Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-06-17
Natural Advantages OF Oco.
nee County.

Natural Advantages OF Oco.
nee County.
Editors Keopee Courier:
GENrLEHEN--Please allow me, through tho
columns Of your paper, to present to your
readers fow ideas relative to tho natural
advantages, particularly Of ono favored spot
Of OcOnee County.
A few days since, Mr.. John r. Stribling,
Of this county, was called upon 20 measure
aud estimate water power on Little River,
tho property Of Mr.. y. Jones. He invited mo
to 60 and aseiss him. I. being at leisure,
gladly accepted the invitation.
We arrived at the house Of Mr.. Jones in
due time, and thero We beheld Que Of the
prettiest mountain views that eyes ever saw.
was there led to conclude that if the gods
favored one spot of this earth moro than
another, it must have been that particular
spot. Mr.. Jones has all tho comforts for
which man could wish. In addition to that
superb dwelling place. he has cool water,
pleasant breozes, rich lands, happy family
good company, and. in fne, everything to
mako ono happy. We have been told that
no has uear four hundred cores Of bottom
lands Of tho very best grades. and over three
thousand acres Of uplands, tho greater por-
tian of which would produce tho fnost of
cotton. lie told US that he had about forty
acres in cotton this season, and would mntc.
rally increase the acreage after this. as ho
wes fully Satisfied that he could grow cotton
to az fne an advantage there as anywhere in
the country. All he needs to make Tomassee
tho garden spot Of tho county 10 tho labor.
will offer men Of industry and enterprise
great advantages such as thut it would pay
them handsomely to cultivate his lands. As
far as making money is concerned, ! would
rather rent Mr.. Jonos' land at his rates than
to own and cultivate poor land Of my own.
We went Immediately to tho waterfall.
When we arrived at an old residence. some
two hundred and fifty yards from the shoals,
the surging of the hoadlons white waters
soon told we'll whore they were. We pros
coded without ceremony to taking tho data
for the calculations. Wo found tho hsight Of
the natural fall to be fifty and ope.half feet,
which. with tho amount of water there and
which Mr.. Stribling's calculations show, will
give out four hundred horse powor. The
stream mukcs this fall in goiug only about
one hundred aud sevcnty-fve yards. By
using it all 1T one time it will be the cheapest
large water powor to improve that ever
saw. BY transmitting the power about ono
hundred fcot tho machinery building, Of
what sort soover it may DO, can bo placed
entirely upon tho top of the hill, uhero tho
ground is as level and smooth as a yard.
Thon there is largo, gently slopipg spot,
suitable for factory village. which could be
mado simply beautiful with but small outlay,
and the gardens be irrigated to perfection,
and also comploto fire extinguisher be had,
by tho use Of a small stream affording one
hundred and fifty to hundred cubic feet of
water per minute over fall of from twenty
to thirty fost, which ompties in on tho East
side of the rivor falls. Cool watts, can bs
brought directly out of from one to half
dozen springs right into the buildings for
drinking and other purpose.
BY going some two or three hundred yards
farther down tho river and using tho water
again, thoro can DO had some twenty-five
feet moro Of fall, tho power of which, added to
tho above. would make it roach near sig
hundred horse. Or by considerable expense
and tho sacrifice Of that most beautiful builds
ing site. aud taking one not 80 favored, it
could DO used all at once (about rs or7G feet
a nd sna1o IN - c,,n ,;. I,
power. The country around this place is tho
hearost level Of any country ] eyor saw to DO
80 shoaly. The whole country through
which tho manufacturer would have to travel
from that place to market. about ten to
fifteen miles, is comparatively smooth, with
virgin forests of average tmbsrs. Wo arc
told that this stroam is q complete line Of
shoals for tsh or twelve miles below this
place, aud in fact from it's source to its mouth
With ito every tributary it il rolling, ripling
mass of whito water. Oil may God speed
the day when that water shall not 20 idly By
without paying its tribute, when tho sound Of
tho woodman's axe, of the carpenters ham
NOR, tho mason's trowel and tho machiusts'
whr !ull to sleep tho now needless waters.
Then will como Oconeos prosperous days and
until thon will her resources be hidden.
While Littlo River perhaps affords moro
power than any other stream in the county,
it is by no means the only ono nffordng fine
water powers. There arc quito number Of
extra fino powers upon Conneross and Chau.
60 Greeks, and upon almost ovcry small
stream in the county there arc powers.
With all this!staring us boldly ip the faco,
together with our fertile lands and mineral
resources, why cannot our pooplo como to tho
front with their liheral;tv and hald o,t &,