Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-11-10
A Man Of Ye Olden Time.

We we're pleased to meet on the streets
of Yorkvillc, last Thursday, Mr.. Ehcnv$er
w. Smith, better known TO our older u.,i+
zens as "Abc" Smith, father ,cf Tir: j.
Harvey Su,ith, OF Chester In the year
1855, Mr.. Smith cmigrntcd from this
county, to Brooks Gap. Jefferson County,
Alabama, where his HON, now is. For
twenty four consecutive years previous to
his departure from York, he was supcrin-
tcpdent of the county poor house, and it
tent official never served the people.
Mr.. Smith is a Verilablc and living link
between the past and present generations
as, should he live until that day, he will he
ninety one years Of age on the 10th Of next
December. lie is still active and jovial,
with memory unimpnircd, in excellent
health, and gives promise to 1.-Two for many
wears to come. lie has lived an abstcn,ous
life, having mover, during his life time,
drank as much at q quart of spirituous
liquor. He is of family noted for lon-
gevity. He informs us that he hud
brother to die in Georgia, about four mouths
ago, at the ago of ll5 years. Two years
ago, he heard from another brother, then
living in Louisville, KY, at the aye of IT
years, and he may be living yet as he has
not been informed Of his death.
Mr.. Smith ia native, wo think. of
Chester county. Having been bora in the
list century, tho eullicr portion of his life
: spent in comparatively new country,
and consequently his experience of those
days-ip the absence of railroad. steam-
boats, the telegraph and other modern con-
venienccs, was even more TYPICAL of from
tier life than the existence Of the hunter
on the far Western prairie, or the seeker of
gold on the Pacifc slope to day.
In his day, "wagouiugM was the univsr
sal mode Of transporting commodities in
land from one section to another, and the
owner of fine team and wagon was alto
pether as important parsonage as the
modern manager of railroad or steamboat
limo. In view of the unsettled condition
of the country, the occupation demanded
men Of enterprise, if not of moral courage,
Naturally of at adventurous spirit Mr..
Smith took to the wagon, just MS if he were
living his young life over now, ho would be
at the head Of some public enterprise, req
curing nerve and energy, and made seve-
raj "trips,~ which in this age of steam and
quick transit, would to the younger per
sons of thip generation seem almost inorel-
ibo. Among these trips, notable one
was made during tho war of 18l2-14, when
no hauled load of 1904 poundsof cotton
from Fish Dam iu Union County, this
State, to Philadelphia, for which ho re-
ceived, for hauling Sl3 per hundred
pouuds--or $500 for delivering the cotton
in Philadelphia With this load he start
ed on the 12.h of October, 1914, and he
calls to memory now the blaokened walls
of the capitol, which he saw as ho passed
through Washington. the work of the Brit
ish under General Ross, who attempted
to destroy the building in August prea
vious.
On his return from Philadelphia, ho
loaded his wagon with $500 pounds Of
butter, consigned to Charleston, for which
ho was paid $3.50 per hundred pounds
for hauling lie reached Charleston in
January, 1916, apd enlisting in the United
States army, was appointed wagon master.
in this capacity he started OUT accompanied
by soldiers, with baggage and supply
train en- route for White River, Arkansas,
then tho extreme Western boundary of the
States While on this trip horse belong
ing to him died The officer in command
of tho train caused tho value of tho horse
to be assessed, and drow an order on the
Quartcrmastcr General in Mr.. Smiths
favor for s75, the assessed value Of tho
animal, but up to tho, -"'s%n' = 20 tho
order has MT beer oHothor who was equa"os.
bowcvop vet to ,-Iconcealed weapon it must
tho amonnt- ii''ion that all who arc near
full of success, A"0 jury '0"ho 1no defend
thoric purse
debts, and oe thinks the boy living hcst
"Southcrp Wis q good boy has not been