Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Mferiertf J Aim 8. Ledford. Thursday morning flews came to this place that Mr. James S. IjCdford, unlit rocently a resident of this place, had been foully murdered by a band of desperadoes ou Tuesday afternoon, at Landturn Station, in 8outh Carolina, tlircc miles beldw "the niock House, 011 the Spartanburg k Ashcville Railroad. An excursion party left Spartanburg on the day mentioned and run up-to Landriiin, where there was a sale of town lots. Among the excursionists was Ledford, who informed his friends hero by letter that he was going there to buy a lot. Messrs. C. W. , Duncan and Col. Jones, two young men of this v' place who were temporarily stopping in Spartanburg, accompanied Lcdfonl. Shortly after the arrival \of the train at its destination, Led ford approached his friends and said : "Boys, yonder is Wearer, a man 1 arrested about three weeks ngo for violation of the Kevcnuo laws. He sent me word that if lie ever saw me, he would kill me." Soon after this conversation Weaver stepped up in front of Lcdford and said : "I suppose you aro the Ilevenue man that shot at inc ?"? Ledford replied, "I'm the boy that done it." Well," said Weaver, "do you want to try it over? If you do I'm ready for you. Had you any authority?" Ledford replied, "yes; nnd if I had the snrae authority I would do just what I did ; but I have no authority now and want no difficulty." Weaver then walked off but in a short time returned, and said : "1 believe you aie the damned Revenue that shot at me? and any time you get ready, I'm ready for you. If you are ready, just step your distance, and I'll try you." Ledford repeated that he wanted no trouble and again left him. This occurred shortly after the arrival of the train?about 11 o'clock a. in. Tbroughout;tlic dny and up to tlio time of the hvinaiat, .... >uvl.ivj ur Tremsi tu Ledford off, on the pretense of wishing to take iricimijr urinx vrituium; but l.edt'ord, believing their object to be his assassination, declined to goThus mutters stood till 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the hour for the departure of the train. All tlie passengers were aboard, nnd among them Ledford, who was sitting on an improvised seat ou a flat car. Wcator and his gang collected around the car, and after cursing Ledford and defying 'iim to come down, Weaver said : "You damned cowardly dog. lloys, pull him down." At this bidding a desperado named t'asey seized Ledford by the arm, and jerked him down. Then ensued a struggle between the two, in which Ledford threw Casey. While leaning over him, he was beaten over the head with eticke and pistols, and finally pulled off Iris antagonist. Before he could regain his feet, he was fired upon by both Weaver and Casey.? One of the balls cutered behind his left shoulder blade and lodged in his lung ; the other carried off the second finger of his right hand.? While in this condition the father of Casey?a man 70 or 75 years of age?ran up and slabbed him three times in the back. Ledford exclaimed: "Oh Lordl I'm dead." The murderers then desisted, and commenced to flee. .Sheriff" Thompson ordered those present to arrest them, and two or three followed Weaver, but were intercepted, nnd warned that if they continued the pursuit, they would dfl it nt their peril. Ledford was carried to a box-car whore everything was done to relieve his sufferings. lie survived only about three-quarters of nil hour, hut was conscious of his condition during that tiuic. He conversed with those around liim.? Among hie last cxpiessions were: "I always thought I was to die this way. 1 knew I would be killed." Ho requested Mr. Carpenter, a merchant of Spartanburg, to secure his pocketbook and watch and seud them te his father; and to send for his brother Andrew, who was >K.n o. f. k?i cj-.