The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-02
THE COTTON FAIR.
The South Carolina Exhibit.
Mem York Commercial advertiser.

New ORLEANS, March LIN cele.
brating the Centennial of Cotton, it
should be remembered that no State in
the South has history so interviewer with
the great industry as that of South Car
olina. From Charleston 100 years ago
was exported the first bale of Southern
snow, and from that date to this cotton
has been chief element in the wealth
of the State which has done more than
any other to foster the growth of its
power. Before Whitney reaped the en-
eft of another's invention one of her
citizens invented the cotton gin, which
| virtually raised the staple to its throne,
and very lately another has patented sn
invention, which an official committee
here, after careful investigation, pro-
nounces to be the only improvement ever
made upon the saw gin, one which will
soon supercede all other gins. The cot
ton harvester, which another South Car
Gilman has nearly brought to perfection,
and which greatly to the disappointment
of the cotton world, is not exhibited here,
for fear of infringement of its improve
ments in its unfinished state, will COM
plete the list of claims which South
Carolinians advance as their titles to be
considered the body guard of King Cot
ton. Their State exhibit shows beauh-
eul collection of cotton, culled from the
Sea Islands to the foot of the Blue Ridge
Mountains, which form the northern
boundary of the State. The staple of
the Sea Island cotton of South Carolina
is said to be the finest in the world. One
of the South Carolina planters raises Sea
Island for Lanely, the great French spin.
ner, and receives an average price of 81
per pound for his crop, when other Sea
Island cotton are only bringing thirty.
FIVE to forty cents per pound. Two bales
of this cotton are on exhibition, and
have been entered for competition.
SOUTH CAROLINA PRODUCTS.
Sea Island cotton is used to manufac.
ture the best grades of spool cotton and
fine laces, its long staple having a capa-
city to be spun into thread so fne as to
be almost invisible. 1t is shown here in
bales, and framed under glass are sam
pies of the pretty, silken stuff, just as it
falls from the pod, looking in its dainty,
airy lightness more like the spiders work
than the product of field crop. A very
fine oil painting, the work of Miss Hell
en- Murdock, of Charleston, shows a
growing plant of Sea Island cotton full
of blooms, red, white and blue, and the
fully developed balls from which hang
the snowy fleece is its perfection. The
upland cotton is also we'll represented.
A splendid variety, raised near the cap.
ital of the State seems to an unframed
eye to rival the far famed Sea Island
cotton in beauty of texture. Corn,
wheat, oats, rye, barley, Millionaire,
sugar cane aud sorghum cane are all to
be seen in their various forms, and they
all, with the many other agricultural
productions of the State, are used to
decorate the roof and slender pillars of
beautiful temple which forms one of
the South Carolina exhibit-a veritable
temple of agricultural industry-its outer
courts being studded with glass vases
containing the shelled grains of the
different cereals whose sheaves thatch
the roof, and the inner court has 600
jars Of preserved fruits and samples Of
wine from the vineyards of the Piedmont
section, which bids fair to rival France
in the production of fine wines.
The fruits of this State are shown in
most tempting fashion. One sees here
peaches, pears, ounces, figs, plums,
cherries, strawberries, blackberries,
raspberries, gooseberries, whortleberries,
haws, grapes, jellies, jams aud preserves
of the good old fashioned kinds, which
look as though they were good to eat and
which give the eye rest after viewing
the immense quantities of fruit in this
building put up in white, tasteless fashion
aud already covered with mold.