The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-02
A DAY AT yTHITMIRES.
The Thriving New Town on the G.' T. " ~
The Merchants ard the Business
Api.asant Trip Through Mol
lohon.

A PitGs3nt 1riD A:lIoErh IL -hOA
lohon.
! have lived in NeWoerry C"Hr-
ty al my life except q few Years
and until last week had never
had the pleasure of a visit to N"ii"-
hon. That is ii the country ABOVE
Croiner's store is properly known az
lIol!ohon. On last Thursday afternoon,
through the Kindness Of sheriff Riser
and in company with him, L had the
opuportunity Of a trip through this sec
ton. was not in his hands officially,
bat knowing the country ana the peo-
rle, and knowing | wanted TO 90, he
kindly drove ne up tnera-oGr o.;l"c-
live point being the new lows OF Fhlt-
nlres on the g., {. d \. railroad.
THF COUNTRY.
It was fine afternoon, the wind WAS
hracinr and the warm rays Of the sun
made the trip delightful one.
After We passed Beth Elem church
the country becomes rather rolling and
it is up one hill and down another. In
fact one could truly say be was among
the red bills of No. i. This Is large
township in area-l suppose the largest
in the county. The lanG originally was
very productive and where it has been
properly cared for still is. but in many
places the soil has washed from the nils.
Before the war the farmers OF tits sec
ton were large landowners. wealthy
and prosperous. This fact possibly has
been a disadvantage to this section
since the war as many ofthe large plan
tatiops AM elegant country residences
have nct Jeen kept up, the owners,
after ;he freedom of The slaves, not be-
ing able to do it. But there aie SILL
some very fine lands in this section and
many Of the farmers are prospering'
despite the hard times, as one can read
ily see from the appearance OF IN: arm
homes.
THE ROADS.
In many places the roads need
ed attention. Some of them had re-
Gently been worked just enough to
make them rough, and in others they
had not been worked at all. The brldge
across Indian Creek near Cromer's,
needs attention and putting in posi-
ton.
The Commissioners should have
bridge buii. oss G:lder's creek on the
same road lust beyond where DR.. K. Z.
Carlisle now lives. The bridge across
Duncan's Creek at McCarley's old mlil
needs to he new bridge. 1t is c"nsld-
cred by some to be dangerous and II
certainly has that appearance; Inese
are only suggestions and The Her
aid and News hopes it Will not
be considered as meddllng:
One thing that impressed me was the
large number Of colored people that
owned their own farms. l suppose
they have paid for them.
We spent the night with the
HON. JNO. W. SCOTT,
and although be. was not expecting
US, vet we were welcome at his home,
and he and bis good wife entertained us
right well. The appearance of nice
country cured ham was evidence that
Mr.. Scott did not depend on the West
for his bacon. He has fine farm IN
good condition and is prospering. lie
has a beautiful view of the surrounding
country from his home, and l was told
that on a clear day you could get tine
view of the Blue Ridge from this emf
nence. He is living on the lands upon
which his grandfather settled when he
came from Ireland about century
ago. Mr.. Scott is an influential man IN
his community. Mr.. Sam Atchlnson
came in during the evening and re-
manned with US until past midnight.
We talked pleasantly about a good
many things, and among others was
SOME POLITICS.
Mr. Scott SAID he had not talked poll
tics before since he came home from the
Legislature. The people were too busy
getting ready to make another crop to
have much to say about politics. Mr..
Scott thought Gov. Tillman about as
strong in his community as he was two
wears ago, and from what l could
gather | was forced to the conclusion
that his estimate was not far wrong, al
though there was very little being said
about il. We did not agree on all topics,
but we parted, hope, good friends:
No. will scarcely be represented IN
the effort to get up delegates to the
March convention which has just been
called.
But our objective point was
THE TOWN OF WHITMIRES,
on the G. C. & L. and on Friday morn
ing we drove there, a distance OF six
miles. This section Of country has no
GREAT boom Oh it and small Villages 90
not spring at once into large cities, but
the growth as rule is steady and sure.
There was for long time country
store at the Whitmire residence only a
short distance from the present town.
But in these days Of railroads and bad
public roads the country store IS dlsap-
bearing. In August, 1880, the Georgia,
Carolina and Northern railroad was
completed through this section and a
station was established known as Whit
mires: soon the stores followed and the
town came. The land upon which the
depot was made belonged to Mr.. E. G.
Briggs, of Clinton. Soon the streets were
laid out and lots were sold and build
ings erected. The town was incorpo-
rated by .Act of the last Legislature and
embraces half miie each way from the
depot. 1t is "dry town. by act Of in
corporation. The town is bound to
grow into a first class business centre.
1t is eighteen miles from Newberry, the
same distance from Clinton and about
the same from Union. These are the on
ly towns Of any size near, 10y and then it
is surrounded by good and fertile sec
ton of country. The G., G. & \. is q
through ineand good rates can be secur-
cd. With no envy to Whitmiresl can t
help renlarking that Newberry missed
ner opportunity when she failed to Sc
cure this road. Whitmires is in New
berry County, but not far from theUnion
inc and no great distance from Lau-
rens. Enoree River is the dividing line
between Union and Newberry, and as
there is soon to be free bridge across
the river, it will no longer be barrier.
THE FIRST STORE
opened at Whitmires was by Spear
| man & Tidmarsh, in November, 1890.
They did good business. Mr.. Spear
.,.n hoviu,r q 1arne farming interest