Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-06
BEAUTIUFL BEAUFORT
Long In Background Now Forging
TO the Front.
SOME OF THE SCENES ALONG The way

Truck Farmers Are Growing Ricl
Through Intelligent Cultivation
Coast Country Offers Opportunity t.
Thousands--Some Lands Worth Nor
Than $1,000 Per Aere-climate Ha'
no Superior-Nesroes Make littl'
Progress--Fish, Oysters and Game il
Abundanes-Some Places Of lnteres
Other Impressions of Land Of Sun
shine and Flowers.
(By q Staff Correspondent)
En- route on the South Caroline
Coast--It was about 2 p. m. on the
afternoon of December &c, that oul
party left Virgins for Beaufort, about
thirty miles, by boat, giving US op'
portunity to see number Of the semi
tropical islands surrounding Beaufort
and four hour glance at country
most Of which although still undevel'
oped, possesses the most wonderful op-
portunities. Senator Neils Christensen
of Beaufort county, one of the bes'
known men in the state, sent his sturdy
gasoline tow-boat up to the home OF
Mr.. Rice in order to take us to Beau
fort Mr.. II. II. Lake of Beaufort, one
Of the leading business men OF the fail
| little city and Beaufort booster from
tho word 80, accompanied Mr.. Christen
sens boat to Virgins and Mr.. James
Henry Rice, Jr., also accompanied Us
on the river trip to Beaufort. The
pilot was an old experienced riverman
negro named Williams. who
thoroughly knows his business and his
assistant. in looking after the engine
and things generally was another ex-
perienced negro sailor.
Have no fear of the pilot" assured
Mr.. Lake, upon leaving the wharf OF
the Savannah River Lumber Company
at Virgins 'Hc is thoroughly reliable
and you'll not go aground"
Weather a Bit Raw.
The afternoon was clear although a
bit raw and the party made themselves
comfortable on deck i'll order that a
better view Of the country might be
afforded. There was Mr.. Rice and MI
Lake to direct attention to points OF
interest and there was so much OF real
interest that the raw winds didn't run
the party below until just Few
minutes before the tow-boat drew UP
at the dock at Beaufort.
!. The. thoughtful Mr. Lake. had brought
with him d bounteous luncheon, consist :
ing Of sandwiches, fruits. fruit cake,
Beaufort grown pecans and plenty OF
coffee which the assistant to the pilot
down below soon had piping, hot. And
SO the boat chugged- chugged her way
to Beaufort through the winding
WI thing, meet yourself coming back
water courses to Beaufort.
The Route.
Starting from the little lumber town
of Virgins, over the new Chee-ha river
the party passed on the left Boulder's
Island, Warren Island, Beef Island and
Ashe Island, each ono with an interest
ing history and about which Of each
Mr.. Rice had graphic story to tell.
On the right was Walnut Point Fields
Point, Morgan Island and the old Coo
saw fertilizer plant put out Of business
years ago in the mining of phosphate
rock because the general assembly saw
fit to place u heavy royalty upon the
industry, thus rendering it Improbable.
Into Combahee River. &c.,.
Then the boat chugged her way into
Combahee river, rounding Hangman's
Point, at the head of St. Helena Sound.
From Combahee the course lay into
Coosaw river with st. Helena and
Ladies' Island ON the left. st. Helena
Island, by the way. Is Il most interest
ing Island. About fifteen miles long
and six miles wide, extending from
Port Royal Sound TO ST. Helena Sound
and swept by the Atlantic on tho cast,
IL hus a population Of perhaps a little
over 60O0 Of whom al but 100 arc
negroes. Imagine that, will you? One
hundreds whites and 5000 negroes! And
today 1t Is an island Of poverty, al
though there arc perhaps no richer
lands on the coast. The lands belong
to the negroes. Beaufort people will
tell you that the negroes won't sell for
love or money. a few years ago the
island was exceedingly prosperous
raising long staple cotton, but the boil
wcevil has long since wiped out the
Sea Island cotton industry and the st.
Helena Island negroes arc in Il position
of poverty. They have not turned to
trucking as have the intelligent white
farmers of Beaufort, and the sea- is
lands have dono and they are living
in squalid poverty. The Underwater
region In which hc lives Is tccminS
with all kinds of fish, oysters, crabs,
pawns and shrimps. Yet few of them
have the energy and gct-up to fish or
to take oysters.
Not Proficient in Agriculture.
Not proficient i'll general agriculture
or in truck farming it is rhc con-
sensus OF opinion around beaufort that
tho negroes on 50. Helena Island are
going to have to either sell their lands
go to utilizing tho food of the sea
start truck farming or starve. Some