The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, June 12, 1903, Image 1
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W - V0i7Ilil. NO. 24. " *' - ' DNION, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JUNE 12. 1903. #1.00 A YEAR:
THE DISASTER AT
Described by a Representative c
Write up the Disast
About 3,300 Hands Thrown out of
the Highest Ever Known Sim
Mills Nos. x and * Com pit
JNo. 3 Badly Damage*
it * ? About a Million at
PP**
List Saturday morning about 5:30
o'clock, the inhabitants of tho mill
village at Facolct, who arose as usual
to go to their work, were somewhat
surprised to find that the river was
rising rapidly, caused by the heavy
rain that had fallen during the
night. Notwithstanding the fact
tbat tnc river was rising, the oper ;
atives were at the mill at the usual
hour; but finding that the water was
rising so rapidly they did not enter
the mill. In the courso of half an
hour, the bridge across Pacolet river,
connecting the two villages, was seen
to ollapse. The water was rising
exceedingly fast and about 1):30
o'clock Mill No. 1 succumbed to the
angry flood, shorly afterwards Mill
No. 2 went, followed by the smoke
staek, the engine and boiler rooms,
the big ware house, which contained
about 3,500 bales of cotton and 3,000
bales of cloth, and about half of the
eloth room, all of which were swallowed
up by the angry, turbulent
waters. The cloth that remained in
the other half of the room was badly
damaged. The railroad which ran
to the mills was undermined and
badly washed; box cars were lifted
from their trucks and left lying on
lha hjllside. the calaboose was also
lifted from its foundation and tumbled
on its side into a gully.
In the fUt below Mills No. 1 and
2 stood the Presbyterian church, the
post office, barber shop, shoe shop,
meat market, livery stable, a grist
and plane mill, and the dental office
of Dr. Gunter, all of which were entirely
swept away. Fortunately the
stock and vehicles had been removed
from the stables. The water was up
in the basement of the Company
store, which was used for the grocery
department, and did considerable
damage to the goods.
It was fortunate that the feople
were warned of tho terrible situation
in time to save themselves from being
hurled into eternity by the angry
waters of the raging flood.
An old negro man, Quay Worthy,
was drowned while attempting to
PATRIOTIC ADDRESS
Of Mr. J. L. it rain Before John
Hames Chapter U. D. C. Questions
of History. The Glorious
Manhood of the
Southern Soldier.
Mr. President and members of the
John Ilames Chapter U. D. C.,
* comrades, ladies and gentlemen:?
We meet today to revere and honor
our departed heroes who have passed
over the river and are resting under
the shade of the trees waiting for us.
We meet, not only to cherish their
memory, but to vindicate their character
and the purity of their motives.
In 1861 the Southern people wore
the best informed, the most energetic,
the most religious and tho
most democratic people on earth,
and I dare say tho people of the
Q ati li arava ?rt aha nf ^aaIi a<1 4 a ill a
uuuvu nvit uiviu avvuvucu wi tuu
Union as it then existed under the
Constitution than were tho people of
^ the North. .
We were learned in agriculture,
law, medicine, the arts and sciences,
the literature of the Jews, Greeks,
Romans, French and English, and
surpassed all others in Statecraft.
Our young men would listen for
4> hours to the discussion of the great
political quostions of the day?they
were seekers after knowledge.
Our institution of slavery had
partly separated us from the other
i
PACOLET MILLS.
if Tho Times Who Was Sent to
er for our Readers.
Employment. Pncolct River wan
?e the August Freshet of 185*.
stely Swept A way, and Mill
f. I*oss Estimated at
ud a HnitJDollarm.
__ |
[save some cotton. Early that morning
a small boy about 12 or 15 years
of age, was seen coining down the
river on some floating timber, and
as he passed the people on the bank
he threw up his hand and was heard
to say: "For God sake save me!"
In a moment the timber on which he
was floating struck some object in
the water and he was swallowed up
by the waves. A woman was also
aeen coming down the river clinging
to the remains ol a house, and was
swept on to eternity by the swift
current of the raging stream.
In the flat below Mills No. 1 and
2, stood a number of large trees,
all of which were swept away as if
they were no more than broom straw.
