The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, January 12, 1917, Page 6, Image 6
OLD SIMSTOWN.
(By Mrs. Julia Rainey Farr)
Simstown was first settled by Capt.
Charles Sims from whom it took its
name. Capt. Charles Sims, who had
served wtih Gen. Sumter, had an
eventful life during the Revolutionary
war, one very serious one was having
his life saved by being a Mason. At a
place on Broad river, where Ixjckhart
Mills now stand, a company of Tories
had a rope around his neck ready for
the tree, when a British officer came
riding up, to whom Capt. Sims gave
the "Mason's Sign." The officer "ordered
immediately his release," and
then gave him a "parole," which forbade
his fighting again in South Car
lina. He went back to his old home
country, Hanover, Va., and Gov. Patrick
Henry pave him a "commission"
to organize a company, which he did
and foupht there until the surrender
f Cornwallis. When he first came to
South Carolina, he made his home on
Tiper river, in Union District, but in a
few years after the war ended about
1784 he came up and took in a larpe
prant of land in the bend of Broad
river, where he first built a wood
house, in which he lived several years;
then he broupht him a brick mason
from Virpinia and built a larpe two
and one-half story brick house, where
he reared his family, consistinp of one
son and four dauphters. His only son,
William, inherited his lands and larpe
brick house, where he raised his family,
of five sons and one dauphter?
William Sims divided this larpe prant
of land amonp his children, the old
homestead with the larpe brick house
came into the possession of his son.
Clouph Sims, who had four dauphters.
Consequently, in 18">4, it was sold for
a division amonp his heirs and the
old brick house and lands around it
came into possession of Mr. .Tames
Scaife, and .0011 apain sold to Mr.
.Tames .Tet"t\ and his pranddauphter.
Miss Knipht, now has possession of
them. In the early days of Old Simstown,
there were no railroads in the
country nor did the stape coach travel
the hiphway to Columbia, but Broad
river was used for all means of transportation
and pleasure. They had
bateau pleasure boats and larpe boats
in which all the cotton in that part of
the country was carried down to Columbia
and sold there, hrinpinp back
barrels of supar and hops head of
molasses for the next year's supply
for the family and plantation. No
sorgnum was ever cultivated until
during the War Between the States.
In early days the Catawba Indians
would come over and pitch their tents
near the river for the summers, depending
on hunting and fishing for
their meat, and getting their coyn and
flour from Mr. W. A. Sims, exchanging
thir baskets and beautiful homemade
pottery, decorated with white
and red and black flowers, from their
own dye stuffs. They would never
honor white people by addressing as
Mr. and Mrs., but call them by their
given name; for instance, Old Philip
Keg, the leader of the purchasing of
provision, would walk in and say,
"Sarah, where is Billie, I want some
torn and flour." Otherwise, they were
very kind and harmless. Old .lenny <
Joe was the leader in selling the baskets
and pottery. The portion of land
of the old grant inherited by William
A. Sims, bordered by Broad river for
almost a mile up towards Worthy's
ferry, and contained beautiful low
lands on which he raised herds of
cattle, horses and sheen in abundance:
also a park, where roamed 12 or 15
head of deer among them a beautiful
white doe, which they called "The
White I>oc of Raylston," from Tennyson.
During the War Between the State-;
the wool from those sheep clothed |
many a soldier, as Mrs. Sims had three ,
hand looms in constant use, managed ,
by the negro women.
As no bought dyes were to be had
to make the Confederate grey, all '
home articles had to be used, the 1
leaves from the alder and sumach
bushes were mostly used. .Mrs. Sims
sent the Hev. Mr. James, the chaplain
of the 1Mb Regiment, in which she
had two sons serving, a full suit of >
Vw..~ 1
iiwim.-- wen cm * oiii iMicriiic grey jeans
to Petersburg, Va. During the war 1
Mr. VV. A. Sims also cultivated flax ;
and made his own shoe thread, the
flax thread being spun by an old erni- 1
grant from Ireland, Mrs. Gregory, being
two complicated for negroes to
undertake, which drew forth the remark
from him "that flax made for i
Ireland and cotton for the negro, as
cotton would wait on their leisure
time." He also cultivated a brown
cotton called N'ankin, as the seed was
brought over from Nankin, China, by
one of the United States consuls,
which made beautiful brown suits for
boys which required no dye stuff. I)uriu
_ ..it i__*i ?
viiv war an icauier uscu was made :
from the hides of these sheep and cattle,
and all shoes were made by their
own shoemakers, and beautiful kid
slippers in which the young ladies
danced at the balls given in Unionville,
(as the county seat was then called.
