Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-08-26

hundred dollars Governors salary and other
incidental expenses, three thousand two hun
dred and fifty dollars. The current expenses
deducted from the income, left sum amount
ing to something between four and five thou
sand dollars. This sum was set aside for the
purpose of redeeming the bills of credit, that
had been emitted for the purpose Of meeting
the heavy debt which had been incurred by
the government.
At this time there was scarcely any English
coin in circulation in the colony. At various
times, bills of credit in large amounts had
been struck off and put in circulation. At
first, these bills passed at their face value; but
soon, on account of their great numbers, they
deprecated very much. The gold and silver
in circulation was German, Mexican, Peru
vian, French and Spanish coin. No uniform
ty of value was attached to the bills of credit
when exchanged for the coin of these differ
ent nations. To prevent this confusion,
Queen Anne, in 1907, issued a proclamation
by which the value of the currency Of the
colony was fixed. One pound English money
was, by this royal proclamation, made to be
worth one and one.third pound Of the colonial
currency. This is the origin of what was
called proclamation money"
Belonging to the colony, there were, in 1908,
twelve ships, more than half of which had
been built in Charles Town. Taking all
things into consideration, We cannot but Won
der at the rapid growth of the colony. 1t was
not yet thirty years old, but it had assumed
the Importance of a little nation.
The mention of silk as amongst the exports
of the colony, leads US to inquire into the
history of its introduction into the colony. In
1897, Charles the Second sent out the frigate
Richmond with some French Protestants, to
the colony at Charles Town. The main OBJ
ject that was had in view, in transporting
these French Protestants was to secure their
aid in the production Of silk in the country
The vessel was too late in setting out on its
voyage, and the result was, that the eggs OF
the silk worms, which were placed on board,
all hatched and as no preparation had been
made for such an event, the young worms died
for want of food. At later period, Nathan
iel Johnson, amongst other citizens, was more
successful The plantation of johnson, situ-
ated in St. Thomas parish, was named "Sllk
Hope" from the fact that on it considerable
attention was devoted to raising silk. By
many Of the planters, forty and fifty pounds
of silk were annually made, and the annual
income of Governor johnson, from silk alone,
was two thousand dollars 1t cost very little
to produce the silk. The forest abounded
with mulberry trees, the leaves Of which fur
nished the proper food for the worms; and
little negroes, who were too small to work on
the farm, we're employed to feed the worms.
The silk was mixed with WOOL and manufac-
tured into what the manufacturers called
"druggets." The production of silk was con-
tinued in the State for a long time. The moth.
ers from whom sprung some Of the most Illus
trious families in the State, continued, for
long time, to spin their wool and silk, and
weave it into dresses for their daughters. In
Abbeville county, silk was produced BY the
descendants Of the French, who first settled
in that county as late as 1908. In 1853, the
mother of General Charles Cotesworth Pinck-
ney took with her to England quantity OF
silk yarn, which she had spun with her own
hands in the neighborhood of Charles Town.
From this yarn she made three dresses, one of
which she gave to the Princess of Wales;
another to Lord Chesterfield, and another to
her own daughter, Mrs. Horny.
AS might have been expected, the educa-
tional advantages of the colony, for long
time, were very poor. Still, we are not to
conclude that the education of the children of
the colony was entirely neglected. Although
there is, so far as we have been able to discov-
er, no account of any classical schools in the
colony prior to the year 1900, still, we may,
we think, safely infer that such was the case
In favor of this inference, we would state that
many of the early colonists were men Of learn
ing, and it is scarcely conceivable that they
would suffer their children to grow up in COM
parative ignorance. We are not, however,
left to differences. In 1871, Thomas Smith,
who was made langrave in 1891 and Cover
nor in 1893, came into the province. In
1872, one year after his arrival, his second
son, George, was born. In 100, when near
thirty years old, he graduated in Edinburgh.
The probability is, that at least part OF his
education was obtained in Charles Town.
Through the influence of Rev. Thomas Bray,
the Bishop of London's Commissary in Ma
ryland, library was established in Charles
town, in 1896: By an act of the Assembly,
1887, this library was placed under the care
of the Episcopal minister of the town. The
books were mostly religious. The mission
aries, sent out by the society for the propaga-
tion of the gospel, were not only required to
preach, but also to teach. They were both
preachers and school-masters. Instructions
were specially given them, both as to what
and how the children were to be taught. 1t
was long time before young men, in any
considerable numbers, received what is called
a collegiate education. So soon as the pro-
duction of rice and indigo became so great as
to make the trade between England and the
colony of South Carolina direct and to supply
the planters the means, they sent their SONS to
England to be educated. This circumstance
accounts for the fact that there was, previous
to the Revolution of 1776, more Of English
manners and English customs in South Caro-
lima than in any of the colonies.
Prior to 1908, French dancing-master,