Large timbers and bales of cotton
and cloth were thrown twelve to fifteen
feet in the air by the big waves,
which left death and destruction
of property in its path.
Mill No. 3, which is a handsome
five story structure, situated a short
distant down the river from Mills
No. 1 and 2, was also very badly
damaged. The engine and boiler
rooms were washed away, leaving
the smoke stack, the boilers and the ,
big fly-wheel, all of which wore on 1
mild tiiwtr fnnnibtiAM TK? nnrtfi.
east corner of the big mill, which
projected out into the river bed, was j
washed away, taking about forty feet ]
of the wall, and damaging much of
the machinery iA each room on that
corner of the mill. The first and
second floors were flooded and some
machinery washed away. The remaining
machinery was very badly
damaged by the water.
Neither of the dams were broken,
all of them stood the heavy pressure
of the angry waters, as they were
built of heavy masonry.
After the water began falling,
whieh it did very rapidly, hundreds
of bales of cotton and cloth, some of
which came from the Clifton Mills,
could be seen along the banks of tho
river, marking the course of the
angry flood. C. B. C.
nations. Our people were looked
upon as a high-toned, proud, aristocratic
race, but we were nothing
more or less than true, native born
Americans.
The southern people were mostly,
if not entirely, descended from Revolutionary
ancestry, and almost every
Confederate soldier could remember
that his ancestors foucrht in the war
of the Revolution, the war of 1812,
the Indian wars, or the war with 1
Mexico. We had devised, framed i
and fashioned the Union, and added <
to it* greatness grandeur and glory.
We had extended its boundaries .
from Virginia to California, and I
hence were attached to it. The I
younger generation of our people ]
may ask: Why did those heroes j
who sleep in their graves offer up ]
their lives for the dissolution of the i
Union they loved so much? The 1
question is answered in a few words, i
As we understood it in 1861, and as i
our departed comrades understood it, 1
with their parting words urged us to i
he true and faithful. When by the i
Revolutionary war we gained our in- i
dependence, we were thirteen separate
and distinct colonies. A more <
perlect Union was formed. The t
constitution was the written contract
entered into.
The first trouble came during the 1
war of 1813, when the North in convention
assembled at Hartford, Conn.
asset led that tho Union had only
such rights as wero delegated to it
by th? respective State, and that the
same was depondent upon tho will of
the people.. That convention claimed
that the right to secede, and threatened
to withdraw from the Union
and make an ignoble peace with
England The next trouble came
whon Congress imposed a tariff for
the declared purpose of protecting
the manufactories of the North.
John C. Calhoun requested that the
acknowledged purpose bo11 expressed
in the act; so that its constitutionality
could he tested in tho Supreme
Court of tho United States. When
this was refuced he assorted that
there was a tribunal of last resort?
me people 01 trie States. This was
called "nullification. ' The. North
was the first to assert the right of
Beeession, the South first to assert
the right of "nullification." Our
rights in slaves were declared protected
by the Constitution, the acts
of Congress, and the decision of the
Supreme Court of the United States.
The North became "nullifiers," and
a majority of the Northern States,
through their legislatures, nullified
the Constitution, the acts of Congress
and the decision ef the Supreme
Court and become themselves the
advocates of nullification.
In the midst of these disagreements,
secret societies in the Norih
collected, armed and equipped a band
of men, who with John Brown as
their leader invaded Virginia. These
men were captured, convicted and
executed. Though they were guilty
of treason and murder, the North
threatened the South with vengeance
for executing the law. The abolition
party had been teaching the doctrine
of secession and nullification and had
been vigorously cnf>rcing the doc
trine ot nullification; but when it
elected a President the whole tone of
the party changed. v
The South having been driven
in its desperation to resort to seoes^iion,
the abolition party of the North,
become the great Union party.
