The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-04-19

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IMPRESSIONS OF DIXIE.
A Northern Newspaper Man Writes
About the Sunny South.
Mr. Edward A. Hunt, a New York news
paper man, has been spending the past
few months in this county and city for
the benefit of his health. This being his
first visit to South Carolina, naturally he
is impressed with the difference between
Northern andSouthern customs and ideas.
Recently he wrote letter to the Trenton,
New Jersey, Sunday Advertiser, from
which we make the following extracts
But word as to the characteristics of
the people who have made the Sunny
South. The writer does not purpose to
take any class for an example, neither
would it be fair to readers to speak only
of residents of certain State or locality.
Of course, the people in the rural districts
differ very materially from those living
in cities or towns, but no matter where
one goes in this land of sunshine he is
compelled to acknowledge the feeling of
interest and kindness manifested in his
behalf by all he chances to meet-a spirit
of courtesy and hospitality which seems to
be Unborn with people Of the South and
which would be difficult of imitation else
where. To be sure, hospitality on the part
of people in other parts of our glorious
Union is not uncommon, but it usually
lacks. the real ring of sincerity which char
actcrizes the people of whom l write. Our
people of the North mean all right, but
they are too busy with the affairs OF life,
too eager to be among the goal-winners
in the everlasting chase after wealth, to
stop and extend the hand of good fellow
ship as it is here extended. In the South
there are not so many means of diversion
to engage the attention of the young, par
ticularly, and the result is that the peo-
pie do not become either selfish or
thoughtless of the welfare of others. In
this part of the country the eligibility Of
man or family to the best set is not a
question of wealth. That is not factor
for consideration. Character and repu-
tation count for everything Oneis taken
for what he is or what he appears to be.
He is respected and entertained until he
forfeits the right to respect by some act
or acts unbecoming gentleman. In the
latter event, neither family nor money
will restore him to the good graces of the
people, Although Southerners are not,
generally speaking, nearly so energetic
and ambitious as people of other parts of
the country, there is no gainsaying that
they seem to get more satisfaction and
real enjoyment out of life than residents
of any other part of the Union. So much
for the people of Dixie Land.
Negroes do virtually all of the work,
though three of, them hardly do what
would be required of man in the North.
They appear to be a shiftless lot and work
only when it is really necessary. They
are paid 40 and 50 cents day, and while
this seems seems like an imposition, it is
probably as much as the average one real
ly earns.
Nearly every one carries gun, as they
say here in speaking of revolver, and
they use the weapon upon the slightest
provocation.
An institution of more than passing in
terest-most of the residents consider it
so interesting that they rarely ever pass
it's the dispensary, project peculiar to
South Carolina. The Palmetto State is
the only one in the Union that has this
eccentric law regulating the sale of liqu-
ors. He who imbibes must purchase at
the dispensary and there is but one of
these buildings in each town. A haf-pint
is the smallest quantity sold and no one
can purchase twice the same day, a record
being kept of all sales. The law prohib-
its drinking inside the dispensary. The
profits of this traffic are applied to State
funds and incidentally help to provide
for the school system, which is as wretch
ed as can be ina agined, some of the schools
remaining in session but three months OF
the year. 1t is claimed that the dispen-
sary has had a tendency to decrease the
number of drunkards, it being unlawful
to sell to this class, and as the clerk in
charge receives stated salary there is no
incentive for him to make any effort to
obtain new patrons or create larger sales.
While one place cannot begin to create
the destruction that would result from a
half dozen or more saloons, still liquor is
SO commonly used by both white and col
ored residents as to represent total con-
sumption that is more than alarming.
In short, the two prevailing curses of
the Palmetto State appear to be drink
ing and credit" The latter is factor
which the farmer seems to regard as
necessity and is the salvation of the mer-
chant. Explained briefly, each farmer
trades with one merchant, and the latter
takes mortgage on his customers prop
ertv, or more often his prospective crops.
When settlement is made good part
of the product of the farmers soil is ne
cessary to cancel his Indebtedness to the
"kind-hearted merchant" For this rea-
son a vast majority never become indie
pendent The storekeeper charges big
price when credit is given, but is obliged
to sell on very narrow margin of profit
for cash, hence he prefers to give time