Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-10

Company.
BEAUFORT, S. c., May 7.-According to the
programme agreed upon, the South Carolina
State Press Association arrived in Beaufort on
Wednesday afternoon by rail About twenty
seven were in the party, including some ladies.
Almost every county in the State was repre-
sented. The road leading to the town from
the depot was decorated with handsome arch
Of evergreens with the word welcome" in
| huge letters, surmounted by mammoth pen,
and the legend THE pen is mightier than the
| sword" The streets of Beaufort were orna-
mented with liberal display of bunting and
the shipping was under full colors.
| On the arrival of the press gang they were
/ driven throughout the town. and thence to
/ the Sea Island Hotel. After refreshing them
selves and enjoying dinner, consisting OF fish,
| flesh and fowl. washed down with something
TO keep off malaria, the association proceeded
| to the Arsenal Hall to transact the ordinary
/ business OF the meeting. President Crews, OF
the LaurensvilIe Herald, called the meeting to
| order. and the association remained In session
| several hours. The following gentlemen were
elected honorary members, invited to seats on
1 the floor, and requested TO accompany the
| association upon their excursion TO Florida:
/ Col VIM. Elliott. DIR. II. NJ. Stuart, W. J. Yer
/ der, Esq, and Messrs. W. h. lockwood, John
| Conant, Geo Waterhouse, s. H. Rodgers. j. H.
| Clancy and W. H. Calvert.
At nine O'Clock p. m. the association pro-
| ceeded to the Sea Island Hotel to partake of @
banquet which had been prepared by the citi-
| zenS for their entertainme nt Here nothing
seemed wanting that could add to the enjoy
ment of the guests The splendid dining room
of the hotel, which measures about sixty feet
deep by about forty broad, was deliberately de-
corated with eveTgreens and natural flowers
| The columns were adorned with the palmetto
fhA nj no uFlQfhGd with
| and trailing vines, while here and there
| throughout the room hung huge baskets of the
most beautiful and choicest exoticS. This was
pleasant to the sight, you may be sure, but the
| inner man could not help rejoicing at the
| grooming tables Whereon were spread every
/ luxury the bountiful hospitality of the good
| people of Beaufort could obtain, and chief
among the dishes were TO be seen whole
| drumfish Of enormous proportions emblematic
/ of the products of our waters. and whole
| barbecued lamb, which may have been taken
/ as emblematic of peace and plenty. At every
J plate was placed bouquets of exquisite pansies.
| The festivities were opened By an earnest
/ grace offered by Rev. Sid H. Brown, of the
ChriStidn Neighbour Soon, very soon, the pop
ping of cores was heard, which appeared TO
| be the signal for a flow OF soul and a feast of
| reason Colonel VIM. Elliott delivered an clio
| quent address of welcome, calling the attention
of the visitors to the historic spot Whioh some
| of them now saw for the first time, and dwell
| ing with particular emphasis upon the mari
| time importance of Port Royal and Beaufort.
| OIucF
| the year Savannah and Charleston had HAD
255 foreign vessels, while since the first of last
July Beaufort had 107 foreign vessels :;
| that during the past fiscal year the duties on
| foreign imports had been-Charleston, SOS, 600;
| Savannah S5l. 000; while since last July Beau
| fort showed 900 receipts from this source,
| and that there was now atioa5 co ming to this
port merchandise that would pay duties
| amounting to 100000. He said he did not
make the comparison for the purpose of iniu-
ring Savannah or Charleston, but simply TO
| impress upon the ViSitolS inc Importance or
| the place, and facetiously added that when
| Port Royal and Beaufort became a great mart
| of business, ''the suburban villages of Savan-
nah and Charleston would De used as summer
resorts"
remarks made, but suffice it to say that senti-
ments were responded to by Messrs. Crews.
Benet, Livingston Wardlaw, Farrow and
| President Wilson, of the P. r. A.
r R: Ensign Whitfield, of the L.
| s. N; Colonel I. J. White, Rev. Messrs. Ker-
| shaw and Browne, and Messrs. Stuart, Water
/ house, McFall, Lockwood and others on behalf
| of the hosts | may be pardoned, however,
! for giving one Ortwo expressions heard One
| gentleman said ne was surprised to lind Beau
| fort town of three thousand people; for he
always thought it an Insignificant place, some
| thing like 'silver quarter with hole in it,
| another said his visit induced him to pronounce
/ il the Venice of the South, and still another
| declared its outlook to promise the future
Liverpool of America
| On being called upon to answer to the toast
of Woman" Col. Thos. G. White closed his
| remarks by paying glowing tribute to the
memory OF his friend, the late Gen. NJ. w.
