The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-03-07
THE MANNING TIMES.

a very dear niece, Miss Lucille Ais
brook, of, Spartanburg, to Mr.. "A. +.
Fowler, Of Columbia, s. C. / remain
ed over Sunday in Spartanburg with
|my sister. Some other days were de-
voted to- visiting other relatives in
South Carolina.
My. wife and I reached Belhaven
Thursday in time to enjoy a delight
full supper which the ladies' had pre-
pared. We were given a most cor
dial reception and found the parson-
age ready in every respect for house
keeping. The parsonage is one of
the best and most convenient in the
Conference, and the ladies are
thoughtful and generous in their at.
tention to the parsonage and it's oc-
cupants-and the men are equally
so.
Belhaven has about $500 popula-
tion and is delightfully."- situated on
Pamlico Sound. There are six white
churches in the town. The Meth
odist church is centrally located and
it's membership consists of as fine
people as can be found anywhere.
They believe in education, in mis-
sions, and in vital religion. A number
of our young people are attending
colleges. The town has we'll at
tended public school of eleven grades.
Not few of our members, both men
and women, pray in public. 1t is the
spirit of the people to love their pas
tor and show him their appreciation
in many ways. No mistake was made
in saying this is one of the best
charges in the Conference.
Pantego is town of about 400 in
habitants, on the railroad, four miles
from Belhaven: There are four
white churches in this town. Every
thing said of Belhaven is equally
true of Pantego. I preach at Pan
tego each second Sunday, morning
and night, and at Belhaven twice
each of the other Sundays.
There is also another appointment
Leechville, village about seven miles
from Belhaven, at which I preach the
third Sunday afternoon of each
month. This is new appointment,
just organizing, and while the men,
bership is small in number it is ex-
cellent in quality.
The charge is we'll organized in
Sunday School and missionary work.
The stewards fulfill disciplinary re-
quirements. They have system in
their finances and pay their preacher
monthly.
My first official act was to marry
couple, Mr.. Clarence Sears and
Miss Julia White, Saturday, Decem-
ber 23rd. Then l had another mar
riage ceremony January 4, in Column
bia, S. c., when my son, Joseph L..
Nettles, and Miss Harriet Gillespie
were married.
This section is country of huge
possibilities. In addition to the
fish and oyster industry, saw mills,
and other business enterprises, the
swamp lands are being drained and
brought into cultivation. AS an in
stance, some Northern capitalists
have purchased a swamp jungle of
$4,000 acres, which they are having
prepared for cultivation. A main
canal about fifteen miles long, thirty
feet wide, and twelve feet deep is
being cut. Two large boats are float
ed on this canal for the dredging.
The fall is only about two feet mile.
From this main canal lateral canals
of nearly the same size, and a mile
apart, are extended through the body
of the land. The timber and Jungle
is then cut from the land and burned
thereon, and small bitches are then
dug, and I am told it costs about
fourteen dollars an acre to dig these
small bitches and get the land thus
prepared. The first year, and some
times the second year, the corn is
planted by "sticking." This is the
boriginal mode of farming and is
necessary because the ground is too
soft for driving an animal over it to
plough. A sharpened stick is stuck
into the ground and the grain Of corn
is dropped into the hole. The native
soil is exceedingly fertile. No grass
or weeds grow for the first year or
two. After having planted the corn
by the Sticking" process, absolutely
nothing more is done, till harvest
time. In the meantime this corn has
grown luxuriantly and the average
field is thirty to fifty bushels to the
acre the first year. On account Of the