The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-03-28
First Peruvian Guano Brought to the
Up.Country OF South Carolina.
BY HENRY D. CAPERS.
From tho GrcenriVc llountdincer.

sang sweeter, the boys we're merrier and
the girls about Anderson Court House, il
possible, were prettier than they are to-
day when the horn of the stage driver
made richer note than ,the whistle Of
the locomotive will ever give; when the
writer went with light heart to the
plow.handles, or during school time
trudged along with his books and his tin
bucket to the old school house in the
grove to meet the Whitner boys, Elijah
Brown, Prue Benson, John Humphreys
and Fitz Caldwell, and feel before the
day was over the supple hickory of Mr.
Leverett, or receive the rebukes of Par
son Carlisle; when steel pens were
unknown, but an English gose.quill
could write pretty love messages, and a
hollow tree at Doctor Caters was post
Office that never reported at Washington
City an uncalled for letter; when We
sang Lucy Long and Nellie BLY, and the
Farmers Boy, and wore nankeen in the
summer and Mr.. Crayton's jeans in the
winter; when Mr.. Calhoun used to start
for Congress in G spring carriage, and
our freight trains we're composed of cara
vans of wagons, whose jingliDg bells
made music l recall with great pleas
ure; when our nearest Railroad depot
was Aiken or Hamburg, and Jefers &
Cothran the agents and factors Of the up
country of South Carolina. My father
had established his home on small farm
near Anderson Court House, and there
enjoyed, in his leisure from the cares Of
ministerial duties, the sweets of rural life
at Box Cottage. he was en- excellent
farmer, and really found pleasure and
a recreation in what some might think
the drudgery of manual labor. 1t was
there that, with my younger brothers, !
learned and practiced the details of farm
life, and found in this best of schools the
associations Of youth that yet bicds my
love to to the hills and dales of Anderson.
A vessel had arrived at Charleston
with the first consignment of Peruvian
guano ever brought to the United States,
and my father became the purchaser of a
small quantity, which he had sent to
Anderson via Hamburg, and through
Jeffers g. Cothran, whose name appeared
as agents on almost every package that
came to the up country in the goodly
days.
One morning, early in the Spring OF
lS49, our breakfast hour vas disturbed by
a loud call from the public road, and a
hello! that would have done credit to
the lungs of the best wagner on the
road. / went out with my younger
brother to answer the call, when We were
met with an inquiry about in these
words:
"Does man named Capers live here?"
"Yes, sir" was the answer.
"Well, tell him to come our here, and
come quick" said the WAGNER, who had
his request With more than
one adjective not to be repeated here.
Ny father had heard all this, for it was
delivered in not only plain and emphatic
but--emphasized in way that
woke the echoes around Box Cottage.
He came out at once; and walked with
as to the road, when the following colo.
guy in substance took place:
"Well," said my father, what is the
matter, my friend 2"
"Matter why stranger, it is good
thing you is an old man, for 1 had about
made up my mind to lick somebody to
get even Tor hauling this truck. Never
mind, I'll get even with Jeffers e. Goth
ran yet" With this Mr.. Martin, the
WAGNER, proceeded to say that he had
left his wagon at the yard of our agents
in Hamburg to be loaded while be had
gone over to Augusta, and next morning
hitched up, put his corn and fodder and
bed clothes, on what looked like easy
freight to handle, and started on his
home trip up the country. Said he:
~ kept smelling Of something that
warn't right, and when it was time to
rest my team l got in the wagon to feed
my mules, aud such an all fired stink !
never smelt since was born. My mules
would not eat any of the corn or fodder,
and when night came l could not sleep
on my bed clothes lowed it was
something you had bought that was
spilled, and come mighty nigh throwing
it out, but as l had receipted for the
thing brought it along until got to
the Court IIpuse. never knew till then
what it was. Bale Crayiou told me
what it was, aud now, stranger, have
got to git even. Ifit ever gets out that
I have been hauling SIGH truck Ill never
have any peace on the road as long as |
live"
1t would be impossible for ME to de.
scribe the scene as the good WAGNER was
making his statement. My father
enjoyed joke as much as anyone, but
DOW his synpathies were really taxed for
Martin. Overlooking his strong adjec.
tives and approaching his situation,
explanations of the character Of the
"spilcl truck" were made, ard Martin
asked to the house.
~ can't go in no house whar there is
decent people, stranger; [ smell worse
than any ram goat, and never will sat
isfy my folks at home about the smell
that is all over me, my wagon blankets,
mules and all.
The up shot o. it was that the guano
FROM Peru was taken some hundred yards
or more from the cottage, and Mr.. Mar
.E;-o] ,hont tho tnost dissatisfied