The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-04-28
Our Charleston CorreSpor1-
dence.

Dame Nature never introduced
Spring-time to our Charleston fam
ily In better humour than she has
done this Ammo Domini, 1869. All
is sunshine and warmth, and the
bursting ofbuds and the carroliing
of birds make the heart glad. II
there be: one thing lacking, it is
water. Our cisterns are dry, our
streets dusty, and our throats dri-
est and dustiest Of all. Two hours
walk on the Bay makes a man feel
as if he had 8 small sand-bar in his
stomach, and affords reasonable
excuse for patroniziug those 'mix-
ologists of tippulars" which are
to be found on every corner. >.
One cannot complain however
in the teeth of so much good for
tune as has been vouchsafed to this
community during the last six or
eight months: On all sides, mems
faces tell of an increase of worldly
store. Since the last Fall, stocks,
bonds, city property and, real es-
tate in the vicinity, all responsive
as the needle to the. magnet, have
been affected by the silent under
current of prosperity. Northern
capital has sought the Southern
field of investment, and men of
means continue to arrive here by
every steamer in search of the
mystical lamp of Ailadin or some
new process wherewith to swell
their riches. Money has been plen-
tiful country merchants have
paid cash for their purchases cot
ton has kept ships moving, and
factors busy and every depart
ment oftrade has received fresh
and healthy impetus. Just now,
there is lull. Money is compare
lively tight, and yet enough is do
ing to keep the blood from stagna-
ton, and the commercial coffee
pot boiling.
But what a contrast there is be-
tween April 1861, and 1869. How
terrible have been the changes Of
eight years equally striking is
the difference between 1865 and
1869. Then, more than half the
city was like desert over which
presided the genius of destruction.
The shrek of the she'll or the
clang of the ire-bell, where the
only sounds that broke the silence
in the region known as "down-
town." Stores and dwellings were
covered with the ragged embroid-
cries of Gen. Gilmore's guns, and
their owners were refugees from
home. The streets were denuded
of pavements that batteries might
be built, and grass grew IN the
once busy marts of trade.
Note the changes wrought in
these three short years. Aban-
doned and crumbling wharves are
lined with the finestships. Scarce
ly wreck of the past is TO be seen.
The hand of improvement still
hard at work, has sgiven to US some
elegant etlifices-a city railway,
steam engines, banks, factories and
machine shops. The ''refugees"
who once used to meet in the coun-
try groceries stores or elsewhere,
killing time with the discussions
on the situation" are now live,
earnest business men, who make
the most of every minute in the
day. Many have not recovered
from their losses by the war, but
others by shrewdly speculating in
cotton and other commodities
have comfortable bank accounts
and few complaints.
You would be. surprised at the
number of Northern men here
and there is scarcely q branch O
trade in which they have not be
come interested. Many large plan
tations are either owned or leased
by these enterprising persons, ane
they are testing for themselves
the problem of free labor. There
are plenty of negroes, but MOI
| much disposition to work. The
| misfortunes of the last three years
incident to the caterpillar scourgE
have not deferred our people from
another trial still, and the sea Is
lands nromise to be thoroughly