The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-22
Retiring After ST Years.

We roticed durlog the past few days some
modification bsiug made IN the office of Col.
Banding on the Conrt House square, and
yesterday stepped in and asked him what it
meaut he replied that having determined
oo sccount of his deafness to retire from the
cfice lot to Maj H F. Wilson and the other
half 10 Mr.. D. NJ. Young, and they we're
tinkering at it, thiekiog to improve by mod.
ernizing it. Of course we took advantage of
our professional right as q newspaper man TO
ask as many questions as we pleased, aod
like the Yankee girl, bad the the right to de-
maud answers. As we wished to fill up our
columns and were in the pathway of modern
local legal history We did not want categori-
Cal answers, and 90 pumped out the follow
icg information Col. B!andlug came to
SumtervilIe Christmas day, l843, and swung
out his shingle az young limb of the law.
Says be knew but six men in old Sumter
District, then composed of Claremont aod
Clarendon counties, and they were school
and South Carolina College mates preceding
his class of 1871. Starting at the law iu
Camden Christmas l842, be staid there
year, but could 6od no business aaoat that
be could pick up and make bis bread, 30 be
put all his worldly goods in one borse cart
on a borrowed horse and With borrowed
nooey in his pocaet, came down and set
tied in Sumterville. He diverged from his
car: Oh the way dove to visit The old Hat
field school house near Bradford Springs,
where be and his classmates, R. I. Manning,
]. B. Kersbaw and ". VI. Shannon, played
their pranks in 1896 and 49, aad wound up
by two whipping "old Hat" in rough and
tumble tussle, the other two standing ready
as reserve.
He bought the lot from Dr.. A. j. China's
father and built an Office and moved toto it
in July, 1914; siuce which time ne has been
ia the same room snd same seat, with the
sane law books around bin, except near two
years in Mexlcao war aud over four in the
''li,,le late uopleasantness !"
His partners have been, his uncle, W. F.
DeSsussure, John S Richardson and with
the latter, John j. Dargao, Joseph H. Earle,
his son, W. D. Banding, H. F. Wilson and
F. B. Fraser, Jr. These would seem to be
many, but not go for an active practice of 81
years. and probably the seoior member of the
bar of the Sta1e.
1t was With evident feelings of deep emo
tioo that be spoke of his gratitude to the
people of Sumter district County, for the
confidence they had reposed 10 him person
ally, and professionally. aod politically, and
had ever sought to be worthy of 1t.
Replying to our query if be intended to leave
US, he said that while all of his children, but
ooe, had left Sumter and be had 40 home, in
the common acceptance Of the word, in
higher sense Sumter should be his home till
God pleased to cali him to its cemetery that
he did not despair of finding sometnlog to
do, to keep him from taking the ''dry-rot"
as one OF bis old friesds predicted he would;
that be could keep fully alive and lively in
doing something of public beoe6t for the
city, aud county, and tbr State.
Asking bis age, he said it was DOT q fair
question, but could truthful y say be was not
as old as Gen Longstreet aud older than
Admiral DeweJ-'dum, spiro, spero, spes -