The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-08
Great Mass Meeting at Erwin's Mills
in Behalf Of the Proposed Cotton
Factory-Rousing Speeches
,BouuteOuS Pic Mic Dinner.

CrWin'S Mill on " edncSdaV last, 10 m
aururatc the movement in behalf OF the
proposed cation factory. The idea oi
The factory we believe originated with
Due West Grange, and Was earnestly
& .ondcl by all the surrounding
G:au.cs, and if the size of the crowd in
attendance be any index of The tavol cN-
tended the enterprise, then its SUCCESS Is
assured For miles around every horse,
buggy, carriage and wagon seemed t"
have been brought into requisltlon tG
bear their living freight to the point "t
attraction. Ii was such crowd us We
often see at the Due West Commence
tuent, though considerably larger Due
West herself turned out en- h'HSS'', ana
!!cr learned doctors OF divinity ana q;
medicine, and her able professors, leh
bv' Professors Hood and Young, witti
nearly all the men, women ara cli'-
dren of the tOwli, came Up |" zen" a'l
and sympathy to IL" Work. l'oHaid>-
Vile and Honea Path, will! tn" Inter
mediate country, were Equally well req
resented Cokcsbury and Hodges, tn"'
and the whole country, it seemed, tor
miles along both banks of the Sa'uda.
THE SITE OF THE FACTORY.
Erwin's Mill is situated on the Sa!uda.
about eight miles northeast OF Don
nalGsville. and about seven miles south
east of Honca Path. The site ot the
proposed factory is just below the mil,
and has been generously donated by ire
liberal proprietor, in furtherance Of the
objects Of the enterprise. Ard let u
say. in passing, that few communities
can boast more liberal or cnterprlslng
citizen than Mr.. Malcolm IrwiE.
Owning one of the finest -four and saw
niills on the Saluda, aud enjoying very
liberal patronage, he has established 4
high character for energy, enterprise
and hospitality and his active efforts in
the present work, as well as his ilocra'
GOuatiOn of the site, stamp him as Il
man of foresight, public spirit and ell
terprisc. The proposed site Is aahlir"-
bly located, possessing ample water
Dower for the largest factory, ana beng
in convenient distance Of the q. & L.
II. r.
TIE STAND.
\ stand had been erected, seats pro-
vided, and tables spread in the grove on
the banks of the river. and in full view
of the proposed site, and of the waters
which come rushing down oyer The
shoals of the H;aluda.
TIE AGs..ST.
In RESPONSE to the invitation Of tie
committee, consisting OF Prof. N!n.
Hood, Col. Hawthorn, and Mir. r. ".
Had,ion, 4 number of speakers were pre-
sent, but it was matter Of regret that
Coils. Thumson and Aiken, OF .Abtr-
willie, Simpson, OF LaurcuS, and Moore
nn,. Lee, of Anderson, were not able to
come, though htters which were read
from Messrs. Aiken and Lee did soAir-
thing to make amends for their absencc.
THE COMMITTEE or RECEPTION.
The speakers were received by conf
mittec consisting of Capt. G. NJ. Matti-
son, chairman; and McSsrs. NM. Lee,
Thomas TrayIham, W. l.. Wood, r..
Gambrell, J. r. Latimcr, }. ii. Austin,
f.. Carter, }. II. Woods, }. &. Caldwell,
and J. II. Ware. and escorted 20 the
stand and severally introduced to the
meeting by Capt. Mattison, the presi-
dent OF the day. The position could not
have been bestowed upon better man,
OK one vino is more thoroughly identi-
lied with the enterprise.
COL. LIpSC0MB's SPEECH.
Tne speaker first Introduced was Col.
Jatnes n. Lipscomb, the popuiur
lecturer of the State Grange, who made
Il speech three-quartcrs of III hour long,
full of strong argument, stirring APP
peals, and sparkling humor, which coM-
uanded the entire attention OF the all
,dience. He began by saying that he
syas no orator, but only u PLAIN farmer,
S,,,t s.,n:.sh
The greater portion OF the Speech was
devoted to an explanation OF tho "bj"cis,
and all enforcement OF the claims, Oi
the Order Of the Patrons OF HusUundfy.
He showed the necessity OF organization
SO the farmer, and exposed tt,c folly Of
attempting to cope sliHle-handed with
that solid phalanX of lnbiued intellect
and capital which existed in all OTHER
professions and avocationS, illustrating
his idea with the Wcll-knOwn case ot
the. little bull and the steam engine
de pointed out the bcneticiai influence
Of the Order in III educational, social,
and business aspect, stated that whilst
the merchant, the lawyer and the doc
tor knew something of their business,
the farmer Was supremcly ignorant-
knew nothing OF his stock i'll trade until
sold out by the Sheriff, and whilst get
ting only eleven cents for his cUttOlI,
was not able to tell whether its prouuc-
ton cost him fifteen, thirty, or forty
cents-that the Grange did u great de;ti
to correct this ignorance, by imuarllng
the experience of others, and directing
to proper sources Of Knowledge-iu u
social point of view, he urged that the
Grange did much to break down that
eXclusivenesS which before tie wargrew
out of the pride OF riches, but now out
of the pride of poverty, which even
kept ones neighbors at a distance, and
called the people together only OH the
occasion Of u wedding or Al funeral, anu
in this connection made some stringent
reflections Oh the influence OF JushtD",
In blighting the industry and social eli
joyment oI poor people-ip Il business
aspect, lie urged that the Grange made
no war on ether avocations, but designed
merely to get the largest amount 0i
work done at the least cost, 10y reducing
the number of nlidule-men - he ni5I
stated that one of its cherished Objects
was TO elevate the standard OF business
integrity, and to restore that high tone
which was once so characteristic of our
people. With regard 70 the proposed
enterprise, he enlarged upon the neces-
SHY ol uiEclSliSlilS aool, anu :! lit. i'i
impetus To manuiacturil,s-ursG t!sal ii
would keep money ut home and build
up NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it would intro
duce families of killed laborers from
abroad, and furnish a market for home
products, and give new life and spirit to
the productive energy OF the country.
TIE EDlToE's NENARIls.
w. \. Lee, Of the Press and Echp,lcf,
was next called Oh for u speech, but
plead that he came rather to report 9th
crs than to make Il speech hinlsel-in I.
brief address he urged the necessity OF
diversifving Southern labor and build