The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-09
In HISTORIC OLD
CHARLESTON.
The Famous Magnolia Gardens the Finest
Things of the Kind in the World.

nc FAMOUS magnolia Udr0e0S tue FIneSt
Things of the Kind in the World.
Editor National Tribune: Yesterday
morning our enthusiasm at the prospect
of the enjoyment before us increased
by the perfect weather for which we
had been patiently waiting for a week,
we boarded a launch at point on the
Cooper River and steamed down that
stream. The river from the Navy Yard
10 Charleston, Il distance of seven miles,
has no particular interest. The banks
are low, and on the right the Govern
ment buildings of the yard are followed
by the deserted wharves of Charleston
and the buildings of the city, the towers
of st. Michael's and st. Philips looming
up above all others. Reaching Charles
ton, we past the battery, that special
pride of the numberleSS prideS of
Charlest onians, green and beautiful, its
east front graced by many residence
rich with legends of the dead and gone
glorieS of Charleston, whose doors even
now only open to those whose grand
fathers and grandmothers belonged be-
You'd question To what may be called
our upper circles" The south front of
the battery, with its gardens and charm
iHS IcSlutIlCeS, tHc three airy,
paZzas SO typical of the South just Wis
'ib1e to us between the spreading
branches of the live oaks as we steamed
all too quickly by, was soon lost to view
in our progress up the Ashley River.
Up the Ashley we went for Is miles,
past The new City Hospital with its
orange-red roof, past the attractive for
eign-Iooking buildings erected at the
time of the Charleston Exposition, past
many curious, intercsting-looking res
idence once the home of some rich
Charlcstonian STAKEHOLDER, and past the
only thing that looked at all like enter
prise. the great buildings of the differ
ent fertilizer works. One of our party,
a retired sea Captain, who, like the rest
OF US, was imprest with the newnesS
and up-to-dateness of the buildings, eX-
claimed, But where are the ships to
carry off the products of these works :?
This magnificent river should be filled
with ships, and we have seen but one
This was true; in all the Is miles of
our trip up the Ashley we saw but one.
Wharf after wharf was past, before we
reached the Phosphate Works, utterly
deserted, many of them no longer fit
for service. The sail up this river was
delightful, the scenery having a certain
soft sweet charm which could hardly
be explained or seemed justified by what
met the eye. Nothing much except the
little islands of vivid green and the 81
lent woods of pines and live oaks upon
which hung the misty gray moss; yet
there was certain unexplainable, mys-
FERROUS charm about it. There is q GER
tain sadness, too, about these Southern
rivers. with their marshes and husht
forests filled with the melancholy
draped trees from which you cannot es-
cape.
The Famous Gardens.
After passing thru the third draw
bridge, a little over two hours having
been spent in this most delightful and
enjoyable trip up the river, we ap-
preached our destination, and landed
at the old wharf. A short walk brought
us to the famous gardens, and the an
cient darby who acted as our guide
gave us their brief history. The estate,
comprising some six or eight acres, was
originally owned by Mr.. Drayton, who
died in 1871. About 60 years ago one
of his descendants, a clergyman, was
obliged on account of delicate health,
to give up preaching, and was advised
by his physician to spend as much time
as possible in the open air. So to carry
out this prescription and entertain him
self at the same time he started the
gardens, which each year grew In beau
the State to other parts of the country
AS time went on the number of people
who wisht to see the gardens Increased
until, few years ago, the present own
ers made an arrangement with a steam
boat company of Charleston 20 open the
gardens at the blooming season for one
third of the charge made ~ the CON-
pany for the trip up the river and adj
mission to the grounds, which sum was
h. tod = he. xsf1r zf....
up the gardens. They are called the
Magnolia Gardens" and the name is
appropriate, as the magnolia tree, the
red and white variety with it's glisten-
Ing leaves, is seen from every point.
But the proper name should be the
"AZalea Gardens" and my hand falters
when / think of attempting to prove to
you why It should be so called How
can l possibly give you the faintest idea
Of the enchanting beauty of these aza-
leas! Some one who has travelled the
world over, who has seen gardens In
England; that home of gardens France,
and Italy, as well as this country, who
has visited gardens laid out with all the
aids to beauty which modern landscape
gardening could devise, who has seen
the last word in the perfection of
flower raising, says that nothing he has
ever seen in the way of horticulture
any way dppTOdCU the I'LL
earthly enchantment of the azaleas at
Magnolia Gardens" Imagine, if you
can, walks bordered on both sides with
azalea bushes of the most heavenly COL
ors. delicate pink, rose, red and white,
eight or 10 feet high, Imagine islands
of these glowing blossoms, great
mounds of them here and there, I'm
agine everywhere live oaks festooned
with the gray moss which for some
reason seems of a lighter color here
than elsewhere, and intertwined with
that moss great punches of purple wis
taria, Imagine red and white japonica
trees, 5 feet high, in full bloom, placed
in effective juxtaposition to these live
oaksi Imagine artificial lakes, with
the oaks as background, and Dor
dered with clumps of these wonderful
aZaleas whose reflection in the water
suggests nothing but Fairyland! Imag-
inc the branches of these oaks filled
with the vines Of running rose. the
tangle of the nc IS and the blossoms
intoxicating you with their beauty! And
everywhere the wonderful aZaleas!
Vistas here, vistas there, each one more
enchanting than the last, till your brain
fairly reels with the Fairyland enchant-
ment of the scene, and you feel that il
cannot. possibly last that some wood
land sprite must appear, wave hel
wand, and, presto! all this beauty dis
appear. In writing of this garden &
| well-known author says:
A Maze of SplendOr.
aft was not like seeing flowers at all,