The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-31
Fifty Years.

BaQ0eTD OuSnll HULL H. IL. " hS~S
half interest in the Independent Press. In
1869 that paper was. consolidated Win Inc
Abbeville Bapner. With this Issue l have,
therefore,, completed half a century as owner
and editor of this paper. While l bad been
employed in the Banner office as printer for
nearly q year before 1 bought an Interest In
the independent Press, l date my half
century in the office from April l, 1853. A
little less than five years ago l sold the office
to Messrs. Bradley, but my name as editor Is
still at the head of the paper.
In the conduct OF the paper for half a centu-
~ l nave not knowingly printed a vulgar
word, or any combination Of words that
would suggest unutterable things.
However much I may have failed l nave
striven for the higher and the better stan
dards.
II have sought the uplift OF characler. While
I have criticised particular acts ofindividuals,
I have assailed no mans character.
During all these years 1 have been blessed
In many ways. l have had good health, for
which I am thankful to an overruling Provi-
dence.
have enjoyed the friendship and the good
will OF many of the best people OF the city
and county of Abbeville.
When l look back l feel that no man ever
had greater reason to be grateful to any PEG
pie than I have to love the people Of Able
Vile county. 1 think they are the best In the
world.
Entering az I did, upon an educated or
learned pursuit, 1t is but natural that l
should sometimes have made mistakes. But
Notwithstanding all this, 1 have had
the sustaining help and the encouraging
sympathy Of many good people.
Having strong convictions that the right
must sooner or later prevail. and being Of
Scotch descent, l was therefore deficient
in that tact which would enable me to please
all men. Lacking the disposition TO set my
sails to catch the popular breeze, l have often
brought storms against myself.
have often thought that my character and
my motives were misunderstood, and that
for this reason Injustice has occasionally been
lone to me, but for all that the general aver
age OF indness has been largely In my favor.
But my life has been as an open book. the
pages Of which werei accessible to all. With
the passing years the incidents OF a laborous
life have been Inscribed on It's pages. My zeal
for the church into which I was born, and
whose members stood TO me In the
years OF my youth, has led me to the lndis-
cretion Of 80 acting as 10 incur the dlspleasure
OF a few OF the clergy. The paper Into whose
office I. as a little boy, left the home of my
parents to learn the printing business having
turned on me and having sought to ruin me
and to preach me into hades even while still
alive, l know not whether q christian burial
will be accorded to me by that people. Bat I
have q clear conscience In trying to open the
eyes of the people TO the fact that an imposi-
tlon has been palmed off upon them. II l
shall open their eyes TO the fact that they
are contributing money to Mexico that
should 60 TO buy shoes and clothes for
their own little children, 1 shall be satisfied.
/ shall have discharged my dnty as l see 1t.
My responsibility will then be ended. AS l
have striven to live honestly. so I hope that
that great sleep, into which I must soon
enter, may be one Of peace.
In these fifty years thePress andBanner has
recorded the death or removal from the city
of nearly every man and woman who lived
in Abbeville In 1859. A large percent. OF the
citizens Of that time went to the war, never
to return. Since the war, the others, one by
one, have crossed the River. Among those
who survive l note: r. E. Hill. J. w. Syn,
T. c. Seal, l.. a. Russell, George White, H. T.
Tuslen, John T. Owen.
s0i the old citizens ofDue West who took an
abtive part in the affairs of the town In 1851.
Prof. ]. F. Lee alone survives.
GOT the subscribers TO the Press and Banner
at the time Of my coming into the Office, l
can now recall the names OF only four who
survive, namely: DR.. ]. D. Neel, ofTroy, and
Prof. j.. F. Lee. of Anderson, w. C.. Moore, Of
Due West. John T. Owen, OF Georgia.
Notes from the Independant Press Of April
s, 1859.
Among the names appearing In the indie
pendant Press OF April s. 1859, 1 note the fol-
lowing advertisers: 81. s. Kerr, A. A. VIII
liams, w. c. Moore. c. F. Quaife, James A.
Allen, A. M. Smith, Joseph T. Moore, Sheriff;
Mathew Mcdonald. Clerk of the Court; John
q. Baskin, magistrate; James NJ. Perrin, cap
tain, D. L. Mclaughlin. orderly sergeant;
VIM. Hill, ordinary; W. II. Parker, commits
81 or; John Gray, ]. T. Robinson, E. Roche.
7. M. Christian. d. NJ. and 8. A. Winstock. r
]. White, DR.. W. l.. Anderson, DR.. E. Z. Nc
Twain, samuel Hunter, S. II. Jones, Mrs. j.
Conner, Jordan & Mclaughlin, w. W. Bel
cher, F. P. Robertson, VIM. Knox, Wardlaw
Lyon, James I. J~efries, DR.. j. F. Mabry'
o Mcbride, VIM. Tatom. e. White, DR.. 8.
Henry Beard. NJ. T. & 1T. Owens, Nj Israel
d Brussell, Edmund Cobb, j. B. Crawford,
job l.. Clark, j. Foster Marshall. w. A. Lee,
Steven e. DeBruhl, Patrick O'Keefe, James
H.. Morris.
The names OF candidates announced at that
time were, For tax collector-G. NJ. NATL
son, James A. McCord, DR.. ]. F. McComb. s..
A. Hodges, WIS. Harris. Wesley A. Black,
Henry s. Casop. For ordinary-John G. Bas-
kin, John A. Hunter.
In the same paper 1t is noticed that the
beautiful and tasteful dwelling OF Vim. H..
Parker, Esq, will soon be completed. ut
presents a fine specimen OF architecture
kill and a model OF good taste. 1t presents
thai union of beauty and. convenience-dura-
bility and inish-which forms the ne plus IT.
ira OF artistic skill" Do you recognize that
house as the present home OF NJ. Greene?
Master John McCaw won the prize at a
fancy tilt near Upper Long Cane church.
"ae performed the rare feat at taking the
ring at every round, and was proclaimed vic
/ or at The tourney"
D. R. Sondley was railroad or station agent
at tine Southern depot.
One negro man was sold on Sale Day for
S ,455.
Tuesday night was very cold. Ice killed
most Of the fruit and damaged growing wh eat.
NEWSPAPER NOTICES.
In these days many newspapers had mot
toes at their headings. The Independent
Press had: Lei II be instilled into the hearts
Of your children that the libeaty OF the press