The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-04-03
FAMOUS W00DCHOPPHR GONE.
"Old Steve" Campbell, Knight OF the
Axe and Saw, Has Passed to His
Last Reward.

A famous woodchopper has passed
from scenes which knew him long.
"Old Steve" Campbell, knight
of the axe and saw and wood-horse,
was found dead in his room Wednesday
morning.
"Old Steve" WIS for many years
familiar figure on the steets of New
be>0y. His age nobody knows exactly.
He claimed he was nearing the cen
tury mark, being in his ninety year.
Few, however, believed him on this
point. However that may be, he had
been in the world for long, long time
and had passed through scenes many and
vary .ng. He served in the Mexican
War as Lieutenant John G. Simkins'
body servant, and wen, through the
Civil War as a body servant to Il Con-
federate soldier. When freed from the
shackles of slavery he was the proper
ty Of a Mr.. Robert Ligon, of Green
vile. Steve claimed that Ligon paid
ten bales of cotton for him, and that that
was very small price for the article.
Everybody in Newberry knows Of
Stcve's ability as an orator. When the
spirit moved him to a display Of his
powers Of oratory there was no trouble
for him to get an audience Immediately,
and he was always heard with close
attention. Some time ago the Observer
printed several of Steve's orations.
One of them, the rendering of a speech
by Col. Simkins after one of the battles
in the Mexican War, was quoted as fol-
lows:
''Rumagc of great happiness from
whence is the great origin. Is it not
from forests green when the broad
cannon bursts into the sea.
''No, from my glories | borrow not
from cooling drops. Far worthy unto
the lustre Of our bravery.
eff thanks never were given, let
them be given as now. For this is con-
sidercd to be one Of the first miracles
that was from Canaan by Galilcc in the
time of mans infancy, which means at
its commencement"
And Steve had others of the same
character and tone. But it was not
upon his ability as an orator that Steve 8
fame chiefly rested He was the most
| noted woodchoppcr in these parts. The
old line, "Woodman, spare a tree" /"
however. beautiful its sentiment, had
for him no meaning. He was a wood
chopper by trade and by choice, and he
chopped wood even on the last day he
spent here on earth
He went to his humble home Tues
day afternoon at 7:30 o'clock. Next
| morning a woman living in the house
with him attempted to wake him, and
failing called upon Mr.. f. r. Bradley,
who lives near, to see what was the
| and found Steve, in his own words as
given at the CoronNr's inquest held
Wednesday morning, Lying in his
room on his pile of rags OH his left side
on his face dead" The verdict of the
| Coroner's jury was that Steve came to
| was found on his person.
Steve has claimed for the last twenty
years that about a quarter of a century
ago he had something like $500 in green
| backs which he was afraid 10 cntrust to
a Eank, and which he kept in il cigar
box. When finally persuaded to place it
in the bank he found that the rats had
completely destroyed his hoardings.
From the blow he never recovered.
Steve was type of negro that is
fast passing away, and with the type
| are passing the bonds Of affection that
bind the two races in the South.