The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-03
INTERVIEW WITH sToLBRAND.
He Talks Freely, and Gives His Opinion
OF Various Matters.
AJberiile Press &. Banner.

AOOefiHe ITeS5 IL Banner.
General G. J. Stolbrand and United
States Commissioner Captain +. II.
Eaton arrived in town last Monday even
ing and took lodging at Bruce's Hotel.
Knowing the general anxiety of our peo-
pie to be informed as to the object of
their visit, We sought an interview with
them. Upon telling General Stolbrand
that our people knew very little of him,
and that we should be glad for any in
formation which he might give us for
publication in the Press and Banner, he
replied:
Ar am very sorry that / au not
better known in the up.country; for, if /
were, think / would be less disliked."
0TOLDRAND's CAREER.
We then elected the following nfor-
nation from him:
General O. j. Stolbrand was born in
Sweden; from Chicago, Illinois, he-en-
tered the Union army at the beginning
OF the war, and came to South Carolina
in 1865 in command of the artillery Of
the 10Th Army Corps. Immediately
after tho war yhe was engaged in cotton
planting aud continued in that business
in Beaufort County to 1867. In 1868 he
vas appointed Secretary or the State
Constitutional Convention, which met
that year and formed the present Consti-
tuition of the State. This was his first
venture in politics. He was elected to
the House of Representatives of the first
Republican Legislatur-, and served until
he was appointed Superintendent of the
Penitentiary in January, 1869. This
poSition he held until March, 1873. In
1876 he was appointed Superintendent
Of Constfustiop Of the Federal Custom
HohBe IN Charleston, which place he
held until July, 1877, when the building,
which had been worked at for thirty 1.-TWO
years, was finished. In 1880 he was ap-
pointed U. s.! Storekeeper and Gauger.
.September 10. at New berry, he was nom
mated by the Republicans as their can
dictate for Congress in opposition to the
Hon, y. w. Aiken, the Democratic NOM
inGe. His family consists of his wife and
five chiidren-three of whom are at
home. His only living son is Lieuten-
ant in the U. s. Infantry, now oD the
Plains.
THE. OBJECT OF THE INVESTIGATION.
Q.--General: will ycn he good enough
to tell US the object for which this inves-
tigation is held3
A.-Certainly this investigation is
made solely. and :or no other purpose
than thai of establishing my right to n
seat in the Forty Seventh Congress from
the Third District of South Carolina. I
have not advised, nor do I desire, that
any arrests should be made here or else
where.
NO ILl.-wILL TO ANYBODY.
Q.-Then you entertain no personal
ill-will or malice toward any Of our peo-
pie?
A,-Oh, no ;, do not know, the name
of a single man who may have violated
the election laws in your County nor do
f-carerto- know the names of any such
persons. except 10 prove the Justice of
my claim to the seat. 1 would not, how
ever, have you to understand that I am
aeemingly making any apology for com.
ing here to contend for what / conceive
to be my rights. l do no such thing As
that.
WHAT CAPTAIN EATON SAYS.
Owe do not wish to ask any i'm
proper questions Of you, Captain, but
would you object to saying what your in-
tentiOns are. in the matter of making
arrests in this County for alleged viola
tions of the election laws2
A.-Fhave no intention of issuing any
warrants of arrest. J n here in the in
teTost vi General Stolo. and, for the pur-
pose of taking testimony in this contest.
WHAT sToLDRAND SAYS OF THE GRE.
TURNED MEMBER" .'
Q.-Have you anything to say of the
returned member?"
A.-No, sir. / never speak Of him ex-
cept in a general way. During the cam
paign l thought it probable that we
should. meet on the stump and discuss
political matters, but for some reason the
meeting never took place. From the
newspapers learn that he thinks I have
mo homo or local -habitation, unless per-
hapsitsbe in Wqshipgton City. The fact
is, Ishaye lived In Columbia since 1860.
. I have been in Pickens Coanty for sew
seral months, disuSarging my duty as
StorekeSper aud Gauger, while my family
reside in Columbia.
soUTHeoARoLINA ANo ILLINOIS COM
go PARED.
Q@As compared with Iilinois, how
does South Carolina stand?
A.A-Isthink South Carolina fine
country. The climate is excellent and
the atmosphere is pure. There is no
sIaiasma here, as in Chicago from whence
1 came. While l lived in Chicago my
family suffered greatly, anG although the
ancestors of my family had always been
free from pulmonary complaint, my old
eat son died there Of consumption. I
. entered the army with the determination
Fof settling in the South ut the close of
the war, and since I moved my family
here we haye.had no sickness at all. I
am we'll pleased with the country, and do
not intend to leave it, unless l should go
away free from the general allegation
that. has been SO o.tsn made against those
Republicans who have already gone.
DEAUFonr AND ABDEv1LLE.
= Q.-General, you spoke of planting
cotton ingshe low country. How do the
negroes OF the lpw country, in Beaufort
s for instance, compare with the negroes in
the upper part Of the State? Are they
as prosperous, and are they rs good spec.
iitnens Of humanity, rs are the negroes Of
this section?
A.-Having been away from them up
wards of twelve years, l am unable TO
speak ofstheir present condition. At
that time,. however, tho negroes on the
coast were not the equals of the up-coun-
try negroes id aEy respect. The negroes
here are decidedly moro intelligent and
more 'pfosperous than were those on the
coast. The mild climate enables them to
so slpleet without clothing, and then
theS baTe no trouble to live on fish and
oysters. ] believe Abbeville County to
be Que of the finest counties In the State.
Your Whitgs people as c class are highly