Their President, Mr. Lincoln, was a
arise, shrewd and cunning politician,
with some noble virtues. Under his
leadership u's party was taught that
henceforth nothing but the preservation
of the Union was to bo taught
ind'urged. He at once pacified the
lemocratic party of the North by
bestowing offices and declaring that
to sought nothing but the prescrva
tion of the Union. lie raised a great
irmy, but this was not to turn its
irms against the rullifiers of the
North, but the secessionists of the
South. The Touth remembered the
John Brown raid and his intention
is expressed in his code of laws, and
it was the universal opinion of the
South that the raid of John Brown
was bat the advance guard of the
Northern army. And thus the great
Civil war was begun. No power on
earth could prevent it. No individual
should be held responsible for
what had happened. Grim-visaged
war ruled supreme. We would have
the young of this ago and all future
ages to understand how we felt and
wliat we thought> How could we
jrust the promises of the North so
long as their acts of nullification renamed
upon their statute books?
How could we trust them when they
aised armies to coerce us into obedijnce,
and openly refused themselves
;o be bound by the Constitution, the
sets of Congress, and the opinion of
:he Supreme Court?
We did not fully understand what
;he negroes would do, or how they
sould act. Wc had little or nothing
to expect of them.
The North had brought them from
Africa in their ships and had sold
them in the South, and now proposed
to release them and place them in
power over the white people of the
douth. This must have been
prompted by the blindest prejudice
and a most maligncnt heart or ignorance
of the true philosophy of the
situation. The South had done
more for the negro than all the
North put together. We had christianized
and civilized 4,000,000 of
that raco. Be it said to the honor
of the women of the South they hod
looked after the physical and spiritual
condition and welfare of the negro,
and had so christianized him as t>
attach him to his home so that he
was true and faithful in the hour
bf our greatest need, and many anticipated
evils looked for, never
came.
To fully afajkrstand the Southern
soldier we Mutt look at these things
as they wi^e and as we understood
them in 1861.
The.North placed in round numbers,
all totyl, 2,600,000 soldiers in
field.**. The largest and best
1 equipped and best disciplined army
of modern tjmes, perhaps the world
hod never ?|en such on army. This
army wyajMbmposcd in part of the
? North, and all Europe
draw upon for soldiers,
I money4t*Mll their sinews of war.
| The South nod only 600,000 soldiers,
ne ships or ;arms, no money and no
friends. Hut wo continued that unequal
conteit for four long years under
countless disadvantages and deprivations.
There were no distinct classes in
iL.Cl.-.l in
iqc couin, ail wmtc men were free
and equal. } In that grand army of
the South the farmer, the planter,
the mechanic, the merchant, the
lawyer, the doctor, the minister,
the church member, rich and poor
stood side by side upon terms of perfect
eouality?one in line, one in
friendship and one in a common
cause?homo rule and State rights.
The boy of 10 stood shoulder to
shoulder with tho man of GO, and
the boy was required to perform the
duties and assume the responsibilities
of the man. If those of our com*
rades who rest in their graves could
rise and come forth as they appeared
upon the battlefield you would be
amazed at the great number of boys
between the ages of 17 and 20 years
who made up that grand army.
The brave never die in vain. The
courage of the South had much to do
with the preservation of local self
government and the individual rights
of man. . Happy must be the souls
of our departed comrades who died
(or whft his been called the (*Lost
Cau.se,1' when they look down upon
us and see that, by wisdom, courage,
fiatience, enduranoe and devotion to
aw and order, we gained the viotory
and to know'.hat the whole civiliaed
world gfcr; i4?0re honor and praise to
the vanquished than to the victors.
But we can't take the time here to
discuss tho origin of the great Civil
War and trace it to its final close.
This we leave for the historian to do
in his own time and way.
The occasion which brings us
tOCPthftr tnrlnv unit frv !>? ?
looked forward with much intorcst
claims our immediate attention.
We are making history. Future
generations will point with pride to
this day when their fathers and
mothers 38 years after the close of
one of the bloodiest wars of history,
when all passion had subsided, all
animosities had been buried and all
sections of our common country were
at peace with each other as brothers
ha?l paid this tribute of affection to
the memory of their brave countrymen.
A generation has passed and
this is tho work of another genera
tion?the corner stone of which is
love?love for the living and honor
for the dead.
A few of us are the time worn
survivors of that bloody struggle,
many, many more arc born of heroes
who dared to die for it. We feel
ourselves welded heart to heart and
by the chain of illustrious deeds and
memories that can never fade.
Glorious heritage and you are worthy
of it.
Daughters, you are the living
"out-put"?the precious and polished
gems from the fiery oruciblc of war
and adversity.
