Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-08-03
A FMARKABLE NAN.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia Press
in Columbia, South Carolina, gives the fol-
lowing account of a remarkable colored man,
in that State. He is one of many instances
| coming to light showing the intellectual ca
pacity of the negro also the barbarous treat
ment which the blacks have to suffer in the
South.
| Rev. Elias Hill is the most remarkable man
| in South Carolina He is pure black, and
was born near Clay Hill, York district, in
| 1919, of slave parentage. When but seven
years Of age, to use his own words, he became
afflicted" that is, rheumatism, from which
he had been chronic sufferer from infancy,
so contracted his lower limbs that he was I'M
able to walk. From that time, 1926, to the
present, the contraction has continued, and in
turn attacked all his limbs. His legs now re-
semble more the talons of large bird than
anything else, while his arms are so deformed
and his fingers so contracted that he has al
most entirely lost the use of both. His upper
and lower jaws are as tightly clenched as
vice, and to enable him TO receive his food his
front teeth have been extracted. He is utter
ly unable either to walk or crawl, and has to
| be carried in every instance. With all this
hdeous deforinity of body, he has massive,
intellectual head clear, sonorous voice, and
an intelligent, eagle-like expression. When
sixteen years of age he began his self-educa-
ton. From passing school children he pick
ed up an occasional letter of the alphabet
until he finally mastered that elemt ntary
study Then he undertook reading and writ
ing, and succeeded in both. His first lessons
were conned from the Bible, and possessing
all the natural fervdness of his race he be-
came deeply impressed with its teaching, and
early began the preaching of the Gospel.
Three different times has lie been compelled
to change his manner of writing. At first he
was able to hold the pen in the ordinary way
next he lost the use of his forefngers, and
was obliged to grasp the pen with all his tng
ers knotted in a bunch around it. The process
of contraction continuing, in his fifty-frst
year he has the power only of folding his hand
around the pen, and of scribbling thus the best
he can. With all his limited opportunities he
favorably with any man in the State.
Conirasted with General Wade Hampton or
any other Southern leader, he is marvel.
They have trod the most widely divergent
paths-the one the descendant and heir of an
aristocratie line reaching back for centuries,
raised in luxury and afforded the best educa-
tonal facilities of the land-the other born in
slavery, of ignorant parentage, raised in a
miserable log cabin, and shut out of all OPP
p0rtunty for intellectual Development How
ever, IN all York county, its legal and medical
professions included, there are not a dozen
better informed men than old Elias, nor one
with stronger intellect. He is leader !
amongst his people. Educated, eloquent, and
withal deformed, until he is almost mon
strosity, he has impressed them with a super
stitons reverence, and is implicitly followed
and obeyed. And yet this old man, who is !
unable to raise himself from the ground, who |
cannot crawl a foot, this poor creature has |
felt the singing lash of the murderous Ku- !
Kiux, has had their halter around his neck. I
and been maltreated almost to death. On the (
9th of May last band Of disguised men came
to his cabin, drove away a small boy who at
tends him, and after destroying all his books
and papers, more valuable to him than his
life, and, after his God, most worshipped,