Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-01


Of Boomville. The bells changed ou'
on the frosty morning, a madder, wild
err, more awful clangor than had eveI
been heard from them before.
There had been no cry heard from
the bank Perhaps the thick walls and
strong shutters had held it in when
Samuel Lyman cried in agony for that
which was beyond hope or the power
Of prayer. When the one who gave the
alarm shouted his discovery and his
fear the smoke was a pillar Of black
ness. with faint CLEANS Of flame light
ing up the horrible murkiness OF its
base where it rested upon the roof.
His discovery, said. That needs nc
explanation. No one looking at what
this restless early riser saw could have
dared doubt for moment that Bar
ron's Boomvile Bank was doomed.
But his fear? What Of that?
1t went from man to man, as the
streets filled with hurriedly dressed
and half clad people, at first in the
Mortified whisper of incredulity-but
later in the agonized accents of unwill-
ing conviction.
There's a man in there: Samuel
Lyman is in there; can nothing be
done? Something must be done; hur-
ry: why don't they hurry?" This was
the burden of the cries Of the crowd
as il grew greater and greater-densel
and denser
Men took tools and dashed up to the
outside door. They stood there and
worked-worked as they never had
worked before-as they would never
work again-as money could not have
hired them to work for any mans
property-aS they would not have
worked except in an attempt to save
human life.
There were wealthy men among the
workers. who would not have spoken
to so poor man as Samuel Lyman
yesterday: there were men who had
hated him-justly or unjustly as il
may be: there were men who distrusted
him; there were all sorts and condi-
tions of men there How they worked!
How they all worked!
Prier was there, and John Kane, and
Walter Aldrich, all with tools in their
hands, and all in the very front of dan
er and endeavor.
They worked long, earnestly, man.
fully-worked with the streams from
the engine playing upon them 10 les
sen the awful heat-worked until even
that could not keep their condition
tolerable-and then they shrank back
slowly and regretfully, one by one
leaving the front door still firmly in
its place.
They sprang to the work again with
renewed ardor and redoubled vigor-
careless of danger, thoughtless Of dis
comfort because the last one to leave
a moment before, had thought he
caught the sound of staggering foot
steps inside. and was not sure he did
not catch the tones of a deSpairins
voice above the roar of the raging
flames.
They worked like madmen. They
crushed down the outside door. They
sprang into the outer hall. And then
they were just in season to totter out
into the street again as roof and walls
piled themselves together in one shape
less mass of blazing timber blisterine
brick and white-hot iron.
Patiently they poured streams of wa
ter into and over the ruins for long
long hours. More patiently still they
Iabored long in lifting charred beams
bent and twisted pillars and girdles
and piles of broken brick, from where
they had fallen. With most of pa
tience. and with all of awe, they gath
cred all that was left Of the man who
had died there-scarcely more than
handful of calcined bones and white
lashes-and bore them tenderly away.
Reverently they followed the re-
mains of the dead to the grave. Low
ingly they covered them from human
sight With fearful friendship anc
kindly thoughtfulness they planted
flowers and shrubs about this mans
resting place, when winter had melted
land blOsSomed into spring.
And ere, many months had gone by
they placed a marble shaft at Samue
LymanS grave, on which they recount
ed his many virtues and the tale oi
his fidelity to his trust.
| And no one has ever called their epi'
taph's record in question, and none
ever will: for the crime which Lurline
Bannottie took upon her soul on the
morning of the Sabbath day, Marcf
5th. 1871. was never brought home tC
her-never suspected of her-nevel
suspected as crime at all-and never
will be-not in this world!
And the monument stands there, ant
will stand there, under its shadow
Prier has sorrowingly unsaid some un'
| kind words he was once So unfortunate
as to speak of the sort of man he be-
lieved Mr.. Samuel Lyman to be; b!
its side Walter Aldrich and John Kane
have rivaled each other in kind word:
Of the dead.
The monument stands there. as it ha!
land will Men call it the monumen
Of Samuel Lyman. l prefer to call i
la monument to human wisdom-a
broad as its vision-as deep as it
acuteness- as high as its powers.
For after all. my friend the reader
lis it's record OF the one who rests be
meath it not as true as some you haV'
ISeen?
II was early in the afternoon ol
Sunday, March 5th, 1871, that Lurlin
Bannottie arrived at the town to whicl
she had informed the gentleman from
whom she had purchased her team tina
she was going. The team was begin
lining to suffer, for they had had Meth
er food nor water since they lef
BlankfOrd nearly twenty-fOur hour
before. Miss Bannottie would hav
suffered. too. for she had never endure,
so much Of hardship. had it not beel
L. - Il lNV