Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-06-19
Visited by an Editor.

aa0t has recently been on q visit to
relatives and friends in Oconee
County, and writes interestingly of
his trip. Among the many nice
things he had to say we. note the
following ~ 35s
From Fort Hill we drift to Old
Stone Chnrch, Hopewell Presbyterian
church of former times, the congre-
CATION afterwards changing to Pen-.
dleton, Hopewell church was organ
lied in 179Q, just one hundred years
ago, whom log house of worship
was built. In 1907 the work of
erecting the stone church was com.
menced, and in 1899 it was CON-
j pleted. Some years later, tho exact
date wo do not know, tho wood
work was destroyed by fire, but tho
| stone walls were left standing, to be
] refitted with flooring, roof, doors and
windows. There has been no organ
lied congregation there for many
years, but occasionally services are
held thcre, and now and then addi-
tions are made to the sleeping con-
gregation in tho adjacent church
yard. Here are buried members of
families for three or four generations,
and there is a great deal that is
sublin,ely interesting in a visit to
their quiet resting place. Here is
the grave of John Miller, who came
from England and became the pio-
nccr of journalism in upper South
Carolina, and also the graves of his
descendants for two or three genera
tions; here is the grave Of Joseph
| Whitner, who came from Germany,
father of the late Judge Joseph N.
1 Whitner; here arc the graves of
General Piclens, General Anderson,
and a host of others, including the
unfortunate young Bynum, who lost
his life in duel with Major CATER
wards GoyernoD B. Il. Perry. At
the head and foot Of Bynum's grave
are two massive pine trees, which
tradition says sprouted from the
poles OH which his coffin rested when
he was buried. There was a heavy
rain, and the graveyard was reached
with difficulty as night came on,
owing to swollen streams, and when
the grave had been filed the two
pine poles on which the coffin rested
were set in the ground az tho
two ends OF the grave, and to-day
two pine trees are the only marks of
the place where Bynum was buried.
There is in connection with stone
church small tract of land, and
arrangements have recently been
made to lease a part of it, the con-
sideration being that the graveyard
shall be kept in q neat and proper
manner.
Monday afternoon we took the
train at Pendleton, from which place
it is an easy run to Ben Cleveland,
provided you have a ticket from
some point off the Air Line, as the
afternoon train does not usually stop
at that place, and local tickets are
not sold to that place for that train.
Bear in mind that what is now Ben
: Cleveland was formerly Fort Madi-
son, and that the post Office is now
simply Cleveland. This is now an
; important point for lumber, shingles
: and crossties, and other business is
: growing yearly. Here we spent
Monday night, Tuesday and Tuesday
night at the home of Mr.. Joel Jones
: and family and his good old mother,
} Mrs. Margaret Jones. The farm
was one Of those fertile river bottom
places settled shortly after the Indi-
) ans left. Much of tho land was
worn out under the old system
of farming, abandoned and al
lowed to grow up in pines, &C.,
after which it was cleared again and
is now old land for second time,
: though in high state Of cultiva>
) tion. The stone chimncys to the
: dwelling house are the ones origi-
nally erected, but the liouse was
burned down at one time and after
wards rebuilt. There is in theyard
, q grand old oak tree, nineteen feet
in circumference, with outstretched
limbs covering an area Of 150 feet.
It Is now shading the fourth genera
ton. T,
i, Leaving this interesting place
early Wednesday morning, we went
five miles (regulation Oconce miles,
> up the Tugaloo Valley to the home Of
! MrILconard Jones, a lovely spot in
: a cove about half mile from Tuga-
: loo River. This farm is one of the
subdivisions of the old Humphreys