The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-04-26
MR.. CLEMS0N'S REQUEST.
A STATEMENT OF THE PROBABLE
ENrtNT OF THE GIFr.

Large Quantity of Land and Somo Per-
snnal Property Given for ~ College where
Agriculture and Other Branches Shall
Be Taught.
Crom the Gracnvillo Daily News, April l4.)
No event of recent years has aroused
mole interest among the farmers, and
the people generally, than the death, la't
Saturday, of Thomas G. Clemson, the
venerable sOn-in-law and heir of John G.
Calhoun, and his bequest Of Fort Hill, /"
Mr.. Calhoun's bone during the lutter
days Of his life, TO the State of South
CaroIina FOR uao as an agricultural col
lcGe
q reporter for the Grccnvillo De;,y
News went to Fort Hill on yesterday to
obtain particulars III confirmation of and
addition to the sew iacts heretofore given
the public. Ike waH fortunate enough to
meet thcgc the Hun. Il. w. Simpson,
Mr.. CltmSon'S TRUSTED friend aud agent
and executor, VII" hA3 eoIo from Pen
dl&tun TO Fort I.iil with Mr.. Lee OF
, New Yulk, who married Mr.. Cumson's
! daughter, and Miss Lcc, very young
lady, tie dead mans only grand child
AMI tho Grcat-grAHd- -daughter of MIR.
! Culh Jun.
Miss ln!C EGH not been to Fort Hill be-
/ fore since She was q suall child and
there WAS Il very picturesque SJche soon
alter her arrival when the old family
I (
| hair ana beard, gathered il The old fash
ioned, moss covered porch of the home
stead to SEQ and pny their loyal respects
TO the youngest representative OF the
family with which they have been iden-
| tilted so long.
| Mr.. Simpson is the only living person
who la, seen and read Mr.. Clcmson's
will, and "a he has not Yet prOhuted it
no was CVidHntly reluctant to talk Of its
contents Ill detail. AS So much has been
published, however, most Of IL based on
statements m0dO by AIr Clems III before
his death and s0mo OF it incorrect, Mr..
! Sim psOn communicated the most I'M
/ DOrtanL facts.
Mr.. ClemsOn's will was drawn several
years ago by the late Col. Jas. II. Rion,
! but several amendments and additions
! more recently made were drawn by Mr.
Simpson. lie hcQucaths to his grand
! daughter, Miss Lee, SD 600 i'll money
and securities and $50 acres Of the Fo"t
I iii place, with the provision that that
! tract ma, be bought IN AID added to tho
: remainder of the estate ut Il fixed price
Other lCShcics amount to $4,000, of
which $1,000 WAS paid before his death.
Al the remainder Of the Fort Hill estate,
WitA :nc buildings and tho rubniicont
collection of rare pictures, except tho
family pictures, which go to Miss Lee,
Mr.. CulhOun'S s furniture and books re-
manning i'll tue house aud the stocks,
bonds, money and other securities of
! Mr. Clemson, go to the State for the
establishment and maintenance Of an
agricultural college.
The Fort LII place contains 40
acres. OF this $50 umcs, rs already
stated, go to Miss ll@c, but can be pur-
chased to keep the estate intact at a
fixed reasonable price. Those intimate
ly acquainted With Mr.. CirmHon's a.luirs
! estimate that tho securities and cash re-
, manning after the payment of oil cncum-
! brMCcs and expenses will be between
$50, 900 and $50, 900, available for de-
velOping and "ndowing the college.
The mngWticCucc Of the bCQueSt can
no. well be appreciated without an
understanding Of what and where Fort
lhtl is.
1t Is in O2once county just 1T the point
where OC0nCc, PickrDs and Anderson
unite. II rIrs for some distance along
the SuECcu river and thence back into
rolling uPlaIds atd hcnyi y timbcrcd
woodland. The house StuudS Oh the
crest Of gently rising hill il the midst
OF a vide park, in avenue of Old and
Dcautifnl cellars leading to it. From the
front there jH Il glorious view directly to
the mouutuins until their purple lines
mlugiC with the horizon; ON another
side the view over looks the Seneca,
vending It's way among The hills, and
the Old British tort, from which the place
takes Us name and which is on the Fort
Hill plantation.
The residence is in sight Of the Rich
mond 4 DaMyiilr railroad track, ut q
distance Of half mile, ana ia four miles
from PcndIctOn, on the Blue Ridge rail
road, four miles from Central, on the
Richmond ~ Danvillc road, aud sever
miles from Seneca City, the meeting
point Of the two railroads mentioned.
II is hard to imagine Il rcQnsto fo
an agricultural college which Fort Hi
does not possess. 1t has nearly POO acre
Of the finest bottom land, creek ant
river bottom, 2lCnrcd upland, pastr
land in wide stretches and n great bel
OF first growth timber, and its uplanC
soil is partly gray and partly red land
1t is abundantly watcrCd with springs
:, wells and creeks and has all possibl
: natural convenience for dairy, bathing
, houses and laundry purposes Where
creek on it cmptics into the Seneca rive
there is Il good water power which ha
bcon used for Il mill which did the neigh
borhood grinding.
y fair estimate Of the value of the rea
) and persona! property included in thu
bCqucst makes it exceed $10l,OOO, with
ou,, Of course, including the pictures ant
furniture, which arc priceless. Contrary
to general expectation, the library is
very ordinary one, most of the more
valuable books having been borrowed
stolen or otherwise lost during MIR
Clem$oMs long period of retirement an(
partial illness
Tho property is given TO the State t.
be used as an institution for instruction
, in agriculture, but the will directs tina
, the college shall not be exclusively agri