The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-03-21
A Pacing Race.
r Y
BY AN Ex.ABBEyILLIAN OF
OYER FORTY YEARS.

From 1890 to about 1s4s thore used
to trade in stock to South Carolina a
Kentuckian named VIM. Myers, COM
monty, and by himself, called Bill
Myers. During the last years of his
trading he made Abbeville one of his
points. He was a jolly and rollicking
fellow, and besides those looking TO
his coming for q fine horse or pair Of
them, his arrival was hailed with Joy
by the "boys," for he was lone Of
them, although In his last visits he
had reached his over fifty birthdays
by several. He was full Of jokes and
stories, telling them we'll without,
at all times, special regard to truth g;
go that he secured the title and answer
edto it of Lying Bill Myers" He used
to tell Of his first introduction in South
Carolina and avowed his readiness to
swear to the truth Of the statements.
His first visit was in 1880 during the
height anu excitement Of qualification.
He was at home Henry Clay Wing,
but in South Carolina abroad he was
like st. Paul-''all things to all men"
to advance his cause Ito wit selling
fine stock.) He supposed from his
reading that South Carolina wass all
Nullifer and he came down to be for a
season one Of them. He crossed
owe the Saluda Gap and his
first stoppage was at Hodges, (;
where he found q crowd,
and raising his hat he sang out, "hur-
"a for Nullication," and the first he
knew q huge fellow bawled
"hooray, for Ben Perry and the
Union" and struck him. He got out
by "explaining" from a severe thrash
ing. He concluded he had got the
wrong end Of the story, and prepared
to correct himself at once. Going
down into Laurens he came upon q
crossroads store and grocery where
he found a crowd assembled, and
alighting and walking in to the ''wet''
end he shouted, raising his hat:
"hur.a for Henry Clay and. the
Union" which brought 10 front OF
him a linty little fellow mutterine
between his teeth, "whee-ray for Jim
Yarby and notification and dang
your buttons" and gave him q dig un:
der the short ribs. Quite astounded
again he asked leave to make an ex.
PLANTATION, which was that he was 9
Nullifier all over" and which he con-
tirmed by a treat to all such, Aftel
those two lessons he " developed
his political states until he had sound.
ed the locality ahd then he fell in
with the majority. looking we'll al
ways to his personal safety. Myers
dealt only in the finest stock and
ibis customers were the aristocrn
cy who always had opinions. He al.
ways had fine PAGERS and trotters, anC
to introduce them he was neither
averse nor afraid to stake a little or
them. About l843 he brought, with
others, q PAGER for which be asked
$500 land I think sold him for tina
to John Campbell Martin) and chal
lenged with him, for a pace for any
distance or amount, any horse in All
beville. The challenge was accepted
for fifty yards by two nabobs and pat
rons of the ''sllort turf from uppcI
Trickem. n of whom was Ell Jen'
kins Davis, a prince of that realm
with the privilege Of substituting 6
PAGER with two legs and two arms, g
huge fellow with bare feet and cope
ras breeches, named George Wash.
ington Scoggins, present. The gal
liant Kentuckian ''did'nt want a sofel
bet" The stake was $25 on each side
and would have been any higher
amount the Trickemites could have
borrowed. They piled all they had Of
could get. The ground was measured
In the flat or the Anderson road
above Judge Wardlaw's. At the sig
nal Scoggins struck on his hands
from a leap ten feet in front, threw
out his long legs frog fashion) ant
gave a squall from which Myes',
charger, ridden by himself, raj back
and before spurs could bring hin,
again to the starting point the stakes
were won by the man-pacer passing
out. The Kentuckian threw up his
hat declaring he had never won a race
that afforded him half the satisfaction
as losing that, and asked leave to add
TO 1t o gallon of peach brandy, which
was granted. He said Abbeville was
renowned for her Calhoun and Other
great men, and nov he could add his
personal testimony to its justice and
truth.
1t was said by him that he hired
Scoggins, and took him to EdgefielC
and won back with him double hi.
loss in Abbeville. *<*