Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, December 08, 1897, Page 2, Image 2
FIFTY YEARS AOO.
A Vivid IVn Picture of Lauras
tor as it Was Then?Its Peo
pie, its Rusiness and ifsNocietj
?Interestingly Written by om
of its Rider Citizens.
The changes that take place
as time rolls its ceaseless course,'
often steal on us so impereepti
bly that we take lit'h note o
tin in, f>o that liCti Wr take ;
retrospect of the past, we are sur
prised how gri at those < !?; ''get
have been.
i was ruminating (a- otir news
paper friend, Hill Arp,would -;:y*
but recently, on the mutability ni
all earthly things ?ji 1 > pec: illv on
t!.e t ..a:ig< - t at !i id taken placi
in Lancast er since \' lui 1 be 11 mv
lumn . ' . " y ve; ! T ?bought
o< ci.M'e-! : 11 ...c, '' j I; ps a per
oiei .;* . L ?! . ' . a - '' is !' U \
years a^o, would bo ol interest t(
your ivaders; .-?> with yowrjpennb
-ion, Mr. Ivii; u, I will attempt
such a sketch.
1 came to Lancaster to make ii
my home in 1*51). What- a host
of recollections crowd upon in\
memory, as I look hack through
the long vista of years'. How
many familiar laces confront me.
of those "who lived and moved
and had tin-it being,'' in out
midst, hut who now alas, have
joined the great majority "in thai
undiscovered country from whose
l>ourn, no traveler returns." Ol
those who made our population
then, not more than a score art1
now living, and of the many head*
of families, only one unbroken pail
remains. Truly "one generation
passeth away, and another cotneth
hut the earth ahideth forever."
When I first came to Lancaster
it did not present a very attractive
appearance externally, then
1>< ?i III' lmt nm? linnuii in t tin iilnci
that could boast of a recent coat ol
paint. That was the house of Mr
Jack Adams, now the residenceoi
our townsman. I)r. Mackey.
Hut though the houses looked t
little they were for th<
most part comfortable within, am:
sheltered many noble men and
women who di*pen>ed a generoin
and cordial hospitality. Indeed
with all due deference to society at
it now exists, I must insist thai
we had a social distinction in thos?
ante 1> >11 urn day - ! hat h? s not
at'iin under the present regime
The middle wall of partition wa
l?rokeii flown ?1:iri 11_r tin* warnin!
lin- never l>oon entirely re
rul.j listed.
form- w it' rn . *.r? nI! reader, ii
v.iij a re willing ti> _:<? l.aek no ir
]\ a h.;l! < < nlui v, and .ve will taki
*i t ) "'! ?j't V in -? root. -.1 pt in:
ii I'io depot .lu-;t Iiovond donol
I. !' : ! >M int.. n. r "innlor
lioM" wo ? ;? 1 lc?I i' 11k*11
li.ro iho nialilia won- ivvieWo<
once a y ?f 1 ?y I'm In>j? ctoi
< iener.il or t lie i iovernor < lenora
muster wa- .tlwa\s a ("Jala da\
for I .a tioa-i. r. men. women am
children turning nut in nnmm'
< iin^t i r.iki's .111< 1 rider were niuat
lv in evidence. to pay nothing o
i troiiLrer !leverage. Where tin
depot now -tands the- woodman'
axe had made little if any inrorn
upon the native forest. Indeed
Depot street was but the hifrhwaj
leading in from Camden, wit!
forests on either side. The mo
notonv c?f our lives was not dis
tnrbed l?y steam whistles or rum
biiiiK trains, our only mode o
public travel being backs tha
rati between Camden, Churlott<
Cotton,
r like every other crop, needs
nourishment.
A fertilizer containing nitro|
gen, phosphoric acid, and not
le >s than 3% of actual
: Potash,
will increase the crop and im
prove the land.
Oi<r books toll all about the subject. They
arc :rcc to any tanner.
! GERMAN K A I.I WORKS.
93 Nassau St., New York.
| ' "
I ami 1 i 1 is place.
