The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-09-24
The Great West.
Editors Orangeb,trg Democrat {:

Latin poet, Temporal Hnutantlr ct nos
anutamer i'a illis-the changing times
bring changes to us. The disintegra-
tion and subversion of our social and
political systems, which followed as a
sequence of our failure in the war of
secession, and the attempt to remod-
ell them after the models of New
England, and the disastrous conse-
,quences to our country of these ILL
considered innovations caused many
OF our best citizens TO; look TO other
climes and lands for homes. At one
time it was even thought that an uni
versa! hegira Of the white population
was inevitable, and many good men
did 90. But wickedness and fraud
and falsehood in high places could
not endure forever, and with the
changes in the administration Of the
internal affairs Of the State have
come most beneficial changes in the
social and domestic relations Of the
people, and the alternative or ruin
here or emigration no longer exists.
Having passed seven months of the
present year in the rice and sugar
lands of Sou hwestern Louisiana, it
has been suggested to me TO present
to our people through the medium of
your paper u few facts gained by in-
dividIal observation and experience.
was induced to 90 out there through
representations Of the surprising
richness OF the lands and the assur-
ance OF an easily acquired competen-
cy, if not q small fortune in few
years.
So far as the land is concerned
throughout the Delta of the Missis-
sippi it is absolutely superb, but the
drawbacks to success are SO many
and so great that found that too Of
ten where one man succeeds five fail,
aud that frequently success is as
much due to adventitious circum-
stanccs as to any other cause. Near
ly the whole country might be called
.'bottom land" for it abounds in
bayous, little and big lakes, m,arnis
fotantes, (tremb'ing Irairics,) and
frog ponds, ,and the arabic land is only
the ridges between these bayous,
lakes and prar;es. Wcll-nigh the en-
tire country is liable to be overflowed
by crevasses in the levees Of the
river and numerous bayous, and the
area of lapd above overflow is very
rarely In the market, and when it is,
from $50 10 800 per acre can hardly
touch it, for it cannot de surprised
for cotton, corn, sugarcane and vege-
tables.
The general health of the country
is good, which is surprising, but
there is ever present apprehension of
yellow fever or cholera during the
summer aHd autumn, and there is not
store or house in the country that
has not cholera medicines in it, and
itinerant venders OF patent cholera
remedies are frequently passing.
Mosquitoes, yellowaies, gnats, alll-
gators, crawfish, froga and snakes are
prodigious in size and quantity. 1t
is necessary for weeks at time 10
make smoke after sunse. around the
houses for protection against the
mosquitoes. In some sections horses
and other stock have to be kept oiled
to protect them from winged and
crawling insects. 1t is a fine country
for people of wealth for they can 60
to the many attractive summer re-
sorts on the shores of the Gulf and
avoid these pests and scourges. The
water, which is execrable, l believe
to be the exciting cause of the chole-
ra. Throughout my tour of travel
conversed with all grades and cl9sses
Of men, and from close observation
and experience 1 have learnt that the
great West is immensely overrated,
and by comparison Of advantages
and disadvantages that South Caro