The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-06-22
SOUTH CAROLYN
AN INT ERESTING ARTICLE WRITTEN
BY GOVERNOR TlLLMAN.

w eAlIn hWHlLH AL
'and Capitalists who Invsst their Labor
or Money In this Stats-ro be Printed
In Book Form.
At the meeting ofGovernors in Rich.
mond some time ago it was decided
that the various Governors of the
Southern Stat' s would write short
sketches of their native States and that
these sketches be bound together in one
volume for distribution at the World g
Fair in Chicago. Governor Tillman
has prepared his sketch Of South Caro-
lima which we publish below. When
printed in book form it will contain
six handsome illustrations. The sketck
Is as follows
The State of South Carolina lies he
tween N. lat. 32 degrees, minutes, 30
seconds, and 30 degrees ~ minutes, and
West long, from Washington | degree,
30 minutes and & degrees, 81 minutes.
Estimated area 10000 square miles. 1t
is in the shape of Il triangle almost
iSosceles, and lis surface slopes gradu-
ally from the Blue Ridge Mountains,
where the highest point in the State,
Mt. Pinnacle, reaches the elevation of
3,43O feet. The general elevation is
500 to 1000 feet sloping down in a
Southeasterly direction to the swamps
and Sandbars of the coast. The geolo-
gic break along the Atlantic slope,
passing from Richmond, Va, through
Columbia. Augusta, Ga, and Milledge-
vile, Ga, indicating first fall IN the
rivers, divides South Carolina into the
cup country" and the Glow country"
the former of granite formation with
its clayS and the latter an alluvial, ter
tiary soil with its sandy loans. Geolo-
gically speaking, there is no shading of
the periods, the alluvial strata resting
directly on AIchaean granite. The old
sea beach was along this break, and
passed through Columbia.
While there are only a few peaks
that can be called mountains. the up
country is rolling, with rapid water
courses, and the low country is quite
level with t0rtuOuS ard sluggish
streams.
Through the State roll fonr large
rivers with their tributaries. and Davi-
CATION for boats of at least two hund
red tons is practicable for more than Il
hundred miles inland. The federal
government Is now clearing out snagS
from the rivers, opening up increasing
areas to water navigation and to com
peting freight lines.
Major Harry Hammond, in bis hand
book of South Carolina, divides the
State into seven regions. with the linn
it's running somewhat in a parallel d.
rection to the coast, as follows:
|. The coast region 1900 square
miles) extends for ten miles in and
from the sea. 1t is comprised of sea
islands and low marShy mainland.
These sea islands have long been fam
ed for their long staple cotton, the fin
est in the world, and now coming into
great prominence as truck farms. Here
the mildne3s Of the climate and the
fertility of the soil enable farmers To
push their vegetables among the first
into the great markets. Much money
can be ana has been made in this indus
try.
III. The lower pine belt 10000 square
miles, of which I 800 are subject to
OVERFLOW lies back of the sea islands,
and is about fifty miles wide with a
maximum elevation of $50 feet Here
are found the great rice llelds and the
turpentine farms and cattle ranges.
III. The upper pine belt or central
belt has a soil OF light sandy loan, un-
derlaid by red and yellow clays. 1t
rises from $50 to 25O feet, and embraces
$500 square miles, including inland
sWamps, bays and river bottoms of un-
surpassed fertility.
Nv. The red hills q 600 square miles)
are North of this region, rising in
places to an elevation of GOO feet. This
section is cnmpustd Of red clay and
sandy lands. anr has a growth of pine,
oak and also Iii, h"ry and other i,h d
woods. In this region is situated the
health resort Of Aiken, and the hiStOr-
ic high hills of the Sauter. and the fer
tile ridge lardS of EdgtIi. Id, noted for
frnit AZ well as stable CrOpS.
V. The sand hill region G., 100 square
mileS) is of less fertility than other pOr-
1iOns, but its soil can be brought 10 IA
high degree of richness by fertiliZa.
ton, while it is the most healthy re-
gion of the world, iree4rom all mala.
ria, and it. abonnds in vast stretches of
pine timber. Grapes succeed splendid
ly in this Eelt, and also peaches.
VI. The Piedmont region or up
county 10000 square miles rises to an
elevation Of 500 i"ct in places, being of
u rolling formation. 1t contains cold
gray lands, everything clay states, gray
sand soils from granite gneiSs, rt, hOr-
neblrnde lands and trappean soils.
VII. The Alpine region Q GOO square
mileS) stops just short OF the main
mountain ridge. It's highest peaks are
Mt. Pinnacle, in lIcktnS County, 3, l}O
feet. Caesars Head. Il very popular
summer TtSOTl, o,llS lteU nlED. anu
Kings Mountain, about 1000 feet. The
valleys in the foot hills are fertile, and
the hlll sides are covered with dense
growth of poplar, oak and other woods
Very fine apples grow here and sue.
Gee d rassably well az far South as
Columbia.
WAITER POWER.
The physical features of the State
are such that the most abundant water
exists. The Columbia canal which has
been recently finished affords lO,OOC
horse power, and the power could be
doubled by extending the canal two
miles. I he great tails of the Catawba
with the remains OF an old canal, are
destined in the future to play II great
part IN the wealth of the State. Here
the river falls about l25 feet IN three
miles. Horse Creek, in Aiken County
already runs the Granitevllle and other
mills; and IN Spartanburg and other
counties several magnificent powers
have been utilized.
Mr.. Swain, the special agent of the