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John O. Peoples by Edith Greisser, ONDQ Spring 2003, Vol. 12, No. 1, pg. 10
Col. John F. Speck, jeweler, advertised eyeglasses and jewelry for sale on a regular basis. In October 1874 he completely renovated his store and in December an iron fireproof safe was delivered, in which all the jewelry was stored at the end of each day. Business was not outstanding but Mr. Speck managed to etch out a living at his trade, occasionally advertising for old silver at fair market price. Then in June 1876 the news was announced that J. F. Speck had moved back to Lincointon NC, his natal land, to lease the Hotel near Burton’s Springs. He sold the jewelry business and stock to John O. Peoples, including all repaired and yet unclaimed watches and the fireproof safe. Mr. Peoples kept the stock of repaired watches for a respectable period of time and finally sold any unclaimed articles on February 20 1877. John O. Peoples had been born in North Carolina December 1, 1825 and moved to Newberry with his brother William C. Peoples before the Civil War. They engaged in the saddle and harness business on Main Street. William Peoples died April 14 1856 survived by a wife Hannah C. Peoples and two infant children, John Edward Peoples and Eliza Frances Peoples. John 0. Peoples was the administrator of his brother’s estate which consisted of stock in the saddlerly trade, one slave, a cow, household and personal items. Although John 0. Peoples resided in Newberry for many years his only mention in the newspaper was through the advertisements by Duncan, Peoples & Co. giving current Newberry Grocery Prices. Later he advertised with Boozer & Peoples Hardware store. The horse pulling the wagon of Wheeler & Wilson tried twice to go through Boozer & Peoples store in June of 1875. Boozer & Peoples supplied the jail with $17.80 worth of glass during the Newberry County Fiscal Year 11/1/1874 to 10/31/1875. John 0. Peoples became a news item when he fractured his left leg below the knee on May 27, 1875 while attempting to take a seat in Dr. O. A. Norris’ wagon. The newspapers made weekly notes on the progress of the healing of his leg. In July he was promoted from bed to a wheelchair and by September he was able to walk short distances with the aid of crutches. Being an active Mason, he was elected JW for Amity Lodge in December 1875 according to the news article but that statement was retracted. The correction in the newspaper stated be had been installed as PHP Treasurer by Signet Chapter of Masons for the ensuing year. J. O. Peoples was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Newberry Bible Society. For some time, as a partner in S. P. Boozer & Co. he advertised the new ‘Brown Cotton Gin’ but in May of 1876 he advertised the dissolution of his partnership from Samuel P. Boozer, and the sale of a ‘45-saw Brown Cotton Gin’. It was at that time he took over the jewelry store of Col. John F. Speck. Separate articles informed the reader his store was next to W. H. Dickert and in his window he displayed a white partridge shot and killed by J. Fred Schumpert. As 1876 drew to a close he was elected WM of Amity Lodge AFM No. 87 for the ensuing year. On March 8 1877 the Newberry Hotel caught fire. It was never explained in the paper the source of the fire but from a small fire on the hotel roof exactly one year previous the paper mentioned the roof was an acre of wooden shingles. Since the strong winds during the fire were coming from the southwest, all the business on both sides of Pratt Street east of the hotel were victims of the disaster. Winds blew charred roof shingles and debris as far north on College Street as the old College grounds. Twenty eight stores and residences were destroyed, among them, the jewelry store of J. O. Peoples. At the onset of the conflagration his jewelry was hastily enclosed in his fireproof safe, locked, and he then hurriedly tried to remove whatever he could until he could no longer endure the heat and flames. The safe alluded to was one of the largest and most beautiful of its kind and of all safes ever made was considered the safest. As a thing of beauty it was confidently thought it would prove a joy forever. Not so — for the fire came - and when the safe had cooled and was opened, blackness of ruin stared him in the face. Most of the metal had been charred and molten. Two agents representing the manufacturers of the large safe came to town to adjust matters. The safe had contained $3500 worth of uninsured jewelry. The manufacturer gave Mr. Peoples a new safe in lieu of the old one. The ruined safe had originally cost $1,000 and according to the newspaper it was to be returned to the manufacturer and ‘fixed up’ for another customer. One of the manufacturer’s agents hired