Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-04-25
#istellaneolls 8eadiug.
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
"REMINISCENCES OF WESTERN YORK.

to say anything about old uncle Joe
Logan. His best days, and perhaps
his whole life, was spent in Western
York. Teaching school was his pro-
fession when he had one. He was a
pretty fair English scholar, yet not
by any means polished. He wrote
plain copy hand, and could indite
almostany common legal instrument.
"Uncle Joe" was like great many
useful men of the present day-he
would take little too much toddy
at times. 1t WAS while under its in
fiuence that he was most enthusias-
tic. His moral and mental worth
was the only thing he could talk
about then. With most persons,
when they get too much liquor,
their tongues get thick. This was
particularly the case with uncle Joe.
He wanted everybody to know that
"old Joe Logan Is a schmart old
animal. He's got more schenshe
than all the lawyers in Yorkville
put together" Sometimes he would
say that "Judge O'Neal is the
schnartest man in the Schtate of
South Carolina; Tom Bookings is
nextand old Joe Logan next. George
Williams is q mighty schnart man,
but he's a long ways behind Joe
Logan" He was peaceful man, a
Safe counsellor and withal a good
citizen. Many ludicrous incidents
might here be repeated in which he
was central figure, but prudence
forbids it. Notwithstanding his
civil, good nature he had pluck about
him and would resent an insult or
injury momentarily If, he had the
ability to do so. During the last
years of his life he spent much of
his time with old man Ben Childers,
of Benton notoriety.
Wheat cutting time was the occa-
sasion for neighbors to gather in and
make it a holiday season. The wo-
men of a neighborhood would gather
in, and, of course, talk over the
doings and misdoings of the neigh
borhood. a jug of whisky was the
motive power in the wheat field.
Uncle Joe was a great convenience
on these occasions to furnish the
amusement. On one of these occa-
sions it was necessary for the har-
vesters to cross Bullock's creek on a
log. Uncle Joe was old and clum-
sy; besides little top-heavy, and he
couldn't walk the log, so Henry
Price agreed to carry him across the
creek on his back. He found a place
shallow enough to wade, stripped
off his clothes and found where the
deepest water was and then got uncle
Joe on his back and started across.
When he got to the right place he
fell down and went under head and
ears and took uncle Joe with him.
He got out of uncle Joe's embrace
and began laughing at him. Uncle
Joe got mad and said: "Henry
Priche, if WAS young man would
whip you for this" The old man
Logan died during the war or imme-
diately afterwards. He had two
daughters tosurvive him-Mrs. Har-
riet Gozee and Mrs. Dock Bolin.
His son Wright died years before.
Next in my mind is old man Joe
Wilson. He, like uncle Joe Logan,
had his failings in much the same
way. He was not so well educated.
4 descendant Of Welsh parentage he
showed his nationality. He WIS a
cooper by trade, and much of his
work, ! dare say, can he found in
Western York today. His knowl-
edge was mostly from observation {;
a man of fine sense, yet it was not
cultivated. His debauchery lower
ed him below the plane of society he
should have occupied. Too profane
and vulgar for the companionship of
decent people, he made himself the
peer of his interiors. He could re-
peat the history Of Wellington, Ma
poleon and Waterloo with wonder
full accuracy and intelligence. Corn
shuckings and log rolling seasons
was the time for him to enjoy him
self, particularly if a jug of whisky
had anything to do with it. He put
in good deal of his time with old
Johnnie Bolin, near Smiths Ford.
When he died, he was buried at
Unity.
I'll venture to say that there was
hardly such a man in York county,
before nor since, rs old uncle John
ME Bolin. Uneducated and unpre-
tending, he was proverbial for his
truth and honesty. He was man
of considerable wealth. At the age
of So years he had never heard ser
mon preached. Old aunt Patsey, his
wife, was much like him in this re-
spect. once heard that 4 Metho-
dist minister by the name of McKib-
ben went there and began talking
about religious matters and old Mrs.
Bolin made him leave.
Few men lived longer, did more
good and less harm than uncle John
BOlin. He was an excellent neigh
bOr and 4 truthful and honest citizen.
He stayed ut home and attended tc
his own business. He would take
his dram and get little funny some
times. He had a contempt (as all
honest people have) for profanity and
vulgarity. In his day Western York
had no better farmer than he WAS.
He planted corn and always had hogs
and meat to sell as we'll as corn. 1t
has railways been mystery to me how
a man can have such reverence for
truth and honesty as he had and so
little for the other virtues of religion.
1t shows how near to and yet how
far q man can live from perfection. l
have heard him say he would never
sell bushel of corn for less than 80
cents or more than 10 cents. 1t cost
80 cents to- raise it and was worth no
more than - cents to the consumer.
Whenever a man went outside of
those figures he was wronging some
body-himself or somebody else. In
this he was eccentric; but | suppose
to the end Of his life he carried out
that conviction. How many men
are like him in this respect at the
present day? | don't suppose he
ever sold a bushel of corn he expect
ed the money for he did not get. He
had seven sons, all but one of whom
preceded him to the grave. I have
no idea he ever had a law suit or
was on witness stand as such in his
life, but many difficulties between
parties he was instrumental in set
tling permanently and satisfactorily.
J. l.. S.
A BURIED CITY.-That one of the
greatest of all of the cities built by
the Buddhists in the east should have
been forgotten and lost in the depths
Ill I -