The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, February 18, 1902, Image 1

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E%TArBLS1HED 1865. NEWBRRY, S. C., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1902. TWiCE A W' E. 1 50 A YFQ JUDGE JAMES M. CROSSO. THE LAST OF THE ANTE BELLUM L &W YERs OF NEWBJEr. e Writes an InteretiDg Letter of New bftry and its People Years Ago-The Judge Now E6 sides in Pare, Texas. We are glad to publish the follow ing letter which will be of interest to all Newberrians from Judge J. M. Crosson, who is the,last of the Ante Bellum lawyers of Newberry. He left Newberry 46 years ago, and is making his home in PariF, Texas. His son, Thomas Y. C osson is now a judge, living at Bellinger, Texas. The old judge is now 78 years of age, and is as gay and fond of fun 'as when a jolly young lawyer fifty years ago in Newberry. He is still talked about in his old native town. Paris, Texas, February 2, 1902. . Four years ago, wife and I sitting ide by side, as we are now, I wrote to The Herald and News that we were looking out of the "western windows" of life. We are still look ing that way--only nearer, (wife 72 years old, I in my 78ih year) "Wait ing till the angels open wide the mystic gate." Just now I said to her, that we were as happy as two terrapins sitting on a log in spring sunshine! She said nay! but as two doves, sitting on. a limb cooing for spring. gWe have had play mates, In our youth ful days; our joyful school days" A* -nearly al), all gone, the old fa oiliar faces" 4*ver-The river, they b-ckon to us." My wife has but two schoolmates in the town of Newberry; that de lightfully interesting and intelligent lady, Mrs. Laura Ewart, that excel Iut and good lady, Mrs. Harriet Lane. I have none; all my class at Erskine gone; of 40 in my class in -South Carolina College, I learn that only four beside myself are alive, viz: S CapL L. Williams, Greenville, Dr. A. 0. Fuller, Laurens, Hon. W. F. B. Haynesworth, Sumter, and Dr. J. U L)arlisle, Spartanburg. Oh! how often we think of the "dear souls who havecrossed the infinite sea." "How strange the scheme of things, h ow brief a span, "The little life of man; RAnd ever we mark them, fleeter and more fleet, * 'The days and months and y ears, glid imig with winged feet." I 'find South Carolinians wherever I go, and if there is a Newberry man 1 I fid him. In the company I raised =in 1881, there were 21 from South Caroliuos, nine of the~m from New berry,' or their fathers were. Five were McCormicks, all nephews, er grand-nephews of David Reid. 1st Lieutenant David Reid McCormick was killed February, '62; Willhe Mc Cormick was killed March, '62. The others were James, Samuel and Henry. Three of them were grand sons of that jolly, good old man, Henry Boozer, 'who lived near my Uncle Sam Spence's. kie used to say he had twenty-one children and that all were girls but twenty. Jno. T. Poe's mother was a McCormiek and so was J. F. Peter's wife, who often talked to me about Newberry. Therealso were iwo others, 0. E. and W. 0. Allen, grandson, of Johnny Thweat, whose praying and fighting powers are stated in the Annals of Newberry, pp. 86 and 87. They were all splendid fellows. Also W. B. DeWalt, a grandson of old Taplow Harris and a kind Christian gentle man. Among the odd characters of long ago was Tom Meeks, who was one of the 2,500 impressed sailors during the war of 1812, claiming to be American citizens and refusing to fight against their country, were im prisoned in Dartmnoor prison, in De vonshire, England, and were kept till the close of the war. He always carried with him a little model of a ship. He lived and drank upon the town. His son died in Williams County in Mexican war. Nick Ki nard occasionally visited the town and lived for a while as Tom did. He remained in town one time too long as Tom thought; be took Nick by' the arm and led him to the top of the hill between Capt. Jack Cald mw' and Nathan Hunter's and dis-1 missed him saying that he (To-L) was the only one authorized to live upon the town. Nick had some ex periences with the courts; while O'Neall was holding court, Nick, full of "bug juice," was boisterous in the court yard; being brought into court, O'Neall as usual, gave him a good, kind temperance talk, telling Nick that he was a good man, and had a good wife and