Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-23
FOR TIRED AND LAZY
Retreat in the South Carolina
Pine Forests.
GUESTS FROM THE NORTH
Weather So Mild That Golf Can Be
Played Every Day.
DECAY OF THE OLD MANSIONS
Home of the 'Middletons Occupied by
a Hunting Club-"Mad Archie"
Campbell's Escapade.
DECAY OF THE OLD MANSIONS
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

|
| SUMMERVILLE, 8. c., March Is, 1908.
For many years large number Of we'll
TODD people from the northern states
| have been coming down here to spend the
| winter months at the Pine Forest Inn. sit
uated. as its name indicates, in the midst
| of a pine forest upon an elevation OF
| sand. The grounds are large and well
laid out, and there is everything here that
a tired or lazy man or woman could ask
to pass away the time. The climate is SO
mild and balmy that the guests can sit on
the porch almost every day until nightfall.
| They can play golf all winter long. and
links have been provided for them within
a short distance. which are well patron
| lied. Several fanatics have been coming
here every winter for ten or twelve years.
and have played golf every day and bridge
whist every evening during their entire
stay. There are tennis courts. bowling
alleys, billiard rooms, saddle horses. and
| every other requirement for exercise and
outdoor diversion. and they are well pa
! tronlZed. 1t is great place to rest and
to loaf for convalescents to gain strength,
but The hotel is not a sanitarium: 1t Is not
intended for the sick, but for the tired and
| the lazy.
Sicl, people. particularly the many tu-
| berculOsis victims who come down here.
| dIo PIONIucO Will quarters elSc"HcIc. LII
| Charles L. Shepard. the tea farmer and
| philanthropist. has started q sanitarium
| for sufferers from the great white plague.
A considerable portion of the occupants OF
| the cottages and bungalows about town
are in that class, and have come here for
that reason. because Of the dry. sandy
| soil. the balsam from the pine trees and
| the hospitable climate
| Most of the visitors are from New York
state. New England northern Ohio. Mchi-
I DE md ho pff n l~l~4
| where the winters are too severe for COM
! fort and for delicate constitutions Many
4 of them have settled here permanently
| and are making this their home because
land is cheap, the simple life is fashion
able, and, indeed. necessary: 1t costs very
| little for rent and other expenses and one
| can rough it here and live as economical y
as he likes without attracting comment
! or even attention
A Permanent Settlement.
A permanent settlement of about 5000
people has sprung up around the Pine
Forest Inn. That is the high tide of the
winter population, and perhaps half of
| them go somewhere else I'm the spring.
Several millionaires have bought large
tracts of pine forest. have built luxurious
and imposing villas, and have spent a
great deal OF money in landscap pc garden
ing. But the larger portion of the popu-
1
single story and wide porches and plenty
fof air and sunshine. There are several
small hotels. and the boarding houses are
TOO many to count. They are scattered
without much regularity through the
town, which is nearly all among the pine
trees. One can get board from 81 a week
up, and can rent house for $o5 a month
If lie prefers to be more independent.
Charleston is only twenty-five miles
distant. and accommodation trains on the
railway have been arranged so that bust
ness and professional men in that city
can reside here and go back and forth
morning and evening. Many children from
Summerville 60 into Charleston to school.
and any one who likes can run into the
city by half dozen trains a day. for
shopping or sightseeing, or TO attend the
| amusementS.
Summerviile is, therefore, a most de-
lightful as well as healthful place, and
the society of agreeable people makes 1t
all the more so. The colored people
are unusually intelligent. and contribute
their share TO the general welfare. The
| soil is too poor for farming. and very lit
tie is raised except garden truck and tea.
| but in the neighborhood OF Summerville
are several historic plantations that were
| formerly owned and cultivated by famous
| men of this state. 1t has always been a
| favOrite place to live. The pioneers dis
covered the balmy atmosphere and the
| healthful climate early in the settlement
| of the state. Some Of the ancient man.
sions are in a pathetic state of dilapida-
| ton and decay. 1t is as mela ncholy to see
a house grow old and become crippled
and infirm woman a man, and
even a stranger cannot help signing with
| regret that these beautiful old places
| should be aba ndoned and left to rot away.
| 1t would be better to burn them down, as
a humane man shoots an aged horse, rath
err than allow them TO fall into ruin.
The Famous Middletons.
Otranto on Goose creek. near Summer
Vile. the former home of the famous Mid
dleton family of Charleston. is now oc-
cupied by hunting club. Arthur Mid
dleton was one OF the earliest settlers Of
| the state He came from Barbados in 1873
and took up a plantation. Edward. Mid
dleton gentleman. another of the honor
able persons Of this province" owned a
.'barony' in the neighborhood OF Sum-
merville and called his home the OAKS.
| because OF stately avenue of splendid
old trees which still remain. And the
garden is said to have been the finest in
| the province. Crowfield, another home OF
the Middletons. also on Goose creek, was
| even more famous. and 10 described In
the Life of Eliza Pinckney.'
| The Middletons who lived here were one
of the most influential families: they were
among the most public spirited. and they
served their fellow citizens in various
responsible positions. Arthur Middleton.
the first. was sent to Virginia as an en-
voy to arrange for cooperation among the
| colonies against the Indians: Arthur Mid
| dleton. the second. was for many years
| president of he council. and was as much
! Of dict tor as Senator Tillman. His
son Henry was equally prominent, and
| was delegate to the Continental Con-
gress and so the family furnished each
generation with leaders and advisers.
| Henry Middleton the third, was a man