The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09

SO, besides the master OF the horse. there
! was naval officer in each planters
household; he was called PATRON. n
name brought apparently. from the West
| Indies. Tho PATRON had charge Of the
boats and the winding OF his horn upon tho
river told the family Of his masters coming
| 1t was he who trained the boathands to the
| oar. and taught them the catches which they
sang as they bent to the stroke. Each OF these
| head servants had his male underings over
/ whom he orded II in imitation OF his master
| Tho house was full, too. OF maids and scam
| stresses outside otthe household the driver"
was the great man. Although. at the epoch
under review, he was slave. the driver" was
person OF too much consequence to work
himself. II the plantation was Of con-
siderable size he had horse to ride.
He was the executive officer who carried out
his masters orders. and when punishment
was needed inflicted It, He was responsible
for the administration OF the plantation. which
was community in itself 1t had its neces-
| sary artisans. such as carpenters backsmiths.
| coopcrs. tailors and shoemakers. There was
hospital for the sick and n house in which the
young children were cared for while the moth
ers were ut work. All these things required
organization. Many and great as we're the
evils inseparable from the institutions OF slav-
erv. 1t Is our authors opinion that these were
reduced to minimum ON Carolina plantation
In the latter colonial period. AS a rule .the
slaves were contented and shared In the pros
pcrity which their labors on the rice fields
brought to their masters.
The Carolinan like a true Engllshman. was
devoted to field sports. He rode from his in
fancy. Though It is usually supposed that the
horses Of Carolina were obtained from the
Spaniards, who had produced a remarkable
breed in Florida. Mr. McCrady has but little
bt ot Iirui I'M In ra hn in NJ sup
ply to the southern province Nevertheless Or.
Ramsay. the colonial historian. says that
before 1854. Spanish breed called chickesaws
were the best horses for draught saddle
These. when crossed with English blooded
! horses. produced colts OF great beauty.
strength and swiftness. After 1854 the
stock much improved by foreign i'm
portations Great attention was paid to
the breeding of horses. They we're trained
to two gaits. the canter and the walk. in
which they were unsurpassed. Tho trot and
pnco were seldom used. The Carolinian
| horses were excellent hunters. and those but
| Of medium size would seldom hesitate to take
| six-rail fence at n leap. The boys and girls
| learned to ride uron tackles" which were
| often only ponies in size. but active. enduring
| and easy-gated. The low country not
| suited for fox hunting, being too much cut up
with marshy creeks and swamps: the great
| sport was deer hunting. which was carried on
| by clubs. There was one of these clubs in St
! Andrews parish rs early as 1861. The Caro-
linians were fond Of horseracing. In 1875
| track known as the York course was laid out
| some six miles from Charlestown. and thence
| forth there was racing annually in February or
| March. The prize usually piece Of plate
| valued at about 600 in colonial currency In
17CO. the principal races were transferred to the
| Newmarket course. about mile from the town.
| The first race which produced unusual excite
| ment was a match in January. 1862 between
Mr. William Henry Drayton's horse. Adolphus.
! bred in Carolina and Mr. Thomas Nightingale's
| imported horse. Shadow: four-mie heats over
| the Newmarket course. The imported horse
won After the Declaration of Independence.
all the horses were thrown out Of training. and.
| on the appearance Of British army In the low
| country they were either used as chargers by
| the patriots or hidden in the swamps. or the
| latter. Tarleton managed. at one swoop. to
| secure 400.
Every spring. the malaria drove the planter
to town before the blossoms OF the highly
scented magnolia had fairly opened; there he
remained with his family until the first hard
| frost, visiting his plantation from week to week.
usually in the canoe which the PATRON would
| bring for him. The Carolinians were as fond
| Of indoor amusements Of field sports. and
music was cultivated at a very early period.
| There must have been a theatre in Charlestown
before 1873. for the playhouse opened in that
year was spoken Of as the New Theatre" In
the gazette OF Feb n. 1873. may be found an
advertisement: AT the New Theatre Queen
street. will he acted on Monday next a tragedy
called The Orphan, or the Unhappy Marriage"
| For March II was advertised The London
Merchant. or the History OF George Barnwell"
In January 1897. was announced the tragedy
HAL tl,a l,t,
The price OF admission to the stage and bal
cony boxes was 20 shillings colonial currency
to the pit. % shlllnRs; to the gallery. : shill-
| nRs An association for the performance Of
| vocal and instrumental music called the st.
Cecilia Society was organized in 1852. Jo-
siah Quincy during his visit to Charlcstown.
nine years later attended concert given by
this society, and records that the violinist. a
| Frenchman, Just arrived in the colony. re-
ceivcd 800 guincas. There were. he
says. "25O ladies' present. and it
was called no great number. In lofti-
ness OF the head dresses these ladies stoop
to the ladies of the North. in richnes. surpass
them in health and floridity Of countenance.
veil to them in tacturnity during the perform
ancc. greatly before our ladies: in noise and
Irritation after the music Is over pretty much
on n par If our ladies' have any advantage it
is in white and red, vivacity and spirit. The
gentlemen. many OF them. dressed with rich
ness and elegance uncommon with us Many
with swords on" The st. Cecilia Society has
had a continuous existence to this day. 1t has
lost, indeed. its musical characteristics. but
remains n social organization Of the high
est families. We add that the st. Andrews
Club was founded in 1929. and the st. Georges
Society four years later. Tho Charlestown Ii
brary Society. started in 1743. exists to this
day and has furnished the materials for much
OF tho history before us. In 1873 it possessed
between six and seven thousand volumes and
throughout the later colonial period had been
n centre OF education and culture. Societies
were formed for other than social. charitable
and educational purposes. In 1895 the first
fire insurance company In America was or.
ganizcd ut Charlestown with 4 subscribed cap.
ital OF about 100000.
".
There was a court circle in the province
usually headed by the Royal Governor. Arounc
him were gathered the families who, for the
hundred years OF colonial history. had beer
deuuties OF the lords DrOprictOrS and NOM