children, that he did not want to jail him. Nick replied, "Now Neall, don't do that." O'Neall said, if you will go home, I'll let you off. Nick said, I'll go, Neall, give me your hand, which O'Neall did, and Nick departed. At another time Frost was holding his first term, in the fall, and on first day Nick again became uproarious. Frost had him brought up and located him in jail. Just before court adjourned the sheriff suggested to the judge that Nick was in jail. Frost said he had not forgotten him and that he would discharge him the last thing before adjournment. For a long time Nick was teased by the boys saying, that he had been Frost bit early in the season. There were two others that loved a drink, the 30S of an old soldier, Fergus and Billie MoClelland. Billie was a small rotund figure and when full would bhout," Forgib's a steamboat and Billie's the biler." Billie perished in the Mpxican war, and Fergus died in Newberry Courty a few years ago. I see no mention of Capt. Matthew Rall in the Annals. He was a some what prominent character; was a mem ber of the legislature, a good auc tioneer, and with George Brown, was >ften precentor, at Prosperity Sece Aerchurch. Heor Brown lined out the Psalm and led the tnes. I wa% a kid when I first saw him. Coming rom school I got into the road at Uaj. Graham's ginhouse and saw Uatthew riding a race; he was on a laybauk horse. He wrote reminis ences of Newberry, which were in ~eresting to me; he sent me a copy ut it was lost in the burning of our ~ioue. He was a sensible, good man, f they did joke him saying he mistook h' market house for the horse rack md sat down and hung his hat on a eef hook. When he died a good nan left us. Capt. Jim Moore (not mentioned n the annals) an odd charac er and a writer of rhymes on e occasion, riding hastily from Lexington, being asked the news from the court, replied: the jail was aull, the jail yard was crowded with >risoners staked to the trees, and the omilanders and Comminongers had aot yet been tried. Tbey were good ~itizens, but Jam's poetic inspiration bought their names wero long and mphonious, and hence he used them. During the "CratingClub" days, a irink was nailed up in a crate, and olled up the circular stone steps of the old Court House and down on the thr side, and then taken to the 'Curl Hole" in front of the jail, where the public spring branch turned to the creek, and emptied therein. I have never yet had the pleasure of eeting Prof. Welch of Houston, but e ranks y ery high as an educator; but when I am in Hcuston I always ave a cosy chat with that excellent young man, R. A. Welch; he is al ways so kind to me. My kinsman J. G. Martin is also doing well, and my kinsman Dr. S. . Red, ranks No. 1, as a physician in Houston, so does his brother W. S. Red, as a Presbyterian preacher. At Woodville this fall I met my oldest daughter, Bettie Pope Slade, who is as fll of life,fuon and energy as when I wrote you four years ago. But ah! that splendid fellow Sam Kennrly, is now County Attorney,' and a good one, and has a bay win dow in front and is in fact, physically an Expansionist. J. Z. Connerly had cancer a smallpox and the good old man died this fall. Some few years ago, as I stepped into my oilce I was intro duced to Dr. Rlobert Harrington and I asked him if he was kin to the New berry Harringtons, he put his finger to his nose, and said Y. J. was his unle. He has a daughter living in this city, quite an mntelligent lady, and every inch a Harrington ,the Dr., . a m~ ~an died not long since. His daughter Mrs. Proctor and her Aunt Mrs. Mary Brooks Magee live to gether. Mrs. Mage is a daughter of Mrs. Dorothy Ann Wadlington, wife of Dr. Jeff Edmonds whom I knew in Newberry many years ago. Mrs. Magte says her mother was a cousin to Mrs. Drothy Brooks Pratt, so lovingly remembered by all who knew her. Mrs. Magee was named after Mary Brooks Wadlington who married Minor W. Grooey, and who was for a long while a leading and prosperous merchant in your town. Mrs. Magee is a very intelligent and intereeting old lady and the widow of a veteran of the Texas Revolution. I lately met W. Hayne Leave!, D. D.; he looked remarkably well and is greatly loved by his congregation. I also met Judge Wilson, grandson of Elder Jimmie Wilson. I look in a few years to see him on the sa preme bencb. I also lately met Judge