Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-19
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NEELY'S CREEK CHURCH.
An Organization That has Exerted Most
Beneficent Influence In York County.

An ORGANIZATION That Has Exerted Most
Beneficent Influence In York County.
In one of the religious papers, a
number of years ago, there was print
ed story of a party of sailors who
were shipwrecked on an island that
they had reason to suppose was inhab'
tied by cannibals. They had escaped
from their vessels with only their
lives, and in reconnoitering their sur
roundings, it was necessary to proceed
with the greatest caution. Slowly and
cautiously they worked their way
through dense tangles of underground
toward the interior, taking alarm at
every unexplained sound lest it should
only prove to be a warning of the
approach of horde of murderous
savages. Just beyond the jungle rose
high hill from which there was rea-
son to believe a gooG view of the
surrounding country could be had.
To one of the most courageous of the
little band was delegated the task of
ascending the hill for the purpose OF
learning what he could Of the sur
roundings. After long, tedious climb,
the sailor was seen to peer warlly
over the crest of the hill but in a
moment afterward he arose to his full
height, beckoned confidently to those
behind, and shouted: "Come on,
mates; I see yonder the spire of u
church ~
There are no savages in York coun-
ty. Take the county as whole, and
it is as highly civilized as is any other
area of the same size in America. Life,
property and rights before the law are
us secure here as they are in any other
section. Every section of the county
stands high above the average in this
respect, than prevails in many other
localities even in South Carolina. But
there are sections of York county,
even which, in education, general in,
,elligence, social qualities and material
prosperity, stand higher than other
sections. The comparison here sug-
gested is intended to be between
neighborhoods or entire communities
not individuals. And it is ventnred as
fact that if an intelligent individual
or committee were delegated to pick
out the most generally praiseworthy
and ideal communities in York county,
it would be found, upon a study of the
list submitted, that in the centre OF
each community there is located one
of the older churches. AS a rule,
too-of course there would be excep-
tious to tit would be found that the
communities which stood the highest
on the list would be those in which
churches had been established longest.
For years past, the "Neely's Creek
country" has been one of the most
noted neighborhoods in York county.
It's reputation has been, and is, that
of an ideal community. For genera
ton after generation the farmers there
have been progressive and prosperous.
The people, as rule, are of the kind
who enjoy life under their own vines
and fgtrees. But few of them are in
debt to anybody. With most Of them
verbal promise is as good as bond.
Crime among the white population is
practically unknown, and sobriety
is so universal as to be commonly
reck oned as a characteristic. The
fact that a young man may have been
raised in the Neely's Creek neighbor.
hood is, to greater or less extent, a
valuable recommendation Of character.
1t has been so for a hundred years,
and there is very little difference now.
And like the sailor who Is described
above as discovering a reason why
there should be no further cause for
alarm on the part of himselfand mates,
most intelligent people will be inclin-
ed to give the principal portion of the
credit for the conditions mentioned
in the Neely's Creek neighborhood,
to Neely's Creek church. And,
probably, they will not be far
wrong. At any rate, it would be dltfi-
cult to discover one cause-or indeed,
half dozen causes-to which such
beneficent influence can be reasonably
attributed.
From the best information obtaina-
BILE at this time-the Information is
furnished by Mr.. David II. Leslie,
one of the older ENTHUSIASTICALLY 8
Creek was organized about the year
1887, as an Associate church, with
Samuel Lusk, John Spencer, and, pro-