Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1878-07-13
For the Orangcburg Times. ]
.-'GLBUl,t; July Slh, 1878

| glorious day, and celebrated wit h
due festivity i'll Orangeburg-thcre
were the usual pagcntry and parade
the fun and frolic, music, eclat and
noise attendant upon celebration
Ia city fashion, but [ scri ously doubt
if there is as much real enjoyment in
such stylish affairs as in the good
"old-time" country pic mic in which
We of the rural districts that day
indulged. The reason Of this is We
ry obvious, for, in town, fetcs aud
entertainments occur so frequently
us not to be Il treai, while gala-day
is thoroughly appreciated by old
and young in a farming community,
because there arc SO few events to
vary the monotony in such busy
circles. Gilmore Simms has su ffi-
GENTLY "immortalized" name fa-
miliar to al to excuse me from ex-
patiating on the historical fame Of
-Four Holes Swamp (why not Quartz
lian Springs ? so eminently cla ssic;)
so without l,rrying to intro luce the
location, / will just state, that thre e
thousand people assembled at the
bridges early on the morning of the
4th for the purpose of-what do peo-
pie go to pic-nics for? pleasure? l
once saw it stated that no sane per-
son ever enjoyed one. Oebatablc;
still, OH looking around, an assem-
blage of persons with less purpose
manifested in their conduct, never
presented itself for my observation.
Why, after one alights from tho sad
die or buggy, what comes next? The
only object have ever discerned OH
firs.. arrival is to see who else are
present, note their dress, companion,
carriage, and other interesting per-
sonal details. 1t is amusing to quiet
observers to watch the manoeueres Of
young folks OH such occasions. They
walk up with such conscious air f,
give side glances around with so
much observant carelessness, walk
about SO aimlessly merely to walk
back again, conversing SO vaguely
and disconnectedly, too much occu-
pied in looking at other people to be
very interested in their individual
actions and other people are simi.
larly engaged. AS the married and
elderly ladies take seats and exert
their skill in keeping them, Will. the
gentlemen talk the same as else
where, only .laughinga little louder
and more frequently, and every body
generally has an all. of waiting for
something to happen, withstand
ing my abiding faith in the poetical
and sentimental nature of Carolina's
illustrious children, am forced to
the conclusion that dinner is the OBJ.
ject ofsuch gatherings.
The statement with regard to the
number i'll attendance was made to
me by Il gentleman of undoubted
vcracity, but subsequent facts prov
ed that supplement of "minus two
thousand and five hundreds was nee.
cessary, for an approximation to
correct estimate.
Refreshing showers fell during
the day, and jasper when he difiant-
ly unfurlcd his bnnncrin the cnemy's
face, could not have felt more un-
selfish devotion, than did the gallant
sons Of the soil who unfurled their
'brcllas to the drops that threatened
demolition to every hody's sunday
hat, utterly regardless of danger to
their beavers, which they asserted
"wcrc made to wear nor did Socra.
tes resign himself to the fatal
hcmlock with more composure, than
did the unfortunate owners of said
hats to the tatoful showers. A for
tunc-tellcr beguilcd many giddy
young heads into anxious specula-
tons with regard to the future
while the anxious looks cast in the
direction from which issued an in
ccssnnt rattle and commotion, indi.
Gated that older heads were like
wise interested in the future-the
| npnr futuro foo 7 NAV odd Thoso