Hender son, a grandson of Newberry (of Sam uel Red). He is now on the Court of Criminal appeals. Since writing the foregoing I have had a real gladsome time, meeting Rev. B. B. Raniage and his charm ing wife, and I think we all enjoyed the meeting. Il) resembles his mother, a lovely woman. He is a s-Dund, strong, solid main, and greatly esteemed by his flock at Ft. Worth; his pleasant cheerful manners. His wife is an ac-3omplished, b.ntiful woman, and no wonder with her bright beautiful eyes and winnitg manners, she captured B B. What jolly times we used to have pienicing at O'Nial's M1;l1, ho V inrgc, fishing, couples s.rayiog off and talk ing lovingly. There I first inquired of my wife, would she be my beau and she answered not, no. Once a set of beautiful young ]a digs were enjoying a boat ride balow the mill in a flat bottomel boaf, among them Miss Mary Boyd (a cousin of C. F. Boyd and my second cunsin) as handsome as young la dies get to be, the.boat was about sinking, when the writer to show his gallantry jumped out into the water, it was waist deep, and pretending to push the boat to shore, held it until it sank. It was delicious to hear them scream. Here I met Wist. ary; his father was John Gary and a decendant of Wist. Gary. . His other was El iza Wadlington the :aughter of Warner Wadlington I have spent many pleasant hours with him and his interesting wife; he is qite an intelligent man. But enough; Good bye dear old Newberry. J. NI. Crosson. P- S.-Some day if agreeable P'l give you an account of a trial in Jas ices ooart at Frog Leavel, in which Esq. Bowers and myself were the istices and some Texas court scenes J. M. C. '-OUT OF THE WOODs.' Tb. VresIdeni's Statement in Beg-rd to H is soni. Groton, Fe~b. 13.-This afternoon President Roosevelt, accompained by Dr. Lambert, came over to the Pow ell cottage, the~ newspaper headquar ters, to personally meet the reporters and correpor.dents who bad been in Groton since Sunday. He was in ex tremely good spirits as ie shook each man by the band and said a heariy word to each. IHe said: "I want to thank you boys for the cosidration which you have showed myse.f and my family and for all the courtesies which have been extended to me by the press. There has been such a sudden change in Ted thait he has come up all of a sudden, and be is nwJ out of the woods." Continuning be said: "Alice will come over from. Washington tocmor cow to take my place, to a certain extnt, while Mrs. Roosevelt will re main he.re perhaps ten days more. Then when Te'd is in coudition she will take him to the white house for a while, but he wVi!! return here and continue his stadies.'' WVhile referring to the illness of the boy and some of the games which he was fond of playing, the president said: "You know Ted broke his colla bone last fail playing football and Mrs. Roosevelt said she was very thankful for that as shie considered that it ins.ured him against breaking hi neck." SKETC ES OF ARMY LIFE. Interesting Incidents of the Civil War Re lated by "X COD. Fpd," A Member of Third S. C. Regimen*. We left Atlanta the next day for Bragg's army. We were greeted with enthusiasm all along the line and in fact it was a continued cheer ing from Richmond to Chiekamauga. At Acworth we were delayed for some time and this scribe had quite a nice time with the young ladies. When we passed through the tunnel, now Tunnell Hill, Ga., I was sitting on top of the first car, next to the tender. By the tima we got through the tunnel I was nearly dead, but the fresh air soon revived me, but I 'would- never go through another tunnel on top of a car. We stopped at Tunnel Hill and had some foot racing. There were some apple trees loaded down with fruit about 200 yards from the statior:. Several of the boys made a break for the apples Col. NaLCe told the engi noer to move forward. He blew tLe whistle and moved forward and th-rn. was a foot race to catch the train. The train was stopped and the boys got on and although we stayed there s>me time the apples were not bothered. We left the triin some distance below Tunnell Hill and on the 19th of September w.re hurried toward Chichamangsi. We were marching on after dark. It wa3 very dusty and we conld not see our file leaders for the das!. People who have never lived in a limestone cf:untry can't imagine how dusty the country can