Old Simstown had its own school
and teachers for the hoys and girls
until they arrived at the ago to be
sent off to colleges. Some of the old
negroes on Mr. W. A. Sims' plantation
never left their old home, and
when he and his wife, Mrs. Sims,
passed away, they were nursed in
their last illness by some of those
faithful old slaves. Mis old home- '
stead was destroyed by tire in 1000,
in which many valuable relics were
lost. Among them was ("apt. Charles
Sims' old Revolutionary gun with a
barrel five feet long, bayonet and flint
lock, also an old loom and little spinning
wheel over 100 years old. Sev
eral old militia uniforms and swords
worn by the sons of olden days, and a
solid mahogany sideboard handed
down from one of their old ancestors.
A portion of the grant of land made
to Capt. Charles Sims was in possession
of one of his descendants until
December, 1915, when it was bought
and came into possession of Mr.
Frank Sinclair.
(Capt. Charles Sims, from whom
Limestone received its name, is the
Revolutionary ancestor of Mrs. Farr,
the author of this article. Regent).
LETTER FROM COLORED MAN.
Urges Consideration of Thoughtful
Citizens to Certain Conditions.
(Published by Request)
Gibbs, S. C., Jan. 3, 1917.
U. T ?i D: ?
iUlt li. ATX.
Union, S. C.
Dear Sir:
As nearly all of the older white men
of the country are leaving and going
to town the colored people are becoming
very much alarmed, not of the
things that surround them, as the
scarcity of the times nor the high
cost of living, but from what they
see transpiring around them. Our
country is full of men inducing our
boys to migrate to the North. I am
not in favor of my race migrating
North nor West and never have been
but as these white men point to our
boys the high price of wages North
and the better treatment they receive
it overrides any argument we can produce
or bring to bear on them, so they
are moving much of the best and
strongest negro boys from our country
and they are doing it secretly.
They do not come in as agents but as
contractors. One of them told me
that they expected to take 50,000 of
the best negro laborers from South j
Carolina; that Union county was
booked for 500 and if they succeed ,
on until April as they have been since '
oepiemoer iney win nave their re- ;
quired number. I can miss 40 boys
from our township since September.
April is the time they have set to !
make a general draw on our colored
boys. They tell them that the weather
will change and be warmer and
that by next winter they will elimati'/ed
sufficient to stand the Northern
climate. The things these men call
to the attention of the colored people
is strongly considered. They tell us
that the courts and jurymen of the
country are against us and it must be
admitted that the word of a negro is
not recognized in our courts and the
men who compose the courts as jurymen
are commonly the enemies of the
negro. The jury is drawn from the
class of white men who are poorly educated
and wish to get clear of the
negro and they seem to take this
method to force him away, all this
being pointed out to the negro by
these men; also the magistrates of
the rural districts are mostly men
who dislike the negro and if the negro
is brought before these men and he
disputes the word of a white man it
means the conviction and chaingang
for the negro, and the negro is deprived
of getting his case to the city,
where he can get an intelligent magistrate
and jury to try his case. He is
forced to be tried by the nearest
magistrate who may be the inferior
of the one from whom he has fled,
and it is a fact that the lawyer knows
when he goes before an uneducated
jury there is no chance for a negro.
These things are being laid before
these boys and we old negroes who
know this to be true can not dispute
these men when we see this thing
taking place every day. When a negro
is carried into court he is advised
by his lawyer not to dispute
the word of a w^ite man; if so, his
case is lost.
If the land owners intend to work
the land with negro labor a change
will have to be made. The hatred to
the negro, which is growing, can be
checked only by promnt action of the
white men of the countrv who know
the negro. The tide of the immigration
of the negro will be on in the
warmer season of this year if it is
not stopped by some means.
