The Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1896-1898, 1897-09-22
improving his property in the Cow
pens aud Limestone section. About

this time Mr.. Clark iuaugurated a
business that brought employment to
more men and brought more money into
the county than any twenty men had
ever done before. 1 will just remark
Mr.. Editor at this point that IL Mr..
Clark wheE In possession Of ell his fine
Tiger property hsd built fine church
and presented it to some religious de-
nomination, he would, for at least
twenty years, had the honor of being
the first citizen Of the old Iron District.
Mr.. C'ark's business reputation quickiy
enabled him to organize the South
CaTolin mspufs cturiDg company at
Hurricape Shoals, Oh Pscolet, near
Clifton, building a rolling mill, rail
factory, costing all sorts OF machinery,
causing a regular flow ofmoney through
the country until the wsr.
On the advent OF the cotton mills
four years after. M. Clark came to
Spartspbnrg and was ia the NulIitics-
tion excitement. He voted the Union
ticket, but said rothing about 1t.
never heard him mention politics In
my life. BE was sppoiuted one Of the
thirty delegates to the reunion conven-
tion In Columbia in the year 1888. He
was not in the meeting that appointed
the delegates and may never have
| known that he was appointed. II he
had accepted the domination he would
have been the neatest dressed mau in
Columbia that year. Excuse slight de-
Walton. Mr.. Editor, from the subject 1
am writing about.
S. N. Evips and Josiah Kilgore, from
Greenville, attended that convention,
| wearing clothing made on their own
pla antation. They were both wealthy
| men. About 1885 there was a large
company organized at Cherokee on
broad river to manufacture iron and
nails and Mr.. Clark was invited to su-
perintend it with the promise of a
large salary. Here Mr.. Clark made an
important mistake. He ives allow ed
to hold on to his Place as superinteud-
ent of the South Carolii a mapufact-
uring company. That made the busi-
ness too large for one mau's supervis-
i'm and both iutere SITS suffered. Mr..
Clark's health failing, both concerns
failed after it got into the hands Of
sub agents. The Cherokee company
failed first. Mr.. Clark to help the
Cherokee company out of a difficulty
| used funds be 'onging to the South Car
olina company, which gave dissatisfac-
| ton to the stock holders of that COM
pany. There ives nothing morally
! wrong In what Mr.. Clark did. There
were millionaire stockholders in the
Cherokee Company and their private
| property was liable. Col. Hampton,
father of senatorkHaDptop, promptly
| sent money TO paw Off all liabilities
| when he found out the situation. He
was the largest ste ckholder in THE
Cherokee COMPANY. Mr.. Clark had q
ts ste for science. Fe aided DR.. Cooper
Of the South Carolina College in his
researches at the furnaces during the
vacation of the colleges.
Mrs. Clark, the beautiful widow he
married in Boston. was undoubtedly at
the head of American bousekeep ping
and cookin having mastered the
French or sci. ntific mode of cooking.
Her dinpers at the meetings Of the
South Carolina manufacturing. COM
pany never saw eqpaled. The father
OF Mr.. Johu Edge of Nezaretb, once
lived with Mr.. Clark. l have recently
heard Mr.. Edge say that he heard his
father say that the hest meal he ever
ate was prepared from green Rourds.
Her garden duplicate d DR.. Barrett's Of
AbbeVille. Mrs. Clark was blame by
some Of her female contemporaries for
airing a wig and deceivine Mr.. Clark
with regard to her age. or course
know nothing about thst. A more
useful class Of female contemporaries
blamed her for not tripging Mr.. Clark
into the church, as Mrs. Lathrop did In
much harder cIse in her husband,
Lathrop. Your readers will recollect
that | was caught out in a cyclone
with him. He cuI sed the elements 80
l let his vicinity. His wife prevailed
,, on him 10 qnit bis profanity and visit
the g. ssiIn of bis wife's church. He
satisfied them OF his determine ton to
do better, he stood up before the church
acknowledge his backslidngs and
promise to reform. / never knew Mr..
Clark to use "A drop Of liquor. He may