The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-30
Notes on a Trip 70 ssno Of tho
Southern states.

Inc rease OF Spring Travelling to the South
A Most Delightful Resrsatien-Thc Season
There Two Months In Advance OF New
York-The Productions OF the Vegetable
King dom and OF the Seas Fresh and Sweet
All Nature NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. not Im-
proving by Time-GoOd Wines and Bad
COOllng-BeA utifuI Columbia, Its Splendid
Gardens and Mngninccnt Granlte-The
Scenery OF the Railroad Routes DclSghtful,
and the Travelling Observation-Disclosures
Talent Buried In Coiumbia-The Gold Mines
Of Charlotte Very Rich and Productive
The Neglected W ter Power Of tlsc South
Mighty Resources Yet to he Developed
The New York Herald and the NewsbOys
In the Southern States, Sc.
spring trip to the Southern States will soon become
fashionable and frequent journey people in the North
ern States who Nsh get rid OF the chill March winds
and the disagreeabe weather peculiar 70 this
our northern siitadc The Southern States bong
rapidly covered with network Of railroads spreading
in every direction, that they now be travelled with
more comfort In spring than any other part of the
country In the great West Northwest at this
the winds are cold, raw and dsagrecable In the sum
mer that region IL too hot being neither protected from
the perpendicular rays Of The by the shade Of trees
nor famed by cooling mountain breezes while in the
fall the atmosphere unhealthy for those who travel
for pleasure recruit impaired constitution. Bot
journey in tho spring through Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina, Alabama Tennessee and Kentucky is the
moet delightful recreation ia the world In April the sea-
son much further advanced there than is In the mid
die Of June in the North Everything fresh and blooming
and rosy the air Us sof and bamy and salutry without
being oppressive and animal existence s plea
sure. Green peas, potatoes, vegetables Of every
variety and straw berries, with early shad aud other
fish, are to be found IL abundance and chespresh and
Sweet too not as they to New York by steamboat
from Charleston and Savannah the vegetable productions
wited, and the fsh rendered soft and abby while the
price is extremely high All the senses are grat0ed IN
the highest degree and the imagination finds new
sources OF pleasure. The railroads. opening 10 every
direction, carry their passengers through beautiful
picturesque mountain ranges from which pure and in
MIGRATING brseyes bear healing on their wings.
In this spring journey small party reached Charleston
IN tho beginning Of April, in one Of the steamers from
New York-the James Adger, Captain Adams, a most
obligpg and gentlemanly man. OF the Old school,
with whom 1t is pleasure TO travel. Charleston
is very beautiful city; Ia the commercial capital Of
South Carolna-but it s only second rate town aad
seaport in every point Of view. The last time some Of
as saw was thirty years ago. and there 10 not
great deal OF difference between and thon As VIC
passed the corner Of King and Queen srees ey
the identical old shantee in which had beer sold
in 1872 and we now pointed IL out 10 friends; il was
unaered and the same in every respect thirty
seven years ago The Battery the streets are
improved, but the principal thoroughhres-EAst Bay
and King streets-ars the same to. day as before
There are some very good hotels there-the only
good ones to be found south OF Richmond for
in point Of hotels the Southern country in the interior
appears TO be in the Dark Ages and have made no pro
grcss whatever In The culinary art with the exception OF
the articles Of rice and homny nothing is cooked proper
l. all tha Gpo,x IL. 4
abundance, there capacity preparing them for
the tableno genius Of the Kitchen Every thing is en-
trusted 10 the negroes, who have skill in the cooking
Of anything except the panes and common articles
The csret and other wines at the Mills House in Charles
ton are excellent, superior to any to be found New
York owing doubt TO the genial climate even tenn
pcraure The cold OF the North renders light wines sour
and acrid.
From Charleston proceeded to Columbia the politi-
cal capital of The State lying 100 miles the northwest
The railroads good and the speed from eighteen
to twenty miles hour Columbia is one Of the most
beautiful towns IN the South being situated in high
rolling region the eastern bank the Congaree rver
Immediately below the junction Of the Broad and Saluda
rivers which, united form the Congaroe The land rises
gradually from the river which that point runs through
plain Of two three miles in extent which the
ground slopes every SIDE On this plain the to xn is
built, and commands most extensive prospect The
streets exceedingly wide and spacious fully 100 fee
and the number Of beautiful aud blushng gardens highly
cultivated and with every variety of exquisite aud go-.
geous flowers, is truly astonishing. Here many gems Of
rare beauty native to the soil and thrive in the open
which in the climate Of New York further north
could only be kept alive in the greenhouse The
mark applies 10 the forms of the trees and to the hues Of
their glorious foliage There ia nothing like them the
North. Among the owners Of nne gardens here is Mr..
Wade Hampton, who has plantation miles
down the river. To his town house in Columbia ia
attached beautiful garden in the French style There
are . great number Of other splendid gardens, and
altogether the place s one of the most delightful
in which party Of travellers, who have leisure
aud know how 10 Themselves, coad spend a few
days.
In Columbia is being erected magnificent State
of large dimensions somewhat the style Of the
Capitol at Washington. The work is superintendent by
an accomplished architect from Vienna, whose we
forget When finished, it VIII be Of the most bcautl
full and classical buildings In the Southern States The
material OF which il is constructed deserves particular
notice consists of very fine, Ugh. gray granite found
immense blocks at three moz distance in the bed of
the CoDgaree river. We made visit 10 The quarry,
which is curiosity in stself, and shown us
by the polite architect Here blocks Of hun
dred tons weight, without vein, taken out
and transported by mules, railroad constructed for
the purpose TO the rising edi1ce in the centre OF the
town. which supported by several hundred pilasers o.
this beautiful granite which have very striking and line
effect The smaller pasters for the windows are turned
like wood, N a machine like a lathe, which we believe
has never been done before In the of granite.
The large blocks quarred without blasting, they
are cut to any size required, and split through
by means OF wedges In process Of time every
building in Columbia will be constructed of this stone
which is finer than any the Northern States capable Of
polish smooth Marble while is hard any
other granite.
From Columbia might have travelled by rail
road 10 Nashville and thence to Richmond through
the Great Valley, which is most picturesque and
pleasant route in the spring The limos OF the rail-
roads h the Northern States, except the Eric,
far ouairpped by those in the South in the beauty and