The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-13

W9aneQ away Tue SuIOulSie
which was really his home paper
His brother, George D. Tillman, wa
member Of congress from that dis
trict. He was one of the braines
and most original men who ever rep
resented South Carolina in Washing
ton. Ben Tillman was a free lance
but his articles set people to think
ing. Finally he got the farmers stir
red up. They organized a farmers
movement and pretty soon T1llmar
became a political factor In Soutf
Carolina. His first appearance II
a convention was in Columbia II
1886, when John Peter Richardson
was nominated governor. He was
delegate from Edgefeld and favored
the nomination of Ex-Governor Shep'
pard, who was from the same coun'
II.
Who was Ben Tillman? The peo-
pie Of Augusta began to talk abou,
| Qlu. his COIlOu loSSOlo oe4o sA-
ae was q good farmer, but that his
wife was a better farmer. He was
a stickler for paying his debts. He
was not a large planter, but his credi,
was good ON cotton row. When he
Used to come to the Chronicle office
1t night he Invariably brought a pref,
ty Jar of fresh butter or a little
| basket of fruit for his friend, Pat
| Walsh. This shows that Ben not
| only raised cotton, but that he made
his " supplies. He had a fins
orchard, a good dairy; many peo'
ole said that the management of his
wife secured these things. At any
rate, he lived at home. and be lived
we'll. Now and then the local col
| umns of the Chronicle would print an
article like this:
Our popular friend, Captain Ben
!amin R. Tillman, Of Roper's, has
eft upon our table some fine fruit
md fresh eggs, just from his -four
ishing little Carolina farm. Come
ssain, Captain, the latch string al
ways hangs on the outside
Who was Ben Tiilman? Well, he
MAS captain Of the cavalry company
or the red shirt fellows over in
Eigefeld. When Governor John B.
iordon, with General Wade Hamp-
:on, was invited to Augusta to open
the fair, Ben Tillman brought his
| company over from Edgefeld to turn
u in the parade. The Chronicle
Joys remember that during the eX-
.rcises the Edgefeld troopers were
| banked over in an old field and the
.un became very hot at midday.
they remember Ben Tillman's dash
.ug across the field on horseback to
ak the commander If he might move
lis troopers in the shade. as the
len and horses had ridden across
he river from Edgeheld that morn
ng and needed water badly.
Now YOU have the three person
ges who used to come to the Chron-
lie office at least once a week and
! e,ieve the long vigil of the boys at
light by talking politics; gossiping
bout persons and things-discusslng
the grandeur that was Greece and
he glory that was Rome Sen
illman was remarkably we'll read;
ohm Gary Evans was classic and
Ieiicate and insolvency was a very
,uiet man who talked but little,
,ut was looked upon as a good
lend and a deserving fellow. / DC
OF recall that these men ever met
: that time. They may have and
ley may not have done so. If they
i'd | don't remember that they I'M
PRESSED each other. Their lives NOV
! in entirely different spheres
heir ages and professions sent them
r apart. Well, time changes ano
the great crucible of politics these
en- after a while got together
au Tillman continued to write hi
~rt!cles. His faction became a ma
nrity party. ! we'll remember th'
.ght he was elected governor. He
,rue over to the Chronicle office az
.sual and sat by the desk OF thf
" editor. The Chronicle received
:pecials from all parts Of the STATE
ind Ben Tillman read, but from the
elegraph ticker, the news OF hi:
.iumph. Pretty soon the Office wa
illed with Edgefeld people and Car
,liuisns generally, con~gratulatint
CAPTAIN Tillman,' or "Governo'
:.illman." which should it be?
BOYS, call me Ben" said the lead
,r. and 1t was generally that way
anyhow. I don't recall that Johl
Gary Evans or McSveeney came il
hat night. If they were IN tow
hey did. 1 remember that some
body wanted to set up champaign
over Humans election, but he re
fused it, saying that he didn't Xix
,t-never drank it, and that as TO
| raw oyster, he couldn't touch one
Well, John Gary Evans plodde'
along in Aiken. The Garys all join
I'd the Tillman movement, and frs
hing we knew little John Gary ha
been elected to the senate-the sam
pale-faced, delicate little chap VIII
used to sing tenor and make his re
nsrkable speeches in the Justlc