French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-10-18
THE LAST CLEAR CHANCE.
(By Thomas ]. Rickman.)

- A~-
Having very recently met with n
of our school mates, Thos. L.. John
son, as We both attended the funeral
of Capt. M. C. Toms, the incident re-
minded your correspondent. that one
by one, our former friends are going
hence.
If you will attend some of the re-
cent trials in damage suits, which are
now the most frequent subjects of lit
igation, you will hear a great deal
said about that rule of law, known as
the Last Clear Chance" n about
as good explanation as can be given
Of that rule is, that where the defend
ant, usually a corporation, employing
men, has in some way negilgently CON
tributed to the injury complained of,
then the other side must show that
Notwithstanding the negligence con
planned of, yet he must show that he
exercised ordinary care to avoid the
consequence of PLAINTIFFS negligence,
so that if he could have discovered
the situation of the party placed in
danger in time to have avoided the
injury, he must do so or fail in his
suit.
This rule of law, to this writer's
mind, puts before us the situation of
a fellow being in the declining days of
his life, he is meeting up with what to
him or her is the "last chance of life.
1t is a crisis that must come to all
alike and Mr.. Clifford Pinchot has
been heard to say that there is room
enough for all to be born right, to live
right and to die right, and he also in
timated that this dying right was as
important as either of the other con-
ditiOns. / verify believe a nan should
have a last clear chance to leave this
world, but / n thousands of cases fellow
mortals are deprived of any such
blessing. often his own fault and many
times, for reasons beyond his or her
control.
Did the readers of the Hustler ever
think that while we are doing SO much
to live people live-(and let us never
do less,)-that We might sometimes
by our organized efforts do something
to help a man Dr. woman to a last
fair chance" in leaving this world.
Some time ago Miss Shipp, the ex-
cellent prOprietress of the girls school
in Hendersonville, wrote her ideas of
what she regarded the best school she
ever attended or knew about. She
gave a splendid description of that
school and from all accounts her own
girls training school in Henderson
vile is coming up to the picture she
drew of the school she formerly knew.
About 1868. or 1862, a new citizen
appeared in the Mills River section OF
Henderson county, making his first
stop at BENJAMIN Kings near the
bridge over the French Broad river, a
celebrated place, known since by sew
eral names, Miss Place, DuFour Place
Big John Posey Place, and lastly the
Witt place. but now ready to take on
a new name.
This gentleman gave notice that on
i a certain Monday morning he would
open the Mills River High School and
he did so at Mills River Academy. for
a period Of six or eight years. At
that time high schools were few and
far between, as it was close follow.
ing after the var This school was
heard of in Buncombe County. Nc
Dowell County, Lincoln County, Hay
wood County. Rutherford County and
very many other counties and places
and students came, after investigation
They came, because DIR. Richard H.
Lewis a. graduate from. the University
of North Carolina and from a Univer-
sitv of Pennsylvania was making his
influence known and felt at Mills
River.
One only had to see and hear DR..
J'efis for a moment to for mthe res
olution to attend his school if he had.
any inclination in the world to become
a student. He has done his work and
nassed on, hut I wish to add to- Miss
Ships model school. the one rom
Quoted by DR.. Lewis and his excellent
wife and other assistants at Mills
River, in these early days after the