The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-06
OLD CHARLESTON.
scenes in a Famous Southern City
Marks Of Earthquake and Bonn
bardment-c Curious offal Collectors
st. aHichaeps Church.
Correspondents Of Tie Press

OF. AUGUSTINE, La, req. 10, 1000
The route of the Atlantic coast line after
leaving Richmond is through the most dis
NAL, desoate, and monotonous country to be
found apparently this side of the Mississippi
river Hour after hour the traveller rides,
hoping that soon there will be break on a
diversion of some kind from such dreary
tract of country, but he hopes in vain; for
almost without variation the same tired out,
weary land is with him,eyen when he arrives
at the Land of Flowers" Surely nowhere
in the New England States can there be
found any such detected looking soil and in
habitants there Of las he will find in the States
of Virginia, North and South Carolina, es-
peeially along the line Of the Atlantic Coast
Lima Railroad. At Charleston we caught
sight of green grass for the first time, and 1t
began TO seem as though the Sunny South
prove. For up to this time we had seen snow
and ice and brown and barron wastes OF
| fields and pastures, but at Charleston the
grass looked as it does in New England in
early June; roses were in bloom. and one
could stroll about the streets without being
compelled to wear heavy overcoat.
The northern tourist probably ON his first
visit to Charleston will decide that 1t so far
on his travels is the most destinctiyely South
crn city be has ever seen. 1t Is very close
| Of brick and stone and bearing the appear
| ance of being what it is, an old town with an
eyentful history. 1t is well located on a long
neck or peninsula and with beautiful har-
| Dor in front. The streets are laid out with
| tolerable degree of regularity and fairly well
| bordered with shade trees About the town
| hangs an atmosphere of Quaintness that to
any one who cares for the antique is intense
| ly Interesting. Here more than at any point
| SO far ON the line will the stranger notice
great numbers of those busy scavengers of
| southern streets. the turkey buzzard's giving
| strict attention to business, paying as little
| heed to other outside matters as do the. spar
| rows in our northern streets. Considered
| from an artistic point of view, there is but
| little grace or beauty about the buzzard, but
| when you speak of business to use the slang
term they get there every time." Indeed 1t
| would be difficult to say what the southern
cities cities would do without them, as the streets
in many of the towns of any size in this To-
/ calty seem to be largely the receptacles Of
| garbage and refuse of various kinds and
the buzzards are supposed to be the parties
to remove such deposits. They meet the
contract without finching in the least. They
/ are protected in all mu inequalities by lay, in
! consideration for their valuable services.
Another odd feature to the visitor from the
| North is the stalwart policeman. not only
/ armed with the customary club but also with
| huge revolver strapped on the other side Of
/ his belt, here also are to be seen more color
| ed people in ratio to its population than in
any other city in the whole South, and GER
/ tainly no one who has been in Charleston
| will question the statement. Two out Of
| three persons to be met on the street are col
ored. How they all live is the question one
is constantly asking himself, but live in
some way they do, and apparently are the
happiest people to be seen and enjoy life the
| most.
The town has many historic buildings and
points Of interest. OF course about the first
place to be visited is the battery, long famed
for its fine view Of the harbor, the elegant
| residence bordering upon it and is being the
fayorite promenade and breathing place in
the city. From it is clear and un0bstruct-
ed view Of Fort Sumter, Morris and Sullivan
| Island. Here gathered on that famous April
morning the beauty and fashions of the city
mailing with joyous eagerness the opening Of
their FIRE on Flo t Sumter, from the Confeder-
ate batteries on the islands in the harb0r.
| Conld some wizard with his glass have
shown the condition of their proud city and
their arrogant State four years later. they
| probably would have thought twice before
/ calling such an avalanche down on their
/ heads. For today no city in the whole South
bears such marks Of desolation and trouble
/ as does Charleston. 1t suffered much later
4 in the war from the battery on Morris Island
| in which was the celebrated gun known as the
| "Swamp Angel" After the the terrible eff
| fects OF its fire became evident those elegant
| dwellings on the battery, long the pride of
the city were deserted, and some of them
pied and are now fast falling into decay and
| ruin. There is all along the beautiful water
front testimony of the strangest nature from
buildings wharves and other inallmate OBJ
jects, of the terrible conflicts through which
| the city has passed.
Three years ago the city was visited by
the terrific tornado and accompanied by
that destructive tidal wave which wrought
so much destruction and sorrow
and hardly had quiet settled down, when
took place that long series of devastating
earthquakes with which every one in
the land is familiar. No one who has not
visited Charleston since that frightful occur
rences can form any adequate. conceptions OF
| the direful effects of the quaker" as the Cit
liens call that experience. Hardly building
in the town but bears on its exterior in great
| or less degree marks of what the town has
passed through. Being so largely construct
| ed of stone and brick, of course the effects
| of the shaking up are much more marked
than if built Of wood. Most Of the injured
| buildings are repaired, but many are still to
be seen nearly in the condition they were
left when the earthquake had done with
| them. Perhaps the most marked instance
is the edifce knewn as Hibernian Hall, a
large structure wholly of stone, the huge pill
| lars and columns of which broken and crush
ed are strewn about in great confusion. The
| citizens speak very warmly OF the generous
| assistance so promptly rendered them by the
| North at that time, land a gentleman informed
| ms that many of the residents were better off
after the disaster than for years previous to
| that affair. But even now there is feeling
Of Insecurity, and uncertainty on the subject
as the week previous to our arrival several
quite severe shocks were felt And such has
been the case we were told quite oiten since
the terribly destructive ones finally subsidized.
Ona of the most celebrated churches IN the
country is to be found in Cbarleston--old 81.
Michaels. 1t has history and record hard
ly second to the Old South in Boston. This
church building as it now stands was opened
for worship In 1861, and has been in constant