The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-07-20
THE OLD LANDMARKS
MAKE WAY FOR PROGRESS

AS one grows older the scenes and
associations of youth stand out in bold
relief. And he hates to see the old land
marks taken down and removed Even
though it becomes necessary to re-
move them to make way for the prog
ress and development of the age. 1t
may sound paradoxical, but it is true,
that in order to build you must tear
down and destroy. Somehow I just
can't help it, but since Mr.. Leslie be-
gan to tear away the home Of Mr.. Geo.
w. Summer I have felt constrained to
write little something about the dear
old place. 1t has carried me back
to other days, and memory has been
busy in recalling the scenes and asso-
Citations of those days. Not that | am
so very aged, because l am not.
an. the youngest man in this town for
the years that I have left behind.
My first recollections of the town
of Newberry are associated with the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Nathan A. Hun
ter. Mrs. Hunter was my fathers
sister, and as boy l frequently had
the pleasure of visiting at the home.
We lived then IL miles in the country
a. the old home near Jolly Street.
The old Hunter home, which has JUS:
been torn down to make room for
a new and modern dwelling, was one
of the Oldest houses in Newberry,
though it did not have the appearance
of being very old house because it
was always kept in good repair by Mr..
Hunter, and afterwards by Mrs. Hun
ter and later by DR.. Peter Robertson
and then by Mr. Summer. Mrs. Hun
ter was one of the best housekeepers
who ever lived in this town.
The house was built long before
the war, and my recollection OF the
place recalls beautiful flower gar
den always we'll kept, and on the lot
where Mr.. Davis, residence now stands
was one Of the finest orchards that the
country produced: There we're. ap-
pies and peaches and pears
and grapes and plums and. eV-
ery fruit that tkis climate would pro-
duce, and the finest that could be pur-
chased. And there was great tall
fence enclosing the orchard and the
flower garden on every side except
the front. Mr.. Hunter did not care %
have any neighbors too close. so ms
lot was bounded on one side by the
street or public road, and on the
other by the railroad, and On another
side by the Baptist church and the
Lutheran church. He reserved a lane
out to Boundary street between the
two church lots, the same lot upon
which my residence is now. He op-
Grated a blacksmith shop and a gin
shop on the lot in front OF the Sum-
n.er-Wise stables; the old brick
blacksmith shop still stands.
But the old residence is gone 70
make way for a modern and palatlal
residence. And that grand old magno-
liza tree that stood by the corner and
that was such a wonder and such
beauty to my youthful country mlnd
is gone too. There were not many
magnolia trees in this part OF the
country at that time. And they were
something Of a curiosity, especially
- fine a one as this was. And that
beautiful and large sweet shrub tree
has passed before the march OF prog
ress and development. When saw
the axe laid to that old magnolia feit
IKE saying
"Woodmaa spare that tree,
Toueh not single 5ough;
In youth 1t sheltered me
And III protect it now"
or words to that effect, bat 1 knew
it would be useless. Somehow, TO my
rlind the beauties of art can never
equal the beauties of nature. Ano as
for trees hate to see one cut. But
this is all sentiment and in this ma
terial age one must not indulge TOO
much in sentiment OR the JuggernauI
of progress will crush him to earth.
MIR. Summer is going to buln
modern and up to date home on 1nls
lot, and in order to get the room ne
cessary for the new home the Ola
house and the stately old magnolia had