Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-08-12
MEETING STREET.
Interesting "reminiscences Of
Former Days.
(Contributed.)

country is Inc same. lnere lS tue
same old homestead with long aven ue
of II ees down the road, the store house
with the long front piazza-yonder,
across the gently flowing stream, is
the big old church with the large ga
bles aid white sides. Down at the
creek the waters flow with the same
dancing current in their merry Your
ney to the sea-the woods and fields
stretch out in tie same lovely laad-
scape, all shimnering in the same
right >unlight-all over the neigh
borhoOd are the same old homesteads
and farms. But, truly. change has.
come over the spirit Of the times
Where s,e those grand old men and
women who vitalized those dear old
spots?
The tall and dignified John S. Smy-
ly who once lived like prince at the
Meeting Street plantation and made
the store the social center ofthe vicin-
ity; the genial and Yiyacious DR., Clint
Tompklns, so full of jocular wit and
pleasing conversation; the fat and
wealthy Shemmy Nicholson. with his
well appointed home and boiutiful
good cheer; the plain and honest Ben
jamin QUITS, with barns bursting
open with plenty; the thrifty and
prosper IS Conrad Lowery, the awk-
ward form of Lewis lean wi; h quiet but
kindly face; the ruddy face OF Archy
LOWS, as he hustled about amid the
cares of a large and tlonrishlng fami-
ly; Dr.. John Landrum, with specta-
cles Oh his p 'ofessiOnal face and ste
dious habits ol thought; Capt. j. H..
Allen, with military carriage and
handsome face, always courtly and
manly; Capt. Bill Stevens, that hero
of the fox chase. with his yard alive
with welt fed dogs and hospltable din
ing room filled with friendly guests,
plenty to eat ind drink for all; JOS
eDh Adams, the quiet and patient gen.
tieman ever easy and kind IN manner; {;
the lean, buS intellectual, face of Ran
som Zimmerman and his brother, Jes-
ses but both as honest and true as
steel; Luke Culbreath, W tn portly
frame and sturdy air If q thriving
country gentleman; the q eenly face
of Mrs Elizabeth Nicholson, whose
presence inspired all that respect
which comes from good and true
woman. and her noble children; DR..
John Lake, that grand old man who
literally Wore himself ont goi..s over
the county as loving physician do
ing deeds of mercy and charity; Jim
mie and Jacky Dorm, both indu strious
citizens embracing all the elements Of
honesty; Tillman Padgett, with his
earnest face and business judgement
always atten i've toeverv duty austere
Jesse Hart, never idle and his grave
face ever filled with the cares of his
farm: the amiable Henry Hart, who in
season or out of season could always
come home with big string OF fish;
Bill Harris, with deep voice and man
ly tread, ever w.tchful of his inter-
ests; John Quattlebaum, that stirring
character of rugged honesty; Simeon
Cogburn, the soft easy man of so much
kindness of heart; good old John
Trapp, the country minister with
heart full of love to God and man, go
ing from place to place, in rain or
shine, marrying the young, burying
the de ad and preaching the precious
word of God; Marshall and Elijah
Faulkner, both men of great worth.
But time wouli fail me to call all
their names. They are all written
down IN the Great Book where the
deeds of the just are recorded.
These were PLAIN, blunt men, not
given to aping mannerisms which de-
ceit calls politeness. Many of them
were truly religious. but those who
were not did not act any of the parts
of the hypncrite, but were what they
seemed to be. If any of them drank
they did not sneak behind the door TO
H0iC and 90 out with the false cry of
the so-called prohibitionists. Very
few of them ever drank to excess.
These men we've not saints. but their
very bones were saturated with the
milk of human kindness. No real
sufferer was ever turned away from
their door, aud the traveller always
found a happy retreat when the
shades of night warned him to rest.
Each of them was man. every inch
of him. Living as they did on their
farms. drawing with strong arm the
fruits of the field from the bosom of
nature, they were truly independent.
They hardly ever wandered away
from home chasing the butterflies Of
glory along the bleak path of politics.
They never sat in pompous id!eness
about the too often hollow-hearted dig
nitaries who are supposed to adorn
the halls of fame. They were more
than famous. They constituted the
very foundations of greatness and
made 1T possible for the eloquent
statesman TO point with pride to his
PROSPEROUS country. Honest toilers
ia homespun simplicity, they abound
ed in tnat home raised plenty tnat
was characteristic and made true
prosperity. You could see down In
the green pastures well fed herds,
droves of pigs about the lot, tiocks OF
sheep grazing on the hilisides, the
harms were filled with corn, wheat and
oats. Thrift painted the swelling hills
in living green, order and method ap-
peared in ali the we'll appointed ar
ran eements of the farm.
When the war broke out they were
ready to obey their country's call and
such noble boys as Ebert QUITS,
John Landrum and Edward MObley
showed their neighb0rs how beautiful
ly they could die for that country
they so we'll ..adored. No brayer SOL
diers ever wedt to battle than the men
from about Meeting Street. None ev-
er did nobler service from Camp But
ler to Arpomattox. Alas! Most Of
them have gone,
"The breezy call Of incense-breath
ing morn,
"The swallows twitterlng from the
straw-built shed,
"The cocks shrill clarion or, the
echoing horn,
IN O more shall rouse them from
their lowly bed"
When we speak of these great men
let US not forget their faithful wives
and daughters-those flowing matrons
with tender hearts-who adorned the
warm and cheerful tiresldes. Where
could you find more virtuous, chris sian
women? Truly, we can say, "Her