Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-04-27
PIcKENs 9. H., $. c., SATURDAY, APRIL 27, l

River running through about the center Of it
! containing about as much water, in oommo,
, time, as the Keowce in your District. I'll,
channel of the River is deep and wide enough
to contain all the water in time of the highcs
frcsllet-thercforc it never ovcrflows the land
on it-runs very rapid and very crooked, re
sembling the trail of crawling snake; til,
outside of the bend is very high and ston,
bluff, the inside is perfectly level valley, Of tn,
finest kind of lands, some open Prairie, bu
the most of it is timbcrcd always timber OF
the River banks, from one hundred to tw,
hundred yards in width the valleys diffcrin.
in sze-somc containing us much as five hun
dred acres. The soil is of dark yellow col
or, little sandy-thc sand very fine; tn,
| river water * n little salty The smaller
streams are beautiful clear limestone water
rery R"rc-runninr on gravel bottoms; they
also have deep, wn.c channels. sufficient t
contain all the water in time Of frcshets, 81
that none of the furms suffer from nm overflow
of water: The most Of the valleys on the
small streams arc black land, inclined to b,
sandy, and very rich. The open Prairies nre
stony bluffs, gravelly ridges, and rich valleys
of black, stickey soil-thc best of wheat land
You may SOW one field in wheat for ten years
in succession, producing the last year an cqua
crop with the Grst year. The lands here are
adapted to corn, wheat, oats, rye, cotton, aud
vegetables of all kinds The vegetables are
not 30 sure a crop rs the corn and wheat; the
early and fall vegetables are the surest crop
owing to tho dry months in summer Friit
is not very good here; there are some peach.
cs, but no apples. There has been some
years that the corn crop almost fails, but when
we'll worked, it yields a sufficient supply for
consumption. When the seasons arc good
the average yield is about forty bushels per
acre The wheat crop is very sure one, nv
craging fifteen bushels per acre. The people
here live on -four bread. Cotton is not much
raised here. 1t is n new settled country, and
we have no cotton gins yet. There was some
cotton planted last year, which yielded egh.
teen hundred pounds per acre. The quaint
ty of land being prcpa, ed for cotton this year
is larger than it was last. Fine country for
sorghum cane. The people make their own
syrup. AT least three. fourths Of the land ia
Prairie. The timber is very short and scrub.
by, mostly postoak; the consequence is, we
live in small cabins, unless VIC build stone
houses (stone is very plenty) or haul lumber
from Eastern Texas, about one hundred miles.
But hauling is cheap; we haul in the sum
mer and fall, when VIC do not feed our teams,
but let them live on grass, hitch up from four
to eight yoke of oxen to one wagon, and haul
of, a load of -four, and return with load Of
lumber. There are plenty Of mills here
some water and some steam mills. We have
excellent society for new country, and it is
improving very fast. Good schools here
DR.. j, NJ DOYLE is teaching school-making
some seventy or eighty dollars per month. We
have good churches. a large stone building
is now being erected in the ncghborhood for
the purpose of Masonic Hall and College,
and will be completed this Spring. The land
here is worth from 81 to SIS per acre (im-
provcd) and rising. There is plenty of va
cant lands yet not located. According to the
laws of the State, man is entitled to one
hundred and sixty acres to ,"ttle it. lie can
choose his settlement on vacant land. There
is 6no rangc for stock here, and will be for
many years. No kind Of stock is fed here ex-
ccpt the stock used on the farm they should
be fed, but can manage without, by having
two sets Of horses and work them one day at
time There are many grown horses here
which never ate grain Of corn: The grass
here grows large and fines sufficient to NOW
if you choose, but it is nc, er done; it seems
to cure where it grows. and stocAlive on it all
winter; hut some old and young stock get
scry poor by th" time green grass springs up
which is generally in March. Steers from
four to six years old and upwari keep fat all
the s;,nc-son,e Of the finest beef your eyes
ever bcheld.
l have given my views Of Hood County
Texas. ] will say to my friends in South
Carolina, who want good homes, if they are
able, to move to Texas, for there is some parts
of the State that will suit them have said
nothing concerning the health of the country.
see no local cause for sickness the people
say it is very healthy, and their appearance
goes to prove the fact. Game is pretty plcn.
ty We 500 from one to twenty deer in a
bunch, and turkeys up to as high rs one hun-
dred in gang.
Please give this publication for the benefit
of my many friends; and perhaps you will
hear from me again after VIC are satisfied Of
the yield Of our crops.
Your friend and we'll wishcr,