The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-01-05

ing more than two bales TO the acre.,
Tobacco has become the best paying
crop In this section, and there arc bow
1000, QUO pounds raised In the State. )
The timber is principally long.leaf
or Georgia pine on the rivers, and
Cypress and jrniper in the swamps.
than tho hill section, aDd may be called
the temperate zone Of the State. Oil
mills, cotton factories and SAW mills are
the principal ind ustries.
3. The low country or coast section,
is the richest naturally in the State,
but like all highly-favored countries,
the people are less energetic than
those OF the middle or up country. Col.
A. X. Mcclure, In writing of this sec
tion, very truly said "There is no
other part of the South where so little
labor will produce so much. In a good
portion OF this section the soil will av-
erage eve feet In depih, and is prac-
tically inexhaustible. Vegetation is
usually checked for not more than six
weeks; seed time and harvest occur in
every month";" l have zen a second
crop OF pears hanging from the trees
in Berkeley County during the present
month over half matured, and had it
not been for the severe storm that has
just visited US, l am sure ere this they
would have been ready for shipment to
the Northern markets. Olives, oranges,
bananas, figs and all tropical fruits
may be had here, with vegetables
nearly al. the year round. The most
important crops OF this section are the
rice and Sea Island cotton crops. Great
numbers of the old rice plantations
were abandoned during the war and
are now grown up and abound in all
kinds of game, and are being convert
ed into game preserves for our mil
lionaires.
Here will be found the negro in his
original state, as happy as though he
was In the Garden of Eden, speaking
his own language and contented to live
on what Dame Nature 80 generously
provides, and many o millionaire would
envy him did he but know his bill OF
fare. On q recent hunt in this section
q party of gentlemen determined to
devote n day to their ability to pro-
vide food with gun and canoe. They
were in Berkeley County, near Cape
Roman. Arising at 5 o'clock q. m.
they took the canoe and went off into
the marshes and returned at 8 o'clock
for breakfast with thirty-two mallard
ducks. After breakfast the hounds
we're turned loose in the deer drives,
n they returned to lunch with three
handsome deer and four wild turkeys.
After lunch, at 2 O'clock, q trip was
made in the snipe boys, and returning
to dinner at 6 o'clock they counted
twelve woodcock, twonty-six snipe and
W marsh hons. A negro had been
given half o dollar, and he returned
from the Owendah River with three
barrels OF oysters and a basket Of mul.
let. After dinner a cOon hunt was ar
ranged, and before 10 o'clock our party
returned with four and two
opossums. Every negro raises his rice,
corr and potatoes by simply planting
them, as nature does the rest. Verify,
this Is the land of milk and honey. The
pastures are ever green, and hogs and
cattle are fed only to keep them tame.
These lands a be bought from 81 to
50 per acre, and the pine ridge Is as
healthy as the Piedmont section. Nc
country possesses greater natural facil-
tiles for producing grasses, hay and
livestock, and their products OF meat,
butter and milk.
- This is also tho home of the diamond
backed terrapin, so toothsome to the
epicure. The development Of Port
Royal will soon make this the garden
| SDOU Vi JIG WOTlu. IhlS SCCUlOh l. tiiSI
rich with phosphate deposits. South
Carolina, with these phosphate depos'
its, manufactures more fertilizers thar
any other State.
1t will thus be seer that ono taking
Charleston or Port Royal, arrives al
Columbia at ii o'clock and at Spar
tanburg at 2, having breakfasted in
the tropics, lunched in the plains and
diped on the highest peaks east OF the
Rockies.
The taxes in South Carolina are low.
er than any in the Union. We spend
more for education in proportion to our
wealth than any people Of the Union,
Our State debt is about Sc, 500, 600, re
funded at Al per cent, and is being de-
creased every year by a sinking fund
Our farmers, although severely op'
pressed by low prices, are making nc
debts and decreasing their old ones,
In 1890 the per capita debt Of the State
was $l1.55 to-day it Is less than 81, q
reduction in less than six years 81
per cent.
In 1890 the taxable property Of the
State was, in round numbers, $3.50, 600.
600; in 1891 it was nearly $l75, 900, 600,
an increase Of $25 900. 900 in a period
during which the wealth of most sec.
tiOns Of the country showed q decrease
The increase in property in 1894 over
1893 was So, 300, 600. Our sister State
of Georgia for the same period showed
a decrease of over $40, 900, 600.
The annual products of the State for
1890 were valued at $42, 600 900, two
tifths of which was in manufactured
products. In 1896 the value of agricul.
tural products alone amounts to $46,
600, 000-more than all products com.
bined in 1890, and cotton Is one-third
less in value. No Southern State can
compare with South Carolina in the
advance that has been made since 1890
The assessment of property for the
past year will show a slight decrease
over the preceding year by reason OF
the reduction in the assessment OF rail
road property. Not o railroad in the
State Is now in the hands of a receiver,
and all show good earnings. In the de-
scendiIg scale III State stands forty
second in the amount OF mortgaged
indebtedness. In her educational facil.
tiles the State is now the equal OF any
In the Union. The public schools are
we'll attended and the colleges are full.
There are 5000 more children in the
schools this year than last. We have
homes and farms for many times the
number OF our inhabitants, and we well
come good substantial citizens.
There Is no room, however, in South
Carolina for unpatriotic pauper immi-
grants. We are American, preserving
our individuality and institutions, and
believing in the rule OF the majority