The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-04-22

Of AN OLD MAN
Judge r.. e. Hill Writes of
Things Long Ago in Abbe-
vile County.
(CONTINUED)
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For several years prior to the wal
between the States, along in the fif.
ties, Abbeville had among it's inhabi,
tants quite number of decided char
acters. Among the most unique oi
these were John McBryde, John Nc
Larren, both Scotchmen, James H
Cobb, Sylas Anderson, James Shillito
Dolph Williams and others, each pos
sessed of traits of character peculiar
to himself.
John McBryde was postmaster here
for perhaps twenty-five years, prior to
and during the war. He was noted for
his disposition toady to those
whom he considered as belonging to
the upper ten"
When one of that class, especially If
a lady, called at the Office he would
bow and scrape equal to French
dancing master but let an obscure
person call and he would scarcely
treat such an one with ordinary civil
ity.
I remember a most amusing occur
renee which took place in front Of the
post office one day. Mr.. Charles T.
Haskell and family were Esying out
at their country home about ten miles
from town at the time. Mr.. and Mrs.
Haskell would frequently go off on a
visit to Charleston or Columbia and
be gone for a week or so, and when
they were ready to return home, Mr..
Haskell would write to his overseer
to send George, the carriage driver,
in with the, carriage to meet them.
On these occasions George would
always reach town in advances Of the
arrival of the train and would invari-
ably enter the Public square down at
Whites corner and would dash up to
the post office which stood about
where E. r. Thomson's store now
stands, jump out and get the mail be-
fore going to the depot. In that way
old Mr.. McBryde became perfectly ia
miliar with George and the carriage
horses.
Now the old man regarded Mr.. and
Mrs. Haskell "as par excellence" On
the occasion noted, George, as he was
coming in to town to meet his master
and mistress, overlook an old lady
lust beyond the Blue Hill about mile
out of town, who asked him to let her
have seat in the carriage, which of
course he did.
AS George drove up to the post Of
flee Mr.. McBryde was standing on the
steps talking to a number Of gentle
men. Recognizing the carriage and
seeing lady in it he took 1t for grant
ed that it was Mrs. Haskell, and
rushed out to pay his regards, bowling
most profoundly. On discovering his
mistake he turned abruptly on his
heels, raising his hands above his
head in manifestation Of the suprem-
est contempt and when the old lady
said, "Mr. McBryde, have you any
mail for me?", he said "na, ma, you
haven't got letter in forty years."
This old man McBryde was the fa-
ther of John M. McBryde, who was at
one time President Of the South Car
olina College, and also of Rev. Robert
McBryde, at this time a prominent
Episcopal preacher, located some
where in Virginia.
He and his brother-in-law John Nc
Larren and a maiden sister Of Mr..
McLarren, Miss Jeanette McLarren,
all broad spoken Scotch people, with
Johnnie and Bobbie as everybody
called them, together with Dolph Will
liams, also a nephew of the McLar-
ren's, all lived together in the same
house.
Dolph, as I have before intimated
was somewhat of a character him
self.
I once heard him describe the or
der in which they were usually seat
ed at the dining table. He said his
aunt Jeanette invariably sat at the
head of the table and would help the
others; his uncle John McLarren
would occupy a seat at her right, Mr..
McBryde on her left and Johnnie and
Bobbie, next below but on opposite
side, while he, Dolph, took his seat at
the foot of the table. If it happened
that they had chicken for dinner.
aunt jeanette would begin by saying,
brother John what part shall l help
you to-? Of course he would select the
choicest piece, then she would say
McBryde what part will you have
when he would select the next best
piece, then after helping herself and
the two boys to about all that was
left worth having, she would push the
dish to him, and say "Dolphus, you
can help yourself"
Old Mr.. McBryde ran kind of junk
store during the war in which he
kept little of almost everything.
On one occasion Mr.. Henry Cason
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