The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-07
Col. Mckay at Abbeyllle
He Takes a Stroll Around Town, ant
is Pleased With Our Houses,
Our Gardens, Our Court
House, Our Hotels,
Our Churches.
HE THROWS A SUGAR. PLUM AT
THE ABBEVILLE PAPERS.
and Has Promised to Come Back
When the Leaves Put Forth,
and the Flowers Bloom.

And Has Promised to Come Back
When the Leaves rnt Forth,
and the Flowers Bloom.
"Uncle Bob" of The GircnuiWe
Doiy Ncws write,a very interesting
letter from Abbeville under date of
February l aud we would be glad to
copy it in full if we had roonl. We
give only a few extracts: .
We arrived in this enterprising and
thriving town yesterday afternoon.
Our last view of the place was had in
July, 1S4S, while passing through in a
four-hOrse stage from G~reenVllle to
Augusta. Everything was strange to
our view, until we saw the Aston
House, ard then we tried to locate the
surroundings, but in vain. We adj
mircd the neat brick range facing the
court house, where the Central Hotel
is located, kept 10y j. y. Wier, and
! which We had chosen for our head
quarters. Having established 4 base,
we endured for the Press and Banner
and ascending to the second story Of i
new brick building, we cspicd Capt.
Hugh Wilson, editor and proprietor,
in his shirt sleeves, perfectly happy.
preparing for the morning issue OF
hts pa,pcr; and for his kind attention
and polite Invitation to accept hospi'
tality at his hands, we return him our
thanks. The Abbeville papers cannot
be eXcellcd, and the citizens OF the
the county should extend them their
unanimous support.
Night approaching, we went to the
Grand Central, ate supper, and was as
signed quarters, with the pleasing i'll
lelliycncc that friend i. S. Hale, OF
Nincty-SiX, was our sleeping compan-
ion, and in the same room Capt. Parks,
Of Green wood, would be our nciylrbor,
and we retired to sleep. .
This morning WAS lovely, q rea!
Spring day, and after breakfast | con-
cludcd to take a stroll before the bust
ness hours came OH, and our course
took us by the Aston house. We had
no ruide, and the ''oldpst inhaDitant'
was not on hand to point out the va
riOus localities. 4 venerable oak
stopped III progress, and we hailed it
with delight. Being six feet in diam
elcr it took up the entire walk, and as
youth always gives the walk to age, IL
neat curbed walk circled round its
Venerable form, and we admired the
good taste Of the authorities for not
cutting it down, and Il exclamation
will always be,
"Oh! woodman spare that tree"
Just ut this point, we fancied we
had reached the garden spot of old Alb
bcville, and We stood for some time
admiriug the architecture of the build
inys, and the exquisite taste display
cd in the arrangement OF the shrub
berry and flowers. Being Il fancy man
in that line, we were completely cap
tivated, and waited for some passer by
to crafty natural curiosity, we found
that we were in the midst OF the
homes of Mr.. Quarlcs, Mr.. BarnWell,
Mr.. Seal, Mrs. Norwood, Col. Perrin,
and Gen. MCGOWAN, at whose places
we took 4 good look, rcgrettinS that
our people of G~recnvillc were not ac-
tuated oy the same spirit OF decoration
us these people are.
Seeing we: were so much pleased, 4
stranger advised us to go farther, by
all means, and look at the old "FOster
Marshall place." but as business was
on tic brain, we had to resist the
temptation to 4 "morc convenient
spason."
The Episcopal and Presbyterian
churches attract the attention, ana
make the picture complete. The Bap-
fist church, Il neat brick building, is
not completed yet, but will he an or
namcnt to the town. We got an in
side view of il, through the kindness
of Rev. Mr.. Pratt, the Pastor, who
married II Of Il Grecnville girls,
and who occupies u handsome new
cottage near by. We were pleased to
find them both happy iii their pretty
location.
There are other churches in the
town, and the Female College WAS seen
in the distance.
hhbcvillc occupies an elevated posi-
ton, and at all points ono has "n cN-
tcnsivc view for miles. The ropula-
ton is about two thousand. The court
house is 4 new one, Of brick, well ur-
ranged and the public offices are in the
lower story. The records in the Pro-
bate Office are kept i'm Il style that
slloual he followed by every office in
the Stase. All the business houses are
in full view of the court house, which
is on the cast side OF the square,. Ten
thousand bales Of cotton are bought
here, and trade is generally brisk. The
legal Bar of AbbcvilIc has always been
considered II of the best in the State.
This, Thursday morning, we took
our last stroll through the business
square of Abbeville, and after having
=. f,.1I ,.1,,t n,l n,t,i,,,r Iva ,,1.,s-,
ant smiles and Jokes Of FREUD Lawson
and others, and being made happy by
the kind hospitality of Mr.. sWicr, Of
the Central, we babe adieu TO old Alb
bcville and her good citizens, resolved
--.:.. A.. 1, .- .,l..,, f1,, 1r>x ,r