Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-26
A TRIP TO FORT MILL.


and afford some information to your many
readers. Several considerations must occur to
every reAecting mind why truthful and ap'
proximately correct narrative of the progress
and industry of any part of the country should
be interesting to all. As there is lack of in
formation regarding the size and confguration
of the county, in like manner-if not to q
greater extent-does this ignorance prevail as
to the progress made in the agricultural and
mechanical pursuits, and the skill, energy and
enterprise of portion of our population. The
ENQUIRER, too, by being the central organ Of
the county, may be the medium for dissemin'
ating much information, become the means Of
removing local animosity or jealousy, and rem
dering our whole population more homogene.
GUS and united. Such are the views suggested
to the writer of these notes. Certain it is, that
our western farmers and planters know moth
ing, or know but imperfectly, of the eastern
portion of the county and doubtless this is
true of the east as to the west, and likewise OF
the northern and southern portions.
In company with friend, recently made
trip from Yorkville to that portion Of the
county lying east of the Catawba river. On
the two roads leading from Yorkville to
Thorne's and Wright's Ferries, the portions
of the section seen by your correspondent
presented tolerably good crops, where they
had been we'll worked. The cotton, though
small in many places, seemed to be we'll laden
with fruit, and will doubtless make more
than the yield of last year, where uninjured
by rust and the excessive rains which for some
t;poo hod ioifed that aection
On Tuesday night the 18th, we arrived at
Fort Mill, and were very kindly received and
entertained at the hospitable residence of DIR.
S. A. Kell whose house is situated on the
summit of the chief hill of the town modestly
called the young Rome" Wednesday morn
ing the sun rose clear and cloudless, and early
the city was all agog with hustle, noise and
stir, all betokening an approaching festival
and celebration. The red coats of the fire.
men, the tramp of horses and the rattle Of
vehicles, as the substantial yeomen and plant.
ers with their wives and daughters and little
ones, came pouring in from York, Lancaster.
and even the good Old North State, told
plainly that the celebration gotten up by the
"Grangers" of the vicinity and surrounding
country, was to be an elegant affair.
Under direction of the Fort Mill Grange, q
procession was formed in front of Grange Hall
and headed by the local band, and followed
by the Grangers, the fremen in uniform, and
the citizens and people generally-male and
female-the long procession wended its way
to the newly.erected Presbyterian Church
The church building, supposed to be capable
of seating 400 persons, was densely packed
and did not contain more than half Of the as
semblage, which was estimated at from 800 to
1000 persons. Many, no doubt were at
tracted by the expectation of seeing and hear
ing COL d. Wyatt Aiken, who is one of the
champions and expounders of the Grange or
ganization and its principles; but owing to
some cause he failed to arrive, though his
place was ably filled by that gallant native
son of York, Gen. D. H. Hill, the senior ed
itor of the Southern Home.
General Hills address was an able and ex'
haustive summary of the arguments in favor
of the Grange organization, as we'll as com.
plete refutation Of the many objections which
have been urged against it. 1t must have en-
lightened the minds and gladdened the hearts
of the Grangers and citizens ge.erally to have
listened to the sterling good sense and admi.
rable advice the address contained and with
out going into detail I would particularly
mention that the speaker exhibited more than
his usual animation and fire, when he showed
by unanswerable arguments that the Grange
movement, neither in its incipisncy or in any
stage of its progress, warred against any legit'
innate business or pursuit or avocation or pro.
fession of life, whilst the whole batteries of his
wit and sarcasm, and even scorn, were poured
out against those noisy and selfish creatures,
who are continually throwing cold water on
the movement and thereby contributing to
depress and tie down in chains Of solitude and
ignorance, the farmers of the country. Like
Burns, the General held that
''The rank is but the guinea stamp
The mans the gowd for a. that"
After the conclusion of the address, two
long tables were spread and filled to over
flowing with solid and choice viands, we'll pre-
pared and cooked-such only as the Grangers'
wives and daughters can do-and every body
had enough, and to spare.
After the repast was over, our attention
was arrested by the music of the violin, pro-
ceeding from the basement story of the Grange
Hall; and hieing thither, we found large
number of the votaries of pleasure making
merry with the attractions of the dance. The
beauty and chivalry of the future London
and Of the neigboring villages of Rock Hill,
Chester and Lancaster, had gathered there.
Even the interior town of Sumter sent repre-.
sentatives of her refinement and grace to en-.
liven the occasion. At night the scene was
RENEWED, and so ended the Grange festival.
GAIL went merry as a marriage bell" with
the guests and citizens of the "Queen of the
Catawba."
Fort Mill, as station or interior village, is
pleasantly located on the G. G. and A Rail-
road, about two miles, at its nearest point,
from the Catawba river, on the eastern side, 8
miles from Rock Hill, and II miles from
Charlotte The town takes its name from an
old fort about mile southwest from the
place, supposed to have been built and used
by the English settlers on the Catawba as a
protection against the predatory incursions
and invasions of the Roanoke tribe of In.
dians. The town has made considerable pro-
gress in population, in building, in trade, and
in the industrial arts during the past FIVE
years. Being the centre of one of the richest
and most fertile townships of the county, it
annually ships from 5000 to 1000 bales of
cotton has ten stores inclusive Of all kinds !;
a drug store two public halls-one Grange
and one Masonic; three churches-Method-
ist, Baptist and Presbyterian-and a fine
brick academy in process of erection. Also,
three physicians; two places where the trav-
eler may stop and be refreshed-Drakeford's 9
and Hotchkiss' ; only one liquor shop; and
many substantial and elegant resid and
fixed resident population, at the present
time, numbering between 300 and 400 souls.