Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-15

territory. Nothing however, seems 10
have been done in this matter until
the year 1741. George Lucas. at that
time was governor Of the island of
Antigua. At the same time he owned
and had cultivated a plantation a
short distance west Of Charleston on
the Wappoo. Here his family resid-
ed. His daughter, Eliza, young wo-
man Of energy and also a great lover
of nature, devoted her spare moments
from the wheel and cards, to the cui-
tivation Of useful and beautiful plants
Her father gave her every encourage
ment, and at different times. sent her
various tropical plants and roots, with
which to experiment. Sometime dur
ing the winter Of 1740-41, he sent her
some indigo seed. Some Of these
seed she planted with her own hands
in the month of March, 1741. They
came up, but the young plants were
killed by frost. She planted again In
April. These also came up, but were
cut down by a worm. She did not, as
some other girls and most modern
boys would have done, become dis
couraged; but tried again and was
successful. The plant grew and ma
tured to the satisfaction Of the culti-
vator and her father. Governor Lu-
cas- now determined to make a busi-
ness of the cultivation Of indigo. More
seed were purchased and a practical
indigo maker procured from the is
land of Montserrat, and sent to Caro-
lima to superintend the culture and
manufacture of George Lucas farm or
the Wappoo. The name Of this super.
intendent was Cromwell.
He engaged in the work at first
with apparent good will. Vats were
constructed and everything put ir
preparation for the work Of making
merchantable indigo. Cromwell fear
ing, no doubt, that II this experiment
proved success 1t would be injurious
to the French colonies in the West In
dies, declared that indigo could not
be grown in Carolina. To dishearter
Eliza Lucas who still continued to
watch the experiment with intent in
terest, he put too much lime In the
vats and thus destroyed the indigo
Eliza Lucas discovered his trickery
and dismissed him, and with the as-
sistance of Frenchman by the name
Of Deveaux, she went to work and
discovered the whole process Of max.
ing indigo. Other individuals in the
neighborhood now began to cultivate
small quantities Of indigo FOR theiI
use.
Not long after this. Eliza Lucas
married Charles Pinckney, commonly
known as Chief Justice Pinckney. In
1746 she became the mother OF
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the
man who said, millions for defence
not a cent for tribute;" and in 175C
Of Thomas Pinckney. Two noble
sons of a noble mother. After hel
marriage her father gave the indigo
farm, which she had watched with
anxiety, to her husband. All the
growing crop was permitted to go tc
seed. At the proper time the seed
was gathered. Some was distributed
amongst the neighbors and the res
planted. Every one became interest.
ed in the production of indigo. Tt wa:
not long after its introduction into the
colony by Eliza Lucas until 1t became
one Of the principal articles OF export
1T proved" says an old writer, more
profitable to the Carolinians thar
gold mines did to some of the Other
European colonies in America" In
digo continued to be cultivated with
profit both to the colony and the
mother country. In 1747 the mer'
chants of England, who traded ir
Carolina, petitioned parliament that
bounty might be allowed on Carolina
indigo. This petition was favorablJ
received and an act passed In 174S al
lowing a bounty Of six pence-abou,
twenty cents-on every pound OF In
digo produced on any Of the British
plantations in America. 1t now be-
gan to be cultivated in every settle
ment and it's cultivation continued un.
til several years after the Revolution
ary war. 1t was rooted out by cotton
1t Is probable that indigo would
have been able to Withstand its rival
cotton, had 1t not been for the inge'
nuity of Miller and Whitney. These
men devised a saw gin which enabled
the cotton planter more expeditiously
to separate the lint and seed. 1t Is
probable that even Whitney's gin, as
originally constructed, would not have
been sufficient to cause cotton to su'
persede indigo had 1t not been for the
ingenuity Of a woman. Miller and
Whitney's gin, when first construct.
ed had no brush wheel. Mrs. General
Green while watching the gin In OPP
Grafton saw this defect and removed
the lint by the gentle motion Of hel
fan which she held in her hand. This
suggested the brush wheel. 1t was
made and as a woman had introduc.
ed indigo into the state, so a woman
by a stroke with her fan, did that
which drove 1t out. 1t was provert
once often repeated in the state, that
on an indigo farm everything looked
as If in a starving condition. The
same may be said with respect tc
cotton, which as a money crop, hai
taken the place of indigo.
In summing up the details OF
events which transpired during Gov
ernor Bulls administration we must
not forget to mention the great fire
which occurred in Charles Town In 174O
On the 18th Of November, the wind
blowing a stiff gale from the north
west, at two o'clock in the afternoon
a fire broke out on Broad street, near
its western extremity. With fearful
rapidity the flames were hurried in g
southeasterly direction from one
building to another. Soon IT seemed as
IL the whole city was In flames The
air was full of blazing fagots, carried
by the maddened wind. The inhabi-
tants were panic struck. The screams
of women and children rose above
the cracking flames and falling
houses. Property was abandoned to
be devoured by the fire. The houses
were all wood and the stores were
filled with tar, pitch, deer skins and
powder, all of which added fury to
the flames. No effort was made by
the citizens either to stop the progress
of the fire or save their property. An
effort was made by the sailors. but
for six hours the work Of destruction
continued until the flames were ar