Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-06-08
The Adventure of a Country Re-
porter, While Visiting the
State Dispensary.
Darlington Reform-sentinel.

Darlington Reform-sentinel.
Your reporter after a most de-
lightful ride over the Coast Line,
arrived safe and dusty in the city
Of canal fame, j. e. Columbia.
A short ride on the electric street
cars brought us up that steep in
cline called Bridge or Gervais
street, to the corner of Main or
Richardson street, near which is
situated the great State Dispen-
sary.
Mr.. Traxler being sick, our Pup
ular and energetic Governor was
in his usually vigorous manner,
pushing the repairs to completion,
but took time to race your reporter
over the building at 40 miles per
hour. His Excellency was not
very busy this day. He had only
about twenty-five different things
requiring his immediate personal
attention. Several bills of lading
to examine and check off; ten or
a dozen men standing about wait
ing to be told something or other;
two or three festive drummers who,
on account of change in the rail
road schedule, couldn't be put off
under any circumstances. Then
came woe-begone looking man
with longish hair aad iron gray
beard who wanted a new elbow,
but whether for himself a friend
or a stove pipe, I could not ascer-
tain.
The telephone bell was constant
ly jingling and the Governor con-
stantly shouting hello at people
in all parts OF the city and for
aught I know some of them might
by residing in Chicago, China and
Japan. These mingled with the
clinking of stone drills, the ring
ingof trowels, the rapid stroke of
numerous nail hammers, and the
loudly issued orders of the differ
ent "bosses" made a pandemonium
of noises that are simply inde-
scribable. Still this was sort of
an off day with the Governor. I
rejoiced exceedingly that I missed
one of his busy days.
Tired trying to keep pace with
the omnipresent Governor, your
reporter strolled off to take in the
sights more leasurely. I met a
young smart-looking man who had
a perfectly reckless air about him
as if he knew every bolt screw
and nail in the entire Dispensary,
and could tell their uses. In fact,
he looked as if he was filled full of
Dispensary knowledge, and could
roll it off by the yard if be only
chose to do so. [ stood beside him
a moment and saw him successful
ly spear the third fly with the
toothpick of his pocket knife, af-
ter which skillful feat he looked
up in answer to my salutation.
Something rural in the style of my
clothes, or the accumulated dust of
Florence, Sumter and
Richland counties, which had set
tied heavily upon our last years
sprinesuit, caused him to suspect
that we were fresh from the rural
districts. However, he willingly
consented to show US around. He
commenced fenlightening us by
saying that this tank was calcula-
ted to hold just one million gall
Ions of whiskey and that the rea-
son why they were lined with met
al was to prevent the possibility
of future Governors, employees,
or visitors sucking the whiskey
through straws, thereby reducing
the revenue that would otherwise
accrue to the State. He showed
me large place in the ceiling that
was, he said, where the great cleo
trio light would be placed that it
was to be the largest and most
light in the world with
power of a million or two candles
and would cost, he thought, five
hundred thousand dollars. That
the light was SO powerful that a
blind man could see to read the
print on the other side of
the brick partition which was two
feet thick, that all the County
Dispensaries would be supplied
with light from this source; that
hey had peculiar bottles made for
he purpose that could be filled
With light from this big one sd
hat when they were uncorked and
,ut into a large glass globe, and
lung up in the County Dispensa-
les, that they would give light
.nough to do them for a whole
week. The next thing to which
nv loouacious conductor calledlS