The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-03-10
STORY OF A HATCHET
THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THIS
COUNTRY FROM GERMANY

By the Ancestors Of Mr.. G. NJ. B.
Epting Over Oae Hundred and
Fifty Years Ago.
The following remarkable history
of a hatchet We take from the New
berry Observer. It is well worth
reading:
Mr.. c. NJ. B. Epting has hatchet
with a history. 1t was brought to
this country form Germany one
hundred and fifty years ago by his
ancestors. Of course he prizes 1t
very highly. 1t is of the genera!
shape and appearance of the hatchet
with which George Washington cut
fathers cherry tree and somewhat
like the hatchets sold today IN New
berry hardware stores. One old fea-
ture about it, though, is the nall
oulIer. The hatchets made now have
= slot on the inner edge of the blade
for nulliag nails. Thosee of form
or generation had claW-nammer
arrangement on the farther end Oh
the helve. This hatchet has the
nail-puller of the claw-hammer style.
Int it is on the nearer end or tne
helve. next to the handle OF tns
person using it.
About 1650-or somewhere near
he middle Of the 17th century. any
how-four men. named Dicket, Ep-
ing, shealy and Summer. came over
20 this country from near Heidel-
berg. Germany, to the borders OF
MARYLAND and Pennsylvania. They
were so pleased with the country
that they returned to Germany ana
brought colony over with them ana
effected a settlement
About the middle Of the 18TH cen
turv Dickets, Etpings, Shealys. Sum-
mers and other German tamliles
from Heidelberg. came to South Car
Dina and settled the country known
as the Dutch Fork, lying between the
Broad and the Saluda river, partly
within Newberry county and partly
in Lexington. The Summers brought
this hatchet with them to this State;
It had been brought from Heidel-
berg. It became the property OF
| Mr.. George Summer, the father OF
Mrs. Epting, mother of Mrs. e. NJ
3. Epting, who is still living IN this
city at the age Of 92
There we're four sons of Mr.. Geo
Andrew Summer. one of whom James
| Andrew Summer. is still living al
i The age of 90. These sons were car
oenters. More than sixty years aGc
they built the house in Caldwell
township now occupied by and be
longing to Mr.. Jno. S. Ruff. While
building this house the hatchet
which was being used by James
Andrew Summer, was lost, great!
TO the sorrow Of the young worker
because it belonged to his mother
his father having died. and she
thought a great deal Of it on account
Of it's associations with the father
land.
Some years ago Nj. Burden Rooz
er who was then living in New
berry at the corner Of McKibben anf
O'Neal streets, was mailing on some
oailings to his yard next to Epting'
| cotton yard. Mr.. G. N. B. Eptins
was struck with the appearance o
the hatchet that Mr.. Boozer was US
ing-he had often heard his mothel
speak Of the lost hatchet and thi:
reminded him of It. He asked Mr
Boozer to sell it to him. Mr.. Booze
said be did not care to sell It; bu
Mr.. Eping insisted, offering him {
dollar, then two, then FIVE. Mr.
Boozer still declining. saying that thu
hatchet was not worth that. bu
ne would sell 1t. why" asked Mr
Boozer. 'tare you so anxious to have
the hatchet!
Then Mr.. Epting told him the sto
" Of his grandfather's hatchet.
| Here it is" said Mr.. Boozer
handing him the hatchet; "it i
yours. and you shall not pay me ;
cent for it,
| Mr.. Boozer then explained hov
it came into his possession. He wa
owner of the house that was beins
built when the hatchet was lost
Forty years after the hous'
was completed, Mr.. Boozer was hav
ing new roof put on and some alter
ations made, and the hatchet wa
found lying on the ceiling of one o
the rooms, near the wall, evidentl!
having been laid there by the work
man who was using it when he wa!
building the house. and, forgetting
where he put it, the last board o.
the ceiling was nailed on. Mr.. Booz
er never supposing the hatchet hae
1 history, brought it with him wher
he moved to town, and used it fol
driving nails and splitting kindling
Mr.. Epting carried the hatchet
home and showed it to his mother
who recognized it at once as hel
mothers hatchet. Two years age
Mr. James Andrew Summer, Mrs
Epting's brother, was in aNewberry
and Mr.. Epting showed it to him
and asked him if he had ever seen
it before. He took it in his hands