The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-12-09


route by Camden is good, but longer,
quoth the driver
Reaching Eastover, which is TWEEN
ty-three miles from Columbia, some
very obIiging citizens Of that communi-
ty kindly directed the party to the
ferry. After taking the wrong road
at least a half dozen times and riding
for miles over bridges spanning an al
most limitless swamp, the ferry was
reached and the river crossed. 1t was
then that the very accommodating
ferryman ventured the information
that this was not the way to Sumter!
In very short while, little town
was reached and the party was in
formed that the place was Fort Mottei
And, further, the information was
vouchsafed that the only way to get
to Sumter from that place was to re-
trace their steps to Eastover, a dis
tance of twelve or fifteen miles and
go in the opposite direction towards
Wateree River. 1t was only then dis
covered that Congaree river had been
crossed at, Bates ferry, when the
worn-out Shriners had every reason
to believe-from the directions given
them enroute that it was Gamers
ferry over ,Wateree river. The party,
not to be out-done by such a little
circumstance as going twenty-five
miles out of the way just for the
mere purpose of crossing the Con-
garee river and viewing the thriving
hamlet of Fort Motto, (although many
of their thoughts would not sound
we'll if expressed, and the majority Of
their expressions would not look we'll
in print hiked back over the bridge
spanned swamp, and after a long
enough time, reached Acton, which is
a small station on the Coast Line a
few miles from Eastover. There new
road was discovered-and the assur-
ance was more than once given by
those who we're met on the road, that
the right road to Gamers ferry had
at last been struck. And Gamers fer
ry is on the way to Sumter! There
another swamp-Wateree swamp was
encountered, and while no bears, tig-
ers, wildcats, etc., were seen, it is
said that these animals abound in these
parts.
The party proceeded cautiously
through the boggy roads, only to lose
their way in the network Of suppos-
son to put them on the road to Gar
ad-to-De roaos more uhan once; but
each time there was found some per-
ner's ferry again AT last after
much wandering, "cussin', heart-slck-
ness, and little OF everything else,
Iney found a sign marked ''Garners
Ferry, with a nand pointing down
a desolate-looking ROAD among large
cypress trees. They had now
been travelling for about five ihours in
search of some evidence of "Garners
Ferry" and the sight Of this sign
made them get move on. A mile
or so through this rough road brought
them to little stream-unbridg
and one of the party, acting as scout,
got out of the machine to look for the
ferry and ferryman.
In few minutes the scout" return
ed with a friendly looking old gentle
man who lives on the edge Of the
stream, and to him they related our
aims and desires, the chauffeur at the
same time turning on the juice" pre-
paratory to boarding the ferry with
the machine. Mr.. House-for that was
the gentleman's name-very quietly
and modestly informed them that
there was no ferry there-that it had
been discontinued for more than a
year!
Being assured further that the
nearest way to Sumter from the ferry
(0 la auto was via Columbia and
Camden, at least one member of the
party came very near throwing ft'.
But, as there was no time to waste
On "ft-throwing", and being informed
by Mr.. House that he had not yet
caught and killed his dinner-consist-
ing of fish and squirrels-the now
.horcughly-fagged and disbusted Shrln-
ers had their chauffeur to turn around
and proceed to the nearest railroad
station, which was Eastover, about
SIX or eight mItes distant There he
was told to hike for Columbia-or any
where else that he might want to go
and the two Mobiles, after taking in the