The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-23
LIMESTONE SPRINGs,

SrARrArBuHG DIS, s. c. Sept 7, 1919
The Poor White Pecpie-Lo Cabins Their Furniture
dsscriJed-Porery in its worst form descr6ed-Snpe-
,ior Situations Of The Siares-No Grass 10 be here
Pleasing Pieus-Iron Mountain Company-Faetoriss.
On my arrival at these formerly celebrated
Springs, sadly disappointed in regard to
the extent Of them, the quantity Of the people.
found what formerly the church was the Lime
stone Hotel and the splendid hotel Of other and
prosperous days turned into female boarding school
There are few strangers here. There are perhaps
twenty families residing here during the summer, but
they have their private residences, and are per-
manent at least six months during the year
travelled yesterday over public road twenty miles,
and stopped at nearly every house. They
pied by what called the "poor white people"
fund fifty log houses my route. You pass through
. forest and come to cleared land. You see on one
side of the road field of corn say FIVE to ten acres OF
few rods back from the road amid this corn stands
log cabin the smoke curling up in blue wrssths even
In these hot days There wicket gate opening from
the road, through which you pass aud follow foot
path until you reach the entrance Of the cabin There
is stone for step, and you enter. The woman Is
spinning. She asks you to seat, whsh is made Of
three more like IL. In the corner Of the room Il bed
the IRE place large aud the chimney built oil
mud outside the hut. There are some nails Tor hats
and clothes here is rife on wooden pins shelf
with few articles upon It, consisting OF broken
comb, Bible pristed by the Am Bible Society and
knife. Ia corner Is n barrel Look into II. aud
yCu will find half busEel Of corn meal inside and over
u, On string is piece Of bacon There l. cupboard
in the corner that and perhaps you will mud acup
1u taucer and plate, aud perhaps you won't This ia
lie,ure from the life You ask for The ia9ily-.Ny
man Is pulling fodder y GLOW many children have
youl'i |six;' and by aud by you viii the whole
halt dozen axy headed children peeping in through
the creyiees OF the hut for In the summer season az
there windows the filling In between the logs is
taken cut Tor air You wonder how people caa live In
such onc.Toom den. lot they do live ana get on
very well, They keep COW sometimes, lew pigsto
make ham and bacon, and they Iaise corn, wheat,
and oats The cabin II worth twenty dolarsnitwatt)
be bought but probably whom erected tue cleared hl
which is now cultivated With corn, wa then wood
The paid one two doers acre for IL, bought
rallon q vhskey. killed pig aud his neighbors
turned 10. bad blow out put the logs aud he after
varJs made the chimney covered hoored II. and filled
up the ereyicos. lie gets wife and commences on
Bis own hook Some q the log houses entered APP
rearrd clean aud comfortable there would be two
beds In the ROOM some Kettles, and = loom Again ]
found t o rooms and family of twelve or nfteen aud
grown IN and daughters, some exceedingly pref
~, with hair aud eyes black as ravens In one cabin
taW poverty In in is worst FORM There was nothing
but the ogs Cling there were two miserable buds
the door was open at the entrance lay large dog;
there a shed formed from two poles, aud o1vor.d
J. ~ came near the door There no reply.
thought the people were dead for say through the
door objects lying the beds stepped over The dog
aud entered the cabin. On one bed lag strapping
white man his eyes rolling wildly O. ne bat whe said
not word; on the Other BID lay woman; she was
Iele and emsciatcd. and looked like o corpse. As
stood gazing these tro wteched people wrs Joined
by my friend and fellow traveller, ten. 4. "Nhat j.
tie maiter!r Noanswsr None wss needed "Hefe you
ls7y ou, get up hon that bed Here are two dollars 60
ant r.t something for that woman 90 eat The chap
took the money aud then spike Ibst old woman Is
mother She has had hts >ua car ,sS'e nsr' OF
have raised some corn this yeaf." VIZ cane away
Not solitary Thing dri1ssble or ea.sbt II swear,
was under that ROOT There ras some corn drJing "
The fun near the house. Whist they lived on God only
knows The Genoisl obsoIved-'l have traversed
every part Of this STATE but thai boats the mot dss
rerate Gaze Of white poverty ever saw. The f-loEis
fsu IN AZ L. a m Il %
the up.ceuntry Of South Carolina among all glasses,
rich and poor. Think you that any fuch cases as
have ATTEMPTED te decrbe could b. found among the
slaves in this state! No; not In all South Carolina
they have better houses than any ! saw yesterday
They comfortably clothed. and have enough 90 eat
ana drink and they are sure Of It, unless tome terrible
caemty should overwhelm both master aus slave. Ia
twenty miles travel on the principal road TO within
come iron wortsl did not enter a house, or
see a much real comfort as have seen in the
negro quarters Of any plantation have Visited
These men might he comfortable. Land is cheap.
The labor costs little White labor could be had for
10 to 20 cents day board pcluded) Ia any quantity
here site you facts you may dfaw your own conclu-
tions Talk of the misery and degradation Of the Afr
can slave It's all sheer nonsense In this state the
condition a the slave is Tar preferable 70 that Of "a
peer white man. The idea Of spinning and weaving
V rich Why grl would earn more In - southern
factory In week than the same girl could earn In her
home in year There IL reason Why there should
be poor white family IN this state except the lazy
habits which make and keep poor white man Pace
isnkee hoy Of ~ aud Yankee wife Of Is, In any 81
these cabins wss In yesterday with exactly the same
capital ana then won ssy that there would be
larger crop 81 children in Eve years yet II swear there
would be comfortable framed d~elling house, well
titled farm Of 200 acres nice little garden for vegets
bles aud nowsrs dozeS slaves horses COWS pgs apJ
poultry TO feed argument Of childien that
period And when few more Of the same sort OF Van
hess had clustered about the there would
be little story red schoo house and steepled
building with bell in IL not far OF
How | would like TO see mesdOw-n II was only a
jersey meadow have not seen one since left home
They don know what erase Is in this state forgot
did tee q meadow 81 three acres AZ Greenville I
watched " for a week after the grass was cut II
tNposed full that time to dry The last time passed
" was raining IN torrents and they preparing TO
stack ~ They raise when grass would pay trice
as well they Understood it After passing the house
where saw the young man and his mother came t.
grave where they erecting Baptist meeting
house The building modelled after . Jersey barn
Two miles further on came suddenly upon view
which furpiised me. on the crest Of hill below
was the Pscoet River go famous for stirring events
In the days ~ our Revolution As reached the foot
Of n long winding hill came TO end Of bridge
and then discovered that what bad appeared to nae
sfornidsble river, was sn immense mill pond Atths