Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-02-22

melancholy waste )" its fertile 1lelds
that yield an equivalent for the labor
of the husbandman; and last, but
not least, a water power sufficient to
manufacture all the goods that can
be brought within its reach.
Near the residence Of DIR. II. II.
Darwin, on Wolfe Creek, has been
pointed out to the writer a spot
by old settlers who said that this
was a great haunt for deer. The
ground contains salt, and in olden
times hunters would scarcely ever
fail to start or kill a deer at that
place. This lick" was the most
Noted in the country for it contain
ell strong salt. y
| On Bullock's Creek, below the
bridge on Quinn's road was what
was known as the Buffalo Stamp"
Here was another click" where deer
were killed. Hunters would some
times "prime" the lick. This was
done by filling canes with salt and
sticking them in the ground. The
salt was not so plentiful here as on
Wolfe creek. Near the head waters
of Wolfe creek, tradition has it that
vast treasures of gold and silver were
buried by the British just before
their defeat at Kings Mountain.
Beyond a doubt there is ground for
this conclusion, as old gun flints and
pieces of gun locks, chains and such
other paraphernalia as support the
conclusion that this was once a mil
itary campingground have frequent
ly been found here. The theory
advanced for the gold and silver de-
posit is quite surrounded by doubt
full circumstances, yet, at the same
time plausible. 1t comes through
the lineage of the old settlers as part
of the unwritten history OF those
stirring times. No one will for a
moment doubt the astuteness Of the
British commanders. They we'll
knew that they we're in a country
whose motto was "Liberty or DEATH"
and their first encounter must seal
the issue for or against them. With
these facts staring them in the face,
can the reader for moment conclude
that the Britons would risk their
treasure on the issue? That some OF
them would survive the death strug7
gle, or escape in case of defeat, was
quite probable, and in that event
their treasures would be quite intact.
These considerations support the
traditional statements, that, between
Kings Mountain battle ground and
Broad River a vast treasure is'hid-
though beyond the hope of a resur-
rection.
Htis but just to say that Western
York to-day numbers among its best
people the descendants of those he
roes who represented the American
cause in the struggle for American
Independence. The proof of this
assertion can, in many cases, be OBJ
tanned from the old records at Raj
eigh, N. C. Many tracts of land in
Western York are still in the posses
sion of the descendants of the origi-
nal grantees. By marriage and in
termarriage the names have been
changed, but the blood can be traced
to its legitimate fountain. They in
herit not only the blood, but the
spirit of independence that actuated
their progenitors to appeal to the
court of last resort-the court of arms,
to establish their rights to liberty.
Could the stately oaks that have re-
sisted the storms of centuries speak,
they would bear testimony to the
privations of women and children
whose husbands and fathers were
battling for liberty. They could tell
of the triumphant march of Fergu-
son to Kings Mountain, where he
fell, and his army received a blow
that sent a thrill of horror to the
occupantofthe British throne. They
could tell how the son was torn from
the arms of his mother, and the hus-
band from the fond embrace of his
wife, and marched off to prison at
the point of British bayonets. They
have witnessed the landscape lit up
with the blaze of burning houses,
while the widow was Knocked and ill.,
suited as she pointed with trembling
hand to the flames that leaped around
her once peaceful cottage, and finally
they have seen the British lion skulk
to his den, smarting from the blows
inflicted by the talons of the proud
American eagle. A few of the peo-
ple who witnessed and took part in
those stirring and memorable scenes
lived to give our generation an ac-
count of them, and we propose to
hand them down as a souvenir to
succeeding generations.
Old Uncle Robin Wilson, who lived
near Blairsville, and died at the ad-
vanced age of93 years, was a Revolu-
tionary soldier, and the writer has
often heard him tell of his battles,
and how the yeomen of the country
stood firm and received the charges of
the we'll disciplined and gayly dress
ed soldiers of the enemy. This good
old man passed to his reward be-
yond the grave a few years after the
writer became acquainted with him.
The place where he lived and died
is now owned by ex-Congressman
A. S. Wallace, and is one of the old
est settlements in Western YORK.
He was buried at Bullock's Creek,
one of the oldest and largest burying
grounds in that section, if not in the
county.
Until the beginning of the late
war, signs of military camps could be
seen near Smiths Ford, on Broad
River, on the plantation Of Mr.. John
Smith. Old Mr.. Adkins pointed out
the spot to the writer about the year
1858. He also had heard his mother
tell of the British ripping open the
beds and scattering the feathers to
the four winds. J. s.
THEY WEREN'T DIAMONDs.-Ev-
cry cheap jewelry "fakir" regards
the South as his special territory,
and the darkies, when they have
money, will buy of him anything
that does not cost more than fifty
49,.