The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-08-05
Been to the Isle of Palms.

Well, Mr.. Editor, you nave been to
the Isle of Palms of course, but did
you see any palms? I have heard,
would you say some vulgar people
call it, Long Island" or some peo-
Island?'') might as we'll kill a dog
as give him bad name, !" and vice
versa. I suppose that if / had gone
there few years back to visit the
elsie of Palms" would have felt with
big interjection What's in
name?" AS it is was much pleased.
/ did not go in bathing, nor dance
with the girls, nor carry on airta-
tions, nor = I'm married man and
though my better half was not there
behaved myself
The crops on the road are
very ordinary but I was told that
they we're better in the interior.
1 hope so. We took advantage of the
cheap rates offered by the Southern
Railroad. There were nine will filed
cars of fairly we'll behaved people.
At one place we made halt of some
thirty minutes and the thirsty ones
tried to replenish but the dispensary
man was doing the same thing. He
must have had agood dinner from the
length Of time he was away. | was
pleased, but I did not say so very loud.
The persistent seldom fail; these
thirsty ones finally got some whiskey
and began to be merry. We arrived at
Charleston at 5 p. m. from whence,
after securing rooms, we took the
steamer to the Isle of Palms. Excuse
me for writing the whole name, it is
SO pretty, so taking. There are banks
and banks there. Banks are making
the place attractive, but not banks
of sand.
Where are the palms, Mr.. Editor?
Under those sand banks 1 suppose.
It is good thing to be long headed;
the men who enterprised, not Long
Island, the Isle of PALMS, are max
ing good thing out of it no doubt.
| It was happy selection for the en-
campment of our soldier boys. / went
down to the camps and got envious.
Didn't | wish I was soldier boy too?
could have grown poetic, but they
| assured me there was not very much
| poetry in it. am not writing this
to discourage any, not one bit Of 1T.
I say to all who can "Jine the band"
There is no hard service in it, but it
gives one taste of camp life and a
little practical experience that would
be Of immense Importance in case of
an emergency. A large standing army
in the ordinary acceptation, is
menace TO our free government, but
the time has come when we may need
one in day. How shall we meet the
emergency? Uncle Sam has success
fully cut the Gordian Knot, at little
cost too, by making provision for
the officers told me that they were
getting the boys in fine shape, and
that one more season would almost
perfect them. Not all the privates were
baying smooth sailing: few there
were who imagined that military life
was under no restraints, and were 10th
| to bow to their superiors in command.
Their insubordination had to be
checked, and this caused little fric-
tion. These as lave intimated were
the exceptions and not the rule. Some,
not more than a half dozen, were
| put under guard for drunkenness. l
was there two days and did not see a
single enc under the inuhence of
drink. As to their behavior, they all
appeared to be gentlemen, and finer
looking lot 1 have never seen, none
better looking nor more gentlemanly
than the Sumter contingent, whom /,
had the good fortune to meet on my
last visit. They were enjoying the
social feature of the occasion !; they had
captured all the girls.
A woman loves chivalry, especially
| when it is in a fine looking man. AS
l looked on, now didn't wish was
single again? But hush! Hagood.
mEIEoRoL oGlcAL RECORD FOB July.