The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-05-22
A PEN PICTURE OF BEN TILLMAN.

A PEN PICTURE or BEN TILLMAN.
Livoly Description or tho Gentleman
VIII" was Suggested for Governor by
tho Farmers Convcntion OF South Car
OIn>.
In his report Of the fatmcrs' meet
ing at Anderson, S. G.. NIr. 4. b. Wi
hams OF the Greenvillc News draws
the following picture Of Capt. b. r.
Tillmau:
"Thc filst time ] saw Ben Tillman
was on that mOmrntOus day in the fall
OF lS1G when the lidg1iiHld and Lau
rem" delegations 10 the House of
Representatives were stopped ut the
door o. til" Stat" House by Federal
troops. il was inst after the most
@@rtOua crisis this country has known
3EiC" Fort Sumter WAS fined Oil
tllai tremendous iiftcGen minutes dur
inE which Il mass Of mfuliatcd South
Cafo,lH"nS were Wavcring between
ob2dIcnr" to Observation-Disclosures
moved ti'nn TO advance thirty DAr%s
anu storm the door Of The S;atc
House over the small group Of blue
clad men representing the Federal
government, and thc plcutjings of
reason Nnt, patriotism expressed by
Wade Hampton standing upon tuc
steps half way between thc opposing
parties. The danger was over for u
tlnle; the SHOT that would have snnD-
pei The strained bonds that held tho
people Of thc two parties thr0uchout
the country had not been fired. Ben
llllman WAS iuSi inSido thn door Of
the State House, l;nlin% against one
OF the Dig iiutrd pillars there. His
Dreccii"S We're III h% boots nnd his
dress IN 10 way ditier2I irnn t!.at of
hlndrodS Of mvn WhN W<,r:, there
that day from The SnTIus OF every
part Of the State. HrwaS nui.ccnblo
because he was apparently lost in
thought OF something far OFF while
everybody else was watching With
painful cnrg1rncES the events imIne-
diately passing and because there
vas about hIo month IL cynical and
hall lnochinG expression uS if he dis
appr"Tcd all that WAS being said and
done. Somebody said it. Was Ben
IlllmNn. | do not remember scein.
hlm again until yesterday and did
not hear OF HIM again in eight years.
Yet there Was something in his per
SonHllty that impressed me with
out the speaking of q word or the
movement Of a limb On MI the
many occasions i'll recent times when
L have heard or read of Ben Tillman
lie has come to my memory ~ no
was then.
"ClOsc and curious study OF his
form and face since we met on fine
train bound here yesterday does not
enhGhten me IS to why this man has
renamed Ill my memory while thou
sands OF others whom I have seen
and talked with and been in many
places and ways thrown with since
then have faded from it. He isnot n
large man-iust a.littlo above mcdi
um height. He is slcndcrly but
compnctly built-notn model lin build
or carriage or mould Of limb. and not
notlcoably awkward. lio dresses
neatly, wearing apparently for this
campaign black diagonal suit.
Probably the noticeable fcatulo Of his
face IS his mouth. He has. as Car
lyle said Of Daniel Webster, un "nn-
CRY shut mouth. 1t is inclined to
droop just at the corners after run
nmg straight across his face. 1t is
shaded by y rather short and scanty
moustacho of rctGsh shade. The
nose IS we'll cut, prominent md
shapely. Mr.. Tillman's one remain
ing eye is dark and hazel, full, clear
and bright-dcciledly fine eye and
lmp'essing one with the idea that he
lost HIS best feature when the other
was unfortunately destroyed. His
halr Ii dark and without gray, his
forehead IS Scamch with some lDics
OF though OF care, he ia forty-four
years Old and doesn't quite look like
It. That is the imam aS nearly as
words can photograph him rs he ap
pears IL rcp0se.
Gle IS rather ,lcmonstrativo-
little bOi"terous porhaps-in unro-
strained association with his friends
He has a curious habit when amused
of doubling up suddenly at the waist
and enjoying his laugh, co which he
seems easily moved, almoStin silence.
lie talks easily and cloarly, ending
sentence now and then with some
what flat dr~wl and pulling those de-
pressed corners OF his HIuNih down
a trick of voice and feature shared "
his elder brother, "UIpals Qaorgc."
lie is not n handsome man and not
an ugly one; his faco is II strong one
and there is something in it that i'm
presses itself on the memory. IIo is
not m illitcrNtC man and only Ocri,-
SlOnally drops into the m suso CT bad
grammar, which is II habit many
Southern public men have i'll speak
ing to q mixed audience. He doesn't
use tObacro, doesn't drink and saws
he has nearly rrok9n himself of
swearing; and he has a good leading
voice which he likes to use in singing
old-fashior ed hymn tunes"
The Greene county, Gu, ALL
l, 1 4 II