Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-04-17
NJ. ". MS" RAMBLE Of STATE
THINKS AIKEN IS AN IDEAL PLACE-GlvES
HIS OPINION ON IMMIGRATION.

Walhalla, April 16.-Editors Keo-
wee Courier In my last communi-
cation l left your readers at Granite
vile. Before l left that place | Wis
tied the cemetery. 1t is situated on
a high hill that overlooks the town,
and vas one of the best kept m
teries l ever saw. All around it is
two rows of shrubbery (cedars)
planted far enough apart to allow
the hearse to go between, with a
vacan place to admit the bier at any
square. In looking over the m
terry 1 found the grave of a Mr.. Giles,
who lived in Graniteville, and vol
unteered in the Spanish American
war, and died in Cuba. His epitaph
told the tale. His grave was deco.
rated with Cuban moss and several
other things that came over from
the island. He was said to be g
nice young man. AS l stood and
viewed his grave the words came to
my mind that were uttered by Gen.
Wade Hampton whenI!he was max
ing a speech in Charleston. The
war was just brewing. The general
said he did not know whether it was
best or not ; that he was toe old and
could not learn war any more, but as
far as he could see it he would not
give the life of one good South Caro-
linian for the whole of CUBA. then
said "Amen." And | am of the
same opinion yet. 1t is an elephant
on u hands, that never paid ex-
penses or a dividend.
Leaving Graniteville, we boarded
a trolley car and were soon in Aiken,
where there are two hotels-Aiken
Hotel and Hotel Aiken. l stopped
at the latter, where [ met my old
friend, M. F. Nixon. He gave me a
bit of information that l was not in
possession of, and that was that the
Carey othran bill would not hold
water, and that Senator Tillman was
TO write a letter in a few days, Civ
ing his opinion of the bill, which
would knock it into smithereens.
Aiken is now a growing, thriving
place and a winter resort, for North
ern capitalists have come down there
and built, as they call them, winter
cottages, at a cost of from $4,000 to
100000. Some of these cottages are
rented out for the season for half
their cost.
Hitchcock & Co. have a stable of
fine blooded stock ~(racers) here, and
have a track to train them on. | saw
some of their fine stock being driven
in town, and the Northern ladies
with their riding habits on riding
them. They also have tennis courts
and base ball grounds.
At n time the town of Aiken
was nearly dead, but it is certainly
In a thriving condition now-fne
churches and school buildings, cleo
trio lights-and the finest artesian
water I ever drank. The old and
dilapidated houses and fences have
all been torn down aud new ones are
being built. The shrubbery and
flower yards are the prettiest l ever
saw.
Aiken has negotiations under way,
and the details of the scheme are
about completed, for the erection,
during this summer, of a large sani-
tarium ear the town for the treat
ment OF pulmonary troubles. / think
Aiken an ideal place for such an in
stitution, being situated on a high,
dry ridge.
There are a few immigrants around
Aiken. AS far as l could learn they
are Swedes. Some people were
pleased with them; some were not.
/ would like to give my opinion on
immigration If they are a lazy,
thriftless class, and don't know how
to do any kind of work in this coun-
try, I don't want them. We have
enough of that kind already. We
want good ones or none. But / am
deviating from what | intended to