The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25

scaled the rich black loam, the productive
farms Of future generations. But
the dainty blue violet and other
vood flowers bloomed in their season,
ar scant profusion. Now, however, only
the latest of summers colors frightened
the earth or perfumed the leafy arches
with their fragrance. Instead, the ground
was beginning to be covered with an
irregular mosaic of dead and dying au-
fumn leaves. The trees, too, were dis
PLAYING the same diversity of color: As
one looked down into the depths of the
forest he could trace every shade OF green
and brown, with here and there scarlet
fringe. Here is all oak with leaves still
green as spring, and farther on distant
cousin who is coming out in colors such
rs artists never hope to initiate with
paint and brush; while standing side by
side with this gay young gallant is more
unfortunate brother doomed to pass into
his winters sleep in dusky, ugly brown.
The long feather limbed elms AID branch
ing maples that have not yet been touched
by frost, protected, perhaps, by other
trees, proclaim their respective family
traits, and wave aloft their family co!ors
of lighter tint of green than the hard
wooded oak; while those which have felt
the first touches Of winters pioneersman
are. gracefully turning themselves into
the more subdued of autumn colors, more
delicate, if less gorgeous, than the co!ors
Of the oak. Somstimes the poison ivy
tvines in and out among the branches OF
some friendly tree and mingles its bright
redleaves with the green Of its supporter.
When the tree is brown, as perchance 1t
may be, tho brilliant colors peeping out
from beneath or behind the more sober
suit, reminds one Of gayly plumaged
bird flirting its feathers within its cage or
Of captive peering out from behind his
prison bars.
:. In Sagnauck also signs OF autumn were
visible, and the thrifty pioneers were fol-
lowing nature in their preparation for the
long winter months. The gardens were
being robbed of their spoils, and i'm
nense mounds marked the places where
the crops Of potatoes and turnips and ap-
ples had been covered with thick layers
Of straw and earth, to protect them from
the severe New England cold.
Yellow ears Of corn showed themselves
through the lower chinks OF the log
Rranaries which before another month
would be filled to the very brim. Be-
side the kitchen doors lay golden heaps
Of mammoth pumpkins and long-necked
squashes, which were being constantly
diminished by the busy housewife and
her daughters, who cut and hung them in
long festoons from the kitchen rafters.
Embryo woodpiles, which before another
month would be heaped high as the
house and again dwindle down to their
present size by spring, marked each
home. Shelter for cattle was being made
more secure, and the pens we're filed with
hogs, which had nothing to co all day
long but MUNICH the yellow ears Of corn
and grow fat for Christmas killing.
Upon the inlets which had been cut
from the settlement into the woods to let
the waves Of human work and life far
ther out, were rows OF corn shocks, not
unlike in appearance the Indian wigwsms
which century before may have graced
aheir very site. These little indentations
OF the forest, like 80 many arms reaching
ont from the town to reclaim the land and
west it from the woody giants which
held it for miles around, had been the
result of five years Of honest toll, of fell
INC of trees ana grGbbinc OF roots, until
now go much of the rich black earth had
been reclaimed and was yielding an abun-
QRuG uHIN0eIs LAD AoA Wow sAS esNA J
boys of the colony were attacking as
though it were an Indian village TO be
ransncked, and, having laid the wigwams
low, proceeded leisurely to separate them
into piles of yellow ears and great heaps
of focder-the one ,ich Winter food for
the cattle; the former to be hauled 10 the
mill by the creek and ground into meal
for family ssh-cakes, bread, and pud-
dinRs.
This mill, which was owned by the
colony, was picturesque building, had
been brought from the mother country l
pieces Ind set up here by sagnsuck
Creek, which wound around the east and
south OF town. The pilgrims had done
their best to make it prosaic, but by
some unwritten law q mill is always pic
turesque, build it prim and straight as
We will. The very rudeness in structure
OF Sagnauck mill added 10 it's beauty
Anything else than unplaned planks
or riven boards for the roof would have
been out Of place among the trees which
grew I'D to its very walls. and the leaves
which beat o tattoo upon the roof with
every wind that blew. A dam had been
thrown across the creek just below the
curve to the westward; banking up
deep pool, around which the willows
grew, sweeping their long lin bs over the
sprfsee and under which the boys passed