The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-01
For the anderson Mtelligencer.
At TRIP TO THE SOUTH.

roll snd Chootaw counties had allotted to myself,
by speciaf invitation concluded to visit Charles
ton, the county seat of Tallahatche county. 1
took iesae:of tie many friends, and when the time
expired by limitation, I left D. w. Humphreys
had forwarded an appointment to this point at
GRANADA we left-the Central Road and passed up
the Road leading to Memphis. At Oakland, some
tea miles distant from Charleston, Iswas met by
son of Mrs. Houston, an old Carolina acquaintance
and relative, formerly Gibert,) with carriage,
and went directly toher house, and met with
warm greeting, in Carolina style She has a nice
family, trained up in business habits, and every
way promising. They possess fine tract of good
land, and know how to manage it. They, and
many others in this region, complain of the great
unfairness of the cotton factors not to call by
harder name. They left their cotton With them,
and they held the cotton till after it reached the
lowest figure and began to go up with fair pros
pect of reaching remuneratve price-selected
the lowest sales, and marked it sold at that,
point. Many were served in like manner. How
sad to see such vultures in q country, who care
not who sink if they can swim. "a burnt child
dfeads the FIRE." They are not'ikely to be caught
in the snare again. Such conduct is well calcu-
lated TO weaken the public confidence, and inacts
a. great injury upon the buyers and sellers Of any
country. The crop of 1868 win no doubt lift
them above the reach Of such sharks
1t is most beautiful country from Oakland on
the Memphis Railroad, to this point, and for mile
or more in the direction of Charleston. 1t is
covered with tall poplars, hickory and other for
est trees, indicating the finest quality of uplands
In ihis vicinity settled the Mobiles, Cafhoun's,
Houston's, Carson's, Loftens, and others, from
Calhoun's settlement and Willington-all Carolina
Presbyterian sock-and erected handsome
church ed6ce, and commenced burying ground.
Some have died, others have emigrated farther
West, in search of an Eldorado still more attrac-
tive, which they are not likely to find. Those.
that remain, not feeling able to retain faithful
minister wholly devoted to his appropriate work,
consented to have their church edi6ee removed TO
more central place and unite with others r
I visited the families of Mr.. James Houston and
Mrs. 'Loften, all now doing well, notwithstanding
the rasages of the war; drought, Sc. Mr.. Hous-
ton went there at an early day, the country just
settled, and an almost unbroken forest-eut his
way with an axe, and commenced without cabin
to shelter his family or foot of cleared land.
For some years he had rare sport among the wild
animals of the forest He erected large hewed
log house, heavy timbers, and storm or hurricane
passed over and prostrated it to the foundation,
and not single member of the family killed, or
any one seriously injured, though all were in. the
house It was most remarkable intcrpostion of
Divine Providence. They had longer days tolive.
There is stream so1e forty steps from his house,
and bluff some so or 60 feet higher than the
stream lie said he often took his gun and went
to that bluff in open daylight and killed bear that
near his dwelling. A.large wild cat came into the
yard while the negroes we're at their dinner, and
pounced upon one Of the dogs near the door Of the
negro house the other dogs came to the rescue
and killed it. He generally weighed out bacon to
the servants once week. "A wild cat came into
the yard in open daylight-Went into the house
and took shoulder and marched off with it. He
took his gun and dogs and followed it-soon found
where it had buried it, pursued on and killed it.
He had seen rs many as three panthers at time
come in daylight UP to the yard fence. Some, fe-
males especially, would think. this whispering
them rather closely. He cut down the tall cane,
burnc it off, fenced it, and made enough corn TO
last him two years. He lives nearly between what
they call the hills and tue level, fat lands that cx
tends on to Charleston. He prospcred very much
up to the time of the desolations of the war, and
is a prosperous man now. He owns some Of the
beautiful uplands, and also Or that level, fat land
that appears Us rich and beautiful as reasonable
man could desire.
The county seat is: erected on almost level
plain The southern edge of the village extends
to bluff 1t presents most picturesque scene.
range of hills commences and runs north for
miles, and pure streams Of water run out from
the hills into level plain. It is said 10 continue
almost perfect plain to the Father of Waters,
and standing on one OF these highest knobs you
may look over into Arkansas, with nothing to OBJ
struct the view. did not learn the distance that
this continuous range extends, but for many miles.
1 was invited to take o seat in the buggy with
physician, and take o view of this singularly beau
tlful country, as ne was oriVinS aiobG 'iaL Enhge
of hills to visit some patients. accepted the
offer and went along. Some build just at the base
of this range, with the level lands on tho left
many settle far away into that deep forest, where
there is NO rising ground on which TO build o
house Very unlike some locations in Virginia or
East Tennessee where you may get high ground
on which to build, and can convey water from, the
side of mountain into the yard in the house, or
over the house. If that rich, level land proves
healthy to the inhabitants, it must be one OF the
finest farming countries in the South. There were
some large farms on these lands. Gen. Taylor.
from South Carolina, had some 1000 acres in cul-
tivation, and had some six or eight hundred bales
of cotton burnt by order of The government to