The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-05-25

'ernor Alston of century ago, whose
name is spelled with one 81" dis
tinction of Importance in the two fam
lilies, as they are now only very dis
family related.
One of Sad Tragedies.
One of the saddest tragedies in the
history of the Allstons was the mur-
der Of the eldest grandson on the pa
ternal side, and the namesake of Gov
| ernor Allston, after he had made a
fight for his health only comparable
to that of Young Theodore Roosevelt,
and had got in fair way to mend tine
family fortunes by personal exertion
, as splendid, as that of any New Eng
land pioneer, and in marked contrast
to the way in which the original
wealth of his forefathers was accumu-
lated. The story of Mrs. Pringle's
nephew, whose home as a boy had
often been at the White House, is one
of the unwritten epics of the South
the post-beilum South.
Robert Allston was the son of the
Rev. Benjamin Allston a colonel in
the Confederate army, who took or
ders in the Episcopal church after the
war. The paternal estates in George
twon had become practically unprof-
liable. The labor went away to the
railways and industrial centers, the
neglect of the fields increased the ma
larial incidence, and soon nearly al
that remained of their former grand
eur were the two manificent homes
at Chicora and White House, filled
with portraits handsome furniture i'm
ported in the old days from London
and Paris and wealth of family
treasures fNall sorts. The two widow
ed ladies mother and daughter kept
the places with the help of few
! faithful old servants and their FAM
lilies and lived, on the luxuriance of a
soil unexcelled in America to this day.
But the Rev. Mr.. Allston could not do
anything on the place with his naked
hands, and his stipend as a minister
was limited. His only son, Robert,
was sent to the state college just after
it had been re-organized by Governor
Tillman, and in spite of the fact that
many Of the old regime withdrew "
their patronage because of their dis
like Of the man who had become the
head of that one time aristocratic in
stitution, Robert stayed OF, showing
one Of the most characteristic Allston
qualities in so doing. His aristocracy
would not allow Tillman to keep him
away from his states historic in
stitution.
Decides on Farming.
But an attack of measles at the end
of his sophomore year left his eyes
so impaired that he could neither fil-
ish his education nor engage in any
clerical occupation. He was not es-
pecially strong, though possessed Of
stern will and sound constitution.
So he decided to go to work as
farmer with his own hands. He had
not the capital to buy and to equip
a large place. He laid his lines of
procedure with remarkable sagacity
for, one of his years-and it was all
his own plan. He was II years old.
He sought good climate by going TO
the slope Of the Blue Ridge below
Asheville on the line of the Southern
railway. He bought some wild noun
tain land there cheap. He built one
room cabin, and lived alone He de-
cided to specialize on Niagara grapes
He cleared the land with his own
hands, cut and planted the posts for
the wires, studied viti-culture with a
close and practical application that
made him master of the subject. His
grandfather had been one of the
agricultural" governors y probably
did more for scientific agriculture
than any other governor of the state
except Til.man. Robert seemed to
have inherited that quality in full
measure. He planted corn and vege-
tables between the young grapes
along without going into debt. No
mountaineer ever lived simpler and
harder than this scion of the wealth
lest and most patrician Of Southern
families. He also made friends with