The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-02-24
OVER THE S. C. g. G. ROAD

There were two trains out of the
city, both leaving at 80 a. m The
Union depot was thronged with
ladies and gentlemen long before the
hour fixed for departure, but the
crowd was good natured and patient.
The South Carolina and Georgia,
composed of seven cars, was in
charge of two Of the most expert
enced men in the employ of the com,
pany, Engineer Robinson and Con-
ductor j P Roche. The coaches
contained probably the major part OF
the two branches of the General As
sembly and it's officers
Besides the local representatives
of the press there were Editor Hull
of the Rock Hill Herald, and Parks
of the Orangeburg Patriot.
The trip was without incident, the
train being special flyer, the stops
were few At Branchville the regu.
lar passenger train was overtaken
and passed At every station there
was large crowd waiting to see the
special fly through, and the cheers Of
the crowds on the platforms were
answered by cheers from the
train.
The train on it's arrival at Branch
vile was met by committee consist.
ing of Alderman w. F. Strong,
Chairman 0 G Becknan, Geo. s.
Legare and B. A. Hagood. They
were introduced to the party by the
members of the Charleston deIega-
tion and made their distribution OF
badges, which were to be an open
sesame to all the good things that
were il store
Dr.. Lawrence of the Charleston
Street Railway had given orders that
no fares were to be taken from pas
sengers wearing badges, kindness
which but few, if any, took advan.
tage Of
The train on its arrival iu the city
at about II O'Clock was transferred
to the tracks of the East Shore Ter
minal, by the courtesy of Mr. W. E
Huger, the managing director of that
company, and by it was carried to
Accommodation Wharf, where boats
inuomerable were under steam, ready
to go out to the fleet, that in mimic
warfare blockaded Charleston's i'm
preguable harbor, which no fleet of
the world has ever yet successfully
closed 10 the enterprise of the peo-
| Pile of the city, nor none been able
to take by storm.
ON THE OCEAN WAVE.
All wearers of badges were usher
ed on the Planter except those re-
served for special excursions. The
Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Speaker of the House and several
others were taken with Secretay Her.
bert and his official party who had
arrived earlier in the day, on the
revenue cutter Colfax. There were
also a number Of private parties made
up for the various tug boats and
steam yachts, on all Of which there
were ample refreshments.
Capt Hubbard of the good ship
Planter is 90 less an experienced host
than be is an experienced mariner
For so macy years that the good cap
tain would object to our telling bow
long be has tempted the powers of the
deep and had charge the safekeepiog Of
the best and the most beautiful of the
men aud women of the State. He has
probably carried out more excursion
parties than any man on the South
Atlantic coast, and if fate has over
taken any Of them, history has no cog
nizaoce of it, but the record glows with
90 few tales Of his prowess and brav-
cry.
The Planter is a commodious boat,
wonderfully we'll adapted to the pur-
poses ofs an excursion steamer. A
large committee of which Mr.. H. F ;
Bremen of the firm of F. W. Wageoer
& Co., was chairman, was on board the
boat. Maj E Willis presided over
the refreshment counter aad tables.
where there was all that heart could
wish to eat or drink. barrels Of beer,
demijohns of whiskey and oceans of
punch with bread, crackers, cheese and
such picnic eatabes composed the bill
Of fare
The boat left the pier about l 80.
The sun was like one OF those rare
days in June that we have all heard Of.
The sail dowp the harbor was delig ht
full, but just over the bar on the bosom
of the broad Atlantic, hung heavy
cloud Of fog, like bank it lay against
the horizon The boat glided iu;o
it for the sea was as calm as a
basin, one could hardly distinguish OBJ
IL