The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-01-07
NORTH DAKOTA CAROLIN1AN.
Returns to Visit the Scenes of his
Yuth-Frank Banks Once
Thought Dead Has Prospered.

! guest at IT, Frederick Hotel wiro
wa~ in many ways an Interesting
gentleman. Twc":! !y-f, III years ago
he left what is now Saluda county,
IAN Ed2efeld. and after YEAR IN
i, >.:~. heated in far off Dakota, close
10 &;oth the Montana and Canadian
lines. among the Indians and beasts
of the plains. He has lived all the
life of tint great country which has
grown fr"m a trackless descent to be
one Of the greatest regions Of the
American Republic. The Red man
*,as been his close friend: he has
been in the round up with Teddy
Roosevelt: for eight days he has
fought the terrible prairie fire.
In February. 1854, without a word
to any che, Frank Banks quit ;he
haunts Of his boyhood, near old But
Ter church, in Ed2efeld county. For
thirteen years kith nor kin had no
word from aim. Finally, he wrote
that he when they Thought to be
dead was in the land Of the living.
To the Surprise Of his brother, Mr..
Sam Banks. who lives near Mount
Willing. in Saluda county, a few
days since Frank Banks came to VS.
it him. came to look once more upon
the graves Of his beloved parents.
With lam came his wife. q lady Of
Canadian birth. who locked for the
first time upon pine trees. cotton and
I"niogers.'
It was a pleasure to these at the
Frederiek Saturday night to hear
Mr. Banks speak Of his Life in tine
great Northwest, and to hear his re-
marks concerning the charges which
had taken place in Newberry and Sa-
'lnda since his departure nearly a
quarter Of a century ago. He spoke
of the growth of this town as re-
markable. for when he last saw it
Newberry was a mere village.
MI. Banks has been engaged in 9he
raising of horses and cattle in his
new home, and, as usual with the
pioneers of the plains, has prospered.
Land that he bought for a little more
than a dollar per acre Us now worth
twenty times that sum; just short
while back he refused thirty dollars
per acre for a tract Of two thousand
acres that cost him less than five
dollars per acre.
ayes, love old South Carolina
yet," said Mr.. Banks, 'Ebut I have
: lived up in North Dakota so long
that ii feels little like home to me
now; I might come back here to live,
but YOU see we would nave to be Wis
iting back there all the time, for my
wife's folks are all there" Howev-
er, Mrs, Banks expressed herself as
being delighted with this country,
especially the mild climate, for in
North Dakota the thermometer Often
registers sixty below zero.
Although in q country where the
great majority of the voters are Re-
publicans, Mr.. Banks has remained a
Democrat. In 1896, however, he
wouldn't vote at all, for ne couldn't
swallow Bryau's free silver ideas.
He voted fer Parker in the last elec-
ton against Roosevelt, although
Teddy and he had slept together Of
ten when the president was enjoying
the Life Of a cow puncner.
Mr.. and Mrs. Banks left here Sun
day morning, going to Greenwood,
where Mr.. Banks little niece, an in
mate Of the Connie Maxwell orphan
age, Joined them, the little lady 60
ing to make her home WITH her aunt
and uncle, who have no children.
MIR. Sam Banks, VINO accompanied
his brother to Newbenry, returned to
his home Sunday, after seeing the
latter depart for his five days ride
to Stroud, North Dakota. There was
a tear streaming down Sans cheek,
as he expressed the hope, when ne
clasped his baby brothers hand
goodbye, that It would not be twea-
tv-four years ere they should meet
again. "for if you wait that long,
Frank said good old Sam, "you
won't see me.' And Frank promised
that he would come back in much
shorter time than that.
neath of Mrs. Gregg Evans.