The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-03-06
Hon. Abraham 6eissr.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

DOIu dDpuV tLS SioS0 Va
tionary War was among the more
prominent and Influential members
OF the distinguished Geiger family.
His father, John Geiger, was gal
liant soldier in the Continental army,
and his mother, the accomplished
Miss Mary Ann Murpb, a daughter
of Swiss gentleman Of that name
and sister of Emily Murph who
was the mother of the heroine Emily
Geieer. It is told of this venerable
lady that at eighty-cne she would
mount her horse and ride with the
grace and elegance Of young girl.
A true story of the life Of Abraham
Geieer involves that Of one OF the
most noted and charming ladies who
has ever lived in lexington. Do
rothy e'Dolly') Kinsler was the
daughter of Hon. Johannes h'ns.er'
distinguished American officer, who
was killed from ambush, By a noted
tory, while at home on furlough, suf-
fering from wound received at Fish
Dam Ford, on November 18th, 1850.
He held an infant in his arms when
he was shot and fell. Whether or
not this was dolly is lot told, but
it is not impossible as she was living
seventy seven years after this occur
renee and must have been,Very young
at that tirne. Mrs. Kinsler subse-
quently married Capt. Gabriel Friday
who was distinguished for bis gal
lantry as an American officer; snd
they lived, died and are buried at the
cd homestead at Neilie's springs,
near the old Salads Factory. Here
DellJ grew to womanhood and was
rema. ksble for her beauty, grace and
elegance, and above all for her ami
ability and lovable disposition, which
characterized her throughout her
subsequent life.
Maj Jacob Herman Geiger who
was also brave officer in the army,
married first Miss C.roline Beard,
and after her death near the close Of
the century, won the heart and hand
of Miss Dolly, and on December the
25.b, (Cnristmss day 1889, they
were united in marriage. Major
Geiger died some two years later and
on the Oath day Of October, 1902,
his widow was mar,ied to Mr.. Abra,
ham Geiger, the subject of this
pape-. Mrs. Geiger lived uoti? 1857,
loved and honored by large circle
of relatives and friends. There are
those now living who remember well
her lo7eliness of character, her benev-
o,ence and charitableness to those
who were poor ard deserving. The
venerable Mrs. Zenker, now nearly
fourscore, lived near her htuse for
many years and speaks still with
enthusiasm of her splendid munih
csnce, and her unt;riug care for The
distressed and sorrowing. She died
in Columbia, at the home OF fer
daughter, Mrs. Neuffer, and was
buried beside her second husband, in
the family cemetery, near Savannah
Hunt, in Lexington.
Abraham Geiger had suffered from
a virulent attack of smallpox in his
childhood, and had lost one OF the
bones of his forearm which rendered
him cripple, and for this reason he
received special care and training
and was we'll equipped for life. He
was an officer in the army during
the war of 1872, but never actively
engaged.
While recognized as a soldier,
patriot, statesman and philantbrop-
ist, he was perhaps more widely
known as progressive agricultarist.
He was for a tine a useful and
influential member Of the House OF
Representative and also had the
honor of founding the celebrated
Platt Springs Academy, which was
for many years one of the finest
schools in the State, at which many
of the more prominent citizens were
trained and educated. He was a
fluent writer and furnished the press
with many valuable papers on Agri-
culture, Horticulture, Sheep Hus-
bandry and Kindred SaEj jects He
was one of the largest land holders
and cotton planters OF his day, and
it is believed that he operated the
first cotton gin and old style screw
cotton compress ever constructed in
Lexington county, on his Dry Fork
farm near CASTOR, now owned by
Mr.. ". B. Fallaw.
MIR. Geiger owned large herds OF
cattle and sheep and wrote to Ger
many and brought over Mr.. Gott-
Eeb Z4nker. trained sheppard, with