Hut to continue our walk. As |
1; we enter the village, the lirst ,
house on the left hand, is a twoi
'.stoi\ frame building. This house
w as occupied by Dr. Craig, during
tile time lie was pastor of the
Presbyterian church and then by
.Mr. Query, and was burned when
Mr. Query was living in it. The
next dwelling as we proceed, <
stands in the corner of .Mrs. .1.1).
\Vylie\s yard, nearly opposite i
Oapi. Witherspoon's, and stands i
back but a little way lrom the
;street. 1
This is a two story frame build- '
ing, owned originally by a Mr. '
A brain Perry and sold by him to <
1 Col. James Harvey Witherspoon.
1 Col. Witherspoon was a man of <
social and political prominence in i
' his day. lie came from Kinge- i
tree, S. C., to this place when i
1 quite a young man, married the i
? only daughter of ('apt. Isaac Dun- i
noin. He was elected "Ordinary 1
? and commissioner in Equity,'*
which offices ho held for life. It I
? has been said of him that he was <
' j a man of great enthusiasm and
I | energy and almost unbounded !
- J popularity. It was in this house
II that Dr. Thornwell was married i
I
to Miss Nancy White Wither-1
1 spoon, in 1835. By the way, Dr. 1
' Thornwell was the first pastor of h
' the I'rosbyterian church of this j j
' place. When he came hero, there j I
' was no church building. lie wash
-1 installed in the Methodistchurch.il
h During his stay a house of wor- 1
isliip was erected, which church is <
now used 1?v the colored people
/
ot Aum. I:
This W ithcrspoon house, at the ,
time of which 1 write, was owned I
by Dr. U. L. t'rawlnrd, who occu
pied it for a short time. lie had
;,,_i i.;. . .... i
j ? ? - * ' ';ui|'nn >1 l l l r> | i * - illlU ''Mil '
lor:able homo (mow occupied by
Mrs. .J. D. W'ylic i when ho if
sponded to his country's call, and
>|gavo his life a willing sacrifice ton
(lie "lo ' en; 1 c ar. good I >i
lioli. i ruly it can la* said o( him :
"Ili- 1 i fc \\ a* gentle
1 Ami ! In- - so mixed in liim
That nature could stnnd before nil
, 1 I he world,
And sh>, till;-. \v?- a man."
The dwelling Oil the Opposite
' corner, mow the residence <>1 < 'apt.. I
i'. .J. Withorspoon, is one of the! I
old land marks of Lancaster and
' t is perhaps the oldest building in
: tho place. It was owned originally .
^ j by I>r. Hartlet Jones, of distin - <
1 guifthed memory. I>r. Jones was <
i a native of Virginia, hut came to <
this place early in life and rose to i
1 eminence, hoth as a physician
and a surgeon.
On the lot where Mr. W. Mel),
f Hrown's residence now stands i
I there were two cottages at the
3 time of which I write. One owned
by a Mrs. Perry, the other by Mr.
Clinton. Mr. Clinton was quite
a prominent man in the village
at this time. He was a person of
fine intelligence and was the acknowledged
leader of the bar, but
strangely eccentric and peculiar?
was an old bachelor and took no
part or lot in society.
What is now known nsthelvibler
house was at thi> time thehospit
able home of Hon. < loo. Me. Wit herspoon.
This house was built by
Col. Sims, as also was the original
building of what is now the man
sion of Mr. and Mrs. Krnest
Moore. Col. Sims was the father
of Dr. .1. Marion Sims. of whom
not only Lancaster but the entire
state is justl\ proud. Continuing
our walk.we pass a vacant lot and
the next house is t he Boyd home.
Here Mr. and Mv Boyd passed
their lives respected and beloved
by all who knew them.
< )n the opposite side of the street
is the attractive cottage home ot
Mr. and Mrs. Kmmonds. All honor
is due to t he memory of t hose good
people. J hev came to Lancaster
early in their married life and
were over esteemed as most excellent
citizens. Mr. Kmmonds
merchandised for many years, his
place of business being next door
to his residence. Dr. Mac key's
home, as 1 havo said, was owned
by Mr. Jack Adams who was one
if our most successful merchants,
lie had amassed a handsome fortune,
hut, like many others, iost
it all after the surrender, and was
reduced almost to want in his old
:ige. Where the Catawba House
itands there was, as is well remembered,
a largo, throe-story
building occupied, at the time of
which I write, by the Magill
brothers as a residence and place
Df business. Mr. Tom Magill. who
was something of a poet and a
humorist, called it "Fannie) 1 fall",
i'he third story was used as a
Masonic hall for many years.
