The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-12-01
TRADITIONS AID EECCLLEC
TONS o. CHAFPELLS

(.
Invited to write something cos
cern;ng the town Of Chappel!s. $. {.
as one Of the oldest citizens Row l;v-
iag / have consented % do SO. not
that ! can GO 1t well or better ta2n
others, but simply as an old man:
Chappells was named many years
ago from family Of th& na.:'~ w!o
owned land here and hal Dub:iv
and chartered ferry owe: Sa!uda rive
on what is known as the Ch%npcl:s
Ferry read. leading from old :iam-
J burg now in Aiken county, to -:
rens, S. c., a yerE public ard nl@vi:
Travelled highway in days past uo 20
the way IN 1861. So Chappe'i> was
a public place in 1850 % iS52 when
the G. & c. railroad was constructed.
Some cid citizens of that day re-
late that trains OF wagons, carrying
produce Of various kinds. such as
venison. hams: bacon, lara, -four cab
joages from Buncombe, \. c.. chest
nuts, apples. tobacco, whiShcy and
brandy. also cotton and at tines
brandy. also cotton. Al times wher
the river was very high or the fiat
boat was tied up il wou!d become
coneestcd and many wagons wovid be
camped OF either side Of the river.
So notable was this al one time that
it was said the ferry paid the cost OF
new fiat boat, about S125.00, ..
more in one day.
A toll gate was established at the
| Chappells residence and the Newoer
ry and Longshore road was changed
from coming in south Of the resi-
dence to where it IS now, north Of the
residence. so all travel would be COM
PEELED to come through the toll gate.
Mr.. John Chappeli's wife, Aunt Betsy
l think they called he, took the toll,
but she had one o. two little negroes
always on the watch to give her the
signal Of the approach in either direc-
| ton Of the travel. She was kept busy
and Mr.. Chappell took great interest
in assisting about the ferry, also, and
especially when the roads were cad
| and muddy, and prided himself as q
| teamster. When teams would stall at
the ferry crossing and often a.
Fowler's hill about half nile from
the river in Saluda county now. then
Edgeield. he would mount the saddle
horse CT mule and drive the team oue
amidst cheers for him and vociferous
jeers often of the regular driver. So
it 5ecame known how successfully he
had got many out OF bad stall; he
would often use profane language on
these occasions and on one occasion
! i is sad that one Of his brothers in
the church, knowing that weakness,
went to him as he vas 3bou1 to take
charge cf q team. He told him Of his
weakness and that ne better 10. r;Si:
himself, bat let sc.aeo-e else do The
jY.vinn. ~ he replied, y am per-
sectiy or NY guard, sir; perfectly on
my guard Bat when ae commenced
to crack his whip and get his team
warmed up and under way, everybody
yelling and he excited, The oaths be
gan 20 roll out spontaneously, butt he
drove out, and l think. they had him
arraigned in church and he asked to
be forgiven and that he would By
Gods help, not dolso again. He was
quite Q generous hearted old gentle
man a9d ii seems to BE t-aiss in The
Chappells family.
There was also store or tavern
kept b. NJ. Ch2ppcl! about q half
mile north OF 2he present depot where
The Gig Whit oak now ;ta2ds, oppo-
{ the Io4g:horc and Newb2Try
rc&& where :. c2sc"s he C.2p2olls
Fey coad. Ihs Oh at2:e house
was ,.oy><! u v:h>.,a F;3,!o~a:-'s b-i:ls
store IS nov in 1881 or -, when the
railroad came through. This old store
house stood there til about 1879