Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-20


tied in the province, five thousand
dollars: for completing the fortifi-
cations already begun, and keeping
others in repair, five thousand dol
lars: soldiers pay, including military
officers, three thousand dollars; mill
tary stores, one thousand five hun
dred dollars; governors salary and
other incidental expenses, three
thousand two hundred and fifty dol
lars. The current expenses deducted
from the income, left a sum amount
ing to something between four and
five thousand dollars. This sum was
set aside for the purpose of redeem
ing the bills Of credit. that had been
emitted for the purpose Of meeting
the heavy debt which had been in
Cured by the government.
What They Did For Money.
At this time there was scarcely
any English coin in circulation In the
colony. At various times, bills of
credit passed at their face value; but
soon, on account of their great num-
bers, they deprecated very much.
The gold and silver in circulation was
German, Mexican, Peruvian, French
and Spanish coin. No uniformity of
value was attached to the bills of
credit when exchanged for coin of
these nations. To prevent this con-
fusion. Queen Anne, in 1907, issued
a proclamation, by which the value
Of the currency of the colony was
fixed. One pound English money
was, by this royal proclamation,
made to be worth one and one-third
pounds of the colonial currency.
This Is the origin Of what was called
proclamation money"
Belonging to the colony, there
were, i'm 1908. twelve ships. more
than half of which had been
built in Charles Town. Taking all
things into consideration, we cannot
but wonder at the rapid growth of
the colony. 1t was not yet thirty
years old, but 1t had assumed the
Importance of little nation.
Manufacture Of Silk.
The mention Of silk as amongst
the exports of the colony, leads us
to inquire into the history of its in
PRODUCTION into the colony. In 1897,
Charles the Second sent out the frig-
ate Richmond with some French
Protestants. to the colony at Charles
Town. The main object that was had
in view, in transporting these French
Protestants, was to secure their aid
i'm the production of silk in the coun-
try. The vessel was too late setting
out on its voyage, and the result was,
that the eggs of the silk worms,
which were placed on board, all
hatched; and as no preparation had
been made for such an event, the
young worms died for want OF food.
At a later period, Nathaniel john
son. amongst other citizens, was more
successful. The plantation Of John
son, situated in the st. Thomas par
ish, was named silk Hope" from
the fact that on it considerable at
tention was devoted to raising silk.
BY many of the planters, forty and
fifty pounds of silk were annually
made, and the annual income OF
Governor Johnson, from silk alone,
was two thousand dollars. 1t cost
hn oil
forest abounded with mulberry trees,
the leaves of which furnished the
'proper food for the worms; and lit
tie negroes, who were too small to
work on the farm, were employed to
feed the worms. The silk was mix
ed with wool, and manufactured into
what the manufacturers called
"druggets" The production Of silk
was continued for a long time. The
mothers from whom sprung some OF
the most illustrious families in the
state, continued for a long time to
spin their wool and silk, and woye
il into dresses for their daughters.
In Abbeville county. silk was produc-
ed by the descendants Of the French.
who first settled in that county as
late as 1908. In 1853, the mother
of General Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney took with her to England
a quantity of silk yarn, which she
spun with her own hands in the
neighborhood of Charles Town. From
this yarn she made three dresses,
one of which she gave to the Prin-
cess of Wales; another to Lord Ches-
terfield and another to her own
daughter, Mrs. Horny.
Educational Progress Slow.
AS might have been expected, the
educational advantages Of the colony,
for a long time, were very poor. Still
we are not to conclude that the educa-
ton Of the children of the colony was
entirely neglected. Although there Is,
so far as we have been able to discov-
er, no account of any classical schools In
the colony prior to the year, 100, still,
we may, we think, safely infer that
such was the case. In favor Of this In
ference, we would state that many of
the early colonist were men Of learn
ing, and it is scarcely conceivable that
they would suffer their children to
grow up in comparative ignorance. We
are not, however, left to differences.
In 1871, Thomas Smith, who was made
landgrave i'm 1891 and governor in 1898,
came into the province. In 1872, one
year after his arrival, his second son,
George, was born. In 100, when near
thirty years old, he graduated in Edin-
burgh. The probability Is, that at
least part of his education was obtain
ed i'm Charles Town. Through the in
fuence of Rev Thomas Bray the bish-
Cd of LOndon's Commissary in Mary
land, a library was established In
Charles Town i'm 1896. By an act Of
the assembly, 1897, this library was
placed under the care of the Episco-
pal minister of the town. The books
were mostly religious. The missiona-
ries, sent out by the society for the
propagation of the gospel, were not
only required to preach, but also to
teach. They were both preachers and
school-masters. Instructions were spe-