Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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1? rrt? TOWN OF UNION MAS !? ^ ,, ^ \!/ THSTTOWpTOT UNION HAlPt , riiR i m o \ 11vi ill s i^sssb3s| | 8euti??u-.v. W Works and | J M jL JLJ VJ -u 1 I V _ 1 JL Jl JL JLi k^l !j Three8 Graded""sVhoo?^ '"aX I ? ^ . ^ (H sian Water. Population li,*10. ?) VOL Lli. NO. 19. UNION, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1902. #1.00 A vrar ~ -h-i? ?mm> **4 F. M. F\?U President. T QtO. VlUiNt* \ Cashier, wW! > * Marsha's' and Plan I OF" UNIO x CJupii >i! ?si n'k Surplus $ SfcockholrliTrt' Liabilities f Total * & Dnteoroiis?J. A. Fanfc, W. X T. 0. Duncan, J. T. Douglass, K NVui. Oolriruin. ^ We Solicit Yoi -m-M* #*-#* *k--' >m mm m ion A~TRIPT( A long and Tedious Ride of Over El Trains i/iiss Connections at State. The Biggest Re THE REUNIOIN (Continued from last week,) | Crossing the M ississippi river at Memphis one enters Arkansas, and a more desolate, (rod forsaken looking country for f?0 miles t don't remember ever seeing except possibly a section down on the F. C. & P. R. R. in Georgia and Florida. The houses along the line are the worst of turn - , ble-down weather-beaten shacks, and they are built in iittle colonies miles ! apart. The 1 tml is being broken up ; and prepared for planting some kind ; of a crop, i suppose thoy plant with ! the expectation of the river knocking 1 it out when it overflows, and if it ; stays down and they make the crop 11 they are that much ahead. The I broad aores stretch out from the hit's in every direction. The houses look 1 like they might have been built about the middle of last century. About 24 miles west of the Mississippi we passed a large lumber plant, which, iudirimr from the larcre ouan ' */ o a r? jl tity of lumber piled up and more sawing, must be doing a good business; this was the beginning of the lumber i industry that 1 find all along the road where there is timber until Tex- i arkana is passed.' The appearauce of the country begins to brighten up as we put the miles behind us and a village peeps out here and there and there begins to be some appearance of life.* We crossed the St. Francis river first from the Missis-* sippi about 25 miles. At 10:20 o'clock we were hung Up for some time at a sand pit siding wajting for a delayed train to pass. Tbero arc quite a number of junction points along the (Jotton Belt line. Texas is getting pretty well filled up with railroads. 1 will name some of them and give some of thoir connec tions later. At i?air Uaks, ou miles from Memphis, we were delayed 50 minutes awaiting a connection. Four miles below Fair Oaks we passed another big saw mill making lumber l}rinkley was the next town and it is an important though small junc tion point. The towns in this sec tion can well aflfird to spread out as there is plenty of rootn, and .they should do so, and should lay oft" broad streets. The land is level as a floor. Brinkley has some few industrial enterprises and anumber of handsome stores, residences and churches. Jt Ijas the appearance qf one of the old towns,l,hpwovtr. Piney woods timber is beginning to set scarce near the railroad, the saw mills have used nearly all in sight of the railroad, leaving a scrubby undergrowth of oak, elm, etc, which now Ins the appearanco of an original forest of small growth. Itoc iW 1 lo mile post from Memphis, is the brigl}tost little village wo have passed. It has a bright, new coat of paint on - and lias a .business look about it. Here was a big sign painted across the side of a house reading: "Farms, Ranches and prairie lands for sale." That began to make us feel we were getting into the west. Ranches and prairie lands, are words that do not apply in our country, and I was anxious to see those prairie lands and ranches. It wus not long until I had 4 my wish} the wooded land bagan to -f l?0MsTER, Vice President. * '. ARTHUR, Assistant Cashier. | |. ters' National Bank i I 5^ r IN. !*. c.'. i * $00,000 a 1 r>o,ooo T 00,000 $ $170,000 ^ J! H. Wallace, Win. Jeffries, -k k . P. MeKiasick, A. H. Foster, a * 8 i v ur Business. I |( m- m m m m m m #??*?? 1; 1 '1 __________ 1 D TEXAS. J t t leven Hundred Miles. Delayed ? : Last Arrived in Lone Star J union in History was < k 1 AT DALLAS. 