Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-02-28
Strips uf gutal Aistorg.
"REMINISCENCES OF YORK
BY DR.. MAURICE A. MOORE.

before it came to the dignity of having u
store among its public enterprises. The
wants of the industrious are proverbially
few. Money too was very scarce; and its
need of course discouraged mercantile un-
dertakings. Moreover the condition Of the
roads was such it was huge undertaking
to get on small stock of goods. Still, you
must not jump to conclusion and suppose
that your grand DANES and great grand
DANES, were debarred that well known de-
light of feminine life, and were altogether
cut off from shopping.
The peddler's pack opened once or twice
year at their doors and gave them sea-
son of qualification more intensely enjoyed
from its unfrequent occurrence, than
promenade Of main street with DObson,
Adickes, &C., to call on once or twice week
asat present, by her descendants. The open
ed goods of the travelling vender. offered
what her cards, wheel and loom could not
supply. Needles, pins, buttons and scissors
were laid in as necessaries; and if butter
and cheese had sold we'll, out from the ira
ditiOnal stocking came the silver to pay
for the stuff petticoat or clock stockings, the
cOmely dame treated herself from the ped
dler's store. Or, happily, a rosy checked
lass had "lucked" we'll with her poultry,
and the coveted gold ear-bObs, or real silver
thimble were now possessed.
Three Of the first and most energetic Of
these travelling merchants, were James Pat
ton, Daniel Mcmahon, and James Latta.
They usually went on to Philadelphia-the
mart at which they obtained their stock
together; as the money bags they carried
in those early times waylaid the road, as in
their unity they found strength to resist
these attacks. For further mutual benefit
and protection, each took circuit, to which
bounds he confined his peregrinations, thus
securing large profits by monopoly.
Patton's division was from Spartanburg,
on through the mountainous region of Bun
combe, n. c.; and investing his emolu-
ments in the teeming lands of the latter sec
ton, laid the foundation Of large fortune.
McMahon's rounds lay from Spartanburg on
to Union, into Newberry and Fairfield, on
to York. Mr.. Latta's were York, Mecklen-
burg, Iredell, Lincoln and Rowan.
Latta was an rishman-indeed, all of
them were from "the gem Of the sea"-and
he had started forth to cross the main and
seek, in the new country, brave fortune.
He had with him one little son-R0bert-
three years of age, and left an older one
with his wife in the could country" While
at sea, his vessel was wrecked by terrific
storm, and the conflict with the waves for
life, for himself and little boy" seemed a
doubtful contest. The Controller of our des-
TIMES gave means to save, and, strange to
relate, the same day and hour he butfeted
the waters so wildly, his wife's soul was
launched into eternity, all unconscious of
the danger of her husband and child. Of
course, months elapsed before he knew Of
the afflicting coincidence, but it was one
frequently related.
For years, Court week invariably found
Mr.. Latta at Yorkville. Onsome planks laid
across benches in the public square, his va
rieties were spread open for the inspection
of the crowd, among whom, Of course, he
found many purchasers. If the weather
was inclement, room at McCalPs tavern
furnished shelter and convenient spot for
his counter. | wish l could give a bill Of
goods and prices sold on such day but it
is beyond my power.
Old Mr. Michael Moore, one of our per-
ambulating hotel-owners, opened the first
store in the village. 1t was modest assort-
ment, and Mr.. Latta's pack still retained,
unabated, it's popularity. However, the
latter, too, concluded to put up store Ut
tie later. His son Robert, now grown up to
mans estate, was left in charge, and thus,
in the infant backWOOds town, began the
career, as store keeper, of the man who af-
terward was among the merchant princes of
the State. No man ever lived, l suppose,
whose attention was more devoted to the
business in which he was engaged. The
large amount of property owned by his
father, was greatly enhanced by the indefa
tigable efforts of the son.
At the time of Robert Latta's marriage,
his father advanced him from mere clerk
ship, to the dignity of partner. This con-
tinued some years. In 1910, Robert Latta
visited England, and on his return estab-
ished himself independently in business:
He opened store in York, and afterward
had branches in Columbia and Camden.
He began dealing in stocks, and money
seemed to grow to his order
1t is not my purpose to trace Robert
Latta through his successful money-maklng
career-it is too well known in your midst;
but few words as to the character of this
man, whom | knew well from long assOc-
alton and family connection.
He was exact in business transactions to
the last farthiDg-OWing or owed it must be
paid. Yet the gift to a nephew, who bore
his name, of $4,000 in cash to enable him
to properly establish himself in business,
and the handsome marble pulpit of the
Columbia Presbyterian Church, prove his
to have been no niggard spirit.
/ always thought one great secret of his
success was his ndefatigability. There
was, to use a slang phrase singularly appli-
cable to him, a ''never say die spirit which
carried him through every crisis, either
mental or bodily. There was period in
his life when he seemed to be in the last
stage of consumption; but he would not
succumb to the great debility another would
not have dreamed ofressting. He through
out the entire day, would time himself by
his watch-Walk five minutes and lie five
minutes. One day, in this state Of health,
he rode around to my house in Yorkville, for
the transaction of some business, and during
the entire time so occupied, he observed
this regime, a bed having been prepared in
the room for his use.
In this low state, he determined on trying
the waters of the Virginia Springs. On his
way to them, some physician whom he casu-
ally consulted, recommended the use of the
nitro-muriatic acid bath to his side. He
tried it, and always attributed his remarka-
BILE Improvement to its application. Later,
a trip to France seemed entirely to restore
him, but he finally died of consumption, at
the advanced age of seventythree.
He was twice married. First to Miss AL
lison, of York, who died early with con-
sumption. She left two sons and daugh-
ter. Only one survived his father-the late
William A. Latta, whose children are the
only representatives of the much loved DIR.
John A. Allison.
Robert Latta's second marriage was with
lady of Philadelphia-M Dilworth.
She survived him several years, but is now
dead. His only surviving child-the daugh-
ter of this marriages. Mrs. Johnston, OF
Charlotte, n. c., a ''most noble lady"
Robert Latta was tall, spare man as dry
in conversation as in appearance, having
but faint idea of a joke, and generally