The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-06-14
Sketch of Life of Solicitor Otis.

teach a lesson the days never knew.
Union county is watching with inter
est the career of Solicitor Otis of
Spartanburg. (But in reality Of Pea
Ridge, for he was born in this county,
reared here, and made his political de-
but here, first as Legislator and
later as a delegate to the Constitu-
tional Convention.) His work as
Solicitor and as a Legislator from
both Union and Cherokee counties is
we'll known.
But there may be people here in I'm
ion county who do not know the man.
ner of boy he was. AS I recall him
he was slender, freckled face, dark
haired boy, who never had any time
to sow "Wild Oats" He never in
dulged in any Of the common sports
so called, except base ball, the mill
tary Che was captain of the Pea Ridge
Rifles) and the country debating So
cieties. He never drank, was always a
teetotaller, but he would fight if
necessary. He was ambitious. He
led and never followed. At school
he always led his classes, although he
had to drop out to work on the farm
during crop time. He entered politics
as a delegate to the famous March
convention of 1890, which nominated
Tillman for Governor. From that
time on he was factor in Union
county politics until he moved to
Gaffney.
His father died when he was six
years of age, and he grew up on
small farm, inherited by his mother
from the estate of her father, Rev.
James Gault, local methodist min
lister. The farm was small (not over
a hundred acres) but his mother was
a woman of unusual intelligence, force
of character and business ability. His
father was a college graduate and OF
an intellectual family. Rev. j. M. P.
Otis, for many years pastor of the
John Wannamaker church, in Phila-
delphia, Pa, was his fathers elder
brother. But much of Mr.. Otis pluck
will power and indefatigable energy
was undoubtedly inherited from his
mother. Until Solicitor OTIS was
eleven years of age the little farm
was plowed by hired hands, superin-
tended by his mother and her sister,
where they made support for the
family. ~f
But at the age of eleven young Otis
was the only plough hand on the
farm (for it was only a one-horse
FARM and he never missed ploughing
a crop until he was lawyer. When
about seventeen years of age, he
worked one summer and made q kiln
of brick. This was his first busi1ess
venture land its purpose was I'm
money for year at college, " llie
money was needed for the necessities
of the family. However this did not
deter him from his purpose Of being
lawyer. He had planned to go to
the bar at twenty-one, but he was
needed at home, and deferred until
after he had served term as Legis-
lator from Union county. His educa-
tion was secured at home and in the
"Old Field Schools" of Union county,
but he was hard student and burned
Midnight Oil" The work and strug-
giles of Solicitor Otis would read
more like a romance than real cold
facts, but you will only hear it from
his friends and not himself. Self re-
liant, with indomitable energy and
confidence born of achievement he
will never ash support on sentimental
grounds. This is campaign year and
the voters will be familiar with the
"Poor Boys" from the farm, etc. They
will hear of ploughing, hoeing, cut
ting logs, etc. But not from Mr. Otis.
He has measured strength with such
men and with men having college de-
grees on equal term and is not man
to ask favors.
He was model farmer, and when
he announced that he would practice
law many of his friends thought he
was making mistake, but he made
good from the beginning of his prac-
tice. When he determined to move to
Spartanburg, many of his Gaffney
friends thought he was making mis-
take, laying down an established
practice in county where he was re-
garded well as lawyer, to 60 to a
new field to build up new practice,
but those who knew him best were
sure he would make good and have
a larger success in broader field.
He is man of strong and posi-
tive character. He will make his
mark any where. As boy he was