The intelligent Southern negro finds
no fault with the segregation of the
white and colored. We find no fault
with the Jim Crow case. We do not
object to the full rightaway of the
white to rule the country; we oni>
ask protection to our person and
household goods, which we are not getting.
We are tired of political confusion
and we do not wish to move
and will not move as long as we can
feel that there is a chance of life
and safety of our nerson but tbir?<?o I
are beginning to look dark on our
part. If many of our old white men
wore back here and could see the condition
of the negro they would call a
halt. It is a fact that whenever our ]
legislators meet the man who offers (
something to damage or disgrace the
negro becomes more noticeable than
anybody else among the masses that
hate the negro. These white men
who are now contractors and are inducing
negroes to go North are bringing
these arguments to bear on our
people, some of which are very convincing,
but I think the best thing for
the colored men to do is to lay our
case before the best element of Southern
white men who are interested in
the welfare of the country before we
take any other steps and see and hear 1
what they say and then we will under- J
stand what course we should take. It '
is very clear that if the list from
which the juries are drawn can be re- <
vised so as to put on nothtng but in- <
telligent white men. }
I writp vou because you are a ouh- ,
i;? ?i ?- ?? "L-! -
iicivuill mill <?II Diii.spuKl'[l *_ynrisiian
man and are helping to shane th"
public mind and deeply interested in
the welfare of the country.
John I). Norris.
HER TREATMENT.
In a certain hospital of this town
there is a pretty nurse who receive a
number of proposals of marriatre ev
cry month. On one of the most re- )
cent occasions the proposal was made i
in this way: "Will you he my wife <
when I recover " I
"Certainly." i
"Then you love me " i
"Oh. no; thats merely a part of the 1
treatment. I must keep my patients I
cheerful. I promised this morning to I
run away with a married man who has
lost hoth his lens."?London Times. 1
VETERANS TO MEET
LATE IN APRIL
Dates Tentatively Selected for Chester
Reunion.
Chester, Jan. 7.?The South Carolina
United Confederate Veterans will
hold their annual reunion in Chester
on April 24-25. These dates have
been tentatively agreed upon by Capt.
W. H. Edwards of the Walker-Gaston
camp, United Confederate Veterans
of Chester, provided same is satisfactory
to all concerned. It will be far
enough away from the Washington
crav and hln<> reunion whi/?h will nr?t
be staged until the latter part of May.
The United Sons of the Confederate
Veterans will also meet in Chester on
this date, as is their custom.
Already Capt. Edwards is beginning
to map out his plans for the reunion.
In this he will have the assistance
of the Chester Chamber of
Commerce. It is planned to make
this the great and most enjoyable reunion
the old soldiers have ever held
in South Carolina.
It is planned to open up the private
homes to the boys of the 60s and
they will be turned over to them for
the two days.
WINSTON-SALEM PAYS
BIG REVENUE TAXES
Winston-Salem, N. C., Jan. 1.?
Winston-Salem has paid to the United
States government during the past
year in revenue on stamps ior cnewing
and smoking tobacco and cigarjttes
manufacturer here the sum of
$15,279,659.46, according'to the figures
if Deputy Collector N. L. Crawford.
Phis is a remarkable increase over
1915, the (inures for that year being
$9,228,444.90.
HOMDElG
CUTS DOWN BILLS
But It Must Be a Real Garden, Kept
Planted Through Season,
Says Hastings.
Atlanta, Ga. ? (Special) ? "The
greatest obstacle to permanent farm
prosperity in the south is the 'store
bill' made for food and grain that
could and should be grown on every
southern farm," says H, G. Hastings,
president of the Southeastern Fair
Association and of the Georgia Chamber
of Commerce, in an interview on
agricultural conditions in this territory.
"A real garden," says Mr. Hastings,
"properly prepared and planted, and
kept planted throughout the season,
will help mora to decrease store bills
than anything else the farmer can diST
"There are lots of what I term 'one
planting' gardens made, gardens with
a few struggling rows of beans, a few
dozen cabbages and tomato plants,
with some watermelon off to ope corner,
but that's not real gardening any
more than a youngster's first drawing
of a cat or a dog on his slate, is fine
art. Our southern folks generally
don't take the garden seriously, when
as a matter of fact the right kind of
a garden, containing a full line of
vegetables and kept busy all season,
is reasonably sure of furnishing at
least half the livinc nf the fomiw
"I have never seen a 'one crop' section,
regardless of what particular one
crop was grown, that did not have a
poverty-stricken look, with poor school
buildings, churches and homes.
