Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-11
BLACKSBURG BUDGET.
The First Bale-Land and Improvement
Company Meeting-Killed on the Rail-
road-Other Notes.

Company Meeting-Killed on the Rail
road-Other Notes.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
BLAcKsBU Ra, September 10.-The first
bale of cotton sold in this market was
brought in by Mr.. Clayton Byars, on
Tuesday, the 7th instant. 1t was bought
by Mr.. J. w. Duff at cents pound.
Since then quite quantity has been
brought in, and the staple is opening very
fast; but the promise of a large crop has
been dissipated by the cool, dry wealth
er which suddenly came on us about ten
days ago.
On Friday last, a called meeting of the
directors of the Blacksburg Land and
Improvement company was held at
Cherokee Inn. There were present, Pres
ident S. Wittkowsky, of Charlotte Judge
J. J. Mcclure, of Chester; Messrs. Jno. F.
Jones, Colonel J. l.. Black, Secretary and
Treasurer NJ. NJ. Freeman, Attorney n.
w. Hardin, and w. Anderson, of Blacks
burg. Among other business transacted,
an agency for the renting and selling of
that part of the company's valuable own
ings known as the "Green tract" was
created, and n. w. Hardin, Esq, was
elected to fill it.
Wednesday morning, Flagman T. j..
Baber, of freight train No. "a, of the O..
r. d. C. road, left his wife and home for
his usual run" to Camden. In about
two hours his mangled corpse was
brought back on special car sent by Su-
perintendent Tripp to the place Of the
killing, near Hopewell church, about four
miles from Blacksburg. Magistrate A.
NJ. Bridges, acting as coroner, immedi-
ately summoned jury and held an in
quest over the body. The only witnesses
were three Negroes; two, who were stand
ing on the bank Of the "cut' through
which the train was passing, saw the un-
fortunate man falling between the ca
boose and flat car just in front, and
Alex McElwee, the brakeman, to whom
the other two 81 gnaled, and who "slowed
down" the engineer. The train was stop
ped, and when Conductor H. S. Mcclure
returned with his crew to the scene of the
fatal accident, they found the body lying
across one of the rails, partly cut in
two, and in very badly mutila-
ted condition. The brakeman, McElwee,
was sent back to report the terrible
calamity to Superintendent Tripp, and
the train, with the rest of the crew, pro-
ceeded on its way. The Negroes, who
were the only eye-witnesses to the trag-
edy, remaining with the body until the
arrival of the special. Such were the
facts develope at the inquest, and the
Jury, of which Mr.. J. w. Duff was fore
man, found the following verdict: THAT
the dece ased came to his death by mis-
chance by falling between two cars, and
being run over by the wheels of the car
near the - mile post of the o. r. IL G..
railroad"
Mr.. Baber's sudden taking off is a sad
blow not only to his immediate family,
but to our whole community. Born near
here, about 80 years ago, he has, with the
exception of about one year that he spent
in South America, lived at and near this
place, and was well-known by all of our
people, among whom he had many
friends. He was quiet, good citizen,
an efficient and popular railroad man, an
obedient son and kind and devoted
husband. He leaves wife and many
friends to mourn his loss. His body was
inferred in the Baptist cemetery at this
place in the presence of a large number
Of friends and relatives, the Rev. III. j.
Cauthen officiating.
Quite a number of our citizens, friends
alike of the bride and groom, went up on
a special train yesterday to attend the
marriage of Miss Lillian Alexander, Of