The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-07-20
BILL APPS HEART IS SAD|
Over the Recent Death Of Two Good
Old Friends.
HE PAYS A TRIBUTE TO THEM.
Simon Peter Richardson and nenry B. Plant
he Speaks Of IS the Best OF Ven. The
Old Must Pass Away.

have fallen asleep. They were not
my near and dear friends, but they
we're friends to humanity and am
human. knew them we'll and was
always pleased with their presence. 1t
Is good sign when you are glad to
meet even an acquaintance-a good
sign for him and 1t is q good one for
you when your acquaintance meet you
gladly. Simon Peter Richerdso min
istercd here several years and was
always checred with his presence and
learned something did not know. He |
WAS q walking educator. o man OF wit |
and wisdom and OF great philanthropy.
Sometimes be cnt to the quick, but bis
knife WAS sharp and left no ragged
edges. ] recall an incident that illus
trAted his earnest readiness to reply to
q man who refused little charity to q
very poor blind woman who wished to
go to Atlanta to have DR.. Calhoun re.
move q cataract from her eye. Simon
Peter very earnestly related her con-
dition and her extreme poverty and
eaid, "Please give me half dollar,
only half dollar" The merch ant re-
piled, mo, 1 can't do it. We
merchants are bled to death by these
country people and we have got to
stop. I tell you, Uncle Simon, We
are Iled to death, you must excuse
me-" Simon Peter looked at him as if
he were amazed. After brief silence
be said: "Bled are You. Let me show
You something. He took off his long
linen duster, then unbuttoned the
wristband on his left arm, rolled up
the sleeve and pointing to two little
SCARF near the elbow said: "a
long time ago fool doctor tried to
bleed me and made those scars. He
missed the vein and got no blood, but
the scars are there. am afraid that
is the experience o: a good many peo-
pie who ask little charity for the
poor. They get no blood but leave q
| scar"
We who saw the point smiled audi
bly,. The merchants face Redeemed
under the sarcasm. Hs suddenly
pulled out the money drawer and
handed dollar to the old man, and
said: give this to her. don't want
any of your scars about me-"
The last year of his sojourn here
Uncle Simon took a vacation and Wis.
tied his old home on the Pee Dee
river, in South Carolina. When he
returned he told me exultingly of the
| good time he had and about q won
derful revival that occurred il
his old home church--the great.
est revival he said that be
had witnessed for many years.
"How many converts did you take
into the church ?" said I. 'Tho frs
week." said he. I'VE never took in nary
one, but we turned seventeen out an
purged tho church. After that tn,
Lord blessed us, and there is many ,
church in this part OF the country tina
, needs the same medicine.
Uncle Simon left his impression
! upon the people in every communit,
in which he lived. He was sn homes
man, a strong man, man of convic
tions. and was perfectly fearless il
maintaining them. Woe to the intide
! or sceptic or agonistic who encounter
ed him. Woe to the man who dc
clined to 60 to church because b
, didn't feel the need of religion. N
doubt we have as good men now, bu
the preachers are rare in any denomi
nation who are his equals in convint
o ing and converting force. With PAT
= he could say, II have fought goo
= fight. [ have kept the faith"
Mr.. Plants photograph is befol
me. What a broad, attractive, b,
;, .nahhke face There is nothing {
: awe or solemnity in his feature
. that would intimidtte the al,proac
Y OF the humblest of his race. "Kinwir
;. that thou vast ah austere man" did n
. apply to him. Always dignifed, alws,
8 self-poised and earnest, he seemed
/. much concerned for others as for hi1
self. He was frank but careful
h speech, genial, accomplishing al
o never over business cares or diss
! pointments. His last letter to n
written in February, was an autogra]
and is a model of good old fashion,
g penmanship. 1t is a large, open, no
+ est hand without blot or erasure, t
is oil dotted, the is all crossed a.
:. quotation marks where they should /
, In speaking of his health. he says:
, have been suffering, but am yet
a. deck aud prepared in a moderate "
~ to attend to my duties and in Sol
70 measure be of benefit to the people
a. l have taken note of him for near
g. half a century and know of no great
IL man in the line of public progress o.
il publib benefaction. Many millionar
9. have acquired fortunes from specu
Re tion-speculation that robbed Other
to Many have built on the foundatie
8. that others laid AID some have wreck
ID railroads and private enterprises
m purpose for their own profit, but n
u Plant made honest plants in ca
a life and has by slow and sure degr
expanded and matured the
He has added to values not o,
el of his own property, but to that
&C communities aud states. He
ct proved himself an unselfish friend
n the south aud won the love and adm
lie alton Of our people. Shakespe
rs says" "The evil that men do lives
.st ter them. The good is oft inter-
TO Win tueJE OOues. 1Qat Is not 0lWl
n true. In fact, he might as truly b,
us said. 'The good that mel do Ii
In after them" Good deeds are like
ns circling waves that gently move
ng the shore when Q stone is cast into
he pool. They never lose their influen
ed The good that MIR. Plant has done
'as the people has not been buried v
I'm him, nor will he he forgotten for &
re, ersiions to come.
Ter But the command is to "Close
ng Close up!' The old men die /,
IN others step into their places-and
ing world moves on. "Close up" is be-
all along the line
''Friend after friend departs,
Who has not ]oet friends?
All There is no union here of bear,
0! That has not her an end