The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-14
THE GREET sANIrARIUM
Aiken as Described by, a Visitor.

THE GREAT sANITARIUM
Aiken as Described by a Visitor.
A travelling correspondent Of the Norfolk
Journal, writing from Aiken, 8. c., says:
While roaming around at random this win
ter 'way down in Dixie" for my own recrea-
| / happened one day to alight in the thriving
beautifully planned and heathful little town
| from which date this communication; ana,
as it is place much resorted to In the winter
| months, from all sections OF the country, ana
with marked success, by persons suffering
from physical debility or the various forms Of
pulmonary disease, It has occurred to me that
might improve some of my abundant leisure
hours In beneltting those Of my former fellow
citizens of Norfolk who may be suffering from
the diseases alluded to, by making known 10
them, through the columns of your journal,
some oil the advantages OF TINS great SANTA
rum, and the very fiattcring prospects OF cure
held out by it to those who are not too deeply
cntangled within tic meshes of disease.
Aiken is situated on the South Carolina Rail
road, one hundred and twenty miles west
wardly from Charleston, and seventeen mics
castwarlly from Augusta, Ga. 1t is elevated
six hundred feet above Charleston and three
hundred and forty above Augusta.
The site OF the town is o beautiful and OK.
tcnsiye plateau of light sandy soil, varying
only in its aspect from level plain by such
gentle undulations of the surface as are sllll-
| cicnt in their grades TO cause speedy DIS
charge of rain water.
This feature, added TO the porosty Of the
underlying stratum, q rcd, ferruginous perfne-
able clay, enables o person (alhougl there
arc no paved sldewalks) to walk all over town.
| incommoded by either mud or water, within
an hour after heavy rain. Another evidence
of the porousness and consequent dryness ol
the soil, exist In the great depths oil the wcils.
which, in order TO reach water, have 10 pene-
trate tho Garth at distances from the surface
varying from ninety 10 one hundred and thirty
feet.
In the town itself and in the adjacent coun-
try, 10 great distance around, ievcrs are
hardly known.
The dew point is very low, and when dew
is deposited ills so very slight in quantity that
it quickly disappears from the grass alter sum
rise.
The atmosphere is so dry that surgical and
other delicate instruments, guns, DC, which
| in ,nany other localities need great care To be
taken OF them in order to prevent the rayages
Of risC, may here be exposed for months with
out suffering dctrimcnt.. have ills TACT from
physic,0ns long resident here.
The dryness of the soil and atmosphere, the
purity and balmincss of the air, tmpregnated
as it Is with the fragrant and medical odors OF
| the long-leaYcd pine that here abounds, the
mildness and equableness of the temperature,
added to the great elevation OF the place, lit
ing it above The miasmatic Influences OF the
low country, and with no hills above Aiken
| pctc the free flow of the air from any quarter
OF the horizon, seem, to be the principal cle-
ments that combine in causing this locality to
| be regarded by some Of the most eminent phy-
sicians even of distant Europe rs the most
desirable place Of resort in the world for con-
sumptives.
A rentlcman of Charleston, while in Europe
last year, had occasion to consult an eminent
London physician as TO the state OF his lungs,
and during the Interview asked the doctor
what locality abroad (meaning in Europe) he
would advise him to reside in tor the purpose
of bcnelitting his health.
"Why, replied the doctor, "thcre is little
town III your Southern country, That excels all
other localities for those troubled like your
self; think it is called Aiken"
know of another South Clrolinan who,
some time ago. on consulting New YORK
physician OF cmincncc for some affection OF
| his lungs, and asking to be directed to Some
climate aud place most suitable for his case
was told by The physician 10 90 straight to
Aiken, as the very best thlng ne cotliu do:
| There is q professional gentleman OF thls
town now regularly pursuing his business
here, who, thirty years ago, was brought here
| from Charleston so utterly cmacated and en-
feebled by pulmonary phthisic that he had TO
be carried In q bed from the cars to his hotel
and his physicians told him he would die II he
remained in Charleston. The fact OF his beng
here now in good health and conducting busi-
ness thirty years after having so closely grazed
the grave, Is alone pregnant proof OF the In
valuable hygienic conditions Of this locality.
am personally acquainted with another
gentlemen, who, being engaged In q profitable
business in Charleston seventeen years ago,
1 l.
fected by larngitis and bronchitis, that he had
to give up business on the order Of his physi-
clans.
He went to Florida, the south of France.
and to Italy for relief, but in vain. Ultimately
he came to Aiken, where he Immediately be-
gan to improve, and where he is now actively
engaged in business, and bids fair 10 live many
years longer untroublcd by his former atlc-
tions / could detail here the particulars OF
many other similar cases did ] suppose you
could spare me room.
Should any OF your readers. who may DC sui
| fering from the diseases a,ycriIa 70 i'll TINS
communication, desire to visit this place for
the benefit Of their health, they can obtain all
necessary information as to hotels boarding
houses, terms, &C., &C., by addressing ilnc
to George Gevner, Esq, secretary or the
Board Of Improvements Of Aiken, 5. o., OBJ
serving to incl0se postage stump Tor MS
reply.
TllS tOWn Is IuOSI Ucuulllully ldli Oul.
Wherever the streets intcrscct each other,
they do so precisely at right angles, and at
such regular distances as TO make each block
or square u parallelogram Of four acres whose
long side is to its short. side as elk is TO three
None of the streets are less than one hun
dred and fifty feet in width.
The dwellings are not crowded into one To-
cality; but being sprinkled over large area
! "a few houses 10 o block, cmbowered among
i trees and adorned with gardcns) seem more
nearly to realize the old classic poets saying
of 'srus in urbcn than many another country
town that have seen.
Preaching in the churches Of five religious
denominations is conducted here every Sun
day, viz the Presbyterian, tpistppa, Roman
Catholic, Methodist and Baptist.
was much surprised to find in my walks
about town much fewer negroes In proportion
TO the whites than ! did in Norfolk. Tic de-
pertinent Of the negroes here towards the
whites is uncxceptionable 30 far as can OBJ
serve, and l hear OF no jarring or collision
between the two races. Accord relgus between