee of the student center of
the University of Alabama.
Rev. Mark R. Osborne, Jr
will conduct the congregational
singing during the meeting. He
is pastor of the Olanta Baptist
church, but will move shortly to
the Wannamaker Baptist church
of Nichols. He is a graduate of
Campbell Junior College, Wake
Forest College and Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary.
Immediately following his col
lege days, Mr. Osborne taught in
strumental music and directed
the band in the school system at
Wendell, N. C. Since then he has
frequently participated in evan
gelistic meetings, either conduct
in^the music or preaching
The public is invited by the
pastor, Rev. J. H. Darr, and the
entire church membership to at
tend these services.
DAWKINS RETURNS
FROM KOREA SERVICE
Marine Sgt. Scott D. Dawkins,
Jr , is scheduled to return Friday
from Korea with the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing. He will land at
San Francisco aboard a transport.
The Tragedy
Rosemont'
A Laurens County Landmark
Surpluses Ir
Some Accounts
To Reduce Total
Twenty-four expense accounts
in county departments showed i
deficit of approx imetely $173,-
461.01 at the end of this year’s
fiscal period June 30, according to
a report made to the delegation
by the supervisor and board of
county commissioners and re
leased for publication by King
Dixon, a member of the delega
tion. . +
Offsetting the deficits in part
were surpluses aggregating W-l,-
025.44 in about a dozen or more
accounts, leaving a net deficit of
$142,456.17.
The major portion of the deficits
was contained in two items for
roads and bridges, one for $48,-
000.00 and the other for $67,364.94,
which were marked with aste
risks. Supervisor Bennie B Blake
ly explained that these were
largely provided for in the $150,-
000 note authorized last Monday
by the delegation and which ulti
mately will be included in a $290,-
000 bond issue proposed by the
delegation.
He explained that expenditures I
represented money spent this year
and deficits, if any, brought over
from last year. Receipts, he said,
represented the amounts appro
priated for each item in the supply
bill plus any balance brought over
from last year. In the “Balances
and Overdrafts" column the items
were indicated as such.
The supervisor said that the ac
counting in this manner was on
instructions from the delegation
with the idea that the status of
each office will be noted and car
ried forward each year.
Accounts showing overdrafts as
of the reporting date were listed
as follows: Court house upkeep
$4,682 66; county’s part of Trav
elers Ins., $222.87; insurance on
buildings, $2,304.40; roads and
bridges (maintenance), $46,000.00;
road program, $87,564.90; county
home upkeep, $5,063.30; county's
part of retirement, $2,898.91; S. C.
Industrial Commission, $2,363.06;
circuit court, $11,752.77; extra
help, auditor, $53.80; aid to needy
children, $3.35; deputy sheriffs,
$500.32, $900 for deputy travel
omitted from supply bill); sheriffs
office. $82 67; jail, $2,767.03; ex
tra help, probate judge, $44.00;
office expense, probate judge,
$67 04; health department office
expense, $1,629 31; magistrate’s of
fice supplies. $87 52; agriculture
building, $196.33; agriculture
building repair, $10.62; curb mar
ket (water and lights), 60; tax
collector's office, $2,407 40; N. Y.
A. office rent, $152.54; (check now
due for $130.00).
Major items showing surpluses
included court house repairs, $1,-
287.28; clerk of court office sup
plies, $1,303.18; auditor’s office
supplies, $164.96; board of asses
sors, $955 47; mill deputies, $1,-
172.50; radio maintenance, $233.-
53; health department, salaries
and travel, $3,646.50; steno. (coro
ner-magistrate), $2,316.60; magis
trate’s court, $891.00; welfkre de
partment, emergency relief, $400.-
51; county physician, medical si*>-
plies, 9600 00; county audit, $650 -
54, Red Cross office rent, $400.00;
premiums on bonds, $449 60; birth
certificate fees, $1,556.56; health
center construction, $5,541.06; hos
pital building, $1,313.36; hospital,
$7,015.22
NEW SUBSCRIBERS
T. L JOHNSON,
Ctty
CLYDE ATKINS,
MRS. PARKS BOOZER,
M-SGT. LACEY WHITLEY,
Now York
By PIERRE BURDETTE
The accompanying photos were made some
years ago of one of the most outstanding land
marks in the state, in Laurens county. For, if this
rare old home on a lonely hill above the Saluda,
near Waterloo, could have been preserved it would
have been a rare gem of pre-Revolutionary inter
est, quite as much so as some of the original home
steads of old Charleston. This was the ancestral
home of the ' saintly Pamela Cunningham who
lived there many years. She it was who founded
my ye
by most South Carolinians, the national associa
tion of fine, patriotic women which renovated and
perpetuated the wonderful old home of the belov
ed father of his country, Mount Vernon in Vir
ginia.
