Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-17
AGLlMPsE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
ARichmond Man in the Palmetto state.

A Richmond Man in the Palmetto state.
Correspondence Of tho Richmond Dispstcn.l
WALHALLA, s. c., November II. 1889.
This picturesque little mountain town
Is situated at the western terminus Of the
Blue Ridge railroad, a part of the Rich
mond and palville system. Il IS at the
foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, which
loom up beautifully in the distance. Peo-
pie from Eastern North and south Caro-
lima flock no here IN the summer-ume,
nearly everybody having spare room re-
ceiying boardcrs The architecture Of the
town. like that Of most small towns IN the
South. is of q nonda5cupt character, the
architects skill being cOnspicuously alb
sent. At the same time there are few
towns whore the poetry Of architecture
might have been so appropriately brought
out o. there are here, both bill and dale IN
all their pristine beauty only waiting TO
be crowned bY the cultivated hand Of man.
This town is different from most Others
from the fact of being built mp length
wise" if that word may he used, as It IS
about three miles long, all on one stral- ht
street and seems to be running parallel
and III opposition 10 the mountains, as II
10 see which would get there first" In
the middle Of this street. OF equal distances
apart, are q number Of brick clsterns and
in the centre of the town Is the engine
stopping fires. The houses are of the
most comhpstible character, being celled
instead of plastered, and 20 add to the
chances of destruction, especially IN the
country. the chimncys 0nd undcrplnplng
are built Of rough stone pest as y - picked
up from the fields. the points between
which are filed simply with red mud,
poorly flushed in al that, thus greatly III
crcasng the chances of CONTRIBUTIONS.
One generally associates South Carolina
with notification, secession, and. rs Car
lyle would say ringers y; but IN this
part of the State the people are thoroughly
LOYAL, though Democratic. Elre-eaters are
scarce. and have not heard the first war
story" although one-legced veterans are
stumbling about and the armless sleeve
may be seen fabbinE IN the wind. This
dcarth Of war-taik is q delightful respite
to q Nirginian who has been dosed with It
daily for TWENTY-FIVE years. and u IS worth
trip here TO get rid Of II. Negroes are
said to be here in about equal proportions
TO the whites, but have seen lew. dOmes-
tie work being done by the whites. lhe
old-time black diamond " tnOW freedman
knows his place here and acts accordingly.
The black beavered, hish-cOllared, big
trOusercd, cigarette-smOking, smart, Yam
keeized niger Is not seen, nor do think
he would be tolerated for an hour-eyen
splendid section of South Carolina and
well worth living in and q good place TO
come to. The Richmond commercial drum
mer and tramp printer stop here occasion
ally. and the Richmond fruit-tree man Is
here to-day. CREED.
SEN1cA, s. c., November y. 1889.
Among the comical sights to be seen in
South Carolina is the OK. who, since the
overthrow OF the Confederate States, has
been consigned to the cOmpanionship OF
the negro.
In Virginia the negro is associated and
coupled with the mule: hence the saying
the negro and the MULE Here the OK
takes the place Of the mule.
The OK Is yoked. harnesscd, driven be-
tween shafts. and frequently ridden horse
back; and, after you get used TO 1T. tins
really looks quite stylish. Ike anything
81 So that is fashionable.
Some writer has said that no landscape
is perfect without a cow III It; just so no
picture of the mountain region of South
Carolina IS correct without having III 10
some one of the aforementioned condI-
tions-the OK ridden by "a lank, long haired,
unkempt Carolnian. This sight, in this
aye of steam, is at first overwhelming, but
ii teaches a lesson OF patience that IS not
altogether lost on one.
Ii would appear that an inhabitant OF
this section would have but little use for
money since the land Is prolific and Will
produce any of the crops-corn. wheat to-
bacco. cotton. and meat-and grass grows
in the forest. Distilleries also abound, and
this means whiskey for the good people.
The old-fashioned spinning-wheel has not
been 5auished. and 1t IS not uncommon to
see q man covered from head 10 foot, not
with an armored mail Of shotfuns and
pistols, rs the Republican press would
have ono believe, but with clothes pro-
duced and manufactured on bis own plan
tation, made from the wool OF his own
sheep, or from the cotton produced, spun,
and woven upon his own farm. A man
rigged out in butternut or blue jeans and