Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-01-09
RETROSPECTIVE AND OTHERWISE.
N. 8. CARY WRITES OF the PAST AND
PREsERr-"A LAsENT."

i
several years have written you monthly
letter as correspondent from Old Pickens
up 20 October last, whom moved 10 Sem
eca. Since then have not written be-
cause you have regular, better and
moro competent correspondent at this
place. But as the dear old Courier, which
has lived for moro than fifty years,
through the strife. o. q bloody war, tho
horrors of reconstruction and the devas-
tation of fire, always bearing aloft and
living up to her motto-"To thine own
self be true, and It must follow as the
night the day: Thou canst not then be
false to any man. continues it's weekly
visits to me, trust win be pardoned
for this comm unication.
mover glance ut Tho Courier but that
I am reminded Of the brilliant, versatile,
kind. hearted and patriotic VIM. G. Keith
and the venerable Col. Robt. A. Thomn-
son and others who were connected with
it In its past career, to say nothing of its
present able aud efficient force, to all of
whom present the compliments of the
season and extend my best wishes for q
happy, prosperous and still moro success
full New Year.
Christmas has come and gone once
moro. don't know how others in Sem
eca feel about it, but feel like, il were
a jeremiah, would write one chapter
of lamentations.
would mourn over that dreadful con-.
tlagration which in two hours 6lotted
from our embryo city her fairest, best
and most valuable property, known as
the Palmetto House, the Coleman resi-
denoe and the Oconee Inn, entailing upon
Messrs. Hunt & Harper, two of our most
promising young merchants, great pecu-
mary loss; Leslie Stribling and Luther
A. Moore, just we'll started in business,
still greater loss, to say nothing of the
loss OF Mrs. Coleman and Mrs. Anderson,
both of whom are too we'll known and
too highly appreciated here for their
deeds of charity and kindness to need
one word of sympathy in writing from
me. That splendid hotel, the Palmetto
House, owned by the indofatigable r. M.
Richardson, SO elegantly managed by
Mrs. Toombes, is a wreck, and saddest
of all, that magnificent brick structure,
known as the Oconee Inn, which repre-
sented the IL and labor for years of Mr..
and Mrs. c. H. Ellison, which was Justly
the pride of their hearts, was devoured
by the Unsuitable fire. flend.
No longer can the tired aud fatigued
drummer or worn-out traveller tell Griff
to carry me to Ellison's" or say to Jim
Young, Take me to the Palmetto
House." No longer burn the cheerful
fires and shine the brilliant lights of
these hotels, where the visiting country
man, town loafer and even forlorn
tramp could warm his frozen limbs and
get drink of water free of charge any
hour of the day or night. But in justice
to Mrs. Toombes, Mr. Isbell and Mr..
Hawkins it should be said that they are
doing everything possible for tho COM
fort and accommodation of the travelling
public and others.
would mourn over Ssneca's lack of
adequate means to combat a disastrous
fire and lament that want Of prudence
or foresight which has placed our town
in the position of the unwise virgins: No
oil in our lamps and mono to be bought
or borrowed from our neighbors.
would mourn over the disposition OF
some who call themselves Christians to
"swap presents" at this sacred ho AZ
(Christmas) instead of feeding the hun.
Cry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick
and imprisoned and ministering to the
widow and the orphan. "It is more
blessed to give than to receive" and at
this holy season we should all pray that
"peace on earth and good will toward
men" might prevail.
And lastly would weep o'er that un-
fortunate appetite among some of our
best people which crowds the express
office with that fiery liquid which surely
"in the end biteth like a serpent and
stingeth like an adder" N. b. Cary.