get in time of a drought. On the morning of September 20, 1863, we crossed Chickamauga Creek and soon formed in line of battle. Jast after we bad formed a Federal Colonel came galloping up and said to hurry up as the Confederates were pushing them badly. He was told that we would take ebarge of him. i He looked up and saw t be Confederate battle flag and surrendered at once. We marched forward to the firing line. Here occurred one of the1 strange things that occur sometimes on the battlefield. We met Gen. Law's Brigade going to the rear. Gen. Law could not stop them. They were not running, did not se-rn to be demoralized, but were simply going back. They had captured some pieces of cannon and were carrying them back with them, 'pull ing them by hand. Gen. Law asked Gen. Kershaw to try to stop his troops. We tried tc stop them but it was of no use. They knocked up our guns and passed through our lines. General Law asked General Kershaw what he was going to do. Charge the'Yankees was the Gen. Kershaw's reply. We advanced and received one of the most deadly vol leys ever fired on us. Our line stag gered like a drunken man, then closed np and at them we went. We drove them to the top of Snodgrass Hill, but could not drive th >m any further. There was a large space between us and the 7th regiment on our right. We went in with about 400 men, and were reduced to 0 men. The 2d regiment suffered as much as we did. We were at the focot of the bill and Col. Nance sent a courier to Gen. Kershaw. He was illed, Col. Narce sent another and he was killed. Cl. Nance then asked Lt. Hunter to take charge of the regiment for a few miuntes and ran to the right to se Gen. Kershaw. Lieut. Watts of the Laurens B3rias, thinking that Col. Narrce wvas killed, brought the regiment to attention and moved them back a short distance where they could get protection, and told them to face about and give them Hell. Col. Nane came up at this time and told us we must hold the position. The yankees thought we were do:ne for, and commenced to huzzah and down they came upon us, but they were the worse surprized yankees on the continent. We re served our lire until they got nearly on us. We gave them a solid vol ly, and those thbat were left did some good running indeed. Other troops came up and one of the Generals asked Kershaw to send in his troops and he would support us with his troops, Gen. lKershaw told him to take in his troops as they were fresh and he would support them. La in the afternoon Gen. Gracie carrit in his brigade and an attack w made further on th4 Federal rig and the day was won. The 2d at 3d regiments loss were heavy indee 1 got my third shot in my right l( here, but it was light and I did n leave the field. Before Gen. Grac carried in his brigade, we had sei one of our company- John Gallowa; to the front to keep us posted on ti movements of the yankees. When Gracie's troops got to Ga loway a Leintenant ordered Gallows to go forward with them, this Ga loway refused to do. The Lieutei ant drew his sword and Gollows tepped back cocked his gun an old the Lieutenant he would ki im if he come any closer and ti Lieutenant left him. We capture 10 pieces of cannon that day ar liongstreet's corpse captured 30 t :hem, and Longstreet only had )rigades of Hood's Division and 3rigades of McLaws' division in th 1;ht. X. Con. Fed. riE ANNUAL GATHERING OF STAI PRESS ASSOCIAUION. rhe Ex.c!ive Committee Meots and A ry.g..s for the t;oring Meeting at Georgetown. [The State, 14th.] A meeting of the executive con nittee of the State Press Associi iou was held in the office of Pres lent Aull last night at which it w, lecided to hold the next annui neeting in Georgetown in Jane, th late to be fixed later. The people 3eorgetown have extended a ver ordial invitation to the associatio nd Senator Walker and Represez ative Pyatt met with the committ o arrange for the meeting and to ai inre the as3ociation of the pleasni ith which the citizens of Georg< own looked forward to the meetinj The following list of subjects an ~hose to lead the debate on thei ere selected: "How to publish a good newspi par in a small town"-weekly, Jo Bell Towill, Batesburg- Advocatt laily, Hartwell M. Ayer, Florent ines. "The country editor; a busines n m or a philanthropist"-James'1 Bacon, Edgefield Chronicle. "The typesetting machine in small