-.t. / . - u>u ?v uiuis-niiuiiur, in ouuui v nroilllil, nooill '!' > miles from Iiandrum. The body of the unfortunate man was taken to Spartanburg and placed in a nietnlicoofbn. Wednesday about 11 o'clock Andrew Ledford, Charles Duncan and Calvin Jones left that town with the remains, arriving her* about daylight on Friday, and he wus buried the same day in the grave-yard at Jarrett s metling-house, about three miles from hero, and not far from the residence of his father. His mother is iatcrred iu the same place. The deceased was deputy sheriff of this county under J. M. Young, and marshal of the town in the year 1875. In these capacities he led a stormy lifo, as it brought hiin in contact with some of the worst elements of our society. In the discharge of his duties he always exhibited a remarkable degree of intrepidity and firmness. He was about 26 years old.?Atheville l'ionetr. War llAiiiti Tlir. WATCH ON THE DAN IT III. ' London, June 12.?A dispatch from Erzeroum < reports that the Turks have assumed the ofl'en- ] site, Mouktar Pasha detached a flying column to attack the Russians at Olti. The Russians, fearing an attack, have retirod to Pcnjali.? ' Mouktar Pasha holds possession of the roads i from Olti to Delibaba, a town forty-eight miles i southeast of Erzcroum. I The Grand Duko Michael, commanding the Russian army, accompanied by a portion of his ' staff, is personally reconnoitering the environs < of Kara, which still holds out against the Russians, notwithstanding the severe freezing weather. The town is closely invested and an attempt will probably be msdo to take the place by storm, j Heavy firing was reported yesterday in the neighborhood of Livana. London, June 13.?A special despatch front ' Vienna says the Turkish detachment which has < entered the Russian district of Achnlzich is | threatening Russian communication with Ardahan. Note. Should the Turkish cotmnnnd 1 succeed, the task of victualling the Russian 1 armies will be very difficult. I Neu Free Prttf, of Vienna, has a special de- , spatch from Erzeroum, which says that on the approach of the three Hying columns sent by Muhktar l'oshu against the Russian right wing, the Russians not only evacuated Olti, but l'ennek, at the foot of the pass over Kanly Range, leading to Ardnhan. Roth Olti and Pennek 1 were reoccupied by the Turks, who also went I in pursuit of the Russians. , The Vienna correspondent of the Timet, speaking of the well-confirmed reports of the Fabian tactics on the part of the Russians in ' Asia, says if the Russians really retired beyond < i'tnriek without resistance, this would t?tm lo , hew there was onlj a small force there, and that the bulk of the Russian column is still on the Ardahan side of the Kanlj range. 1'ossi- ' bly, after all, the Russians, before advancing on t Erzeroum, will make an effort to bombard and reduce Kars, so as to leave their rear quite freo. | # * Another Use ok Cotton Seed.?A Florida pa 1 per mentions a now use to which eotton seed has 1 recently been put, that is of no little importance , It is in the shape of a uon-heat-conductingcover for steam boilers, and is described thus: "It is the cortical part of the seed with the little < faxz attached that is used. A layer of these ool i ton seed hulls is put around the boiler with ih* < aid of slats, and then llic whole is covered with a layer of plastering. Willi tweuty fivo pounds of steftui ou, the surface of the casing was Unre1/ warm ; and we are assured that both in the i engine and fire rooms the temperature had been I greatly reduced, so us to be tnue.li less oppres- i aire, since the casing was put on. This seems i to be something entirely new,and though in the present instance it is highly satisfactory, the I party who tried it thinks he can suggest some | improvement so as to render the non conducting t of heat still more perfect " i ?lic loIftMn 'ulnion Simes. "11. M. STOKES, Editor. UNION, FRIDAY JUNE 22, 18^7. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. 1 Copy, one year, in advancR, w.00 2 Copies one yenr,M 8.60 a ' ? it.oo 10 " ' ' ' " 20.00 ADVERTISING. One square or one Inch, flrst insertion, - - - $1.00 Kacli subsequent insertion, ------- 75 i.ilKTnl discount made to merchants anil others advertising for six months or by the year. Obituary Notices of ten lines or leas, inserted free. " " OTer ten lines, charged as Advertise g?-^ V ^ f 0?U A head of wlicnt was plucked from a field belonging lo Col. Davidson, on Thickety Creek, which contained 109 grains. It had six grains to the mesh. .? BQX- The rainy spell wound up with a heavy thunder storm last Monday. We are informed that it did much damage to the bottom lands on Fair Forest, and blew down the wheat in many places in that region. war The good reports of the wlicnt crop con- I tinue to couie from all quarters of this and adjoining Counties. If the present clear weather continues a few days the largest crop of wheat ever grewn in the upper County of South Carlina will be safely harvested. JtaJT The kind words of the Charleston Xeut and Courier, in behalf of the Union Times, is higly appreciated. Coining as they did from a paper acknowledged to be one of the best conJ j.wrwM). im III* (he Tolncar life compliment is greatly enhanced. .?. "My Mother's Daughter."