Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-22
OUR DARIEN LETTER.
Church News-''The Ridge, as
Summer Resort and Desirable LO-
cation for Settlers-A Sudden Cold
Snap-Cattle Raising-The Conn
mission QuestIOn-POlftics-
Rice Prospect.

DARIEN. April 19.-Editor Morning Nescs
Acting on the principle that "every little
helps" the ladies Of the old 'St. Andrew.
Church and Home Association" turned over tC
the vestry all moneys left in the Treasury fol
the purpose Of replacing with shingles. if al
lowed, the present roof Of corrugated iron OF
the church ediflce, the latter having proved {
delusion if not humbug. heavy expense
and constant disappointment. Application has
been made to the Board of County Commits
sioners for leave to shingle, and the ''associa
ton" turned over about one hundred and sixty
dollars towards payment. The Home" to re
place the old society was organized fully OF
Monday afternoon last. and resolutions of q
most liberal and practical nature were passed
and the members are very hopeful as to its
future usefulness and perpetuity.
In town on Sunday the Rev Mr.. Montgom
cry. of Walthourville, preached morning and
night at the Presbyterian Church. On The
Ridge. the Presiding Elder, Rev. Mr.. Marshall
preached at the M E. Chapel morning and
evening. There was no Sunday school at the
chapel nor at the Episcopal Church in town in
the afternoon, owing to the rain.
High mass was celebrated at the Catholic
Church on The Ridge at baif past ten, and
vespers chanted at half-past seven by the new
priest, who is said to possess delightful voice
for intonng Father Wightman, the late mis-
sionary, was very much liked, a quiet, unas
suming man and a fair preacher. No reason
has been given so far for the change.
The Ridge is lovely In its fresh, spring ap-
parel. and holds out inviting arms to its sum
mer residents for an early return TO their
homes, many or which, though not architec
Cural beauties, have such lovely surroundings
and such delightful breezes that the roofing
matters little so it be sound. Here, as well as
on the islands, new orange groves are being
planted, while some OF the existing groves are
as old as any in Eastern Florida. just here
am indebted to a friend, who remarks that
when we think of this fact and our superior
surroundings, as we regard them, in other
respects, we wonder why the influx and tide of
immigration passes by us for Florida. We read
the NEWS Florida letters, and smile TO think
how the shrewd Yankee with the dociity and
gregarious propensity of the average man,
gives our shores the go by to congregate in the
Peninsula. But we do not envy our genial
neighborS. and will bide our time.
On Monday last the weather was quite cool,
and the wind high in the morning, and though
the sun shone bright enough outside, fire was
kept up throughout the day in the house.
These sudden snaps must blow down upon us
from some fruit-destroying frosts farther up.
North Georgians used to tremble for their
peach crop at every sharp charge, until the
third week in April-court week-was safely
tided over. There was nearly always court
week frost, lighter or heavier. after which the
weather became more settled towards the sun
ny side.
A pretty large drift Of timber came in on
Monday. and more is expected down during
the week. Prices are something lower.
People are beginning to engage In other pur-
suits, too, with more energy than it was for a
long time thought possible to be called forth
Our climate and grass lands are equal to those
of Australia for sheep raising Mutton for
condition and flavor is one OF the best meats,
and there seems no good reason why as fine
quality Of wool should not be made here as
there
Cattle raising on Sapelo and other islands is
assuming proportions that threaten competi-
tion with the bluegrass valleys of the Tennes.
see. whence, via your CITY, we used TO draw our
beef supply. especially for that merchant feet
of ours, whose foreign tonnage, we said
quietly to one another, was greater than Sa-
VannahS Now, lnSteai OF that roundabout
way. our beef is mostly of home production,
and after some few years. the improvement in
quality and quantity will be such as to require
no importations of the kind
Not exactly apropos, but by connecting
link nevertheless arises the suggestion that a
society be formed here. as elsewhere for pre-
venting cruelty to animals The heart aches
over the poor overstrained mules, who are I'M
mercifully beaten because unable to move
through the sand with such enormous loads
and the patient oxen. ridden, jerked and beaten
up and down the bluff for boys amusement,
while the deluded owners fancy they are held
to grass Poor little goats too. going, going,
almost gone; painting under the weight of boys
twice the size of their owners, who, in seIfsac-
rificing generosity do their best to help whip
up the little animals for their friends pleasure
ride
The clouds lie in heavy deep blue masses to
the south. and about half-past ten this morn
ing there was perfect hurricane blowing from
the southeaSt-the wind so strong that it swept
the rain horizontally before it. The usually
placid river was muddy and turbulent and Gov
cred with white caps, while the house beneath
US was felt to tremble under the gale, which
has somewhat abated we, are glad to say,
though still strong enough to remind us that
this is year of tempests, floods and cyclones.
The colored people are much disappointed
over the result of the appeal to the Supreme
Court in the local question that has for the
past several years SO bitterly ag1tated our com
munity before the Legislature and in the
courts, called here 'the commission question -
to which decision reference was made in my
last, and of which can now give you a more
detailed account The question was whether
the city of Darien and the county of Mcintosh
should be ruled by commissioners recommend
ed by the grand jury and appointed and COM
mlSsloned by the Governor, or In the usual
way. The commissioner men were victorious Ia
preserving the law before the last Legislature,
when an earnest effort for it's repeal as made
by our colored representative and others. The
recent decisions of the Supreme Court in
Churchill ct al. VS.. Walker ct al, quo 11GTTdnt0
from Mcintosh, decides the present system to
be constitutional
State politics, as have before intimated, are
sparingly partaken Of asked information of
q gentleman VINO, we know, Keeps well up
with these things, and he said: present pros
poets are that it will be q mercantile transac-
tion on all sides, from the Governorship down
with precious little principle involved in it ex-
cept personal advancement Therefore, sup
pose it is but fair to predict that they who
reach the top in the scramble will hurt no re-
cord that may be demanded in the future.
The debating society should next take up
the question or heathen immigration. While
as l understand our constitution, this is an
open country, where every man may worship
God according to the dictates of his own con-
science, there was no provision made for the
admission of divers consciences and divers
gods, and the Chinaman should leave his joss
house in the Empire of the Sun when he comes
over, and the Mormon be condemned to heed
st. Paul's injunction to the bishops to be the
husband Of our wife.
Planters here are in good heart, lands In fair
condition stands good and a splendid yield of
rice anticipated. Our fields escaped the devas-
tating effects OF the cyclone of last August.
which, by slight change in the wind before
reaching us. failed to touch the low lying rice
crop, and while houses. roofs and trees went
down before its fury, the veering to west
southwest prevented our sharing the disasters
OF planters on more northern rivers.
AS one Of them remarked, lowing
to the direction in which the wind
blew, the remarkable spectacle was presented
of low river and unf1ouded fields, while at
the same time, on the Ogeechee and Savannah
crops were overwhelmed houses DESTROYED.
many persons and animals drowned by the
insatiate sea, swept far inland over the plan
tations BY northeast hurricane" SO long as
we owned allegiance to KING Cotton" and
blindly prostrated ourselves at his feet, we
failed to realize what, since he is dethroned
we plainly that the millions in it" required
millions on 1t. Now, the old cotton ridges are
leveling themselves year by year under the
action OF wind and rain; the fields being cut
up into lots, sold off to the colored people, who
are building up the suburbs In every direction,