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A BIT OF MISTCBY,JLirly Settlfcineni in and Around Honea raiii—Kentlnlseuccs of Old Settlers—Why it Whs Called “Honey Path.”iti-eaa0eDavid Greer, Sr., immigrated fco this State from County Anfcriem, Ireland, landing at Charleston, S. C., in February, 1759, settling in Newberry District, on Bush River, where he remained only two or three years. Having chills and fever so much, he moved to what was then Pendleton District, settling on Corny Creek, about three-qnarters of a mile Southwest of Honea Path. Mrs. Emily Greer now lives near tlio site of this old residence. At that time (1702) the country around Honea Path was thinly settled.Henry Purdy had settled down the Creek below David Greer. He sold out to Jorvv Petty aud moved away. Petty sold out to Nimrod Smith, who lived up about Anderson. Mr. Smith let his brother-iu-law, John Cullins, live on the placo. Atthe same time old Mr. William Davis lived on Broaumouth Creok. He was the father of Moses and Aaron Davis, who were twins, born while Mr. Davis was gone to Hamburg, the main and only near market at that time. Hearing of their birth before he got home, he named them Moses and Aaron. He was also the father of John L. Davis, who the most of the citizens around Honea Path remember. Giles Gantt lived still further up the Creek at the place well know as “Gantt’s Muster Groand.” Wheeler Posey lived on what is now the old Honey road, about two miles west of Honea Path and opposite Obediah Shirley’s old placo. Ansel Massey first settled the Obediah Shirley place, building about a quarter of a mile west of Mr. Shirley's house. He was a brother of Laban Massey, who settled the place west-of Barker’s Creek. Mr. Nimrod Greer now lives on[a part of it, noar the old settlement. They were sons of Noel Massey, who lived on Reedy Fork Cr^ek, near where it rnn into Broad-month. He was also father of Silas Massey, wb.o lived west of Anderson and died a few years ago. Old uncle Neddy Hull lived where Due West Corner now is, and owned the land where the town of Due West is built. He and David Greer, Sr., married sistere, Misses Peggy and Polly McCorinic. Old Mr. Gent, father of Daniel and Jesse Gent, lived at what is known as Gentsville.At the time David Greer settled near Honea Path, mills were scarce. There was one near where Gambrell’s Bridge used to be, on Saluda River, known as GambrelTs Mill. Old undo Dicky Smith built one shortly afterwards to gnnd corn only, on Broadmonlh, where Davis Bigby have one now, known as the “brick mill.” He Bold out to Hugh Clement. Benj. and Isaac Clement built it oyer iu 1835. All the mill boys, who were boys when I was a boy, forty years ago, remember the stone in the foundation wall of the old mill house with this inscription on it, “B lt;fc I. C., 1835,” which stands for Benj. Isaac Clement. They sold to Haydon Brock and Laban MasBey, who kept the mill, each taking It day about, until Laban Massey died in 1856. It was then sold, Dr. John G. Gantt, grand-son of Giles Gantt, buying it. He sold to Davis Bigby, or rather to G. W. Hawthorn, and he to Davis Bigby, who built the brick mill about 1869. The population being sparce, one mill seventy or a hundred years ago could do the grinding for half a County—or Districts as they were called then. There was but little wheat made in this country at that timo (1792). What wheat the people did make was threshed out with a flail, made of a hickory pole, about six or eight feet long, about the size of a man’s arm, and broken or bruised with the back or “polo” of an axe, so that it would bend “joint”-like about two feet from the larger end, the operator taking hold of the small end and coming down over-handed with it on the sheaves of wheat previously spread out on a large sheet for the operation. Five or six bushels was a day’s work for one hand to thresh and clean. Some contrived and built rnde fan' machines for cleaning the wheat but the most of them separated the chaff by “making wind” with a sheet of cloth {genorally a bed sheet or small wagon sheet) in the hands of two persons, tho third one holding the threshed grain in a basket above his head and letting it fall gradually on a sheet spread on the the ground. The wind being produced by a lateral motion of the sheet, held in a vertical position by the two hands, blew the chaff from it, lotting the wheat fall on the sheet clean and ready for the mill. Some made what they called treading yards, making a ring about thirty feet in 'diameter on the ground, throwing up dirt on the outside and leveling a road around the circlo about three or four feet wide, and placing the sheaves on thi3 track, they led their homes around—or sometimes the small boys would ride them around— on the wheat until it was all threshed or “tread” out. If we in this day had to get our “biscuit” like our forefathers, I doubt if we would eat it three times a day like we do.When theso old settlements wore madothere was no cotton grown here except for “spinning cotton/1 which was to make the cloth used at home. Each family made their own cottOD, and, picking the seed out with the fingers at night, and card, spuq and wove it by hand altogether. Each good old mother vied with her neighbor in the beauty of her homespun dres3 and breeches for her husband and sons* Tobacco was raised as a merchantable product, it being “hand” up and packed in large wooden hogsheads with a felloe put around each head and a small hickory split-open and put around on tho felloe as a tire. A gudgeon was then put in the center of each head and a pair of shaves constructed to them to hitch the horse to. In this way they would roll the hogshead to Hamburg or Charleston to market. After selling his tobacco, he would ride his home back home, buying his saddle-bags full of coffee, sugar, black pepper, etc-Honey Road was but a path, or Indian trail, then, and from the best information I can get (traditionally) Indians called it “Honey Path”' or “Honey Trail,” from the fact that a great many bee trees wereState? the first term. Time flies, and that fas*, too. Stop,-young man, look—think —you will have grand-children tolling liow rudo cud clumsy lho people were when their grand-father v/as a young man. Hir.A?.! Frost.Oak Hill Farm S. C.