5 t t gradually move hack from the rail 0 road reminding one of approaching ? the ooeati through a river. I had * only noticed so far one herd of cattle r with- 40 or f)0 head in it, and I bstran to feel that the talk about western ^ cattle and hog business did not apply * so far. 1 had seen two hogs I believe. r I thought one of our Union butchers could beat all that. Groat pastures began to appear on either hand. It was beautiful level pasture land with anywhere from 1,000 acres on up. The country begins to widen more and more and now you look out upon a vast plain of level country, that has no hill or valley in it. It looks like a view across a large, body of water. There aro miles and miles square that has not a depression or ridge of 18 inches. In the center of one of the large pastures, I noticed a bunch of cattle grazing, while in the center of tho pasture I saw a 8 large cistern or water tank. These a tanks are used to supply the cattle on 11 these ranches with water in the dry K season. The first large pastures arc ^ passed after leaving Ulio. We saw 1 so much fence on either side of the road that we wondered if all these < extensive pastures had wire all <around. If so the cost of wire is r something enormous. I had an idea 1 that when I saw the prairies and its ^ waving grass I would see at least one 8 drove of horses, but I learn that the * horse and cattle country is further * down. I have not seen a dozen ( hogs and no wild horses. We have Jnot yet reached Texas, these are Ar- * kansas prairies and are very small c fry, I am told, compared with the f great prairies o{ Texas. ( Stutgart, our next station, boasts 1 of a hotol, "Arlington", a buss, a c barber shoD and an ideal little denot. 1 * " Town probably of 1,000 inhabitants. It now begins to look like gotting back into civilization. We have passed several nice orchards; there are farmer's houses here and there and they are painted; the plows are running and are turning up soil that looks as black as coal dust. It looks richer than a sack of guano. No wonder crops grow in the West without fertlizer. We understand that even stable and barnyard manure is not used for gardening. The soil is of a waxy substance that is very retentive of moisture; these people sometimes have long spells between showers, but they plow right along. Wo learn that this soil is anywhere from 10 to 20 feet deep. No danger of any such land as that woaring out. We saw whero a railroad embankment had been made from the dirt brought from a railroad cut, and it was all that black soil. The "next station is Goldman, 12/1 milos, and now the stations are beginning to bob up along the road in a familiar style; we have crossed the stretch of I prairie. There is evidence of prepa- ' ration and possibly planting done, 1 but nothing has come up yet that I < noticed until we got lower down, the 1 land is no doubt planted in cotton ; and corn. We saw one cotton field i with the stalks vel stan ling. i 2:33 wc crossed the Arkansas i river, about 160 miles from Mem ihis. The river in a large one unci i took three or four minute to cross t and the trestle. We fo-ik dinner t Pine Bluff at 2:4o. It is the irsrest town we have reached since deutphis. Among other industries * a large shingle, stave and lathe dimt. It iias 11,000 inlcr-i ants, lectrie cars, lights, etc . and is an mportunt railroad junction of the ron Mountain road. Here the mil-; miivii ui:j;iii? UjiaUl, Wllli'll WO md lost for some hours, the timber ssts until we reach the lino of I'exas .'he road bed is fine, lev I and well allisted with rock, and Would be afe with much faster schedule than remade. At Kindall, 14 uiilos beaw Pino Muff, wc passed another irge lumber plant, the Frank Kin [all Lumber Works, then came 'ordyee, another big lumber Nation. Between Memphis and Dallas hero are the following rivers to ross: The Mississippi, ^t. Frances, he White river at Clarendon Juneion, of Arkansas Midland, the Arkansas river at Pine Bluff, the 'aline river between lltson and Cinglund, tl?c Ouchele riser at Janulen, the Red river at (la land Jity ltf miles from the 1 me of Aransas and Texas, all of them euiptng into the great Mississippi. The Arkansas and Red rivers are the wo largest and class with the James, he Cooper, the Congarce, etc. The lltAr vi imvu o**/\ omnll \ vuvi alfV/in uiv ouiail. J ?m IIIIM III) thor large rivers in Texas. Our forest is a fair sample of the average iver in Texas. The junction connections made etween Memphis arid Dallas are at rair Oaks for Bald Knob and Baring Cross, at Brinkley for Little lock via Choctaw route. Wynne unction for the Mountain Valley. Linkley is 80 miles from Memphis, 35 miles from Ft. Worth. 