Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-28
SAVED THE PROPERTY.

you."
WILLIAMS SAVED THE PROPERTY.
Interesting Story of Unusual Com
mercial Integrity.
In the notice of George w. Williams,
millionaire president Of the Carolina
Savings Bank, who died January 6, in
Charleston, 8. c., occurs this state
ment:
1.-THE one thing in his commercial life
from which Mr.. Williams realized the
greatest satisfaction was the manner
in which he had saved the fortune of
Daniel Hand, his ante-bellum partner,
who was compelled to abandon all that
he had in the south when the war be-
gan and return north"
AS many may be ignorant Of this
transaction and as 1t was highly hon
orable to Mr.. Williams, 1t may not be
amiss to repeat the story, though 1t
has been told before. Daniel Hand was
native of Guilford, Conn. For many
years before the war he had been doing
business in the south and had branch
houses in Augusta, Charleston and
perhaps other cities. To protect his
property he came south again after the
war had been going on a year or two,
and hid away in a quiet country board
ing house in Mcdowell county-the old
Carson place on Buck creek. Why he
selected that secluded place to refugee
cannot tell. Perhaps it was susges-
ted by Mr.. Williams himself, as 1t was
near his old home in North Carolina.
Mr.. williams had gone from Nortn
Carolina when young man and vas
first Mr.. Hands clerk, and then his
partner in Augusta. Mr.. Hand was a
typical New Englander, and as such
was looked at askance by his fellow
boarders, most Of whom were very pro-
nounced southerners. He very seldom
expressed himself about the war; but
It was very easy to see what he felt
and 1t was very irritating to hot-head-
ed southerners In those fiery times to
note his look Of satisfaction when any
bad news was heard from our army, or
incredulity, to say the least, when the
news was good. Still to the credit Of
his fellow boarders be 1t said that he
was treated with perfect politeness In
that house and in the neighborhood
around. He was voracious reader, and
he borrowed and read every book In
the neighborhood-not enough to keep
him supplied. however, and time must
have hung heavy on his hands He
was penurious in the extreme even to
himself, not taking daily paper,
though eager to borrow and read those
of his arch enemy-a fiery old southern
era refugee from Norfork-who sat
opposite to him at table-and every
where else for that matter. After
while. when one Of his Salisbury dali
lies began to get crooked on the war he
did 20 halves with another boarder and
take this little paper-The Old North
State, I believe 1t was. He seemed to
have little use for the Negroes, was
certainly quite independent Of their SER
vices, and they could not understand a
white gem'man who blacked his own
boots and carried in his own wood to
his room. This he did, he said, for ex-
ercise, but I imagined more from the
force Of long New England habit.
I remember on one occasion that old
Judge Osborne was at the dinner table.
sitting right next to Mr.. Hand, when
Mr.. Hand said in a very oracular way:
There is no unusual atrocity display
ed in this war;" The "silver-tongued'
old Judge laid down his knife and fork'
turned round facing him, and IN thrill
ing words told one story after another
that he knew to be true Of the barpar-
ity of the "foul invaders" ending up
with the burning Of Governor Letchers
house in Lexington, Va, by Hunters
men. telling him the soldiers stuck
torches to bedding which his daughters
were carrying out Of the burning house
in their arms. At the end OF every
story he would say: Call you this no
unusual atrocity, sir?" BY the time
Judee Osborne was through Mr.. Hand
was speechless and the rest OF us IN a
stage Of great delight at seeing MIN
shut up. I think it was in the summer
of ga that he left Mcdowell. Soon al
ter he went north, giving CD his prop
erty to Mr.. Williams. Why he gave II
up after protecting it so long kno"
not Probably he thought 1t was get
ting too hot for him down here. Wneh
the war was over he sent an agent
down TO Mr.. Williamss to know what
he was going to do about 1t. Mr.Wil-
liams. without the least hesitation
turned over to him $3.50, ,000-his part or
the profits. Mr.. Hand then put the
money at interest and when 1t amount
ed to 81, 900, 900 he turned 1t over to the
New York Missionary society to be
expended for the education Of the freed
men in North and South Carolina.
few wears after Mr.. Hand died, leaving
a million and a half more-willed, most
of ito some maiden nieces. He was
a childless widower.
Miss Prudens, of Blowing Rock, told
me some years ago that she had $6oo
of the old Hand fund in her hands.
With that exception have heard moth
ing of it. Some hundreds Of thousands
were added to the bequest at MI.
Hands death by will. 1t Is pretty
large sum to escape public notice so
entirely. Will not some one who knows
something Of the distribution OF this