The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-24
MCDONALD FlbRMAk.


old Furman homestead in Privateer
township at IL o'clock Friday aigh+,
after a protracted illness. He had
steadily and rapidly grown weaker for
more than a week and the anxious
| watchers at his bedside feared that
each day would be the last. The lamp
| of life burned lower and still lower
in his enfeebled frame and, at the
midnight hour, hickered and went ouss
From Monday before be had been un
conscious and he was mercifully
spared all suffering at the end.
Mr.. Furman was a man of remarka-
BILE gifts and while he never held po-
litical Office nor became in any sense
| what is commonly known as a public
man, no man was more widely known
throughout the State than he. He
devoted much of his leisure from
early youth to the study of history,
local and State history in particular,
and possessing remarkably retentiye
memory his mind became a veritable
store house of historical lore, much of
it possessed by himself alone, for he
had gathered it from old documents,
pamphlets, newspapers and traditions
|
generation to generation. He was the
most accurately and widely informed
man respecting the genealogy of the
people Of South Carolina, in general,
and of Sumter county in particular
| that the writer ever met. He gave
| much time and research to the Indians
who once inhabited South Carolina,
and the extent of his knowledge Of the
| subject was remarkable when the
| paucity Of historical writings, treating
| of it is taken into consideration. He
| was an unusual character, sui generis,
and to those subjects that appealed to
| him be gave an intense interest and
an enthusiasm that appeared to be
| unflagging, and for this reason he was
not always understood by casual ac-
quintances. His interest in the schools
Of his community and of the county
| was sincere and practical and he was
| frequent and always welcome visitor
to many Of them. His lectures to the
school children bore no resent blance to
the stereotype talks to children so
frequently inflicted upon schools by
perfpnctory visitors, but were ever
interesting and filed with facts not
found in text books. The schools and
| tho school children of Sumter county
have lost one of their sincerest and
most helpful friends in the death of
Mr.. Furman AS man and citizen
he was true and loyal to what he con-
ceived to be the best interests of the
community. He was firm in his con-
victions strong in his likes and dis
likes, and to his friends, candid, out
spoken and as true as steel. Those
who knew him best, best appreciated
his worth, and to them his death is
real loss and real grief. But his death
is not only loss to that small circle
of friends whom he honored with his
regard, but to the State as well, for
few men of his generation bad done
us much to arouse interest in our own
long neglected history, and while he
leaves no weighty volumes from his
pen he wrote great deal for the news
papers and his store of information
was cheerfully and freely drawn upon
to aid others, and he was frequently
called upon by writer's on historical
subjects.
The following sketch of Mr.. Fur
man, prepared by himself for Men of
The Times" gives in concise form an
epitome Of his life.
Mcdonald Furman, son of DR..
John Il. and Mrs. Susan E. (Miller)
Furman. Born March l, 1863, in Pri-
veteer township, Sumter county. His
early education was obtained in the
common schools of the neighborbood.
He then entered the Greenville Mill
tary Institute, remaining there until
1882, when be entered the South Caro-
lima College. While there be was
one of the editors of the college maga-
zine. He is member Of the Southern
Historical Association of South Caro-
lima and the Historical Society. Has
several times been member Of the
county Democratic conventions. he
was the originator of the Columbia,
S. c., Centennial, held in 1891 and
the George Bancroft Centennial, held
in 1900. He is all author and lecturer
on historical subjects. He never
married. -
The funeral Of Mr.. Mcdonald Fur
man was held at Bethel Church, in
Privateer on Sunday afternoon at 3. 80
O'Clock, the service being conducted
by Rev. Mr.. Lide. A large number
Of the members of Game Cock Lodge.
z. of P. was present.. the following
Knights acting as pail bearers; L. I.
Parrott. S. A. Harvin, Tom. E.
Hodge. q. D. Tindal. B. Walsh and
William Kolb. In spite Of the very
inclement weather large crowd was
present to pay the last tribute Of re-
spect to their friend, but many from
Sumter who desired to attend were
prevented from doing So
There never was another man like