Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-08-22

LOVe-1uoh WY Ni~ wv
senate?
Answer-Because, being urged by my
friends, I changed my mind.
AT BARNETT'S MOUNTAIN.
The last regular meeting Of the county
canvass was held at Barnett's mountain,
in Bethel township, 10 miles northeast OF
Yorkville, last Saturday. 1t was also the
occasion of the annual picnic of the Bethel
band, and in many respects it was the
most remarkable gathering Of the sum-
mer.
The people were gathered from every
point of the compass, and there were some
from a distance of Is or 80 miles. Every
township in York county was represen-
ted but that was not all. There were also
people from Mecklenburg, Castor, and
even Cleveland counties, in North Caroli-
ma. OF all the big crowds that have ever
gathered on or near the mountain, this
was certainly the biggest. The number
was certainly not less than 1,5OO, and it Is
not improbable that it went up as high as
1900.
And the ladies were also there in
force stately matrons, misses young
and beautiful, sweet old grandmothers,
and also little tots. Many of them also
came long distances but they were not
nearly so numerous as the men. And all
during the fore part of the day, this LOOK
ed like serious matter. When there are
ladies at gathering like this, it is sign
that there is also not far off, something
good to eat. When there are no ladies,
the presumption is that there Is no lunch.
With the ladies in such small minority,
there seemed to be good reason to believe
that majority Of the crowd stood rather
a poor show.
The stands for the speakers and band
had been erected on the crest Of the noun
tain, several hundred feet, perhaps, above
the surrounding country. There were
also number of seats, enough to accomo-
date about 300 people. But these were
ample. It was only small per cent. OF
the big crowd that seemed to care any
thing about the speaking. The rest OF the
people amused themselves in various
ways. Some entertained such OF the
ladies as did not care to hear rths speaking.
Others talked politics, etc.
Mr. E. D. Thompson presided al chair
man of the political end of the meeting,
and in calling the audience to order, es-
pecially requested that if there was any
body in the crowd who had any questions
to ask, to instead of firing them at the
speakers from the ground, please submit
them to the chairman in writing. NO
questions, however, were submitted.
The time of the speakers was limited to 10
minutes each.
Mr.. Thompson introduced as the first
speaker Mr.. w. B. Love, candidate for
the state senate. Mr.. Love made, to all
iutents and purposes, about the same
speech that he had delivered in other
portions of the county. He was listened
to with close attention and without DEM
onstration of any kind. When he con-
cluded, however, there was cheer. A
man standing near the stand sent up a
sharp, piercing yell that could have no
doubt been heard by the rabbit hounds
lar down in the valleys, mile away, and
before those who sat nearest to him could
collect their shattered nerves he supple
mented with '.hurrah for Elder" But 1t
fell flat. Not another individual took up
the shout, and nobody else even smiled.
There was music by the band, and the
chairman introduced as the next speaker,
Mr.. w. n. Elder. 1t was to hear MIR.
Elder especially that the reporter had
made all the long drive to the mountain.
At Rock Hill on the previous Monday,
during the absence of the reporter, Mr..
Elder had boldly charged that THE En-
QUIRER had garbled his remarks and
otherwise treated him unfairly. 1t SEEM
ed that if this charge was warranted at
Rock Hill, it would be still more so in
Bethel, and it was the idea of the reporter
in the event Mr. Elder should repeat it.
to ask him to specify. But Mr.. Elder did
not make any charges. Just why, 1t
would be difficult to explain but surely
it could not be because he felt any delica-
cy in saying, in the presence of the re-
porter, what he had said while the re-
porter was absent. The only reference
Qo w IuC llS"oPePSAo "eS "AS'- NS
suggested that inasmuch as the people
had already read his speech, it was hard
ly necessary for him to 60 over it again.
The word ENQUIRER was not mentioned.
He also referred to the county division
matter in answering certain questions,
which will be found elsewhere and duly
credited to the Rock Hill Herald. His
answers to the questions were sub
stantially the same as reported by The
Herald at Rock Hill.
Mr.. Elder was followed by the candi-
dates for the house, who made their usual
speeches, and then there was recess for
dinner.
The people of Bethel are proverbial for
their hospitality. So far as there is any
record, there has never been a picnic in
the township at which there was any
scarcity of dinner. 1t was intimated
above that there were fears that on this
occasion the long record would be brok-
=, R,t euch fears were not iustif fed by