The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-09
VOL. XIV---NO. 26.
HAMpTON.s C0NyALESCENCE.
His Physicians Relieved from Anxiety.
CoIUMBIA. December %.

COLUMBIA, December %.
Authoritative reports Of the Governors
condition to-day confirm and extend the
information which has been published at
intervals for the last week Is to his con.
uedimprovement, and fully warrant the
confident hope now generally entertained
by those in attendance upon him that he
will soon be able to leave his bed. 1t
would perhaps De saying too much to
state that he is regarded entirely out OF
danger, since there are doubtless certain
contingencies incident to the nature Of
of his wound and of his general condition
which cannot safely be omitted for con-
sideralion; but it is gratifying to be as
assured, upon high authority, that such
contingencies are very remote indeed,
and it is not too much to say that the
physicians in charge of the case are not
Just now troubling themselves over mere
possibilities of evil.
Thanks to the consideration of gem
tleman in Charleston, Q. Rutledge
Holmes, the Governor was enabled this
morning, for the first time since his ac-
cident, to find some relief from the pro-
tracled WEAKNESS of bis sick bed by a
transfer to the ingenious and comfortable
couch presented to him by the friend in
question. He was removed from the bed
to the couch without pain, and expressed
himself as greatly benefited and pleased
by the change itself, as well as by the
change of bodily position it enables him
to assume. -,
Some of my readers will perhaps recall
upon suggestion Il characteristic anecdote
concerning the Governor which was pub
lished in the Ncws and Courier soon after
his first inauguration, and wherein was
narrated the circumstances under which
he wrote his first message, how he dropp-
ed his pen, put aside the tiresome page,
and divesting himself of the cares of the
State, went Off into the woods in search
of an errant turkey gobbler which he
brought home like another prodigal and
probably killed in its own honor. In
further illustration of this, the domestic
side of his character, it should be related
here that ever during bis present serious
illness be has found no small degree OF
diversion in having his pet chickens fed
occasionally before his window, and as l
am informed, has fed his favorite horse
from his own hand through the same
window which opens just at his bedside.
This reference to his horse reminds me
again of another significant circumstance
which has not before been made public,
but which certainly deserves to be con-
nected with any and every account Of
the deplorable accident which has so
nearly deprived him Of his life and the
State of the needed services of her most
illustrious son at the most critical period
of her history.
The account of the accident which was
published in the NewS and Courier the
day after its occurrence became known,
was full and exact in every particular
save one, and that omission now desire to
supply, as it answers the question which
| have frequently heard asked, Why
Governor Hampton of all men should
ever have consented to ride mule on a
deer hunt?" A sufficient reply might be
made to the effect that the Governor car,
ride any thing any other man can, and
therefore felt no hesitation in mounting
even 4 young unbroken mule; but the
true aud better reason is that he chose to
use the animal in question rather
than continue the hunt upon the horse
which he had taken with him, which
had already done him good service the
day before, and which he wished to spare
for the reason that it was not his own,
but had been placed at his disposal by q
friend. The Governor is a hard rider,
where his own is concerned, but he is
not one of that very large class Of man.
kind, who, according to the proverb, are
willing to ride q borrowed horse to
DEATH He left the horse behind, there
fore, upon principle, and took upon him
self the risk of riding instead brute
which few other men would care to
bestridc.
In This general connection / may as
we'll mention another fact in point, which
will be appreciated by any man who
knows the Governor or who has ever fol-
lowed the hounds, to wit: that the only
real concern the Governor evinccd at the
time of the accident, though suffering
keenly the while, was, in view of the
possibility that some bundering reporter
or editor might publish to the world that
he had been thrown from lis saddle.
| have seen it stated, somewhere, that
he was thrown and then kicked and that
it was the kick which inflicted the in
iurics he received. The readers of the
Nsps and Courier, however, know better,
and need not now be retold the details
they read nearly two months ago.
The Governors accomplishments as a
horseman and hunter are too well known
to need repetition here, and his fondness
for field sports besides being almost incl
dent to the possession of the ability to
enjoy them, is equally well known to all
who know anything of his habits and
tastes. Some of his friends are now tell
ing with great glee how on the Saturday
mir Int previous to the day fixed for the
amputation of his leg, his "ruling pas
sion" asserted itself in the face OF the
dangers which surrounded him and in
spite of the pain which he was even then
suffering from his still recent injury. 1t
had been raining hard and continuously
during Friday night and all day Satur-
day, and the depressing influences of the
weather conspired to deepen the gloom
his family and friends felt in common
with all his people in view of his situa,
ton then, perhaps, at its most critical
point. The Governor, however, was
thinking of fother things it appeared, as he
turned to one of his friends, who happen.
ed to be present on the occasion referred
to, and remarked that, "as it had been
raining so heavily all day, the deer
would lie driven out of the swamps and
the morrow would be famous day for
hunting"
am warned just here that in collect
ing and publishing these little incidents
oi his illness, l may, however, uninten-
lionally, convey the impression that the
distinguished sufferer who is the subject
of them all has been either unaware or
iuconsidcrate OF his truly dangerous con-