The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-01-10
Destituti9n and Suffering in South Caro-.
lima.
PESDLEToN, S. c., December 10.


PEyDLEToS, S. c., December 15
doubt fyou have the smallest idea of the
poverty Of the people of South Carolina. De-
String neither comu.isseraton nor aims, they
say nothing about it. Indeed the struggle
for the neccSsarcs of life is too pressing to
allow them to brood over losses Of any kind
losses compared with which that Of property
seems trihng. 1t is on the refugee from the
coast that poverty has laid her iron hand
most heavily. The planters of the interior
find their capital reduced by emancipation to
about one-tifth it's former amount, but if the
negro will work Under the new system, their
incomes will rot be much diminished. But
the poor refugee has lost everything. Driven
from his home and cut off from his resources,
he finds it difficult to procure ordinary food
for his household. His plantation on the
coast has probably not building of any kind
standing, not even aalegro hut, and the recov-
cry of the land is, in some cases, doubtful.
Those on Port Royal are advertised to be
! sold to-day, and none but negroes are allowed
! to bid Even where the land is restored,
where can its ruined owner procure money to
pay taxes, erect buildings and hire freedmen.
Some refugees have returned to Charleston
! in the hope Of procuring business there, but
many still remain in the interior, being una
! bic TO bear the expense of removal. and earn
! scanty subsistence by personal efforts. Our
young men have gone to work in earnest.
! Ours is a poverty of which no one is
ashamed, and Of which very few complain.
| We are willing to bear it, and its .uniVesality
makes it more toerable. When Know that
the most refined and intelligent women in the
State, deserted by their deluded servants, are
doing all kinds Of EoUsework-sweeping,
! making beds, cooking and washing-it is much
easier for me to iron the towels my little son
has washed; while turn occasionally laugh
ing eye to the fireplace, where an invalid
gentleman, (son of former gOvernor) is en-
gagged in churning | must confess that his
attempt furnished US with more amusement
thai! bitter. For, believing this state Of
things to be only temporary, we make merry
! over it, compare notes with our friends, and
! boast Of our success in these untried fields.
Many refugee ladies feed their families by
exchanging the contents Of their. wardrobes
/ for articles of food. "IIow are your sisters u
said last summer to young man who had
left home to become tutor. ''Thclr COM
pIexions look badly" was the reply, "but
that is not surprising when you consider how
long they have been eating old frocks. y
Have they any lights ?" was my nextquery.
With perfect gravity he replied, NO when
the moon does not shine, they 60 to bed by
lightning" But matters are mending. In
this very family light wood has superseded
lightning in the chambers, and in the parlor
a small petroleum lamp (price 81 ditfuses
light and happiness around. ,,,
But there are cases over which no one can
laugh. know of family whose property
was counted by hundreds Of thousands, who
have not tasted meat for months. A gentle
man of high scientific attainnlents, formerly
professor in a college, is literally trying tc
keep the wolf from the door by teaching
few scholars, one of whom, girl of sixteen
pays quart of milk per diem for her. tuition
Innumcrabe widows, orphans and sing wo
men, whose property wasin Confederate bonds
are pcnnicSs and seeking employment o.
some kind for bread.
en- til" whCiC, or people are bearing thelE
trials bravcIy and chcerfully: but SO wide
spread is the ruin that, even Il the new sys
TEN works well; it will take at least half q
century tG put us where ne were. Georgia
will recover much sooner.