! Gary, and read some beautiful verses bearing
upon the same. The memory of the old hero
| was drank standing and in silence. AT the
| conclusion of this solemn proceeding, the fes-
| tai board was abandoned
Before retiring for the night IT,. association
| adopted the following resolutions:
Resolved, By the Press Associa' N of South
| Carolina that it is Of vital interest TO the ad-
vancement Of the State of South Carolina, of
| the South and of the United States Govern
ment, that the Naval Station should be main
| tained at Port Royal.
Resolved, That copy of these resolutions be
| forwarded forthwith 10 the President of the
United States and to the Secretary OF the
Navy.
on Thursday morning the guests were enter
tanned with excursion down the harbor
upon the steamer Pilot Boy, and delightfully."-
provided with all that was necessary to stave
off the effects of the rolling pillows, and, &C
c1mpanied by the Beaufort Cornet Band,
which had enlivened the banquet of the pre-
viOus evening, many citizens embarked with
the eXcursionists Proceeding down the har-
bor the first stop was made at Port Royal
where the visitors were met by the representa-
tives of that thriving town and escorted around
to view the many improvements that have
been recently made. The guests were much
attracted by the enormous cotton press and
| the elevator, as well as by the No l facilities
| exhibited for handling freights with dispatch.
|
to Bay Point where full view of grand old
| ocean could be had. Every place of interest
was pointed out ami commented upon. The
| steamer then LANDED the party aboard the
| United States ship New HAMPSHIRE where
| they met with a reception such as appears only
| to be known to Uncle Sans gallant mariners.
| Il was supposed a slight collation. would be
proffered and INDUCED IN, but hardly any one
| was prepared for the elegant spread which
Capt JoWett and his brother Officers invited the
| press TO partake of, and l assure you ample
i - =. s-sA- 80
| Gus repast unfol led toether view. Every part
| of the ship was inspected and questions in
| Vulnerable asked by the brothers of the quill
| from the mountains. and every request was
| politely complied with by officers and meh Of
| the ship Refreshments were proffered below
| by the non-commissioned officers.
| The New Hampshire is one Of The old eighty
gun ships, and is absut sixty feet from her
| deck to her keel. When fully equipped her
| complement Of men is about eleven hundred
She has been stationed in this harbor for
several years and is now ordered North. Pre-
| paratiOns are being made for her removal,
| which is expected to take place very shortly
| although efforts are being made by the citizens
here to have her retained. Colonel Elliott and
| Mr. d. c. Wilson left here en- Thursday norn-
| ing for Washington to interview the authori-
| ties in behalf of the people here, who have
petitioned the President and Secretary of the
| Navy to have the New Hampshire remain or
| have another vessel sent here TO take her
place.
| the hOSpltaOle BOARD or the New hampshire,
! the steamer proceeded to the works of The
| CGosaw Mining Company, where they remain
| ed for upward of an hour viewing the prepare
ton and shipment ef phosphate rock This is
| indeed an immense industry. Everything labor
| saving is used in the raising. washing and hand
| ling of the rock. The company have char
| ter granted them during the Radical regime,
giving them the exclusive right to all the
| rock in the navigable stream called Coosaw
river, for which the company pays to the State
| a ROYALTY of 81 per ton. With the rock selling
| at SO per ton, after deducting the 81 royalty
| and the 50 ~ cost of raising, washing and ma
| nipulating, it will be seen what a gold mine
| this company has in its exclusive rights. And
| they manage to elude the payment of taxes,
too under the head of encouraging manufac-
| lures There must be at least 100, 900 tons
| of rock shipped annually by this one
| company. The visitors seemed surprised at
| the magnitude of the business, and its huge
| proportions and its profits msy be family real
| lied when one is told that the shares of 500
| are now worth 81. 200 each, and that the whole
business is owned by not dozen persons, the
majority of whom live and have their being in
| England The field which they engroEs-the
| Ooosaw riVeF-i5 capable Of supplying ten such
| companies with rock, and Of affording to thou
| sands of industrious men, a means of livelihood
if the territory was thrown open TO the public,
| as the Ceople claim ell public domain should
be. The works, dredges. washers. lighters and
| tug boats of the COoSaw Company are worth
between $500 900 ard Sl,0C0.0J0, counting the
\ stock of rock constantly on hand in course of
preparation and ready for shipment. The
| mine is ineXhausti6le
| Returning to Beaufort, the Press Association
| met and listened to a well digested Grafton. de-
| livered by Mr. Hugh Wilson, of the Abbevlle
Press and Banner. The address was replete
| with good and wholesome instruction, and was
| heard with marked attention, and ordered