The Washington herald., 1907-05-05
AS IN DAYS OF Old
Charleston Retains Ante-bel.
lum Customs.
c1rY's STANDARDS ARE HIGH
Divorces Are Few and There Are No
Evidences of Race suicIde-VisitOrs
Ring BELL at Gate and Wait ON
Sidewalk for Invitation to Enter.
The Family Counts for Much.

Sidewalk for INVITATION 10 Enter.
The Family Counts for Much.
Charleston is to South Carolina what
Boston Is 70 Massachusetts, or San Fran
cisco to California. The people of the
State regard it with affeetionate pride.
The South Is very conservative, and
charleston, most Of all. says the Rosary
Magazine. Family portraits arc a cher
ished part OF their possessions. Mary is
pronounced Marry" dress waist is
lcalled body. and the man that waits on
table a butler. His other duties may IN
Iclude milking and cooking. Still he Is the
butler.
BY people OF the old school-and there
Iare many in Charleston married woman
lis spoken OF and TO as Mistress" So-and-
So. Many members Of the aristocracy live
in the country on large estates with high
sounding names. They employ govern
tesses and tutors. ride horseback, have
lhouse parties, and go long distances to at
tend balls.
Hedges are in general favor. Around
the old churches are burial grounds CT
lchurch-yards. but as a rule burial in them
is no longer permitted.
Ancestry is OF much consequence in
lCharleston. 1t is the sole basis Of social
ldistinction No college Of heraldry il
necessary; the memory is an infaIlible re-
pository.
Family Counts for Much
Even the point Of a story is sometimes
Host sight Of in genealogical digressions
In South Carolina every one knows every
one else In the State who belongs TO one
of the best families.
The ST. Cecilia Society is the most aris-
tOcratic society IN the State, bat IL is not
so exclusive as is generally supposed by
strangers. The society came into exist
eice as early as 1877, but IL was not or
ganized until 1862 1t was al first musi-
cal club. and gave amateur concerts from
time 70 time, but having on It's member
ship roll SO many young men FOND OF
ldanclng and desirous that balls should be
given. the concerts were given up ana
since then three times a year dances have
been gwen. which are the most important
social events in the city.
Three black balls are sufficient 10 ex-
clude a man from membership. A lady
( name when once put on the invitation
list usually stays there as long as she
lives I'm the city. Actresses and divorced
women are barred from attending
South Carolina enjoys the distinction
of being the only state in the Union
where II Is impossible to get a divorce
except by appeal TO the legislature, an
! impossbiiity which society uphoids bS
refusing to oountenanee divorced women
Though there were no laws enacted on
Z Uss-
been granted in the State except once
just after the civil war.
Children Are Numerous.
Large families have not gone out Of
fashion in Charleston. the number oi
children often ranging from six 20 ten
Family names are perpetuated in th'
naming OF the children, as for instance
Mcmillan King. sinkier simons. Shan
non Perkins. Prioleau Ravsnei. Pringi'
smith. Huger Bacot. &c Sometimes
girls are named in like manner.
Labor is very cheap. but it takes sev
e eral negroes to accomplish rs much az
e one Swede or German. who is paid from
a 8 to 81 a week for general hOusewOrk
; In small towns S a month is paid 70
; domestic service; in Charleston, s. or s.
very competent cook and laundres
70 commands SO: sl5 is a big price; $3.50 o.
s. for making a dress, even though ]
is much trimmed is not uncommon
+ charge by dressmakers In small towns
L Rice is usually served as a vegetable
S rarel; in any other way. White or Irisi
e potatoes seldom appear on the table il
any form and are never warmed over,
> Although fruit is cheap. it Is not eater
At breakfast except perhaps. IN midsum
mer Neither is il canned. HOusekeeper'
. say that canned fruit does not keep vel
e in that climate 50 they put up preserves
70 and jam instead
DI Hominy is an Indispensable breakfast
/, dish Modern breakfast foods are moi
ised, In the up country soda or bea tel
biscuits are an almost daily breakfas
q occurrence. Beaten biscuits are made OF
2 -four. salt, and water, and have the di
= ameter Of one and the thickness Of fou
: 5G-cent pieces. After standing severa
: hours they are Of impenetrable hardness
Breakfast Dishes Baked.
L Baked breakfast 6ishes of corn meal oi
2 rice -four are made in great variety. In Z
5 Southern railroad station soda biscuits
y and fried chicken are the invariabl'
o menu Bread is served fresh from tn
:, oven. It is baked almost daily and cor
e sequently does not have chance TO ge
e even approximately stale.
S Ginger is the chief ingredient in
!. ! ginger cake. Red pepper is used freel!
10 in cooking In soups the elements ar
+ not kindly mixed. II is hard 10 tell TO
: nlato soup from catsup. At Christina
. every household has copious supply o
fruit cake.
n The breakfast hour is from S to 3, al
d earlier hour being hardly possible. even
II desired. owing 10 the fact that negr
= servants go home at night. They prefe
TO 90, even when they live several mile
y away Until late hour OF the nigh
e they indulge in social and religious dem
4 onstrations and do not arrive very earl
e in the morning.
q Dinner is whenever ii is ready, whicl
n is any time from to T. Dinner Is hardl
! over before tea is announced at 3.30 or {
.a This division Of time makes the days al
! morning. the period between dinner an
s tea being by some included in the wor
70 evening
r Buildings UnpretentioUs.
; Few if any of the buildings are NOR
than four stories high. These are o
wood. brick. or stucco. stone being to
: scarce to be used at all. Residence struc
lures are very long. especially if ther
e are servants quarters adjoining in tn
p. rear, and are built 10 nave as niue
'e piazza space as possible.
IS A favorite style OF architecture is