The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-04
CHAMBERLAIN AT HOME.
An Ex-Governor of South Carolina
Who is Welcomed Back TO the Home
'of His Boyboud,

n Gion given 10 Ex-Governor Daniel
J.. Chamberlain by the citizens OF We.
Brookiield, where he has purchase
his ancestral home and will spend tn
remainder OF his days. The Republ
can says
y The return to West BrOokfield c
Ex-Governor Chamberlain is OF wild
interest to this section. AS Governo
OF South Carolina in a trying period
he had a prominent part to play in tn
work of reconstruction, and his con
ncction with prominent law firm i,
New York has added to his reputation
lie was born in West Brookfeld, June
%, 1885, on the site OF the house which
he has had remOdelled as his home
His father was Eli Chamberlain, who
settled there about 1920, aud who was
a farmer of very moderate circum-
stances. He was the ninth of ten
children. Until he was If years old
| he worked on his fathers farm, work
| ing the year round, except for the
times, at first six months in the wear,
and later three, when he could attend
| the district school, which stood one
and u quarter miles north OF the pre-
| sent location of his home. Ex. Cover
nor Cham berlain did all kinds OF farm
work that any farmers boy ever did :;
| he moved, Graded, reaped, slowed
| away the hay under the eaves-the
terror Of boy farm life, and pitched
hay to the mows. When he was nearly
IL he went away to teach school, hav-
| ing first spent u little time in the
academy at Amherst and at Andover.
He taught in Holland, North Brook
field, Northboro, Bridgewater, Ply
mouth, and then in the Worceetl r
High School, during the last Of which
he fitted for college, and ip 1862 he
was graduated at Yale. He was carly
an abolitionist of the Garrison anu
Phillips type, az d after a year at Hur-
ward Law School he entered the army,
receiving IL lieutenants commission IN
the 9th Massachusetts cavalry, regi-
ment Of colorcd volunteers. His army
life was spent at Point Lookout, Md,
and in the army OF the James, at City
Point, and before Petersburg. April
3, 1860, he entered Richmcnd with his
regiment. After the war he cngag q
for some time in the cotton planting
business on the sea islands near
Charleston, but this venture was not
successful. In the fall of 1867 nt Was
chosen memb of the Coz sJltutiOnal
Convention, and became memb Der OF
Is judiciary committee. Later be
became AT .Orney General OF the State,
and was .'.ominent in the ca, es against
the kukluX.
Ex-Governor Chamberlain for a little
over two years, beginning in 1874, was
IL Re pu bllcan Governor of South Caro-
lima 1t was at the period OF negro
supremacy, when the black Legisla-
turc had piled up a heavy debt on the
state by wild extravaganza, including
provisions for such things aS Dresden
china cuSpidorS at the State House.
His long struggle with the warning
elements OF his own and the other
party is told in an interesting volume
by Walter Allen. He WAS often in
personal danger. During the hot
campaign Of 1876 he stumpcd the State
amid scenes OF great turbulence. The
rllle clubs, then organized all over the
State to terrorize the negroes, used TO
attend his meetings, armed to the
teeth, crowd about the platform and
demand "a division of time between the
speakers representing the two sides.
The crowd Was SO ripe TO: mischief
that the only way to prevent IL riot
was sometimes TO yield. The Cover
nOr'S house was Tor long time pro-
| tcctcd by Il soldier, SO that TO the child
rcn OF the home the tramp Of the
guard on the platform was familiar
| memory Of those troubled days. Win
dows in the house were broken by
| those opposed to the Governor. The
final withdrawal of troops by President
Hays rendered the Governors position
untcnable and dangerous, and he gave
| up his Office and came North. He then
engaged in law practice in New York,
in which he was very successful, ac-
quiring considerable fortune. He
was associated in this with James &.
Carter and DOrman b. Eaton, and later
with William b. Hornblower, who was
nominated for the Supreme Court by
| President Cleveland, and turned down
by the Senate, Originally IL Republi-
can, he left the party at the time OF
the Blaine. Cleveland campaign and
mas since then been u mugwump," OF
which name he is not a bit afraid
Although cut OF politics, he has beer
a frequeut contributor to the press
having written much editorially foi
the New York Times and Post. He i,
a student of constitutional history, has
written considerably on this subjec
and u work from him on this sub
ject is a future possibility. He spen
about five years IN the South, begin
ming about 1889, being receiver for the
South Carolina Railway and another
company, and also having been aLtor
ney for the Virginia bondholdcrs. IN,
death of Mrs. Chamberlain and sot
} four years ago was Il severe blow. Elk
Governor Cnam mnerlain had q stroke 0
, apoplexy in 1883. but entirely recover
cd, thanks to DR.. Brown Seouard o
London. His present retirement t
the country is the desire for quleter
l less burdened life. He still retain
important interest In New York, ha
, been gong back and forth all the time
and 10 doubt will continue TO go tner
) considerably till some present interest
have been cared Tor.
3 The coming Of such Il man who ha
Y lived a dramatic, eventful life, back l.
the quiet country life OF the home O
his iather, 10 interesting and lOrtunat
! for those who are To be his townsmer
- Since last summer Ex Governor Cham
= berlain has been AT work remOdollin
! the old homestead, and the change
= have made it one Of the most intcrc 81
. ing country places iu that ctiOn. Tn
, location is Of exceptional beauty an
/ looks out on u country rich In hlstor
=, cal associations. Tne house is place
" ON the brow OF IL hill situated on tn
road to Ware. A mile away and in tn
: valley rise the spires and homes {
!, West BrOokiield. Beyond is Foster
u Hill, banded with u roadway risin
e between two lines OF trees, and nea
:, here sixteen young men were killed
d King Philips war. TO the right
o Wickaboag Pond, darkened to-day b
v murky sky and a covering Of ice, bl
t @ gem Of beauty in summer, surrount
n ed by pines and with rugged hi
rising at it's further shore. Fartht
10 along is Coy's Hill the highest land