The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-19
BILL ARP ON GHOSTS
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"Old Mortality" was ono " Wal
t." Sr"'ts most mtsrsatiuG ohSrsr
ters This long hcnLod, vsnrrnble
MAN ar,n! all the later yoars ot his
h's in S'ninS about from Cemetery t.
osmat"ry in rsohisc'iuE and remark
my The marble alahn that oovercd ths
graves " tho dead NHt only that,
hut hs cleaned thcm It TIE mould
and sta n and Get them np square
and low 81 and did il out of respect
tor HE dHad kiadrsa and friends.
NeAr(y Atty ycars ago | visited
l.aursl Hill, the beautiful home OF
tho dra I OF philadelphia, and tho
hra, thing that Rrsetsd me at the sn
trance was a browuatone statue Of
Old Mortality working on a weather.
henton marble slab. A little dried
up, petaeled old gentleman with a
pea JACKET coat on snd tho b,N pock
ets fillei with ohisnls and mallets
and brushea and ID rage Maybe
he is there yet. | don't know, but |
thouKh' OF him the other day as |
wandered through tho ailont city OF
the deal in Myrtle Hill al Rome,
Ca II has besn about forty years
since | helped 10 lay Of that come.
tory, and people have boon moving
there over sinee and good motto to
plses over the gate would be "For
Ken may como and mon may 60, but
| 60 on forever"
An .time friend was with mo,
and san't belp but think Of him as
"Old Mortality for he has been
nursing and eheriehiug shat grave.
yard for ever forty yoars aud has
made it rlnss Of beauty and q joy
forever lilo has long ainos made q
ropntat Oh as all abe lnwyer and a
learned judge, but know that he
never took 40 much interest or real
plencsrs in anything as in bsautity
ing and adorning that lovely and
romont!s place. H. has spont hun
dreds o dollars tho o out OF his own
pocket His owA lot, with it's
Italian marble mouument to tho
memory Of hia vito. is marvel OF
exquisite beauty. aaw whore ho
had righted up and pleood a now
founcation uuder tbe monument OF
the wifs Of far distant friend.
Within the last yoAr or two he has
boon to Macon and :oiormed and To-
moved tho monumer TO that mark his
parents graves. He has been to
Eatontcn and worked on thoae Of his
brothers and sisters who died in the
long ago, and heo placed. tombstonea
over the graves OF his grand parents
lie talk'd 20 mo feolingly about some
neglected graves Of our friends who
sloop in tho old graveyard at Rome
that nobody cares for and 10 vol
nigh abandoned. "When get
through with thom," he said, 81
shall fsol satisfied aud take O res
from this business and ondeavor tt
DO ready for my own funeral" |
hs is not Old Mortality now hs vii
DO If he lives long enough.
Well, | like .hnt We all like it
that ia TO say, all Aind.hesrted, re
Elective people. Some people ar
afraid Of q graveyard, especiall,
young people, who nave a horror O
death, Int il 10 a foolish fear an,
wears OF as we got oldor. When
was q youth at country schoo
there w"s braggart sort Of a bo
namod Baldwin who said ho WAGON
efr'id of ghosts. jim Linton be
hina dollar that ho wouldent "
down to the rocky field that nigh
and out q sassafros bush that wa
near en- old grave and bring is /
The house. Tho money WAS put ur
just about dark Jim slipped aroun
and MD behind r7ok pilo that wa
near tho bushes that had grow
around tho grave. Whom Baldwi
goa thera and was about to cut Sh
sassnfraH Liadon said solemnly in
deep base voice, "Bowarol that's N
grave" and Baldwin ran homo wit
Jim after him AMI like to hav
tainted at tho door. Whom was
little mill boy and had to pass
! eonnArv ,rrevoysra ~, +l,~ .,,,. 49,