Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-08-20
For the Advertiser
A Trip to Bennettsville.

A Trip to Bennettsville.
EDITORS ADVERTISER: Descriptive
writing ia something new to me, and
] kaya misgivings 40 to my proving q
success in that line, notwithstanding
Fyoar ,aattsring allusion to my min.
BE pen" I will undertake. however,
q short account of our trip to South
Carolina . bsansr gonnty--agricultu-
rally speaking-and. tell some of the
many pleasant and funny things seen
while there and on the road. Your
readers will, I trust, overlook any
shortcomings, sni not increase my re.
gzet that Mr.. Bacon was not one Of
our party. ! have on:one or two oe-
casions recently had my admiration
powerfully excited by his description
Of what ! sai9. If he cannot "edd a
tint to the rose and cen paint the
lily" just a little, he comes as near it
as any one ] ever met; and his de.
sosiptive powers are certainly inimi-
table.
The delegates to the Joint Summer
Meeting at Bsnnsttsville. from our
Agricultural Society. Col. o. F. Cheat
ham, Dr.. W. s. Prescott and myself,
armed with our crsdentials and our
railroad passes. left Trenton on Mon.
day evening. Aug. 3rd. little after
9 sunset. Those free passes. by the
way, wsrs our most important be-
longings, Judging by the care taken
by each of US to put them in our inner
breast pockets, safely enclosed in en-.
vslopes. And yonr rsadera who have
never ridden on the Oars on a free
pass, can only, imagine the satisfac.
tion attending such travelling. it is
really delightful. I tell you. And the
pleasure Of not having to pay is en-.
HANGED by the soothing consciousness
Of being somebody, q man Of enough
Importance to obtain one of those GOV
etsd bits of tinted paper. They say
'open confessions are good for the
SOUL" and / shall not pretend to deny
that that free pass was most pleas
urable addition to what has proved
one Of the most pleasant trips aver
took.
The recent copious rains, which We
found had fallen along our entire
route. made the atmosphere cool and
pleasant; and the absence of dust In
creased our satisfaction. Altogether
we commenced our journey under
most agreeable auspices.
, Our coach was almost empty on the
siaa rom Trenton to Columbia, which
seats consequently scarce. q large
number of delegates from the up.
country were on board, and we fell
into our places as part of the men.
agsrie very naturally and quietly
after sundry introductions to Colonel
this and General that. There were
no Misters, and very few Msjors or
Captains aboardl The truth is. from
che way military titles were banded
about, one would have thought we
we're aboard of train during war
times, and very near the army at that.
A stranger could have scarcely re-
trained from peering under the ainsn
busters for sight Of the stars and
bars, 80 much rank was called to mind.
Now I myself have handle to my
name. to which I have grown aceus'
toned, and while I care little for the
title, am proud of the company l
have the honor to command. So,
though scarcely noticed the intro
duotion BY COL. O. to Col. 81. as "Mr.
Ellman." the repetition of the "Mr." T"
in the numerous introductions which
followed that night and the next day.
caused me q deal of modification.
: Here was I, the Captain of a real
Company. crack one at that, con-
stantly addressed as Mister by Gen.
erals without brigadss and Colonels
who never had regiment. who smiled
patronisingly on this nobody from
Edgefeld. while they showed very
plainly they felt their own import"
ancs, and that they would have
been heroes had an opportunity ever
offered. Of course there were somo
bona fds old Confederate of6cera
along, but they were not very many.
Shorn of my title. my own feelings
can only be; likened to those of pea
cock which haslost his tail. and which,
not knowing it, commences to strut
A backward glance, however, shows
his bright plumage gone, and he has
tens to hide his diminished head iu
the nearest thicket. Cheatham haG
started me off wrong; and I went to
and returned from Marlborough az
plain Mister. And I confess it waa
very pleasant to hear bluff old john
Roper. sing out How are you. Gap'
tain Benz" as I got off at Trenton on
my return; and I resolved if ever
we.t with "Os" on another expedi
ton among strangers, to permit no
more such oaahiering.
We reached Florence at half.paut
one o'clock that night, and ha6 to lie