?"My Mother's Daughter," an intensely interesting story from the pen of Mrs. Ophelia Keid, of Eatonton, (in., will be commenced in th* Savannah Weekly Xen * of June 20th, 1877. The price of the Weekly Xeu-t is only S1.00 for six months, or $2 00 per year, postage paid 2t Our sweet little friend, Miss Tallula Gregory, is entitled to our thanks for a bucket of delicious plumbs. They were greatly enjoyed by < \vc, us and family," and we feel thankful I that wo arc not forgotten by the "young folks at home." We wish nil our friends were as anxious to "plutn(b) the mark" with the Editor, as Tallula is. ? .est some of our citizens should over- I look or forget that the neglect or refuse to pay (he poll tax is now a penal offence, we rcmiud thein that a tax of $1 is levied upon all male citizens?with the usual exceptions?between the ngc of ill and 00, and a fine of $.? or imprisonment for 30 days is the penalty for not paying it. - ? ? jgy We regret to state that Mr. Philip Dunn met with a serious accident some days ago which came very near being fatal. He was walking in the road, lending a mule, with the reins hanging on his arm, when the animal suddenly became frightened, knocked hiin down and tramped on his breast and side. For some days Mr. Dunn lay in a very critical condition, but we nre pleased to say he is now fast recovering.? It would have killed a man of ordinary physical strength. Qiuy" We nre compelled to oinit two communications from much ret peeled friends. We arc not in the habit of publishing praises and commendatious of our own efforts and the paper over which wo have control. This inay be a fault in 111 lull ? - ?, ..v vmiiiui u<?rvvmc our repugnance to such apparent self-laudation. One of our correspodent.s lias n perfect rigtil to be heard through our columns, because, six years ngo he paid in advance fur ten years subscription to the Times. Both communications shall appear next week. - . tkif" iho papers throughout the State report generous and welcome rains during the first three days of last brook. The crops have geneally recovered from the drought and begin to look promising; but nil reports state that the crops arc from three weeks to a mouth later than last year. An early Fnll would, consequently, materially shorten tho Cotton crop. From almost every county we learn that the wheat crop is very fine. In this County it never was better, but there is danger that the eight days rain hns Jonc it some damage. jjHajr We have been requested to publish fraiis, long communications from Slate officials to County officers, upon mutters of importance lo the people, which wo have declined to do, i upon the business ground that wc find the same communications appear in the daily papers of Columbia and Chorleston as regular advertise- I mcnts. Wo can no better afford to do such work for nothing than our city cotemporaries. And i Further, if those State officials wish their com- i munications to reach the people living off the I uncs or railroads they will, undoubtedly, re- i ipiest the Country papers to publish thorn. - < J JB6y Wlienever on Kditor reports nuy produc- ' tion or occurrence beyond the usual standard, ' he is at once accused of lying. Such was the accusation by many of our readers against us when they rend our report of Dr Fowler's wheat with srvm grains in a mesh ; but what will those loubting Thomases say when wetell them that a rcry reliable gentleman informed us last Monday hat a head of wheat had been found in a field belonging to Mr. J. C. Spears, on Thickely, with iinr grain* to the mc*h 7 Upon hearing the latter, we confess that we felt somewhat like the man who heard a fellow tell two marvelous stories about his dog. The last story was so very doubtful that he exclaim 6u, "a?a it I don't doubt the other now." 1 - ? , tfegT Heretofore we have been publishing nil ( calls for public meetings anil other announcements for the public benefit, without receiving ' ?ny pay. Our advertising columns are, lousrt 1 as the bolts of Dry Goods Are to the merchants, ?for sale by the inch. No people would ask a ( Merchant to give one or two dollars' worth of cloth at every public meeting, and wc don't see ' ho justice of asking us to d mate that Amount i if our goods every time a portion of the public | may see lit to call on us. I Hi-rentier we shall charge our regular price for all advertisements, whether for