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

IIt W Ill vi 4nIS. SulROlln.
The decision is against Miss Lee,
however, and is final.
TIE HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Thomas q. Clemson, who married
the daughter of John G.. Calhoun,
made Fort Hill their home. They
lived there quietly and plainly. When
Mrs Clemson died. Mr.. Clemson was
left rs the sole occupant of Fort
Hill He lived there almost as a
hermit, never rlcnving his own grounds,
but taking the greatest pride and
| pleasure in showing visitors over the
place, and Mr.. 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 II merchant ut
Prndlcton and told him to let him
have any groceries that he might
need, and send the bill on to him.
Mr.. Clemson died III the spring of
1888, and the contents of his will
caused surprise This old man,
who had been considered pcnnilcss
old imbccilc, 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 S1OO.OOO. rs 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 the daughter OF Mrs. Glenn
- .Icfn l,,,
granddaughter of the great statesman.
Miss Lee was given the Calhoun
Plate and portraits, and u bcuucst of
$4,000 on condition that she would
not contest the will 1t had long
been understood that she was to let
John {. Calhoun. Of New York, and
Pat Calhoun, of Atlantis, Ga, have
he Fort Hill place, nnu that they
were to fix il up in grand style rs the
old homestead and rsc it rs sum
mrr home. they at once set about to
defeat Clemson purposes.
They contcndcd that Clemson was
was an imbrcilc and that he had no
real title to the property, which WAS
his wifc,s. The will looked to the
acceptance of the bcqucst by the
State, and to its supplcmcnting the
amount of money willrd by annual
appropriations to the college. 1t pro
vidcd that the State should elect six
trustees to cooperate with the seven
named in the WILL
This threw the matter into politics
and the question of the States ac-
ceptancc Of the Clemson bcqucst was
made the chief issue in the campaign
for the election Of the Legislature of
1883. The friends of the South Caro-
lima college fought tho friends Of the
Clemson College, and the campaign
was the Dittcrcst known in South
Carolina since the great campaign of
1876 The farmers won and sent IL
majority of the adhcrcnts of Clemson
College TO the Legislature, but the
bill providing for the States accept
ancc was carried through both the
House and the Senate. The Cover
nor. however, refused to sign the bill.
He is allowed by the constitution the
right to hold over Il bill until the first
| three days Of the next scs> ,Dn, if he
wishes. He exercised this right on
the ground that he did not care to
make the State party to the cause
then III the United States court. But
when the Legislature rcasscmblcd in
last December, the Governor sign
ed the bill, thereby accepting the be
| quest.
The executor of the will then made
over Il deed Of the property to the
State, and the attorncy-gcncrnl was
instructed to co operate with the law
ycrs already employed by thccxccu-
tor of the will in defending it in the
case now before the United States
Supreme Court. The Legislature
| also provided for the immcdiatc cree
tion Of suitable buildings for the col
lcgc. and for the opening of the insti-
tuition with complete apparatus and
full faculty ut as early day as pos
sihlr. Fort Hill is Il fine old plan
tati0n Of about Il thousand acres,
about two miles from Pcndlct0n, the
nearest railroad station The dwell
ing is Il typical old Southern planta
ton home. II sits ON the top of a
commanding hll The large white
columns to its piazza attract the at
tcntion Of I'LL passcrs by. The old
house is IN Il fine state OF prcscrva-
ton, and contains all the furniture,
books, portraits and other relics of
Mr.. Calhoun. The trustees propose
to keep the house intact rs II kind of
| Calhoun memorial.