office"-Jas. L. Stopplebein Spartanburg Headlight. "How to secure and maintain cour ;ry correspondence"--J. T. Drev Drlingi'on Messenger. "The light and shadows of Newi paper life"-Rev. W. P. Jacobi linton, Our Monthly. "The tendencies of modern jour ialism" -H. L. Watson, Greenwoo [dex. "The Newspaper as an educator -J. F. Fooshe, News an.t Heral< Winnsboro. "How to make a country weekly inancial success" --A. B. Jordar Dillon Herald. "The moral responsibility of an ei tor"-Rev. W. H. Gireever, Souti arn Lutheran, Colombia. Col. J. H. Estill of the Savanna: Iorning News was selected as t mnual orator and a very compil~im :ary letter of invitation was frame to be sent him by tbe committee e2 pressing their high appreciation o aiis wurk for the advancement< journalism. Besides Col. J. A. Hoyt, who is o Loe national association executis sommittee, E. 1.' Aaull, Jas. L. Stoj plebein, J. C. Heniphill and F. I MMaster were chosen to represer the South Carolina Press ass3ociatiC at the National Editorial associatic which meets at Hot Springs, Arn and adjourns to Charleston to vis the exposition. The president asks that eve2 memler of the association who ce attend the meeting let him know th he might give them the appointme: to fill any *vacancy in the represel tation. There were present at the mee ing President Aull, Secretary Lan ston, Gov. McSweeney, J. L. Sto lebnin and Hairtwell M. Aver. d The R -cord:0 th sri'e Rum St-lIing in is South (CRro:ua HIld.Up as a Horriblo Pxample t.) G'org1a. [Rome, Ga., Tribune.] Dr. John 0. Wilson in the Wesle yan Cbristian Advocate, of January r ' 29, 1902, writes in a clear, logical, t e convincing manner of the terrible E it ruin wrought in South Carolina d 71 by the dispensary system. e We commend this article in its entirety to those who would be led by the sophistries of the Floyd 0 Y dispensary advoeates. Oaly its t length precludes reproduction here, tj but to show the influences of the-sys 0 tem in at least two directions the E d following extracts are given: "The liqnor traffic here has settled b down as a matter of politics. This, a d too, has been natural, but most be b dincreasingly unfortunate. It needs W 3 no seer to see that corruption must , 2 flow from a political side of the liquoi 2 traffic. c e "Devoting the liquor profits to ed- b ucaion (Heaven save the mark-sell irg arink to educate!) has helped to tj entrench the dispensary. Half a mil E lion dollars reportWd for education- b not yet all available, understand appeals tremosisoly on the hust h ings, inst ad of a w barroom wen g being* pecuniarily interested, the whole population-or most of it - s so interested. Whon they tell you t< . that removing the liquor traffic from . the power of individnals financially a . interested makes it easier to go for- p s ward, tell them they are changing i l from a tabooed man to a man in e place of honor, from a few hundred f to many thousands following these a' y honored leaders." n To these statements Dr. W. C. -. Lovett, editor of the Wesleyan Chris e tian Advocate, adds the following h . powerful endorsement: t e "We commend to the advocates of . the dispensory the above strong and , clear statements from Dr. Wilson. d It is the dispensary from the stand - n point of a South Carolinian-a man who has seen its beginnmng, markedr Sits progress' and grown sick over the Sruin it has wrought. "You are not reeddling in othert emen's matters on this side of the c "Old Savannah,' Doctor. We gladly 1 Swelcomesuch re-enforcement to our position. Our people will see, we hope, before it is too late, the unwis-t a dom of surrendering to the dispen - sary." What could be added t~o the above to strengthen it? We commend it to the thinking people who are will ing to listen to reason. RULU~ GOU[.D viCfIRIZED. 8er second- Bustler a.te-ais a Rahle Coach Robe Worth 87,000, Opera rlassee d Worth $i50, Marine Gless. Worth 6200, and the PolicO Thinks Other P'roperty not SYet Rucovered. 1, - - New York, February 13.-Daniel a a Donavan, kuown to Miss Helen f Gould as John O'Neill, her second v butler, w&s ar.raigned in a Police o .Court to day and pleaded guilty < t having robbed Miss Gould's re idenc e. L He was formally charged with steal- y ing a combination opera and marine i e glass valued at $50, but Cap'. Titus, c of the detective bureau, thinks he d may have stolen a-s much as $10,000 i .