The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-07-31
Letter from Spartanburg, S. c.

Letter 1FOul spartan DuTS, - W
Mr.. ED1ToR:-In my last letter I gave
to your readers an imperfect account of
the great calamity which overlook our
county on the early morning of June 9th.
Since then have made personal inspec-
ton of the two destroyed manufacturing
plants, "Clifton" and "Pacolet."
My conclusion is, that such utter ruin
and desolation can never be measured by
words History will take it up for visi-
tation, for no normal conditions of natu-
raj ethics can account for so serious de-
struction of mans work. But we have
healthy feature to present, it is not all
gloom and disaster. These plants have
through their stockholders decided to have
the wreckage put behind them and ar
ranged to have the entire plants placed
back, with all the new and improved facil-
tiles for successful and competitive work.
could give many interesting notes of
this flood of personal nature which
might be of interest to parties familiar
with the surroundings. I will give one
in which I was particularly interested.
Gamers mill, built in 1890, on the
watershed of Lawson's Fork, small
stream two miles from our city, your
Collington would make it blush for i'm
portance at normal water. This little
stream swept away this mill, carried away
the dwelling house, the occupants barely
escaping. The head of this family,
young man just % years of age with a
prosperous outlook for the year, three
younger brothers, an aged mother, all
swept away in fifteen minutes. He tells
me it was about early daylight when he
found his house afloat and by mere chance
he saved bis family. The house, mill, two
COWS and four goats were carried away.
Every vestige of household furniture,
clothing, bedding, and all the accumula-
tions of thrifty, well-to do family gone
forever Such cases as this, and there
were many such outside the mill towns,
which required immediate attention.
Our citizens met in mass meeting on
the afternoon of the 9th and gave out the
alarm, subscribed large amount of money
and appointed committees to look after
the afflicted. Contributions poured in not
only from different sections of this State,
but from all parts of our great country
until our Mayor gave out that enough mon
ey and clothing was in hand to meet all
immediate emergencies. The central COM
mittee which had the distribution of the
twenty five thousand dollars thrown into
their Golfers have made most satisfactory
showing. Work is now going on at the
mill sites. Labor is in great demand and
the prospects are that after all continued
prosperity will be With US. Our farmers,
who month ago were among the "blue
ones," are now rejoicing. The crop pros
poets are fairly good and with favorable
August full crop will be saved in this
county.
We are certainly enjoying a most de-
iightful summer. We claim that Spartan
burg can boast of an ideal climate. lying,
as it does, in the lap of the Blue Ridge
mountains, we are protected from winter
blast or summers heat. Yet, strange to
say, we have room thin this corporation
for 1901 more people, but enough of
this style of entertainment.
can give you pointer, mean politi-
cal. II the Southern States can in any
way shape the DEGREES of our next National
Convention Maryland will present a
prominent figure in the person of Senator
German. Personally, I regret the appar-
ent disposition to smother his advance
movement. If he is to be leader, where
one is so sadly needed, let his friends
sound the slogan at once. The South
holds him in honored reverence as their
champion during the angry days when
the "Force Bill'' was being forced upon
them. Yes; German, of Maryland, is the
eligible candidate if Democracy is to
mean anything in 1904.
am looking with much interest at the
outcome Of your county primary. Keep
the elements of Democracy together, as
they were in the '4O's and '44s. Are you
too young to remember those good old
political days! Many of your readers,
am sure, will recall them. Politics then
was a science. What is it now? Spoils
Spells; if this is not a proper answer rub
it out and substitute better one.
If you can make room for this l would
be honored; if not, cast it aside. 1 have
had the pleasure of passing thoughts with
you. Sincerely,
| A. J. GwYNN
Items from Cedarville.