Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-03-24
Correspondence of the YOrkvilie Enquirer.
LETTER FROM SALEM.

LETTER FkOM SALEM.
SALEM, N. G., March l8-Your correspon-
dent finds himself this morning in the ancient
town of Salem, comfortably quartered in the
hotel kept by tha venerable Adam Butner,
who, with the exception Of an intermission of
a few years, has been the genial landlord of
the house ever since 1850. Twenty eight
years ago-but be it understood | was very
young at that tine-I had the pleasure of
being guest OF Mr.. Burners, and on meet
ing him after so long an interval, am pleas.
ed to find that time has touched him gently.
Though now eighty years Of age. he still re.
tains the ability to keep good house and give
the wayfaring man cordial welcome and
hospitable treatment. The Salem Hotel was
built in the year 1882, and though it might
be supposed to present all antiquated appear
ance, yet while no important changes have
been made in the style of its external archi.
lecture, it will now compare fsvorably with
some buildings Of more modern construction
and greater pretensions. Nor has the interior
arrangement undergone much alteration from
the original The most noticeable change ID
in me reducing of the size of the fire places.
Experience demonstrates facts more fnrcibly
than theory, and it has been satisfactorily as,
certained that fnr the purpose of heating an
ordinary hotel bed room, FIRE place three
feet wide will consume only half the quantity
of wood required for fire place six feet wide.
Hence the departure from the extravagant
notions of our grandfathers. additionally re-
markable for economic ideas; but excusable,
perhaps, in this instance, when we reflect that
they built their houses in primeval forest, and
chopped a useless quantity of fuel for the
same apparent reason that the farmers
throughout the greater portion of the land,
an hundred years later, maui rails to fence in
their crops-just for the sake of performing
hard and pro6tless labor. Under the ceiling
of the hotel office, and for the entire length
of the room, extends huge oak beam or
ioist, which serves as additional support and
strength to the hoor Immediately above. In.
quiry revealed the fact that after the close of
the Revolutionary struggle, Washington paid
visit to Salem. Extensive preparations were
made to give him an appropriate entertain
ment, and it was arranged for him to hold his
receptions'in the room spoken Of 1t would
contain probably forty or fifty persons, and
fearing that the floor might give way under
such a pressure, after mature. deliberation
Sand consultation. the honest and prudential
burghers, in order to prevent the possibility
of so serious calamity as the falling of the
floor during levee by the Father of his
Country, determined to brace it with an extra
joist of such strength and huge proportions as
would cause the modern builder of a railroad
bridge to stare with amazement.
| S.,1a hoc
always been a town of peculiar interest. 1t
is one of the oldest towns in North Carolina,
and the only one in which the customs and
traditions Of the original settlers have been
so carefully handed down from parent to child,
and the virtues of the fathers SO zealously
emulated by the sons
The 6rst house on the site where Salem was
subsequently located, was built in the year
1866. lis now standing and is tenable, being
used as "potter shop" though it is dilapi'
dated. 1t is built of logs, and was construct.
ed not alone with view to comfort, but if
need lie to subserve the place Of fort in case
of incursions by the Red men, who at that
time were numerous and roamed with consid.
erable freedom and aggressiveness in this
part Of the royal province.
The original colonists, or the pioneers of
those who followed, consisted of only twelve
persons -Moravians, from Europe, fleeing
from religious persecution. To these colonists,
who arrived in 1853, and at first settled few
miles north of the present location Of Salem,
King George granted, by royal letters patent,
10000 acres of land. This was afterwards
increased to 100000 acres and in the year
1882 title was secured to the settlers by an act
of the Assembly.
The settlement or community continued to
grow and thrive, being composed exclusively
of Moravians, noted alike for industrious and
temperate habits, and the town is to-day un.
der the same benign influences that obtained
more than century ago. Its present popu.
lation is about 1900.
Among the first institutions founded here
was female school, established in 1904, which
has become famous as seat Of learning, and
ranks among the best female seminaries in
the Union. The original building, though
once or twice enlarged, being found inadequate
to meet the growing patronage of the school,
in 1852 large and imposing structure was
erected, which is used in connection with the
old building, aud yet the ample facilities are
taxed to their utmost.
The grounds about the church and school
buildings are handsome and attractive. The
cemetery is an object Of interest. Leading
from the church to the Silent City OF the
Dead, is graveled roadway, shaded on eth
er side the entire length by venerable cedars,
all of uniform size and growth. The entrance
to the cemetery is on the extreme side from
the church, and on an arch over the gate is
the inscription, blessed are they that die in
the Lord" While the burial service of the
Moravians is more impressive, perhaps, than
that of any other sect, and if i mistake not
the funeral train is always accompanied from
the church to the grave by solemn instrument
tai music. yet ali is free from ostentatious dis
play. The rich and the poor are buried with
like observance, and the one with no more
pomp than the other. The axiom that the
narrow tenement of clay to which all must
be consigned equalzes the rich and the poor.
the proud and the humble, is here observed,
and after the funeral rites are over, instead
of stately monumental pile or costly shaft,
a simple marble tablet placed over the grave,
marks the last resting place of the dead,
without reference to worldly possessions or
temporal fame.
In Salem was erected the pioneer woolen
mills of the South and with but three or four
exceptions, here are the only mills for the
manufacture of wooen goods in the Southern
States. The cassimeres and jeans made at
this factory have a reputation all over the
South, and they command ready sale wher-
ever introduced. A visit to the factory will
we'll repay the trouble. It has been in opera.