New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-11-30
SOUTHERN CURIOSITY.
YANKEE INQUIsIuvENrss NOT WORTH SPfAkiNG
OF IN COMPARIsoN-A FEW EXAMPLES FROM

| YANKEE INoUIsITIvENrSS not WORTH sPEAklN"
oF N COvPARIsON-A FEW EXAMPLES lROh
LIFE
rFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIRUNEl
| SUMTER, s. c., Nov. 1S.-Ialk about the
pouisittyo curiosity Of Yankees II is not to he
con,narcd with that Of the average South Carolina
farmer or country merchant. stranger may travel All
over New England AMI stop at the most outolhe-"'S
places aud not have to answer one-ali as many que'
lions as will be put TO him during weeks soJouh III
the country in his state. To be sure there Is sun mu'n
| ~ the hospitality of which the people Of the South
boosted before the war No traveller need go without
meal OF place to sleep, no matter where ne may W.
and paymcnt for either will rarely be accepted by the
planter with whom he stays; but the man WHO i Ho'
ready to give the fullest account OF himself ana TIE
minutest details OF his business will De looked upon
with suspicion and will have to be very SkiIiu III
framing answers to the questions that will be put
took private conveyance on Saturday rom Kings
tro 70 sumter and as the roads were heavy and the
drvc-about fory-nve milcs-was too long to be mace
with comfort in day stayed overnight at Manning
in Clarendon County village OF about three huhdou
people and the only through when we passed upon
! the road There il 10 hotel at Manning but sIhal
| merchant there has two three spare rooms IN his
house for transient strangers, and found comfortable
accommodations W tn him. sitting before the fire IN the
common room to dry myseli-for had been riding III
the ran-I honorcd with the presence ot the
andady who remarked. after few minutes Of silence
that they very rarely saw Strangers III MANNING cActp'
in the Autumn when few drummers came there 10 sell
goods Irephcd that Clarendon County was of from The
ordinary lines of travel that 1t not strange that
IL should be seldom visited 10y people not called there by
business.
did you come from Sumter to-day !" sne asked
"No, from Kingstrcc." replied.
ADO you live IN kue5trec|
"No."
ado yOu make much stay IN MHnningF
al go to sumter in the morning"
As showed no disposition To give any information
voluntarily and only answered such questions ~ were
pat to me. the lady gave up the task Of pump
mg and retired to supcrneud he preparation Of sup
per Gave it upi No, she rather rcsorted TO new line
Of tactics for had been reading book which found
ying upon the table oaly few minutes when sleepy
looking boy twelve or fourteen years OF ag" made bis
appcaraucc aud sat down before the fire. After five or
ten minutes Of silence ne broke out suddenly with:
layer a drummeri"
NO." replied, hardly looking up from my book.
Another long pause. and then:
"What might be yer name - asked the boy.
! told 1t 10 him ana De soon disappeared minute
after overheard him making a report 10 his mother.
After supper the landlord from bis store and.
after putting wood upon the FIRE, took newspaper
from ms pocket and read for half hour Then folding
1t mp and taking of hs spcctaclc,, he asked:
Are yol from the city-'rom CharlcstOni"
NO." replied, "from the North"
From what part Of the Northl"
named my native State.
"You are going to sumteri"
"Yes."
at would have been easier and cheaper for you to
have gone by ra.'
1" / know u. but wished 10 sec the country
" For what purpose
To make a report upon IT,"
" DO You think of buyns landsi r.
"S No sir. not myself"
Looking for others. then
"A great many people the North looking toward
thG cheap lands aud mid climate of the South posi-
bic future homes" rvasiycly answered
And this questioning continued until the gentleman,
for such he really In spite OF his impairment curl
o-ity had learned all and my busness-or at
least, as much as was disposed 10 tel.
THIS habit OF persistent questioning Is one OF the char
accrscs OF Southern character everywhere except la
the cities large Here IN Sumter, which Il
place Of $500 people have hnd To answer very few
questions about mysclf and my business, because
stranger not such bird here, but In Kingsrec
every new acquaintance formed applied the pump"
and In turn was asked thousand questions about
Everybody wanted know II not United states
officer detective or some other terrible character, and
until the people became Convinced that neither,
they avoided me These people treat strangers politely
but must be grdtined or they feel very
| comfortable Z. l.. ".