The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-27

the country changes so gradually as
YOU slip out Of one State into another
that it is hard to tell precisely where
the North leaves off and the South be-
Gins. IF you 60 BY water, on the con-
trary, you come upon the South all
nnawarcs. as it were, without expert
cncing any intermediary Impressions.
You leave port that is positively
characteristic of the one section, and
after two days in purely neutral
world cut loose from all influences,
political and geographical, you arrive
at port as positively characteristic
Of tho other Once the Jersey shore
is left behind, there being no visible
landmarks to show the progress South
ward. the ships atmosphere being
that Of the port she sailed from. it is
not until forty eight hours later when
the light house nn Morris Island comes
in sight and the line Of the Carolina
coast breaks the horizon, that people
begin to speak as though they were
North no longer.
we are fairly in Charleston har
Dor now. We've crossed the Bar"
announces passenger chccrily. "Wc
90 in without knowing it these days,
but few years ago the getting over
Bar was an undertaking. That was
before the Jcttics were built. re-
member waiting outside on one Of
these steamers for five mortal hours
until the tide came to our relief. Not
waiting comfortably either, you may
depend. The water was rough that
day; there was what they call swell
on, and the scc-sawing of the ship af
ter she stopped going was anything
but pleasant. All! Don't that look
familiar? We're down South now,
and no mistake
A tiny row-boat has come into view,
manned by three negroes rowing lusti-
ly and singing in time to their task.
Their black breasts are barred to the
August sun, their garments Of that
ll-ovcr-fadedncss of hue resulting
from constant wear and washing.
There is glimpse of hearty, good
humorcd faces up-turncd to the steam
er's deck, bar or two of song floats
upward then the big ship strides
away from the little craft, and the
picture is lost. Three negroes might
be in boat in Boston harbor, in New
York harbor, or any other harbor on
the coast; they might be dressed just
as shabbily' and be just as black, and
be rowing with just as much vim as
those island negroes, but they would
not look like these, nor be like them.
They would not have that air Of ire
sponsibleness, and that almost child
ishly eager interest in everything,
that is native to She Southern negro
that something that comes Of the soil,
the climate. the mere earthly condi-
tions he has bcen raised among.
Above all, the negro anywhere else
but at the South would not feel the
necessity Of singing while he was at
work. He might sing after his task
was over, and sing well, but the rythm
in him would not have to find vent
while his muscles were in use.
Eager interest in things is charac-
teristic Of the Southern people, Of the
white owners and rulers Of the land,
as we'll as of their black dependents
and sometime bondmon. From the
highest to the humblest, all were born
under the same auspices, 80 far as the
physical character, Of the country is
considered, and the love Of pleasure is
common heritage. They love SO to
enjoy. It is the Southern nature;
poverty, calamity, nothing keeps it
back. No amount of education, of
careful training in the ethics Of good
form and conventionality can quite
eradicate this native cxubcrancc of
temperament that triumphs oyer age,
and even over physical in6rmity, and
makes many rough passage smoother
than it would otherwise be. Next to
their loyalty and sincerity, this love
of pleasure in whatsoever form it may
take, is dominant character in Dixie.
If such thing was possible, OF at
least likely, as a man taking passage
on ship not knowing where she was
bound. and preserving that ignorance
of his destination throughout the trip,
and that voyager should look out upon
Charleston harbor, ali at sea regarding
lis whereabouts. he would conclude at
once, after survey of the prospect,
that that bay and city were Of the
South. It would not need the care
less song of the negro boatman or the