Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-10
Straps uf gutal Aisturg.
"REMINISCENCES OF YORK.
BY DR.. MAURICE A. MOORE.
From the Yorkville Enquirer, 1870.

| H
----.--
From the Yorkville Enquirer, 1870.
In connection with the earliest days of
the Yorkville Bar, should have noticed,
before now, Mr.. John Hooker; but the
short period of his residence in our village,
and my youth at the time, caused me to
momentarily forget that his individuality
was once linked with York.
Mr.. Hooker was from Connecticut, and a
graduate of Yale College. On his first COM
ing to South Carolina, he was a tutor in
Gen. Hampton's family, afterwards practic-
ed law in Columbia, in partnership with
John Henry Egan, and there married Miss
Chapman. He had studied his profession
and been admitted to the bar before he came
South. After practicing several years in
Columbia, on Judge Smith being elected to
the bench, he came to YOrkville. Here his
perfect probity and good abilities soon Sc
only remained about three years, being in
duced by the persuasion of his friends in
Columbia, to return there. He left York
in about 1872. The following year he was
elected trustee of the South Carolina Col
lege, and lived but a few years longer. He
left no children, and though once busy
actor-even as vein life's drama, few live
who know there was ever such man.
| "What are men, who grasp at praise sublime,
But bubbles on the rapid stream of time,
That rise and fall, that swell and are no more,
Born and forgot, ten thousand in an hour
remember seeing Mr.. Hooker once when
1 was lad about thirteen, or, perhaps,
fourteen years of age. Court week, in those
days, was very, different in its observance
| from those of latter years. Frequently, at
such a time, there were more women than
men collected in from the country, and
those, too, Of entire respectability for wives
took advantage of the opportunity offered
by their husbands business calling them to
the Court House, to accompany them, and
it finally got to be the general fashion for
women, as we'll as men, to 60 the village
Court week. Tuesday, however, by kind
of common custom, was the day of greatest
gathering in. Children, Of course, came
with their mothers, and it was a perfect
concourse in the streets of all sexes, sizes
and conditions. On one such day, the crowd
adjacent were attracted by strange sweet
still standing Just below Roses hotel-clear-
ly heard through an open window. 1t was
certainly musical instrument, but an en-
tirely new one to them. The sidewalk,
next to the house, was soon crowded with
listeners, Iamong the number thus collected,
who enjoyed one tune after another played
very prettily. Presently Mr.. Hooker, with
Squire Sadler, came walking along. AS
they passed, the former remarked pleasant
ly, "the crowd seems fond of music" and
he and his companion entered the house.
In few moments they came out The
music had not ceased, and the gentlemen,
in coming out, had left the street door open.
One or two listeners construed this into a
permission, if not invitation, to enter and
see the instrument and manner of perform
| ing on it. That the entrance was not deem
ed an impertinent intrusion, the pleasant
notes continued by the performer proved,
so others were emboldened to do the same.
At last my curiosity overpoWered my boy
ish diffidence, and /, too, went in and saw
the first piano l. had ever seen, and the
first ever brought into York District. This
was about 1910. How many instruments of
the kind, and performers, now within her
boundaries, belong to statistics on the growth
of accomplishments! My remembrance of
Mr.. Hooker's appearance is that of a gen
tleman about five feet ten inches in height,
and altogether fine looking. His epitaph,
written by Chancellor DeSaussure, conveys
his character gracefully and concisely, and
therefore transcribe it:
Possessed of an acute, logical mind and
sound judgment, guided by pure integri.
| ty, he became very eminent member OF
the Bar of South Carolina. The public re-
spected him for his virtues; the Court es-
teemed him for his talents and learning ; his
brethren loved him for his amenity and
kindness. In private life, his unassuming
department, his active benevolence and the
purity Of his affections, endeared him to a
large circle of friends, but above all, to the
beloved partner Of his life and family"
-Rebprt Cfentunen was born in York DIS
trict. His father was an Irishman by birth,
and coverlet-weaver by trade. The op-
portunities Of education he was able to af-
ford his son were limited. However, he
acquired good English education, but was
no linguist. On first going into business,
young Clendenen clerked for his brother-in-
law in North Carolina. AfterWard he and
this gentleman-Mr. Hart-put up store
in Union District, in this State, in copart-
nership-AIr. Clendenen attending to the
business. BY this means he acquired suff1-
cient money to study "a profession. He chose
law and studied with Mr.. Hooker, in York
vile, was admitted in 1813 not long after
Mr.. Hooker's return to Columbia, and natu-
rally fell heir to his practice. He was very
fortunate in thus succeeding to a good busi-
ness, and his sound Judgment, quick intel
ligence, andpleasant, facetious manners, not
only enabled him to retain, but increase it
rapidly. Col. Williams and himself about
equally divided, forsom years, pretty much
the whole business of the District.
Mr.. Clendenen was always industrious
and did not allow success to render him care
less, In truth, his opponents at the bar
were men of strength, and attention to
study and business were necessary to cope
with them. Besides Col. Williams, with
great powers of popular oratory, there were
Job Johnson, man of much popularity and
ability Robert Mills, Esq, a man of great
perseverance and wonderful energy, and
others / could recall far above mediocrity,
who practiced in the same courts with him.
But never relaxing his efforts, Clendenen
maintained his fair position, attained by his
own industry and talents, up to the time of
his death.
He was the Senator from York several
times, going as often as he chose to do so,
and was always prudent, conservative
politician. He made handsome fortune
| by his practice, and married Miss Myers,
who also had fine estate. He had two
children by this marriage-both daughters
His wife, after some years of WidoWhood,
married DR.. Hemingway, and removed to
Mississippi.
Mr.. Ciendenen died before he was an old
man indeed, but little past life's prime
his constitution worn out by his own abuse
of it. How fatal has been the allurements
of the liquor fend to many of our promi-
nent men. No example, no warning, no
entreaties have proved powerful enough to
even though friends and reason repeat that
it is consuming vitality, and will cut short
the days as a tale that is told.
In person, Mr.. Clendenen was low in
stature, inclining to corpulence, with a
pleasant cOuntenance Between Judge