The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-03
FROM THE STATE CAPITAL.
[rRoM QUE own REpoRrER.l

| FROM QUE OWN REPORTEhJ
TEE GOVERNOR AND THE DEMOCRATIC MEM
BERs-ouR AGRICULTURAL AND MINERAL RE
| soURoEs-THE SOIL AND THE cIIMATE-MIL1
| SITES AT 50 PER ACRE-oNE HUNDRED AM
TEN POUNDS OF UPLAND RICE TO THE ACRE
SULPHUR, coPPERAs AND ALUM-THE QUESTION
OF EDUCATION.
COLUMBIA, August 1, 1854 considerable
number of Democratic members Of the Legis'
-lature, among whom were senator's and repre-
sentatives from the counties.of Oconee, Pick.
ems, Anderson, Spartanburg, Lancaster, Lau-
rens and Horny, called upon Governor Scott al
his rooms, on Thursday evening. Having
been individually introduced by Mr.. Heart, o1
your city, they were cordially welcomed by the
Governor, and long and interesting conversa-
ton ensued, devoted principally to the agricul.
tural and mineral resources Of the State, and
the best meals for their development.
Alarge proportion Of those present wereprac'
tical agricuturists, and their opinions being the
result of experience, were entitled to CORES
ponding weight, and were listened to with
marked attention by the Governor. His views
we're freely and frankly given on: several topics
as they presented themselves, and eyinced q
yery considerable amount Of knowledge on the
subject. The statements comprised informa-
ton from the extremes Of the State. The
County Of Oconee, in the extreme northwest.
high up among the mountains, and the County
Of Horry, in the extreme southeast. fringed by
the billowy waves Of the Atlantic, we're both
represented by their senator's and representa-
tivos. 1t was stated that in the Counties o.
Oconee, Pickens, Anderson and spartanburg
thsre wera NANNY thnnsand acres Of land, COM
prising every variety of RnD, incln5ins tl1vrfra,
bottoms, the undulating intervale, the park-ike
elades, and the more heavily covered timber
land, interspersed with mines Of iron, lead and
gold, and studded with numerous water powers
within the reach Of every neighborhood. The eli
mate was unsurpassed for its salubrity, the wat
ers for their sweetness and purity, and the land
scape for it's picturesqueness and grandeur.
Two localities were mentioned in Oconee. con-
tguous to each other, containing four thou
sand and six thousand acres respectively, situ-
ated on stream containing numerous water
falls, their rocky beds forming the most sub
stantial natural dams, and only requiring the
construction OF q mill race for it's application
to machinery. These tracts could be pur-
chased at about two dollars per acre. This is
within ten miles OF Walhalla, the county seat,
and the Blue Ridge Railroad. Instances were
given of the great fertility Of lands in these
counties, and one in Anderson county was par
tculariy striking in regard to rice, which is
generally considered as exclusively the pro-
duct Of the low country. In this case the
result was one hundred and ten bushels to q
single acre, and three hundred and FIVE bushels
to three acres. This was contest for premium
given by au agricultural society, and would be
hard to surpass in any locality. From Lancas-
ter County we had statements Of their rich sui
phur mines, and theiy manufactures Of coppe-
ras and alum, and their attempted manufac-
ture of sulphuric acid, which failed by the burst
ing of their retorts, from being heated too rap
idly. In some localities the sulphur has large
admixture of gold, but owing to The imperfect
processes employed for it's separation, the yield
of the precious metal but little more than pays
expenses. The principal owner ofthe mines is
now in Europe, but is expected to return
shortly, when new impetus may be expected
to the manufacture Of sulphuric acid, 80 much
in demand as a solvent for our phos-
pilates, the expense of distillation being
richly paid for by the residuum, con-
sisting largely of gold. The lands Of Lancas-
ter are also noted for their fertility, and par
ticularly the Wazhaw tract, which is deemed
of inexhastible richness. Lands may be had
in this section, capable of producing bale of
cotton or thirty bushels Of corn to the acre, at
from two to three dollars. From Horny we had
accounts OF their extensive pineries, their lun1-
ber aud their turpentine. The rich belts on
the Waccamaw and other streams, with their
abundant crops of rice and corn, their mex
haustible beds Of mari, and the abundance of
vegetable manures along the coasts and river
courses. The range for cattle is here mex
haustble, and stock remains out the entire
year round. Land in Horny commands from
fifteen cents to three dollars per acre.
Allusion was also made to the swamp lands
of the State bordering on The Edisto, tho Con-
garee, Wateree, Santee and Pee Dee rivers, on
which, by the construction Of proper embank-
ments, many millions Of acres Of matchless fer
tility might bereclaimed, consisting Of the solu-
BILE portions Of the soil vi the up country, wash
ed down by the freshets. The extensive mari
beds, and the newly discovered phosphates
underlying the vicinity of large portion Of
our seaboard, were also incidentally the SUBJ
jects of conversation.
To the proper Development Of all these ele-
ments Of wealth, the introduction of foreign
labor and capital were deemed Indispensable,
and these, it was thought, would shortly follow
the advent OF political tranquility, and the
Governor stated that he was in receipt Of many
letters, containing inquiries relative to the re-
sources Of the State, and he felt assured that
the time was not distant when there would be
q rapid influx Of capital and emigrants from
Ohio and Indiana, which would be greatly stim-
ulated and facilitated by the construction of
the Blue Ridge Railroad.
An important topic discussed was the pro-
- Co. II