The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-03-28
LAURENS DISTRICT
From Statistics of South Carolina, by Roher
Mills; Published in 1926.
Copied for The Advertise by Miss May Madden.
large landholders In the district.
Price OF Provisions, Of Labor, Expens

The average price Of grain may be,
for corn 30 cents per bushel, and wheat
70 cents, chiefly consumed in the dis
trict. The article principally sent to
, market, is cotton. Columbia is the
principal market. The expenses of
living are very moderate scarcely eX-
cccding eight dollars per month. The
price of laboring hands is from so TO
100 dollars per annum.
Timber TreeS-Fruit Trees.
The district is well timbcred-thc
proportion of unclearcd to cleared
lands IS rs one of the latter to six or
seven of the former. Besides the pine,
Of which we have some Of the short
leaf, there is Il great variety Of oak,
also poplar, chestnut, beech, dogwood,
hickory, linden, locust, etc. or fruit
trees, we have besides various species
Of the apple and peach, grapes in
| abundance, plums, berries of different
kinds, chinquapins, chcstnuts, etc.
Climate, Disease, Longevity.
Laurcns, like the upper. districts,
possesses a temperature Of air the
most favorable to health. The sky is
generally clear and serene and seldom
rains come on suddenly. fall hastily,
and terminate at once; leaving 4 clear
and settled sky. The air is pure and
/ temperate, and although variable, is
seldom subject to sudden and great
changes. During summer Farcnhcit's
! thermometer generally fluctuates from
50 to S6 degrees and during winter,
from 20 to 20 degrees. Every year,
however. there are a,fcw days when
tho mercury rises in summer to 81 and
! % degrees and ~ winter, when it falls
| to 10 or degrees. The soil is clc-
! waited and dry, except near the edges
| OF the water courses in moist, rainy
seasons. The water, from the declvi-
! ty Of the surface runs off speedily.
There is very inconsidcrabc portion
of stagnant water; none except small
lagoons near the rivers; and from
these there are innumcrablc retreats
on dry and elevated spots, to which the
vapOr arising from the low lands can
not reach. Fogs are rare and readily
dissipatcd by the rising rain. The gnats
and other insects which attend putrid
air. mud and slime, are few in number
Agues and fcvcrs are more rare than
in the more violent forms Of bilious
fever. Though the first effect Of clear
ing the land, particularly along the
watercourses, were unfavorable to
health, there is ground to hope, that,
when it is better cultivated, 1t will be
more healthy than even at present
There are already evidences Of this
in some Of the Oldest and most highly
cultivated parts Of the district. A con-
siderable number of the inhabitants
live to be old. We have on record the
following: Mr.. Ncighbors. who died in
1898, aged ia, and his wife 100, both
Pennsylvanans; married so years.
Mrs. Newly was l12 years old when
she died At present there are several
living who are upwards of so years
old Marriages are early and generally
prolific. 1t Is rare to find woman of
the age Of twenty-five who is not eth
er a wife or widow An unusual pro-
portion Of children is raised to maturi-
ty. from their births they exhibit
strong marks Of health; their diseases
ere short and easily managed.
Manufactures.
These are only Of the domestic kind
ent are Of some importance.
Population.
This has been gradually on the in
crease. In 500 the population amount
ed to l2,S00 Of which ,9GS were slaves.
The last census in 1920 gives 1862
Of which 1878 are slaves.
Fish, Games, Birds, Etc.
In the year 1850, when the first set
tlcmcnt was made, the buffalocs we're
SO humorous that It was nc. mnccm.
mon for three or four men with dogs
TO Kill from ten to twenty day These
animals have entirely disappeared
Wild turkeys were also in the greatest
plenty. Deer were so numerous that
a rincman could easily kill four or
five day. or bear, common hunter
in the autumn could lay up from 200
to 800 pounds Of bear bacon. The wa