The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-19
fGrccIville News, 4 april II.


John G. Calhoun, and his bc4ucst Of
'Fot Hill.' Mr.. Calhoun'S home dur
ing the latter days Of his life, 10 the
State Of South Carolina for Use ;tS an
agricultural college.
A reporter for the Grr,Ivil!c daily
News went To Fort Hill on yesterday 10
obtain particulars III confirmation OF
and addition To the few facts heretofore
given the public. He was fortunate
enough to meet there the Hon. X. W.
Simpson. Mr.. ClemsOH's trusted friend
and agent and executor, who had gone
from pcndctOn To fort Hill with Mir.
Lee. of New York, who married Mr..
| Cleusou's dauyhtcr and Miss Lee, Il
very young lady, the dead mans only
grand child and the Yrcat-grand-dau2ll
ter Of Mr.. Calhoun.
Miss Lee has not been to Fort Hill
before since she was small child and
| there WAS very picturesque scene soon
after her arrival when the old family
servants, some of them with sno"
white hair and beard, gathered in the
old fashioned, nloss covered porch "t
the homestead to see and pay their 10y
al respects to the youngest representa-
tive Of the family with which they
| have been Identified 80 long.
Mr. Simpson is the only living per
son who has seen and read Mr.. Glenn
sons will, and rs he has yet pTobatcd 1t
he was evidently reluctant to talk oflts
contents in detail. As SO much has
been published, however, most Of it
based on statements made by Mr..
Clemson before his death and some Of
| ii incorrect, Mr.. Simpson ronmunlc;l-
ted the most important facts.
Mr.. Clemson's will WAS drawn several
wears ago by the late Col. Jas. II. Rion,
but several amendments ANA additions
more recently made were drawn by Mr..
Simpson. He bequeaths to his grand
daughter, Miss Lee, Sl3,WO III money,
and securities and $50 acres Of the Fort
Hill place, with the provision that that
, tract may he bought in and added To
| the remainder of the estate ut :; fixed
price.
Other legacics amount to Sl0,O'O, OF
which 81 900 was paid before his death.
All the remainder of the Fort Hill cS-
tate, with the buildings and the mag
niticent collection Of rare pictures, cX-
cept the family pictures, which go to
Miss Lee, Mr.. CalhOun's furniture and
books remaining III the house and the
stocks, bonds, money and other seclrl-
ties of Mr.. Clemson, go to the State for
the establishment and maintenance OF
an agricultural college.
The Fort Hill place contains ,l30
acres. Of this $50 acres, as already
stated, 90 to Miss Lee, but can be purch-
;iscd to keep the estate intact ut Il fixed
reasonable price. Those Intimately ac-
uuaintrd with Mr.. Clemson satfairs cs-
innate that the securities and cash re-
manning after the payment OF all en-
cumbranccs and expenses will be be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000, available for
developing and endowing the college.
The magniiicemce of the bequest car
not we'll he appreciated without an I'm
derstanding of what and where Fort
Hill is.
1t is in Oconcc County just ut the
point where Oconee, Pickens and An
derson unite 1t rul.s for some distance
along the Seneca river and thence back
into rolling uplands and heavily tim
bered woodland. The house stands on
the crest of gently rising hill III the
midst of wide park, an avenue OF old
and beautiful cedars leading toit. From
the front there is Il glorious view direct
| ly to the mountains until their purple
lines mingle with the horizon; on an
other side the view ovcrlOokS the Sene-
ca, vending its way among the hills,
and the old British fort, from which
the place takes its name and which Is
| ,,,, th., E,rt Hill IluDt,.ti0n
The residence is in sight of the Rich
mond Il Danville railroad track, and a
distance of half mile, and is four miles
from Pendleton, on the Blue Ridge
railroad, four miles from Central, on
the Richmond Il Danville road and
seven miles from Seneca City, the
meeting point of the two railroads mell-
toned.
1t is hard to imagine Il requisite for
an agricultural college which Fort Hill
does not POSSESS. 1t has nearly POO
acres of the finest bottom land, creek
and river bottom cleared upland, pas
| ture land in wide stretches and great
belt of first growth timber, and its up
land soil is partly gray and partly red
| land. 1t is abundantly Watered with
springs, wells and creeks and has all
possible natural convenience for dairy,
bathing houses and laundry purposes.
| Where a creek on it emptics into the
Seneca river there is Il good water pow
| cr which has been used for Il mill
which did the neighborhood grinding.
\ fair estimate Of the value of the
real and personal property included III
the beuuest makes it exceed SlOO,0O0,
| without, of course, including the plct-
ures and furniture, which are price
less. Contrary to general expectation,
the library is Il very ordinary one, most
of the more valuable books having
! been borrowed, stolen or otherwise lost
during Mr.. ClclnSon's long period OF
retirement and partial illness.
The property Is given to the State to
be used as an institution for instruction
in agriculture, but the will directs that
the college shall not be exclusively ag-
riculturul and that proper attention be
given to other studies and toa general
collegiate course for students. II the
State accepts the gift, the college Is 70
be under the management OF seven
trustees, named in the will, McSsrS. K.
W. Simpson, ID. X. Norris, B. H. Till
man, NJ l. Donaldson, K. +. Bowen,
j. f.. Bradley and J. +. Wannamaker.
In c:,St' the State refuses to accept the
rift these trustees are authorized and
directed to proceed with the establish
mcnt of the college, using an amount
specified in the will for buildings and
making tuition us nearly free lis they
may find possible or advisable.
Ii WAS no sudden freak that inspired
Mr.. Clemson action. AS long ago us
lS66 ne WAS interested in the establish
lucnt OF such an institution lis his will
provides for and he w,lS then active III
Forwarding" 4 scheme to procure private
gifts and subscriptions for the purpose,
.\tter the tragic death OF his only SON,
killed by railroad accident in ISL, he
became more than ever before interest,"
cd and erolvedand publicly announced
his purpose to devote the Calhoun
property To the glorious purpose of
promoting practical agricultural educ;,-
ton. Since then he has thought and
t.,)L- .I ,,urh nt rbt, Subipt.t and his N i'll