"1 have never seen a diversified
section that did not have the signs of
prosperity sticking out all over it.
"And on practically every farm in
these prosperous diversified sections
the home garden has an honored
place.
"I haven't a thing In the world
against the supply and general merchants,
but if all of our people would
take the home garden seriously, half
of them would have to go out of business
for lack of trade. Give your garden
a square deal in 1917.
Admiral George Dewey, the hero of
Manila Bay .celebrated his 7!>th birthlay
Tuesday.
DON'T SCOLD, MOTHER!
inr, i itursrs i mild is
BILIOUS, FEVERISH
Look at Tongue! If Coated, Clean
Little Stomach, Liver,
Bowels.
Don't scold your fretful, peevish
;hild. See if tongue is coated; this is
i sure sign its little stomach, liver and
>owels are clogged with sour waste.
When listless, pale, feverish, full of
old, breath bad, throat sore, doesn't
?at, sleep or act naturally, has stomich-ache,
indigestion, diarrhoea, give
i teaspoonful of "California Syrup of
Pigs," and in a few hours all the foul
waste, the sour bile and ferm<Vtjng
food passes out of the bowels and you
nave a well and playful child again.
Children love this harmless "fruit
axative," and mothers can rest easy
nfter giving it, because it never fails
to make their little "insides" clean
ind sweet.
Keep it handy, Mother! A little
riven today saves a sick child tomorrow,
hut tret the genuine. Ask your
Irujrtrist for a r>0-cent bottle of "California
Syrup of Figs." which has directions
for babies, children of a'!
itres and for trrown-ups plainly on the
tiottle. Remember there are counterfeits
sold here, so surely look and see
that yours is made by the "California
Fitr Syrup Company." Hand back
with contempt any other fitr syrup.
^^????????
Anne
! <1 Ask any of th
fluenced them to 1
times out of ten w
f eine and tannin ii
j <1 Some imagine
But it isn't, with
turn at hand. Th
a high-grade Java
?only the nouris]
i cessed with a smi
\
Q Postum comes
has to be boiled; I
cup, instantly. S
right, they are ali
about the same,
efficiency in
p<
I %
r *
'1
A Wooden Leg is a poor
substitute for the real article,
but better than none.
Poor Plumbing is a poor
substitute for Good Plumbing
and is worse than nothing.
Poor Plumbing endangers
your life, for it may cause j
fatal diseases and it is not
worth the time it costs to install
it, for it gives endless
trouble. =
We do Good Plumbing.
You will find that your money
has been well spent when you
employ us to put in your
Plumbing.
Workmanship and Quality
of Material Guaranteed.
Prices Right.
Union Plumbing |
& Electric Co.
Phone 205-J
A
mt
WHAT 18
LAX-FOS
UX-FOS is an improved Cascara
(a tonic-laxative) pleasant to take
In LAX-FOS the Cascara Is improved by
the addition of certain harmless chemicals
which increase the efficiency of the
Cascara, malting it better than ordinary
Cascara. LAX-FOS is pleasant to take
and does not gripe nor disturb stomach.
Adapted to children as well as adults.
Just try one bottle for constipation. 50c.
Dr. Virgil R. Hawkins
DENTIST
OFFICF. OVER MUTUAL I TnJ^n C
DRY <.<K)DS COMPANY UI1IUII, O. Vl.
al to Rea;
e great army of Postum u
try this beverage, and th
ill be that they were convi
n tea and coffee were harm
it is hard to give up cc
the delightful aroma and j
lis flavor somewhat
coffee, but there is no coif
hing goodness of wheat. 5
ill per cent of wholesome
; in two forms: Postum C
nstant Postum?solublelome
prefer one, some the
ke delicious, and the coj
There's better health. <
3STU1V
There's a Reason"
One Pair of
...Life til
Are you abusing and negl
you will pay the price later,
of all headaches arise from e;
aching, burning eyes that soo
and many other ills are due
strain. In such cases there i
that is an unfailing one?pro
SCHOOL CHILDREN sh
carefully examined before bei
if necessary, fitted with glass*
A ? M1
-rvn cAciiiiiiiauon will cost yo
is no need for glasses I will t
for glasses are very reasonab
every pair with an absolute
tion.
