Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-11-28
K TO FORT MILL AND BACK.

and back to Yorkville through the
country last Saturday. The occasion
was the appointment Of Captain W. w.
Lewis to inspect the Fort Mill Light
Infantry. In addition to the certainty
Of congenial company, Captain I.ewis's
invitation carried with it the opportu-
nifty to see the progress Of the India
Hook Power company in its dam build
ing operations across the Catawba, and
also first inspection of the new bridge
recently completed by the county.
It was about o'clock when we left
Yorkville. A heavy fog filled the at
mosphere, and it threatened to come
down in the shape Of rain; but we did
not mind the weather. In one Of Glenn
& Allisons handsomest Surveys, behind
a spanking team in charge Of a Negro
driver, there was nothing to be added
to the equipment. We SKINNED
through the country as If travelling in y
Pullman sleeper, and had plenty OF
opportunity to note everything along
the road that was worthy Of observa-
ton. We also had plenty Of time, too,
for we were not due in Fort Mill until
q o'clock.
There has been lots of talk about
an increased acreage Of small grain
this year. This talk has not been ex-
aggerated. From the time we began to
leave the corporate limits Of Yorkvile,
we noted long stretches Of wheat and
oats, sometimes on one side Of the road
and sometimes on the other. Some
had been sowed, some had been drill
ed, some was just peeping from the
ground, and some was up to good
stand. The smooth, garden bed appear
ance Of the soil, indicated the char
acter Of preparation that has been go
ing on, and occasional punches Of cot
ton stalks as they were left in riffs
by the harrows, told the significant
story Of wheat and oats next summer
where there was cotton this fall. And
so it was all the way to Fort Mill.
There were, Of course, many fields that
had not been sown down, and which
will not be; but with reasonably
fair yield from the crop in sight, there
seems to be no danger Of any search
ty of bread among the farmers along
this route next year.
Tirzah station looks as natural as
ever. There has been but little change
since the writer passed through the
village last. In a yard on the right
Of the road, just as we entered the
village, we noted a surprisingly beau
tiful display Of chrysanthemums. It
is probably the equal of anything
Of the kind to be seen in the
county. Captain Lewis admired 1t
very much, and remarked, There is
high testimony Of York county's rural
civilization" On the opposite side of
the road stands the old plank shanty in
which the Tirzah dispensary used to
do business. 1t was closed. The iron
grating gave 1t the appearance Of a
kind Of prison. There was nobody to
be seen about the premises, and in its
sombre lonesomeness was to be seen
another evidence Of York county's CIV
ilization-as high an evidence as was
furnished by the beautiful chrysanthe-
NUNS. Somehow, 1t was easy to imag-
inc the chrysanthemums as rejoicing
over the closed dispensary. It was just
as easy to imagine that If the dispen-
sary were now fiourishing as Of old, 1t
would be the flower yard that would
furnish the emblem of desolation. And
there were also evidences Of business
life about Tirzah. There were num-
Der Of familiar faces about the stores.
The ginnery was running full capacity
with something like hundred bales Of
cotton scattered on the yard about 1t,
and on the railroad platform was an
other hundred awaiting shipment.
There were signs of life about the re-
pair shop also. It was only the old
dispensary that looked so pleasant and
agreeable in death.
The long stretch Of country between
Tirzah and the river was about the
same as the country between here and
Tirzah-wheat, oats and, an occasional
patch Of rye. Much Of the lands Of the
w. A. Barron estate are sown down in
grain-and the careful preparation that
was made beforehand Is an object les
son that would be valuable If the farm
ers elsewhere could only see 1t. There
are acres and acres that are as smooth
as floor and the wheat, from two to
three inches high, looks like a beauti-
full carpet Of green. These lands once
poor and almost barren, are now rich
and productive, and the crop that Is
promised, provided there Is no bad luck,
makes even the looker-on feel rich.
There will be wheat from that planta-
ton to sell next fall.
On account Of an almost tragic Sc
quel it is proper to make special men,
ton Of our driver here. He Is all Ne
gro, and having been with Messrs.
Glenn & Allison quite while. knows
his place. He sat like wax figure fin
ished in black with vici shoe polish.
Looking neither to the right or the left,
he kept his eyes upon the road and held
tight to the lines Although he spoke
only when spoken to, that he was proud
of his position, and enjoyed the staring
of the Negro men and women passed on
the side of the road. was evident. We
passed what looked like Negro grave
yard, and there was a suggestion that
when we came back that way about IL
o'clock, and the ghosts began to dance,
the ghost Of some old-time coachman
would certainly be seized with desire
to take charge Of such fine team. Lee,
the driver, began to twitch about nerv-
ously, and he declared: IF dem dere
ghosts come to git up in dis seat side
me, I'll tell you right now, I'm gwine
to leave it wild you, and dis team can't
keep up wild me, neither" We had no
idea at the time that the Negro was
really alarmed. The subject was
brought up again in presence Of the
Negro in Fort Mill. Rev. DR.. Thorn
well made a matter -of-fact declaration