The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-11-28
pBr SD. 49,
Camden 8. O., and Vicinity. (

| Camden 8. O., and Vicinity. l3
CAMDEN, s. c., Oct. 2s, ,As72.
Editor ofthe South: 3
! Reader! would you reyel, with me, in 4
scene of beauty? And then-as it is th'
order of the day to which desire to CON
form-turn to the practical mingling, "s.ta'
cum dstlce." 6
It is bright October evening, and ths
glorious suns sinks to. his rest brighter, il
bis parting rays! Stand with me--facibs
from the east-on Paint Hill, the loftiesl
point of tho highlands of Pine-Tree Greek
in Kershaw County, South Carolins. Bnrk
of us, east and southeast. for twenty miles
away off I.ynche's Greek and Black River.
spreads high table land, mostly unbroken
forest, dotted here and there with snug
farms, a country with beauty. health, wealth
and charms, but with which, just aowsss se
have no concern.
We turn to the west, north, northeast
and. Southwest, the land breaks Of, almost
in precipice; and not a fourth Of 9 mile
distant, but an hundred feet below ns, THU
noble and beautiful stream hurries on to the
Wateree. Northwest and south the view
is unbroken as far as the eye can reach, save
away off yonder to the north. Asthe king
Of day spreads his gorgeous, varying hnea
over every feecy cloud. profane not ethe g
scene by talking Of italian skies! AS you
gaze on the valleys of the Waterce and Its
tributaries, and see the peaceful, bright
homes, blessed with such soil, such 9
climate and such products, talk not Of life,in
Andalusia ~ :
I know you cannot love this land as [ dol
Ny past, present and future on earth are all
here-memory and hope, oil Of life, blend
here for me. There, to the southwest on the
first elevation from the river bottoms, see
those noble oaks, with the glittering marble
sparkling here and there. IT'S the > old
aQuaker Burying Ground r Six generations
Of my people sleep there. 80 's,s.ea
In, oil those old homes you see, peeping
from among The tress and evergreens, inehat
old town Of Camden, and on the slopes 5of
Hobkirk and Kirkwood, cluster memories
that are still my joys. Here, towards the
north. east, whence flows along. its bright
valleys this beautiful stream, I have fshed
in all its waters, and chased tho dcetin all
its thickets and bays with friends, most OF
whom have gone before broken.by
disease, many stricken down m the charge.
All there, the superb, noble Dickinson,
'snear the flashing Of the gum" at Churu.
busco; the pnre young eantey, at Chapulte,
pee ;the i've hearted Nc Niillie OF ManassAs;' !;
the darling, bright cCaa, st Afdrftsesb sborps
These are fearful nisnot bat hos s 9
FFby many noble friends Of that day as high
and noble as those adead upon the field
There are sweet memories ola gay ana
happy time, too, clustering around these
scenes, when the silver sheen of summer
moon covered these views, now gorgeous.
with sunlight; when the soft sweet voice OF
woman attuned itself in sweet accord with
the surroundings I must think of these,
but may not tell of them.
Reader you cannot love these scenes ash
do, but I think L caninterest you in their
present beauties, uses and wealth.
Look upon the rich October. hues Of the
changing hickory, gum, beech, maple, dog
wood. walnut and elm the deep green of the
oak, bay, cedar, cypress, juniper, pine, &C.,
of the beautiful valleys at your feet; the
bright, dancing, gushing stream, just below
you, trending away off from the northeast,
and bathing the confines ofthe old town OF
Camden on its entire east and south. See
seven magnificent mill sites within six miles
of this spot, four Of them just around the
town and near the railroad, with deliveryi
each, per minute, Of six thousand cubic feet
of water-each fall of from sixteen to
eighteen feet-with fine farming lands in
abundance, most salubrious climate, md
stores of choisest timber. The stream, dow-
ing from perennial springs, is unvarying,
uninauenced by drought or freshet, and o
! stranger to the locks and bolts Of ice; it
dances on to the old ocean free, paying no
tribute to man, save to grind grain tor his
food, and Saw the lumber fer his dwelling.
IF this Stream at our feet were all our view
unfolaed, there would be wealth to build up
a city at the command Of capital and energy /;
but it is only one smai! feature on natures 9
face before US; there to the north. twenty y
five miles away, the heights Of Hanging Rock
bound the view, celebrated for its health.giv-
ing waters, for its freaks nature, WITH niceiy
poised, impending rocks, for fertile feids'
and rs the scene of Sumter's triumph over
the British in our old revolution. The wa
ters of this stream go eastward to Lynche,s
Creek little west of Hanging Rock, there
YOU see the head lands of Beaver Greek
which empties into our own Wateree: On
those beautiful hills where, for near hund'
red sed'y years, delightful homes have been oesu:
pied by prosperous, successful, energetic
advancing Presbyterian Irish and their de- :,
scendants, you can have the bracing, climate
of the mountains, and the sweet south winds
of the tropic. The finest granite IN tne
world abounds and the staple Of its cotton i!
lamed throughout the South: Railroads ane
Tabor are wanting there, and those lands, re
/ Gently 80 highly priced, productive ant