The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-19
ON TiIR WING.

The closing remarks of my previous letter, 10.
iating to Branchvillo, perhaps nbIe to miscoil-
| struction. Whom said that Brauchvillo had not
made such progress as wo might have reasonably
expected from its favored situation, did not moan
TO derogate fom any morit or credit, which il its
| due. Branchvillo as YOU are doubtless aware, was
on one OF the e1tremeties Of suERMAS's "swa,'., "
and that distinguished general mado his mark OIL
this little unprctentious railroad village. The war
was scarcely over, however, before onterprising
mon set to, and rebuilt the tnwn SO that now it
| stands before tho traveller in more than it's
pristine, antebellum splenaor
One Of tho improvements near Bfanchyille,
noticed by Inc for The first time last week is tho
curve, By means of which tho trains are "shiftet"
from the Columbia to the Hamburg side Of the
road, aud yico versa, without tunl-table. This
| arrangement, understand, was devised and per-
footed during the war, ard is of great service and
convenience to the company.
A few miles from Branchvi,ic ne cross the Edsto
River-very high at present. and the woods and
swamps adjoining all under watcr. Midway,
Bamberg, Graham's Turn Out, all thriving
villages and railroad stations, succeed oacl other
at intervals OF about two miles. About two O'Clock
The cars reachod DlRckYle, ninety miles from
Charlcnton. Hero stopped and looked around me.
BlRekyille Was ''located" in 1897 aud called after
Major BLACK, an engineer connected with tho rail
road then in procsss of construction. The people
% Dnfi.m~ii c. H.. lien miles from Bactyle) il is
said, were so ealous Of The r1sing fame and pros
perity of the nascent village, that out of petty
spite they only epokc Of it's people as tno Back
pWidns. This Of course was CALLING TO this good
and honest peoplo, and they cast about for some
adequate means to obyiate this repro.ch They
concluded to change the name Of their town for
the moro euphoneous "Clinton." This was in
huf fGa DouIn |.--I
pressed with tho alleged necessity for a change
of name, and told them they could change the ap-
pellation OF tho town to Clinton but the Postoiice
sEould continue to be called Backville and nothing
else. 30 after ailing under double Hag for about
twelve months, tho citizens returnod to an undivided
allegiance to Blackvillo. resigned thencefDrth to
boar the odium inseparablo from residence al
thiH town. Why did they not consult their school
maater, who would have told them to call it ME
lainopolis," or "Negropolts2" However, lot that
pnss. The town vas Incorporated in 1916, and at
present ia under the executive administration OF 8f.
+. MoLoNH, Esq, the Intendcnt.
Blackvilo is tho Hvoliest looking place on tho
line OF the South Carolina Railroad. Although
"sHERMAks Grand Army" burned forty -six build
ings, the vestigcs Of this destruction have nearly
all disappeared. New storehousos have been put
up, and yet others are in process of completion
place: Messrs. JACOB MEErzE, If. F. MALoNr, JAS.
KELLY, P. W. FARReLL, STEWART & NEvEIs, s.. |
BnoWN, H. DeDENHoFF, G. p. LARTIdUE (M. d.,
Mrs. a. G. LANCE, r. OAKlAN, NJ. RIcH A. K.sopr
(Postmaster), und H. AsHER. Mr.. J. @. STRoBEr, |
ieops the hotel, and il all travellers fare aa we'll
thore as did your correspondent they will hayo |
nothing to complain Of.
Blackrille is we'll situated as business centre,
II is the natural outlet Of the rich lands along
great part of the Edsto, Savannah River ind SAL
kehatchie. Tho lower parts OF Oraugebure and |
Lexington Districts also formerly did great part
OF their trading hore. The Columbia and Augus-
ia Railroad, II 1t is ever built will probably cut |
into tho latter, as Orangeburg c. Fl. Rnd Bamberg
have already como in as competitors for the for |
mer. More cotton WAS shipped before the war
from Backvillo than from any four or five of the |
adjoining stations along tho South Carolina Rail.
road. Now depots, however. have anrrnn- s.---
Importance so that IL is not probahio that Black
Vile will in future be as important e7,trerot as
she was in the past.
SHraMAN's army remained here six days, and |
burned nbout six hundred I:des Of cotton stored 1
here. The railroad, is well known, wns torn UP
for SOME sixty miles-from Edisto 10 Aiken; and |
few Who did not see the extent Of the devastation
produced by this desolating march, can have any |
idea what difficulties the South Carolina Railroad
Company had to cope with in their efforts 10 re- !
pair their road. Instead Of blame for delay,
think they merit the highest credit for the amount
OF work they hnvo succeeded in accomplishing
within comparatively brief period OF time, and
under circumstances very discouraging in every
respect.
The merchants and people OF Blackville natur-
ally attach great importance to their town, much
greater perhaps than will be readily accorded 10 it
by others, who are either disinterested or whose
interests Will give their opinions different bias.
Thus vas told that railroad from Mien to
Orangeburg, Via Blackville, about eighty miles,
would bo just the thing to secure tho travel from
the south tho distance between those two points
by tho present circuitous route being ono hun
dred and forty three miles, This road would pass
through Barnwell G. H.. and Blackyile; and the
ten miles between these Two last named places are
already graded.
Heretofore this District produced more com,
and often more bacon, also, than it consumed.
Between tho war, SHERMAN, aud the freedmen,
there has been all but determination OF the por-
cine rnce. Pork ii a thing of the past. The
planters all unhestatingly declare thai hogs can
not be rnised here In future. 1t is held by the
freedmen, 1 believe, that hogs ara outlaws, and
Therefore hayo no rights negro is bound to
respect; hence their rapidly increasing rarity.
Everybody now buys bacon, and the quantity OF
this commodity brought hero this year is astound-
ing.
Tho corn crop here, as everywhere elae, was a
| failure last year. Many farmers made nothing at
| all; few more than enough to carry them through
the winter, and believe only one or two, perhaps,
within twenty miles round, who wero not COM
PEELED to purchase corn during the past summer.
From the middle Of March to September the aver
age amount Of corn brought to tho depot at Black
vile, and there distributed to its different con-
sienees, Was about 1000 bushels a week. from two
to three car loads every day.
The destitute have been relieved both from the
1 fund appropriated by Congress-, and distributed
through the Freedmen's Buro au, and also by cosn
sent ont BY the Baltimore sud other Northern
Volunteer Relief Associations. From the former
source about 1900 bushels OF corn were obtained 81
ttfs depot and from the latter about 1000 bushels
The corn crop this year ia fair, perhaps stul g
little below. good average The district, as whole
will probably make enongh to feed ITSELF the great
cst drawback has beon the continuous wet wealth
er In this vicinity 1t Ia estimated that enough
corn will be mado to last until July; but IN tht
Savannah river country it Is thought there will b;
corn to SELL
As regards the cotton CROP the prospect Is no
fattering. The raih has been deleterions at ever,
stage OF it's growth. In June and July IL stimu
1afed tho Cresa IN fha most Iuyurioua deyelnn