477 miles o Waco and 200 miles to Cairo pronounced Ca ro) and has about ,500 inhabitants, at Stutgart for Jillett, at lloe for Helena, at :YD heinir for Barring Cross and Little lock, at llob lluy for Little Bayou, it Camden for Carnie, at McNeil or Bienville, at Stamps for Sibley, /icksburg, Jackson, Shreveport; -icwisdale for Shreveport. Texartana for Beaumont and Saline Bass, outh and Oak Lodge, Fort Scott ind Kansas City not lb. Mt. lbeasint for Lufkin, Ilillsboro, W aco and Statesville, Commerce for Sherman, tVyley for Dallas, straight line iroes oFort Worth. We crossed the Ouchcta river at i:2o p. m. arriving at Camdcin at The crowd at the train licre emined me of the Union crowd at he depot to meet passenger trains. iVe took on board a number of pasengers from the connecting line. Camden has about4,000 inhabitants, ias a big stove factory and other inlustrie3. lied river has a draw >ridgc which we cross before reading Texarkana. The lied Ifiver. jountry is considered one of the best arming sections ia Texas. Arrived at Tox-ark-ana)T(xarkana at .S:.r>5, takng its name from the three states that :orner here. Texas, Arkansas and muisiana. The new survey, howsver, shows the corner some distance rom Texarkana. In Texarkana hey have two separate municipal governments. One part of the town s in Texas the other in Arkansas, hie can commit a cvitne and step >ver into the other State and not cave the street and a policeman can lot follow and arrest him. lie has ;o lay for his man until ho conies iver again. I imagine they have a ligh old time there sometimes. Leaving Texarkana at 0 a. m. we inter the URKAT LONE STAR STATE tffexas. \ few miles below Texirk ana we came to Stamps, whero ;hcrc is located one of the largest umber plants in the South, It is iwned by the Bodcaw Lumber Co. J'hey own.another plant and the two turn over 100 to 112 cars of lumber, itc., in a day to the railroad This loncern has one hundred miles of their own t :iii ?r>'| running out into the timber lands. They use fourteen engines of tiio r own and they employ two shifters in their lumber yard. 1'he lumbor output is over 250,000 feet a day. In sawing the lumber they have a carriage to take the waste pieces from the saw over 100 yards away from the mill where it is dumped into a heap which is burning, and it is consumed. The dust of the saws is blown through a large tin tube by a fan arrangement and is dumped out of the way. They haul their logs by the e.ir load and dump them into the >> >nd near the mill. This preserves them. We saw logs as dose as thev could lie in the pond almost without number. They must have filled a space half a mile wide hv a mile long, while sawed lumber was stacked on every hand in great he?ps. It was there bv the million feet. Thin great plant had a big fire some few months ago which burned a portion of their buddings which were immediately rebuilt and almost double original size. There is a pretty lake near here called Spirit Lake. A pretty club house stands about the center on the opposite bank and tbcro is good fishing to be had there. It i* owned by northerners. Magnesia Springs is another great resort for picnic parties during summer, and is not far away. It being late when we left Tex arkana I went to bed and the country between Dallas and Tcxarkana will have to he observed on my return trip which I will make in the day time, s*) that I can reverse my schedule coming and get day runs where 1 got nighr runs. As our train was somewhat late getting into Dallas on the morning of Friday, April 25tb, arriving at 6:15 by slow time, 7:45 by our time, 1 got to sec some of the country bef * tv * iore geinng into uaiius, nn?l the sight was something to be remembered. The rich, black soil was already putting forth fruit and that of a healthy kind. We passed com field after corn field and cotton fields without number; the corn was already up and and some of it knee high and of a deep black green color and as it gently waved in the prairie breeze you could almost imagine you could se-' ir grow. Cotton seemed to be literally popping out of the ground, some of it three inches high, these fields spread out on either side of the railroad in one vast, broad expanse to the distant timber land on either horizon. There are different tracts of course, but the laud is so level that it hu3 the appearance of growing crops covering a vast acre age almost incalculable. Seeing this aud noting the extraordinary healthy appearance of the crops, and knowing that when we had gone a couple of hundred miles into this country wo had only just gone through the border lands of this great empire State, and that it was as far to the other side as it was back to our home. One could hardly help shuddering