The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-10-02
For the anderson htelhgencer.
Health and Drainaue-Auain

MR.. EDITOR: have scarcely the heart to
write another line on this vitally important
subject. The teachings of Providence within
the last two or three weeks have been so over
whelming, and so disastrous, indicating the
urgent necessity for thorough and prompt
drainage of our bottom lands, as the one thing
needfuS, that, suppose no one noy can have
the hardihood 10 scout or ridicule the idea that
the undrained condition of our bottom lands is
the main cause of the terrible evils that dis
tress Our country. 1t makes the heart bleed,
Mr. Editor, to review the terrible disasters that
have befallen the old Slab Town neighborhood
in the last few weeks. It is useless to recount
the losses and suferings Of that neighborhood
for years past. Everybody knows it. And
the prime causes of these terrible calamities
are palpable. The type of fever pervading the
locality of Rankin's mill dam, was of the ma
lignant type, and one of the physicians who
waited on the sick and dying in that neighbor-
hood, said that it possessed the symptoms and
virulence of the yellow fever, even to the black
vomit. 1t is no time for elimination and re-
crimination-while those who have }abored so
assiduously for the last two or three years, to
avert these terrible calamities, may, and do feel
that their skirts are clear in this matter-that
they have done all that could be done by NOR
tai man, uuder the circumstances, to arouse the
people to a true sense of the great dangers
that were threatening the health and lives of
our citizens and to institute measures of relief
that while they thus have right to feel,
they make no complaint against those who
have thrown obstacles in the way of any re-
lief, or of others again who have stood silently
by, without moving peg to give active and
earnest assistance. In some cases, the people
did not appreciate the magnitude Of the evils
complained Of, in other cases, they were misled
as to the true cause of the sad condition of
things. Now, all seem to have arrived at
the same opinion, as to the great and prime
cause Of the evil, to wit: the large bodies of
undraiued bottom lands lying on our creeks
and smaller streams. Various causes have con-
spired for years to produce this state of things
hence, on this point, there may be some diver
sity of opinion, and all may be entitled to
more or less importance, but it does not affect
the general fact, that these large bodies of bot
tom lands are now in this sobbed and un-
healthy condition, and the further fact, that it
is incumbent upon every citizen to exert him
self to provide for the thorough drainage of
said lands. And as you, Mr.. Editor, we'll re-
marked in your remarks on this subject in
recent issue, the petty consideration of dollars
and cents must not be permitted to weigh
against the general good health of our country.
only took up my pen to solicit attention to
the timely and excellent letter of the Hon.
VIM. Fl. Trescott, in the last Latel1igencer, on
this subject. He recommends public meet
ing of the citizens on the subject. Let the
meeting be held. Petitions are being circulated
for drainage law. Let everybody sign them
Thus will the public judgment be correctly
founded, and an adequate remedy provided.
A REFUGEE.