nine men in Newberry who appeared idle on the streets to get the safe out of the ruins and taken to the train depot. For this the agent offered a total sum of four dollars. It was a huge job and after several hours spent and gallons of sweat wasted the hirelings removed the safe from the ruins onto the walkway. The laborers then struck for more pay. The agent wouldn’t agree to a better contract until he saw men milling around him and thought he had better come to some agreement. He then compromised with the workers for a 10 cent hour individual pay. By this time every man in town with nothing particular to do became interested spectators. Useful suggestions were made by them. Two or three offered to boss the job and get the safe to the railroad depot for $10. By this time the agent had his back up and said he would not alter the agreement, even if it took all summer. Lunch time came and there was a break in the labor and negotiations until 2 pm. Col. B. F. Griffin had come to town with his wagon for a purchase of guano. The driver of his wagon was a speculator on the side and saw an opportunity to make a little extra money and agreed for $2 to drive the safe to the railroad depot. The back two wheels were removed from the wagon so that the safe could be rolled onto it. The laborers were rolling the safe over and over towards the wagon and just as they would have reached the bed of the wagon Col. Griffin appeared on the scene and put a stop to the proceedings. The Manufacturer’s Agent then walked around the area until be located another wagon and by 4 p.m. it was in place, all set for the safe. This time instead of rolling the safe, the laborers decided to slide it from side to side up planks. By actual count there were ninety seven spectators by this time. Everyone was telling the agent just how the thing should be done. ‘Overcome with emotions of gratitude’ the agent was seen slipping away to some private place to vent, leaving ‘Sandy’ (Horse?) to boss the job and ninety seven spectators to boss ‘Sandy’. Daylight disappeared and the safe was still not on the wagon and so the crowd dispersed and the nine workers retreated for the night. Early next morning all hands and the general public were promptly on the grounds and by 10 am the safe was on the wagon. To the surprise of nine tenths of the crowd, the wagon did not collapse under its weight. A parade commenced to the depot, a trip of 5 blocks. Spectators placing bets and opinions on how long and with what procedure the safe would be placed on the train were freely given. On arriving at the depot John Kinard, depot agent, with his six hired hands unloaded the safe and placed it on a railroad car in eight minutes. The safe was shipped to NY via Charleston — when purchased it weighed 4590 pounds but since the fire it had lost about 500 pounds. How this could be I do not comprehend, however, that is what was reported in the paper. Because of freight charges the depot agent surely had the safe weighed. The papers then reported hindsight out of jest — ‘Martin Harris, O S Wells and others say they could have had the safe at the depot in 1 1/2 hours for $10 but the agent wanted to boss it himself and as a result paid twice as much’. Other losses suffered by J. O. Peoples, besides the jewelry, were $1500 in damages with insurance for $1000. When adjusted he was given $505.56 by his insurer. He advertised for the sale ofjewehy and silver at cost, the jewelry and silver being valuable only as old metal. Much of it was sold at auction for little over a dollar. He resumed selling jewelry for a short time and then sold his stock to Edward Scholtz, a recent newcomer to town. In later years John O. Peoples entered into a merchandise partnership as Peoples & Johnson in the hardware business with their store on Mollohon Row. The business was mentioned in the paper when it was paid by the Ordinary of the County for various purchases. A Board of Trade was organized in 1888 with John 0. Peoples the President from July 5, 1888 to October 9, 1890. In 1890 John O. Peoples bought a warehouse from John F. Wheeler for $3000. The Newberry Savings Bank was organized in 1891 with John O. Peoples as one of its Directors. The charter of the National Bank in Newberry was renewed in 1891 and the bank reorganized with J. O. Peoples as one of its Directors. His wife, the former Frances L. Morris, died March 17, 1892 at 60 years of age. She had written a will February 4 1892 leaving all her worldly possessions to her husband, daughter Mary J. Carwile and three granddaughters, Fanny May Carwile, Gertrude Carwile and Julia W. Speck. Her grandsons were not mentioned. John O. Peoples
remarried to Annie M. Hunt, daughter of General Walter Herbert Hunt and
Susan E. McCaughrin. He was a grandfather by then and the papers
