The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-09-30
WILLIAMSON.

Away back in the thirties. oil
beautiful autumn afternoon, an old
man. tired from his riding. stepped
from his horse and stretched himsel
full length on couch of fresh fallen
leaves, and soon was dreaming. In
his vision he saw gush out from the
ground at his feet a fountain of clear
water, which possessed along with its
limpidlty: degree of healing power
which was as marvellous as the Desc
to S Fountain of Immortal Youth,
and which was to be ''for the healing
of the nations. And SO vivid and
real did the dream appear. that the
sleeper no lougcr slept, but rising, he
found, even as he had dreamed, that
there trickled through the masses of
dead leaves and original debris, a lit
tie stream of cool, clear, water, but of
taste the like of which he had never
before experienced. He was delight
ed, his big breast broadened with the
hope that his dream might fnu full
Gllment in the building of a town
whose mission should be beneGccnce,
and whose history would prove the
accomplishment of his design.
1t is scarcely necessary to state that
the dreamer was none other than Mr..
West Allen Williams, wealthy plan
ter, whose acres we're to be counted
by the thousands aud whose estates
were as rich any ante Jcllam lord
could desire
An analysis of this wonderful water
showed that it possessed marked med
icinal merit, and soon its reputation
as an adjuvant to the treatment of
liver and kidney troubles began to be
established. Little huts were rudely
thrown up and after the fashion of u
camp ground, the marshy, swampy re
gion about the spring became village
in miniature, where lived, as at Be-
thesda, many invalids who waited for
the healing power to assert itself III
the building up of broken cuustitu-
tions and repair Of weary bodies.
Nor did they wait long, for the angel
kept the waters troubled and whose
ever would came and many we're healed.
Then began the town. Streets were
laid off, lots were sold. houses built,
schools and churches inaugurated,
and. in 1851, the village was put into
better touch with the world by the
coming of the Grecuville q Columbia
Railroad. This Road made necessary
the building Of larger facilities for the
public convenience, which emergency
was met by the erection of the first
hotel of the town. This was the
Hudgens House, considerable struc-
ture and well fitted to meet the de-
mands Of the time. But the continu
ally increasing numbers of visitors
made it impossible for the Hudgeus
to accommodate the public, and SO on
the site of this first tavern there was
built in 1858 what was then the larg-
est frame building in the State.
Three men from Abbcville, Messrs.
Nelson, Wilson and Tuston, invested
the sum of 500, 900 in the enterprise,
and their house was aptly known as
the Mammoth House. 1t was fitted
with every modern convenience, the
one hundred and fifty rooms we're
always full. Lighted by gas and
served by an army of trained walters,
the merry thrurg from Charleston and
the low country danced the hours
away to the Inspiring measures of a
splendid orchestra, or Strollcd out
among the magnificent oaks, catching
in every breath freshness, vigor. health
and happiness from the pure air blown
straight off the brow of Casar Head
and frnm the magic power of the
Chalvbcate crystal waters. which flow
still so constant. so free, so powerful
at the foot of the hill when t!lvy first
rush out to meet the sun.
But the ''bc>t laid schemes Q mice
:" men gang aft aglcy. This laagii-
ticent house. whose roof had sheltered
the gay and the grave, the sick and
the we'll, was destined to dcstruction.
In November, 1860, it was found tc lc
IN fro .,ui ,,,s hurnr1 IN rho c,rtl