The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-12-29

waters OF the Saluda ana brsao
rivers flow together at that point In
this article, however, I shall deal on
ly with the old trail from Keeowee
to Ninety-Six.
Three classes of remarkable men
first travelled this trail originally
traced by the Indians, no one knows
how long ago. First came the hunt
ers. They were the scouts of ad-
vancing civilization. They were
hardy and fearless men, who loved
the wild and who had severed them
selves from all the ties and obliga-
tions of civilized society and plung-
ed into the trackless forest; and had
become as free as the savage that
built his wigwam far from the habi-
tations of men whose aim is to
modify nature" and make it mini
ster to the needs of toiling millions.
They were drawn on by the fascina-
tions of the chase, the charm of
wild nature and the allurements Of
a free and independent life. They
loved adventure, threw off all care
and responsibility, and feasted on
the products of the forest and the
game they killed. They were not
pioneers for they cleared and set
tied no lands, built no houses, nei-
ther owned nor titled one foot of
soil they literally produced moth
ing. Still they were factors in de-
veloping thecountry. When they
came back to the settlements, chief
ly to exchange hides for powder and
bullets and such things that minis
tered to their craft, they brought
glowing sories of fertile lands, told
the salubrious atmosphere, the
broad valleys, the cool springs of
purest water, the towering noun
tains and leaping cataracts, as we'll
as the health giving characteristics
of the country they had traversed.
They awakened, therefore, an inter
est in the minds of those who were
contemplating moving to healthier
regions, free from the miasmus of
the coast and it's inland swamps.
These pioneers followed the hunters
trail into the heart of the boundless
forest and built their cabins in the
wild woods usually near some bold
pellucid spring, and began the task
of telling the trees and building up
a little farm. The hunters, there
fore, frequently became the fore
runners Of the settlers.
It is d fact Of history that Patrick
and William Calhoun were induced
to 20 70 Long Cane, in the western
part of Abbeville County and settle
there by the description Of that
tract of country by some hunters
whom they chanced to come into
contact with at Waxhaw. So they
came in 1756 and formed the first
settlement in that part of the coun-
ty. It is doubtless true in many in
stances that the hunters were the
first emigrant agents, though they
knew it not. They adopted the free
and easy life of the Indians, made
friends with them, and many of
them married Cherokee squaws and
were in all respects savages so far
as the modes of life and customs
they assumed are concerned; yet,
they were not savages; some OF
them were intelligent Englishmen.
These voyagers, by their superior
knowledge, craftsmanship, bravery,
and daring adventures impressed
the Cherokees with their accomplish
ments and won their admiration and
friendship. They were therefore,
more than merely fore-runners of
the settlers-they were unwittingly
messengers of Cancellation to the
ever jealous savages, and impressed
them with a degree of respect for
white men which doubtless saved
many a settlement from the horrid
butcheries which alas was the un-
happy lot of some Of them. Had
there been no hunters as the fore
runners of the settlers and herds
men doubtless our frontier history
would have been more thoroughly
stained with blood than it was.