Now we cross the street. The lirst
bouse on the right-hand corner is
mi ohl,ramshaekled atTair,occupied
it this time by Mr. Mayer as a
hotel. This building, and indeed
this entire* side of the street up to
I he Davis corner, was owned hy
['apt. McKenna, all of them old,
lilapidated houses. As Capt.
McKenna was a prominent busi
tic?-s man of this place (or many
years, and owned more than a
I hird of t he village, we will re-t
awhile anil talk al>out liiin.
1!'.' was a native ol Ireland, but
I'aino, when a very young man. to
\\ i.'si '11 ster. New ^ ork. Here
lie married a Mrs. Fuller?The
inarn me proved i<? lie an unliappv
Mie ..n 1 .iflej -ii long a lime the
young Irshinan took "Frenrh
lea1, e ol the lady ?> i his love and
made his way down South. Soon
allci coming to I. incaster he found
employment as a clerk with a Mr.
I'ousart, a merchant of very con
-iderable wealth. It so happened
that Mr. Oousnrt had a very attractive
daughter, Miss Anna.
Mr. McKennn hooii hecame very
rnncli enamored of the young lady
m l, as New York was not in easy
communication with us as it is to
lay.I suppose he thought his.secret
of having a wife was well hidden
in his own bosom* so he made
love to h'*r anil in duo time they
were married. Years passed, Mr
McKenna prospered in business
Find added largely to the estate
brought him hy his wife. Hut
murder is not the only bad tiling
that will out, so it happened by
some chance to coino to the ears
of Mrs. McKenna, Jr. that there
was a Mrs. McKenna, Sr. She at
once declared the marriage null
and void and they separated.
Capt. McKenna had but ono
child, Miss Anna, a daughter of
his first wife. This daughter he
placed in a convent school in'
Wilmington, Delaware. Years]
passed away, the first Mrs. Me
Ivenna died and ('apt. McKenna
? . i
was married again to the second.
I HI ' !
flie daughter was brought home
and in course of t inie she was mar
ried to Dr. M it tag. < 'apt. Me
Kcnna was a very devout ("atho
1 lie ; indeed he was educated lor ?
Catholic priest, was a man of line
11, I
intelligence, served the county ai
Senator for several terms, lie
lived to be very old and l ife in
life married a third time, a Mi
I i
(>uigly, a sister of Monscigneuiy
Quigly of Charleston. At Capt.'
McKenna's death, his estate was J
valued at three liutidre<l and ten
thousand, and t here was no will to J
l>o found. After sotnetime his law
'vers in Charleston, Messrs. North '
J rope and Alemong, informed Mrs.
; M it tag that there was a will de|
posited in their keeping. It was
brought and read. His entire es|
tate, personal and real, was he
[queathed to the Catholic church
?with an annuity of fifty dollars
to his daughter. Mrs. Mittag at
onco declared her intention to
contest the-will. Five lawyers
I woro employed on each side, and
never have I seen excitement run
so high in Lancaster as during
the McKenna will trial. It was
Luther against the Tope. Mr.
Frank Green was foreman of the
jury. After a few hours delay the
jury came out with a verdict in favor
of Mrs.Mittag. There was groat
rejoicing, a banquet was served
at the hotel and other demonstrations.
The church declared its intention
to appeal, hut Mrs. Mittag
acted very generously in compromising,
allowing the church so
much and the widow so much. The
! lawyers received the modest little
| sum of forty thousand dollars.
I Forgive this long digression. Wo
j win now resume our wane.
About where Mr. L. (\ I'ayseur's
'building now stands was Dr. ^
' Wylie's drug store or "doctor's'
? lioj?". It had none of the attractiveness
of our present drug stores.
