Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1911-03-09
CAPT. SAMUEL ELLIOTT WHITE
PASSES TO THE GREAT BEYOND

philanthropist, died in Lancaster
Saturday evening at the home
of his son-in-law, Col. Leroy
Springs. Capt. White had been
in declining health for several
months and his death was not
unexpected. When the announce
ment of the death of Capt. White
reached Fort Mill, his old home,
where he was reared and spent
practically all of his long and use
full life, there was universal sor-
row, for it told of the passing
away of a man who was loved
and respected in this community
as are few men anywhere.
AS a man, Capt. White was
the soul of honor, of genial tenn
perament and magnetic person.
ality. An extensive reader, and
possessing retentive memory
and the gift of expression, he
was an exceptionally entertain
ing conversationalist. Innumer-
able were his deeds of charity,
but being of innate modesty, his
contributions to relieve the un-
fortunate, the sick, and the suf-
fering and to various praise
worthy objects were invariably
made without ostentation. For
number of years preceding his
death, he was a member of the
Presbyterian church.
Samuel Elliott White was born
in Fort Mill February %, 1887,
and was therefore in his 18th
year. He was the son of William
Elliott White and Sarah Robinson
(Wilson) White. His early boy
hood was spent at the old White
homestead. just outside the cor
porate limits of Fort Mill. He
was prepared for college in the
community school and received a
thorough education at the Kings
Mountain Military academy and
the Citadel, from Which he grad
uated with honor. When the
War Between the States came on
in 1861 he enlisted in Company B,
Seventh North Carolina regiment
and was elected lieutenant, af-
terwards being promoted to the
captaincy of the company. At
She battle of Newbern, March Is.
1862, he was desperately wound
ed in the head.
At the close Of the war, Capt.
White returned home and en-
gagged in farming, in which he
was notably successful. accumu-
fating large and valuable estate.
On the 21st Of November, 1866,
he married Esther Phifer Allison,
daughter of r. w. and S. A.
Allison. of Concord, N. C. They
had four children. but all died
young. except Grace Allison
White, who married Col. Leroy
Springs. of Lancaster. Mrs.
White died April %. 1903, and
her daughter, Mrs. Springs, on
April 80, 1907, the latter leaving
one son, Elliott White Springs,
who is Capt. Whites only sur
viying heir.
In addition to his large farm
ing interests. Capt. White was
also interested in manufacturing
and banking enterprises, and, at
one time. in the mercantile bust
ness in Fort Mill. He promoted
and built, in 1886, the Fort Mill
Manufacturing company, one of
the first gingham mills in the
South. He also organized and
established the Savings Bank of
Fort Mill. He was made presi-
dent of both institutions, which
positions he still held at the time
of his death.
Capt. Whites Funeral.
Four counties united Monday
in honoring the memory of Capt.
White. Lancaster, Chester, York
and Mecklenburg IN. c. met at
the grave of Fort Mills lamented
citizen, alluded to in the funeral
Grafton of the Rev. DR.. J. B.
Mack as the father of the town.
The remains of Capt. White
were brought to Fort Mill from
Lancaster on a special train,
aboard which not only number
of relatives of Capt. White but
many of Lancaster's best and
most substantial citizens. These
were joined on the way by repre-
sentative citizens of Chester and
York counties, Rock Hill being
largely represented. The morn
ing train from Charlotte also
brought many relatives and
friends of Capt. White. When
the funeral train reached the
Fort Mill station several hundred