Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-05-18
OCONEE.
A Trip Across the Country
Gconee and Pickens.

DEhN COURIER: lou nave often asked us 10
contribute 10 your columns anything that we
regarded worthy Of note of interest to the
reading public. 1t may not be matter of con
Germ 10 any of your readers 10 know that We
we use the plural, not Because such is the con-
scious dignity and importance of the writer, that
he regards himself Of more value than belongs
TO the idea OF unity, but we say ,cc, because
there were two Of us-lcft the town of Wnlhalia
Oh the afternoon Of The 9Th instant, making II
circuit of fifty miles and returning TO the start
ing point on the evening of The 7th But il is
fact that party of two did take such tour
and this fact may excite the curiosity of somc
to know whittier they went, what they saw and
heard and what the impressions made on
them.
The objective point Of our trip was The town
of Central, on the Air Line Railway, balf way
between the cities of Atlanta and Charlotte.
Our first stage was along the Grccnvc road
via the High Falls to Old Pickcns { Court House,
or rather TO the site of what in days gone by
was The court house town of Pickcns County,
including The now Pickcns and Oconee ounties.
The most noteworthy feature that attracted our
attention on the way between this and Old
Pickens was the number Of new clcarings and
settlements. short while ago there was
almost one continuous forest from Cane Greek
to the High Falls Now newly cleared fields
and new houses are 10 be seen Mt short intervals
along tho whole route This certainly is signifi-
cant. The hand Of progress and improvement
are at work.
At the High Falls We halted n few minutes
where We met Capt. j. Hilary Sigh. lIo is
busy at work in utilizing the facilities afforded
by the place for tanning. This business will
doubtless be made q success under his manage
mcnt. There might be other industries started
| at this place which would contribute not only to
the profit of individual proprictors, but to the
wealth of the county. There nrc advantages
offered at High Falls for running machinery
| which ought TO be embraced There is n nalurI
dam across Little River at the falls which makes
n great water power available with but com
paratively little labor. There ought TO be fac
tory at that point scale extensive enough
| to manufacture all the cotton raised in the
upper part Of South Carolina. What q great
factor such an enterprise would be in the ma
terial development Of Oconcc County.
| After pleasant conversation with Cant. S.
and his good lady We drove on TO the residence
Of Mr.. Silns Cannon, where wc halted for the
night. MIR. C.'s dwelling is OH the bank of the
| Kcowec River and within the Incorporate c
limits Of what was once Old Pickcns There
nrc now only two white families living on the
area formerly included in the town. Mr. Can
non is one of the thrifty and cntcrprsing fnrm-
| ers OF Qconee. lie finds no trouble in securing
labor. lie pays the laborcr wages for The time
he is employed BY this plan he can command
Whatever lnbor ho needs and at the desired
time, and he is succeeding.
On The morning Of the 9th, instead of pro-
ceedng on our journcy,wc yielded TO the temp
talion of trying our luck at angling in tb,
beautiful waters of tho Keowee, but we failed tt
tempt many Of the fnny tribe 10 try our bait
Alter pleasant sojourn with Mr.. Cannon W,
crossed over tho river into Pickens county an,
proceeded in the direction OF Central. Will,
our road in this county was not destitute of th,
signs of improvement, yet these signs were no
} 80 frequent as in Oconec. This difference ma,
be owing mainly 10 the nature of The countr
, through which our road happened TO lie. Earl
in the afternoon wo stopped at the residence o
, MIR. John Boggs, most delightful country home
within few hundred yards of Twelve Mil
River Mr. Boggs is tho son in-aw of on
fcllow-townsman, Capt j. W. lIollcman. Mr.
d. is nm enthusiastic young farmer. Beau,ifu
folds of grain, patches Of clover and we
arranged and commodous farm houses, ar
evidences of The interest taken by the proprcto
az well as the good management which Is tn
harbinger of success. Would that moro of OH
young men would give their talents and enerpic
to the great work of farming. We call IL th
great work, because upon it, moro than an
other, depends the development and prosperit
Of the country. Let our farmers be thrifty an
intelligent and every interest Of our peopio wi
be advanced in proportion. Mako the farmin
interest of any section q success and other in
dustries will spring up rs q natural conseq uencc
Whatever tends TO the Increase Of capital pre-
pares the way for new Investments und create
distinct departments Of labor---leisuro for th