The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-16
THE BURNT TOWN OF HODGES.
The Business Men Actively at Work
IN New Quarters. and Still Hope
fuI OF Il Bright Future.
HODGES, S. C.. April ID. lS9:

HODGES S. G., April ID, 1899.
The town looks like Il sborn lamb slice the
fire, but the wool has begun to grow and the
lamb " i'll ere the leaves begin 10 fall be again
robed in the warmth OF new colorS more
bright, and perhaps more beautiful, and The
COMMERCIAL pasture viii bloom in richer
grass. This Is foreseen In the nimble, elastic
movement OF the entcrpris;ng merchants who
have already emerged from behind the smoky
cloud OF misfortune. and have gone twink
ling into business in lesser orbs than before,
but with greater brilIiance. Not Il murmur
passes from the determined business men,
who have been hit this heavy blow In such Il
dull season. No, they move off in new ca
reer, leaving the smoke and ashes Of this con-
flagration rs mere punctuation point In the
paragraph Of their business experience. Be-
fore the smoke had ceased to curl Its way into
the floating April clouds, those interested
were hustling around for store rooms, which
were hardly available But necessity is not
astldiouS and Is q braye-though unpleasant
companion that leads one out of the darkest
and toughest slough, and She threw out her
"white wings" and opened up the misty nve-
nue. that led Simmons Bros. to an abbreviate ed
store room in the old CaSon building; j. w.
Emerson and Connor & Co., occury "curtail-
right of the public well. Thus it will be seen
that Hodges is not going into lethargy. She
is wlde-awake and the wide-awake young
men who have lost SO heavily say they made
it by energelic, strides and know they can
come again. Ten years ago they were all
poor men. They came 10 Hodges. entered
business, made money and to-day, amid the
ruins Of their abors for q decade loom up as
mas tyrs-as stainless as any who ever stood
behind the counter.
Mr.. Herman King jeweler. who occupied d
window in the store room of Simmons Bros,
lost all he had. But lie las tool up residence
with his mother, three miles from town. He
has only been married a short while. He Is Il
good work man, a high-toned young man and
besides his jewel-y business, Is Il good book
Keeper. Any one wishing TO employ Il good
1n a a.,
him.
Mr. Jim McIlwaine, the affilble postmaster,
ruStled his institution Immediately In to the
Rack ct Store, where he is now smiling!y artic-
ulatng the monoSyllables, eyes and "no.'
and Of course reading, according to law, the
postal cards.
Mr. Tnsley, who conducted the boarding
house in the second story OF the L0wrance
building, with his family, is at present com
fortably quartered In the home OF his son,
William, about three miles from town. Mr..
rinSley lost everything he had, amounting 10
more than a thousand dnllnrS, and being in
advanced years II Is certainly lamcntably
great. lie hopes TO be able soon again To serve
the public from his table.
Mr.. Ianccy NJ. Martin, railroad agent, with
his wife and little baby boy Charles, arc dom
Martin, one mile from town. Ieand his fun
ily boarded in the Tinslcy Hotel, and narrow
~ escaped: His loss goes above five hundred
uCllarS He had just furnished his room vii b
Il handsome 50 set of furniture. Among his
other losses were two handsome gold watches
One of them being gift from his grand.
father, Mr.. Il. \. Martin, which he prizes
above all his other goods. His little Charles
is Just as bright and pretty us the dew drop
on The rose.
Among the incidents of the fire, while there
drc many, we shall Just mention This one and
Il brighter, more worthy incident appears In
the chronicied her0iSm of woman'S bravery
IN no town. During the heat of the fire,
when dySpep,ic men drew away from the
llnme with their hat held up ;iS Il shield
against its heat, two young ludics brayed
their way through the smoke and entered the
store of Simmons Bros, and began. with the
SmoothnesS ana precision of veteran 1lremen,
TO toss the goods from the shelves to the
street, one standing upon the counter hand
ing to the other who stood with hands ever
ready 10 receive the article and send it spin
ming into safety. Miss Mamie Hodges and
Miss Lon Simmons are our heroines.
Mr.. I,OwraucH, Of Columbia, Will immedi.
ately erect Two com m0dious store rooms. Mr..
r. J. Ellis will rebuild also. 1t Is thought all
the stores will be rebuilt with perhaps. q mum.
ber OF new ones.
Mrs Anna Graham, rcict of the late Albert
Graham, died on Sunday morning. She has
long been sufferer from consumption. She
was q good woman, one of those amiahle,
sympathetic and pious persons whose pres
ence is sunshine.
The friends of Mr.. Courtney AcGee will re-
grct to lenrn that lie is at home and Is the WIG
tim uf consumption. J.. II. i.