Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-19

ing to about $85, took everything In
sight and skipped out
"HALIFAx."
section of southeastern York, and
northeastern Bethesda townships, In
cludes a territory which until rev
wears ago was to all intents and pur-
noses a wilderness so far as the pal
ance of the county had knowledge OF
II. or so far as it's importance extend
ed to the balance Of the county. Pre-
vious to the civil war there were some
extensive plantations In this territory
but after the war most OF the lana was
given over to negro tenants, and there
was but little communication between
that territory and the territory ad-
Joining, until within the past SIX or
seven years. during which WONDER
full change has been wrought. Lanus
that a decade back were CONSIDERED
high at seven or eight dollars an acre,
have because Of various circumstances
of which the reader Is more or less Ia
miliar, enhanced In value, untii no"
1t Is not uncommon to hear OF %4o pe-
ing offered and refused.
Not many readers Of Tine Enquirer,
we venture. are aware Of the fact that
at one time the section OF country re-
ferred to was thickly settled by whites,
had a distinctive name, and bore the
reputation of being the gayest ana
Iiyeliest neighborhood in the Pied
mont. Yet this Is fact, according TO an
interesting sketch in the late DR.. Mau-
rice Moores "reminiscences or YORK.
The sketch tells the whole story. now
the section happened to acquire lts
character and reputation, how II hour
ished for a while, and how and why
the people probably disappeared, and
the whole story is sufficiently interest
ing to be worth reproduction. Here
1t Is:
pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, the bloom ls
she'd
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white-then melts forever;
Or like the borealis race,
That fits ere you can point the place;
Or like the rainbow's lovely form,
Evanishing amid the storm
Nae man can tether time or tide"
When proposed the writing OF
those scraps Of memory, / warned my
readers that all would not be In order'
Therefore, l may now retrograae'
without apology, to about the year looV,
when a settlement known for many
years by the distinctive appellauon Oh
"Halifax," was made in the distrlct.
Few now, I presume, are aware IL ever
had existence.
It originated by an old man naHeo
Ward a gentleman of considerable
means coming from Halifax, Virginia,
and buying a large survey from BOD
Barrow. ESQ, (the celebrated old land
monger). and settling himself there
on, II was a very fine body OF land,
living on Fishing creek, about four or
five miles south of Yorkville. MOI
long after, a number Of families emil
grated from the same vicinity In VIZ
einia. and Mr.. Ward sold on to them
small tracts of land, settling tnem
there on little farms thickly ABOUT
him with one consent, in loving re-
membrance of "old Virginny," they
entitled their new neighborhood Hal,
flax" and so 1t was soon designated
by the whole district.
Among the families thus added TO
our population. were the virgins, "a
ces. Foremans, Knights, EDWARDS.
Bensons, Cooks, and others Mhose
names I do not now recall. These
neonIe retained the renowned hospl-
tality Of the "Old Dominion anu LoI
MANY wears. in my young days, TINS
saction was the centre Of merriment'
good living. open-handed generosity
and frolics In the district. A dancing
school was a standing institution. one
of their number Mr.. Ben COOK, was
q master of the terpsichorean art, anu
in various parts of York and adJoin-
ing districts, instructed many.
feet in the dance to twin
kle round"
Almost every man of Halifax played
the fiddle-old Mr.. Ward eXcellng
among them in this. as we'll as most
else Indeed. this old gentleman, from
his seniority, wealth and beneVolence
was as II were, the patriarch-nls
house. the headquarters OF the settle
ment. ,.,ro
festivity. Each night a dance-the
ball always opening Christmas Eve, at
old Mr.. Wards; then each night sue
ceeding. by a kind Of routine, from
one house to another. They were too
generous to confine the guests 10
themselves. Kindred spirits were al
Ways welcome-"the more the mer-
rier" their motto, and many livery gaI-
lants and merry maidens, not oeiong-
ing there, participated In the noluays
at "Halifax." Nor was it alone at
Christmas times they had thelr Iui.
and frolic. Scarcely a month ever
nassed by without a dance being got
ten up in this neighborhood, usually
though, ii would be at old Mr.. Wards
a dance in those days was dance.
frolic (instead of party) 1t was
before sundown ana
not ended until nearly dawn; and as
once heard an old lady say while look
ing on in the ballroom at Glenn
Springs, at the languid movements OF
belles and beaux in cotillions-then
the fashionable dance-"when l was
q girl. I did more honest dancing In
half an hour, than one Of these 90
the whole evening" Dancing In those
days was an accomplishment mucn au-
mired, and the steps which accompa-
MED each particular dance peculiar
more or less to 1t. and all requiring
practice and activity to perform. La
dies dresses were worn short, and tne
feet lightly keeping time to tune WIN
varying motion, was very pretty
sight.
First. though. the evenings usually
opened with a minuet. This was a
figure recurring but two PERSONS
slow. stately dance, showing time we'll
executed, and much grace II well done
Then would follow six handed reels,
as many as space permitted being
formed on the floor After these, the
whole company usually Joined in a
dance called the German
Paw About"
1.-The wee sma' hours ayant the
wal" they began dancing the "Strath-
The first figures OF this
we're like those of the minuet; not
quite so slow, but all motion, gentle
ness and grace Suddenly the music
varied to the Congo-a time resem-
bling that of the hornpipe; the dane
,rs, as in the minuet, but two on the
loor at a time, without losing step.
hrew themselves into the transition
md life and agility marked every bar.
gain, another variance of time. in
he music and with slow. almost SOL
.mn step, the dancers walked the ca
lences Of the Strathspey time. These
ended. jigs began. But two occupied |
he floor at a time, and when in the |
luick motion they had lost their |
breath, two others would rise and take |
heir places. they glad TO sit down. At
I'D Mr.. Wards he was almost always |
allied on to play for these, for in this, |
G in most else II WAS coOce6ed he eY-