The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-04-07
HE HELD THE EEL
Some Anecdotes of the Boyhood and
College Life of
Judge Prince, of tho Ninth Circuit.
What Citizen Said During

= Term OF Court in Barnwell.
} And now, May 1t please You
, Honor" Well, those Of us who knew
him In his younger days are not sur
, prlsed that 1t Is now Judge Prince.
, The Judge always had a judicial mint
and declared when child that he In
tended to be lawyer. How he con
ceiyed that Idea 80 early in life can't
Imagine. He was born eight miles
from a Court House, and l have M
idea he was ever inside of one before
he was seventeen years of age. But
lawyer be Is, and no other man Low,
his profession better than he.
l know Judge Prince, 1 think, al
most as we'll as his wife does. We
) were born within mile of each other
the Judge and L. We played to
gcther from our infancy. We hunted
together, fished together, went swim.
ming in the same ''hole," and had
our backs blistere6 more than once.
Together We egjoye- all the sports OF
the very live country boy. With our
lunch baskets and the blue back spell
ler we started to school the same day;
and, on the same day, and tom the
same hard, we received our diplomas
on the same platform.
Since Judge Princes election to the
Judgeship 1 have recalled many
amusing incidents Of cur boyhood
days. The future Ju1ge had a high
sense Of honor and would fight for the
right, or what he conceived to be
right anywhere aud at any time. l
wonder If he remembers knocking that
fellow In the face who pulled his pants
against the calf Of his legs after he
had stood before the blazing fire until
the cloth was hot enough to burn
badr" In those days the boys wore
pantaloons, not these abominable
things called kneebritches. And
what great fires we had with the fire
place extending almost across the end
OF the house. We warmed our bis.
cults and meat by sticking them on
sharpened sticks and holding In front
OF the ire, or over red-hot Goals.
Does Prince remember pulling his
meat out Of the ashes when it i pped
off the stick? Future Judges and
teachers had to have their lunch,
ashes or no ashes. They had been
taught at home that hickory ashes
were good for horses, and the young
Judge argued that they might be
good for two-legged animals as we'll
| guess they were.
In one OF our fishing escapedes (and
l am not sure but that We ran of
without pc. mission thai time. as the
stream was swollen) we were seated
on q tree that leaned over the stream
a nH mt fhon r.,
above the water. Catfish were biting
ravenouslY and we were catching them
rapidly. Suddenly something carried
the end Of Princes pole underneath
the water and tugged at it viclously.
The young Judge bad no Idea of sur
rendering that pole without protest.
So he threw himself against IL with
as much determination as he has ever
manifested In the defence OF client.
After brief struggle luerc appeared
above the water shining, twisting,
! struggling eel. That va, our fc,.
eel and must be strung" sure. So
Prince drew the snake-like thing to
him and caught 1t In his hand, <.
pecting me to free the hook from 4,
mouth and string 1t. He had scarce
ly taken hold OF The siipp ry thing
bofore it liberated Itself from the hook
and began to slip lhroLgn his hands.
That meant that In Two s; conds the
great prz, would be back in the
water. WHAT did the youthful MINI
rod, the future Judge, GO? Ffieuds
| and fellow ciLiZenH, he just nail d that
eel with his teeth, and, with the
thing writnit & and twisting alb Ut
bis head and face, ran # that t. 90
out into the ploughed ground where
he could dispatch him. Prince sd
he didn't mind holding the thing in
his Teeth, but he didn't like the taste
1T left IL his mouth. But the vic ory
was won-the eel was ours, and [
think made heap lighter the flogg-
Ing we got for going to the creek
without permission.
No, Princes college mates are not
surprised that he Is Judge and they
have no fear that the honor and dig
nifty OF the State will suffer at his
hands. In college he was a high
toned gentleman who dsspised little
meannesSes OF whatever kind aud
cherished high ideals. Hi, class
standing was always first, class, and
his literary society work was superb.
Indeed, doubt whether w nIId has
ever given to the world q stronger or
more persistent debater With him,
to discuss any question With his peers
was a delight. Manning Smith used
to say that Prince would discuss with
anybody the question: Which Is the
top side OF battercake? and give his
opponent choice ofthe sides.
Last year Prince was appointed
special Judge for term OF Court at
Barnwell The Judge had two OF
three bumps on his bald head, not
such as would annoy or delight phre
nologists, but harmless little things
the physicians call "wens." With
, some friends the Judge was Sitting
one afternoon in the office Of his hot 81
An ardent admirer from the country
armed with bottle OF Fuss X
walked In and leaned against the
) clerks desk. When the conversation
lulled the countryman said:
'Jedgep
what is it, my friendp" Responded
the Ju1ge.
''Jedge, laks you"
Well" said the Judge, with som,
embarrassment, Il thank you 70
your good opinion OF me.
Yes, Jedge, laks you-yes, sir,
laks your ruins; but, Jedge, l wan
to tell you; you air the fus Jcdge
uVer 8PP1 with hprno IN b{c bo.d >,