Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-10-02
giographital Sketth.
DANIEL O.. STINSON.


Lyman c. Draper, of Madison City, Wis,
visited South Carolina for the purpose of col
lecting materials to aid him in the preparation
of biography of Gen. Sumter. During his
stay, he called on Daniel G. Stinson, and ob.
tained from him much valuable information.
In the meantime, Mr.. Draper requested Mr..
Stinson to furnish him sketch Of his own
life. This he did; but being palsied in the
right hand, it was necessary to employ an
amanuensis. With this person the original
draft was left--a copy being sent to Mr.. ORA
per. Mr.. stinson being now dead, it is
thought the public would be grati6ed to see
this paper. I now forward it to you for pub
lication.
DANIEL GREENE sTINsoN.
NV grand father, Robert Stevenson, emf
grated from Scotland to Ireland, and settled
in County Antrim. My father-William
Stee' 'nson-was born in the year 1852, and
emigrated, with his brother James, and sisters
Nancy and Elizabeth, in the colony with Rev.
William Martin, in 1772. They all settled on
Rocky Creek, except my father, who married
a Miss Beattie, and lived within three miles
of Kings Mountain. He was engaged In
that battle, and belonged to the company OF
Captain Barber. L. .,,..a.s.,-.,...,
After the Revolutionary war, he moved
down to Rocky Creek. His FIRST wife died
about 1888. leaving six children. My moth
Ser, Elizabeth Wylie, emigrated from County
}Antrim, Ireland, with her brother Richard,
and wife Sallie, in September, 1887, on board
the ship Voiunteer, which was three months
, on her passage from Belfast to Charleston.
She was married to my fatherin 1889. They
had four children-two older and one young
er than myself My father kept. a public
house, operated two stills, owned mill, kept
a wagon on the road to Charleston, sold rum
and whisky, and some merchandise, in ex-
change for which he took deer.skins, venison
hams, bacon, butter, lard, tobacco and indigo.
He came home from Charleston, on one occa-
sion, two days before Christmas, with hogs
head of rum-the stills running every day.
Nevertheless on Christmas morning, he did
not have dram for himself, it all having
been sold.
I was said to have been born on the 1st day
of May, 1894. At that time my father was
on trip to Charleston, and Daniel Greene,
having no children of his own, had me named
for himself in my fathers absence. -.
Ny earliest recollections of anything was
when was about two and half years OF
age. have bill Of sale of some negroes
my father bought at that date. /, like most
children, was full of frolic, but when persons
were conversing, was great listener; hence,
treasured up much information which was
useful to me in after life. Schools not being
convenient, did not 60 until was eight
years old. The first school attended was
three miles from home, on the other side of
Big Rocky Greek. The teacher was Robert
Boyd. learned my letters the first day, and
at the end of two months | could read.
did not 90 any more for two years. Then |
went for three months, at the end Of which
time could read in the Bible. The next
year I went for about six months, and learned
to write. At the same time, there was young
man staying at our house who taught me
arithmetic I could work through the "rule
of three" in Dilworth. When only six years
old, was considerable hand in the tobacco
patch. From my eleventh year, l was a
plow-boy. The remainder of my schooling
was after the crops we're "laid BY" . ...
III 1CUt, Iuo lOTGluCdIlOuS VI Ia DSai ooi u,
near Beckhamville, were completed and gar
risoned by regulars. Military schools We're
established all over the country, preparing
for the war which took place in 1912. In
1910 I attended one of these schools, and
received considerable military training. My
father died in October, 1909. My mother
in October, 1911. ........ .........
On the 1st Of January, 1912, commenced
teaching school. I taught nine months, not
losing day. War having been declared,
July 18th, 1872 my friend Col. VIM. Ander-
son drew up petition, which was signed by
all the militia officers, asking to have me ap.
pointed lieutenant in the regular army. AT
ter closing my school, clerked three months
for Spencer Morrison, near the public works,
he being both commissary and sutler for the
troops at Mt Dearborn, where l had to at
tend two hours every day. Having failed to
secure an appointment as lieutenant, l con.
cuded to make an effort to get classical
education. .... ....
On the 1st of January, 1918, commenced
going to school at New Providence Academy,
Mecklenburg county, N. c., to Rev. James
Wallis. Here I spent two years also six
months with the Rev. John B. Davis, in the
Fishing Greek neighborhood, at the end OF
which time was prepared to enter college.
In the meantime, I had corresponded with
James B. Stafford, at Hampden Sidney COL
lege, Va, and John B. CASTOR, at Athens,
Georgia, being uncertain which college /
would enter. By this time my funds had run
out. l had only plantation and one negro.
both of which, if I went to college, 1 would
be compelled to sell.
My uncle, Daniel Greene, had always cal
culated on making me merchant, he having
amassed large amount of cotton and built
storehoase before the war but owing to the
hardness of the times, did not 60 into busi-
ness. In 1915, peace being declared and b.
naparte dethroned, thinking the times propi-
tious, he urged me to commence. 1 sold my
plantation for eight hundred dollars and en-
tered into partnership with my cousin, COL
VIM. Anderson, having the privilege of using
as much of my uncle's money as we wished.
We went to Charleston and laid in our goods,
but both of US being sick, did not open them
until the 18th of August. We advertised
that we would buy cotton and pay cash for it..
We were very successful, and at the end of
two years, had tripled our capital. | adopted
the motto, business before pleasure" gave
my attention to business, day and night.
When I commenced merchandising, my in
tention was to follow it about two years, raise
means and complete my education; but, in
the spring of 1917, our business being so
large, we concluded to have two stores. re-
moved part of the goods to "Walker's," some
-Lx L.