The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-09-15

hey QClQS, Muo ilNe'i HS"A
now the village of Packsville; MI.
Joseph Sprott, by birth a North Car
Gilman, but from youth a resident in
the section now known as Jordan,
and well remembered by many mem
bers of this Circle; Col. John O.
Brock, of the Pamela section, and
also we'll remembered by mary OF US
and Mr.. McFaddin, whose initials
the writer has desired for severa
years, but has never been able to OBJ
tain. The village Of Juneville, thec
possessing probably two small stores
and a drug shop,and situated just five
miles south OF the present Town o.
Manning, was noted place for mus,
ters and horse racing, and was very
ambitious of becoming the capital Of
the new county, and it is said by
many older citizens came near win,
ming in the fight, But there was a
strong sentiment in favor Of locating
the county seat as near as possible to
the cent,e of the new county. II this
sentiment did not prevail among the
masses, which it probably did, 1t was
at least the sentiment of the COM
mission appointed on location, and
thev, or Subcommittee, which from
the best remembered information
uas con,nosed ofMessrs. Levy Rhame,
Joseph Sprott and John Q. Brock,
engaged the services Of the late Capt.
Joseph c. Burgess, surveyor OF
note, to assist them in locating the
centre of the new county. This they
did by running two long lines and
taking the points at which they
crossed. The first line they began at
point in the extreme eastern Sec
ton of the county, ,atLynch'sCreek,no now
Lynch's River, and ran directly across
the county to Santee. Then they
began at point near the middle Of
the Sumter line, and ran across IN
another direction. The two lines
crossed at point about mile from
the present court house, across Ok
Swamp, not far from what is known
as the Blackwell place. The COM
missioners then began a general re-
connoitering Of the section looking
for high and dry place that would be
large enough upon which to locate
the Town of Manning. They rode
around considerably. and finding no
suitable location, crossed over on
this side of Ok Swamp and located
the town upon its present site, as
being the nearest suitable place to
the centre of the county.
The town fell upon Capt. Burgess,
land, and be gave the grounds upon
which the present court house stands,
also the old Jail lot just across the
street to the south, and which was
cut up into small lots and sold by the
county authorities within the recol-
lection of many now present: For
the purpose of convenience in as
sessing taxes and forming school dis
tricts the county was then cut up in
to nineteen townships. The town
ships by local name were known as:
Fulton, Calvary, Friendship, St. Pauls,
Santee, st. Marks,St. James, Concord,
Sammy Swamp, Manning, Mt Zion,
Brewington, Powders Mill, Har-
mony, Midway, New Zion, Douglass,
Sandy Grove and Motifs. Motifs
Township and portion Of Sandy
Grove were a few years ago cut off
and thrown into Florence County,
while the remaining eighteen retain
their original names and each now
forms school district.
Perhaps it will not be uninterest-
ing to give the names OF some of the
gentlemen who have filed the Offices
of the county, and in the order in
which they came since 1855. The
first sheriff that Clarendon ever had
was P. Margan Butler. He was sue
ceeded by his son, Y. Newton Butler.
He was in turn followed by Capt. D.
J. Bradham. then young man: who
remained in office until reconstruc-
ton in 1869. Then came T. ".
Arledge, who absconded while in
Office. from getting into money
troubles, then a man by the name OF
Parker, appointed by Governor
Scott. He was followed by the late
William J. Clark. Then came w r.
Burgess, then Major II II. Lesesne,
who remained il Office until his
death in 1891, and was followed by
the present sheriff, Capt. D. J. Brad
ham.
During q period Of forty-two years
there have been only six gentlemen
who filed the Office of Clerk of Court
for Clarendon County. The first of
these was Josiah NJ. Fielder, who
served twelve or fifteen years, and
was succeeded by his son, r. +. Eel
der. Then came w A. Barield. He
was followed By that late lamented
and much esteemed Christian gentle
man, James E. Davis, who remained
IL Office until his death. His un-
expired term was filed by our fel-
low-m ember, Mr.. \. G. Davis, and he
was succeeded by our present Clerk,
Mr.. J. II. Timmons.
The Office of Treasurer used to com
bine the duties Of both Auditor and
Treasurer, and was known as tax col
lector. It's first occupant under the
new county was Charles Frederick
Lesesne, who served from the begin
ming OF the new county until the close
of the war Then the following
gentlemen filed this position, and in
the following order: ". S. Brand,