The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-10-19

quSStioh, tho lNulLs VI low aSSeT-
tions that am about to make
regarding the oldest church in
this country and it's surround
ings as they stand today with
line of the leading railway compan,
of the south and right near where
one of the greatest rivers in the
world with it's neverending stream OF
ripping waters flow in majestic
splendor toward the Queen Of all the
waters of the earth. I say you will
question it. Nevertheless I am writ
ing as / saw it, and as it was told to
me by people who claim to know.
Imagine yourself on moving
train one of the twentieth century
kind, with steel cars, electrically
lighted drawn by latest model
Baldwin, and playing through space
to the time and tune Of "a
mile a minute" accompanied by
the comfort and get there
idea" Imagine yourself going
over the same trail that the old stage
coaches from New York to New Or
leans travled daily a hundred years
ago and more. Set 1t in your head
that you are going to stop OF and
spend the night there in the same
town, in the same tavern, ana i'll all
probillities the same room where
your great grandfather slept. and
right where he buckled on his sword
to fight the British. Then all at once
you hear the mufrei SQUAD of the
engine whistle the door opens
darkey i'm blue uniform with 4
dinkey cap, enters and calls ou,
"Cheraw!" Instantly you catch up
your travelling bag and make bolt
for the door. You want to be on the
spot when the train halts, and you
are. You decend a flight Of steps out
on to the conductors footstool, one
more step and you hit the plain hard
ground, so there you are confronted
with a typical southern town, OF
thirty-fve hundred people, with
streets hundred feet wide with
three rows OF trees eight miles OF
them, and styled as "the prettiest
town in Dixie"
You go down to the dining room
"a clear flowing signature down on
the register, side of that you put the
name of the state and the name OF
the town in which you live. You dra>>
key to room number twenty nine
or thirty four as the case maybe,
Were you sensible of it, you might
think that you would never wake up.
but no, you are called at the hour
set-right at the very minute.
Your &C down to the dining room
"a large comfortable dining room
with walls that rise high with pictu-
res and flowers and you get one or
the best meals the south affords. The
cakes are just the thing, the biscuits
and coffee are the same as mother
makes at home, the corn flakes, the
that it takes to satisfy the appetite
of a hungry man.
Your capacity having been reach
ed, and probably expanded a little
you turn away at the same time you
may notice little sticker on the wall
as an idle curiosity seeker, you pro-
ceed to read it. Probably it reads
visit Col. McArthur's Grave" or It
may read "See the Hartzell house
18O0-headquarters of Gen. Sher-
man 1865 while on his marca
through this section" but the lare-
est one-the one arresting your at
tention for good. is the one inviting
you to see est. Davids Espicopal
church OF England-the Oldest ori-
ginal church in this part Of the coun-
try" Your curiosity is aroused at that
The little house on Huger street in
which James Thornwell the great
Presbyterian divine was brought
up and educated loses it's charm. You
are determined to see that church.
You hike out down a winding stree.,
with hungry eyes Going up to the
bulletin board at the depot you find
the train by which you will depart
due at eiSht-ffty is reported one hour
and forty-fve minutes late. Any
one with two days road experience
knows that to mean two hours. a.
least. so you have plenty Of time or
/ did.
Yes sir it was an old church when
was child and / am sixty now,
said an old inOkinq ruddy connnlev-