, There was no soda fount, no pictures
adorned the walls. A skeh ton
hung in one corner, dru_'- were
compounded with a pe-lle and
mortar and nilN wer made hv
1 * i
hand. Dr. Wylie calm to I.an
caster from Chester in 1 > '! I and
r
her1 wrestled with disea ;e and
death for forty years. It can be
- ii 1 of Dr.W'ylie as of Dr Mat '!;ir ^
in "lioimie llrier Dush" that
lie was .skilful and kind hearted,
though, of course, be had his
laults like n- a an didiia tnhMc
the kirk often. 11 o aye could fill'
what was wrong wi' a hody an'
mostly ho could put you richt.
j hut lie was no vorra coovil gin
you brought hirn and there was
I * .
naethin' wrong." Dr. Wylio cor
tainly spent his life in self sacrificing
devotion to his profession
and in promoting the happiness of
others. 44 A short time before he
passed away from enrth he said :
441 know that I have done many
things that I ought not to have
done, hut I have great comfort in
the assurance that no widow or
orphan over shed a tear on my
Tutt's Pills
Cure All
Liver Ills.
Prevention
better than cure. Tutt's Liver
Pills will not only cure, but if
taken in time will prevent
Sick Headache,
dyspepsia, biliousness, malaria, ^
constipation, jaundice, torpid
liver and kindred diseases.
TUTT'S Liver PILLS
ABSOLUTELY CURE.
account." I >r Wylic practiced at
lir.A alone, then with his brother, ?
the lii in boiiij; li. E. ami A P.
Wvlic, then it was K. E. ami Win.
Wviie, liien il \\.?s V.'yiie, Strait
A U'yliu, then WAiio, Strait A:
i rawlord, then Wviie, Strait A*
111.ill. (hen W yiie, Sir.til A .Mobley,
t lien Wyrie, Strait A Wylie?
( I >r Peter) ami at las! he was
alone, ;e he begun.
Where tlie drug store of the
('rawford l?r >s. now stands was
the place of business of Mr. llasseltine.his
residence being a little
farther up the street. Mr. IIasset- W
tine and his brother came to this
place from Massachusetts some
time io the fort ies. 1 lis brother remained
but a short time anil went
to Charleston. Mr. Ilasseltine
was a thoroughly equipped business
man. The firm, as I remember
it first, was Ilasseltine
Hagins, then Ilasseltine & Cureton,
Ilasseltine ?V Mnssey, Ilasseltine
A* Chaffee, Ilasseltine A' Mas
sev again, then Ilasseltine A- Ilasseltine.
The firm of Ilasseltine
& Chaffee did business .just after
the surrender. They did a vast
amount of pood in furnishing supplies
to men who were struggling
to got a start once again in life.
In the unsettled and disturbed
stato of things, many failed to pay
up, some because thoy could not,
others because tbejr would not.
When the firm tailed many wagged
their heads and said, "Ah, I
told you so!" Alas, poor human
nature 1 ^
Mr. .Tones Crockett's residence
and place of business was about
where the Hank stands. What, a
neat, nice merchant he was! Nobody
kept such a stock of ladies' .......
i., ...... :_n.. ..1 i i w/
>?jm-.-i,!11 v mm ?iiovch.
Many a dainty pair of "Alexander's
he<l" have I lioii^lit from
liim. His accounts wore models
ol penmanship ami correctness.
Mr. A!i'\ Dunlap's store was
on tin- < 'miniiiifham corner. It
u i- -aiil of Mr. Dimlap that ho
_'ot rich hv the mere force of cir
'Uin-tilices. lie never Iliade ailV
display of his noods. never in-ist
ei| upon any one huyini*. hut always
received his customers with
a pleasant smile, and upon their
tellinir what they wished, ho
would say, "Let me see, may ho I
have it." or something to that effect.
He was a good, honest man.
11 is home was on the corner where
M it i:
.?i r*. n;i(iii'r now
Tho Court House remains unchanged
except that it was then
enclosed hy a very nice pailins; ?
fence. which wan humeri hy the V
Yankees.
The Davis house, recently destroyed
by fire, was tho oldest,
building in tho village. It was
built by a Mr Cousart. It was in a
this house that ('apt. MeKonna J f
was married to Miss Anna Cousart. *
At the time of which I write, it