The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-07-24
MRS. BLECkLEY'S LIFE


land In that section. He father, the
| late Is. +. Hammond, was il native OF
this county. Her mother shs Il Miss
Miles Of Edgciicld county, descending
from the old French IIugucnu,s Who
first landed in Charleston and settled
in the low country
She was therefore on, OF the city's
| oldest inhabitants. living in ana help
ing to build this city, county and stat"
as did her father before her She was
educated here when Anderson was
but Il viliaEr. at the old Johnston Fe-
Ilma!c University. OF which the late
was one of the leading female instiiu-
tons of It's day She graduated ut the,
age OF II. carrying OFF first honurs In
Il class Of IL Her valcdictory was
composed III quiet nook of her
boarding place. The home Of the late
j. l.. Reed. the spot now improved
and In the rear Of the home of Mr..
j. a. Brock. a year later sll" was
,,
somcst young man in the town. the
late Sylvester Hlccklcy. II Georgian.
just % years of age. who had come
here TO cast his lot and try his for
tune in the merchandising business.
Together they began life in an hum
bic cottage just where Mr.. ". ID.
Simpson now lives. Theirs was a uni
ted effort to succeed and they did.
Immediately after their marriage
the war came on and they knew for
four years nothing hut the trials and
sadness Of such times. and much OF
Mrs. i,lccklcy's time was given to the
work for the soldiers. both away and
at home. caring for the wounded and
comforting the sorrowIng. She was
called UPON to give up dear brother
and other relatives and friends. In
the struggles that proceeded through
out the dcvastations Of poverty and
the four years OF suffering, she prov
ed herself noble helpmeet.
Possessing lively disposition, she
caused many an approaching cloud to
clear; provided with more than ordi-
nary intellect and talcut, she lent
them all to the advancement OF the
community; belonging to dramatic
club she managed and took the lead
ing roles and always with great sue
cess; her excellent voice she gave to
the choir OF her beloved church for
years; but 1t was not until her chill
dren were grown that she felt that
she could give her attention to club
work and to do literary work Of which
she WAS most fond aut Of which she
has dcne considerable in her later
years.
She has published one volume of |
miscellaneous writings and has man.
uscript for another. her original
sketches given by her in the negro |
dialect. She was very successful in |
entertaining and in pleasing her
friends with these original stories, |
and there was an added charm be-
cause OF her quaint manner in rccIt- |
ing them.
She was fond Of travel and made |
Journeys to the wonderful west and |
also TO foreign countries, sight see
Ing. storing her mind with informa-
tion and collecting souvenirs. She
never tired of rcciting to her friends
accounts Of these Journeys and the
most remarkable thing was the ab-
solute correctness Of detail with |
which she described every thing and
gave historical information. Her
descriptions were interesting and in
structive
Her. remarkable fitness for social
life made her great favorite with
old and young, all enjoying her COM
pany. She was never too weary to go
Oh any expedition, where the young
folks needed chapcronnc and no one
was too old or too feeble not to appeal
to her love and sympathy.
She was president OF Anderson's
first library association: regent OF the
OF the American Revolu- /
lion; historian for life for the d. a.
X. OF the state; president OF the u.
d. c., and OF the Woman's Christian
temperance Union. She spent much
lime and accomplished much towards
reform in the liquor question.
She was the first white woman in
Anderson to work among the colored
race. often addressing them on impor-
'ant subjects and helping award mod
ais to them for efficient work. cspec-
ally i'll the study OF the evils of in
temperance. Often she visited the