“Rosemont” was an outstanding location for
generations in the Piedmont section of the state,
in old Ninety-Six district, which was later divided
into several counties. This dated from several
years before the American Revolution, since the
original builder of the large pioneer hofne was one
Patrick Cunningham who was appointed by the
British crown to be deputy surveyor-general of
IV „ „
and kept alive for many years, as is well known as shown in the photos.
the colony. (The land was granted in 1769 and
held in the family 178 years.)
The building was rather pretentious, espec
ially for the times, though in later years it seems
that one ell on the rear was eliminated. The leg
end is that the timber for the house was cut from
the woods of the area, floated down the Saluda
river nearby, to the coast. Here it was shipped to
England where it was dressed for use and return
ed to this county where it was supposed to have
been rafted up the river to its final destination.
The arrangement of the interior was in good taste,
The service Miss Pamela Cunnnigham did for
her country seems to have been all the more re
markable, since her work on a national scale, for
the home of an American hero, was such a rebuk
ing contrast to the record of her forbears, Patrick,
Robert, and William. For these stout men stayed
loyal to the mother country, England, when the
vast majority of all their neighbors about them
were going all out for the American colonies; this
being caused perhaps by earlier commissions for
the crown. While Patrick and Robert might not
have been very active loyalists in the fighting in
South Carolina, their cousin, William, was a lead
er of the Tories, though in the beginning aided the
American cause. Becoming offended by the turn
of events he took up arms against the colonies
and, leading a guerilla band of Tory partisans
against the Whig outfits, made many bloody fo
rays, and riding his fast steed, ‘Ring Tail”, even
tually acquired the soubriquet of “Bloody Bill”.
One may well picture him often charging back
onto the “Rosemont” reservation for conferences
with other Tory leaders, as this was in close prox
imity to the British outpost, “Star Fort”, at Nin
ety-Six, where General Nathaniel Greene staged
such a long drawn out and costly seige.
After the war “Rosemont” must have contin
ued a Southern plantation of great prominence,
the grounds around the home were developed into
a kind of park which was said to contain an area
of some seven acres of roses and other flowers.
(It was listed as a show place on SAL railway
folders). Its reputation patriotically must have
been redeemed also, as one of the owners wnose
grave was noted in the little family graveyard was
one "Col. John Cunningham”, U. S. Army, war of
1812.
When the place was visited in the late Ws the
current occupant. Banks Cunningham, a kindly
old gentleman who had studied at Cornell, very
patiently gave details of the family and home, ad
mitting their early adherence to the mother coun
try in the War of Independence His family, he
said .insisted on only one “N" in the first syllable
of their name. He spoke fondly of his “Aunt
Pam” (Ann Pamela Cunningham) who. more than
anyone else was the inspiration in the saving of
Mount Vernon.
If this noted old place which had nurtured
this fine South Carolina woman could for this
reason have been renewed and perpetuated as a
state or even a national shrine, it would have been
a most noteworthy project; (somewhat in the
same manner that the Gov. Gist Civil War home,
“Rose Hlil”, has been made at Sedalia m Union
county.) Certainly it could have been an object
of veneration for all. But as so many fine things
are lost, so was this. For, one morning, in the
early thirties the place was discovered in ashes,
burned to the ground, the owner with it, sup
posedly by incendiaries who wished to plunder.
Thus another fine South Carolina historical land
mark was “gone with the wind”, as many did in
the Civil War. Many would consider this a real
tragedy.
Dr. Matthew Lynn
To Preach Sunday
For Presbyterians
Dr. Matthew Lynn, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church in Mid
land, Texas, will occupy the pul
pit of the First IVeabyterian
church Sunday morning, it is an
nounced by the pulpit committee.
Dr. Lynn is the second visiting
preacher for the summer during
the absence of the pastor, Dr. W.
Redd Turner, and his lamily. Last
Sunday the preacher was the Rev.
George A. Anderson, of the Pres
byterian college faculty.
On August 21 Dr. D. J. Woods,
pastor emeritus, of this city, will
be, tile speaker, and on August 28
the Rev. Lewis S. Hay, newly
elected member of the college fac
ulty, will preach.
Dr Lynn is the son of Dr. and
Mrs. L. Ross Lynn, and is a form
er Clintonian, having lived here
while ,his father was for 25 yean
president of Thomweil orphan
age He is a graduate of Presby
terian college and Union Theolog
ical semmary.
McNinch Form Place
Shown Lost Week
The mystery farm photo
last week was the John H.
Minch place which is located just
below the Bennie B. Blakely farm
in the Bailey school commuRRp.