78 THE FOGY DAYS AND NOW ; 



houn, who has tilled so many honorable and useful offices in 

 this City; the brilliant lawyer called "Andy" Calhoun, and 

 other members of these families. 



Circumstances have connected a name with the John C' 

 Calhoun family that savors much of romance, that of James H. 

 Rion, late of Winsboro, S. C, who died a learned scholar and 

 distinguished lawyer. Of all persons now living, I am, perhaps, 

 the onlv one that can cfive a correct account of his connection 

 with the Calhoun family, who had much to do with the shaping 

 of the remarkable events of his after life. 



How well I remember the first time I ever saw Jim Rion, 

 sitting alone on the root of a great oak in front of the old 

 Pendleton Academy, with a yellow ribbon band around 

 his plain straw hat. I was struck with the peculiar whiteness 

 of his skin, his delicate and girl-like appearance. I spoke to 

 the boy and learned from him that he and his mother were 

 Irish Canadians, but recently from Savannah, Ga. His mother 

 had come to keep house at the Old Pendleton Hotel. He 

 wanted to witness the examination then going on, but was too 

 timid to venture in alone. I conducted the stranger boy in 

 and shared with him my seat. 



Soon after this he entered school, becoming my classmate 

 and we afterward became devoted friends, he spending his Sat- 

 urdays and vacations with me at my fathers beautiful home, 

 Tranquilla, on the Seneca River, and in the Blue Ridge Mount- 

 ains, hunting. 



I rode to school at Pendleton, joining the Calhoun 

 boys at the big gate. One morning, calling at the mansion' 

 Mrs. Calhoun mentioned to me that she wanted a good house- 

 keeper, when I told her of Mrs. Rion, whose cakes and pies I 

 had so often enjoyed, and at the request of Mrs. Calhoun I 



