The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-25
JERRY McCASLAN'S LUCK.|
From Slavery to Freedom m--From
Freedom and Poverty to Riches.
An Abbeville County Negro Bought Phos'
phate Mine for S14, and Is now the
owner of Untold Wealth.
The JOHN WIDEMAN ESTATE.

The JOHN WIDEMAN ESTATE.
THE ALMOST FORGOTTEN LANDS IN
FLORIDA TURN OUT TO BE IMMENSE
PHOSPHATE BEDS.
A Former Slaves Accidental Discov'
cry Makes His Dead Masters Es'
tate of Great Value.
A week or too ago, the Press and Bannel
published the fact that General HenphiIl
of his uncle Robert Hemphill, in Chester.
This week 1t Is our further pleasure 10 an
nounce that other citizens Of Abbeville C0nn'
ty have recently discovered that their Flori
da possession Is OF great value, and the PROB
ability is, that they will some day realize
large fortunes from lands which have hereto
fore been regarded OF little value.
Mrs. w. K. Bradley and the helrs OF JONI ~
Wiueman are now the lucky possessors o.
four thousand acres of rich phosphate BEDS ID
| Florida.
and General HemPhill, are alike subjects o.
glad OF their good fortune.
| Jerry McCaslan, a negro man VINO Was .
the slave Of the late A. L. McCaslan, anu war
emnncipated in the neighborhood Of Bradley
and Troy in Abbeville County, went to Flori
da soon after the war, and settled near Alaeh'
ua, taking an eighty acre homestead, for
which he paid the Government sl4.
He built cabin on 1t, and went to farming
in the regular orthodox poor folks style, ano
during all these years he experienced the
hardships incident to poverty In newly SET
Last year, while he was still merely hold
ing soul and body together with none OF the
luXuries OF life, and with but q ncanty snare
Of the necessities, he discovered q rock or
the surface OF the soil. Its peculiar appear:
ance excited curiosity, and upon having II
examined, 1t was ascertained TO be OF the
richest phosphate deposites, assaying eighty
dred per cent. richer than the Charleston
phosphates.
or course, the darky was without means TO
work 1t. and it happened that a Mr.. West
discovered the negros fortune, and proposed
to buy 1t from him.
Jerry said no, he wouldn't sell it, that he
had lived poor negro all his life and II there
was a fortune In II, he wanted To enjoy 1t him.
SELF
Finally, Jerry leased one acre Of his land,
on condition that he was TO receive a royalty
Of fifty cents per ton for a.; the rock That was
mined on that acre. The lessee went 70 worR
In January he mined eight hundred tons. ana
n few days ago the work was still going brave
ly on.
10 the Savannah. Florida and Western Rail-
way at High Springs, some three or four
miles distant, and strange TO say, all this rock
has been shipped 10 Charleston-Verily, "car-
rying GOALS TO New Castle The shipper de-
cllnes to say what price he receives for the
rock, but the presumption Is, that he receives
a price much above that which is paid Tor
the Charleston phosphate rock.
Another strange thing about thls rock ls,
that IL Is found upon high land, and the min
Ing Is done without the expense incident
TO mining below water or In marsh Ian as
which require ponderous machinery with
which to pump the water out OF the way OF
the miners.
Up to this time the pit is only fifteen feet
deep, forty feet wide and sixty Ieet long, the
ends being sloped 10 as 10 aamit ml a cars 10 IL,
the deposite has not yet been reached, and oil
course no man can tell how fur 1t may ex-
tend into the earth. A neighbor OF Jerry
bored q we'll to the depth OF sixty feet,
before the strata Of phosphate was passed.
We hive specimen of The rock on our Ia
BILE and 1t seems to us TO be Us good as posi-
Bile.
If the phosphate underlies the whole OF Jer.,
ry McCasan's place, In such quantity ana
quality as that OF The acre which Is being
worked, he may yet be richer than the own
er OF Dorn's gold mine, was In his palmiest
MIR Dorm cultivated the poor land for many
years, and until he was far advanced In life,
when the discovery OF the gold made
him notable throughout the country, and the
fame Of his gold mine soon become matter
of historic record
Because OF the war, which emancipated
Jerry McCaslan, Mr. Dorm lost his great estate.
For twenty years the emanclpated slave mas
been laboring against the bardships OF power
Now, he, like Mr. Dorm. when far ad.
vanced In life, has discovered mine OF wealth
on his poor farm which may yet prove oi
4, q
from the Dorm mine in Abbevllle County,
some thirty. odd years ago.
Born slave, lived poor and worked hard
for twenty years as n freeman, Jerry McCas,
aa may Sew Set IN
II he should have the mother wit TO know
how 10 save 1t. and how to spend 1t. he may
yet live in greater spendor, and enjoy more
beville county can afford, and being only
about fifty years of age, he .nay live for
many years yet to come.
But the story Of this negro's great fortune
is not without interest TO others In Abbeville
John wideman, the father of DR.. A. T.
Wideman, and of Mrs. w. X. Bradley, of
this county. died many years ago ago, owning
cause of the lack Of marketable value, the
heirs OF John Wideman could find no pur-
chaser, and they reluctantly paid the tax.
IT, aea ssp or dauSs hs seeause of
Wideman's ownership Of the land, "hone.
steaded" eighty acres OF Government land.
adjoining the Wldeman land.
Jerry's good fortune resulted In revea ling
the fact that the hitherto worthless lands of
his old neighbor In Abbeville county was ex-
ceedingly rich In phosphate deposites.
Mr. Thomson was seen on the subject, ont
refused to be interviewed.
Good news, like bad news, will leak out.
however. and from the village gossipa we
learn that the value of the estate Of John
Wideman in Florida IL simply immense, and
that no correct estimate eau be made OF II.
We are sorry that we cannot give all an-
thentic account Of this matter, but 1t Is re-
ported that spectators have been refused an
option ON the place at S8O,0D.
AS far as we can learn, the heirs are reti.
cent in reference to their good fortune. ana
we are dependent for current ruinor, which is
irresponsible. But we believe the statements
above made are substantially true in all their
important bearings.
II would seem that Mr.. Thomas p. Thom-
son was born under a lucky star. He has
good health, and is endowed with abilt ty and
O genial nature. He inherited good name
The building o ( the g., Z. N. railroad rnus
through his town lot OF sixty acres. Before
the rOud came the tract was worth $500 to
81 900. Now 1t Ia In great demand at prices
which would have heretofore been Thought
fabulous. He married one OF Abbeville' 3
fairest and best daughters, and now IL seems
that her mother will inherit an Immense for
tune in Florida phosphate lands.
The Press and Banner congratulates all who
may be Interested In the recent development
of the phosphate beds In Florida.