Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-12-23
cultivated a plantation short distance west

woman of energy and also great lover Of ma
ture, devoted her spare moments from the
wheel and cards, to the cultivation of useful
and beautiful plants. Her father gave her
every encouragement, and, at different times,
sent her various tropical plants and roots,
with which to experiment. Some time during
the winter of 1740-41, he sent her some indi-
20 seed. Some of these seed she planted with
her own hands in the month of March, 1741.
They came up, but the young plants were
killed by frost. She planted again in April.
These also came up, but we're cut down by q
worm. She did not, as some girls and most
modern boys would have done, become dis
couraged but tried again and was successful.
The plant grew and matured to the satisfac-
ton of the cultivator and her father. Gov
ernor Lucas now determined to make bus-
ness of the cultivation of indigo. More seed
was purchased, and practical indigo maker
procured from the island Montserrat, and
sent to Carolina to superintend the culture and
manufacture of indigo on George Lucas
farm, on Wappoo. The name of this super
intendent was Cromwell.
He engaged in the work at first with ap-
parent good will. Watts were constructed and
every thing put in preparation for the work
of making merchantable indigo. Cromwell
fearing no doubt, that if this experiment
proved success it would be injurious to the
French colonies in the West Indies, declared
that indigo could not be grown in Carolina
To dishearten Eliza Lucas, who still contin-
ued to watch the experiment with intent in
terest, he put too much lime in the vats and
thus destroyed the indigo. Eliza Lucas dis
covered his treachery and dismissed him, and
with the assistance of Frenchman by the
name of Deveaux, she went to work and dis.
covered the whole process of making indigo.
Other individuals in the neighborhood now
began to cultivate small quantities of indigo
for their use.
Not long after this, Eliza Lucas married
Charles Pinckney, commonly known as Chief
Justice Pinckney. In 1746 she became the
mother of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the
man who said ''millions, for defence--not q
cent for tribute;" and in 1850, of Thomas
Pinckney. Two noble sons Of a noble moth
err After her marriage, her father gave the
indigo farm, which she had watched with so
much anxiety, to her husband. All the grow
ing crop was permitted to 60 to seed. At the
proper time the seed was gathered. Some was
distributed amongst the neighbors and the rest
planted. Every one became interested in
the production of indigo. 1t was not long at
ter it's introduction into the colony by Eliza
Lucas, until it became one of the principal
articles of export. 1t proved, says an old
writer "more profitable to the Carolinians
than gold mines did to some of the other Eu-
ropean colonies in America" Indigo contin:
ned 10 he cultivated with profit both to the
colony and the mother country. In 1747 the
merchants of England, who traded in Carroll
ma, petitioned parliament that bounty might
be allowed on Carolina indigo. This petition
was favorably received, and an act passed in
174S allowing a bounty of six pence-about
twenty cents-on every pound Of indigo pro-
duced on any of the British plantations in
America. 1t now began to be cultivated in
every settlement, and its cultivation continued
until several years after the revolutionary
war. 1t was rooted out by cotton.
1t is probable that indigo would have been
able to withstand its rival, cotton, had it not
been for the ingenuity of Miller and Whitney.
These men devised a saw gin which enabled
the cotton planter more expedtiously to sep
crate the lint and seed 1t is probable that
even Whitney's gin, as originally construct.
ed, would not have been sufficient to cause
cotton to superceed indigo, had it not been for
the ingenuity of woman. Miller and Whit
ney's gin, when first constructed, had no
brush wheel. Mrs. General Green, while
watching the gin in operation, saw this defect
and removed the lint by the gentle motion of
her fan which she held in her hand. This
suggested the brush wheel. 1t was made, and
as woman had introduced indigo into the
State, so woman, by stroke with her fan,
did that which drove it out. 1t was proverb
once often repeated in the State, that on an
indigo farm every thing looked as if in star
wing condition. The same may be said with
respect to cotton, which, as money crop, has
taken the place of indigo.
In summing up the details of events which
transpired during Governor Bulls admins.
tration, We must not forget to mention the
great fire which occurred in Charles Town in
the year 1740 On the 18th Of November,
the wind blowing stiff gale from the north
west, at two o'clock in the afternoon, fire
broke out on Broad street, near its western
extremity. With fearful rapidity the flames
were hurried in south -easterl y direction from
one building to another. Soon it seemed as if
the whole city was in flames: The air was full Of
blazing fagots, carried by the maddened wind.
The inhabitants were panic struck. The
screams Of women and children rose above the
cracking flames and falling houses. Proper
ty was abandoned 10 be devoured by the fire.
The houses were all wood and the stores were
filled with tar, pitch, deer skins and powder,
all of which added fury to the flames. No
effort was made by the citizens either to stop
the progress of the fire, or save their property.
An effort was made by the sailors, but for SIX
hours the work of destruction continued, until
the flames were arrested by the Cooper river:
Ateight clock in the evening the wind calmed
and the fire ceased to make farther progress.
Its work of destruction was done. Three
hundred ofthe best houses in the city, togeth.
er with vast quantities of merchandise, were
reduced to ashes. Onlya few lives were lost,
but hundreds were without shelter. Over
the scene of desolation wall of anguish went
up Those who escaped the devouring flames,
kindly welcomed the unfortunate to their