The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-27
CORRESPONDENCE of the Louisville Courier
Journal.
CHARLESTON, S. c., May 10, 1879.

Journal.
CHARLESTON, S. c., May 10, 1875.
Charleston is the opposite, the antithesis o
Savannah. It is bright, sunny, cheerful
ROCKING place, and resembles more Northern
than Southern city. 1t is compactly built
and has not that superabundant width OF street
of so many of the Southern towns. The sur
nrise connected with it to me is, chat it really
does resemble what had pictured in my mind
and It is the first case in my experience. AL
most every traveller has felt that quite aston
Sshment on reaching strange town arising
from an appearance of things totally at vari
ance with his precenceived ideas The hote
which he has heard about is invariably on the
wrong side of the street, and is OF slnguiariy
different style Of architecture, while the town
stself geographically and geographically, Is
stupenduous mistake. In fact, ne feels as II ne
had been defrauded, and consequently laoors
under sense of profound injury. The people
themselves. to use an inelegant but forcible
simite, don't by any means come up TO the
scratch." The town did not surprise me, but
its customs did. Never had pictured to my
self q iet-black policeman, mounted upon bay
horse. in q gray uniform, with side-arms repre-,
sented By club-a species of civic dragon.
Yet this anomaly constantly repeats itself IN
the streets of Charleston. You commence
with one, and gradually resign yourself to
squadron of these euormities, and so your mlnd
becomes reconciled to them by having it grad
ually and gently broken to you, after the man-
ner of the poet who informs you that John
Brown had one little Indian boy, and lnsidl-
ously works you up to 3 despairing reslgnatlon
to ten of these unnatural children. Dlo Ior
one moment expect to be waited upon at tne
cost Office BY distributing clerk the color or
q dead leaf? Uncle Sam is worse off than
John Brown. Here was his first little negro
how. but E find that our beloved uncle has the
John Brown allowance indefinitely multiplied.
II went to the post Office on Sunday, and tor
the first time in my life took in the IDEA that
essuch things could be- as negro post masters
and asic6.""Y A young gentleman often years
of age asked for a. letter for Mr.. Steele. You
will not be surprised that our African brother
had never heard of such word. He instltu-
ted at once that nuisance of the hour, spell
ling problem. GLOW do you spell it?' he
asked, aSpell it yourself" was the retort. AS
that was not one. of his professional duties, the
sunburnt chieftain of the Nile dropped. the
subject as too Insignificant for further consider
alton. He waited upon me with gracious con-
descension, and dealt me out four letters with
a celebrity that indicated long practice IN ene
national game of poker: think ne couid
deal himself four aces without an effort.
In wandering about this city it would have
been strange if I had not visited the battery,
which is as much of a celebrity here as It's
namesake in New York. This little grassy
plat, bordered by its stone esplanade, is ia
yorite resort A beautiful view of the haroor,
with Fort Sumter in the distance, towering,
purple symmetrical cloud on the horizon, q
ship thus transhgured by air and distance, the
gentle sea breeze that brought such exhliara-
ting draughts of life-giving nectar, the bright,
blue sky Hecked with white clouds, and the sea
which rolled its murmuring tribute to the
shore, all combined to impart dreary sensuous
enioyment-a mouthful of lotus leaves. 1t is
in such moments that we drift, utterly forgetful
of the laboring oar. A revenue cutter lies
short distance from the shore. 1t is so long
since eight bells that the presence of the flock
Of sea gnlls, whirling and darting down to the
water, IS accounted for. It's the scraps OF the
noon-day meal that have brought these plum
derers together. Like the human gulls who
swarm about the treasury, they get but the
leavings of the feast Three or four small boats,
oarless and sailless, incline towards the tide
the lazy, black fishermen, stretched at full
length, seem to be soundly sleeping; the lines
hang over the side, and even the hsh must un-
derstand that their enemies don't mean Dusl-
ness to-day. Four extremely tarry and very
much patched marines are pulling with long
stroke, boat seaward, towards barque an.
ehered two miles away, and their sovereign or
the seas is almost as tarry and patched as his
subjects. This segment of circle, called the
battery. or rather the sweeping curved line, the
esplanade, runs, at point close beside Inc
street and on this street are a few fine resi-
dences. some of them little clamorous tor
paint. In strolling aboutthis city dismantled
building occasionally strikes the eye, and IN
short walk T noticed the ruins Oft three churches.
One in particular of which piece of the tower
alone stood erect, together with a small piece OF
terribly battered wall, rising above heap OF
piled up and stones and overgrown with moss,
presented the appearance Of ruin quite up 70
the old Epglish standard. turned round 20
three or four tattered Africans-too wealthy to
work, suppose and propoupded, like Macbeth, a,
the question: (Which Of you have done this r
iThis is sorry sight" No response from the
children of Afric's burning shore asked my
self the cause: Had the Danes ravaged the
coast. or had the oldest of the Scandlnayians
been here with Hengist and Horsa, and ihoir,
hammer and all? Or, to come down to possioo
bilities, was it the work Of Farragut or Porter
Had they thrown shotias big as Saratoga TRUNKS
at this devoted building, and would up py
pitching the 1ag-snip at II Nv'ne - :. ,nos
sort. It was fire of different. kind It was
small conaagration, working under the tne9Iy
Of selection, which had picked out this build,
ing and rejected that; but showing special
apnetite for churches, eating four Of them at
Taouthful. Il think have heard this element,
when in vigorous activity, called fire :, hend' nd
This was probably the boss fend, from the en-
ergy displayed in attacking his natural enemy
the church. .,:u ,;+h +he
solemn;tv If q gtatistician) is an important
% cotton mart, and under favorable circumstan,
ces might become the great cotton exp expor;sne IL
city Of America. Unfortunately there Is
deadly plague raging here which is fatal e 70 nel
nrosperityothat is the negro plague: Negro
Hesitation to this city has been more fatal tnal
poisonous epidemic or consuming fire. Prop
ertY has absolutely touched bottom; 1t can lai y,