F. C. DUKE, 0
13 Main Street 1
SEVER
GOOD SECOI
FORD C
For Sale Cheap Oi
E. E. K1
T. H. MUNRO
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW 1
Offices Over Milhous Drug Co.
Nc
is Quinine That Does Not Affect The Hesd larg<
cause of its tonic aiwi laxative effect, I.AXA- or fl
117 1/ nu/\%*n ^
. . .. ?>w?iu yum i nr. is neiier niHii ordinary ufl?|
initie and does not cause nervousness nor ?
iK'i'K in head. Hrmembrr the full name and read
ok. tor the signature of K. W. OKOVK- 25c. you
wmnri? fun it men1
VE LENTO I?
Jr^Quinine Pomade ^
^ t1 o p r rijhtftl \V
IjAMtPUSIHi l MAKOARI'.T BEKKY wroU ui Cftta
thai they had l.ardly any hair, but afW utiog OSt ?
Hxelento y?*i can thn rrntilta on their f?iMnrc$
Kinky Hair cannot be made straight. Atla
V^.. A? I ' *
uu iiiitviu uuvnniir neiore It can l>e
straightened. Now this _____
EXELENTO 'OMADE f n I
is a Hair Grower which feeds the scalp ? ^
and roots of the hair and mukcs kinky. j
nappy hair grow long, soft and silky. It | ?V 1
cleans dandruff and stops f all.ng Hair nt Vo'ir
oncc. Price 2Sc by mail on receipt of , .
stamps or coin. r Colic
AGENTS WANTED EVERYWHERE. \ Bum
Write Kor PartlfuUrn it Onn ? fTfr*
tXIUNTO MEDICINE CO., Atlanta, Oa. ? l #
^tetna
son
sers what inte
reply nine
incea the caf flll
+/V
JLU1 l/U JLlCilllll.
ffee and tea.
flavor of Posnbles
that of
ee in Postum
jkilfully promolasses.
Cereal, which
-made in the
other. Made
st per cup is
comfort and
I
"
Eyes to a
Tie...
ecting yours? If, so,
More than two-thirds
ye-strain. Dim vision,
n tire, granulated lids
to some form of eye
s but one remedy and
pcrly fitted glasses,
ould have their eyes
ng taxed by study and
es.
u nothing, and if there
;ell you so. My prices
le and I stand back of
guarantee of satisfac.
ptometrist
Union, South Carolina
IAL
sid hand
:ars
i Easy Terms
iLLY
Free Flower Seed
tastings' Catalogue
Tells You About It
> matter whether you farm on a
3 Boale or only plant vegetables
owers in a small way, you need
ings' 1917 Seed Catalog. It's
y now and we have a copy for
absolutely free, if you ask for it.
Honing the name of this paper,
addition to showing you about all
irnniAifAa n#
vauctico ui TcfeciouiOD, ioiui
b, clover and flower seeds, this
log tells how you can got free five
idid varieties of easily grown, yet
tiful flowers, with which to beauyour
homo surroundings.
>od seeds of almost every kind
scarce this season, and you can't
d to take chances in your seed
>ly. Hastings' Seeds are dependseeds,
the kind you can always
nd on having "good luck" with.
>u are going to garden or farm
spring. Why not insure success
ar as possible by starting wltb
right seed? Don't take chances
you do not have to.
rite today for Hastings' 1917
log. It's free and will both interin
d help you to succeed in 1917.
. Q. HASTINGS CO., 8eedsmen,
nta, Ga.?Advt.
UB-MY-TISM
ill cure your Rheumatism
algia, Headaches, Cramps,
:, Sprains, Bruises, Cuts and
Old Sores, Stings of Insects
Antiseptic Anodyne, used in,11y
and externally. Price 25c.