The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-18
THURSDAY, AUG 10, 1904.
]. E. ELLERBE.
A Private Citizen Predicts His Elec.
tion.

We notice all the candidates for
Congress save Mr. Ellerbe are having
the newspapers over the Sixth Dis
trict to reproduce nice things some
friend has written about them. Hav-
ing known Mr. Ellerbe from his
eoyhood we cannot allow his modesty
to prevent MS from telling the people
of this district something of him and
his work.
When only twelve years old he
showed the most remarkable mind
/ for mathematics ever known in old
Pine Hill academy. At that age he
was put up against twelve of the
Oldest pupils in school (many of
them from fifteen to twenty-one
years old) in a battle-class In mental
arithmetic. While teacher and
superintendent of education gave out
difficult examples in compound in-
terest and partial payments and all
Kinds Of fractions, yet without paper
or slate he worked those examples,
turning down first one after another
Of those competitors to the perfect
astonlshment of the crowd present.
He never was turned down. He
afterwards went to Wofford College.
There he won every honor, both in
! college and society. Was first presi-
dent OF his society from his class.
Elected on annual debate, Chief
Marshal for the college. and for six
months one of nine presidents of Cal
houn Literary Society. He won
every medal given by the college or
society for which he could compete.
In the archives oe the Calhoun
Literary society will be found
speeches and ESSAYS of his that the
members of the society thought
worthy of a place in the archives to
be read by boys that were yet to come
70 Wofford. He graduated from col
lege in 1887, taking for the subject
of his graduating speech GA Plea for
Farming" In that speech he advo-
Gated mixing brains with fertilizers,
claiming there were many things
this State could produce which would
pay better than cotton; and that no
one knew the possibilities of ali acre
of Carolina soil: He made in that
speech this significant assertion:
"Hanging ON the walls of our school
houses and colleges are the pictures
of men who have. won distinction in
many ways, but not one do we see of
man who has W on distinction pare
ly as farmer. Thiscansesf farmers
sons to be educated away from, the
farm. stand, here to plead for the
coming of the day when the people
) of this State shall honor the man who
wisely and successfully farms asmuch
as the one who has Won distinction
IA any other callirg." He has stuck
to that idea ever since.
Mr. Ellerbe began farming and
merchandising in 1887. Two fires
destroyed from six to eight thousand
dollars worth of property for him,
with no insurance. The hard years
came on and his books snow from
twenty 60 thirty thousand dollars
owing him by the people of Marion
county: His friends begged and
pleaded with him to let. his creditors
take what he had and start again as
he could never pay his debts. But
he refused firmly 20 do so, saying he
owed 'honest debts and could never
rest easy until he paid them. He
closed up his store, took the the plow
handles and has paid his debts. He
refers with pride to every banker and
merchant in Marion county as to his
standing.
Mr. ElIerhe is one of the best farm.
ers Marion county has ever produced,
and while he has read some law books
for his own Improvement, yet farm
! ing is his life-work and he glories
in it.
Everything which tends to help
his community finds in Mr. Ellerbe
friend. He is a trustee of Pine Hill
academy, chairman of board of trus-
bees of School District No. %, and an
enthusiastic believer III education.