The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-04

FEesoTVAnS FOrk--Steu UMS-Eh9 PrOE.
poet ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Color
ed Tcurnament-NcgrO sheriffs and
Magistrates.
Eastward now the news-brd wings his flight !;
from Columbia to Kingsville, from Kingsville
along the Wilmington and Manchester Rail
road past the fourishiug Towns of Sumter and
Tmmonsville your correspondent found him
self early in the afternoon under the large pas
| senger shed at Florence Here he parted COM
pany with his further eastward-bound friends,
and devoted half all hour to sightseeing
in the famous South Carolina town with
| the famous Tuscan name. Every city, town
and village in America has its history, and all
of il modern shistory. ara tired hearing
men say, II can recollect wheat Chicago
was o Wilderness" Atlanta piece of
woods, Of San francisco an Indian village.
One hears this sort Of thing so constantly,
that it ceases to excite wonder or even atten-
tion. You have heard OF the old negro ferry
man on the Mississippi who when asked how
long he had been living there, astonished his
interlocutor with the reply, "Lor bress you,
Massa, Pse been ERE long time. When fust
cum ere, dis ERE r1bber were no bigger nor a
leely branch" Well, T. your correspondent,
though can by no means lay claim to the dis.
thguished honor Of being the 'soldest inhabi-
tant," can remember when there was no such
place as Florence-when the site of the pre-
sent fourshing city was vast, illimitable ex-
tent OF low pine fat, with nothing to relieve
the rnonotony OF the melancholy picture. 1
spent a day there, frolu necessity OF course, in
1856, and it was lonely, dull, dreary,-ft place
for frogs and suicides. That was in the olden
time. Very different now. True, it is not
a very pretty place yet; but it is the
centre OF trade to large area Of coun-
Try, and has massed together consid-
cradle population. I should not like to
say how many stores there are in Florence,
but, trom rapid reconnaissance, without ac-
tual count, I should say there must be from
thirty to forty. Some of these do considera-
be business. Others, again, do very little.
Ihere are mechanics here, restaurants, saw
mills, churches, machine sbops-in short, all
the elements OF substantial and rapidly
growing civilization. Florence enjoys the ad-
vantage of unsurpassed railroad facilities, hav-
ing railroad to the north, south, east and
west. This, Of course, draws considerable
traffic, aside from the shipping OF the great
staples OF the vicinity, cotton and naval stores.
Florence has no newspaper at present, but it
has had one-the Florence Gazette; and there
is no telling how soon one OF the two rapers
now holding forth aL Darlington Courthouse
may take up it's bed and walk ton milesdo
Florence. AS it is the fashion Just now for
every village and cross roads shop to ask our
worshipful Legislature to be made county
seat, expect to see, before long, in your CO.
lumbia correspondence. that such a bill las
hota s,,&
But the whistle blows, and we are off for
Darlington. This is one of the oldest and
finest villages in the eastern part Of the State.
Although SCARED and dlsfgured by the ravag-
es OF several recent fires, the town shows every
sign of having for years been the abode OF
s!ass distinguished for. their wealth, culture
and refinement. I am pleased to see, more
over, steady improvement every year have
visited Darlington since the war, over the year
preceding; and in another year or two feel
confident at every vestige Of war and fire
will have disappeared; J.. e. if the funds
can be procured the building courthouse
and "appartenances"-I say appurtenances
because it is not polite TO say 'jail "-the latter
word might call up unpleasant associations or
"reminiscences in the minds of some OF our
readers.
Darlington is a rich county, but Of course
thu trade is much divided Timmonsville.
Florence and Society Fill combined get far
more Of it than goes to Darlington Courthouse.
Some goes to Sumter, and some, perhaps to
Camden, while much OF it goes direct to
Charleston or Wilmington. Darlington Dis
trict, according to tfe census OF 1860 had
population of twenty thousand three hundred
and sixty-seven, OF which number eleven thou
sand eight hundred and seventy-seven were
slaves. There were then, OF improved lands,
one hundred and ifty-eight thousand eight
hundred and forty-four acres, and of uninprov-
ed three hundred thousand two hundred and
eighty-one acres. Cish value of farms 81. 1856
392. The number of bales OF cotton produced
In tho district in 1860 is set down as sixteen
THOUSAND nine hundred and twenty-three.
The crop OF cotton has not been as good here
as last year; not half a crop as compared with
before the war. Last year the crop was about
TO- 900 Dales; this year it will probably not ex-
oeed 5000 bales SO, also, have been told
other parts OF the State.
About 1000 bales Of cotton have been shipped
from this depot this season. The largest buy
timore house. The business firms here are
Parker Kelly, Eason & Co., Hart, Parker &
Co., B. A. & j. f. Early, s. Marco, 81. Hyems.
a. a Weinberg. " J. g. Mccall o., s. a. Woods,
". W. OAaiAob a. OOss A1U y. M. woodward.
There are two newspapers here, the Southern
or and the Democrat; and there is the usual
churches there are three--M Methodist, Rev. j.
Watson, pastor; Baptist, Rev. F. w. Eason, and
Presbyterian, Rev. VIM. Brearly. A Aourish-
ing institution here also, is st. Davi l's Lodge.
A. F. NJ, No. "a was also informed, most
positively, on the word and honor Of several
gentlemen, that there are no ''K. x. X %" here,
nor have there been any here at any time since
the war. 8I%
The county made about corn enough the
past year FOR home consumption. Meat-weil.
was gong to say that it was impossible to
raise any meat now heteabouts; IN fact, have
SAID as much frequently or late upon the au-
thority OF very many trustworthy persons. But
find it IS considered very unhandsome to say
so. In fact, pig has become delicate sub
ject. There are those high in the counsels OF
the State WHO consider such statements libel
lous on q majority OF the "citizens" OF the
State. ".But---, do you mean to deny
that negroes have been stealing, do now stesl,
and will continue to steal hogs, swine, shoats
and pigs ?" " admit the flrst and second pro-
positions, but deny the third. Let the farmers