The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-12
A MODEL PLANTATION.
From The Cotton Plant.


Goth inst, and we are certain that the
readers of THE COTroN Plant will
enjoy this description of model plan
tation in South Carolina. The writer
enjoyed the privilege not long ago Of
driving through this splendid estate
and looking upon the extensive fields
of corn and cotton, which stretched
away on all sides almost as far as the
eye could reach. 1t was an cnchant-
ing sight, and although it was merely
passing ride through the plantation,
with brief halt at the hospitablc
home of the manager, Mr.. +. NJ. Lide,
it was the realization of q desire long
felt to look upon Donoho, which has
been the pet and pride of our venerable
friend, Chancellor Johnson, for so
many years. He has created a model,
comely plantation from an undesirable
tract of land, which was regarded as
nearly worthless OH account of the lack
Of drainage, and he has given to the
farming element in South Carolina an
object lesson in rcclaming lands that
will perpetuate his name among the
most progressive farmers of the State,
while generation ago he was ranking
among the ablest and strongest men
on the chancery bench of this State.
He has lived to an extreme old age,
but his eye is not dimned NOR his men
tai vision bocloudcd, and his remlni-
scencesIof the pnst are intensely charm
ing TO his numerous friends, who are
always eager to share in the pleasures
of his conversation. The correspon-
dent writes as follows
After eleven years absence find
myself once more the guest of Chan
cellor VIM. ID. Johnson, at his planta-
ton, Donoho, and to all who know
him ut all it will be no news to be told
that the visit is both delightful and in
structlve, for there lives no finer speci-
men of the Carolina gentleman of the
ancient regime. A many sided man,
lawyer, planter, horticulturist, stand
ing at case amongst the first in all, a
man of loftiest integrity and so modest
that his real worth appears only to his
intlmates.
The place am visiting is creation
of the Chanccllor's genius. When he
bought it is 1857 his friends in Mari
boro and Marion did their best to pre-
vent the purchase, thinking it bad
Investment. One old Scotchman, who
loved him dearly, and was proud of
him as an honor to the dear auld coun-
try as well as this, thought the invest
ment very bad indeed, and pronounced
it rankest folly, and limited that GER
tain style of man and his money are
soon parted. However, the Chancellor
is n typical ScOtchman, and the par
chase was made, and eighteen hundred
acres of land. where the water often
stood, except on some ridges, knee
deep to a horse, became his property
About two hundred acres had at one
time been under cultivation, nearly o,
quite half of which had been allan.
doned and had grown up in broom OF
old field pines. The crop that yeal
was eight bales of cotton and three
hundred bushels of corn.
The Chancellor made his first cror
there in 1858, and brought to bcal
upon it mt once what he knew about
farming, and it was vastly more than
the knowledge possessed by Horace
Greedy, or than anyone suspected. Tho
result was at least promising; fourteen
bales of cotton and about four hundred
bushels of corn. Meantime the axe
the shovel and the spade were put il
requisition, as well as the plough and
the hoe, and the water level was rapid
ly lowered and the abandoned clear.
ings were reclaimed and the native
forest began slowly to disappear This
work has gone on and is still in pro
gress, and now about one thousand
acres are in cultivation, mostly il
highest state, and there Is not hill
side or bottom that does not nav its
way, and the profit comes from yast
area that is neither hillside nor marsh
1t has taken years to accomplish
this, with the miles Oh miles of canals
bitches and underdrains required fol
proper drainage, and to bring the pro.
duct up to over four hundred bales OF
cotton and thousands of bushels OF
corn and wheat and oats aid peas, be.
sides other crops, such as sugar cane
potatoes, turnips and vegetables, which
it reached in 1898, just two years ago
and all has been under tho personal
supervision of the master, or planned
by him, and executed by the various
managers, who have been EMPLOYED
since the Chancellor took up his re.
sidence in the town of Marion in the
early seventies. Meantime he has, at
first attended to his judicial duties,
and since to large law practice, with
that rare fidelity for which he is noted
and with eminent success.
Ell found on the place this year many
of my old acquaintances, tenants and
farmers, for the plantation has been
cultivated for thirty years or more
partly by tenant farmers and partly bv
hired labor, but all under the supefvi-
sion of the manager of the home farm
as directed by the Chancellor, who
every year goes and lays out the work
for the year, and the present manager,
Mr.. Il. M. Lide, man of large ex-
perience in his line, told me he could
easily lay out more work than he him.
self could thoroughly execute in two
years.
There are four white and three
colored tenants, and all of them but
one white have been on the place since
my first visit twenty-one years ago
and all are first-class men and farmers.
Mr.. A. w. Curry is at work on his
thirtieth or thirty-first crop. He be.
gan with q one.horse farm, this wear
: has three and oDe-half horse farm
has raised large family on the place
and educated his children. His daueh-
ters are graduates and teachers.
I