The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-04
THE QUAKER SETTLEMENT,
The Old Bush River Buryins Ground to be
Looked After.

Many years ago there was what was
known as the Quaker Settlement IL
Newberry. 1t was on Bush River
JudgeO' Neall in hisannals says, "Wher
the settlement, commenced or whence
ca lie the great body Of settlers, it is
out of my power to say with certainty
Bat thev came and were here, bit long
since as a distinct organization have
passed away. Judge O'Neall is sure
they We're here before 1862. But even
when his annals were written, forty
years ago, he says, "Everything relating
to friends here is now novelty" But
certain it is at one time they formed a
considerable and a very respectable
body of our citizenship. They had three
places of meeting, as we learn from
O'Neall, but the most important was
at Bush River, where they had meet
ing-house and a graveyard, where
many of the early settlers now repose.
1t is in regard to this latter that we
propose now to speak. The meeting
house has been removed during the past
twenty years. The meeting house was
just four miles from Newberry, near
Mendenhall's, now Langford's, mill.
Here, too, is the graveyard.
During the past several years the
grounds have been much neglected and
the graveyard IS wilderness of bushes
and trees.
Several years ago Maj. L. J. Jones
and several others started to have the
graveyard enclosed with a good fence,
and the rock post were hauled, but no
thing further was done.
In 1860 Judge O'Neall obtained a
grant from the Legislature, or rather
from Gov. VIM. H. Gist, as Governor
of the State, under an act of the Legis-
lature, establishing the mode of grant
ing lands then vacant. Judge O'Neall
did this in order to preserve intact the
Westinghouse lot and the graveyard.
In this grant it is described as the
Friends Bush River Meeting House
lot" There is little over five acres in
the lot according to the plat which ac-
companies this grant.
Mai. Jones will have an order passed
by the Courts transferring this lot to
trustees of the Friends Society in
North Carolina. who will have the
graveyard properly cared for. Mr.. Wal
ter I. Herbert has been appointed local
trustee to attend to the matter.
Last week Mr.. James R. Jones, a
minister of the friends, and Mr.. Elihu
Z. Mendenhall, came over to NeWber-
ry from North Carolina to look after
this matter. They were the guests of
of Mai. L. J. Jones while here.
They went out to the place and had
the lot resurveyed by Mr.. G. NJ. Girar-
deau and made arrangements to have
the graveyard cleared off and sub
stantial fence built around the lot.
The neighbors and friends will assist
in this work, and already the clearing
away has begin. This is one of the
oldest burying grounds in Newberry.
Mr.. Mendenhall is son of DR.. Men
denhall, who was once q prominent
citizen of Newberry. Mr.. Jones, as
stated above, is minister of the
Friends Soaiety, and on last Sunday
preached a most admirable sermon in
the Newberry Baptist church. He was
introduced to the congregation by Mr..
J. B. Carwile in very appropriate and
fitting terms. His sermon is very high
ly spoken of by all who heard it. He
also preached at New Chapel on Sun
day night.
They returned to their home in North
Carolina on Tuesday.