The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-11-24

Wis., ooiiii II. IOunS, MTS. B. ". CllI-
ford was led to apply for membership
in the Columbia chapter of the D. A.
r., to which she is fully entitled by
the recorded services her paternal
great-grandfather, Maximum Clas-
trier, as given in the Revolutionary
records published in The State some
years ago. She became a member of
the Columbia chapter, d. A. R., on
Nov. 7th, 1900, National No. 33578
and very soon after was appointed
regent for Union county in the hope
that she might be able to add Union
county chapter to the late S. C. Di-
vision. For more than two years she
made an earnest effort to do this but
whenever she mentioned d. A. R. to
the Union women she was told that
the U. d. G. had the stronger claim
upon the people. She rather felt that
way herself, but met with no encour-
agement in her effort to start a chap
ter of that order in Union, so in Jan
uary, 1908, she sent out a general in
vltation to the mothers and daughters
OF Union county to meet on a GER
tain afternoon in the parlors of Cliff.
ford Seminary for the purpose of or
ganizing chapter of the u. d. c., and
in answer to this invitation five ladies
were present-Mrs. G. H. Oetzel. Miss
Mamie Oetzel. Misses Isabel Foster,
Mary Emma Foster and Mrs. Frances
Notwithstanding Mrs. Clifford and
her daughter, Marie, there were seven
present But nothing daunting, these
seven organized a chapter, named
William Wallace chapter, U. D. c.,
agreed upon time and place for the
next meeting and pledged themselves
to secure the II new members neces-
sary for the "a, the minimum number
required to constitute chapter. How
we'll they worked can be seen by the
result. On March &c an application
for charter was sent in to the
President of the Division Mrs. S. T..
Conner, of Charleston, and the chsrrl
ter, No. 800, arrived promptly, dated
March 28, 1903. Memorial Day was
observed that year and IL crosses of
honor given to Veterans. But the aim
and desire and determination of this
chapter was to erect a monument in
Union to the memory of the Confed-
crate soldiers of the county. This was
the great motive power that in those
days kept the chapter together and
nerved the members to all sorts of
labor and sacrifices. The first efforts
towards starting fund for this mon
ument was made in October of 1903
when beautiful collection of chrysan-
themums was put on sale. There was
large number of very pretty ones
on the Seminary lawn, but Miss Effie
Sartor had a magnificent collection of
blossoms and gladly contributed them
to the work in hand. This little
chrysanthemum fair was held in the
parlor of the T. E. Bailey Furniture
store-in the building now occupied
by Bradley-Estes Co. This parlor was
specious, its big plate glass window
opened right on the sidewalk of Main
street and nothing more beautiful than
the chrysanthemum exhibit has ever
been seen in the town of Union. The
large single blossoms made more
beautiful by the sacred purpose to
which they were dedicated, sold for
Soc each-and Miss Effie Sartor went
In and paid the price for some of the
blossoms she had grown and con-
trlbuted. The great centerpiece of the
collection was the big Union county
monument bouquet that bore upon its
tallest spray a sealed envelope con-
tanning signed pledge that its pur-
chaser should have the right to break
Dirt for the monument that was surely
going to be erected. All the single
blossoms were sold during the day but
the bouquet was reserved for the
auction" scheduled for 8 p IN. and |
then after some lively bidding it was
Knocked down to the highest bidder,
Benjamin Franklin Arthur, for $25. 90.
There was bit of romance connected
with this purchase, since his father,
Benjamin Franklin Arthur, Sr., sec
retary to Gov. w. H. Gist, 1858-1s6O,
at the dictation of the governor wrote
the Ordinance of Secession upon an
office table then in the possession of
MS son, Benjamin Franklin Arthur,
Jr.
Surely seven proved plucky num-
ber, for in less than year after that
organization of chapter by seven
members, the president of the chap
ter deposited in the Peoples Bank as
the proceeds from the sale of chrysan-
themums $43.35. From time to time
small voluntary contributions came in,
but the chapter soon realized that
much hard work must be done and
done quickly if it's monument was
built before all the dear cold Vets"
should have crossed over the river to
Join their great and beloved COM
mander "in the shade of the trees"
-, so 1904 was more than busy year.
The record of all that was done is not
at hand. But on Nov. 80, 1904, a