The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-09-21
THROUGH HISTORIC COUNTRY
The Appalachian Highway in New
berry TrayerSes Section Re-
pIete With History.
Editor Herald and News:

of your readers has his or her own
idea, or conception, in relation thereto.
However, l venture to chronicle this
to be true, that one element of a peo-
pies greatness consists in the rever-
ence that is chrished by them for the
worthy men and women who have gone
before and have left inscribed upon the
tablets of memory the records Of we'll
spent living, of earnest assiduity in
the performance of life's work, of no
Bile charities, of eXemplified cleanness
in speech and word. This virtue is
predominant among every civilized and
christianized people, it matters little
whether they be occidental or oriental.
Now, in all truth, have you ever been
impressed with this sentiment as liv-
ing force among Carolinians, and when
say this l refer to the two Carolinas.
for, indeed, l would not have you to
infer that l hold or maintain as true
that we. in our beloved commonwealth,
possess all the noblest qualities to the
exclusion of our sister State. "No pent-
up Utica confines our power, the whole
undivided world is ours
That is true of our, as
we'll as of other, immortals, if
you will permit personal reference.
Greece had her Socrates, her Homer,
her Thucydides, her poets, her orators.
her historians, her heroes, just so of
Rome, of whom many might be named,
and each of them has inspired men
in all ages past to nobler deeds and
heroic living. When we come down to
modern days, may We not truthfully
acclaim all the ages have not given US
greater than Lee, nor one more be-
loved than Hampton. South Carolina
has been made illustrious by her sons
and daughters, and old Newberry
county has furnished her share of men
who were renowned for their civic
virtues, as we'll as for their skill and
accomplishments in all the avenues OF
life. 1t ought not to be considered in
vidious were l to name, pTimus inter
pares, DR.. Gedddings, Judge CrenshaW,
Chancellor Johnstone, Chief Justice
John Belton O'Neall, Chancellor Cald-
we'll, Col. Rutherford, Col. Nance, Col.
Christian H. Suber, Judge Y. J. Pope.
and very many others who have an
swered to the long roll call and have
been gathered to their fathers. They
are indeed the immortals and We honor
their memory.
BY the way, this Judge Cren-
shaw whom l have named. was the
first graduate from the South Carolina
college, as DR.. LaBorde, the historian
narrates. That was honor indeed for
Newberry that her son, who became
famous in another State, viz, Alabama,
was the first to go forth from the
classic walls of that institution, carry
ing his sheepskin or parchment, with
inscription, jevenis probus ct ingen-
ious. Mir. Crenshaw was born near
to the Brown or the Gibson plantations
in the northern section of the county.
1t is further worthy of mention that
this same Judge Crenshaw attended
that fine institution of learning, Mount
Bethel academy, as mentioned by
Judge O'NeaH in his Annals of New
berry, furnishing the first students
and graduates of the South Carolina
college," Here also were schooled such
men of later prominence as Chancellor
Harper, Governor R. j. Manning and
others of more or less renown. It's
first principal was Elisha Hammond,
the father of the late Governor Ham
mond. Principal Hammond was called
from Mount Bethel Academy to a full
professorship in the South Carolina
college. serving two years, from 1905
to 1907, when he returned to his first
love, Mount Bethel academy, in 1909,
and taught the bright youths Of tha
State till 1915. 1t may well be re-
garded by every thoughtful citizen that
this honor should be peculiarly es-
teemed as well as recorded for all ages
10 come. It were enough to incite to
just approval and emulation.
And can we not discern that same
quality as existing, in the immediate
generation with which we have to do,
in the worthy sons of toll, the masters
of industries, the reputable and sue
cessful scions in the practice OF the
healing art, the eloquent exposition of
truths of Holy Writ, the limbs OF the
law who hold the multitudes by sheer