The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-12-21
man SAW WITCHES BURNED
Maine Man Recalls Days Of Long
Ago Rack to Revolution.

Ago Rack to Revolution.
~Gideon Deering, the original
settler in the "Deering neihgbor-
hood" in Springvale, Maine, was
. man whose purpose was to found
a village, says the Boston Globe.
He settled in the valley west of
the ridge that forms the highlands
of Springvale and during the revo-
lutionary war was busy getting
families to locate there. At the
close of the revolution 1t was an
important settlement, containing
1S or houses.
For some time before Springvale
developed Emery's Mills a village in
Springvale was the trading center
of the surrounding country. The
probabilities are that Mr.. Deering
thought Emery's Mills was to be a
metropolis of the northern Mousam
valley and that his neighborhood
would be the logical place for the
village of Sandfordtown.
He lived long enough to see his
plans come to naught for he was
over 80 years old when he died.
The memory of Mr. Deering is
well preserved in the mind of Mr..
Moses bennett, who lived in his
house from child hood to man
hood, and was largely under his
influence. Mr.. bennett, now in
his S1st year and a lifelong resi-
dent of Springvale, is himself a
character of more than common in
terest.
His story of Mr.. Gibeon Deering,
reflecting also his own idosycrasies
Is very interesting. One of Mr
behring's peculiarities was a firm
belief in witchcraft.
1t is possible that Mr.. bennett Is
the only man now living who has
been a witness of the act of bnrn-
ing up "bewitched cream" Three
times at least, he saw the "churn-
! Ing" thrown into the great brick
oven, because "old wizard Hersum"
was in it.
Says Mr.. bennett; "Mr. Deering
had no children, and when 1 was a
small boy my father moved into
his home and there 1 was reared.
remember the old man as we'll as
I do my father. The house was
known far and near as Pilgrim
! Tavern" 1t took that title be-
cause 1T was free and open house
for the clergy. In those days re-
V1valist travelled about the
country in groups and when in this
Many times my brothers and my
self have been obliged to sleep on
the floor to accommodate the guest
As they all travelled by team the
barn was often full of horses: and
brothers and l had them to care
Tor. l do not recall ever having a
cent given as a tip. / suppose the
day of such things had not arrived
In all matters except this Mr..
Deering was level headed and al
ways shrewd enough to look out
Tor his own. When the clergy or
the church was involved he never
counted the cost and it must have
been drain upon his resources,
for as long as l can remember the
same generosity was kept up, and
1t had been in vague long before
i was born.
I'VE boys had to go to meeting
every Sunday. We walked, and the
-SeIp 9M 'sn qlIM p9HIBM uBm pIo
sed up in our best. The disting-
uishing features of my attire, as
well as can recall 1t was the
great white collar with long points
and high sides, resembling those
. worn by negro impersonatOrs. The
chief purpose they served was to
keep my eyes on the preacher, for
collar was 30 high and the points 30
long.
''In the Bible there Ia some
thing said about taking off the
shoes when on holy ground, but Mr..
Deering reversed the order: for he
had US go barefooted until near
the church. Then we dressed our
feet (haying brought shoes and
stockings and went into the meet
ing house all booted. Upon the
return trip We had respect for the
church until out Of sight; and then
off came our shoes and stockings,
and we went the rest of the way
Darefooted. 1t was two good miles
to the church.
"Mr. Deering was intensely relig-
Gus but more than that he was
In the reality of witches and wiz
ards was his most striking char
acteristic. In that respect Cotton
Mather had nothing on him, az the
boys say today.
'In that sense he lived in an age
seven then gone by. He was never
theless fine old fellow and always
treated us boys we'll He was
master at story telling--at least 1t
seems 80 to me-and he used to
amase US children with all sorts of
yarns.
But the ghost stories were the
ones that fascinated us and night
after night have gone to bed with
the fear of goblins upon me. The
instant / got into bed under the
sheets went my head to shut out
the vision OF ghosts prancing up
and down the room. That made
no difference with my desire to
listen the next night. He always