The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-04-21
Farming Is Nowhere,
ADMISSION, ALA, March II, 1892.

L al MlHS lS NUhuCACS
ADMISSION, ALA, March II, 1892.
Mr.. EDITOR: My long delay in writ
ing to you is due partly to desire to
be able to give correct impressions, and
partly for lack of time. reached this
place about the 22d of January, and af-
ter a week of looking around secured, by
the aid of an influential business friend,
a position with the Woodstock Iron Com
pany, at their big coke furnace on the
western edge of the city. But even
with my friends influence I found that
it would be weeks before I could get any
thing to do, if waited on the job prom
ised me. So or the morning of the first
of February at $50 o'clock I shouldered
a pick and went into an ore bed. But
my experience in digging ore is limited
to four hours when I was placed in
better position than the one that had
been promised me; receiving, weighing
and keeping a record of the cars of ore
limestone, coke, ETC., delivered at the
furnace, and directing their unloading.
: After five weeks there I was transferred
to the charcoal furnace, and put in
charge of the ore inspecting and weigh
ing department. We receive here
greater variety of ores, and it takes
nicer Determination, as only certain
kinds can be used. I had no idea had
learned enough about ore, but so far l
am getting on O. K.
Talk about hard work and dirty work.
Farming, even on poor land, is an Eden
compared with the iron business. From
general manager down to the poor fel'
lows who dig ore at rs cents per ton OF
2,26S pounds, delivered, there is not an
easy place. Even the men in the Office
are on strain all the time.
thought there was prospect of hard
times at home, but if one wants to see
actual destitution let him go into oBe Of
the mining camps around here, then he
will know what want is.
The boom of several years ago is the
cause of suffering Of to-day Industries
have been mismanaged, and had to shut
down, throwing thousands ont ofemploy.
meut. 1t is said that 1000 people have
ieft here in the past year, and that there
are 1000 more without any regular EN-.
ployment. In FIVE weeks L turned away
$50 or 200 men, some of them nice-look-
ing white men who wanted to do any
thing. And I, ',y 1 have seen dozens Of
men working r,,.. ong in dreuching
northwest rain. Refusal, or even shirk.
Ming, meant dischsrge-and dozen men
to take his place. Stopping to eat
during work hours means instant dis
charge. would like to see some of the
colored people who grumble a; fifty cents
per day, and idle away as much time as
they can, try it here at ninety cents,
from a. m. to 6 p. m. with ODE hour for
dinner-loat time being cha-g+ d for three
times the time lost.
The biggest enterprise here, The Uni
ted States Rolling Stock Conpany's Car
works, is in the hands of a receiver snd
has shut down, throwing out of employ
meut 900 men, and cutting ntf semi
monthly pay rofl of $4,000. The next
concern is the W. 1. Co.'s furnaces, with
semi monthly pay roll of $4,000, and
with the pipe works and q big cotton
factory is the life of the place just now.
But reaction is bound to come. Acuis.
ton is too well locatsd with three big
railroad systems centered here, and in.
exhaustible resources in ore, limestone,
and charcoal, not to be thriving city.in
the near future.
The eastern portionof the city is very
'prcttily laid out at the foot of Chocolacco
mountain, AID has numbers of handsome
dwellings, and several fine churches and
magnificent female institute
Rev. Donald Mcqueen, pastor of the
First Presby yterian church, came here at
the same time I did. He made fine
impression and is greatly believed By his
people.
Ihave met other South CaroliniaDs,
among them DR.. Brown, of Mars Bluff,
the leading dentist here, and Mr. Quinn,
who was train dispatcher of G. S. & N.
r. r. when it was first built to Sum.
ter.
must close, for I have written you
too long a letter when your space is
crowded with politics. But before clos
ing pardon rae for piece Of advice to
anyone contemplating leaving Sumter.
If you are making fair living stay at
home and use all your energy to build
up home industry if on the farm make
your farm self sustaining, and you will
live better and enjoy life more in Sumter
than here.-E. W. Dab6s, in Sumter
Watchman.
TIM Trnfh Of HfSfOrV