Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-14

The writer's objective, however, was
Heath Spring, the original source of
the information, and as the day was
lost anyway, he continued on to that
point, arriving at about 11.30 o'clock.
Heath Spring is II miles south of Lam
caster, and Is named for a mineral
spring short distance from the rail-
road station. 1t Is a town of about 400
people, has six stores and livery sta
BILE and three churches-Methodist
Presbyterian and Baptist. There are
two resident ministers-Rev. D. A..
Phillips, pastor of the Presbyterian
church, and Rev. s. G.. Caldwell, Of the
Methodist church. The business houses
are Springs Mercantile company, R. P.
Brown, Creed & Crenshaw. o., W..
Clark, Mobley G Croxton. r. B. Robin
son. DR.. s. ]. Hinson & Co. Although
not acquainted with a single Individual
in the place, the writer stepped into
store near the station, introduced
himself to a gentleman there, stated
his business, and asked If the gentle
man had attended the Liberty Hill Ri
fies' picnic.
yes, sir, I was there"
as 1t a fact that a collection was
taken up to pay Senator Tillman's ex-
'penses."
Committeeman asked me to contrib
ute, and they said that was what 1t
was for"
did you contributor" ...
mo, sir; 1 told them that I did not
come to hear Tillman speak, and be-
sides as he was there in his own inter-
est, he should pay his own expenses"
do you know whether or not 1t Is a
fact that Tillman declined to come un-
til the committee agreed to pay his ex-
penses?"
mo, 1 cannot say that. This was
the talk on the picnic grounds during
the day and since: but on this subject
nobody can speak positively but Sena-
tor Tillman and ]. G. Richards, captain
of the Rifle company. Richards, un-
derstand, conducted all the correspon-
dence. and he alone can say"
Where does Richards live?"
southwest of here"
"And you are sure collection was
taken up?"
why, of course. I don't think they
got much out of the crowd, though
Floyd says it cost him dollar or a
dollar and half"
The writer walked about the place
for little while and presently went
into the store of DR.. s. ]. Hinson & Co..
for a glass of coca cola. This concern
had no coca cola; but suggested that 1t
might be had Of Mobley & Croxton.
The writer went there and inquired. A
young gentleman who was evidently
one of the proprietors. explained that
because of the very small demand. he
was unable to keep coca cola. 1t was
some little time before the train was
due, and the writer sat down on a
bench outside the store, and the con-
versation drifted from the weather to
the crops, thence to politics and back
to the picnic of the Liberty Hill Rifles.
About that time another gentleman
came up and remarked:
Here, Crox, Is this letter to the ex-
ecutive committee. I wish you had
about 500 pamphlets so you could dis
tribute them all over this country.
Take care Of this"
It developed that the speaker had
just been reading Senator McLaurin's 8
reply for the first time, and was very
enthusiastic over 1t. The gentleman
addressed as "Crox" agreed that 1t was
a strong paper and presently the dis
cussion drifted back to the Liberty Hill
picnic, whereupon the reporter produc-
ed a copy Of THE ENQUIRER containing
the disputed article and handed 1t to
the newcomer. He and Mr.. Croxton
read It, and both agreed that so far
as they both understood the whole sit
uation, the story was correct In every
particular.
"I did not hear Tillman speak," said
the newcomer. I would not hear him
speak IL he were going to speak right
yonder now. because I would go the
other way; but we have teasing joke
on our Liberty Hill friends In Tillman,s
reference to them as backwoodsfolk. 1t
Is a highly intelligent and refined COM
munity, and the people did not relish
the reference. even though 1t was a
joke know Of a lady who took him
to task about the reference afterward.
Yes, we are teasing them all good
deal about It."
"Were you at the picnic?" the writer
asked Mr.. Croxton.
Eyes, I was there"
did they take up a collection to pay
Tillman's expenses"
"They took up a collection, and that
Is what they told me 1t was for"
did You contributor"
mo. SIR"
"Wno came to you?'
John Richards, for one; there were
several of them"
well, did they raise as much money
as tney wanted
"No, I don't think they did. The peo-
pie were not disposed to contribute, and
it was the general opinion that before
it got very far the committee saw 1t
had made mistake and was sorry 1t
undertook the collection"
About this time the gentleman re-
ferred to as the newcomer, asked the
writer:
"Are you not one Of the publishers of
THE YoRKvILLE ENQUIRER"
Eyes, sir; and may ask your name?',,
"Therrell."
your business?"
"I buy cotton"
Just then the locomotive whistle an
nounced the approaching train, and as
he started to leave, the reporter asked
Mr.. Therrell:
won't you be so kind as to ascer-
tain for me the names Of the members
Of the Rifle company who took up that
collection. and send me the information
by mail?" :,
Mr.. Therrell promised that he would
do as requested. On the way to the
station, the writer got the names from
another gentleman. The collectors
were: Messrs. L. P. Thompson, Edwin
L. Jones, w. P. Hilliard. G. r. Clement,
J. b. Cureton. The gentleman who
gave this information was accompanied
by another gentleman who volunteered
this: "Tillman sat there in his buggy
fully Is minutes waiting for this COL
lection to be taken up. Why every
body on the grounds saw 1t, and the
idea of denial Is preposterous.
In view of all this, the writer was
convinced that surely Senator Tillmanl
must have been mistaken in some OF
his statements, or maybe the reporter
of The State had misquoted him in say
ing "All that story about me taking
or being offered money was lie." But
this was not all. Upon the return OF
the writer to Yorkville he found copy
Of the Lancaster Enterprise containing
an article that seems to corroborate the
fIof LoI crQf