The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-25

,UUO acres successfully aDu WHO -
perhaps the leading woman cotton
planter in the country. She lives at
Decatur and is one Of the wcalthicst
and most active citizens OF that sec
ton. She is Mrs Lclia Srt0n Wilder,
and she known throughout her own
State az we'll AS in other Southern
States
Mrs Wilder has written for the
New York H'rnid an interesting nc
count Of her farming methods and
about her plantation near Decatur.
Sire. Wilder says
"H cs, I live on plantation aud
manage it all myself, so that if things
don t 20 right am denied that wo-
man privilege Of saying II told you
80. As 10 how | came 20 do il,
simply driftcd into it. had never
lived in the country in my life until
my marriage, but the Freedom Of it,
it's likeness to the landed estates Of
England appealed 10 me, and | enjoy
cd it thoroughly. My husband lived
only twenty Two mouths, aud went
back to town, renting the place. |
got tired Of that, though, aud deter
mined to 20 back aud have All ideal
country home, where | could enter
tain my friends in the fall. The rest
of the year | spent in travelling. |
rented all my land to tenants, doing
no farming myself, but these years
we're valuable. got more aud more
interested in the life and, naturally.
was bound to learn good deal about
it.
"Two years ago was offered body
OF land which had been in the or ginal
plantation Of my husband IS, but had
been sold off. decided TO buy; this
meant that could no longer 20 on in
the shiftlcss manner | had been.
was going to invest good deal Of
money, and | must make it pay. My
attorneys and all my friends advised
against the buying, saying there was
no money in farming; that would
have to have an Oversccr, and that
would take all the profits, etc. but |
went on, and made my purchase, and
also made up my mind to succeed. |
must succeed. would not stand a
confessed failure, and so | went to
work. | determined to more than
just get along. intended to make Il
model place that would not be known
Us most widows farms arc-by the
gates on one hinge and the poor fen
eca.
So | began by putting the best Of
wire fences around the plantation.
| have by now put up several miles,
and am an expert. know how much
wire to buy for mile, what is hog
proof fence, the best posts to use,
size, etc. | have gone right out and
seen every panel Of fence put up.
Then / have had new roads worked on
the place, under my owncycs. have
had four new cabins built, all done BY
the tenants on the place with no
ovcrsccr but myself.
"Pcrhaps my most fortunate quail
Gcation for the work do is the faculty
Of managing these negroes. think
can get more out nf them than or,li-
nary.
my plantation contains 1869
acres. near Decatur. my boundary line
being that of the town 1t lies for i
milc and Il half along the Tennessee
River and the same distance along
Flint River, small! stream running
into the Tennessee There are about
200 acres in cultivation. the balance
in timber Of magnificent first growth
hard wood, principally white oak.
We raise cotton principally, but nn
account OF "nr proximity to town,
corn, hay, some oats and, each tenant
StISnuu cane LOT MS lOUC SWcct'n-
ing during the year. | now cult
vatc about lOn acres myself, with hir-
ed help the balance is rented on what
is known ~ the tenant system, only
as the land is ~ near market and very
fertile command u money rent in
stead OF Il share crop. receiving for
upland &; ana river bottom - per
acre. Each tenant takes. to msr y
technical rxprc> ~ion. : one. two or
three. horse crop, accoruin. t. the
amount OF stock thr man ha~. \
horse is supposed t" t'. abb 70 tend
- acres.
have twenty families on Tie place,
out they are not all tenants, a. some
of them are hired by the year. Each
tenant has cabin, garden spot aud
pasture free Of rent aud his Grcwood
NacrOps are mt at all mlpraturv