The ages which roll on in the
future will but brighten the pages of
history which boars the record of the
civil and military leadership of that
imperishable conflict.
The boasted glory of ancient
Home and Greece and th? mom
modern times tell of no blood bougkt
fields like ours.
The heroic valor of Scotland's
Robert of Ranuockburn pales before
that of our peerless Commander inchief
Robert E. Lee. The solid
square of the Corsican's "Old Guard"
on the fatal field of Waterloo stood
not more invincible in the face of
death than ever stood our christian
hero Stonewall Jachson. The memorablo
pass of Thermopylae was not
more heroically defended than were
the rock girt hills of Cemetery
Ridge, Maryes Heights, Missionary
Ridge and Lookout Mountain by our
own Leonidaa?the Confederate
soldier. i
| The fabian policy of brate Joseph |
t
E. Johnson in his tnisterly retreat
through Georgia and tlie Carolinas
before overwhelming numbers was
well worthy the military genius of a
Hannibal. Marcellers lived again
in the brave and beautiful soldier
boy, John I'elham. Tho success of
Shiloh's bloody field was ours?the
glory was won?victory was perching
her glory wings on our standard when
the fatal shot that took the life of
rluttritlnea A O. J-.? T, 1?
v?uuu?ivco iviuci i oiunuy muuiuoii,
snatched it from us and gave it to
our enemies.
(To be contiuued next Issue.)
IN THE LAND~"oF FLOWERS.
A Former Editor of The Times
Writes si Letter Telling of His
Tr.ii els in the I.nnd of
Flowers.
Dear Mr. Editor:?I can hardly
realize that three years have elapsed
since I laid down the editorial pen
and vacated the sanctum sanctoriutn
of The Union Times. But a little
reflection reminds me that such is
the ease.
While I was at home I enjoyed
the weekly visits of Tmu Times, but
I havo not seen a copy since I left
there in March, in fact, I hare not
seen any South Carolina papers since
that time, except two copies of The
State I accidentally got hold of at
Tallahassee a few days ago. I was
shocked when \ rend nf thi* nvrklrx.; .
_ ^?r.w.vr..
that occurred in Mr. ^caife'.s store.
I was grieved to think that a poor,
innocent man, although unknown to
tne, was killed without warning. I
hope he was a Christian.
Florid* is a state of great possibilities.
I have traveled all over this
State from Jacksonville to Ivev
West and thence to this point, which
is near the Georgia and Alabama line.
Djwn on the East coast is the most
enchanting 'part of the State. St
Augustine is a lovely city, and it
would indeed puxzlc the most gifted
writer to describe the maguilicence
of some of the East Coast hotels.
The Ponce dc Leon, the Poinciuna
and others are striking examples of
what money and human skill can
accomplish. I was told that a certain
Congressman went to Miami
and stopped at Puiuciana. After
being conducted to a suite of rooms
he told the porter to bring him a
daily paper. The porter soon returned
and the Congressman handed
him a nicklc. The porter put bis
hands behind his back and said,
"'Scusc me. boss; nothing less than
a quarter goes here." The Congressman
gave him the quarter, and
took the elevator down to the cigar
stand where he bought a cigar, He
selotcd a favorite brand and paid
the usual price, ten cents. The
clerk was not satisfied, however, and
said, "fifty." This jarred the aforeRilid
f!nnnfroiiQTYi!in on.l
??.? W w..0? vv.uu.uu UIIVI IIU tutlicu IU
his suite of rooms to count his money.
lie seemed to think he was a little
short and began to plan how he
could get away immediately without
compromising his dignity. In his
desperation he secured a telegraph
blank and wrote an urgent telegram
calling him back to Jacksonville,
lie went down to see the clerk and
asked what his bill was. The clerk
replied, "Nothing, s'<r; you are our
guest; we never charge congressmen
or senators."
Then the aforesaid Congressman
went out looking for the fool-killer.
I spent several days ;in Tampa as
the guest of Carl W. IIill, who formerly
worked with Allan Nicholson.