carried the story of ‘John O. Peoples, gave a social at his home in honor
of Miss Fannie May Carwile’ (his grand aughter). His widow, Mrs. Annie Hunt Peoples moved to Spartanburg and rested at Paris Mountain. She attended the Charleston Exposition and won a prize for the best white specimen of Chrysanthemums on hand at the State Fair. Mrs. Ann Peoples died January 11, 1907 of cerebral disease. She was buried in Rosemont Cemetery beside her husband and his first wife. She had written her will July 15 1895 naming her two brothers Walter H. Hunt and Isaac Hamilton Hunt as her executors and sole beneficiaries of her estate. Daughter Mary J. Peoples married W. H. Carwile who was a clerk at J. D. Davenport’s in Newberry. Husband and family attended the Atlanta Exposition. Their year old son, John 0. Peoples Carwile died in 1888. In 1897 W. H. Carwile was working for the James A. Mimnaugh Store. The family had a telephone and the exchange number was 140 in 1899. Occasionally the Carwile family vacationed at Glenn Springs and Mr. Carwile became employed at Flynn’s and later as a bookkeeper for Purcell & Scott. Mrs. W. H. Carwile, and daughter Gertrude Carwile went to Florida on a visit to the Speck Family. Miss Gertrude Carwile was the Librarian for the Newberry Library and vacationed at White Stones Lithia Springs in 1905. Gertrude Carwile died 1925. Daughter
Carrie Peoples married Captain John F. Speck who was the son of Col. John
F. Speck, the man who sold the jewelry business to his father-in-law. Captain Speck had
enlisted in Co. ‘K’ 1st NC Regiment for six months and later returned to
his home in Lincolnton NC organizing Co. ‘E’ 52nd Regiment NCV.
He became Captain of the Company and served until he lost a leg at
Fredericksburg December 1862, when he retired. In 1875 Carrie and
John Speck buried their newborn daughter in Rosemont Cemetery. They must
have then moved elsewhere. The paper noted the family moved to Newberry to live in
the Knox House on Harrington St. in 1889 and John F. Speck advertised
as watchmaker and
jeweler, just as his father had done years previous. Carrie died at her
home in Newbeny July 10 1891. She would have been 37 years old on July 11 and was
buried in Rosemont Cemetery. John F. Speck left for Atlanta August 4, 1892
for treatment of his throat by Dr. Calhoun, the renown
specialist. Captain John F. Speck, 52 years old, died February 23, 1893 of
consumption at Palatka FL. at the home of his son John Speck Jr. The $2000
life insurance policy on Captain John F. Speck was divided among his
heirs. After his death two of his children, Osborne Speck and Charles
P. Speck lived with their grandfather, their Guardian, on Calhoun Street
in Newbeny. Another child of Captain Speck was Mrs. Beard of
Yorkville. A daughter Julia (a brunette) married E. W. Gray of Tampa
Florida on January 4, 1893, honeymooned in Asheville and lived in
Jacksonville, Florida. A son, Charles A. Speck, Cadet at Patrick Military
Academy in Anderson, received a medal as the best-drilled man in 1900. In 1901 he was
reported working on the water works and electric lights and in 1902
Charley Speck was
an apprentice in Biddeford Maine for 3 years with Saco-Pettee,
manufacturers of cotton mill machinery. Charley Speck
came home to Newberry in 1904 and in April of that year he went to
Atlanta, employed by the Southern Bell Telephone Company. Ossie Speck, grandson of John 0. Peoples, stopped off at Newberry on his way from Palatka FL. to Clemson College on opening day June 22, 1893. He was appointed as Sergeant Cadet at the school in 1894. Osborne Speck drowned in St. John’s River Florida July 16,1896. He was buried at Palatka FL. In the settlement of his estate the Jacksonville Undertaker Company was paid $185 for services. Miss Mamie Peoples was mentioned in the newspaper as a member of the wedding party at the O. L. Schumpert & Mamie E. Pool wedding. She had been a student at the Female Academy and took part in closing exercises. There is a stone in the family plot at Rosemont Cemetery simply marked ‘Mamie’. It was never mentioned anywhere but in putting the pieces together it became evident that there was a blood relationship between the Speck and Peoples Family. I believe the answer to that part of the family’s history is to be found in Lincointon North Carolina, the town that both families left and returned numerous times in their lifetimes. Inventory of the
estate of John O. Peoples included: Mrs. Speck, 87 years old, wife of Col. John F. Speck ‘of Newberry”, died July 10, 1891. She was a generation older than John O. Peoples. Could she have been his relative? Information for the above was taken from Cemetery records, Census records, Annals of Newberry, Probate Records and Newspaper accounts.
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