Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-08-02

N'NssNAcih WIZ iiSto tSiiitNNNt hUlOttN lol
her many beautiful homes, hospitable
people, wealth, culture, and religious
activity. .r5 5E
At the beginning of warm weather
/ again visited Missouri, where I ''re-
newed my youth in Il three months
stay at home. After all W.
| mo other cline has skies so blue,
Nor streams 50 broad and clear;
| And where are hearts SO warm and true
As those that greet me herc?'
No doubt every one feels this way
concerning the home of their child
hood.
June 5th | reached the "Sunny
South,' now my adopted home. q
trust the frequency of the ego in this
portion OF my letter will be pardoned
as it is addressed specially to each in
dividual friend | may have in Frost
burg)
And now few words concerning
old South Carolina, ''iirst in war;" but
also first in noble deeds, people and
influence, for truly she has made her.
self felt in our nations history.
Darlington county is rs miles from
the ocean. 1t forms u part of the
finest cotton belt in the State. Cot
ton is the main crop though farmers
raise sufficient wheat, oats and corn
for home consumption. The cotton
crop has been somewhat damaged by
recent rains, but in this section it is
still excellent. 1t is now in bloom,
and field after field of green foliage,
variegated with white and pink bios
SONS. present charming spectacle.
But its acme Of lovoliness is attained
when the fields are snow-white, "wait-
ing for the harvest .-
In addition to other cotton manu-
factories in the State one is being
erected at our county-seat to cost
&25O,O00. A machine has been in
vented for picking cotton which, if
successful, will deprive many a small
boy of his IS cents and 81 per day in
gathering-time. They receive so
cents per hundred for picking, and
some make 81 and even $3.50 per day,
according to their expertness and IN
! dustry. -
There are many more whites than
blacks in this section. 1t is called
the 'white portion" of Darlington
county. The county is very thickly
settled, equal to England | imagine.
The farms are small and highly cul-
tivated. The lands are level as our
Western prairics, with an abundance
of timber. Live oak, the best pine
for lumber and turpentine, bay, sweet
gum, red and black oaks and many
beautiful Towering trees and shrubs.
Some of the lovely tropical flowers
exhale their fragrance on the air and
many birds choose for their homes
this sunny cline. Watermelons and
sweet potatoes grow in abundance.
A good nelghbor pulled 1875 melons
one day last week and invited all his
friends and relatives to come in one
evening and partalze. Music and
melons and melons and music, spiced
with pleasant chat and warmed with
genuine hospitality, were the order of
the evening. This is the South Car
DINA way of doing things. When
one has fruit ripen before his neigh
bors he invites them in to partake and
Il merry social time is enjoyed.
| Blackberries, whortleberrles and
strawberries arc gone and are succeed
ed by grapes, peaches, plums, pears,
and the delicious fig. All kinds of
vegetables are abundant. The roads
are excellent for driving, and each
family has its buggy or carriage for
this purpose. "The American citizen
of African descent" if financially en-
barrassed, rides in his onc-horse cart.
This country was settled before the
Revolution, and | have been shown
some Of the battle-iields Of that war.
do not hear much said about pol
itics, the negroes and whites being
the only two parties. '
Our good peoplear building anice
parsonage for their pastor, one BROTH
er offering to furnish all the lumber,
another the brick, another the Shin
giles, and others money. The country
is so thickly settled that the Baptist
parsonage and two Methodist parson-
ages are close together. How fortu-
nate! for these Methodist ministers.
like many Of their brethren, are
among the "salt Of the earth" 1t
mac INV pnoJ fn,.t,,po To aIio,,1