The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-04-17
THE HISTORY OF THE CASE.

THE HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Thomas G. Clemson, who married
| the daughter of John @. Calhoun,
made Fort Hill their home They
lived there quietly and plainly. When
Mrs Clemson died, Nh. Clemson was
left as the sole occupant of Fort
Hill. He lived there almost as q
hermit, neverleaving his own grounds,
| but taking the greatest pride and
| pleasure in showing visitors over the
place, and NIr. Calhoun's library and
private rooms. No one suspected
that the old man had any money, and
only Il short while before he died Mr..
Gideon Lee wrote to q merchant ut
Pcndlcton and told him to let him
have any groceries that he might
need, and send the bill on to him.
Mr.. Clemson died in the spring of
1888, and the contents of his will
caused surprise. This old man,
who had been considered penniless
old imbecilc, had left the Fort Hill
place rs Il seat for the founding Of an
| agricultural and mechanical college,
and his private fortune, which
amounted to about 100000, as an
endowment.
This will fell like thundcrclap
upon the Calhoun family. 1t was
generally thought that Fort Hill
would descend to Miss Isabella Lee,
who was tho daughter Of Mrs. Glenn
son $ sister, and consequently the
granddaughter of the great statesman
Miss Lee was given the Calhoun
plate and portraits, and a bcqucst of
$4,000 on condition that sho would
not contest the will 1t had long
been understood that she was to let
John G. Calhoun, of New York, and
Pat Calhoun, of Atlanta, Ga., have
he Fort Hill place, and that they
J were to fix it up in grand style as the
old homestead and use it as . sum
mer home. They at once set about to
defeat Clemson purposes.
They cOntcnded that Clemson was
was an imbccilc, and that he had no
zeal title to the property, which was
his wifc's. The will looked to the
acceptance of the bequcst by the
State, and to its supplcmcntmg the
amount of money willcd by annual
appropriations to the college. 1t pro-
vided that the State should elect six
trustees to cooperate with the seven
named III the will.
This threw the matter into politics
and the question of the States ac-
ceptance Of the Clemson bequest was
made the chief issue in the campaign
for the election of the Legislature of
1888. The friends of the South Caro-,
lima college fought tho friends of the
| T~11
was the bitterest known in South
Carolina since the great campaign of
1876. The farmers won and sent u
majority of the adhercnts of Clemson
College to the Legislature, but the
bill providing for the States accept
mcc was carried through both the
House and the Senate The Cover
nor, however, refused to sign tho bill
He is allowed by the constitution the
right to hold over % bill until the first
three days of the next session, if he
wishes. He exercised this right on
the ground that he did not care to
make the State II party to the cause
then in the United States court But
when the Legislature reassembled in
last December, the Governor sign
ed the bill, thereby accepting the be
quest.
The executor Of the will then made
over decd Of the property to the
State, and the Encouragement was
instructed to cooperate with the law
yers already employed by the cxecu-
tor of the will in defending it in the
case now before the United States
Supreme Court. The Legislature
also provided for the Immediate ercc-
ton Of suitable buildings for the col
lcge, and for the opening of the insti-
tuition with complete apparatus and
full faculty at as early day as pos
siblc. Fort Hill is fine old plan
tation Of about a thousand acres,
about two miles from PcndletOn, the
nearest railroad station The dwell
ing is typical old Southern planta-
ton home. 1t sits on the top of a
commanding hill. The large white
columns to it's piazza attract the at
tcntion Of all passcrs by. The old
house is III fine state of prescrya-
ton, and contains all the furniture,
books, portraits and other relics Of
Mr.. Calhoun. The trustees propose
to keep the house intact Us n kind Of
Calhoun memorial.