The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-10-18


balloon collapsed and camo to grief.
The thing was not we'll broken TO har-
ness, and, as many people expected, it
kicked over the traces, smashed the
vehicle behind it, scattered the by.
ISLANDERS, and mixed things up generally;
a consummntion rather ingorious, per-
haps, but doubtless very comforting and
soothing to the feelings of the proposed
navigators and their families--that is. if
they are of my mind ; for, setting aside
the perils of the upper air, the chances
of paying an unwelcome visit to the
moon, or of running aground on the dog
star, they escaped the still greater
dangers lying in wait in the great
waters below.
IF there is ooe of the elements for
which the writer has unqualified con-
tempt, and which he scrupulously keeps
clear of on ell possible occasions, it is
that deceitful medium which the school
book tells us is made up of "two of
hydrogen and one of oxygen" Never,
since that fatal truth was impressed
JorciJy on his youthful understanding
and freely illustrated by the vigorous
action of piece of leather two feet
long, making him revolvc rapidly on
his own axis round the school room un
til the subject was clear from all obscuri.
ty, and beautiful glow of scie entific
ardor took possession Of his soul-never
has he hankercd very much after ,oater,
Good Templnrs will please understand
that am in nowise irresponsible" in
thus unbnrtheniug my feelings, and they
must, in every case, seek satisfaction"
from the editor of this paper only.
Having settled that point, L am free to
declare that my view of water in the
abstract is that OF an element calcul1ted
specially to terrify unfortunate little
boys with chronic dirty faces, and hav
ing the evil property of adul,eratiug
milk in cities and spelling good whisky
everywhere. But of all the manifold
forms in which water can present itself
to the discomfort of dweller on dry
land, preserve me from ever again
encountering it in the Pee Dee swamps.
Take any shape but that, and my firm
nerves
Shall never trenble"
Now, / am not very easily scared in
general. have gone through railroad
smashes and beeu run away with by
misguided brutes called horses 1 have
tumbled down trees and tried falling
from the roofs of houses, both inside and
out [ have seen ghosts and been chased
by bulldogs; and | still live-liye to
chronicle an experience worse than all
these combined. But to my tale.
About week ago it was my i'll fortune
to eet out with Col. Harris, Of Kingstree,
on disastrous journey, whose end and
aim was Conwayboro. Surely, the
"minister5 who wait on Natures
mischief" guided our way, after numer.
GUS small incidents and adventures. TO
that ili-omened part of the Pee Dee
swamps, near which, MS we were deludcd
iuto believing, is situated Gallivants
ferry. And there may be ferry there;
far be it from me to say there isn't for
worthy and responsible people have
asserted the fact. All will say is that
we tried to find that ferry we searched
diligently and gave our minds to it, but
had to come away in demoralized con-
dition, without getting within several
miles of that ferry, so far as we could
judge We didn't fnd it that day, and
what is mole, wo don't much care if We
never do.
l should say that our journey went
on swimmingH until we struck the Pee
Dee swamp, aud much more so before
we got out of it. We drove out iIl-fated
horse into the water, with high hopes
and good courage, deeply sympathizing
with the animal, however, as time passed
OIL and no dry land appeared. We
talked of transatlantic voyages and
disasters at sea, noting as we went the
cheering nature Of the travelling arrange
ments in those parts, aud the ingenuity
with which the roads are run through
as msny swamps as possible, while in
cases where this canuot be managed,
Nature brings up the swamp to overflow
the road, So things went on till We had
gone mile or two (more or less)