The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-11
UP THE ASHLEY,

At the present time there is no locanty III
South Carolina which more abeunds In FEATURES
of general interest than the Ashley River. The
remark applies not SloRe TO thestotrlst but to
our OWN people, OF whom there are thousands who
know nothing Of the curious scenes and remi'
ntscences belonging to that locality. The neigh
borhood is not more rich In phosphate attrac-
lions than In revolutionary lore, and between eae
two, a visitor must possess little appreciation,
either OF present progress or past history. not to
derive enjoyment from a days trip. The place
has already become a weekly resort, and arrange
ments have been perfected whereby our citizens
NAV indulge In recreation at once entertain 1g
and suggestive.
One of the most successful OF these recent exaurs.
ions up the Ashley" was made on Saturday last:
when the Pilot Boy, under the command Of Cap-
tain Sly, carried nearly two hundred persons TO
every Interesting point on the river within q days
| Journey. The company consisted OF not afeW
\ prominent citizens OF Charleston, and distin-
| guished persons in social and public life from tee
| North. Tullyw was also on board, and probably
| never gathered so many laarels on any one occs
| sion as he then did In Offering to his guests table
after tsblerul Of the choicest products OF the
| cuisine which the season affords. The excur-
| sion embraced dissolving views OF the various
| phosphate enterprises along the river; new, lfesn
| looking factories, busy In manipulating Tue
great piles Of the fertinzing rock that line the
banks; old time plantations n the backSround;
fields once rich in cotton and rice, but now de-
nuded and bare, stretching far away from the
river bant until lost in the prospective; patches or
home life embroidered In oaks and shrouded
with hanging moss; deep excavations ringing
the steamers course, out OF which protrudes the
luxurious crop of .phosphates and.f fossils which
have made nrIllpnso Of eapltal subsequent to. ehek
use; vessels loading with lumberfer Northern ana
West Indian ports; and finally on reaching Mag
nolia and Drayton Hall-fowers. The Garden OF
Eden could scarcely have presented a greater ar
ray OF unobtrusive loneliness than was observance
on these places. The very avenues were almost
hidden In the luxurious growth, aud 1t was nard
to resist the temptation to pluck rose and azaiea,
and bear away these blooming poems through
which beats the tender heart OF nature. Many or
the visitors remained at the above named places
to revel in the beauty by which they were sur
rounded, and picnic parties were improvised on
the spot for the enjoyment Of an hour. The boat
then proceeded to the place OF Mr.. Williams Mid
dleron, by long odds the most interesting locality
Of the kind In South Carolina.
Here is to be seen the work OF ten generations
and in the same glance the desolattng power OF
one brief hour. An old mansion that was like q
palace-now o mass OF charred ruins; miles upon
miles OF avenues, ponds, lakes, drives, vlstas,
live oaks thirty -eIght feet In circumference,
lawns wherein ranged choice cattle from the In.
dies and from Europe; the wreck OF a stable dt for
5000 ,ba1torod tho hnat MINDED
horses OF tha South the massive quarters OF the
house servants; She fsriahts' OF a library which
once held ten thousand volumes, and pictures OF
priceless value; and last, the old ancestral tomb,
where tie 5sth New York Regiment, breaking
doWn the doors, tore open the connns and scatter
ed through the grounds the sSele ton OF one who
was formerly the United S.ates Minister to Rus.
sia, and or others whose names were identified
with the history OF our country; a tomb nom
which were stolen the bones OF TIVE members OF
the family and carried North to be hung
nj Is. '&roptles sof .Awsr'gsnd Vandalism AN;
the house OF some Ghoul. The company ling.
cred at this point for two or three hours
It was dlfaeait to, make the Strangers pres
emit sealsse uhas suehadeseossesn vas posssoleia
thenineteenth century. Here, 700, the rare natural
beauties or the place were o joged. though the
visitors felt 10th to obey the injunction not to
pluck the flowers and vines which for q hundred
years or more, In peace and war, have borne
their blessings and constituted a portion OF the
wealth Of q prlncely home.
The excursionists returned to the city by moon.
light, and all without exception appeared to feel
that they had enjoyed, indeed. "a day missed
rrom Paradise.n On Saturday, the Pilot Boy will
probably make another trip Of the same kind, and
we are sure that MF.J,p. Aiken, Captain Sly, Mr..
rhouron, the purler. end Tally, the caterer, will
again use their See eadeavOrs tasc9ntriOute to
the happiness of sls.s guests.
U~xtShrBNArE .1orinxAysg YESTERDAY morn
Ing, isbcut hsir past leosesoak, Dr.. Edward Rave
mel met yiusa ser6uazashspsoa East RaXatreet.
he wan dfispg asg4s&Aisbaggysa nunt Of the
First HsaanakBSphsxyH aedfred 1srvant by
his s!Gs#he6 sse 1sfsss atsptrtteaapints got
the riglta tsfae Ypder aIs taarE9aaae~ golng at q
moderate tros. ThesnSftS nsae to clear the rein
frightened the horse, and, dashIng OF obliquely,
he struck a drsyin front Of ar. eatnpsen's store.
Boil, Of the occupants Of the buggy were thrown
violently to the ground by the shock, and the
horse rushed down the. street with the vehicle.
Inc I2SIoE httuCk VIC prhGW a!h 10 III olo
turned down towards the wharf, at the store OF
Messrs. BulWinkle j. Co., and, being overturned,
30 encountered the frightened anims that he was
secured. DR.. Ravenel received a severe Out
across the head, and wss taken into q store oppo.
site the place Of his fail, where his wound was
dressed. 1t ia not thought to be Of q serious ma
ture. The servant got OF with 9 brutse on his
foot and q sprainsd ankle. The dashboard Of the
buggy WAS Knocked %, but, beyond this, the
vehicle suffered little damage.
PREsENTMENT OF hi GRAND JURY.-In the
Circuit Court on Saturday morning the grand
Jury, before being discharged, made their usual
presentment, which was read aloud In court. In
this presentmsnt they deplored the unsettled con
dltion OF the State, and the evils Of the present
government. They presented the inadequate
mail facilities OF Lancaster County, anu suggest
ed that the contractor carry the mail with more
care. The jail they reported clean and well-man.
aged, and the food good. They further said the
interior of this place required whitewsshlng and
many repairs, and expressed their establishment
that 1t should be In this condition when 80 much
money had been expended Of late by the county
commissioners. Lastly, they expressed their grs.
tiacatton at the work lately begun on the old
O~ustomhouse.
In reply to this presentment, Judge Bond said
that while he was convinced that the grand jury
were expressing their honest convictions, they