The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-12-03

.''u "e' "s secretary, Keeping the
journal OF their proceedings, and all
/ orders Oh tho County Treasurer au-
thorizcd by the Board, should be sim.
cd by him, and made II matter Of re-
cord.
THE STATE coNsTAHl.LARY.
The report of the Chief Constable
srvcS full aud satisfactory exhibit of
,hc operations Of his Office. The
mount OF labor performed has been
.:ohsidcrablc, and, III many instances,
'as been OF delicate and hazardous
'haractcr. There have been some
uses where complaints have been
made Of their conduct, but upon in
tcstlTation: il has been found that The
dissatisfaction was with the law Itself
rather than with the manner i'm which
IT has been executed. They have had
much TO contend with in the oppo>i-
Ion of portions Of the community to
he arrest Of criminals, and aiding
them III their efforts at conccalmcnt
and escape. The press has greatly
assisted i'll thrustiDg impc dimcnts in
their way while engaged in their du-
ties, by thei" rcrvrrsion Of facts and
abuse Of the officers. 1t is TO be sin
ccrcly hoped that the folly and irjus-
ticc Of this course will be apparent.
and those Interested in the peace and
prosperity Of tho State, in the protcc-
ton OF lile and property, and in the
supremacy Of the law, will feel ii their
duty to aid and encourage Che State
officers IN the enforcement Of il. In
Il recent instance, where IN organized
band Of inccndiar;cs had commenced
their work Of destruction, by the bur-
0ing OF several stores, and threaten
ing further proceedings Of the sam
character, | felt it my duty to issu-
my proclamation, warning the inccn-
diaries Of the atrocious character of
their crime, ard the consequence to
which it might lead, and this was per-
verscly and miSchicvously tortured
into an invitation to commit the
crime denounced, and it's justification.
am glad to state that this Ellschood
was so base and malignant as to be
repeated but by few, and the effect Of
the proclamation has been most salu-
tary, i'll having accomplished the ar
rest of ten of the alleged inccndiaries
and the dispersion of the remainder.
While there have been some attr0cious
crimes committed recently, the au-
thors of which are still at large, am
glad to say there has been an i'm
provcmcnt in the general tone of the
community, and 4 disinclination man
Tested by responsibility persons to
lend themselves to the schemes of the
tactious and designing, and Of being
compromised by countcnancing the
turbulence and lawlcssnoss OF thoir
ignorant and misguided partisans.
PUBLIC PROPERTY.
There is a considerable amount of
pablic property in this city: Charles
ton: and other portions Of the State
which has been for IL long time eX-
cmpt from taxation, and productive
Of Ito revenue. l recommend that
investigation be made Of the location,
extent, and probable valuc of this
property with a view to the sale OF
such portions Of it rs may bc deemed
advisable, SO that it may be placed OH
the tax list, and contribute it's share
TO The public revenue.
..-N-- AGRICULTURAL.
The agriculture Of the State in the
fundamental basis Of its prosperity,
and yet not onc-fonrth Of its soil has
been brought under cultivation, and
so little Of labor apd skill have been
devoted to ii, that were it not among
the most favored regions Of the earth,
the needless and careless system OF
tillaSe to which it has been subjected.
would long since have exhausted it.
And yet in no department Of human
industry can skilled labor bo made
moro available, or larger or more
varied circle Of scientific acquire
be more thoroughly and proftably
utilized, than in agricnltarc; and in
no locality is there 81 moro extensive
or i moro inviting field for their cxcr-
cisc than in South Carolina. The loss
resulting annually to the State from
the practice Of IN unskillcd and care
less system of husbandry. instead OF
one that is intelligent and energetic,
is hardly 70 be estimated. OF the
nineteen or twenty millions of acres
comprised within our limits, about
one-tourth are devoted to cultivation,
the rest is in woods of valuable tim
Der, and in unrcmaimcd swamp, casi.
ly drained, and OF incxhaustiblo fer
tility.
In 1867 there were devoted to farm
products 7l6,O41 acres to corn, 245.
G54 acres to wheat, 10000, acrcs'to
oats, 1900 acres to hay, 9,s35 to rye,
! ,1G6 to barley, 1890 to Irish pot atoes,
and 200 to tobacco. OF the balance,
the greater portion was devoted to
the great commercial staples Of cot,
ton and rice. The average yield per
acre was officially reported as nine
and sixtenths bushels Of corn wheat
six bushels and four-tenths; oats, clev-
en- bushel and onc-tcnth rye, five
bushels and scven-tcnths barley, elev-
en- bushels and one-tcnth Irish pota-
toes, eighty bushels and four-tcnths;
tobacco, five hundred pounds and OF
hay, one ton.
When it is recollectcd that it has
been demonstrated by actual expert
ment and measurement, in tho vicini.
ty of the city Of Columbia, that with
hiDh cuItnpe and undor H,yonoblo