Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-12-12
HIGHLANDERS SOUTH.
Description Of Their Country, Gus.
toms, and Peculiarities.
LIFE IN THE MOU MAINS OF TIE
PALMETTO STATE AS SEEN BY a
RIClIMONDER.

p"NSh'J
OCoNEE County, s. g., Nov, %, 'S9.
a very queer custom of this see
tion is the manner of burial often
practiccd. Instead of elaborate
marble hcad-stoncs or other such
memorials to the dead the Carolinian
will build over the mound shed or
small house to protect the grave
from the inclcmcncy of the weather.
At first one is likely to take these
little structures for baby-houscs. In
the case of the better class of noun
tainccrs he will paint this wooden
mausolcum. The less favored will
content themselves with shed ar
rangcmeDt, which is made by driv
ing two forkcd stickes in the ground
and then placing on these rail,
which forms ridgc-polc, upon which
the plank is laid shedding to the
ground.
In regard to the settlement of this
valuable section Of the State, the
most intelligent people advance the
opinion that immigration is the
thing nccdful. And it does look as
if there is a great deal of waste
ground. At The same time, consider
ing the early age at which people
marry and commence life here, it
would appear that South Carolina
would in few years have a tccming
population-as numerous as that of
Asia. Several couples met were
married at the carly ages OF twelve
and seventeen respectively
girls twelve and the men seventeen.
This ! am told occurs quite often,
and early marriages are the rule.
The result is that there arc many
grandparents at forty years of age.
| have met several. Ludicrous mis-
takes are often made by your cor
respondent i'll taking children, mo-
theirs, fathers, grandmothcr#, and
grandfathcrs for brothers and sis
tcrS.
The early days of many Of the
country readers of the DiSpotch will
be pamoramacd in a ride through
these wilds by the sight of thou
sands Of goldcn-hucd pumpkins,
cymlins, and gourds lying in the
patches. The pumpkins are cut into
slices and hung across Il ridge pole
or up against the side Of the house
alongside the wildcat and coon skins
and look like strips Of herring hung
out to dry on an Eastern North
Carolinian's dwelling. The gourd
is universally used rs a vessel out of
which to drink the clear water that
abounds everywhere, and thousands
hang from poles planted in the earth,
Il hole being cut in each of them
''' ~ N'oNSh w b'tlllil lHc cllJtilncC
of a blucbird or blackmartin, thus
affording them Il comfortable nest
lngplace. The sweet notes Of the
blucbirds are thus heard around every
mans house. The villainous Eng
lish sparrow is making his appear
ancc and asserting himself as in
Virginia, and is 'agin" all other
birds to the manner born. These
mountain people know not what a
nuisance is being prccipitatcd upon
them in these pests, and should
quarantine against them as against
ycllow-fcvcr.
Yesterday | struck a typical noun
talnccr OF the sportivc proclivitics of
the Nirginian, who had his pack of
hounds and got his meat from the
woods. He claimed to have killed
more wildcats than any other man in
the region and invited me to dis
mount and look at his trophies
wildcat tailS-nnd Dragged of pos
sum hunt he had last night. Through
me he invites festive Nirginans to
come down and take Il hunt. Tray.
Blanche, and Sweetheart are at their
service.
Y 4 I ~,