The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-03-15
SAM BUG HILL
o o o o o o . o o 9 3 o o 9 . 9 9

90 o o o o . o o . 3 o o o 3 o (.
WellMr, Editor: l continually find
myself ruminating over the past.
/ love to think of the good Old
days that are past and gone. And
the older get, the more sensitive
become in this respect. I have writ
ten>so much about old times until
great many of my friends begin te
call me "0ld Times"
But especially what has started me
out on this subject again was that lit
tie misunderstanding The Observer
and The Herald and News got ur
about the Sam Bug hill near Midway
school building.
Yes, / have considerable knowledge
OF the Sam Bug hill. About 4s years
ago the first time the government
ever laid it's, hands on me was called
out to work the public road, begin
ming at the Sam Bug hill and thence
to Prosperity. Remember, there was
not SO much legislation in those days
and not half so many "sap suckers"
as there are now. Only few public
highways passed through Newberry
county and this necessitated my
walking distance Of about four and
q half miles to begin work. But l
didn't mind the work one bit. About
those days thought that was the
next thing to a horse, especially when
old Uncle Mid Singley, who was our
overseer after we got up to Prosper
ity, never failed to call us around to
Sam Bars and Coote Rikard's bar
room. He would "set up to gal
Ion or two of that good old mountain
Juice which would make the boys feel
Lie Jumping for joy. And / am go
ing to tell you that Uncle Mid's hands
were always very prompt in meeting
at she Sam Bug hill when he called
them.
Yes, there was an old negro, who
lived in a little log cabin at the top
Of that hill not far from where Mid
way school house is located now, by
the name Of Sam Bug. I don't know
where he derived the name Bug. I
don't think there are any people re-
cefdS in the Annals of Ne#berry by
the I'd u, IL: e.sIssS u
Il dz iast how ola he sRass' U.s.
b1s he was Nssaly old black aaa:
bumped Whss first saw lin, 80;
Yes, thSsere days when therss
we're no ssaal FOR cast spindle wagons
muse areN s this paEt of the
soath. Tkw wagons were AL Wodaea
spsndles. andagssansed pine.=tar to:
grease them. Old SAM Bug had tar
- 4 - ~
for sale, so eapleswould go.for nsanX
niles to Sa Bags to buy far:: I slsSNe;
carried my tar bucket to Sam Bugs
many times for tar. i Y
ythstsstiillats Sam Bugs wasa.
notable place to the travelling pub
ssxery steep, and duss
ing the winter season it was almost
impassable.y Loaded wagons CONS
ing west would often have to join:
teams to get up that hill. = *
But, oh, be praised, lowe are amazed
70 see how things have mended;
Al fire school building, now we can
say,
While Sam Bugs body lies mouid'ring
in the clay.
Oh, what mighty world of prog
ress! And we, are made to think what
win be next, and who will be here the
NEXT fifty years to tell the story?
0niy God knows. We love progress,
5at tso. much progress may not be
tie best after this mortal Shall have
put on immortality.
Another sad incident came to my
mind just since / began to write this
article. # was at the top of the Sam
Bug hiil twenty-five years ago. Old
Mrs. Lizzie Hunter, one of my best
friends, was thrown from a buggy
By@a runaway mule. She was car
ried down, to her nephew's, the Rev.
n. Sligh's, where she had started,
and only lived a few days, never re-
gaining consciousness.
Yours truly in the past,
T. j. w.
March II. 1921.