The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-05-03
The Peoples Journal.
PICkENS 8. 9.
IMPRESSIONS OF DIME.
A Northern Newspaper Man Writes
About Tho Sunny South.

A Northern Newspaper Man Write
About Tho Sunny South.
Mr.. Edward A. Hunt, New Yorl
newspaper man, who has been spend
ing the past few months in BAN berg
co,Inty for his health, has been max
iug study Of Southern customs anC
life. This being his first visit to South
Carolina, naturally he is impressed
with the difference between Northern
and Southern customs and ideas. R3
Gently he wrote a letter to the Tren
ton, N. j., Sunday Advertiser, from
which are made the following OK
tracts
"But q word as to the chars cteris
tics OF the people who have made the
sunny South. The writer does not
propose to take any class for an OK
smple. neither would it be fair tc
readers to speak only Of residents Of q
certain State or locality. or course
the people in 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 com
pclled to acknowledge the feeling Of
interest and kindness manifested in
his behalf by ali he chances to meet
a spirit of courtesy and hospitality
which seems to be Unborn with people
of the South and which wOuid be diff
fcult of imitation elsewhere. TO be
sure, hospitality on the part Of people
in other parts OF our glorious Union
are not uncOmmOn but it usually lacks
the real rng Of sincerity which
cbaracteriHcs the people OF whom |
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 ever
lasting chase after wealth, TO stop nnd
extend the hand OF good fellow ship u:
it Is here extended. IN the South
there are not so mnny means OF diver
sion TO engage the attention OF tho
young, particularly, and the result is
that the people do not become either
selfish or thoug htlcss Of Vie welfare OF
others. Ia this part OF the country
the eligibility 0i Il man or Is family TO
the best set Is not questioned wealth.
That is not Il factor for consideration.
Character and reputation count tOr
everything. One Is taken lur what BIC
ia or what he appears to be. lie is
respected and entertained until he
forieits the right to respect by some
act or acts UnOcC0ming Is gentleman.
In the latter event, neither family nor
money will restore him 10 tho good
graccs Of the people. Although
Southcrncrs are not, generally speak
ing, nearly SO energetic and ambi-
tious rs people OF other parts OF the
country, there IL no Eainsuyiug that
they seem TO get more satisfaction and
real enjoyment out OF .ifu than re.
sidcnts Of any other par, Of The Union.
So much for the people Of Dixie Laud
Negroes DO virtually all OF tho work
though three oi them hardly do what
would be rCQuirCu OF Is man in the
North. They appear 10 DC Is shiftlcss
lot anc work only wnCn it Is really
necessary. They are paid forty and
fifty cents " day, aud while this seems
like an imposition, it Is probably Us
much aS the average one really earns.
Nearly everyone carries a gun, 8s
they say here in speaking OF I, re-
vOlver, and they use tho weapon upon
tho slightest pro location.
An institution OF more than passing
intcrcst-m0st Of the residents con.
slider 1t 50 interesting that they rarely
ever pass it's the dispcnsary, a pro
jcctpcculiar TO South Carolina. The
Palmetto State is the Onty one in the
Cnion that has this eccentric law re.
guatlng tho sale OF liquors. He who
lmbloes must purchase at the dispen-
sary, and there is but ono OF these
buildings in each town. ~ half pint
Is the smallest quantity sold and no
one can purchase twice the samc dav.
record being Kept Of all sales. The
law prohibits drinking inside the dis.
pensary. The profit OF this tratlic are
applied TO State funds and incidentally
help TO provide for the school sysLcm.
which Is as wrctchcd as can be i'm.
hglneu, some Ui the sChUUl; remaining
IN session but three months in the
year IL Is Claimed that the disDen-
sary mas had tendency to dccrcas g
tne NUMBER OF urunkarQs, it Nrinp un-
la"inl 10 sen 10 TINS class, and as the
clerk IN charge receives /, stated salarv
there Is no incentive for him to make
any effort to obtain new patrons or
create larger sales. While one place
can not begin to create the destruction
that would result from a half dozou o,
more saloons, still, liquor is 80 com
monty used by both white and coloret
residents as to represent q total con
sumption that is more than alarming
In short, the two prevailing curse
OF the Palmetto State appear to b.
drinking and credit" The latter j.
factor which the farmer seems to re
gard as q necessity and is the salvation
OF the merchant. Explained briefly
each farmer trades with ono merchant
and the latter takes q mortgage or
his customers property, or more Otter
NJ" prospective crops. When Il settle.
ment Is made good part Of the pro
auct OF the farmers soil is necessary
TO cancel his Indebtedness to the kind
hearted merchant For this reason
d vast majority never become indcpen-
uent' Lhe storckceper charges a big
prlce when credit il given, uut is ob.
ieeu 10 sell on u very narrow margin
81 81 proAI ior cash, hence he prefers to
give time" ~