The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-02-08
"Hear ihe Mellow Wedding Bells
Golden Bells ~

The Ncws and Courier has had the
pleasure in several recent issues to direct
attention to the great progress of South
Carolina in various important depart
ments Of industry. The advances made
in agriculture and in manufactures have
been demonstrated and the State has
received the praise it fairly won. There
has been reserved, however, for more
abundant confirmation, an exhibit of
progress equally gratifying in another
direction. Confirmation has now been
fully had and the News and Courier fecil-
itates itself upon giving to the world the
shining facts of its discovery. Simply
stated it is this: The number of mar.
riages among the white population Of
South Carolina during the months Of
November, December and January,
1928, have according to our careful
estimate, exceeded the number for the
corresponding months Of 1872 by 1877
per cent.
The readers of the Weekly Me,ps may
have observed during the last few weeks
the steadily augmenting number of South
Carolina nuptials recorded in that Jour.
nal. 1t has certainly been noticed By
the unmarried member of the Netos and
Courier stsf whose tsntalizing duty il
has been to collate hymeneal happenings
for the Weekly Me,rs. Observations Of
their increase was forced upon him by
the abnormal condition of many State
exchanges, in which the list of marriages
crowded out other local news and in
which the editorial columns were occu.
pied with "felicitations' to "happy
couples" and remarks upon the scarcity
of houses to rent, instead of the familiar
patent medicine puffs. Discovery led to
research and research begat confirma-
| ton.
Our statistics of marriages in the State
are of course liable TO modification by
the official tabulation of the census, but
we will hold until otherwise persuaded
that the number of weddings in South
Carolina has increased in yatio lar
greater than the yield of corn and oat
| crops and the augmentation of manufac-
turing establishments. And, 40 the mar.
riages pile up their glowing records, we
| find that the untenanted Eouses in the
State correspondingly shrink in mum.
bers.
AS regards the priority of the various
! counties in this matter we should con-
clude that Anderson, Abbeville, York
and Marion are in the forefront Of mari.
tai progress, with Oconee, Lancaster,
Lexington and dozen other counties
close seconds in the race. The Pee Dee
section, we are gratifed to state, shows q
really surprising increase, which is prob.
bly, greater than that Of any other quar-
ter Of South Carolina. Returns from
several counties-noticcably Horny,
Clarendon and Beaufort-are quite in
complete; but we have no reason to
judge that the epidemic has overlooked
them, and must attribute their apparent
backwardness to the impossibility OF
finding space in the local papers for all
Of the announcements. Supplements to
the journals of those counties will, we
are sure, be soon issued TO catch up with
the accumulated sweetness of these de.
layed advertisements. A significant
feature of the situation Is the fact that in
Ocopee, Greenville and other counties OF
the Piedmont region the local supply OF
preachers has proven entirely inadequate
TO the demand of matrimonial so!emniza :
tion, as is shown by the calling in OF
say % per cent. Taken in connection
with the large emigration of negroes
from various counties, these facts afford
plausible reason for the expectation that
in very few years South Carolina will
have comfortable white majority. And
there is no broader sign of prosperity in
the old State than this widespread invest
ment in marriage, for 1t shows that tho
young men feel themselves wealthy
enough TO support wives, and that The
delicate sense Of the young women ha.
coincided, coyly but heartily, In this con
clusion. 1t tells Of good crops aud goot
salaries. and expresses confidence ir
the future of the State which could in M
other way be 80 eloquently expressed
The Neus and Courier wishes these man,
new South Carolina couples abundan
success, and it commends their example
70 the jealous admiration Of adjoinfD!
} States.