Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-08-19
For the SPECTATOR.
Letter from Greenville, s. C.

/ For the SPECTATOR.
| Letter from Greenville. s. C..
GREENvIILE, S. c., July Both, 1884.
EDITORS STAUNTON SPECTAToR:-Lea,
ing the pretty city of Charlotte, N. C.
with It's broad streets and shaded side
walks, frinlged with long rows of elm an
1 silver maple, arrived in Greenville, th
Highland city of South Carolina, on th
morning OF July goth, quartering myself a
the Mansion House, which is supposed t
be the leading hotel of this city.
Here l found delegates, gentlemen far
mers, representing nearly every county o
the Old Palmetto State, which might wei
be styled the farmers big gathering, as i
was the place and time set for the annua
meeting Of the State Agricultural and Me
chanical Society, and the semi annual meet
ing OF the State Grange These severa
bodies were called to order by their P1esi
dents at an early hour. The Agriculture
and Mechanical Society was presided owe
by Col. e. P. Duncan, of Union, and tha
of the Grange by their Worthy Master, Col
James N. Lipscomb.
| After short sessions and some discussion
as to the best method of having the Stat
properly and creditably represented at th
coming New Orleans Exposition, the dele
gates adjourned for joint meeting of tn
two Societies, at which quite an amusin!
and animated discussion was had over th,
cultivation of cotton, cow-peas, AND THl
PROPER MODE OF RIDDING THEMSELVES OF
GRASSES.
This latter objection, and the earnestnes.
with which they fought the grasses, would
have been a source of no little astonish
ment to Augusta county farmers, living,
as they do, in the midst of as live a grass
growing and fertile section as can be found
in the States lying between Pennsylvania
and the Rio Grande.
But, as in the past, SO it is now. Cotton
is still king, aud rules this people with an
iron rod, that is not only impoverishine
their land, but has likewise made the plan
ters of the Carolinas hewers of wood and
drawers of water for merchants and specu-
lators, who hold mortgages not only on
their lands and crops, but on their work,
stock, and even the furniture in their houses,
and still the worst is not told. In many
sections, when the cotton-crop is partial
failure, (and the farmer, having liens,
forced to purchase his supplies at an exorb-
liant price from the merchant that holds a
mortgage on all he has got,) he fails to pay
out, and is forced to renew the mortgage
on his land on the next years crop with
from 10 to % per cent. added, and vet la
boring, as they do, under all this disadvan-
tage, they will persist, notwithstanding the
low price of cotton, the worthless negro
labor, and the expense compared with that
Of growing grain and grass, in growing
cotton, and, with a limited exception, moth
ing but COTTON. Is there any people on
Gods green earth under a bondage more
CALLING than this? Yet many of them would
seem to feel that it is a godsend, that they
can have the privilege of driving into their
towns and cities to load their wagons and
carts with bacon, flour, corn, hay, and but
ter, shipped into their States from the far
West at heavy and often extravagant
freight, and thus mortgage any, and often
all, they have of this worlds goods to Sc
cure its payment some time in the future
But you would ask: Is there no bright
side to this dark picture?
Well, as a citizen of Staunton, located
as it is in the midst of productive hills and
fertile valleys, with its varied productions
of beet, pork, mutton, wheat, rye, corn,
hay, clover seed, potatoes, and other crops,
finding their way to the markets at differ
ent periods of the year, and proving to our
farmers a never-failing source of revenue,
I would say that, after having mingled
with this people and travelled throughout
the length and breadth of these States for
the past three years, that when l come to
compare their condition with ours, I can
but fail to see this bright side; nor do ]
believe the time will eyer dawn on the peo-
pie of the cotton belt, till the cheap and
worthless labor that now afflicts this coun-
try has found employment in other States,
and the intelligent white people of these
States, like in our beautiful Valley, are
compelled to bare the arm and exercise
the brain, in the planning and personal ex-
ecution of that which they have hitherto
depended on others to do. Then, and only
then, will they arrive at period in their
history, when they will seek to make two
blades Of grass grow, where they would
destroy one now; and then, and not before,
will the naked and sun-bleached lands and
galded hills of the Palmetto and Tar-Heel
States be clothed in living green, and these
people cease to bow, willing subjects, to
their king.
The Piedmont belt of the Carolinas has
some redeeming qualities, and has, indeed,
wakened up to the Importance of the
change and her people who, even in the
palmy days, always had to depend more on
themselves than others, are raising but lit
tie cotton, and are, from year to year in
creasing their growth of wheat, corn, and
oats.
They are also favored by nature with per-
haps as fine fruit section, in point of soil
and climate, as can be found in the South,
differing from Virginia in that their trees,
and especially the peach, lasts for many
years, and are not subject to those failures
in crops, resulting SO frequently with us
from hard winters and late frosts.
1t was my pleasure to-day, to attend a
fruit and vegetable exhibit, which had
been prepared by the people of Greenville
county, at this, their county seat. It con-
sisted of large variety of vegetables, of an
unusual fine quality and size, and about
thirty varieties of grapes, with an almost
equal varietyof apples, peaches, and plums;
all of which were remarkable for their rich
ness of color, and the high state of perfec-
tion to which they had attained.
The city Of Greenville is located on the
Charlotte and Augusta air line, with a pop
ulation of about nine thousand, for which
it claims to be the third city in the State.
1t is well located, and has fine water pow
er, which has been utilized in the manufac-
ture of cotton, of which the city boats of
two large factories, together with one cot
ton-seed oil-mill, and one refractory, the
latter having capacity of about seven tons
per day, of which the entire cost of con-
struction was about nineteen thousand dol
lars.
This beautiful city, like most of those in
the South, with it's wide streets and hand
some residences, with large shady yards,
beautifully adorned with flowers and shrubs,
is the home of Staunton's much-loved and
estimable Rev. DIR. Manly. As he presides
over one of the most fiourishing colleges of
the South, laboring hard for the elevation
and education of the youth of this favored
cline, he has not failed to win for himself,
by his sterling christian 'graces and acts OF
self-sacrifcing kindness, that love and ad-
miration, that was really refreshing to one
who knew and admired him in other days.
Feeling that l have already tresspassed
at length on your columns,
am, respectfully,
A WANDERER.
The sale of liquor in drug stores has been
condemned by an authority which is gener-
ally respected by the trade. The Alumni
oc +I,o Dbi1odalnh;o CoIlora of Pharmacy