The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-01-25
In the Matter Of II Upper Long Cane
Cemtery.

Editor Press and tanner:
My attention has been called to a commu-
u~icatlon in your last weeks issue which IL
seems appeared d short time ago In the Able
Vile Medium over the signature OF "husllc'
and which, by request of Nj. V. Dusenberry,
was copied in the Press and Banner.
10 this article Rustic says that he bad been
informed that u was being asserted and
claimed that the Upper Long Cane Cemetery
was a public burying ground.
This claim he disputed and authorized the
Medium, If any such claim had been set up.
ito emphaticaliy deny II, At least so far as The
old original graveyard Is concerned; mat me
old graveyard is a part OF the real estate he
longing exclusively TO the Upper Long Cane
copgregation-hut that no one had ever been
denied he privilege OF burying in 1t, &c."'
The Upper Long Cane graveyard was laid
out and has beenn.ed as Il public cemetery
for more than q hundred years and as Rustic
says, mo one$has ever been denied the priVi'
lege of buryiDg IN It,"
This fact alone 10 Say nothing Of the strong
circunstaptial evidence going TO show that IL
was not, at the time Of it's establishment or at
anytime since. regarded rs a sectarian or
Presbyterian cemetery, would serve as an es-
topel TO any such claim being set at this late
dsv. ,
By habitual usage the public have ACQUIRED
a legal right 10 the use or II as a burial place,
even granting that the title 10 the lands,
vested exclusively In the Upper Long Cane
church.
On many OF the oldest monuments in that
cemetery appear the names of those who
were not Presoyterians, but represen tatives
OF almost every other denomination.
AT the time that cemetery was established
the country WAS very sparsely .eltled ana
sraveyards were not established by particu-
lar sects or religious denominations, for their
own exclusive use, but were for the use and
benefit OF the surrounding community.
We seriously question the correctness OF
Rustic's assertion that !'the old graveyard Is
m - m - . NJ tho raoI aafafa hPlnnpinr exhaustive
~ to the Upper Long Cane congregation
We venture the assertion that this state.
ment is based entirely on hear~ay evidence
that he cannot produce the deed TO establish
that claim. .,
AS we have before stated, this cemetery has
been used as q common burying place by the
surrounding community for more than a
hundred years. and 1t Is within the knowl.
edge OF the writer OF this that for the past six.
" years the cemetery let has been isolated
and separated from what has been generally
known'as the lands belonging to upper Long
Cane church, by the Due West road and the
road connecting the same with the Lowndes.
VILE or Anderson road; and which, no doubt,
was the case when IT was first laid ont.
Then is IL not more likely that this little
triangular piece Of land was purchased by
the people generally of that community, and
dedicated as q place IN which 10 bury their
dead. than that the Upper Long Cane Church
should have included IL, as IL was p detached
piece of land, in It's purchase. and then have
allowed 1t 10 be used as a puolic graveyard?
We think so. -
But cui bono-and for what purpose Is this
claim now set up by Rustic and emphasized
by M. V. Dusenberry?
Is IL TO remind those OF us whose kindred
for generations past have been buried there.
who are not members of the Upper Long
Cane Church, but who expect TO be buried by
the side of those who have gone before them,
hat 1t will be q mere matter of grace on the
part of the Upper Long Cane congregation II
they shall be allowed that privilege? q
Tho utifpr nf this IL moi a member OF I'D
per Long Cane Church, but his people for
generations past have been accustomed 10
ourying their dead in Long Cane Cemetery
and there be expects 10 be 6nried, put ne mas
indebted 10 the liberality or generosity OF
the Upper Long Cane Congregation II be snail
be accorded that privilege.
sible In any court of Justice, that this Gem.
terry belongs 10 the Upper Long Cane Church?
None whatever except the pare circumstance
that it Is known as the Upper Long Cane
Cemetery.
Having. as we think, shown clearly by a
~preponderence OF the evidence that even the
old original part OF this cemetery was from
the first and has always oeen considered and
treated as a public burying ground and not
as belonging exclusively to the Upper Long
Cane Congregation, We Will now pass on TO
consider the matter ofthe new portion which
has been added within the last few years,
and which contains nearly all the vacant
space within the enclosure, the old, original
space being practically all taken up.
To whom does that belong?
We have been reliably informed that every
dollar OF The purchase price OF this additional
plot Was paid by the ladies, constituting the
"Abbeville Society OF the Upper Long Cane
Cemetery" composed exclusively Of ladies of
the city OF Apbevllle and representing in its
membership some Of every denomination In
the place, Catholics as we'll as Professionals.
Then II might be we'll for Rustic and his
to consider whether II II pos.
sible for them to make good their claim II
might not prove q veritable BOOMERANG
and they find themselves or some OF their
numerous progeny sometime In the future,
denied the right OF sepulture in Upper Long
Cane grave yard. Senex.