The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-12-12
Our New York Letter.

ed C1aC ne QleQ IN a lew HlllluteS.
Our New York Letter.
Writers in the New York Times
have revived recently the interesting
subject of the tomb at Cheraw, South
Carolina, bearing the peculiar in
scription:
MY name, my country, what are
they to thee;
What, whether high or low, my
pedigree?
Perhaps I far surpassed all other
men;
Perhaps l fell below them; what
then?
Suffice it, stranger, that thou
see'st a tomb;
Thou knowest its use; it hides
no matter whom"
No date, no name, nothing but the
above six lines appear on the tomb.
Tourists South are always attracted
to the tomb because of the epitaph
which has become famous because of
the frequent "write-ups" in papers
all over the land. Your correspond
ent happens to know considerable
about the history of the tomb and
the man whose body lies beneath it.
The words were put there by direc-
ton of the deceased. William Henry
Robbins, a lawyer Of renown, was
the man, and his life would make
interesting reading, particularly that
part relating to the part he played in
Shaping the life of the great preacher
and educator, Doctor James H. Thorn
we'll, known to students of every
name and cline. Visiting neighbor-
ing town (Bennettsville, S. CO. four
teen miles distant, returning by
private conveyance over the country
road which leads through the best
farming land of the entire South, a
stormy nightfall caused the attorney
to stop at little "stack chimney"
two room farmhouse for safety and
shelter. Gathered around the open
freside was the traveller and the
family. The lawyers attention was
attracted to an urchin of 10 years
lying on the floor poring over the
pages of a book by the light of
the pine knots. He asked to see the
book, when to his surprise he found
it to be a weighty work on Caesar.
Further questioning astounded Rob
bins; the boy knew the book-not only
knew it, but knew it we'll.
To make a long story short, the
incident led to the lad becoming the
protege of the attorney. He was put
in school, then sent to college, later
becoming the greatest educator the
South haseverproduced- -therenown-
ed James H. Thornwell, whom
students of every nation and cline
know of.
Robbins studied law in his home
State, Massachusetts,, went South,
applied for admission to the bar,
was refused because as he thought,
of the prejudice against northern
men. He was about to return north,
much humiliated, when William
Lowndes, of South Carolina, happen
ed to be passing through Fayetteville
by stage coach, on his way to con-
gress, and persuaded Robbins to
come to his state. Accordingly he
settled at Society Hill in the fall of
1921. He was admitted to the bar in
1922, but by this time his means were
exhausted. Being unable to pur-
chase horse, he was accustomed to
walk the whole distance from Society
Hill to the county seats of Darling
ton, Chesterfield and Marlborough,
each being fifteen miles distant, in
his attendance upon court. He after
ward became a thorough and success
full lawyer. He removed to Cheraw,
where he built up a remunerative
practice. It was here that he took
young Thornwell into his home and
office to prepare him for the law.
Thornwell surprised him one day by
telling him that he was going to
preach. This did not lessen his ef-
forts to help the young man however.
H. w. FINLAYSON.