The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-16
Fhe Press and Banner.
Wednesday. May Is, 1879
heath of the Oldest Citizen of Able
willie.

Mr.. James Shillito, senior, died at his
esidence in this village on Friday morn
he last after a lingering illness. lie was
)rn OH the farm now owned by Mr..
ohm C. Douglass, June 2, 1900, and con-
#huuently was nearly sevcnty-Seven
ear Of age. He was the youngest of six
hild, en-, all of whom, except the Oldest
lister, lived to a good Old age.
In his boyhood he received a fair educa-
ION at the school then taught in the neigh
- orhood, and was at this school a class
nate of Judge Wardlaw. Being endow-
y d with u fine mind he at that time gave
fqually as bright a promise of q brilliant
3ntlre, but being less ambitious, made
ess achievements than his distinguished
School-fellow. He was a man of un-
Ewerving integrity, great physical pow
rs and energy, and Il h~ard-worker all
lis life, but being q liberal provider for
4hs present comforts of his family he did
not accumulate a large estate, as he might
= readily have done, if he had so willed to
DO.
In early life, he learned the trade of a
Shoemaker, and afterwards followed the
rade of a tailor, and enjoyed the reputa-
lion for a long time Of being the best me-
rhanic who had ever worked at the bust
mess in Abbeville. The first coat he ever,
lent was with a shoe-knife IN his lap
board, for DR.. E. X. Calhoun, a promi-
3nent citizen, still living ut Greenwood,
land of whom Mr.. Shillito often spoke and
lever cherished the kindest feelings.
Being strictly honest in all his transac-
|tions. and conscientious in the discharge
of every pecuniary obligation, he natu-
rally expected to find these noble princi-
pies in others, and owing to this fact, his
5confiding and unsuSpcctlnS disposition,
ALLOWED him to become frequently the vic
tim OF INSCRIPTIONS creditors, but his
warm hearted genial nature, his spark
ling wit, his superior intellect, his great
generosity in thought and deed, together
with his fondncss for company, made
him the general favorite of all who knew
him in his younger days. In later years,
however, in consequence of a too sensl-
tive nature, he withdrew more and more
from the society of his n%eighbors and
friends until at the time of his death he
might have been considered q ~rccluse,
and personally was little known to the
present generation, and OF course his
many excellencies Of head and heart were
almost unknown to them. Although he
lived within three hundred yards, he had
not been upon the Public Square more
than half dozen times in twenty years,
and had not voted at any Of the elections
but twice in that length of time--oncc for
Intendcnt and Wardens of the town, and
then, a few weeks later, he cast a vote for
Wade Hampton and Home Rule"
Long ago he was q great admirer of the
weIl-known DIR. Barr, and often will. his
family, attended Upper Long Cane
church to hear him preach the gospel, but
about the time of his death, or perhaps a
little before that time, he ceased to attend
religious services, or public meetings of
any kind, with a few exceptions, when
attending the funerals of deceased grand
children, and so, for thirty-five years he
has lived almost entirely within the en-
closure of his own premises.
lie was fond of reading, and being pos
snssed Of a retentive memory, was q man
of much more than ordinary intelligence,
and, up to the last, he failed to
make himself agreeable to any who might
call to see him, and it was on these occa-
sions that the genial warm-hearted ma
ture of younger days was so pleasantly
brought out, while he reflected the Sterl-
ing worth and character OF III unassum-
ing citizen.
In the Summer of 1928, he married,
Margaret Mahala Wardlaw, a cousin of
the Wardlaw family ut present citizens OF
the village. To them were born ten chill
dren, seven Of whom are still living, II
all but one, William. the Oldest, are mar
ried, and located within two hundred
yards Of the old homestead.
AS a mark o. respect to the deceased,
all the stores and other business houses
of the place were closed just before and
during the funeral services, which were
conducted in the Methodist Church by
the Rev. Mr.. Wightman. Thc pail
bearers were: McsSrs. j.. II. Cunning
ham, J. G. Edwards, j. A. Weir, w.
4. White, j. w. T~rowbridge, T.. {. Seal.