The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-02-23
Letter From WiIkinsvilIe.

loiuay. oWinS 10 tne Oau WeaCner
and muddy roads only small con-
gregation was present. His text
was End Peter, End, 3rd and 4th
verses. The speaker emphasized the
urgent need of an Intelligent Chris.
tianity one that is based upon q,
true knowledge Of God as taught by
the Scriptures and only through the
Scriptures. It's impossible, - lie
said. for a man to love God who
doesn't know Him." 's'
Hon. G. w. Whisonant, who has
been attending the legislature, re.
turned home last Friday.
The people of this section have
been greatly coEvenienced by the
building of an iron bridge across
Broad river about mile above
Howell's ferry. The counties of
Cherokee and York built it about
two years ago at cost of approx
mately $4,000 and we are now on
the national highway leading from
Rock Hill to Spartanburg via Calf
ney.
The Thomson mill, which is one
of the oldest land marks in this
community, has gone down and not
wheel has been turned there since
the 1st OF January. The history of
this old mill reaches back to, even
ante-dates the Revolutionary war.
Old people have told us that during
that struggle Tarleton's cavalry
camped there several days on. their
march to Cowpens. Gun f1ints,
pieces of gun locks and other para
phernalia of army equipments have
been picked up on the premises.
This property was for fully three.
quarters of a century held and
owned by the Thomson family,
hence its. name, Thomson's mill.
Our older readers will remember
the notable lawsuit in 1878 in'which'
the landowners on Thickety and its
tributaries above the dam, better;
known as corporatoH, tried to have
the dam removed on. account of the
damage it was doing their lands.
This was one of the greatest legal,
battles ever fought within our knowl,
edge at tbs Union bar. Messrs.
Munro & Shand represented the.
corporators while Messrs. Rion e.
McKissick stood by the defense:
Every inch of ground was hotly
contested and the first effort re-,
suited in a mistrial. A few years
later it was fought over and resulted
in verdict for the defendants.
The property since then has passed
through several different hands and
is now owned by the estate Of Hon.
A. A. Sarratt. . " :.
In the formation of this (Chero-
keel county the Union "cut off"
has had its full share of the Office
holders. Messrs. Jeffries, Butler,
Otis and Whisonant have been sent
to the general assembly. The first
three named have represented it in
both branches of the legislature.
Messrs. j. Eb Jeffries and j. E.
Webster have held the office of
clerk of court and judgeNof probate,
respectively, since the for nation of
the county until last year. w. w.
Thomas, formerly of Santuc, has
been sheriff all the time except the
first year, when that Office was held
by Jake Ross. Mr.. Thomas still
holds the Office with no probability
of his being displaced soon. All of
the aforesaid Gold Union county,
men. we are glad to say, came out
with good records, and this is not
saying that any of the others didn't
do SO too, for they did 30 far as we
know.
Mr.. J. c. Otis, who came to this
county about the time of its forma-
tion and began the practice of law
at Gaffney, has made quite success
in his profession, so much so that
he has been promoted 70 the office
of solicitor of this, the seventh cir
cult, and we see no reason why he
should not be retained in that posi-
ton should he stand for it in the
coming primary. Mr.. Otis was a
poor boy and by his own efforts
has worked himself up to the ex-
alted position he now fills.
Mr.. S. F. Estes, one of our oldest
neighbors, is at this time in very
critical state of health. It's gen
eral breakdown of the whole system
with him. Vox.