The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-16
MlDDIEPEN ITEMS.
CONDITION OF THE CROPS FINE FISHING,
MAD DOGS, ETC.

Oo''o' SIu"yeoNrp DeHlOcfM:
No doubt you have thought ere
long ago that the pike has been the
unfortunate victim of some moneter
fish, or else he has been coasting on
the banks Of the Middlepen waiting
for MIR. Farmer to cast out his fabby-
skin for the pixies untimely meal.
But, sir, he has been otherwise en-
gagged, his time has been spent in ex-
ploring the stream that leads to pros
perity, (Quisque suee fortune taber.)
(Mr. Editor, I don't propose writing
on any general topic this time, but
merely to give you the news in gen
eral from this quarter, in other words
Middlepen Items.
Cotton crops in this section are
very backward and farmers complain
ing of bad stands. Spme places they
haven't third of stand !; great
many ploughing up and and planting
oyer; corn crop looking very
fine for the season. Just here allow
me TO state that our enterprising and
energetic farmer, Mr.. f. w. Brantley,
has made quite a discovery in the
the way Of corn. He is using corn
that he got from DIR. w. S. Barton,
called the 1uscarora, whicn bears two
shoots to each grain. He heartily
recommends it to the public as being
the best corn this country has ever
seen, both for ito prolific qualities and
soundness of grain. ca trial Of the
came will convince any man.) Fish
have been biting nicely in the differ
ent streams, and especially in Mr..
Smoak's mill.race. I went q few
days since and in the course of two
hours caught hundred nice pe.ch.
(Who can beat this?) The race
seems to be inexhaustible. I suppose
to make low estimn:e there has
been at least cart load taken out
in the last week. (No one who has
gone can say hs returned With fisher
mans luck.) Mr.. Editor, 1 thought
of you often when was pulling those
nice fish but don't think for q mo-
ment that my thoughts were like the
Irishman's, how far you we're off.
Would have fished the DEMOCRAT
with pleasure but didn't have an op.
portunity of sending them. The
fruit, I am sorry to say, has at last
commenced falling; don't know of
any one that will have any, except
our friend Mr.. Starwall. His ways
or views for protecting the tree are
worth initiating. But my idea for
keeping the fruit is to apply to Mr..
Kirk Robinson and supply yourself
with the glass jars, in years of abun-
dance to preserve plenty for wet
day. Mr.. Editor, suppose you have
heard 80 much of mad dogs that the
thing has become monotonous. One
cf the most amusing scenes happened
on the Five chop road q few days ago.
An aged negro woman, returning
from Mr.. H. SHELLS plantation to the
QCain place, was over:aken by one
of these CANNES. Having heard of
the danger of coming in contact with
one of those dogs, under the inspira-
tion of the moment she didn't know
whether to pray or run. Thinking dis
cretion the better part of valor, she
commenced operations, the dogs nat
urally pursued. She ran for about
mile, not knowing where to 60 for
protection, or not knowing when she
passed home as it was late in the
afternoon, and not being able to dis
Germ precisely what it was, she swore
it was Pluto or some OF his aids.
One good thing il has done for this
community, it has put quietus TO
the nocturnal ramblings of the de.
candants of Ham, Mr.. Editor.
I noticed in an issue of past date
an article on School Conventions. l
am glad TO see that the citizens of
Orangeburg, even at this late hour,
have put their shoulder to the mighty
wheel Of civilization. Other counties
have gone into the noble work, and
why not old Orangeburg follow the
noble example set by her sister coun-
ties. Are we to turn deaf ear to
education-the main guide of life;
the only lamp by which VIC are to be
governed or guided, am of "Blue
Jeans" notion. The sooner organ.