The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-01

|
Palmetto regiment that fell in the
Mexican war. TO the left stands the
| Washington monument and in the
front the Confederate monument,
erected in 1879 by the Ladies' monu-
ment association to the memory Of the
| Confederate dead, Il magnificent shaft.
costing $4,000. on the west end OF the
capitol may be seen, high up on the
| white wall n sharp hole. and near It
n broken stone balustrade, at a win
| dow, and other marks of General
sherman's artillery firing. from across
the Congaree river, during his de-
| structive march to the sea in 1865.
| While at the capitol we were fortunate
| in making the acquaintance of Elbert
| II. Aull, president of the South Caro-
| lima Press association, who in turn
| introduced us to His Excellency. Gov
| ernor NJ. r.. McSweeney, of the state.
and General c. I. Walker, who gave
us hospitable reception. and much
valuable data pertaining to the city
and state. which shall mention later.
THE HOME OF SECESSION.
The legislature having adjourned
| it's sessions only last forty days. the
members drawing no pay beyond the
| forty days after Jan. 10th of each
year--we were deprived of the privi-
| lege of seeing that august body in
| session, but through the courtesy ov
the governor were shown through
the historic senate chamber and
assembly room, where. suspended
from its walls. are the life size paint
ings of Jackson Calhoun, Marion,
Sumter. Haynes. Hampton, Preston
and other distinguished South Caro-
lima statesmen and soldiers Within
| these halls. the accession scheme
| had it's birth and was eloquently adj
vocated by some of the above silver
| tongued orators and finally passed on
Dec. 90. 1860. followed four days later
| by proclamation from the governor
| announcing the dissolution of the
union between South Carolina and the
other states--South Carolina led the
| states of the south in the assertion
Of state sovereignty. A bronze tab
| let whcreon the ordinance of seces-
sion is inscribed. Dcc. 20. 1S6O)), also
a similar tablet announcing the re-
/ peal of the ordinance of secession at
n convention held here in September,
| 1865, now hang conspicuously upon
| the historic walls as reminder Of
the lost cause"
PROOFS OF PROSPERITY.
In speaking of the progress and pros
| perity of Columbia and South Caro-
| lima. Governor McSweeney says:
"'rhe business depression through
which the people of our state has
| passed and which was almost unpre-
| Cedented. seems to have been fol-
| lowed by a revival which is touching
| all branches of industry. You need
no better evidence of the progress
| and prosperity Of our state than that
| presented in the figures contained in
| the annual report of the secretary Of
| state. From this report it will bd
seen that approximately $15,O00,OOO
were invested the past year in South
| Carolina companies. and while large
| proportion of it is in cotton mill build
| ings. such as you have seen here in
| Columbia. yet many smaller manufac-
| turing enterprises and industries have
| been organized. New manufactures
| continue to go UP and we are no
| longer simply an agricultural people,
| but are fast becoming as well, a live
| manufacturing state. We now lead
| all southern states in the manufac-
| ture of cotton goods and are second
| only to Massachusetts in the number
Of spindles, and at the pre- sent rate Of
progress will soon lead all the states
of the union in this important branch
OF industry
Here the cotton mills are located
in the cotton fields. Within two years
the south's addition of spindles was
80 per cent, while New England's was
only 1-3 per cent. Manufactured ar
ticles doubled in value between 1880
and 1890. The cotton crop is four
fifths of the worlds produce. In
1900 it was 11,274.00o bales.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.
Regarding education. Governor
Sweeney says: Not the least graft
fying evidence of our progress Is the
remarkable awakening in all depart
ments of education Encouraging re-
ports come from the schools and col
leEes of our state, indicating that
they have entered upon new era of
unexampled prosperity. The enroll
ment in 1900 in white schools was
12G,2S9 pupils, in increase of nearly
five per cent. over the year 1899. That
of the colored schools was 146477 pu-
pills, in increase of only five per cent.
in the country is only II weeks: in the
city. 30 weeks, while the colored is
only IL weeks. Under the present
school system. adopted in 1868, all COM
mon schools are declared open to all
children with regard to color, but in
practice separate schools are pro-
Vided. Sixty per cent of scholars
throughout the state are colored. The
NN1, tn
were $10o,54060, against $57635 26.
nearly twenty per cent greater than
in 1899. That of the negro schools in
1900 was s2o2,17S.93 against sl93 46l 80
in 1899. an increase of five per cent
There We're 3,27O white teachers and
2,294 negro teachers in 1900 a gain of
go white teachers and 29l negro
teachers over 1899. This statement
shows some of the gain in the mat
ter Of expenditures and advancement
In common school education in South
Carolina"
THE CITY'S APPROACHES.
Columbia is approached from the
south by mammoth bridge, a COM
bination of wood and iron, over the
Congaree river The bridge Is l 200 feet
long, is supported by nine large piers
and cost 100000 and from the north
west, over Broad river, by bridge L.
05i feet long, that cost $35, 900; also by
ii number of public roads that bring an
abundapce of produce raised in the
surrounding country. The soil in the
northern part of the city is red clay,
while in the southern part and through
TO the coast, 142 miles, it is sandy At
Columbia the mountain sand and red
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