The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-29
Innocelts on a Journey,
"LITTLE RIVER" GOES TO AU'
GUsTA AND GETS WET.
The Condition of the Crops--The
nWhite Uousc'' So A Lake in
which Corn and Cotton
Grow--Fat Cattle
and Crazy
Negroes.

Editor Press and Banner:
II wa nv luck lately to take q trip
through that part of Edgefield lying
along tho road on the Savannah sido
leading from Abbcvillc to Augusta.
MYSELF, two boys and q driver, forming
tho company. We went in a covered
wagon, our destination being Augusta,
and our object to make a few purchases,
and return as near on tho doublo-qulck as
practicable. The first thing that happen
cd to us, to speak of, was tho same that a
bow Is said to do first, when he falls into
the water, that is he gets wet, n SO ana
we, though not 80 wet as the BOY, p1t
the rain foil heavily and beat through
our wagon sheet, and wet us more than
VIC liked. We went but IS miles tho
first day and camped within two miles
Of that famous point, known us the
"Vhite House and fuckers Pond"-
both ut tho same place, perhaps 35 miles
from Abbeville, Court House. ! suppose
tho house hore was white once, but II
Won ask me if it is white now, / will say
Hnot much" and as for tho pond it has
been numbered with the things that
were. Several years since a conclusion
was reached that it should be drained,
and drained it was, and now the place
where it was, is covered with fine corn
and cotton. This pond may have been
there evcr since the deluge. At any rate
I suppose the time when there was no
pond there is not within the recollection
of the Coolest in%habitant," and the drain-
ing of it was 10 doubt q matter of some
regret to passcrs by who loved to look
upon it's beautiful surface. But it is best
~ it is, for the corn and cotton may be
useful as we'll as ornamental.
Passing down some miles below here
the land seems better adapted TO pasture
than anything else, consequently much OF
it is lying out, and q good many cattle
may be seen grazing, here and there.
They arc in fine ordcr and l should think
tho pasture sufficient for several times
the number Of cattle that l saw. Let w
now take q look at the crops and while
some of these may be good enough, you
will understand me when l say some OF
them 'are Us they arc,' and wien you
get zeal tho ferry they seemed to be very
bad. On the Georgia side it il no better.
This may DO taken as evidence OF a fact
which 1 fear is but too well known IN
many places, which is, that the seasons
this year havc boon unfarorable to farm
ing. Yet other causes, no doubt, pre-
vail. The crops sometimes have asort or
disease which We may call tho mis-
management.
Tho colored people scom to be very
religious down noar tho ferry, Just now,
holding ''tracted" meetings., day and
night, swarming along tho roads i'll al
most "cvcry possible which way" In
wagons, on foot, two on a mule. amy way,
to get there, and what for, with all their
religion, what will they not do. We
might say Of these as was once said of
tho Indians. "Lo the poor negro" Will
he ever be any better. Will education do
him any good. If it gives him better
teachers it may. But If the blind con-
tinues to lead tho blind, both must fall
into the ditch together. Wcll, we must
hurry on to Augusta, tho city OF pretty
groves, and big watermelons. But we
must camp first. We'll, here We arc, just
through the sand, it is rather dark now,
but we make a light and drive out under
the pines. Supper being over, wo must
sleep somc-down VIC go. "Boys get up"
it is nearly day ; eat breakfast. drive five
miles, roach Augusta at s o'clock in the
morning. Down into it we go, at least n
mile. Now VIC 90 for a grocery store,
next q hardware, then O shoe store,
and now q dry goods, and SO on, and now
we have what We came for, melons in
cluded, so we will "cut out" Leave Au-
gusta at IL o'clock drive to river, cross,
drive five miles further, camp, drive
IS miles next day. Homo at 10 O'clock
in the evening. All right, excepta little
tired and sleepy. LITTLE RIVER.