Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-01-30
South Carolina.
Correspondence of Camp News,
Philadelphia, Pa.

The State Of South Carolina has
one popularity that no other State
in the Union possesses. 1t has no
divorce laws. A divorce is not
granted for any cause. The laws
governing marriage and all apper-
tanning TO it arc peculiar. Thcre is
not the slightest impcdimcnt of any
kind placed in the way Of marriage,
and it is shorn of the usual prelimi-
narics that other States deem ncccs-
sarye A license is not required, and
even notary is competent to per-
form the ceremony. No record is
kept of the marriage, except the
church record, and as a great many
are not married in the church, Of
course that can not be called a gene
raj record. No vital statistics of any
kind are required to be kept by law.
1t seems strange that the two cx-
trcmes should be found in one State.
1t is therefore tho easiest possible
thing to get married, and an impos-
sibility to become single again; no
matter what either party to the mar
riagc contract may do to violate the
marriage laws, or abuse and maltrcat
each other. They can and do scpa-
rate, but they must remove to some
other State and gain a residence be-
fore the marriage tic can be annullcd.
AS rigid as these laws appear to be,
there is still loopholc that practi-
cally amounts to a divorce, for Il per-
son can rc-marry if the husband or
wife has been absent in parts un-
known for n period of seven years,
or absent on the high seas five or
more years, and not known to be
living. If n person should rc-marry
under such circumstances, and the
absent or supposed be- dead party
should turn up at some future day,
Enoch Arden fashion, it would GER
tainly make things interesting, but
there would be no Infringement of
law. Just how the case would be
settled in such an event is uncertain,
but probably the attending circum-
stances would shape events.
When first came here l saw writ
ten notices tackled up in public places
announcing that on "salesday" COW
or mule, or some similar piece of
property, would be sold to the high
est bidder, ETC., Gin front of the
court house." This surprised me a
little, but soon found that the first
Monday in each month was set apart
as salcsday, and the "Niastcr," as a
part of the official title of the Judge
of Probate, is styled, would dispose
Of the property aforesaid at a "N1as-
ter's sale," and every month mort
cages on property Of all descriptions
are thus disposed of.
wrote in my last letter of some
of the p' ,uliar expressions and
phrases, and | will add one or two
more in this letter. Among the col
orcd people 'IIowdy" is a common
one and is an abbrcviation of "How
do you do?" This is used, too, to
large extent by children of white
people, but not much by white peo-
pie themselves.
"Over yon'" is another odd ex.
preston that is used by the same
class, and is intcnde. to designate a
locality or direction. Open fire.
places are used altogether as a means
of heating, and the cheerful blaze is
very acceptable and makes the plain
est room look inviting. The poor
people, white and black, do their
cooking at the firc-placcs, utilizing
the hot Goals, and an expert can do
the incest kind of broiling in that
manner. One pccnliarity about the
wood is that kind of pine known as
eight wood" or rich pine, and called
also "fat wood" 1t is full of pitch,
and large stick will start off and
burn by simply applying match,
and will throw out an immense heat.
1t is fun to build fire when YOU
have such material, but not very
funny on cold morning, if you
have nothing on hand but green
wood. When the trees are boxed
for turpcntinc and left standing, the
sap and pitch runs together and thus
makes the "fat wood" The wood
from such trees can be made to look
nicely when finished, but is not dura-
bic and is not used for building pur-
poses.
In my next letter / will give you
some points OH the climate, which
has as many changes and surprises
as New England, and sometimes
makes one imagine they arc any
Whorn buf in thn USunpx, Co,,.L ),