Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-25
FRIDAYS FERRY.
IT IS HOW KNOWN, HOWEVER, AS
 COLUMBIA, s. c.

"A New Voyage to Carolina, with Jour-
 nal of One Thousanl Miles Inland"-The
 Public Buildings and Educational Insti-
 tutions of South Carolina's Capital.
 Special Correspondence.l
 NEW YORK, Feb. 21.-It was in 170S that certain John Stevens published, in his collections of travels, 'A New Voy- age to Carolina, with Journal of One Thousand Miles Island" This quaint narrative, issued the following year in separate form, was the personal expe- rience of John Lawson, surveyor general of North Carolina, among the Indian nations of that province and adjacent territory. In 1712 he was captured and killed by predatory band of these first settlers. When he visited South Caro- lima. in TOO. there were probably three thousand aborigines within it's colonial boundaries. They consisted of Chero- kees, Catawbas, Uchees and Creeks or Muscogees, the latter being divided into twenty minor tribes. Lawson found the Congarees on river of that name. Their town of dozen huts was in possession of the squaws. Only one man was to be seen, and the women were occupied in gambling. Near this primitive and un- inviting settlement was afterward estab- lished Fridays ferry," and in 17S6, on the 22d day of March, the legislature of South Carolina passed two important acts. The first was to make road from Fridays ferry on the Congaree to the town of Augusta, on the Savannah river; and the second was to establish the seat of state government at Fridays ferry, to lay out a town there and to call it Co., lumbia. H.
 Today this town Qong city) has population almost double that accounted by the census of 1880, when a total of 10,O36 was returned. Since the terrible night confiagration of Feb. F, 1865, when over fourteen hundred buildings were destroyed. Columbia has put on many architectural graces. Its site, beautiful one, about $50 feet above sea level, was originally timbered with giant pines, oaks and hickories. Col. Thomas Taylor was first owner of the lands. His descendants still reside upon them The town was laid out in 17S7. It is on granite promontory, 200 feet above the east bank of the Congaree at its junc- tion with the Broad and Saluda rivers What are known as the "Great falls'' of the Congaree begin at the upper end of the town, and within less than three miles descend thirty six feet, in an ex- treme river width of one-third of mile The city is two miles square, with rec tangular streets, lined with fine shade trees. Richardson street (commonly called Main) is 150 feet wide, its road way macadamized and sidewalks neatly paved. x*x
 Columbia is not only the capital of South Carolina, but also the county seat of Richland. Its natural advantages are unquestioned. That it has of recent years become the winter residence of opulent Northerners, whose modern villas dot it's suburbs, is ample testimony of the locality's healthfulness An un- ceasing supply of spring water, that is sues from a valley between town and river, is raised by steam pumps 120 feet at the rate of a million gallons per day. The city drainage is good and, with porous soil, an equable temperature, two daily newspapers, electric lights, three first class hotels. ard only ten cents om- nibuS charge to and from the union depot (for traveller and his gripsack), there is no doubt that Columbia will have a ra- diant future, whether Engineer Holly's wonderful canal be completed next year or few months subsequent thereto.
 When I asked about that canal a spry young citizen drove me out to take a look at it. This is the history and pros pect in brief: Seventy years ago the cfo to of d., from the Broad river, above Columbia, to point five miles distant, on the saf- iron tinted Congaree, below the city. The two rivers were thus connected by a channel along the western edge of the town, and for very many years this canal was used for purposes of navigation. The work of enlarging it so it could be made available as factory water power was begun in 1882, and in five years nearly S140,000 were expended upon it. Then, half completed, it was ceded to the city; $200, ,000 of 6 per cent. thirty years bonds have been thrown upon the market.
 Five trustees, appointed by munici- pal authority, hold title to the canal, and are vigorously striving to secure mill driving capacity equal to 15,0O0- horse power. During the past ten years local manufactures have shown a five fold increase. As early as 1902 there was a cottonseed oil mill, ropewalk and a profitable vineyard at Columbia. In 1880 there were fifty-two mechanical and manufacturing industries enumerated with an annual product of SS50,000. The city has now two of the largest cot tonseed oil mills in the south. There are many foundries, a hosiery factory, an ice factory, large cotton compress, shoe factory, a canning establishments, two extensive cotton mills in course of erection, railway and machine shops and several flour and grist mills. The quar- rying industries are on large scale.
 In it's railway facilities Columbia re- sembles Atlanta. There are four main lines which center at the union depot, with numerous day and night trains, east, west, north or south. The passen- ger and freight stations present lively scenes at hours of arrival and departure. A city street railway has several miles of tyoC sc