Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-11-20
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
NOTES FROM GAFFNEY CITY.
BLACKS STATION, S. c., Nov. II, 1879.

bLACK CITATION, .. W, NOV. ~, 1919.
Your correspondent recently paid visit
to the neighboring town of Gaffney City, and
took some notes which may be of interest to
the readers of the ENQUIRER. Doubtless,
many of your readers are not aware of the
rapid growth and progress of this embryo
city, which has sprung up within the last
half dozen years-since the location and com
mencement of the Airline Railroad.
The town was named in honor of Capt
Michael Gaffhey, native Of Ireland, who
settled on the land, now a aourishing town, in
the year 1904, IN exile from his country on
account of his connection with an association
then known as the Omitted Irishmen." In
consequence of the active part he took as a
member of the party, he was banished from
his native home. He landed in New York
city, among strangers, with only l5 guineas
in his pocket. He afterward made his way
to this State and settled in Spartanburg coun.
ty, where he lived until his death, at which
time be had attained the age of 80 years. He
accumulated large amount of property was
q man of extraordinary ability and welded
considerable influence in his section.
On settling at the place selected for his new
home, the first thing he did was to open
road to connect with the trails of the Chero-
kee Indians which crossed Broad river at
Cherokee and Smiths Fords, and led into
Georgia, the only means at that time of OBJ
tanning an outlet to other parts Of the coun-
try.
Gaffney City, a place of 500 inhabitants. is
built upon his homestead, on the Air Line
Railroad, miles from Broad river, in Spar
tanburg county. The town contains i stores
and more business houses in course Of cree
ton, bar-rooms, hotels and frst.class
boarding house. Of the stores, 9 are dry
goods, is a drug store, and the other is
hardware and groceries. They compare "a
vorably with the business houses of any Of
our towns, as to extent, quality and assort'
ment of goods. The proprietors, as class,
are active, energetic, business men, and con-
troll heavy trade, as the town is favorably
situated in the centre of fine section of
country. There are in the town four regular
cotton buyers who possess such advantages as
to render it equal to any point on the Air.
Line Railroad as cotton market The ship
ments of cotton up to the present time
amounts to $500 bales There is conf.
dence expressed among the business men that
from 5000 to 10000 bales will be shipped
from that point by the close of the season.
By the recent fire there, 268 bales were
destroyed, for which the owners received frem
the Railroad Company $1,000 as remunera.
tion for the loss, it having been satisfactorily
shown that the fire originated from sparks
from a locomotive. The town is now build.
ing cotton platform, 100 feet square, on the
opposite side of the depot from where the old
one was burned.
Taking a view of the fattering business
prospects of this town, one would be naturally
interested as to the educational and religious
institutions of the place. 1t has two excel.
lent schools. The Baptists, Presbyterians and
Methodists each have house of worship, and
the erection of an Episcopal church is in con-
temptation. But as an offset to the churches,
there are three licensed bar:rooms in the town,
paying $45 per month, each, into the MUM.
cpal treasury. What legitimate business
could pay this tax? Yet those in Gafney
City pay it, and as premium on vice, and
cancer upon the morals of community. No
people can be imbued with proper moral SEN
timents and tolerate such public nuisances,
much less to publicly license them. Not
all the arguments that may be
presented in favor of liquor establishments,
the evil arising from their presence outweighs
the advantages derived from them, and the
good of community can only be protected
by their total exclusion.
But further as to the industries of the town.
The manufacture of lime in carried on here
TO a considerable extent, by simons & Co., who
have a perpetual kiln, producing 30 barrels
per day, at cost for production Of cents per
bushel; about one half of the cost of produc.
luction by the old fashioned egg.shaped kiln.
The lime is delivered on board the cars here
At rs cents per barrel of 8 bushels. The lime
IS of excellent quality and finds ready sale.
While investigating the relative advanta.
,es of this kiln over the old style, my re-
searches were brought to close by the signal
or dinner at the Gaffney City Hotel. MI.
W. s. Lipscomb, the proprietor, has improved
MS house by an addition of 81 rooms His
able presented list of edibles rarely found
IN the table of any one hotel, and the ar.
neatness and preparation of the
different dishes would be relished by any one,
much less myself who was tired and hungry.
Ego. !