The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-23
CALHOUN AND CLEMSON.
"reminiscences of q Visit to Fort Hill.-Facts
About its Owner.


About its Owner.
The tidings have recently come Of the
death Of the Hon. T. G.. Clemson. Mr.:
Clemson's close relationship to one OF
the greatest, if not the greatest, OF
American statesmen, John c. Calhoun,
renders him parsonage of special inter-
est to the American people.
The name of Calhoun is synonym OF
all that is excellent in American states
The largest Drained man our
country has ever produced, one OF the
immortal trio of great national leaders,
the embodiment of the grand principles
of pure Democracy (not the degenerate
stuff now called Democracy q man
possessing an intuitive insight into the
problems of government, Calhoun stands
peerless in American history. Mr.. Glenn
son married the only daughter of Cal
houn, and vas himself for a long while
prominent in public Life, having once
filed the position Of United States MIN
lister to some foreign country-Belgium,
I think.
It was once my pleasure to visit Mr..
Clemson in his Fort Hill residence, the
old homestead of Mr.. Calhoun. The
residence is one of exquisite beauty,
situated on high point overlooking the
Seneca River, in what is called the cup
country" of South Carolina. It is four
miles from Pendleton, which is on the
Blue Ridge Railroad, and about eight
miles from Seneca City, at the crossing
of that road and the Atlanta and Rich
mond Air Line Railroad. My visit was
in the spring of 1877. Mr.. Clemson
lived in this country villa all alone. His
wife had been dead some years, bis only
son had been killed in railroad acci-
dent, and his only daughter was living
with relative, Mrs. Lee, think.
According to an old custom I was in
vited to breakfast with him. The meal,
though simple enough, was served in
the old.time style, in elaborate table
ware, silver plate, sc. The meal was
concluded with lucious strawberries OF
three varieties, sweet and juicy. After
breakfast we went to the lrawing-room,
and Mr.. Clemson brought out his pipes
and tobacco-several varieties of each.
He offered his guest pipe, which was q
century old, made of blue soapstone,
weighing not less than pound, and
having an Indians head elaborately
carved on it. He said that this pipe was
given by Indians to Mrs. Calhoun's
father in treating for the Fort Hill place
in 1777.
The visitor was at length conducted
to most elegant parlor, and was shown
the exact spot on the rich carpet where
Mr.. Clemson stood when he was united
in marriage to Miss Calhoun, the old
gentleman dwelling on these sacred
memories until the mist gathered in his
eyes. Around every object in the room
seemed to cluster many pleasant assocla-
tions with the loved departed.
The next place of interest visited was
the library Of Mr.. Calhoun, circular
building in the beautiful grass -csrpeted
yard, with an ice house under it. Mrs.
Calhoun used to say that she had the
ice house under the library to keep her
husbands head cool. There-all around
the room-were the literary treasures of
the great statesman, the largest and
choicest private library I have ever seen,
with one exception. In the centre of
the room upon stand was hfe-slze
plaster of Paris bust of Mr.. Calhoun.
Mr.. Clemson was an ardent lover OF
science and literature, and upon any
subject be could entertain with all
the fascination of charming romance.
How beautiful and thrillingly interesting
the most commonplace subject became
under his magic touches. After lapse
of eleven years I remember with great
7ividness his luminous utterances upon
one or two questions of mineralogy and
electricity, which came up incidentally in
free conversation.
He seemed to dwell continually on the
memory Of the grandeur of Mr.. Calhouns
great name and great fame. In the midst
Of his enthusiastic eulogies on the illust-
rious statesman he asked his guest If he
had ever read certain OF Calhoun's books.
His look of inexpressible surprise at a
confession of total ignorance of the
books referred to will never be forgotten.
It caused his guest to feel that he had
failed IN the one great end Of Life
mastery of the writings Of the illustrlous
statesman.
While so thoroughly acquainted with
all departments of science there was one
most Important branch of knowledge to
which he was stranger-the knowledge
of divine Saviour. he would say:
"These historical records in your Bible
are doubtless correct, because they are
supported by reliable historians; but all
the miracles that is related we're doubtless
due to some mental hallucination, or to
the fondness for the supernatural which
then existed. do not take any OF the
miracles which you Christians believe
in" Although he was very courteous,
be could not be persuaded TO believe
these to be divine books. In this state
of mind I suppose he died, but hope
not.
His ruling idea at that time was the
establishment of State agricultural in
stitution, and I remember how enthusi-
astic and eloquent he grew as he spoke
of the excellencies of Fort Hill for such
an institute. New that he is dead his
lovely home and an additional legacy is
bequeathed to South Carolina for the
accomplishment of his favorite scheme.
How appropriate that this beautiful
place, with all Of its sweet memories Of
the llustrious statesman, should become
the nucleus of an institution for training
those who till the soil of the State he
loved so well. L. S. FOSTER.
Carrollton, Miss, May 3.
B. 3. 3.
Botanic Blood Bdlna.)