The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-21
THE OLD OAK TREE"
Bu Hiss Kate JENNINGS.

Many years ago IN tne early Gays u
South Carolina I was one Of q very
great forest of treas. Beneath my
branches squirrel, bears, deer and
other wild animals roamed. Often
the Indians wcnld shoot wild turkeys
from my branches. I am now about
Two hundred years old, and have
heard and seen many important his
torical events. Among my many neigh
bors and friends in the forest were the
Zine, maple, poplar and hickory. One
day great crowd OF men entered the
fores, and with axes soon cleared the
CREST forest; l was the only orc lett
standing. 1 fesred that my life would
also be tskeu, bu: they seenei not to
no:ice such an insignificant thing aS
myself.
During ;he war OF the Revolution
Lord Cornwallis, with a part OF Ills
army, enesmped beneath my branches
from October, 1880, 70 January, 1851.
{. was very pleasant to hear them tel
ioiIr stories while smokiog around
their camp fires.
In l777 it was decided by the settlers
to build school for the education Of
the children of the community. This
rem .inei the only means for eduea-
ton in this immediate part of the
country until 1885, at which time it
was decided by The Legislature OF
South Carolina to build q college
where the old school was standing.
This college was for the free education
of the poor and orphans. The college
was established in the same year that
the town was inco:p >rsted. rbe
town was called Winnsboro for Mr..
winn, one OF the frat inhabitants OF
the town.
Some years after the c>llege was
changed from free educational lnStl-
tntion into boarding school ter boys.
The land, Oh whieh the college was
builded, wss donated by q Mr.; van
derherst another Of tlnns5oros
eariv settlers. His name is erpstu-
s,ed in name eli your street
In The year Of 1865, during the civil
war, Sherman passed through this
country, leaving fire and desolatlon
bshind him. Oh! that was Il terrible
wear; the houses were robbed and
everything valuable tax n. Then they
burned the houses and he women ana
children we're left homeless.
Oae day. about thirty years ago, tGe
college was burned. 1t was caused oy
the carelessness of boy smoking
while in bed. A spark fell from his
cigar and caught the bed or fire; from
this the college ceug ht and soon laI IN
ashes. Again, I feared that my life
1o.ld be lost, and indeed some OF my
limbs were badly burned. But oy
good fortune the burns were not serl-
Gus. so I soon recovered. After this
school was burned another Was build
ed, which still stands. II bears the
name Of the former school, "Mt.
Zion" :,
At the recesses the BOYS crowd
sround nv trunk. Often I hear bits
OF their conversation, which is very
interesting Indeed From these boys l
get a.! the news aud gossip OF the
town.
Not g. great way from the shadows
oe nv branches is monument erected
70 the memo'v Of Mr.. j. W. Hudson.
one Of Mt. Z:on's greatest teachers.
His remains lie bu,ied benesth the
monument.
!. One beaut:r,l night in midsummer
couple ca e aud sat beneath my
branches. t.ter fe - minuies' con-
versagion, he tod her that ne loved
her and asked her to be his bride
She gave him her hand and promised
hiu fhat scme day she would be H.
wife, They seemed very, very hap9:
indeed. Later in tie evening, t6e
began quarreling, she took back ne
promise and said she would meyer
marry him. Tee Gext she was mar
ried to another man; a month later he
tSo was married. Her husband dled
deavipg her two daughters. Several
years after their fathers death botr
daughters were married, one coming
TO live in this town. One summer
evening while on q visit to her daugh-
ter, she was strolling down the street,
when she chanced to meet Der old
lover; his wife had died a few years
before, and he was on a visit to bis
son. They strolled along, this aged
couple, telling each other their treu
bles as they had done iu the happy
days of their youth. One day, several
weeks later, he knocked al the door OF
her daughters rasideuce, and asking
for her mother was told that she had
gone out for walk. Israel immedl
ate,y thought that he would lind her
sitting beneath the shades OF my
branches, for this day thirty years
ago they had had that quarrel, While
sitting on my roots. Just as he ex-
pec.ed, she sat leaning against my
trunk. She did not notice him until
he spoke
"Mary," be sal "Ihave b. en- think
inn uhat 1,;ca rlan II would be for