The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-15
Local News.
Piedmont Letter.


In sending this letter to The Intell-
genCer we would, il possible, ilavo it
dTaped in black for the loss Of our old
IOve-the dam at POrtman.
The editor must know how much we
loved it, having seen it grow foot by
foot, from foundation to finish, having
heard the men sing, the happy clanguOr
of machinery. that, like good horse,
is happiest when most active. Having
been there through the brightness of
the sunlight and the shadow of the
cloud, seen the rains descend upon it
and many q flood come-till the last
fine, it is good, and it will last" We
looked upon it from both sides and
walked upon it's firm surface above
measured it with mind and eye and
love-as one does with the object of
ones affections, and, as it is with that
one, prophesied great things for it!
But alas! and alas! how uncertain are
the surest things Of life.
When the writer was little girl
away over across the briny watera-in
the land where the "good old days" are
never forgotten, and where customs AZ
ancient as ancient Rome are still MS sa-
cred. she attended the funeral, or
wake" of her maternal grandmother.
We may have degenerated since then
III tIiiC NEtS NLClC lHC tNu-
dial hands of greed and gold know no
veneratiOn, but we had some good old
ancestors, so good, so untainted BY
parvenus that the "banshee" cried as a
warning of this grandmOther's death
which never happens except in the case
of such ancient, undetiled lineage.
Preparations were being made; for,
when the banshee cried-an old woman
from no one knows where, but some
where from between earth and sky, be-
tween hadcs and the grave-nO one
knew from where. She came to tho
window cOmbing her long white hair,
crying and grooming during the dark
hours of tho night, bcwailing the loss
upon earth OF one more OF those relics
heard the end was known to be near.
and the finest band of mOurners in all
that section of the country engaged to
be ready.
The writer, as child, sat there and
listened to the mOurners. They mourn
till their faces were swOllen-we can't
Just remember whether there were any
tears or not--but as they bent and
hwaved over the body they called aloud
ir the greatest agony of grief begin
ing with "Oh, no, hO-o-O, 600
" m-o-o! but you were the best of wO-
men! You gave to the poor and visit
out the country for your love and
charity-o-o. Your fathers and fore
fathers were great and good Oh-o-o-u,
u-u!' So it continued till child's
mind and fears would bristle like
porcupine. stray mOurner who heard
the familiar wall and whose business
it was to letno such happy and remark
able event escape her, burst through
the sympathiZing thrOng of country
neighbors, and shouldered in between
the weeping Gordon of mothers in Is
rael, flung herself PROSTATE on the
corpse, threw back little shoulder
shawl that her elbows might have full
room and outdid herself and oil the
others III prolonged and incOn solable
ferment OF weeping. When she blew
her nose violently. and enuffed and
shifted, and dared to lift her fevered
eyes to the light she asked in hollow
tone, who is dead7"
This Is far away memory; but it
now, recalls the utility of such weep
ing band that we should like to sce go
down and weep over the fall of Baby
lon. which we should impersOnate in
that dam at POrtman.
We loved it, and we pity all else who
had interest or affection in it. We dare
not think of the commercial or money
part of it. as that, in its extreme and
distressing significance. is beyond our
comprehension. We do not sec the
distress OF broken VOWS and broken
honor in business men who promised
work and welfare to many, who prom
ised the relief of obligations and pay
ment of debts. who started the current
of activity in business circles, only to
see 1t checked. We do not sec the
hundreds Of people, hungry perhaps for
ful! meals victuals, fearful lest their
small stock should not last till work,
and an income resumed. We do not
see all this, aud the fears and hopes
that try mems and women's souls, ,ind
we dare not write it since we do not
underestimate.
We know what we think, we know
what we hope, that the mngnifcence of
an OWnipotent hand who, at one in
stantaneous stroke, swept away the
living-the bread from the children's
outEs-witi. in q reincarnated stroke,
feed again the five thousand. That as
it waE. it shall be-comfOrt and fire
and light. That the men in business
who command the plans. the money of
enterprise shall be enlightened in new
wisdom. how to proceed, how to rise
above their difficulties and begin anew.
Courage in one man in a circle will
light with hope the whole circle.
Trusting that all will be we'll with
our neighbors and assuring them of our
sympathy. we remain faithful to their
cause and interests. X. Il. l..
P.S. Well.O condolences are late for
this week. The Rural Mail Delivery,
the States unlimited convenience, is
a hoax when it passes us by with about
three lines of our letter incomplete,s 9
making our letter, if it is published
next, week, very complete as back
number, yet then, az now, our senti-
ments expressed will be as fervcnt and
we'll moont