The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-14

Now, they all hear sound that cannot
he mistaken. 1t is the continuous roar
Of water rolling over rocks. "Co-hees"'
grunt the Indians. All, Summer has
heard this sound before, but he has
never visited the locality that occa-
sions it. Thither they wend their way.
The first mill of which I have any
recollection is the one still standing on
the Lexington bank of Broad River,
about three-quarters of mile below
Cohees shoals, and a mile above Peak.
How far beyond my recollection its
existence reaches I cannot say. but
there cannot be much question that
John Adam Summer, the first took
possession of this mill-seat, although it
may be that his oldest SOD, John Adam
Summer, the second, erected upon 1t
the first mill. Half a mile up the riv-
er and close to its bank on the same
side can be seen to-day mill-race
thirty or forty yards long. 1t was dug
out apparently with considerable la
bor; though it never was completed.
Perhaps it was abandoned upon dis
covering that the site lower down,
where the present mill still stands, was
more advantageous. On the streams
now known as Crim's and Cannon's
creeks were mills in operation up to
the last half century,-until, in fact,
steam enabled men to put mills upon
the tops of hills. Nearly all these en-
terprises, growing out of the proverb-
ial principle, that necessity is the
mother of invention, can be traced
back to the energy of the original Sum-
mer family. Thus, however visionary:
MY narrative may appear to be, in
some of its parts, nevertheless it may e
received as correct, in the absence of
known facts, since in this case fiction
or truth has lead to the same we'll
known results.
The disappearance OF. the Indians
from the territory of Dutch Fork must
have been very speedy. A few wan
dering bands Of half-breeds, years ago,
used to go through the land amusing
the children by shooting with arrows
at dimes place in split sticks; but they
have entirely disappeared. must be-
lieve that at the beginning of this Gen.
tury1sOO)-now, nearly a hundred
years ago-there were none remaining
in permanent encampment between
Broad River and the Saluda. Wan
dering companies of various tribes were
passing, now and then, through the
Saxa Gotha region and remaining a
few weeks among the farmers, up to a
date within the remembrance OF my
grandmother. In the old house-yet
standing-where she died and / was
born, there was an Indian bow which
I often saw and handled. It was left
there by an Indian with whom all the
household of the by-gone century had
been we'll acquainted. This bow was
fully six feet long. 1t was made Of
black locust wood, as it was thought,
and was of such toughness that no
white man was able to bend it, but
only slightly. At each extremity was
a short prolongation left for the attach
ment of the rawhide bow-string.
How valuable often is such simple
relic, not only in directing the thought
to the condition and manners of our
boyhood's home, so fast relaxing their
hold upon the memory, but precious,
moreover, as support for the appreci.
alton of literary beauties. When I
came to the age at which I began to
admire pictures in rhyme of stirring
events, and my heart beat wildly as I
read these lines in the Lord of the
Isles, describing the commencement Of
the Battle of Bannockburn,
Earl Gilbert waved his truncheon high,
Just as the Northern ranks arose,
Signal for Englands archery
To halt and bend their bows.
this old primitive weapon enabled me
by its infiexible toughness to realize
the impossibility of bending, while on
the march, even such as its kind but
the archer must halt for that purpose.
Also when came to the lines,
raen slept each yeoman forth pace,
Glanced at the intervening space,
And raised his left hand high;
To the right ear the cords they bring
At once ten thousand bow-strings ring,
Ten thousand arrows fly!
This old Indian bow aided me in re-
calling the terrible turmoil resulting
from the twang of ten thousand such
bowstrings, and the rattle of ten thou
sand clothyard arrows against iron
corslets and bull-hide targets mingling
with the Highland slogan and the
English yell but the talisman is
gone; and my regret is great that
through frequent and long absences
from my boyhood's home I suffered
this valuable relic to make its escape
into the quiet of forgetfulness.
No collision between these Indians
and the first settlers in the Dutch
Fork was ever heard of. The friend
ship and confidence shown by one par
ty for the other was truly wonderful,
considering the horrible massacres that
took place, nearly about the some time,
in various other parts Of the country
such as Georgia, Alabama and terrific
ries further west. The enehantment