The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-20
BILL AIsp'S HEART Is SAD,
The Recent Death OF Two Good Old
Friends-Hc Speaks of Them as
the Best of Men.

NfO 1SCot Va
Simon Peter Richardson and Henry
Is. Plant, two moro OF my friends, have
fallen asleep. They were not my near
and dear friends, but they were friends
to humanity and am human. | know
thom we'll and WAS always pleased with
their,presence. 1t is q good Sign when
you are glad even to meet an acquain-
tance-a good sign for him and 1t Ia u
good one for you when your acQuain-
tances mcet you gladly. Simon Peter
Richardson ministered here several
years and | was always cheered with
mis- presence and learned something |
did not know. He was u walking cdu-
Gator, u man Of wit and wisdom and OF
great philanthropy. Sometimes hs
cut TO the quick, but his knife was
sharp and loft no ragged edges. | re-
call an incident that illustrated his
who refused little charity to u worry
poor blind woman who wished to 20 to
Atlanta to have D.. Calhoun remove a
cataract from her eye. Simon Peter
very earnestly related her condition
and her extreme poverty and said,
Please givo mo half u dollar, only
half dollar" The merchant replied,
No, | can't do it. We merchants are
blcd to death by these country people
and we have got to stop. | toll you
Uncle Simon, we are bled TO death,
you must excuse mo-" Simon Potor
looked at him as If he were amaz sd.
After "a briot silence he said, "B!od
are youY Let me show you some thing" 3"
He took OF his long linen dus.or thcn
unbuttoned the wristband on his left
arm rolled up the sleove and pointing
| to two little scars near the elbow said,
- A long time ago fool doctor tried 20
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 OF good many peo-
pie who ask u littlo charity for the
poor. They get no blood, but leave q
scar
We who saw the point smiled audibly.
The III :rChant's face reddened under
the sarcasm. He 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 mo-"
The last year Of his sojourn here
| Uncle Simon took q vacation and visited
his old home on the Peo Deo river, In
South Carolina. When he returned
hs told mo cxultingly Of the good time
he had and about u wonderful revival
that occurred in his old homo church
| w 81 OosSoV iSNlfot Ho bold GuAL nc
had witnessed for many years. "How
many converts did you take into the
church," said |. "Thc first week"
said he, " we never took Ia nary one,
| but " turned seventeen out and purped
the church. After that the Lord
blessed us and there Is many a church
In this part Of the country that needs
the same medicine"
Uncle Simon left his impression upon
the people Of every community in
which he lived. He was an earnest
man, strong man, a man Of convictions
and was perfectly fearless in maintain
Ing them. Woe to the infidel or scep
tic or agnOstic who encountered him.
| Woe to tho man who declined to 80 to
church because he didn't feel the Deed
of religion. No doubt we have as good
men nov, bat tho preachers are rare
in any denomination who are his equals
in convincing and converting force.
With Paul he could say, ~ have
fought good light. | have kept the
faith"
Mr.. Plants photograph is before mo.
What broad, attractive, human.hko
faco. Thorc is nothing Of awe or solemn
ity ia his features that would intimi-
his race. Knowing that thou vast an
austere man" did not apply to him
Always dighiiied, always self-polscd
and earnest, he seemed as much con
ccrnad for others us for himself Ut
was frank but careful in speech, gen
ial, accomplishing and mover worried
over business cares or disappOintments
His last lettor TO me, written in Febru
arg, was an autograph and is mode
Of good old-fashioned ponmanship.
10 large, open, honest hand withou
a blot or erasuro, the i's all dotted, an,
the t's all crossed and quotation mark
where they should bo In speaking O
his health. he says: - have bee
suffering, but am yet on deck and pre-
pared In q moderate way to attend t
my duties and in some measure bo q
beneft to the people,"
| havo taken note OF him for neerl,
half century and know OF no greater
man In the line Of public progress an
public benefaction. Many millionaire
have acquired fortunes from specula
tiOn speculation that robbed others
Many have built on tho foundations
that others laid and some have wrecked
railroads and private enterprises or
purpose for their own profit, but Mr.
Plant made honest plans In carly life
and has by slow and sure degrees OK
panled and matured them. He has
added to veluos not only OF his own
property, but to that Of communities
and States. He has proved himsel
an unsotish friend to tho South and
won the love and admiration Of our
people. Shakespeare says, "The owl
that mon do lives after them. Tbs
good 10 Oft Inferred with their bones.
That Is not always true. In fact, ht
might as truly have said, 1.-The Root
that men do lives after thom." GOot
deeds aro like the clrcling waves tha
, gently move to the shore when stone
Ia cast into 8 pool. They never los,
their influence. The good that Mr.
Plant bas done for the people has no
been buried with him, nor will he be
forgotten for generations to como.
But the command is TO "Cloie up
, Close up.' The old men die and other
step into their places-and tho worlt
moves on. "Close upn 10 heard al
along the line.
Friend after friend departs,
Who has not lost a friend
Tho Is no union here OF hearts
That has not here an end"