when lie thought or poor old South Carolina depending upon it3 cotton crop to buy the necessities of life. It is eleven hundred miles from Union to Dallas, Texas. It is nearly eleven hundred miles across the State of Texas. Texas has a large urea of black, waxy, rich noil that is inexhaustible. It is 10 to lf> lect deep. It cannot wash away and can never wear out. Guano or any other commercial fertilizer is an unknown thing in this country. They have their droughts, which is a considerable set back to them, but their land absorbs the rains and retains it, and the plowing continues. These same droughts seems to be a providential thing for the projection of the larmers of other sections of the country. Should they get good seasons every year in Texas, our farmers in the South would be utterly fnzc out as they could not possibly compete with this crop producing country. Texas could rniuA nnftnn mill r-nrn onminh I iln wnwu ...... ....... , .... believe, to supply overy man woman and child in the United States with their yearly consumption of these articles. It would not do (or Texas not to experience serious drought occasionally. As it is they can make enough in one good year to tide them over three years of drought. We are more firmly convinced than ever that the true and the only salvation for our farmers in this section is to diversify their (arming. And be sure you raise enough to supply your home needs tor your family and stook. Let your cotton crop be your side issue. It is tho only way you will ever get out ot the quicksand in which you are perishing and being dragged down slowly but surely. If you are heart bent on raising cotton, cotton and nothing but cotton, put out the fire, whistle for the dogs and strike out lor the west where you will have some showing. The time is passed in this country for getting ^Continued on 4tli page.) Wm. A. NICHC BANK SOLICIT YOU An.I promise courteous ireatn tion consis G-OOD J&JP. Write all kinds of Insurant MONEy ORDERS ,ssu<Otfice and Express Company. REMINISCENCES OF THE WAR. Interesting Incidents Connected With the Lute Wnr, Bringing Out a (irent Deal of Unwritten History, in Which the Private arid Subordinate Officers arc divert Credit Justly Due dicta. Sonic' of the Truest^ Noblest and lirav ' est Men That Ever Paced an Enemy Were to he FOUND AMONG THE PRIVATES. HV J. 1/. STKAIN. Chapter VIII. In the winter <-f ltflM and ' ;? several hundred of our civa'ry and artillery horses were sent from the army to be recruited and made ready for the spring campaign of 1805. One of tho'c recruiting camps was ' near Thomson's Mill, on Thiokety 1 creek and L'acolot river About 400 ; or 500 boa 1 of horses were sent there to feed and most of thorn beionge I ; to Gary's b.igulc of rivalry : n I , several I'uion county men were with them. Joint ineii wcvu there fiomj' Anderson find other wos'mi eounriis ' of the State, while a similar camp was established near Catawba river f for the oOi.sumpti u of the feed in that section. Officers, of eouise, were detailed to go round and gather up this what was termed ''tax in : kind." Your readers are aware that at this time the railroads were taxed]: In tVimr lfttimwt nunuiuiu f.* ?x 1 v./ v. V.rj/ivi- y V tl troops and army supplies. It was ! impossible for theiu to carry all the ! corn, fodder and hay necessary to feed the broken down stock. This ! made these recruiting camps not only ' a necessity but a convenience to the 1 Confederate Government. Even at this late day we are glad ! to know that this seetion of 1'nion G county was one ol the beat farming sections in the State?corn, fodder, ' hay, oats, wheat and every other 1 staple of food for man and beast 1 was raised in superabundance. Nortl\ Paeolet was the Goshen of the | Confederacy, Hroad river, Pacolet, j ! Thickety. Gilky and Abingdon creeks with their intervening sec- ' tions of rich uplands, cultivated un- ( der the best system of farm labor 1 ever known in this or any other 1 county produced more than it could well take care of, of all and any kind 1 of farm and home supplier. Scarcity ' of these was a rare occurence. Hut f the contiguous sections of York and ' Union counties were canvassed and M feed was bronght in for use in the 1 recruiting camp. On the detail from the 7th S. C, Cavalry for this pur- 1 pose was Gilliam Thomas, of Co. C, (Mclvissiek's.) He was on the York 1 sk\e of the rivor wheu the great .January freshet come in 18?i6?known I to so many of oar older people tho "Sherman freshet." Impressing ofhoers for the government wore here and there all over