private or public benefit or convenience. Those ordering i he advertisements must pay for theui before hey will nppotti J' " I III ,, Hie Court. The June Tern of Court was opened last Monday Judge Northop presiding. By the Into law the June or spring terms of the Courts throughout tlio State are set apart for t^^consideration and trial of cases on the Genoral Sessions docket, consequently no other business has been transacted, and as tho Judge and Solictor will commence court at Spartanburg nfcxt Monday, tho court hero cannot be prolon ged after tomorrow. -Jj^Judgc delivered his charge to the Grand Ju^^wvhioh stad replete with dound legal inetruoUtn, % Solicitor Ball was promptly at his post and energetic in the discharge of his whole duty :? His high-tone and courteous deportment to all in the court room, his unflinching determination to "let no guilty muu escape," his evident purpose to deal justly with all and allow neither fear aor favor to swerve him from the strict line of hit duty, his fine natural and acquired abilities, have niado for liim many warm friends in this county. Tho crime of cattle and hog atcaling is so alarmibgly on the increaso in this county that four-fifths of the coses on the sessions docket, at this iiuie, are for those crimes, and tho Solicitor is determined to do nil in his power to stop it. Tho following bills wcro sent to tho Grand Jury and acted upon by that body : Amty and llufus Jeter Grand Larceny. True Bill. Tried ?and found "not guilty." Stato vs. W. It. Briggs. Unlawful entry on lands after notice. True bill. Continued. State vs. Thos. Isley, aliat Thos. Ivcy.? Grand Larceny. True Bill. Guilty. State vs. Jack llico, aliat Jack Jeter. Graad Larceny. Tried, and resulted in mistrial. State vs. Ben Gore, Grand Larceny. Tried anu iounu guity. State vs Perry Gist, Dick Davis, Frank Wright, Alison Wright and Garlnnd Hughes. Grand Larceny. True Bill. Stata ts. Charucr Gist. Assault with iutcnt to murder. True bill. Stato ts. Fred Gist. Burglary. True bill. State vs. Jack Jones and Bon Gore. Grand Larceny. True bill. State vs. Thoa. MeGraw. Assault with deadly weapon. .True bill. Continued. q Stato vs. J as. Thomas, alia* Joe Jeter. No bill. Stato va. Frank Webster aad Noah Webster. Assault with deadly weapon. Truo bill, continued. State vs. Win. Palmer, Isaac Rogers, Reuben Cheek. Grand Larceny. True bill as to W. Palmer and J. Rogers. The power and effect of the slrnightout policy is now exhibited in every election in the Stale. In Chester, Orangobnrg and Richland, three of the strongest Republican Counties, elections have been held sine* the Hampton government was firmly established, and in each of those counties slrnightout democratic candidates have been run, and elected by handsome majorities. "4,est Tuesday an election for Probate Judge was held in Rich laud County, and .Mr. Andrew Crawford, a pronounced democrat was elected over tlio Radical candidate, J. 1. Boone. It was a P.piaro fight and right, and justice won. And we believe that even Charleston will, at the special clectiou next Tuesday, electa full democratic delecration to the ti.i? 5- :..-i - e ...... ..... what we repeatedly stated would be the result of straiglitoiitism. The upper counties could and would elect a democratic Legislature and State officers, and then secure to Charleston free elections and a fair count, by which, with proper and energetic efforts, the best men in that county could always be elected. Were we right or wrong ? I.ct the people of Charleston answer us next Tuesday. ? " -* . For the Times. A Chicken Dispute. Friend Stokes.?In your issue of the 25th ult., you mako the following statement: "Our champion hen is whipped. A hen in this town last week brought forth eleven chickens from ten eggs. That lays in the shade the theory that an egg with a double yolk won't hstch." Now, has it ever occurred to you that a ben does sometimes lay an additional egg after she has gone to sitting ? May not this account for tho additional chickcu? As you seem to be learned in the chicken business, I wish to propound the following (jnestions : 1. Suppose you should place ten duck eggs under a sitting hen and she should hatch eleven ducks, which would be the lone Mother of the ten ducks?the hen that hatched them or tho duck that laid the eggs? Also, which would he the-mother of tho eleven ducks? An mnwrr win oouge many realtors or the Timet, and an ANXIOUS ESQU1KKK. Probably the hen did lay an additional egg liter she had gore to sitting. As