The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-07
Dots nv the Way.

I LEFT the Queen City of the mountains
Grcenville, which is we'll named queer
City" situated on either side Of the beautiful
Recdy River, with her water faces and facto
rieS. The first point of interest the cars o
the Grcenvilic and Columbia railroad pas
was Piedmont Factory, on the beautiful bank:
OF Saluda River, about ten miles from The
city, IL is true out of Sight of the Railroad
about onc-half mile distant from the depot
On Il former visit to this factory | was struck
with the beauty and grandeur OF the place. Us
you leave the depot to go to the factory. YOU
pass q beautiful white church or chanel. bull,
for the use of all orthodox denominations
there you enter 4 broad street, that lies be-
tween two long lines of tenement houses, ON
either side are beautiful shade trees, walls, &c.
You pass around the hill past two well stock.
ed stores, until you reach the Office OF tue lac
tory. Or this high hill, which is in the center
of the town. there is a neat hotel kept by the
superintendent for the accommodation OF
travellers. There is also Il beautiful dwelling
house, cottage style, about fifty yards from the
hotel. on the same hill, you have II ma%nlf1-
cent view of the factory, tenement houses,
and the river, you can see from this point An
dcrSon Court House. Wiliiamston and the
City Of Grcenvillc. will now give you a de
scriptlon of the factory. 1t is four stories
high, 1t has two hundred and forty [22IU looms,
ten thousand six hundred and Seventy-iour
n0.G7ij SpindleS. The stock holders last spring
increased their capital from three hundred
and thirth-four thousand (SS}i,HND dollars To
! five hundred thousand t500,0O0J dollars. Their
able and efficient President, Col. II. p. Ham
NETT, superintendent \. r. steele, and direc-
t0rs are now building another large mill about
the sanc size of the present one. when con-.
pletcd the two mills combined will have
twenty-thrce thousand l23.W0) Spindlcs, and
five hundred 80 looms. The capacity of the
yarn mill Is equal to two hundred additional
looms, which makes the mill equal to Il mill
of seven hundred looms. They also have q
fire eXtinguiSher with pipes running all
through the mill, that will e%XtinguiSh the fire
when the heat rises to lbs dcgrcsS. You can
delugc the whole mill with water in 4 few sec
onds, this cNtlnguiSher cost I'VE thousand
$1,000 dollars. 1t is decidedly the finest loca-
ton and water power on the river, although
there are four more down the river, not en-
cccdinS twenty miles down to Mr.. Malcolm
Erwin's mill which is equal. if not better wa
ter power than the last four. II was 4 great
oversight In the surveyors Of the Grecnriilc
and Columbia Railroad that they did not run
the road up the river on the west side, beyond
the Piedmont Factory, before crossing, and
then the passengers could have full view OF
the factory, which | have SO fcebly attempted
to describe. l have often been asked by pas
scngcrs. where is the Pie lmOnt factory? l
would now advise the stockholders of the
G~reenvillc and Columbia Railroad and the
f,ctory to run the road there now, as the seem
cry on the river, is far superior to the Hudson
river OF New York. This river should be
called the Hudson of the South;
The next point of interest on this road Is
Williamson, noted for her tine mineral
water. Female College, churches and accom-
niodating merchants.
Next III OTUeT IS INC tO"u Vi DcltCl, UOlCQ
for its good hotel and good merchants.
The next point is Ilnnca Path, a business
little town In quite q thriving condition. Sew
eral new stores going up, or are spoken Of be-
ing built.
full grove, with her quota Of merchants and
hotels.
And now, comes the town of Hodges at the
Junction of the Abbeville branch, there l
stopped until the up train came up. l went
around TO the stores, to pass the day as p cas-.
antly could, all the old men had gone Il fish
ing and the young men were playing marbles.
Since they have stopped the license of liquor,
the bore OF all evil, 1t Is quite q respectable
town with her new passenger depot, u good
hotel and a good well of water.
And now l come to old Abbeville, the ter
minus OF the branch road. She is noted for
her able lawyers. ju iges, merchants, doctors,
fine schools, churches, flower gardens. line
houses, good society, sober young men, and
last but not least, her pretty and accomplish
ed women. There are published here. two OF
the largest weekly papers in the State, the
mcr ably edited by Mr.. Hugh Wilson. the
best local editor in the State and Col. II. l..
Wardiaw the talented and gifted young cdi.
tor. and the latter papcrby Gen. X. X: Hemp
hill the brave and eloquent lawyer. There is
also a fiue carriage factory run by McSSrS.
Seal & McIlwuine. The merchants all seem to
be doing q thriving business, judging from
what | saw in q few days. The Court House
offices are all we'll filed by competent men.
There are four hotels in the town, well kept,
and | think they are doing a smashing bust.
ness. hut l can't tell which way they arc
smashing. TRAVELLER.