Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-31
SKETCHES IN CAROLINA.
ANDERSON COUNTY'S EARLY
SETTLEMENT AND HISTORY.

of the Town and Present Outlook
Military Academy-A silent Cannon
Female College-A Pleasant Drive
Gen. w. w. Humphreys-The Savan-
nah Valley Observation-Disclosures Men of
AndersOn-A Youthful Cornet Band
Nice Boarding House, Etc.
Anderson county until 1868, known as
the district OF that name, originally formed
part of the territory occupied by the
Cherokee Indians, which was wrested
from them because they went on the war
path for the British, in October, 1716.
After delay of several years the treaty
| of annexation was formally concluded
and signed in 1888, and very soon at
tracted by the fertile soil and delightful
climate white settlers began to flock in
from all quarters. 1t was attached to the
old district of
NINETY.SIX,
which then included all of the territory
embraced by Spartanburg, Laureus,
Union, Newburg, Abbevllle and Edgetield
districts. Afterwards, the same geo.
| graphical limits were further subdivided
in 1889 by setting off the districts of Pen
dleton and GreenVille And, later still,
in 1926, Pendleton was divided into two
| judicial districts, named respectively An
derson and Pickens, but remaining still
one election district until 1852. AT that
| time they were both constituted counties,
or rather districts, and entitled to elect a
| Senator each to the Legislature, and such
number of REPRESENTATIVES as the law al
| lowed, according to the rate Of pepula-
ton. 1t was not until 1863 that the name
district" to the regret OF many, was
| ohN 10 %x,yy oil Aua
the former having tor long period been
the peculiar and individual designation of
the internal geographical divisions OF the
commonwealth.
The county was named in honor Of
| GEN. ANDERSON,
one Of the revolutionary heroes of '76. The
| present court house, with its massive
! Doric columns and thick brick walls, al
most as strong as Federal castle, was
erected in 1927, and is still in fair state
of preservation; albeit the people OF this
progressive generation have about re-
solved to tear it down, and construct a
new palace OF justice on grander and
more modern scale.
Agricufturally considered Anderson is
the peer. If not the superior in fertility
and the value of her varied productions, OF
any county in the Palmetto State. The
| writer heard an old and eminent citizen
remark that it was probably the only
Ecounty in South Carolina in which the
farmers sold
ALL OF THEIR COTTON AND TRUCK
in the home market, and then bought their
family and plantation supplies from the
local merchants, This will account in
fpart for the fact that the mercantile guild
of Anderson stand as well ION Change"
as any community in the South. Failures
are almost unknown.
Again, it can be truthfully stated that
the usual prejudices between town and
country do not exist here. On the con-
| trary, a considerable portion OF the real
estate of the city of Anderson is owned
by the solid farmers of the county, and,
what is more, they are proud Of their
town investments and
REFUSE TO SELL OUT.
| There are merchants who rent stores
| from their country friends, and would
| gladly procure titles in fee simple to the
premises but cannot, because these sturdy
burghers are unwilling to part with their
| city property. This is exactly as it should
| be 10 every community. These senseless
antagonisms between town and country
| people, and the upper and lower sections
OF South Carolina and Georgia especially,
eliminating often times in bitter preju-
dice against the cities Of Charleston aud
savannah, are alike unfortunate and dis
astrous to all concerned.
1t Is pleasant to note, however, that as
| the channels OF communication increase
| in number, and the denizens OF the hill
country and the sea coast become better
acquainted, all such preposterOus notions
| are RAPIDLY giving place to new era of
! good feeling, predicated upon the substan-
| tial basis of mutual and identical inter-
ests. And this affords another argument
In favor of Capt. RaouPs road, the Savan-
nan Valley railroad, which unites the
mountains and seaboard with links Of
steel.
THE TAXABLE VALUES
| of Anderson county aggregate about
| SIS, 900, 900. Its population Is fully 10000,
| with about 5000 voters, OF whom de-
| cided majority are whites. The public
schools tor both races are numerous, and
keep open near seven months In the year
| at an annual cost of about $4,000, the
| blacks absorbing one.third of the amount.
In the absence OF the School Commission
er we cannot give the exact number OF
free schools and pupils in attendance, but
| by the latest accessible published report
| the former counted Ill, with 2.794 whites
and 2,079 colored scholars. This does not
! include the high schools and colleges, Of
| which there are several.
Glover and the grapes yield finely here,
! and the soil is emphatically the
HOME OF THE GRAPE.
This fruit. when generally utilized for
market or converted into wine, will prob
! ably prove the most valuable industry in
the county. The yield per acre is reported
| is almost fabulous.
The water powers are numerous also,
the majority OF which remain idle, but are
| destined to form important factors in the
future development OF this region.
THE TOWN OF ANDERSON
was settled In 1927, but not regularly in
corporated as a city until 1882. The pres
emit Mayor is that genial and bg-souled
man, Hon. g. f. FOLLY. The growth of
the place for several years in population
and commercial importance is almost I'M
precedented. II now contains about fifty
business establishments, one bank, one
cotton seed oil mill that consumes over
80, 900 bushels Of seed annually, one door
and sash factory, two planning mills, one
grist mill and cotton gin, one large car
rage and wagon mandatory, eight
churches 1--WE white and three colored) J,
a frst-class female college, a military
academy, and other private schools, three
hotels and $500 inhabitants.
THE MILITARY ACADEMY
occupies commanding site. and il an i'm
posing brick structure. 1t was on its
grounds that the recent cele bration OF the
Onauin0 of the Savannah Valley railrOad