The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-03-29
nrin;,;ve social ruggedness, grand honesty,

not be ingrafted upon such a vigorous wild
stock without engendering the pride-blight!s
Fifty years ago, the visitor in the Dutch Fork
used to hang his hat upon the hub of a spin
n;ng-wbeel: now he hangs itupon an elegant
hat-rack in the psssage-tEe passage that
had no existence then. Fifty years ago, every
chamber in Dutch Fork house contained
bed: what is now the parlor in the farmers
house, with ceuter-tabie loaded with gilt
edged books, was, then, the sleeping apart
ment of the honored father and mother.
Fifty years ago, nevertheless, these people of
the Dutch Fork had keen eyes for The accum-
ulation of proferty;-R a blacksmith, by
hammering out every dollar upon the anvil;
dollar in the circulation Of the sap,-if a
carpenter, By listening to the declaration of
his rights by the hoarse language of the saw.
Foremos. among such men was John A.
Summer.
will notice him first as a surveyor and
millwright The size of his head, from the
evidence of 'sthe hat" indicates brain of
mathematical turn. I am unable to discover
who taught him the elements OF ofTrigonometry,
so necessary to practical surveying. must
believe that man might have come to the
Dutch Fork in 1850 proposing to teach the
art of surveying in three months, just as
there did come one in 1880 to teach gram
mar in the same space of time. But I am
half-ipclined to think that the descendant Of
him whom st. Hubert followed with his dogs
from the Odenwalds in Germany to the
Stoue Hills in Lexington, needed for the pur-
pose Of surveying, little more knowledge Of
Trigonometry than what enables every car
penter to square every corner of house, nor
no better compass than the north star and
the pointers, nor better Gunter's chain
than muScadine vine dragged down from
the tallest tree in the swamps of Grimm S
creek Whatever may have been the source
of his attainments in that glorious branch Of
science which gave him right to be interest
ed in the transit Of Venus, the result was
that whenever there happened to be d vacant
mill seat, John A. Summer "raE round it,
and it became his property. Well-marked
traces of his work can beIseen this day. The
foundation Of the mill on Broad river, built
by him of rounded black hornblende stones,
mas withstood more than century of freshets,
and dozen superstructures have been
washed from it. How long yet shall it stand ?
and what conynlsion is TO remove it? AT
the Cohee Shoals ean be plainly seen, at this
day, the mill-raee which he began and did
not live to complete.
His fame as millwright extended beyond
the bou1 1aries of the Dutch Fork. He built
mills on the Saluda. One, somewhere near
Dreher's Shoals, has q very ludicrous Incl
dent connected with its building. Although
he threw hatehets, malletS, cnisels, and
handsaws at peoples heads, yet John Adam
Summer had 8 keen appreciation of the hum
orous. The wife of the man for whom he
built this mill, Mrs. y, was very
large woman. In fact, she must have been
enormous. The mill had been completed,
and Summer was gathering up his tools. BE
could not, however, fud the bag in which he
usually carried them. Seeing, not far off, o
clothes-line whereou were hanging many
articles Of wearing apparel, he snatched one,
for practical joke, and thrust into it the
TOOLS. When he reached home, his wife,
Mary. and his four daughters, and some Of
his neighbors, pointed out to him that he had
put two chiselS, good sized dogwood NAL
let, three augers, one handSaw, q hammer or
two and Ratchet, ALL IN ONE OF Mss.
Y--'s STOCKINGS! Surveying and mill
building were probably the earliest Of his
regular occupations, and he, no doubt, cor
tinued them throughout his active life.
Merchandising was also profitable busi-
ness ia those days; and John Adam Sum-
mer engaged in it quite successfully. My
grandmother remembered when her father,
in 17S1, as Tarleton's foragerS were passing
through the Dutch Fork, saved his goods by
packing them between the logs of the house,
and saved himself (why not) by packing off
into the hollows of the near Stone Hills.
Judge O'Neall, in his Annals of Newberry,
narrates the following Of Col. Summer: 81
have been often told that, on the field of
Stono, Col. John A Summer. then private,
was one of the men, who, under the COM
nand Of Philemon Waters (then, perhaps,
only captain) brought of au American
field piece. after it had been abandoned by
its officers and men," He then did not, in
the war of ''de Iutepentency"; and he was
only militia colonel. think I can give,
very nearly, correct representation of the
spirit that animated the militia of those days,
by depicting muster day anterior to the
Qualification Days" To ego to muster"
was far from being an arduous duty. If"old
Pricy', was present with her wagon-load OF
giDgercakes and barrel of persimmon beer,
and there was suficiency of playing cards
(some of those old time cross-log whist play
ers could have put Hoyle himself in per-
plexity), the people cared little for the trouble
Of answering to their names at roll-call, going
through the march and counter-march, and
breaking up with the DEMoRALIzING wheel
ing by platoons. The colonel, I suppose, got
through with regiment very much as
captain did with company. viii attempt
to narrate what took place at certain
muster ground, on certain Saturday. may
be, fifty years ago, go,-belieyiug that this de-
seription will be sufficient to enlighten those
readers who take an interest iu the history
of the Dutch Fork as to the state of the mill
tia in that part of the country during the
sway Of Col. John A. Summer.
Priey was on hand with cher man." Prince,
early in the day. The people assembled
briskly; and at eleven O'Clock the words
PARADE! PARADE! were uttered loudly, at
the same time that Gen. Greene's march was
shrilly played upon the fife, and brilliant
RUB-4-DUB was ratified upon the head of the
drum, to warn ali concerned that the time
for action had arrived. line was formed;
and the captain, with difficulty extricating
his sword-blade from the fabby leathern
scabbard. made q serious flourish with it over
his head, and ordered the men to ascertain
their respective numbers. They were then
formed into double ranks by No. stepping
behind No. 2. and then the orderly was COM
manded TO cali the roll. Now, This was q
very solemn duty. This officer was required
TO call every mans name loudly and distinct
ly three times. He was forbibidden 20 pay
any attention TO any answer from any other
person than the one called. There belonged
TO that company two men by the name of
Kulkel-Andrew Kunkei and Christian Kun
kel. They were brothers. Andrew was not
present, on the Saturday in question, and
Christian dreaded lest his brother would be
fined. The orderly began:
Attum Punterick.
Adam Punterick.-Here.
Ortlcriy.-Attum Coon.
Adam Coon.-Here.
Orderly.-Awn-ter-rew Kunkel
Christian Kunkel (FRoM REAR RANK, INA
SMALL PLAINTIyE yoIcEl,-An-ter-rew iss
NOT beer, to tay.
Orderly.-Awn-ter-re Kunkel
Christian Kunkcl.-An-ter-rew iSS not heer
TO tay, ant he viii not pc heer to tay.
Orderly Kunkel.
Christian Kunkel.-An-ter-rew iSs not heer
to tay, ant he viii not pc heer 10 tay. he iss
pit of schGake.
Then the captain places himself at one
extremity Of the line, and gives the CON-
mand: Forwards, marchw Bluebeard's
march is substituted for Gen. GreeneS. but
the RUB-A-DUB is as Interchangeable as decree
of the Medes AMI PersianS. Thus, 81 see
them on their winding Way" moving fo