The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-16
Il STRANGER IN CHARLESTON.
SIGHTS IN THE CITY AS sKETCHED By A
"GREEN LINEn EXcURsIoNIsT.
The Battery and Water Front-Our
Hotels md Iarkets-Ruins-TheA Arse
naI-Thc Old Customhouse ind the
orphanhouse-Down the Harb r.
The Forts-War Gossip, sc.
correspondence of the Cincinnati cOpmsrsls'

main land to taste the salt of the sea, not salts
fed with the brackish waters Of Ashley and
Cooper Rivers, that moisten it on either side.
The front of the city on the harbor Is hand
some battery eighteen or twenty feet wide, for
pedestrians, reached from the street by flights
large and elegant residences, once the abode OF
the wealthy and fashionable of the great mari
time CITY of South Carolina. These residences
are all surrounded by walled enclosures contain
ing fountains, Conservatives, flower gardens
and magnificent magnolias, the rich, dark foil
age Of which contrasts beautifully ut this time
with the white and cream-colored houses, and
abundant oeanders in full bloom out DOORS
The residences on the battery are fair type 81
all in the city in their class. They arc mostly
three stories high, the lower story being used by
the servants, and containing the culinary and
kitchen store departments. Arched doorways
admit to the interior. Broad balconies and
vcrandas extend around three sides, and sug-
gest the comfort and case born Of wealth.
Money is not wasted In mere architectural dis
play; indeed, the idea of turning the cold shoul-
der is conveyed in the construction Of Charles
ton mansions, for many are placed with the
end gable to the street, and nearly all are sedu-
lousy walled in, as the traveller will observe
as peculiar to those in the Italian cities-Romc
especially.
TIE WHARyES.
After taking glance at the Battery, the eX-
tensive wharves at Charleston next claim at
tenton. They are over thirty in number, own
ed by indvidualS and mostly lie in Cooper
River. Being mainly used for the shipment of
cotton, they are constructed on broad scale
and occupy great space. Eight and ten inch
plank is used for flooring, and each wharf Is
provided with long rows of sheds for the tenn
porary storage ofthe great staple. During the
war iI was the custom to sneer at the palmet-
to as the most useless and go0d-for-nothlng
timber in the world. This was done In igno-
rance of its Indispensable utility, and because
is was the emblem oftlle State that first seced-
ed. The palmetto abounds in the sandy bar
rens of the palmetto State" and frequently
attains height Of thirty feet, with q uniform
less and leatless. save at the top, where IL sends
out 4 fan-shaped cluster ofbroad, many-pontcd
leaves. punched on the end of triangular
ribs that shoot ont from the apex and crown
the qucer-looking shaft like those round
brushes used to displace cobwebs In the Gothic
inches of cathedral ceilings. The timber OF
the palmetto IS porous, anu when cut across
the grain looks like bamboo 1t is the only
timber yet known in the construction of marine
docks that escapes the destructive attacks OF
the borer worm, an insidouS little insect, pro-
lillc and innumerablc as The sands on the sea-
shore. When the borer worm attacks, he is
not larger than cambria needle, but he grows
as he goes, and will ''h0ncyc0mb" pine or
IN oak log OF immense thickness in very few
years. The holes bored by this worm are
found to be lined with peculiar, thin, brittle,
shcl-like crust. and they will run into each
otller in such close proximity that whch the
borer ceases his work the merest fibre OF the
timber is left.
The wharxess Of Charleston. arc zecnlsLrnetgl
vrr---ruJiutlons or the wharvGs are made oil
palmetto cribs filled with stone, gravel, sand,
n6 IN
and oak rests.
An army of bowling darkies greet the visitor
to Charleston. They are glad TO see him. ANY
service is rendered for the smallest cousdera-
ton. The streets have deserted appearance,
and nothing new In the way OF building meets
the eye anywhere. Crnm6llng ruins and dlla p,
itated structures, prctentious IN character anu
proportion, are seen everywhere, while the
melancholy waste OF the burnt district COM
plctes the picture of metropolitan destruction
and fills the mind with sadness unrelcvcd by
ANYTHING else the city can show. Charleston
ruins-thc beginning and the end OF the visit
ors voluble reflection. whether he takes cur
sorry survey or pallses to examine anu renect;
Yet, through all the falling away, the ruin and
decay, there runs little bright cOloring OF
hone. How it became Incorporated with the
picture. it would be difficult to determine. 1t
NAV he ingraincd; it may be eXtraneous, but
commerce with her luminous wings" Jams it,
and the hardy spirit of the North gives 1t Vi
talty and growth.
STREET LIFE.
Charleston has large, fine. we'll kept hotels.
There is no better hotel on the Continent than
the Charlcston-a magnificent structure, IN
the Corinthian style, with spacious halls, cX-
tensiye yrrantlas, and com mfortablc rooms.
The markets are well supplied, although
there will not be found in them the variety
that Cincinnati offers. Butter is scarcity
indeed, the commodity is hardly to be found
among the native products. As general
thing il is imported. Fish, shad hallibnt, &c,
with fine oysters, are cheap and plenty. Beef,
mutton. &C., come from Bait more and New
York. Poultry and eggs are abundant.
Young darkirs, sharp as ste"l-lraps, black
your boots. and offer y0n the morning papers.
They comprise Boolblack and Newsooy Brig
adc
Two lines of street cars traverse the city
| single fare ten cents.
Flights OF bllzzar,ls hover about the city, and
alight in the markct-hollscs, performing, I'm
| hindcred. the Office Of scavengerS.
Carriage hire is 81 per hour: three hours
81 80: four hours, s., and so on. Hotel iare Is
81 per day. ,,, ;.
The streets ale narrow. and bowldcrcd IN
the business part. At high tide the greater
mart of the city is pcrvadcd by a back water
which makes its appearance in the vacant lots
in the lower levels, and in its cbb carries VIII
| il the contents Observers, cesspools, &c. Strange
enough, the citizens maintain that this oacF
water promotes tile sanitary condition OF tht
localities it invadea. There is, however, one
nositiyc advantage dcrivcd-no water plug!
are needed. IL serves anu Is lscu eAei''slFciI
| nj frn