Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-05-28
VOL. X.--NO. 4l.
James Gordon Bennett in South Coroline

York lirraid, thus speaks of his recent visit
to CT alcston and Columbia:
In this spring journey small party reach.
cd Charleston in the beginning of April, in
one of the steamers from New York-thc
James Adger, Capt. Adams, most olliging
nnd gentIcnanly man, one of the old school
! with whom 1t is a pleasure to travel. Charles.
ton ia n very beautiful city; it is The com
mcrciul capitol Of South Caroina--but it is
only second rate toxin and seaport in every
point OF view. The last time some of us saw
twas thirty seven years ago. and there is
not n great deal of difference between it now
ana then. AS we passed the corner uf KiuE
i ana queen streets, our eye met the identical
OLD shantcc in which we had seen beer sold
: IN lN22 and we now pointed it out TO our
friends; it was unnltered, and the same i'm
every resi- cct as it was thirty seven years
ago The Battery and some of the streets
arc improved. bnt the principal tloroughfares
-ltaSt lay aud Hing strcets--arc the same
I t"-''ay aS before There arc some very good
hotels thcrc-thc only good ones to be found
south of Richmond for in point of hotels the
southern country, in the interior appears to
he in the ages, and TO have made no progress
whatever in the culinary art; with the cx-
ccptlon Of the articles of rice and hominy.
nothing is cooked properly With all the
finest materials for food at hand in great
abundance there is no capacity for prepay
ing them for the tabe--no genius of Tic
Kitchen. Everything is entrusted to Il e ne
grocs. who haze no skill in the cooking of
It ything exccptthc p!ainest and most common
articles The clarct and other wines at the
Mills House in Charleston are excellent, SUI
perlor to amy TO be found in New York ow-
ing' no doubt. to the genial climate and even
temperature. The cold of the North renders
| light wines sour and acrid
From Charleston we proceeded to Culum-
hia, the political capitol of the State lying
i2O miles to the northwest. The railroads
are good. and the speed was from eighteen
to twenty miles an hour. Columbia is one
of the most beautiful towns in tic South, be-
ing situated in high, rolling region, on tie
eastern bank of the Congaree river, immedi-
atcIy below the Junction Of tie Broad and
Saiuda rivers. which, united forH! the Con-
garee, The land rises gradually from the
river which atthat point runs through plain
ot two OF three miles in extent from which
the ground slopes on every side On this
! plain the town is built, and it commands ~
most extensive prospect. The streets are
exceedingly wide and spacious Gully 100
icct') and the number Of beautiful and blush
ing gardens highly cultivated and with eve
| ry variety of exquisite and gorgeous flowers.
is truly astonishing. Here many gems of
rare beauty are native to the soil and thrive
I IN the open air, which IN the climate of New
York or further north could only he kent
alive in the greenhouse. The same remark
| applies to the forms of the trcPs and to the
hucs of their glorious foliage Thcrc is moth
| ing like thcm at the North Among the
&, owners of fine gardens here is Mr.. Wade
Hampton, who has plantation some miles
down the river. To Ills town house in Co
lumbin is attached n beautiful garden in the
| french style. There arc great number OF
other splendid gardens, ana altogether the
place Is one of the most delightful in which
party of travellers, who have leisure and
know how to amuSc themselves, could spend
II few days
In Columbia is now being erected n moc-
nficcut State House of large dimensions.
somewhat IN the style of the Capitol at Wash
'ngton. The work is supcrnicndcd ly nm
accomplished architect from Vienna. whose
name we forget. When finished, it will be
one of the most beautiful and class al build
'ngsin the southern States. The material
OF which It is constructed deserves particular
notice. 1t consists of very fine, light gray
granite, found in immense blocks at three
miles distance in the bed of the Conpnrec
river. We made q visit to the quarry which
is curiosity in itself, and was shown MS Inv
the polite architect. Here blocks OF one hun
drcd tons weight, without vein, arc tnkon
out and transported by mules, on railronl
constructed for the purpose TO the RISING
nd!hce in the centre of the town which IL
supported by several hundred pilnsiers of
this beautiful granite, which have a very
striking and fine effect The smaller pilaS
tcrs for the windows are turned like wood
m machine like lathe, which we believe
has never been done before in the cnse of
granite. The large blocks are quarried with
out blasting, they are cut to any size rc
qoircd, and split through by means of wcdr
cs. In process of time every new buItIin.
IN C"inmbia will be constructed of this stone
winch is tipcr than any in the northern
States, capable of polish as smooth as mar.
blc while it is as hard rs any other granite
------- - o
PREsENTLY.-Ncyer say YOU will do
presently what your reason or YOUR con-
science tells you you should do now. No
man ever shaped his own destiny, or thc
dcStinics of others, wisely and wellg WHO
dealt much in por3ontlico. Look at Ma
turc. If she never hurrics the never nost.
pones. When the time arrives for No
buds to open, they open-for tire leaves to
fail, they fall. Look upward. The slim,
ing. worlds never put off their rising or
their settings. The comets, even, errotic
as they are, keep their appointments and
ec'lpscs are always punctual to tlre minute
There areno delays in any of the move
ments of the universe which have been nrc-
determined by the absolute fiat of the {,rc-
ator Man, however, being free agent,
can postpone the performance of his duty
and he does SO, too frequently to his own
destruction The drafts drawn bv indo.
lenoe upon the future are pretty sure TO be
dishonorcd Make now vnur b.,l,o ~