The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-02-27
DR.. BARRETT, OF ABbEvILlE.' :

| Family.
Maj. VIM. Hoy in the Spartan.
1t is just ffty-siX years since bo.
oamo acquainted with DR.. j. p. Bar
rett, OF whom spoke in my sketch OF
Mr.. Van Patton. He was q native Of
England and ono of Abbevill's best
citizens. DR.. Barrett made success
OF every enterprise ho took hold Of.
lie was an expert in medicine, chem
tstry, farming, botany, and most Of the
useful arts that ho turned his alton
tion to. He was enthusiastic in the
support OF early manuf features in Spar
tanburg County, giving. all his pa.
tronage and influence. Ho was partly
educated in this country, being a
school-follow of McDuilie and other
eminent mon Of South Carolina. He
had few equals in botany and had per-
haps the best ilowcr yard In the Unitod
States. 1t contained about two acres
of the rarest flowers that tho world
could produce; | havo always regret
ted that did not get information from
him concerning tho resurrection
plant, which people crossed continents
to sec bloom. Ho had procured with
great trouble and expense for his botsn-
ical garden, tree called by some
botanists the classic cypress, but the
doctor said II was simply tho cedar OF
Lebanon spoken Of in the Scripturc
Tho leaf and taste were the samo as
tho native cedar OF that country, but
the boughs were only thrce feet long
and grew square from tho body of the
| tree. The doctor predicted that in
tlmo they would attain great height.
He had q splendid museum that will
mention farther on.
The doctor was president Of socio-
ty that l may fail in giving the cor
rect namo. For that society [ once
procured soapstone from what is now
Moore's limestone rock from tho
spring OF that name, iron ore from
Gatfney's and presented them to the
society, for which / received the most
complimentary letter. Of my lifo. The
letter thanked mo for my contribution
to the aid of science, the fine arts and
the general diffusion Of knowledge
amongst mankind. Tho doctor onco
presented mo with q brick that ho
said came from the walls around Jeru-
salem and sword fish. Much to my
regret my negroes destroyed them
| before got them home. The doctor
determined to grow tropical fruits in
Abbevillo. lie built what he called a
hot-house, three sidos OF the house
being brick, the fourth sido wool and
portable. lie hitohed up his team and
went to Beaufort and procured some
| fine specimens of orange trees, loaded
his wagon with soil that was said to be
favorable to the growth of tho orange
tree, had two Immense boxes made,
filling them with beaufort soil, plant-
ing ms trees IN tho boxes, and with
the aid OF short portable roilroad he
could run them out on q warm day and
bring them in when cold. by tho same
process he could give them moisture
on rainy days. Attached to the back
part Of his house he had heating IA.
cilities and by the aid OF q thermome.
ter could have any temperature he
desired. have seen his orange trees
loaded with fruit and lemons growing
when there was Gnow on the ground.
Elo took q premium at the State Fair
FOR those oranges.
At another time tho Doctor hitched
up his team and in company with his
school-master, Mr.. Read, went to Gov.
Hammond's farm in Florida to get
couriosities for his museum, Governor
Hammond gave him assistance.
have heard the doctor rotate, and
prove 1T by Mr.. Read, an adventure he
had with On alligator The doctor
stated that hc and Mr.. Read won't out
in boat into the Gulf Of Mexico and
coming in contact with an alligator he
| Jumped astride it, stabbed it under its
fore leg, killing it instantly, and bring.
ing it safe to land. 1t was about eight
feet long. Mrs. Marshall, the doc
tors only daughter, removed hcr IA
theirs museum to q house near her
residence In Grecnville. | saw the
gator" in 1t a little over g. year ago
Mrs. Marshall will hand ovcr tho key
| md q f,.1. &C
Tho Doctor must have bocn at
least sixty years old when he had that
encounter. DR.. Barrett got most of
the seeds that he used from England
and divided them among his friends
with lavish liberality. He had q
neighbor by the name of Richmond
Still. He added Duke to his name
and was known by no other name than
the, Duke of Richmond. The doctor
refused tho presidency of several med
ical colleges. Ho lectured on scion
tiiic subjects with great success, FREQ
OF cost. | once heard him in one Of
his lectures state that lime had to be
omnipresent to animal lifo and that
llfe would not exist unless one-tcnth
OF the matter was limo. His corn and
cotton compared favorably with his
neighbors. His garden cxcellcd. He
| uiiouShV 1llttU ChDDttSSS would 1atGon
hogs cheaper than any other xind OF
feed. In addition to his numerous
enterprises he carried on wagon max
ing and blacksmith shop. After he
had made g success in all his under.
takings he fixed up his residence. The
inside or parlor was the finest [ ever
saw. He sent to tho North and pro.
cured tho services of Van Patton, the
brother OF the perpetual motion man
This Van Patton was we'll known in
Spartanburg, and ! have seen like
ncsses of men in Spartanburg that he
drew from memory at Montreal, Cana
da, that were almost perfection. From
Spartanburg he went to Europe and
took lessons at Rome and Athens, and
at the time ho got back to Dl. }arrct,
his work was almost perfect. That
accounts for tho DOCTORS fine parlor
Why the doctor chose to have the bat
tie Of Lake Eric illustrated in his par
lor | do not know. Perha he hat
become entirely Amerjcanizcd. Tnc
painting was q gorgeous production
representing Perry In brilliant nava
uniform, leaping in his boat and car,
rying the flag to the Niagara.
L think, Mr.. Editor, | can give {