% Feb. lMt 1890.T:Married Womeu can do Business.Judge Simonfcou has filed his decision in the case argned in the United States CircuitCourt here on Tuesday, the question being whether a married woman has the right in this State to engage in trade. The CR30 was that of Iveuster Co. against E. B. and M. R. Dickson, and tho plaintiffs attempted to show that a married woman has no right to engage in trade, and that a receiver should be appointed for tho business of the DickBon Shoe aud Hat Company, of this city; that after the payment of creditors the balance should go to the judgment which Kcnstor Co. had obtained several yearB ago against E. B. and M. R. Dickson, who did business in Augosta.Judge Simonton dismisses tho rule to show cause why a receiver should rot be appointed and savs:“Can a married woaaan in Soutu -*o-lina engage in trade ? The question has never been made in this state. The learned and able, as well na exhaustive arguments of counsel dcRervos careful consideration. Until the adoption of the constitution of 1868 the relations of husband and wife were governed in this8tate by the common law. Article 14, Section 8, ot the constitution declares: ‘The real and personal property of a married woman held at the time of her marriage, or that which she may hereafter aequire, either by gift, grant, etc., shall not be subject to levy and sale for her husband's debts, but shall be held as her separate property and may be bequeathed, devised or alienated by her the same as if she were unmarried: Provided, that no gift or grant from the husband to the wife shall be detrimental to the just claims of his creditors.’“In 1887 the leglslatnre of South Carolina declared that all the earnings and income of a married woman shall ne her own separate estate and shall be governed by the Bme provisions of law as apply to her separate estate.“In 1870 the legislature gave to married women unlimited power to contract, but in 1882 this was amended, so as to read: ‘A married woman shall have the right to purchase any speeies of property in her own name and to take proper legal conveyances therefor and to contract and be contracted with as to her separate property; provided, that the husband shall not be liable for the debts of thewife- contracted prior to or after theirmarriage except for their necessary sup port.”Judge Simonton says that if a married woman has power to buy she has power to sell and she tan bay and sell in Bnch quantity as she chooses. She cannot directly or indirectlv make herself or her separate estate liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of her husband or any one else. She may constitute her’ husband or any one else her agent in the transaction of business.Decisions are quoted from in which a married woman is given the right to buy, sell, mortgage and bind herself legally, and hor contracts can be enforced against her. If she does not desire to engage directly in trade, she can act through an agent, and in this case E, B. Dickson is the agent of hiB wife. A married woman, however, can not become a member of a firm.—Greenville New.CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.Greenville, 8, 0., Feb. 11.—A tele-Sram just received from Deputy Sheriff off Gilreath announces that J; B. Williams, who murdered Major W. A. Williams, on Friday night last, and bos since been a fugitive from justice, was captured near Waynesville, N. 0., to-day, and will bo brought back here at once. A reward of $800 was offered for his capture.Cincinnati, February 12.—A Times-Slar dispatch says that Judge Wilpon Lewis, of Pineville, Ky., who ha3 been active in the prosecution of the desperadoes who have been carrying on bloody feuds in that region, was shot and killed last night by his son, Sydney Lewis. The Judge had put his son under bond as one of the unlawful gang. The son visited the father last night, a quarrel resulted and Sidney fired five balls into his father.Nashville, Tenn., February 12.—A Montgomery, Ala., special says : “A case of interest to hotel men everywhere, involving E3 it does the extent of their liability for damage in cases of accident to guests, has been decided here. In July, 1889, W. A. Thomas, a guest of the Wfndsor Hotel, of which Oapt. D. R. West is proprietor, fell in a hallway alleged to be poorly lighted. Both arms were broken. The plaintiff sued Capt. West for $10,000.-Thejury ye?terday, after being out forty-eight hoars, returned a verdict awarding the plaintiff $2,500.”Aiken, February 12.—Three prominent merchants were buncoed in the woods near Aiken yesterday and fleeced to the extent of $10,000 or more. Two fine looking men, one at the Buck House and the other at the Highland Park Hotel, had been here for nearly two weeks, and they took in the prominent merchants and a planter at Williston, to the above stated amount, with a so-called gold brick (in the shape of gold)fillnr! with load Ono nT tl»Q r\«a rftr i^amoL
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Anderson Intelligencer
Anderson, South Carolina, US
Thu, Feb 19, 1891
Page 2
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Fayette C.
Indiana, USA 27 Apr 2021
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