we did not ?wn the eleven-out-of-ien hen, we cannot gainlay your theory. As to the lone maternity of the ten or eleven ducks we will answer you somewhat catechetisally by steam ! In the reproduction of the animal kingdom without a single exception, the male and female is necessary. Now, steam or heat are of no gender, an<l 'yet both are successfully employed to hatch eggs. You can't, therefore, claim that iteam or heat is the mrtherof the hatched ducks 10 yon must either say the ducks hatched by that process hadno mother or come to the conslusion that the duck that laid the eggs was the '^lone mother" of them. Again, Anxious Enquiror, you know ns w?lt m wo do that in all crosses?take the mule as kn example ?the progeny exhibit points indicating both parents, hut did yen oxer see a duck hatched by a hen hIiow points to indicate that it wan a croso between a chicken and a duck ? If you can enlighten us upon these points, we ire open to conviction. Ice cob.l Soda water at Mrs Slioduii's Public Meeting MARKOW-UAUOK ROAD TO CIIE8TKR. At ft meeting of the most influential citisens of this town, held in the Court House on the 16th inst., Dr. B. F. Bawls was called to the chair, and A. K./Stokes requested to act as Secretary. Mr. 11. w. Skand stated to the meeting that he, with other friends, had lately visited Chester and while there became much impressed with the efficiency and cheapness of construction of tho the Narrow-Gauge railroad now in operation te that town, and concluded by stating that such a railroad could and ought to be built ftom Union to Chester. Hon. T. B. Jeter addressed the meeting in earnest advocacy of (he road, and gave much valuable and encouraging information upon the topography of the country through which it would pass. Mr. Munro also earnestly advocated the building of the road and showed the immenso advantages which must accrue to the County from it. Every one nppenred deeply in earnest upon the schomo. Mr. Sliand offered the following : Resolved, That a Committee of ten be appointed by tho chair to enquire into the practicability of organizing the Chester and Union Railroad at an early day, and that they confer with the citizens of Chester for that purpose. The resolution was passed without a dissenting voice, and the chair appointod the following gentlemen as the Committco : It. W. Slinnd, Hon. T. It. Jeter, W. Munro, R. M. Stokes, 11. 1,. Guss, A. 11. Foster, W. A. Nicholson, F. M. Farr, J. E. Cotton and J. M. Gibbs. 11. M. Stokes ofTcred the following, whioh was adopted : Resolved, That said Committee also confer with the citizens of Uaffnoy City in reference to building a railroad from Uuion to that point. Mr. II. L. Gosn offered the following, which which was unanimously adopted : Resolved, That it is the sense of this meoting that the Town Council of Union will subscribe $26,000 towards the building of such a road. On motion of Mr. W. A. Nicholson the proceedings of this meeting was ordered to l>c published in the Union Times and that the Chester Reporter he requested to oopy. On motion, the meeting adjourned, subject to the call of the Chairman. B.RAWySuCh airman. A. R. Stokm, Sec'y. Kor the Time*. The Johnson Rifles. This Copipany assembled on the Academy Orecn last Friday afternoon, aud engaged in the preparatory drill, from Upton's Manual. So ardent was the Military esprit that the squads readily mastered the preliminary steps of the Soldier, which was an earnest of the accuracy and efficiency they strove to attain. Union has material to form a Company of which the County and State may be proud, and it should he the effort of every one to give to this organization their hearty support, to place it in the position held by the old Johnson lliflcs. There is mngic in the name of "Johnson Rifles!" A Name endeared to our peoplo l?y old associations and sacred memories. A touchstone, nt which our hearts throb with pride, kindling the same feelings that the mention of the "old Guard" calls up in the breast cf the French Veteran. Where arc those whose heroic deads kept green the laurals of South Carolina's Battalions? Terrible in war. arc thov loir. ? ?r o | gnrd? in peace ? Will they ijot again enroll their names and lend to the young guard that counsel and advice which their hard earned experience so well enables them ? To those whom the cloud of war did net envelope, restrained by swathing bands from responding to their oountry's call, a club of this kind has many attractions, and net the least of them is Target shooting for Prises. The natural desire to excel should urge tbetn to come forward and take nn active part. The beat of the drum inspires to deeds of prowess, and ho whose ardour it fails to stir is recreant to chivalry, and deserves neither the fellowship of brave men nor the smiles of fair women. The papers arc filled with accounts of the revival of old voluntoer Companies in almost every part, of the State, and each dsy adds numbers to their ranks. Let it, then, pet be said of us that we manifest no interest in perpetuating the time honored institutions of our fathers. 