The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-05-19
JAMES GORDON BENNETT IN SOUTH CAR.
DINA


York Herald, thus speaks Of his recent Wis.
1t to Charleston and Columbia
In this spring journey small party
reached Charleston in the beginning Of
April, IN one of tie steamers from New
lork-thc James Adgcr, Capt Adams, u
most o'l'g'nS and gcnllcnlanly man, one
OF the old school, with whom il is y n,o,s.
"re {" travel. Charleston is a very beau.
'iul city ; 1t Is the commercial capital Of
South Ca'"ll"a-but it is only a second
rate town and seaport in every point Of
view. The last time some of us saw i. w,.
thirty seven years ago, and there is NOT Il
great deal of difference between it now and
then. AS we passed the corner of Kipr and
queen streets, our eye met the Identical
old shantcc in Which we had seen beer solJ
III 1922, and we now pointed it out to our
hien''s 1t was unaltcrcd, and the same in
every respect as it WAS thirty seven years
ag" The Battery and some Of the street,
are improved, but the principal thorough.
ta'es-E'st Bay and King sree;s-arc tho
same to day as before. There are some
very good hotels there-the only good ones
to he found south of Richmond for in
point OF hotels the southern country, in tho
interior, appears to be in the dark ages, and
to have made no progress whatever in the
culinary art; with the exception of the ar
-. I
''cles OF rice and hominy, nothing is cook
cd property. With all the finest matcriul.
Tor food at hand in great abundance, there
is no capacity for preparing them for the
'aole-"o genius Of the kuckcn. Every
thing is entrusted to the negroes, who have
no sk'l' III the cooking of anything except
the pla'nest and most common articles.
he clarct and other wines at the Mills
House III Charleston are excellent, superior
10 any to DO found in New York, owing,
no doubt, to the genial climate and even
temperature. The cold of the Nortl, ren-
ders light wines sour and acrid.
From Charleston we proceeded to Colum-
''" the political capital Of the State, living
100 miles to the northwest. The railroadt
are good, and the speed was from eirls.
teen to twenty miles an hour. COLUMBIA
Is one OF the most beautiful towns in Ire
south, being situated in high, rolling re-.
g'on' on the eastern bank of the Congaree
river, Immediately below the junction O
the Broad and SaIuda rivers which, united
form the Congaree. The land rises yradu-
ally from the river, which at that point runs
through aplain of two or three miles in cx.
tent from which the ground slopes on eve
ry side. On this plain the town is built.
and 1t commands a most extensive pro.pec,.
Tho streets are exceedingly wlo and spa.
c'ous Qully 100 feet,) and the number Ct
beautiful and blu.hing gardens, highly oul-
tlvated and with every variety Of exquisite
and gorgeous flowers, is truly astonishing.
nere many gems OF rare beauty are native
TO The soil and thrive in the open air, Which
III the climate Of Now York or further
north could only bc kept alive in the green
ho"se' lhe same remark applies to the
forms of The trees and to tic hucs of their
glorious foliage. There is nothing like
them at the North. Among the owners of
line gardens here is Mr.. Wade Hampton.
who has plantation some miles down the
river. To his town house in Columbia is.
attached beautiful garden in the French.
style. There are great number of other
splendid gardens, and altogether the place
is one of the most delightful in Which a.
party of travellers, who have leisure and
know how to amusc thcms elves, could srend
a few days.
IN Columbia is now being erected Il mag.
"flcent State House Of large dimensions.
somewhat in the style Of the Capitol at
Washington: The work is superintendent
by an accomplished architect from Vienna.
whose name we forget. When flushed. It.
Will be one the most beautiful and classical;
buildings in the southern States. The ma.
fr'al OF which it is constructed deserves.
particular notice. 1t consists of very fine.
''g"I gray granite, found in immense blocks
at three miles distance in the bed of the.
Cohsaree river. We made visit 10 the.
quarry, which is a curiosity in itself, audi
was shown us 10y the polite architect. Hero.
blocks Of one hundred tons weight, without
ve'n' are taken out and transported by
mules, on railroad constructed for tho
purpose to the rising edifce in the centre Of
the town, which is supported by several.
hundred pil"sters of this beautiful granite;
which have very striking and fine effect.
The smaller pilasters for the windows nra
turned like wood, in a machine like n lathe.
Which we believe has never been done be-.
lore IN the case Of granite. The largo
blocks are quarred without blasting, they
are cut to any size required, and. split.
through by means Of wedges. lin process.
of tirna avoru por, I .:tlc