Mr. Hill has been in Tampa a little
over two years and has succeeded in
building up a good business. lie
runs several job presses and employs
four or five printers
At Evinston I met a young man
named Foster. He was from Spartanburg
and has been in Florida
only a few months. At Ocala I met
an old man who was born near Glenn
Springs and who knew the older
people living in Union. I don't recall
his name at present.
I had the pleasure of meeting
Thomas A. Edison and his daughters
at Punta Gorda, Mr- Edison is a
handsome old gentleman, and his
daughters arc very beautiful and attractive.
Their amiability is perhaps
their most attractive quality. Mr.
Edison has a winter home at Ft.
Myers and when I met hiai he was
going North.
I rpent a few days in Tallahasse
where the legislature is in session.
1 visited the capital daily anil
watched the proceedings. I was
struck with the absence of the dignity
which chactcrizcs the legislature
of South Carolina. Neither of the
presiding officers wore robes, nor do
the clerks. A meseuge from the
governor is read on the floor bv his
private secretary. The members
pull off their coats at pleasure and
when a speaker says something they
like, they applaud, something I have
never heard during my six years
connection with that body.
I would like to mention the natural
phenomina I have seen in this
State, but it would take up too
inuch snace.
K *
I received a letter a fow days ago
from Mr. W. J. Coldwell, of Coldwell,
Ark , asking me if there has
ever been any "farm records, portable
pantries, kitchen cabinets, patent
churns or any other patent rights or
territory sold in Union County."
If anyone can give Mr. Coldwcll
the information desired, they will
confer a favor on both of us.
I leave Florida next week and go
through Georgia bhek to Carolina,
I hope to be at the State Press Association
at Whire Stone Lithia
Springs when it meets.
W. Ekoenr Cookk.
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION
Joncsvillc Township Interdenominational
Sunday School Convention
Will Meet at New Hope
Methodist Church First Sunday
in July.
The following is the program:
Convention called to order by
Township Supciintendent, J. (1.
Pickens, at 10 o'clock a. m. prompt1st.
Religious service? conducted
by Rev. David Rucks.
2nd. Welcome address by J. W.
Scott, and response by M. C. Gault.
Rr.t n-?-i - * * -
u^aui&auuu, flection 01 oinccrs
to fill vacancies, etc..
4th. Report from Sunday Schools
in the townships, and discussion on
same as each is lead.
5:h. 1st <J'ierv?Duty of Town- 4 * *
ahip Superintendents and the Executive
Couimitte* Discussion opened
by II. \V. Gossett; subject open for
further discussion.
AFTERNOON' SESSION.
Religious exercises conducted by
J. W. Scottt.
8th. 2nd D'icry?The many conditions
which conduce to the succoss
of the Sunday School, both in numerical
strength and in saving souls. ?.
Discussion opened by W. II. S.
Ilrrria and J. W. Scott.
7th. IIow to keep up a lively and
steady interest in the Sunday School.
Discussed by J. F. Alman and M.
C. Gault.
What incentives should be used
to secure the preparation of the lesson
by the pupils? Discussed by
G. B. Fowler and J. W. Cunningham.
8th. Can any Chriptian wilfully
refuse to work in the Sunday School?
Discussed by Ncalon Ilodge and J,
M. Fowler.
9fh. What arc church members
doing to help the Sunday School*?
And what should they do? Discussed
by Thomas Ilyatt and J. II.
Pickens.
Lockhart Junction News.
Lockhnrt Junction, June 6, 1903.
Mr TMWa* i ?
..... uunvi.? ii c Mint- now rain,
rain, rain, and all the talk is about /
happenings that we hear of such
cyclones and high water. Wo have
read of many places that have been
flooded and washed away, but it
seems it has come close to our home
this time and wc can see and know
the facts.
This writer today saw the highest
water on Pacolet River near Grindlc
Shoals that has ever been seen by
the oldest inhabitants. This is iny
short story.
As wc gazed upon the roaring
waters we saw many evidences of
destruction. Rales of cotton, arti*
cles of houses, roofing, plank, lumber,
and other things passed by.
At this writing we are not able to
tell the particulars, only we hear on
our way that Pacolet mills and others
have washed away and the thought
came into our minds that men,
women and children may be buried
in this mighty deep. We hope some
writer will be able to give full particulars.
Moxt.
I