1 YOUNG GUARD. ? ^ For the Times. sski'li. Siioai.s S. C., June 18th 1877. Mr. Editor: AUfw me through your columns, for the benefit of nil whom it may concern, to state (lint certain individuals, It in thought, will (if they have not already done so) invoke the aid of the County to open a new road in tho direction of Flat ltook Church, crossing Packolet Hirer about fotir or four and a half miles below Qrindal Hhoals, and to build abridge at that point, which would be highly prejudicial to the citizens about Skull Shoals, whioh is really the proper place for n public bridge, as it would accommodate all that section of Country in the fork of Pncolet and Hroad Hirers. While I have no desire, even if it were in my power, to abridge tjie rights of the citizens, I at the same time believe tni\i a bridge at 8kull Shoals is a necessity and wotild be of immense importance to our County seat; and think the matter should receive the careful and impartial consideration ef bur County C ommissioners. This community has heretofore presented several petitions, with liberal private subscriptions from the citizens,hat failure rewarded our efforts. Owing to the hard times, we have not as yet petitioned the present Hoard, but we have an j nviumg uvimunnco in inciT intelligence tnd settee of justioe, believing . that nothing can cause there to inove indiscreetly or in n wrong direotion, for the epecial benefit of any private person or pi rly, that would not be conducive to the bent interests of tho county. It is to be hoped that the day of Itndicaljobbery and wirepulling ia forever gone, nnd that those in power and authority will for the future consult the beat interests of the people, as a whole, before acting upon nny important public matter. A A SA It It ATT. V/'' s Letter (torn Charlotte. Leaving Union on. Thursdnjr morning we reached Yorkvillo tho same evening about sundown, quartering for the night at the King's Mountain Hotel, under the management of Mr. Rawlinson, who "knows how to keep a Hotel." The fare is excellent and the rooms scrupulously clean and neat. It was our first visit to York since the war, aud we were si rprised to find such little improvement in tlie place. On the York side of Urood Kiver we found the crops rather in advance of those in Union, especially so as we neared Yorkvitle?both corn and cotton looking healthy and fine, nnd wheat excellent. _ At eight o'clock next morning we tfok a run down to Chester, on the Chester & I.enoir narrow gauge Railroad. It was the first Narrow gaugo roud we had ever seen and was quite a curiosity. The passenger Coach is neat and comfortable, with the advantage of singlo and double seats, as one may prefer. The road bed is in good order and the ride delightfully easy nnd comfortable?free from joitx and jumps. The Engine is quite a curiosity, being so very diminutive,(having more the appearance of a little toy than a Railroad loeomudve. it is much smaller than the little "Tom Thumb" of the S. & U. Road, famous for its track-jumping, which many of your renders no doubt remember. How much greater would have been the advantago to tlie Merchants and Farmers of Union, had the one hundred and fifty thousand dullnis voted to the .Spartanburg nud Ashevillc road been appropriated to building, with the aid of K. Narrow-Gauge road to tlio latter town, where we would have been placed in open communication with the outside world and in mmn,iiiln? ? ... ? ? r?""v" *? freight* via. Norfolk, Wilmington and Charleston. Iu Chester we found mere of the life, stir and bustle of a City, and apparently mere business doing than iu Union and York combined. Leaving Chester at half past two o'clock P. M., we reached Charlotte, the "future London of the South," at six o'clock, under the care of our polite friend CapL Driggs Green, of Columbia, who is now Ceuductor ou the C. C. & A. Hailroad. Let ine here mention that we passed through a portion of Mecklenburg County, N. C., where the stock law is in force, and as the train stopped at the different stations I took particular pains to inquire of White and Black as to how they liked the change, and I have yet ? to meet the first one who is not more than well pleased. I was particularly desirous of finding some of those who objected to the law and voted against it, that I might get their views now that it is in force. 