Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-03-20
Letter from South Carolina
CHAnLrs1oN, March IL, 1872.

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CHARLrsroN, March IL, 1872.
GENERAL VIEW OF CHARLESTON.
Who does not know where Charleston
is Its history with the past rebellion
has brought it within the knowledge o
every person North and South. from tn
rage to the school boy in his teens. Ih'
advantage Of its situation far surpas
any other city Of the Union in respect tt
relations civil and military, with othe
Nations, The city is situated at tn
confluence of the Ashley and CooPe
Rivers two of the longest and most beau
tiful of the south. AS you stand facini
the Atlantic, the Ashley appears to th'
right and the Cooper to the left. two o
three miles apart. These rivers take
sudden turn and meet about half way
forming a continuous shore. upon whici
some of the beautiful residences, prone
nades, business houses and wharves art
built. These two great rivers thus NEE
and with the assistance of the waters o
tie Atlantic form the Bay, and flow east
ward along this Bay, which is seven
miles to the Ocean, are situated the Fort.
of which we have heard 30 much. and
which will receive passing notice in ou'
future letters.
From this shore, formed by :he juno
ton of these two rivers, the city extends
between the rivers northwestw ard, and
covers an area of three miles square,
AS might be supposed, the city is com
pactly built aud numbers about SO, 00O
souls, that is, If IRE are alio'eed to cal
Negroes souls. OF thisnumber, the col
ored people compose about $4,000. And
indeed we could trulhfully say that the
popula,ion of Charleston numbers nearly
twice so, 600, when we take into consid-
Grafton the immense numbers living in
the suberbs, who do more or less business
in the city.
l intimated that the city was compact
ly built. Not, indeed. Is a Northcrner
would take it. For be it known that
this is great country for lawns, and
shrubbery aud flowers and trees. Now.
nearly every house worthy The name is
built in the midst Of an acre Of ground
more or lees, which is beautified with
shrubbery aud trees. This prevents, of
COURSE. what might be termed the
wre,ched economy Of the North. making
the outside wall Of one house answer for
the inside wall of the next. d. we not
rather admire the elegant taste of the
people of the South 7
But as you walk along the street ,h"re
i. all objection to all this beaulified
scenery. Very high brick walls enclose
the ground of every house, and it is only
through the open gate way that one
catches a glimps of the flowers, and
shrubs. and vines that bloom and expand
within the enclosure. Whether this
practice Of building high wall. is all old
Engli.h fashion or necessity of .lavary.
we know mol, but one thing is certain the
city would be still more beautiful were
they to adopt the low iron railing Of the
the North As We pass these high walls
We cannot help thinking of Barracks.
Jails. Peuitenti ries. Mad houses. etc etc,
and yet after all, the deep, dark green OF
the magnolia tree helps to cheer the un-
happy situation. This tree within the
yard ri.es above the wall and throws its
branches over the pavement outside.
forming beautiful canopy under which
it j. pleasant to walk 81
Charleston IS an old city. In 1890 it
numbered iG.359. Is it any wonder
that some portions Of it bear the ma! Ks
Of age Yet arc they not magni6ciencc
and glory in agel Many of the buildings
were erected sn colonial times. The
chimneys are of quaint fashion. aud the
roofs are mostly of grooved red tiles
Here stand in all their historic glory
buildings which were used by our patriots
in the Revolution. and in turn by the
British. WAS in the building to day
in which many of the pratriot prisoners
we're confined. and from the portals of
which the heroic martyr llxyne was led
10 execution But we must leave par
ticlars for another time.
Take it all in all Charleston IS q fine
looking old city. Though it suffered
considerably in civil and commercial in
:erest from the late war. yet she has
within her limits that which must give
ler glory and renown as long as time
'hall last. There is too much in Charles
on to be lost to this great Nation. May
We not hope for the day when che shall
lssume the position which she held pre-
7ious to the Rebellion to whicl, che gave
birth and stimulated during those san
culinary years
CLIMATE OF CHARLESTON.
Much has been said of the "Sunny
South" we'll it is place of sun and
warmth. 1t may be said that we have
10 winter here-One continual round Of
summer. The people say, however, that
his has been the hardest winter for many
'ears, but | could not realize it. We
rave had cool days for . week at a time,
,ut these days were just cool enough to