Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-15
WHEN THE STATE WAS YOUNG.
A Fight In Laurens County In the
DAYS Of Mustors and Billies.

Days OF Mustof5 ana biilies.
l suppose that 1t has been ever thus,
ever since the world began, that time
brings many changes; and when in a
reminiscent mood I often think of
what great changes have taken place
even In my own recollection. In this
day and time q fancied insult Is the
signal for drawing "a gum" knife or
"knucks" to resent 1t. In the olden
days all disputes, insults, etc., were
settled by the manly art Of fist and
skull" In those days nearly every sec
ton of the county had It's bully" and
every section of the county had a
muster ground, where some Of the
most celebrated fights Of the county
took place. From what We remember
to have heard around the fireside. lis
tening to "Grandpa's tales Of the long
ago." the most celebrated and dogged
fighters in those days in Laurens dis
trict, were Mat Jones and Mat Milan.
OF course, each had his friends and
admirers, but the truth Is, neither
could ever whip the other and their
fights were always drawn" battles.
These men were up In years-grown
men-but there were young men who
prided themselves on the manly art,
and that section Of our county then, as
now, known as the Fork" seemed to
have more than its share Of young
men fighters. remember to have
heard the old men speak Of fistic af-
fairs between Bill lux Anderson and
some other fighter, Andy Anderson and
Jim Anderson, all Of the Fork, and
of funny stories with which he used
to keep the crowd around him listen
ing spellbound. The old doctors atti-
tude while telling these stories was In
a squatting position, and with the end
of his walking cane he would draw a
horse or some other object in the sand.
He used to tell us about big draw
fight that took place somewhere In the
Fork" between Bill Kid and Brother
Pleas. It seemed that nobody saw the
fight except a younger brother Of
Brother" Pleas, and he undertook to
describe the fight something like this:
To a crowd gathered around the
store in that neighborhood the young
fellow began:
You list orter seed the fight yistid-
dy tween Bill Kid and Brother Pleas.
Bill Kid come down to the new ground
that Brother Pleas was clearing, and
beginned some of his biggity talk, and
how he was the best man in the set
tlement, and so on. Brother Pleas up
and says, Now, look here, Bill Kid, ef
you don't go on away from here we'll
see who Is the best man! At that Bill
Kid made for Brother Pleas-and sich
a fight you never did see. They fit
and they fit, and they fit, and
We'll, who whipped?" asked one Of
the crowd.
"I thought they never wuz 'gwine to
stop. Brother Pleas gouged out one
of Bill Kids eyes and Bill Kid pulled
all the hair outer Brother Pleass head.
tell you that wuz a flght-they fit
and they fit and they fit and they fit,
and"
well, tell US which whipped?" de-
manded another one Of the crowd.
II tell you that wuz q fisht-they
fit, and they fit, and they fit."
Now, look here, boy demanded one
of the crowd, tell us who whipped"
The little fellow answered, "Norry
one. Bill Kid knocked Brother Pleas
in a brlar patch, and
well, then, didn't Bill whip?"
mo. They just At, and they fit, and
they fit"
Here, boy" gruffiy demanded one Of
the listeners you tell US which whip
ped"
"Norry one, l said"
well, how was that?"
Bill Kid knocked Brother Pleas in
briar patch, and Bill Kid wouldn't 20
in arter Brother Pleas and Brother
Pleas wouldn't come out arter Bill
Kid."-W. T. c., in Laurensville Her.
aid.