1 found sueh of both colors, who are now among its strongest adherents. Onecolored man said he had bitterly opposed it. Voted against the stock law and ngainst the Democrats and found that lie was wrong every time, and henceforth he would act with the true whites as they were his best friends and advisers. The people in lit at 'portion of York County north of the Catawba ltiver, joining Mecklenburg?I believe the section is known as Catawba Township?all fence their slock, by unanimous consent. Charlotte, like all other places, feels Iho stringency of the times, and is uow almost at a stand still. Trade is dull compared to the rush and bustle ef two~^ehW JljpJ"' yfl IHi hits not entirely ceased to grow, as come magnificent resiliences recently completed testify.? For its size Chariot to can boast of as niuoh wealth, culture and enterprise ns any similar city in America, and is even in advance of some oilics more pretentions. With her six Railroads, magnificent Hotel accommodations, the energy of the Merchants, coupled with the probability of the early reopening of ihe U. 8. Mint for coinage?now only nu assay office?will soon* place Charlotte as a city ef no mean significance. N. V. J. For the Times. Fio-nio at Cross Keys. Ma. Editor:?I wonl^ respectfully ask a place in your columns for the purpose of giving a short sketeh of the pio?nic at Mr. W. T. BetsiU'a, near the Keys, on last Friday. Notwithstanding the oppressive heat and extreme dryness of the weather, Cross Keys sent forth her prettiest belles and most gallant knights to participate in the joyous festival. Being unavoidably detained, it was late before your correspondent arrived on the grounds ; hut I was suroriftcd knowlnn H>?' 11 ?- 11 1 r ,, .n..t .um ? niw urn uusy icuon, to meet so many bright faces and pleasant acquaintances engaged in an animated but social conversation. The beauty and chivalry of CrassKeys and other townships was well represented. Tt seemed that all had determined to throw aside their cares and have a good jolly day. The party soon repaired in one solid procession to a hall near by. prepared for the occasion, to engage in whatever amusements their inclinations suggested. Some were soon lost in the giddy mases of the danee, whilst others led their lady loves to some retired nook to pour into willing ears the story of their loves. Cu-. pid was evidently there, arrayed in all his glor^flg/ and splendor, as alternate expressions of pleasure and pain could be observed flitting over the countenances of his subjects ; and it was especially marked on a young M D's face, who bad ridden miles through the heat and dnst, with the determination written upon every feature la learn his fate with a sweet blande of about six-. iecu summers, others amused themselves in talking of the dry weather, the Hampton gov-t ernmenl, and the "No fence law," which isre-^^^ eaived by many with applause. ^^B Dinner was than announced, and on returning we found a table spread in a beautiful grove in front of our host's residence, groaning beneath luxuries and suhetanlials for the inner man.? There was not only enough for the party assembled. but several of the dusky tribe were noticed to gruw sleek aronnd the table, after the last of the white parly had left. Our kind host and hostes did all they could to mnke the day enjoyable. After some time spent in promiscuous conversation, we retnrnned to the haJl, and the amusements as before filled up the afternoon. Our dusky friends about this time appeared oh the scene, peeping in from doors and windows, with glaring eyes and open mouths, drinking with amazement the whole proceedings, sea-^^B soned occasionally with a morsel of black gnats, a* some one remarked, making a good hive for the troublesome tribe. Thus theevenlng passed with romantic inklings and trite sayings, and discussions of the various topics of the day ; until the darkening shadow's nml <lr?n?i?? r. beams of ft weslern s?<n bronght the soolftl joys lo ft close, nml with ft heavy sigh we reluctsntly tnrne<! from s place that bft'I gi??n us so much pleasure.