The Dillon Herald, Thursday, May 20, 1909, Vol. 14, No. 16
Article written by David S. Allen
MR. ALLEN REVIVES MARION HISTORY
A Visit to His Old Home Recalls to Mind Some Incidents of His Youthful Days.
A Brief Sketch of the Osborne Lane Lands. Some Excuses for Opposing the New
County. Other Matters of General Interest.
The writer a few days ago took a trip to Marion. He left Dillon and spent
Sunday night with his brother, B. F. Allen, at the old homestead. This place
known as the Allen place is known by old residents as the Osborne Lane lands.
The parents of the writer were married March 19th, 1849, and moved to this
place soon thereafter. This was then an old settled place as Osborne Lane
the owner from whom it took its name and who is buried on it was a man grown
during the Revolutionary War and was shot as a Tory and had an arm broken,
but escaped and lived it is said until 1840. One of the daughters of this
old man was the first wife of the writers grandfather, Samuel Smith, from how
the many Smiths around Mullins and Latta sprang. John L. Smith was born in
1817, and Stephen Smith in 1813. This tract of land has never left the Allen
family though the writer and his sister sold their interest to their
brothers.
In a partition of said land B. F. Allen, the youngest son, got the old home.
He has now under course of construction a very neat seven room cottage. Mr.
J. V. Mitchell doing the work. The writer has often heard it spoken of as
the site of some old church and grave yard and the writer now thinks this is
true as several places have caved in while his brother was hauling material
to construct his house. From there he went to the Sand Hill School house.
It was at this place where a mere boy the writer taught his first school.
There is no sign of the old house but in its place a very neat and commodious
one has been erected. There was an election held there a few days ago and it
was carried by only 5 majority. The write is informed that certain parties
will contest the election but two of the contestants will after August be in
the new county.
The road from near Temperance Hill to Marion is in good condition and the
writer was at home in Dillon before 4 o'clock. The writer spent a few
minutes on his return with his friend, Ex-Sheriff W. T. Evans. He has known
him many years, and can say he has always known him as a polished gentleman,
one who could make you feel at ease. He left college and volunteered in his
country's service and made a good soldier. He with the late A. P. Edwards
and perhaps a few others walked home when the war closed. He married Miss
Lucy Smith of Wilson, N. C. who did not live long.
The writer's recollection of her is that she was a very delicate lady, very
highly cultured and moved in the best circles. She died leaving only a small
child, a daughter, who often visited the writer's place of business in 1882
and 1883.
She married Mr. H. I. Gasque, but died after a few years of married life.
David. S. Allen.
Also by Davis S. Allen
The decision by the governor to allow the boundary line to be amended so as
to take in Latta was received by no one in Dillon with more pleasure than the
writer.
At the time of holding the first election for the New County he resided on
the line and did not know the section of county nearly so well as at present.
A residence of nearly ten years in this section enable him to see the
necessity and will say that if spared he will cast his first vote for it and
will do what he can to help along the movement.
He would suggest the good men - men in whom their follow man have confidence
- should hold public meetings and explain the need for the new county and who
will be able to meet any objection that may be raised by any one.
The writer is glad to be able to say that he has found only a very few above
the railroad that did not sign the petition when presented.
Some of the opponents have very flimsy, foolish and I may say unjust reasons.
One man said that the Editor of the Herald was a Yankee, etc. Now the
writer will say that he has made a personal inquiry and has found that this
is untrue, as he is a South Carolinian but because the Editor of the paper at
Latta is said to be a Yankee from Chicago that is no reason that Latta shall
be cut off and left out in the cold.
One man below says that a man in Dillon paid him only $5.00 for some stable
manure that was worth $15.00 and that he would vote against the new county to
get even.
Another says that he lost $25.00 on the tobacco ware house several years ago,
hence he will oppose the new county. The writer could not sell him tobacco
flues sold by the Dillon Hardware Co.
Such are the reasons that I have met with in my travels. Hurrah for the new
county.
David Allen
Note from the Editor
A man seldom gives his real reason for opposing another politically, and the
complaints Mr. Allen refers to can be taken with a grain of salt. However,
there is noting discreditable in the fact that a man is a Yankee. There are
good Yankees and bad Yankees just the same as there are good Southerners and
bad Southerners. This is not the first time the Editor of the Herald has
been called an alien - one who had nothing in common with the people of this
section. I have been used by unscrupulous politicians before and he wished
to state here that he was born and reared in South Carolina and spent all his
life in the state, with the exception of a few years. His paternal
grandfather sold part of his lands to assist in equipping a South Carolina
regiment, his father although a mere boy, fought in the army of the
Confederacy and one of his maternal ancestors was a member of the
Secessionist Convention. This ought to be evidence enough to establish his
title as a citizen of South Carolina.
[PS The editor of the paper was A. B. Jordan]
The above articles were transcribed and contributed by
Helen Moody, Jan 2002.
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