Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-06-05
The Up-Country Its Future.

The Up-Country Its Future.
The upper counties of South Carolina arc
destined TO become leaders in wealth, in pop
ulation and in intelligence in tho State
During tho ante.wnr history Of South Caro-
lima wealth, political influence and educated
thought were, to great degree confined to
the seaboard and adjoining counties. rho
Legislature was largely controlled by tho
parish system, and colleges. if any, in the
upper part of tho State, werc weak and dcstis
tute of patronage. Our agriculture, as a
consequence of tho absence of general intclli
gcnce, was rough and unremunerativc, tho
leading idea Of our slave owners being the
growth ofslaves. The homes of our people
were lacking in many comforts, and destitute
of all those luxuries and reGnemonts which
were common below. No attention was paid
to beautifying our homcs CT to tho cultivation
of taste for anything above tho most COM
mon necessities of farm life. Below all these
Evidences of n wealthy, refined md cultivated
people could be seen on oil hands. A change is
taking place in this respect every year, and
the up country is movineS&gward in the walks
Of wealth and refncmciS at may be, and
we hope such will bo tho case. hat lower
Carolina will lose none of its past prestige for
educated thought aud refined taste; but one
thing is certain, Upper Carolina is destined
yot to eclipse tho brightest days of the sea-
coast in all that makes life pleasant and
happy. Look for moment at tho cduca-
tonal facilities of tho country abovc Coum.
bia. We have fvc dcnominational colleges
for tho males. to wit; Due West, in Abbeville
County, Woford in Sparanburg County,
Adger, in Oconoe County, Fnrman University,
in Grconville County, and Ncwbcrry College,
In Ncwberry County. We then have good
female college at WalIlala. ono at Greonvillc,
ono at Reidvillo, ono ut Williams ton, and one
at Duo West. These ccnters of learning can.
not fail to mako u lasting impress on the
people of the Piedmont region. In fnct,
among US, who can recognize the people of
to-day in those Of 1860, whether we look ut
their houses and yards, their farms, thcir
churches or the general Information pcrvad
ing al classes? Tho sclloolmaslcr has been
tho fruits of skilled labor and educated
thought. Now wo have soil capable of the
highest improvement and climnto genial
and salabrious. we have pure and health
restoring water, plonty Of timber, waterspow,
ors and IMMORAL wealth In a word, tho
hand of nature hns been lavish in giving
rs that is needed to mako a people wcalthy
and contentcd AS the influence of cduca>
tion gradually spreads 90 will bc our dcvclu
opment, and with so many contcrs Of infor-
nation for both males and females, wclrust
not without reason, that our future is bright
and promising. We cnn remember when
there was not u college graduate in this
county, and now VIC havo n number Of such,
many of them engaged in imparting knows
ledge to others. We cnn remember when tho
education of our daughters was confined to tho
rudiments of the English language, obtaina,
bio in our then common schools, while now
very many are being taught in Latin, French,
German, the higher mathematics and pbioso,
ply, as we'll as instructed in music, painting.
drawing and the finc arts generally. 1t may
bo that oil our people cannot yet avail them
solves of these advantages for their children.
still all will be benefited by contact with tho
educated. net to say by better order Of
teachers in tho common schools. 1t is as
impossible for people to mnglo with an cdu.
catod community and not bo benefited by such
contact as fer person to stand near n fire
and not draw warmth from it. We can
remember when few small factories in
Upper Carolina and one ut Granitovilc COM
prised tho entire cotton manufacturing
interest of South Carolina. while now the
city and county Of Grocnvilc, as well rs
other counties hayo n number Of largo facto.
4ics, while cvcnamong us VIC have tho nucles
US in the small factory near " cstminslcr
Who then can question, in tho face of these
facts, our great progress for tho past ten years,
in knowledge, in development and in all tho
appliances of wculth? This progress has
been made in the face Of tho greatest political
and pccuniary difficulties, under tho untoward
circumstances of heavy taxation and corrupt
government. Now that wo have low taxation
and good government, and now TINT q start
has been mado, we safely count on tho pro.
gress of the next ten years being two or more
fold greater than tho past ten years havc
produced. Let us all, then, tako heart, ms
wo have seon the worst Of our troubles, and
tho future promises we'll.
The Weather and CrOps,