The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-01
SNIPE HUNTING.
The way - Pennsylvania Phiianshro'
pisa Sent the Editor or ahe Press aud
Bnuaer 10 Eeareh of the Game that
In Never caught.

The way % Pe00ay1SAotn Fhtinntnfo
pi.s Sent the Editor Of ahe Press "ns
Bnnaer ta Eearrh of the Game tina
In Never caught.
For months the air has been filied with ru
mors of purchases which Northern phiian
thropists intended To make bereaboui for TIT
benefit Of the Harbison schooi. For vsriou'
to sell their farms, and perhaps dozen ol
more rebel citizens OF this bailiwick hac
been Interviewed on the subject, ana tue
amount OF land which the pnilanihIopisi
=. ]. HARRISON. OF Allegheny. Pepnsyivania
could have bought will. perhaps never bt
known. Tue editor cf the Press and Banner
Wa. one Of the xudgeons whose ,S,, n"pes o nat sa
bean raised, and hence visions OF great piles
Of grsenbacks appeared In the dreams OF this
country editor. The preliminary arrange
mepts were most satisfactory, and II was then
only necessary 10 await the appointed Time
when the big checks might be deposited TO
the credit OF at least one OF The would'oe
land sellers
lionaire phiianthropist from the frozen North
with n warm heart for the negroes OF the
sunny South. landed on the htstoric spot,
where socesso, began where Jem a, Davis ,Nn gave
limos OF the slave, and slavery Was thing OF
the past. II was herr that the emaneipa'ed
slaves took possession OF the government II
was here that they made figures OF themselves
in high places, and. under the forms Of law.
levied unbesrabls taxes and spent the bosses
money with u free hand II Was here that an
inceneei people rose In their might 10 over
throw the skaiawsg and usurper. IL was here
that the able and peerless leader. Daniel II
Cham berlsin abandoned his efforts In behalf
OF the newly en:ranchlsed Citizen and sour.
ried away from the inceused people for eaiety
IN the Executive Mansion on the Congaree: :
and Il was here that the black man was hurled
nom power BY his recent masters, the ow ners
OF the land.
For these and many other reasons IL was
The sympainy OF the Northern liberaiors and
pnilsnthropists should be excited In behalf 81
the down trodden black man al the home oi
Secession, and who no longer rules the land
In response 10 the noble impulse that
would In up the weak and raise the down.
troddsp. Mr.. HArbisou came 10 Abbevilie To
spy ont the land ana 10 zee and 70 know for
down this way 10 make olack orstors and
sable Statesmen for sl this beautiful South
land, and especially for South Carolina.
o,asr. % S.sesbou,. @ ~ Wa. ready 10 sell his farm
for the nooio purposes had IN view, AMI
especially was this true when Il came 10
relieving the Northern phiisnthroplst OF
Rmaii part Of the great abundance of his sur
Tn,s editor thought that his farm was the
beat In all the country around. II was frOuI
twoand-a-half 10 threeand-S,half miles from
town, IL lay ON tho east side OF the public
highway for eleven hundred yards: ON tn.
northeast, the boundary reaches 10 The centre
of the 3. A. &. railrosd track for thirteen
haadfed yards: NORRIS = s..ek run, a,, through ~.
across 10 10 the creek; all sorts OF land In
there--up land. dry land. iow land, wet land
an Ideal stock farm. The bOttom lands are ~
e. s orss 70 sua ns ,ee
wallis of city, and on the hiilEldeH are Old
fieid pines In snfficient Quantities 10 burn the
brick. IL an Industrial enterprise should BE-
started near Abbeviiie, the railroad. the public
road, the water. the clay, and the timber. and
It's proximity 10 Ab0eville, 10 say nothing
OF The fertility OF the soil, presented pos
sibie induceUents. Alies oil wire feuelug
epcircied The h!ils and valleys upon wnicn
IA, herds Of cattle daily browSsd. Cool
houses Furnished comfortable homes for tsn-
ant or landlord, and ccmmodt0us barns
sbounded In which many cattle might DO led
Reasoning thus, 10 IL surprising that the
man with barreis OF money should mud IL Nh
easy matter 10 send y rebel gudgcon hunting
ctss with tho other would-be sellers Of land.
bot he had an easy thing In fo,iiny the edito:
OF the Press aud Banner. Last ihnrsday
morning, while this editor WAS sleeping the
sleep OF the just and dresminx the dreams oi
inuocsnce, na Was aroused 10 response 10 n
telephone message to meet the m:liiDnairs
phtinnthrvpist On the farm within Two hourA
We arrived On the ground twenty minutes
OF the creek was hastily worked o1, 30 NJ not
10 break or ipjure the philanihr0pisrs carriage
as 10 might wind its way over the farm. In
the meaptiiue We were inuocently hunting fui
splpe. Tue hands on the watch kept their
cuaseleSs movement, and a. time went By
they pointed on the figures OF the dial ns they
passed: eleven, haifpsst eleven, twelve. half
past twelve. one. hall past one, and soon. We
began TO realize the iact that we were Ger
txinl ly hunting snipe. and not selling farms
A sense OF wearipess crept over us as We
became convinced that something was up
The snipe bag had no game In Il. and vanish.
Ing hopes OF great piles of money left ap
aching void, which might well DO expressed
In emphatic language. The faithful man, Gus
Richey, whose acquaintance the great phi.
innthropist should have made. and from
whom he might have learned lessou on
the importance Of keeping engagements.
WAS requested 70 stand up In the buggy and
vision over the distant bills In search of u
q ght OF the interesting personage whOse pres
ence and whose money weso much desired to
nee.
same strAining took place, again and again.
Finally an oninous figure appeared on the
horizon in the distance. When the figure
nsared us IL WAS found 10 be an accidental
wauderer who happened 10 know OF the
movements of the great philanthropist, and
who Informed Us that the millionaire had
urgent business In = distant city nj the ipot
hiiis of the Biue Ridge. and that he would
that tho millionaire pbilauihropist was al
ready speed,ng hts way To n distant city, pos.
sibly for The benevolent purpose of arranging
another snlpe hunt among The rebels on the
Blue Ridge. IL Jim RpSemond had not come
along We might have been looking for snipe
a. this day.
THE exact object OF the patriotic phiian
thropist In making n joke at the expense
aud discomisturs OF an old rebel. Is uuk nuwn
to us.
Believing that he had bought farm the
evening before making the appointment for
the meeting on Thursday morning. We can
not account for bis mysterious conduct. II
may have been intended 10 emphasize y
lsss0n In iesthet!CH or TO give an object lesson
In morals ito the students OF HARRISON
school which his splendid liBersiity had
established IN this iar-on benighted South
land.
And thus II IL. the editor OF the Press and
Banner still has good farm on his hands
with all sorts Of cattle To sell. The farm u
now iCT rent. No Intended renter need 'ry
the snipe game. Those who may IKE 10 leas,
the best place about here ON The best Of term,
eau exercise sou.s ingenuity In finding II
without ask log u. to hunt snipe. Mr. How
n,d. Nv. B.nt'y. or Mr.. George T. Wilson may
siow them around. No more snire, n yOi
please. They have all been caught of lha
place, or sise they have gotten away.
.l6ns rDIyS EnD 81 nnIl