tho country taking horses, saddles, harness, cattle, hogs, etc., in fact anything that could be used for any purposes. These were in many oases complete nuisances?and they nat urally incurred the ill will of people who they no doubt somotirncs imposed upon?rand people (and if the truth must be told)had a special hatred for them. We are glad to say, however, that our cavalry detail did not come in with this class of marauders neither was it in any way connected ' with them. It gave the farmer*} an opportunity to deliver their tax in kind at the recruiting camp rather than toh&ul it to Yorkvillo or Union. It was a convenience to the farmers. Here they got receipt for produce dc~ livered and ad was 0. K. with the government of the Confederacy. While Gilliam Thomas was on the 1 ' York side, water-bound, he thought v AS A AJi&AI* >LSON & SON, ERS, R BUSINESS lent and c v< ry accommodatent with :e except life. d at the same rate as Post he wouM call upon ' (iovcrncr" .Jot (Kuu) Leech (that was the name be was generally known by) and 8<e him. Two of his sons, Moigan and Joe. were in 'lie same company with Gilliam. and tlit-* would be a great, satisfaction to tin old gentleman (Mr. Lee-'h) to bestow bis friendship upon one of his son's comrades in arms. It so happened that the day bef-rc Gilliam visited Mr. Leech t! it a goVv . i.mv.1:i.gt nt i.ad be?'u ihcrc and impressed ;i fi<?? saddle owned hy one < i ibe boys which the old gnu !?nr.?n prized very highly. Mr. Lci-ch was a very plain outspoken kind of a man, putting on no airs, he didn't care who he was talking to, iiis way wa9 just the same. He had a habit of sitting out on his portico almost at any time of the year and when anyone eatue to the gate or even passed along the road he ll'iilll'l / oil " '* /U? I- 1 i,.... uui ^uu "a<l a powerful vuic*) Who's ihat? Where you going? What for? and all such injuiries. People who knew him would i onedmes answer him and sometimes would not. But nobody thought strange, it was I'nclc Joe's custom, lie meant no harm and every one who knew hitn knew that much. A iitrlo before sun set Giliimn rode up to the gate and halted. Unelc Joe i\ us out on the porch as usual and said: Who's that? "It's Thomas," Ciilliam replied. "What rhomas?" but before Gilliam could answer Uncle Joe said: "Do yon want mother saddle?" Gilliam know nothing about the saddle and didn't know how to answer IJticle Joe. So he went on in and he asconcled the steps Mr Leech said: Who are you anyway?" "My name is Gilliam Thomas. 1 belong to the same company your hoys do, Joe and Morgan," Gilliam replied. Mr. Leech n??w began to feel an interest in his newly made acquaintance and at once isked him to take a seat. After jurnf minnlno * ' ....uutvo vursjiuon no said, ami you've been with Joe and the ithcr boys have youV '-Yes sir," replied Gilliam, ''And you know ;hem all'?" sjucrried Mr. Leech. 'Oh, yos sir," said Gilliam, "I biow them all well." "Well," g&id VIr. Leech, "if Joe or any of them >oys were here I'd give thorn a dram ind I'll if t don't give you >nc too, and suiting his action to he word, proceeded to carry out hia resolution Resuming his seat the old gentlenan called "Ritta," his cook, and iold her to get to work and get up a supper fit for a gentleman and a soldier ,o eat and don't be always about it he said. This was a courtesy he didn't feel like he owed the class of soldiera who had so recently visited him under the pica of military necessity took off a fine saddle owned by one of his boys in the army. I will say hero by way of parenthesis that Mr. Leech's family at this time consisted of his youngest son who was at home looking after his large farming interest. They had a great many slaves and several plantations, andtlcorgo was the only whito man to look after either of them. Mr. Lecoh himself was nfllictcd so that ho could do nothing. His daughters, the presont Mrs. Dr. T. 11. White 81UC8, ot Iflacksburg. and Mra. TllAm.io W i I I, _r IT' I 4...MIIXO ?! imcuaoii, oi IllCKQrjr^ were small children, too small ta manage the household affairs, Mrs. Leach, their mother, having died a few years before. So tho faithful old nogress, llitta, was the foreman ir\ tho kitchen work. Unele Joe resumed his conversa* tion?lie w as a man of a giant mind and was well infbrinod?as much so aa any man of his day on current matters?a tear trickling down his cheek he said: "Morgan, poor fellow. i& dead?was killed. They Sell me it was his corpse they sent home 1 don't know I could not recogni'/e him. 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