The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-20
BEFORE THE FLOOD.


Jordan Divided - The Red Sea
Opened u Roadway The Serbo-
nian Bog Dried Up-But the Mud
Hole at Dendy's Bridge Stays
with Us Forever.
The condition OF the public highways II has
been sail indicates the prosperity, the iDlelli-
gence and the public spirit of q people. TO
show that Abbeville county has progressed IL
would be only necessary to cite the condition
In our roads OF today as compared Win the
roads of far distant ages.
In Egypt there was once great marsh
which was known as the Serbonian bog. II
was famous for swallowing up those who at
finally dried up, and its foundations beca 10 e
soid and safe for the foot OF man and beast.
Not SO with the mud hole at Dendy's orldge.
The mud hole at Dendy's bridge, Whlch is
scarcely less famous than was the Egyptian
bog, has existed for time out OF MIND, out un-
like the great Serbonian bog, 1t shows no
signs of dry ing np. Its foundations are az lar
from the surface Today as they were ~ prehls-
toric times Like The Serbonian bog, now
ever. IL has swallowed its victims. and they
have gone TO depths SO great that no trace OF
them was ever fOuud. Only twenty years ago
a good man from this ommnnltE oisap-
peared beneath its surface, to rise no more.
The fame Of this great bog or mud hole, ike
the story of that great bottomleAs pit OF
which we read In an old book, having gone
avoid 1t lu wet weather and travel by another
road when the waters are high.
Long ago the Ephraimites suffered great
losses of men from the hands OF Gileadites al
the different fords Of the river Jordan; In
Cane have been marked by the graves or the
slain. The Ephramites were slain because
thew cou ld not say "Shibholeth." They being
OF different tongue from ,r Inc Ssaataes cue 9hep
required by the guards at the different lords
of the Jordan 10 pronounce "Shibboleth" re-.
vealed their identity by saying "Sibboleth,"
and forty and two thousand OF them were
slain in one day.
The difference between the difficulty In
crossing the Jordan and In crossing Long
Cane were from different causes. The guards
at the Jordan performed their bloody DEEDS.
az in war. Mud cut no figure In their calam
ity The fatalities that have come 10 our own
people in attempting TO cross Long cane,
we're from natural causes, namely: Inc ao-
mixture of water and clay. The clay on Long
Cane OF itself Ia compact and firm. but when
wet ia plastic and tenacious. These latter
Qualities make travel fstiguing and danger.
GUS For instance: More III n hundred
taught their first lesson in the danger Incl
dent to crossing Long Cane. When the ma
tive white people OF this section were alarm
ed at the threatened approach OF Indian war
riors our forefathers sought safety In attempt
ing to cross Long Cane at point lower down
the stream than Dendy's bridge. They set out
on hurried pilgrimage In The hope OF nnd'
ing safety for themselves and their families.
They knew OF the plastic condition OF the
mud on the hill beyond the stream, but they
knew not of the depths 10 which their AMI.
mails and their wagons would SINK. While
ascending the bill on the eastern side OF the
stream, which holds 10 Abbevllle nearly all OF
her trade, they urged their animals forward
until they stuck fast In the mud. The hostile
Indians soon came unon them, and made
them an easy prey; They Stew, not IorIy
was satisfied when they had slain thirty-one
of our people. Since that historic event Long
Cane has been brtdged where our forefatners
did as we now do At Dendy's bridge: They
waded at Patterson's bridge. When the con
sistency of the clay and water is not sutfi-
cently strong 10 bear US up we Still wade al
Dendy's bridge.
When our forefathers got stuck in the mud
they put their trust In God, and accepted the
government to build bridges, but we have the
forms OF government, and, like our forefa-
theirs. we lack bridges. In wet weather We
wade eE Msasd s st Srare
Nearly all the bad roads In this country nave
been improved.
Men may come. and men may 60,
But Dendy's mud hole stays forever.
From the above It may be seen that progress
has been made RsG
lowed the Egyptian hosts may now be cross
ed in safety. Instead of the deadly Gileadites
at the fords of the River Jordan we md
friendly guides to set us on our way. Instead
of q dangerous ford at Patterson's bridge, we
have safe crossing on high bridge, 1n'
stead Of the mud on the hill beyond the
bridge, In which our forefathers were swamp
ed and held until overtaken by hestile 10
which spirited animals proudly move With
:Dendy's bridge alone remains as In the days
Of old In oden tmrs e wnen the pr peiesIsd otdan sea
which overflowed iis banks, the waters divi'
v!ded, and In the bed OF the stream the priests
stood firm on dry ground. The lsraelltes
passed over The river on dry ground, until all
the people were passed clean over Jordan.
II any man thinks be can pass over Long
Cane and keep his shoes and feet In as good
condition as did the laraelltes IN passing over
Jordan, be can disabuse bis mind OF erro-
q eous thoughts by practical effort.
All places on earth, seem TO re PETER, or
have made progress since the Hood. except
poor old Long Cane. which stil furnishes
sink hole, and holds the people as In afore-
times. There is no priest In all the land sutl-
ciently powerful to have the waters which
come down 10 stand up and rise In heap iof
rs.
P.S.-Since the above was put in type, we
learn that Mr. Nickes, the County Super
visor, Is bent on earning the profound grati-
tude of a long suffering people. His plans are
such that splendid road will be opened to
Long Cane. aid he will cause nfagnifi-
cent bridge to span its greatest waters. When
these good things are realized the people will
sing his praises forever, and when he has
gone to his reward he will deserve mopu-
ment as high as the sky and as broad as the
horizon.