The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-05-15
NOTABLE ADDRESS BY
HILARY A. HERBERT
Large Audience Heard Him
Monday Evening.
BEAUTIFUL. TRIBUTES
TO BOYHOOD FRIENDS
With Touch Of Sentiment and Pathos
and then of Humor, the Gallant Vet
eran Paid Beautiful Tributes to His
Friends and then Drew Lessons
from their Achievements.


The annual oraton before the grad
uating class of the Laurens high school
was delivered Monday evening before
a large and cultured audience by Hon.
Hilary Abncr Herbert, who is a native
of Laurens of whom all it's citizens
are proud, veteran of the Civil War,
congressman for eight terms from the
navy under President Cleveland, and
who is at present an honored citizen
of Washington, ID. c., with long.
splendid and spotless career behind
him Col. Herbert, by which ti,le he
is generally known, having been col
onel of the Eighth Alabama volun-
teers during the great war. was en-
Enthusiastically received by the dcs-
cendants of the friends and relatives
OF his boyhood days and the cloest at
tenuon was given to him throughout
his address. Though Col. Herbert was
born in 1884, consequently being sew
enty eight years of age his voice was
clear and, though hardly resonant
was distinct. His every word was un
derstood and listened to raptly, for
his speech dwelt principally around
"reminiscences of his boyhood days
his early friendships with the fathers
and grandfathers Of those present and
the friends of many of the elders. Of
those boyhood acquaintences, only one
was In the house, Cresswell CARING
ton, Esq, Mr.. Darlington occupying
the seat Of honor near Col Herbert.
Col. Herbert was introduced by Mr.
w. w. Ball, a son of his boyhood
friend, the lamented Col. B. w. Ball
Mr.. Ball introduced the speaker as
first soldier, one who had fought
valiantly in the great battles of the
cos and then later during the recon
Astruction period; second, as a teach
er, whose forebears were early teach
ers in this country; as a statesman,
who as secretary of the navy under
President Cleveland by efficiency and
ability help lay the foundations OF
the great navy which swept the Span
ish fleets of the sea, and fourth. as a
native of Laurens, whom all of its
citizens are proud to claim.
In the beginning of his address Col
Herbert recited his early experiences
in Laurens, which he left at the age
of twelve Though, he said, II could
not say that / love the home of my
childhood better than, or ever as well
say that since leaving, these verses
have been clinging around his heart
ever since:
sweet Cline Of my kindred,
blest land Of my birth,
The Fairest, the dearest,
the brightest on earth,
Where e'er may roam,
howe'er blest I may be,
My heart as nstinctively
turns unto thee"
Col, Herbert dwelt at length upon
the experiences Of his hoybood days,
giving many pathetic and then humer-
oNs instances of those days and of
his early youth. Then Laurens was
but a mere village, where the court
house was somewhat of a social cen
ter and the old Laurensville Female
Academy, where his father and moth
er taught, was the educational cen
ter. At school, taught during the
first years by old Davy j. Williams
and in 1846 by Bob Darlington, he
studied and played with the Todds.
the Garllngtons, the Farleys. the F1em-
S&s, the Willlamses, the Irbys, the
S@arksdales, Bud Ball, Chris Suber and
others.
Turning from the reminscencies of
his boyhood days, Col. Herbert re-
minded the class that the school chill
dren Of the present have far greater
advantages than those of his day,
though it was a question in his mind
whether some OF the modern ways
of teaching was right. Where the boys
and girls of his day had before them
what their ancestors had left them,
the boys and girls of today have be-
fore them the achievements in every