Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-02-29

was assigned the duty of examining
these places to find the hiding place
of the hogs. The investigation was
completed and no discovery made.
But, mind you, nobody else had suf-
fered from the, depredations Of the
hogs but Mr.. Kennedy. The case
was truly perplexing. Finally it
was discovered that a large hollow
log lying across the fence afforded a
convenient pathway for ingress and
egress, which she had utilized. In
place Of stopping the hole in the log,
it was rolled off and the fence re-
paired. Charles, almost as cunning
as his adversary, concluded he would
take stand and shoot the trespasser
in case another attempt was made to
raid the cornfeld. So he posted
himself conveniently that night,
thinking he could accomplish this
end. The moon was shining bright
ly when she came tripping stealthi-
ly to her crossing place. She shot
through the log like an arrow and
came out on the same side of the
fence she wentin. Not satisfied, she
made another attempt with the same
result. She. now realized the fact
that things were not as they once
were, and in disgust, she gave up the
enterprise.
Benton" got its name from old
man Ben Childers, who lived there
ever since 1 knew him. This was
a thick settlement of renters, on the
plantation of Mr.. Thomas M. White
sides, on Bullock's Creek. Ben Chill
ders was somewhat of king among
them. Many good families Of indus
trious poor people were numbered
among them. Some of them lived
there great many years, and I have
no idea that they ever made but one
contract with their landlord. When
ever a new year set in they began
their farm work as usual, and in the
fall paid the usual rents. There were
never any disagreements between
employer and employed. All, or
most of them, at least, had full corn
cribs and fat horses the year round,
lived we'll, and owed nothing they
were unable to pay. Very different,
indeed, from the average renter of
this day and time.
Uncle Ben and his boys were great
"coon" hunters, as we'll as the Foster
boys and Mr.. James Plexico who
lived there and still lives near that
modest little town, Hoodtown. Mr..
PleXico, then in the prime of his
life, had as good pack of hounds as
Western York ever produced, and
no man ever took more delight in
following them than he did. There
was not hole in Bullock's Creek,
Beaverdam or Lewis Greek, but that
they would plunge into after coon,
even if the water was cold as ice.
Sam M. Strain used to take an active
part in this amusement, and was
nevertoo tired "to 20 with the boys"
The old "race track" near the Bar
clay place, was a great 'possum hunt.
ing ground, and Yves. Kennedy used
to go there almost every night during
the fall season. He had an old dog
he called Bruno. Bruno couldn't
yelp on trail like most hounds. He
had to stop and then give a kind of
roar. Boo, boo, boo, about three
times at one exercise, and then in
a few minutes he would repeat the
same thing in the same way until
he "treed." Then it was boo, boo,
boo, until the game was captured.
He had also an Irish hound he call
ed "Crine." DR.. James A. Smith
can tell something of Crime, as Mr..
Kennedy, got him from his family
when they moved West, in about
1851 or '52. .., ....
Next to the Barclay place for
haunts, was the Dancing HILL"
The old negroes in Western York
have a natural horror for this noted
place. It is about a mile and half
from Whitesides' mill, on Clark's
Fork, on the road leading to Beer
sheba Church. Silly negroes have
seen dogs and people without heads
wandering about this noted place ;
and when a boy I have listened to
old negroes tell their ghost-stories
about the Hill until I couldn't sleep
at night. Whether this fOolishness
has died out within the last thirty
years or not, I am unable to say.
Certainly it does not exist to any
great extent now. During slavery
times, a hen-roost on Dancing Hill
would be less likely to have been in
terrupted than if it had been SUR
rounded by brigade of bulldogs.
To a smoke-house on that spot lock
and key would have been useless
appendage. A jug of whisky might
have remained there until the air
was redolent with its perfume before
Cuffy or Sambo would have inter-
rupted it. J. L. S.