Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-07-19
high WATER ON rueALoo.
Record Of 0veri'ows Since 184O-Tho 1887
Fresket Is the Highest on Record.

Tugaloo, July 15.-Editors Keo-
wee Courier: 1t may be of interest
to some to know of the various
freshets on Tugaloo river, therefore
/ will commence nth the May over
flow in 1910. While it occurred be-
fore was born, the facts have been
related to me by my father, and so
many phases of the freshet pointed
out to me by him, and also some of
the effects, which remain even until
this day, and having been an eye
witness of some like rises since then,
it was indellibly stamped upon my
mind at very youthful period of
my life. This freshet was considered
by him the highest that occurred
during his life, which terminated in
1883.
The next of Importance was the
August freshet in 1852. 1t occurred
in the latter part of the month. 1t
was most disastrous to the crops, but
not to the bridges, for there were
fewer bridges at that time. All the
valley was covered by an extra fine
crop of corn, peas, ETC., and much of
the corn was getting hard, and some
saved by opening the shuck and let
ting it remain on the stalk. 1t cured
sufficient to feed to stock, but a con-
siderable part was utilized by being
fed to hogs for pork. Every farmer
had large numbers of hogs in those
days and raised his own bacon and
lard. My fathers herd contained
nearly 100, and the way they en-
joyed the damaged corn in its soft
ened condition, confirmed the old
adage that "the hog never looks up
to him who threshes down the
acorns." My personal recollection
of this freshet is now very vivid.
Although under nine years of age, l
admired the grandeur and magnifi-
cence of the water, without even
thinking of the destruction it pro-
duced, but personal experience has
brought upon me more considera-
tion now.
The next of Importance was the
January freshet of 1865, and, of
course, no damage was done to any
crop, but rather tended to improve
the lowlands along the river, except
in some few cases, which were badly
washed. The sediment, or rather
the deposit, left was composed prin-
cipally of leaf mold and the rich
black soil from the mountain sides
converted many stiff and uDproduct-
i've parts Of the bottoms into rich al
luvial soil. The character of the
deposit of to-day is quite different,
containing less vegetable matter and
more silt from the red clay soil of
our worn-out hillsides. The condi-
tions of the county, as relates to
food supplies, was not seriously eff
fected up to this time by the
total destruction of crops on low
lands, for many-yes, many-farm-
ers held sufficient produce of all
kinds on hand for another years
supply, and were not dependent
upon the importation Of their sup
plies from distant field, but when
the eventful freshet of June, 1876,
came it was not so-a very decided
change had overtaken the country
IL the conduct of the farms and
King Cotton reigned supreme over
the homes of many farmers. The
grain crop and the hog crop and
diversified farming were in the very
throes Vi oblivion. This freshet was
very disastrous to the growing crop,
but large bodies of the destroyed
corn were replanted, and made good
feed for the stock. yet it caused much
loss and financial suffering, for many
men, claiming loss Of their crops
from high water, refused to pay for
their supplies upon which they had
lived the whole year, when, in reality,
there was not even spring branch
on their farms.
In the cycle of freshets we have a