The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
Southern Tea.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: In THE
Bun for last Sunday see an article describ-
ing Pinkhurst's tea garden In Summervllle.
8. O. There was another shorter piece in The
Sun not long since In regard to tea being
raised at this place. and from the tone OF both
articles one would suppose this to be the only
successful attempt to cultivate the tea plant
ever made In this country I do not doubt It's
being the first time tea has been raised on 30
large a scale. or with financial success. but
within few miles Of this place. just across the
Savannah River. there exists q garden in which
are number OF tea plants which with their
i'm M diate progenitors have lived and -four
ished there for fully half a century. This gar
den Is on the estate OF tho late Col. James Ed
ward Calhoun. a brother-in-law OF John @.
Calhoun. Tho old gentleman died in 1899 at
the advanced age OF "a years. and was. In his
old age at least decidedly eccentric char
aoter
Though reputed to be very wealthy. he was
OF remarkably frugal habits. and tried to In
culcate the same virtue in others. In his
younger days. he had served twenty years in
Uncle Sans Navy. and had travelled over the
greater part Of the world. stopping at every
seaport He claimed to be familiar with tWenty-
finally resicned his commission and settled
down on his estate in his native State. among
hundreds Of other curios, he brought some tea
don, and demonstrated practically that tea
could be successfully grown in this climate
an Intense delight In showing those plants, 70
AZ, comsIs. slyingg them: T. as ot dd
to He
the honor OF having been the firnt to arouse In
subject. and OF having furnished tea seed to
the experimental station in South Carolina.
He argued that We should raise ea.not so much
as money-making industry. but to save
money, as he said not alone the money spent for
tea could be easily saved to the tea-drinker and
batter and mSre wholesome drinF than cose
people wSd ths
as we'll as as that spent pi Tor tea. had the
made from leaves taken from n his ssrden. and
1t vas passa6ly good eomparnR very fsy9rably
housh h' he gave 81 o tho
every year. covering a long period. ! do not
know nor have l heard Of a single instanee
say that / mislaid the seed he gave me and
torgot the matter quite. / recall one occasion,
tea seed he planted them carefully Il tho pre-
The m HSs sSnns Year.
bis life in seclusiop., with no oompanions other
than his books and hip former slaves. very tow
darkies alive are said to be still upon the
estate, They sreak a peculiar DIALECT or patois.
OF this section. The old Colonel" or Com
modore." as he was frequently cal lied. used this
| talk 1uently when talking with his ex-slaves
| As a general rule. he had some broken-d down
| sailor or foreigner installed on the premises
| posed to some modern ideas Of progress; for
| Instance; when the project for building the
his estate was first preached. he was furlousy
| opposed. What" said he, is the use OF a
| railroad when we have navigable river
| navigabIe at this point rlled it is by Trotter
| Shoals, one OF the strongest water powers in
| this State. or any other. for that M atterl
| SWIFT. Ga. Sept 81. Il. B. BELL, N. ID.