62 THE FOGY DAYS AND NOW; 



JOHN CALDW^ELL CALHOUN. 



WITH all her honors in the olden days, perhaps nothing 

 gave more distinction to old Pendleton than the name 

 of John C. Calhoun, for that was his home. There he done 

 his trading; there he schooled his children; there he and his 

 family went to church ; there he received his bulky mails ; 

 there many strangers came to visit him, and four miles from 

 the town was his famous Fort Hill farm, a splendid property 

 on the Seneca river, with broad acres of bottoms, fertile 

 uplands and forests of native timber. The old home is still 

 standing, a roomy but unpretentious looking mansion, over- 

 looking the Seneca Valley and in full view of the Blue Ridge 

 Mountains. This valuable estate was inherited by Mr. Clera- 

 son, Mr. Calhoun's son-in-law. and by him donated to the State 

 of South Carolina for the purpose of an agricultural college, 

 which is now being erected near the old mansion, which is, I 

 understand, to be preserved intact, Avith the old furniture and 

 bric-a-brac, that visitors may see the old home as it was in olden 

 times. 



Mr. Calhoun was very fond of his Fort Hill farm, and 

 during his vacations from Washington gave much attention to 

 his farming interests. He was first to introduce into that 

 section blooded cattle, and I can remember his importation of 

 the English red Devon cows. He first introduced Bermuda 

 grass for grazing purposes. This grass is still to be seen on 

 the great lawn in front of the old mansion, and I understand 



