The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1860-08-09
correspondence OF the Spartan

hUSK 20, IEXAS, July lu, iSoV.
DEAR SPARTAS: Having beer unem-
ployed for the last three weeks, owing to
protracted drought that has prevailed in
this and adjacent cauntcs, | am thrown in
a row with the most of the farmers, but lit
tie to do; or at least but little that can be
done to profit; and thinking oft OF the land
of my nativity and my former associates and
friends, had disposition to spend few
q my Improbable moments giving them
short communication through your columns,
though l have never at any time before at
tempted to write anything for publication
But knowing that many of your citizens an
ticipate migration to the" "Lonc Star State, .
/ wish them to be informed of the alarm
ing condition of most all Eastern Texas in
regard to breadstutIs Its true enough food
can yet be had TO keep all the animal king
dom on foot but don't think | would be
justifab!e in saying that all get enough to
keep their digestive organs constantly at
work. They become so active after person
remains in this State while, that they
can perform the functions assigned them
with despatch, and generally grind out and
crave something more to operate upon be
fore the accustomed time arrives to give
them fresh supplies. But the great and
absorbing question is, how are these sup
plies to lie kept up till another crop eau lie
made? Wheat was nearly Il failure; oat
n failure corn. a failure; and cotton will
be failure if we do not get RAIN III II short
time and there is no prospect of that it
Is now throwing off the shapes, and the
first bols opening. The grass is prchiu9
up rapidly, aud without ia,n Will soon t., /
to give u support to the mulch COWS Of til :
country; and that will curtai! cur means of
sustenance For the milk and butter con
sumcd here is an important item nearly
halt the support OF many families.
his is indeed II serious time aud will hc
an c;.ech one to he remembered by all who
are within IT'S bounds But it is the inst
year this county has failed to make ennuy h
To support it>ci since it has been settled
The Oldest sctticr~ III this county have
lived here about tW Cnty two ears, anG their
testimony is, that tie corn crop has moi
bceu Il failure before since ;hcy settled in
the county, though it was frequently cut o!l
more or less; but not as subject to serious
injury from the annual drou-ht, us the cot
ton crop. 1nis country, according to th,
testimony of those who live here, nearly in
yariably has a drought in the latter part o!
the summer season-Ju!y and August
Corn is generally maturcd by that time
enough TO make good crop but cotton
crops dre cut off.
Notwithstanding the history OF this coun-
try goes to prove that it is more subject to
drought than some of the Eastern States.
yet it possesses inducements to citizenship
that many OF the. do not. The State al
lows its citizens a Homestead Of two hun
dfed acres OF land, five COWS and calves.
one horse, enough provsio.s for one year 5
support, and all their household furniture.
Here each citizen is esteemed ACCORDING
to worth and merit, and not accordins to
family distinctions, and the amount of pro-
perty he is in possession Of Here the M
of people inform themselves on all roints
at issue, and act according to their own
convictions Of right and wrong, and not ac.
.cording as Mr. a. or b. would saw
at money is needed to carry on an i'm
portant internal improvement thai Will be
Jbepehcial TO It's citizens, they conc up f..
che work With %nity OF strength, each luao
fwilllng to bear his part Thcyare natlikc
your citizens were about the Extension of
Ehc Spartanburg and Union Railroad, raise
n hue and 4 cry, and say, we are called up-
~on to subscribe to an unmportant work =
that road can never be beneficial to US
Ihat was very erroneous notion | think
No road has ever been built that was n.t
beneficial to the section of country through
which it passed.
IT is unnecessary for me here to set forth
wherein the citizens Of Sparianburg won.
have been benefited by the complction of
the Greenville and French Broad Railroad
That has already been shown lhcn, but
they were not open to conviction, or acted
,bllndly to their own interest.
Now, in my humbc opinion, The Exten-
sioR OF the Spartanburg and Union Rail
road was an all-lmportant matter to the citi-
zens Of Spartanburg and to the State at
large-one in which all should have been
deeply interested, because the completion
of that work would have rcdoundcd to their
mn 'ual benefit and commercial prosperity.
But there were so many moon ca YES, cur
mudgeops, and old iogies, they would not
have it, They say, if we build the road
we are giving up the reins Of democracy,