- worth of property. SThe robbery took place while Miss i ~fGould was away on her recent tour s of t.he WVest. The police have thus v far recovered the following articles: s One Russian saable cach roibe, valued I eat $7;000, and pawned for $200; a 1 pair of opera glasses, valued at $150, tand a pair of marine glasses, valued e aat $200.c CrIILD CKIEATED. iWas a Grand10On of Vx Prmad"iI Raither ford Hayes -y Cincinnati, Fe,b. 13-The body of E n a grandson of a president of the 1 at United States was reduced to ashes ]t at the crcematory in this city todi-. El- Tiie child was the son of Rut her ford B. Hayes, and bore the nan.e of, t. its illustions grandfather- Mr. Haves brought the body from Ashville, N. 1 p C , but the mother was too ill to be present " II LU tN IS A P.)WER." Fie ii nir r' oi hod or .! way6 11 rlint D tary'" and -, harn Is an Ellenton R"t P very Time he A rragns lRepubli 4.-n I aE I-'L' in x i e 8-nate. The Columbus Eoquirer-Sun said a-Esh: "Senator Tillman con inues to attract attention. How ver, this so far is atout all he has one." The Savannah Press replies: "The jiquirer Sun is mistaken. In spite f his roughness Senator Tillman is L.e of the most influential men in ie upper house. Some of his ut Mrances jar the Senators and many f his retrorts are far from courteous. Int with all that, Senator Tillman a power. His pitchfork is feared y all the members. He has done iore for South Carolina, measured y practical results, than any man ho has been in Congress since the ar. It is strange that such tactics aould win especially in a body it. rusted with traditions and ta-mpered y rigid etiquette. BTh sometimcs a tan is needed to break through iese rules ruthlessly. Ben Tillman a reformer, some say a fanatic, nt when he rises he gpnerally says )mething. He acts and expresses imself with energy and when he oes to the departwents in quest of naval dock or a postoffice he sually gets what he wants. Chales )n has secured, through Secator illman, some fat appropriations, ad South Carolina. occupi* s a larger lace in the public eye than she has many years. Some of her people re shocked by the asperities of the se. Tillman is not polished or ways parliamentary. There are mes when the English language is him in giving expression to his ehement ideas. But he generally as a message and he is not afraid >say it. Tillman is like Sam Jonee. e is a man of flesh and blood, and as fearless bs Savanarola and as igid 8s Martain Luther. He does t frame his thoughtb with a view pulling sppropriations from the blic crib, but he gets them because e is not cringing of truculent. He akes ducks and drakes of the Senate adtions, and when he rises the stoms of a hundred years crash ke glass windows after a dynamite plosion. But South Carolina can et more with Tillman in the Senate 1&i with the regulation article sually sent there, who is snuffed t by the weight of Senatorial yrtesy. There is an Ellenton roit very time he arraigns Repnblican etis. "Looking Indian." Here is a useful suggestion from a ~ittsburg paper: Somebody dropped a stick- pin in e hall the other day, and had hard pork to find it. She hunted high d los, on her hands and knees, d with a candle procnred for the urpose, but it was no use; the pin as very tiny and unperceivable, its alue being that of association rather 1an size or brilliancy. Tne some ody, a!ter a linal shake of the rugs, ias jast about to give it up forever ihen one of the children chanced to me along. 'Why don't you 'look Indian' for :?" he asked. Before the somebody realized what ias meant, down dropped the young ter on the floor, his head and his rhole body lying sidewise and just s close to the (dead level as possiuIe. this position his eyes roved rapid over tho floor. "I have it," he shouted presently, d sure enough, right in the middle f tho floor, in so plain a place that had escaped notice, was the miss g stick-pin. The yornngster then plained that "looking Indian" eant putting the head to the ground 1 order to catch sight of the swall st object between oneself and the oriZx1. "They do it on the plains all the ime," he said. "That's why they an always tell who's coming. But it vorks in honscs just as well as on the lains. Why, we never lose any .hing in the nursery nowadays; we lust 'look Indian' and find it right