The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-07-11
Our Panoia Letter.

PANoLA. July 9.-When one wants to go
to picnic all he has to do is to get in his
buggy and go. We found this to be our
condition on the 4th of July. For several
weeks the TINES favored the picnic at "Mar-
tins Lake" Like any other inquisiti7e
person, we felt an inclination to set sail for
the picnic grounds. The sun was as hot as
we had ever felt, in fact the day was disa-
greeable, so there were murmurings about
the heat from every side. Before we reached
the lake. we were informed by a colored
gentleman that the picnic was correspondent
meaning it had been postponed. This was
sumner. To retrace 25 miles which we
had ridden was burden too great to bear,
and it got next to US. However, that gen.
ial parsonage, DR.. A. J. White, in the mean
time drove up and informed US that such
was not the case. You can imagine how
our soul was uplifted. The cloud dispersed
from gloom to Joy, and the whole Of our
fears vanished Ikea pebble, for it was o
4th of July which will long be remembered
by the writer.
There were local misunderstanding.
which is always to be regretted, that pre-
vented mary from going. Men must ride
their hobby-horses in every thing. Il must
be the bell sheep or 40 sheep at all" That
seemed to be the only trouble with the Mar
tins lake picnic. But with such men as
Maj. Land, Cantey, Walters, White, and
Barnes, the Rev. Mr.. Porter to back them,
anything in short time can be arranged.
Too much praise cannot be bestowed on
these gentlemen in their noble efforts to car
ry out, if not in the whole, partially the pro-
gram published in the TINES. A prettier
place could not be selected for a picnic
ground. The dense forest, with big shady
trees made the ground picturesque, and the
most lovely imaginable. The dinner su-
perintended by that noble Roman Maj.
Land, conducted by his two right hand
leutenants, Samuel Barnes and Ben Can
tey, with long table spread under the big
oaks filed with every substantial from bar
becued mutton, roast pig, turkey, ham, rice,
chicken-pie, cake, only is an illustration Of
the magnificent outline of the culinary art
furnished for the occasion by the good Ia
dies of Foreston. Ice cool water was in
abundance which tended to quench the
raging thirst and to mitigate the heat from
the sweltering sun. Little, big, and old
seemed to enjoy the day, the dinner, and the
occasion. The very thing that was said
must not be done was done-the game of
base ball. This was interesting in the
afternoon. The Wee Nee's of Kingstree and
the Foreston's were each dressed in beautiful
costumes. The Foreston club labored un-
der disadvantageous circumstances in the
absence of two of their best players. As
the game advanced the Wee Nee's tightened
up and were victorious. The time came to
bid adieu to all that was lovely at Martins
lake. AS we made our homeward turn We
took in Foreston. ''the village of corn" I
voice the sentiment of every impartial mind
who visits Foreston, that they are the cham
pion corn growers OF the State. But how is
it possible they grow such magnificent corn?
The question is easily answered, work
and manure. This is the only secret, AS
a general thing the crops in the lower por-
ton of the County are much better than at
Pamela. The drought up here is beginning
to be seriously felt. We have had no rain
in six weeks. Corn is failing to such an
extent that great apprehension is felt for
the future. The rain in the spring dam
aged crops. Cotton suffered from too much
rain. 1t needed hot sun, but for the last
week it begins to alarm every one. Our
farmers are down in the mouth. There is
no possible chance for corn to yield more
than half a crop. But am reminded of the
length of this letter, the compositor's anath-
ema during this hot spell. TOM.