Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-03-10
THE OLD STEELE PLANTATION.
Some Interesting Transformations
.nat Are to be Seen Near York


YoRKyIII4E, s. c., March S.-Twelve
In one body. is, considered a pretty
good sized farm in this part Of the
world, where the common run OF
farms range in size from one hundred
to five hundred acres. What for years
was known as the Steele land" COM
mencing at a point about four miles
southeast Of Yorkville, and extending
eastward about two miles contained
something over twelve hundred acres.
About a wear ago II was bought by
Messrs. Glenn & Allison at around
$500" the acre, with the understand
ing that half Of 1t was to be taken
of their hands by Mr.. c. c. Hughes,
who was then living In Cherokee
county, but was anxious once more to
become a citizen Of "old York." the
county In which he was born: and
raised. Fishing creek meanders
time came 1t was agreed between the
parties interested that Glenn & ,Alli-
son should take all the tract on the
west side Of the stream, while Mr..
Hughes was to be satisfied with that
on the east. The. land was surveyed
and divided In accordance with this
agreement and as q result Glenn q
Allison got about 600 acres, while
Mr.. Hughes was loaded with 646.
Had stranger passed through the
place q year ago he would probably
have been struck with the general
run down t-the-heeP appearance OF
things, by reason Of the fact that
there was on every hand hundreds Of
acres Of comparatively level, unbroken
land parts covered with broom-sedge,
hara fhar6
areas, Of more or less extent where
croppers and renters Of "the bull
tongue plow and goose-neck hoe
class" had planted and attempted to
cultivate cotton and corn, with the
cotton acreage largely predominating.
He would also have noticed a number
OF dilapidated cabins, some built OF
logs and covered with oak boards, and
over on the Armstrong Ford and
Chester road, which passes through
the place he would have noticed what,
in the days Of slavery, when the place
was owned by the late Col. r. g. Nc
Caw, who in his day was one Of York's
most wealthy as well as popular citi-
zens, was known as the big house"
and that 1t had reached that stage OF
decay which rendered II uninhabita-
BILE. He would have noticed, even
though he might not have been an
especially close observer, that for
years II had been the practice o.
those who cultivated" the huge
fields making up the place, to allow
the bushes and briars growing on the
edges to encroach on them and thus.
gradually drive them back. and he
would also have concluded that but
for the fact that the land was COM
paratively level and not subject to
being washed away hundreds OF acres
that are still exactly where they were
when much Of the land was cleared
before the war, would long since have
fioated of down Fishing creek. !
Should the same stranger have oc-
casion to pass that way again this
spring, he would at once conclude,
without asking any questions, that
the place had either changed hands
or that the old owner had turned a
new leaf. On the Glenn & Allison
side, In passing through, he would
first notice an immense barn, about
125 feet long and Of equal width,
covered by roof containing $4,000
and having capacity suf-
ficient to comfortably house possibly
40 to so head Of horses. mules and
cattle, and enough room in addition
to store sufficient corn, oats and for
age to feed the stock for twelve
months or longer, in word, unless
the stranger had travelled a great deal
and seen numerous big barns he
would be liable to say that 1t was
the largest private one he had ever
seen. He would next notice an old
house In which people had
lived, and between 1t and the public
road he would notice q brand new and
attractive cottage containing five or
six rooms and II he inquired Of some
body who knew be would learn that
that was where the manager OF the
farm, Mr.. Will Whitener, lived. From
this point he would notice that a
large portion of surrounding fields had
already been plowed, and that there
were three or four two-horse plows at
work increasing the acreage as rap
idly as possible. AS he moved on to-
wards the creek he would pass three
or four, new and neat four room cot
tages and In various directions. but
not on the public road, he would see
others. He would, after noting; all
these Improvements conclude that
that somebody had been busy.
Now he crosses the creek. Before
going very far he comes to neat
frame cottage that has the appear
ance Of having just been completed.
mile, passing several old, dilapidated
houses and notices that in the imme-
date neighborhood of each there Is
new and neat cottage and each OF
them is occupied. Arriving at the
''big house he notes that a new one
story cottage has been erected about
$50 yards to the south, and immedi-
ately opposite the old house on the
east side Of the road he will see
neat and substantial frame store
room, with glass doors and extra large
and II he had been with the
writer, in a big field to the east OF the
public road he would have seen four
teams Of extra large mules-one draw
ing a two-horse plow, another follow
ing 1t with subsoil plow, another
with tornado cutaway' and the last
hitched to a drill which was putting
In oats, and he would have noticed
that everything was being done under
the supervision Of Mr.. c, G. Hughes,
at whose place he would then have ar
rived.
While not nearly so much work has
been done on Mr.. Hughes's side or the
creek as on the Glenn & Allison side,
still when one takes into consideration
the fact that up to about Christmas OF
last year that gentleman was on the
ROAD as. traVellnB salesman N"neFe ho
met with abundant success) and only
took active charge Of his interests on
the farm after he left the road and the
further fact that the weather for the
past three months has been unusually
unfavorable for outdoor work, espec-
tally building or preparing land for
planting crops, what he has accom-
plished already Is marvellous. but those
who know him we'll know also that so
far as making improvements and pro-
viding conveniences for himself and
and employees are concerned he
has hardly commenced, and that In
the course Of four or five years, pro-
vided he lives and retains his health,
should that stranger again pass that
way 1t would hardly occur to him that
II was the same place through which
he passed on the 7th Of March. 1903.
The writer has known Mr.. Hughes
for more than fifteen years and there
fore feels that York county, and espe-
cially the neighborhood In which he
has determined to make his nome
is to be congratulated on the acquis,,
ition Of such a man and citizen, ana
his most excellent family.