Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-06-03

CATAWBA JUNCTION.
Mcdonald Furman Is Charmed with
Picturesque Locality.

Mcdonald Furman is Charmed With the
Picturesque Locality.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
CATAwBA JUNCTION, York county,
May %, 1s96.-Your correspondent
came to this pleasant little hamlet
Tuesday afternoon, for the purpose Of
visiting the Catawba Indians yester-
day, and concluded to write it up for
The ENQUIRER. I was here last year
and was pleased with the people then,
and this year I am more than ever
pleased with them. Now for an ac-
count of the place.
Catawba Junction is scattered and
pretty hamlet of about 78 inhabitants.
1t is something over two miles from
where the broad and yellow wa
ters of the Catawba river trace their
way to the lower portion ofour State.
The situation of this hamlet, among
the red hills of old York, is one of sin
gular picturesqueness.
The Associate Reformed Presbyter-
ians have neat church here, of which
the pastor is the Rev. Oliver Johnson,
of Leslie station. This is the only
church at the station.
Mr.. J. M. Simpson is the postmaster,
and six daily mails are handled here.
Mr.. G. w. Williams has general
merchandise store, and Messrs. J. l..
Patton & Co., also Mr.. ]. NJ. Simpson,
have dry goods and groceries stores.
Mr.. II. NJ. Lineberger is in the livery
business. His residence, the finest at
the Junction, was destroyed by fire
two months since. Mr.. Henry Simpson
has the best residence here now.
The medical profession is represent
ed by DR.. G.. w. Hill.
There is one depot for the two rail
roads that pass here-the Seaboard
Air Line and the Ohio River and
Charleston. IL. Mr J. D. Davis is the
agent of the first company, and MI. f.
G. Simpson of the second. A new de:
pot would be quite an improvement.
The Junction is . good point for ship
ping facilities and enjoys admirable
advantages in that line. The approx
innate estimate of cotton shipped from
here is a 1000 bales a season.
Mr.. J. H. Caldwell is car inspector
for the Seaboard Air Line. He Is also
assistant postmaster.
The lands around here are good for
farming purposes cotton is the prin'
cipal crop-it Is also a good corn re-
gion.
It has been suggested to me that
factory would be good investment
here-both on account of the shipping
facilities and also from the fact that
the place is not incorporated and there
would be no taxes to pay.
One great advantage of the place Is
it's healtfulness-chills are virtually
unknown here.
The school here is part pay and
part free. It was taught by Miss
Minnie E. Craig, and closed the 1st OF
April.
An exceedingly interesting industry
here is Mr.. Henry Simpsons bee cul-
ture. He has been raising bees for 16
wears. He has Italian bees, and has
realized about 1s, 900 or 10000 pounds
of honey in the last 16 years. The
more he produces, the better sale ne
has for it. About 1887 was the best
season he has ever had, he took 2,1SO
pounds that season. He took l3S
pounds from one colony whose weight
be kept separate. Mr.. Simpson thinks
the full blooded Italian bee is better in
all points.
Some young men here have formed
a mess hall, where they take their
meals. Your correspondent was en-
tertained here in q manner most hos
pitable and pleasant, and the fare is
admirable. Drummers are given their
fare at this building.
We must here mentioned the color
ed brass band which was organized
about a month ago. Tuesday night,
as 1 sat engaged at a hospitable home
of the Junction, the band played and
music sounded real sweet as it ioated
through the night air.
Yesterday visited my red friends,
the Catawba Indians, whose reserva'
ton is few miles from the point.
For 20 years have been interested in
these descendants of a once powerful
and noble tribe of Indians. This was
nv third visit to them and the more l
see of them, the better l like them.
They have always treated me with
kindness and courtesy. I had the
pleasure of dining yesterday with Jim
Harris, chief of the tribe. As expect
to write long article about this visit
at another time, will not speak
further of it here.
And now I want to say a few con-
cluding words about the Catawba
Junction. The people here are one Of
those whole-souled, genial people that
g. man could not hate if he wanted to.
They have shown me an amount of
kindness and hospitality that will al
ways cause me to remember them
with feelings ofpeculiar pleasure. Mr..
G. w. Williams has been especially
kind to me during both of my visits.
I have learned to love Catawba juno
tion and its excellent people and 1 con-
slider the hamlet as my up country
headquarters.
MCDONALD FURMAN.
Ramsey, 8. G.
w. uon C,nx, nraofar No1u