The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-09-11

in the struggles made by the Geor
gians, under 0glcthorpe, against
the SpaniardS in Florida. Then the
people became involved in war with
the Yemassee and other Indian
tribes, on which W. G, Simms, like
our own Fennimore Cooper, expend-
ed a wealth of descriptive talent as
a novelist. Then followed the events
of l776 and of the succeeding years
during which South Carolina was
occupied by British troops. The
battles of Fort Moultrie, Camden,
Kings Mountain, Eutaw Springs
and Cowpens all had for their OBJ
jectiye point the city of Charleston,
and General Francis Marion, the
Swamp Fox" stood with sturdy
strength as the sentinel at her gates
Tracing one generation after ano
Their, we find the settlers occupying
under royal letters patent the beau
tiful islands known as "che Sea
Islands, Here they developed the
growth of the long staple cotton
and became almost imperially rich.
Their city homes during the mild
southern winters were in Charleston
md a hundred years ago they began
| the construction of the handsome
residences, SO many of which are
doubtless involved in the present
ruin.
Notwithstanding its many adyer-
sites, its frequently recurring yel
low fever plague, its conaagrations,
the storms that have swept over its
shores, and the tidal waves by which
it has been half engulfed; its negro
insurrection in 1922, when nearly
half a hundred slaves were hanged
by the neck until they were dead;
it's fearful bombardment during the
recent war: and scores of other
events that have served to keep its
name before the country, there is
one bright incident connected with
the history of Charleston that will
alwa~8 be remembered in CONNER
clal and agricultural circles. We
refer to the discovery of phosphates
When the war was ended it left
among its poverty stricken drift one
Professor Pratt, who had served the
Confederate government in making
powder and looking after the geolo-
glcal resources of the South. In one
of his hungry moods he bethought
himself of the factthat ten to fifteen
miles up the peninsula on which the
city is situated existed a great basin
famous among scientists as the de-
pository of various kinds of fossils,
like the teeth of sharks, bones of |
and other relics of ancient
animal life. Taking his old army !
haversack, hammer, spade, some
acids and chemicals, he began his
Investigations Too poor to hire
& buggy, he walked the distance
every day. The result he kept a Sc
cret until he found it advisable to
come north. Then he revealed it to a
Charleston banker, now
lead, saying that he had discovered
10 odd per cent of phosphate in
of specimens that he had
iested, and asked the loan of hun
ired dollars to pay his way to the
North for the purpose of utilizing
us 'hnd. The request was refused,
he professor evidently being re-
,arded as visionary and impracti-
,able man. He found the means,
However, OF reaching Baltimore and {
Philadelphia, in both Of which cities
lie appeared before the scientific ,
ocietleS and made known his dis. +
Overy. Within a week he had au- n
aoriiy to draw on asyndicate for a f
lilliOn dollars. He returned to n
harleston, purchased twenty miles {
luare of land for mere song, set L
t work hundreds of negroes, and Il
cyan the development Of what has t.