University of South Carolina Libraries
THE CITY SACRED By .. M. W:-:.s Of the Scribblers. People who visit Charleston either love the city dearly or they hate it intensely. They:lN form ide vi<eil o)pinliols olie wav or tle 14ther an<d there is no; mlithdle groui of indifferenice. Some visi tor's leave soenmy vowiig to themselves that, come What maily. nothing shall ever ilice them to return: others, *inV others, very miianiy others depart v:it-hI feelings of poignant regret. It is possible to speak of a person as being a resi<lent of Nev York, or Chi engo. or even Four I ole Corners. ai sav little. But reiark that a man is froI ('harleston and he is at once dlefined, clhssifiedl. and1 (listillgiuisliet. Riambling, Spread-olit Charles ton las not griowii since it was foldedl bv the I lugeinots several imilred years :go. It has. how ever. MCnIIIIIlate<d consilerahly. It Imight like Washington hv well cIIle<l the ('itY of Alagnificent )ist'anlces. The <listanices, sirely, are there an tle magnificence too inl a rather limited sense. It is a typical sea-coast town, an ag gloieration of narrow, crooked streets anl dingy houses. No one cam suggest the slightest reason for moving to Charlestin. bit then on the other hand. as the natives earnestly assure you, n( one has the slightest excuse for not being"r born inl Charleston. To be Ibirl elsewiere is a Imisfortiiie an<l a grave mistake that no self respectiig per-.sonl woI<l(I for a moment consi<ler. Yankees and lepublicanls, having nto apprecia tion for the better, finer tliigs inl life, ia v consi<ler Charleston a soIrt oif pIuIrgatoIry Vlere sinners are punish1e<l for earthly sins, but the true Charlestonianl looks ulponl his town as being reIIIove<l 'juiist a few miles this side- -wlic is tie SIIIIIIY sidle--of the (Iardein of I'len. iIe cherishes a secret ((I victionl that 1(oses should have hieaded for the juiiction of the Ashley anld the (Cooper inl his s(Ii rchi for the i Promised laIld. Certain univoiche< for lege(Is in the Cit v-bv-the-Sea attriblite the fabiloius age of somiie of tle old IIegroIes on the islands to their passionate <I(t\v(tionl to their home. Thyre fuse to <tie, feainig they will lbe homaiesiek'l in IITeaveni. O)ther also unvouiichietl for lIut of tei nrepea'lte<I legends have it that lie lhiirein ini C'harilest on are taughit to( chan t 'Thl e IIoly~ (City' 'luattery' at the age wvhieinmost clii ren aure lea rinhg thant oneW good vell <leserves anoi(thier. I 'robly such stornies aire' exaggerate(l. WhI eii youi arive at the Un'aion Station in Chaiirleston you fiiml t hat youI1 havye no(t r'eally ariv~ed :nu Chiarl estoni at atl. Thie buisi - iiess sec'itin (If the town is dann grerouisly close15 to twoI iiles a way. Ii f l y u attempijt to walk the (dis tanlce is miiaglif iceinitly mi agn ifi - ('(elt. It is thle noich 1bet ter pol icy t.o a1void ( the octangon-wheeled( street car is, as then ebaniies are you will tiniI v(uirself cairri('rI to I imptonl Park, or the Navy Yard o. Some other place yoiu have not the faintest desire of reaching. The taxi is a recent i inlovation here, -but. if you are fortilunate amd appear faily3 prosperous., youl 111ay* seCute a <elapithated liack., <lriven by an apparently a ite bellum nlegro, who lou<dly and pro<idlY procla iilms that for good ol-fashione< cooking -the Saint Jawn's Ilotel, sidh, is the best in the South.' An<d it actually is the ibest inl Charleston, with pos sibly two or three exceptions. i:he city with its sirroilinim'gs. offers manyv interesting and beaul tifiul attractions. Magnolia ( ar lens. the waterfronlt, the forts on the islaulds at in the harbor, the schools ail colleges, the churches, all are noteworthv. The old IFrenclIl Market, once a fasilion able institiut;onl, has nlow fallen into almost total disuse. thanks to the telepholne inld the cut-rate grocery stores. Hlalf of the houses in Charleston woul keep anl eag er historical stillent busv the rpe llainin lal ys (f his life. 'I'lIeY on(e shelterel (neral Washinr toi. or have on proi display shell-holes Ia<le hv the British during the) bombardment of tihe city. All of the houses have both public and private histories which the owners are ever readY to re late. The epitaphs in the various cemeteries read like T)iograplhies of South Carolinas IMost famlous men. The languige--if it enn Ie call edI such--of the natile negroes deserves a separate paragraph. It is like nothing else in the world. It is anl inescribale gibberish. Y'oul caI recornize it anywhere, buit y-oi canl un1dersta-nid it only if you are onle of the blessed who call Charleston hoie. Take an in terpreter along if youl wish to conT1erse witlh these ierroes. One of the really delightfill thIings abouit Charleston is the leaving of it. This is best accoml plislied at night. The 'Charles tol nigles' are not overliead a.z inig repachfully' at yoIt, 111(l the inhabitants are not awake to let yoil kniow t ha t hey gi ve you up as hopeless. As the train IlIIls la boriolsly out of the station, you are not troubled b) y v a single twinlge of regret. You are glad to leave and %.oI usuallyA. remain lal until the followingp Spring whenl you are seized with ain un acc'oountablde longing fori th e fish olf the Sa inlt Jawn's, the siurf of the Isle (If l'almis, amic the cool ing br '(eezes oIf th li at tery. AllI enga gemienits a re fat al. IBe cau lse they alIways each ini a ro1w or marriage. I lush little p)ostumt phup I)on't you cry. You'ltl be a ten hioi A\ brtonze miemuorialI tabl Iet to cotmmlemnora te the li(rs'es awlic W~or'ld War ha is heeni erectecd ini the Wart anid Navy I )epa rtmenit s Biuildinig at Washintgtoni by the Aer ican (i I toed Stair Aniiin I Ie ibf. Wingf iel ds Drug Store 1443 Main Street Residence Phone 3054-J WALTERSFirst Class Service given Uni DR. G. F. MILLER SHOE SHOP ve eans I)ENTIST 1122 Main Street Over Lachicotte's Jewelry 1420 MAIN STREET 1314 Main St. Plone 7421 EVERYHINGStudents, Watch Your Eyesight ELEGTRIAL Close application io stud) i n (ni tax o E our vision. At the otlightest indicati( n of undue strain, Come to us for a thorotigh examination of your eyeLs. We can SHANNON-CHILDS quickli tell %~hether gla-ises are necessary. ELECTRIC CO.Opia _ _ TEE 1518 Main St. Phone 6817 Wiesepape Co.tiBa Sh McMASTERS Athletic11s al Goods 1631 MAIN STREST 1324 Main St, COLUMBIA, S. C. LOAF AT GITMANS'Ne Hasj< EVERY H asING,,I BOOK SHOP from Nothing but Books O ld-Ones Why throw away the old hats when by having us clean and reblock them they will look like new and you get another season's wear out of W ebster's them. Dig out that last fall hat and save the price of a new one. We guarantee workmanship and satisfaction. You will find our clothes cleaning and pressing department satisfying 1518cMin SPho 6817 te service opticlC.57.ANSRE AOthEletic ple w or rmCnrlDuo 12- Main St.,CoubaS.CANREIIG COLUMBn tret.,olmbi, SCC Nothig butBoeks O ldnes67 ENeac etric hopsyBy Yoecri Pronadge wLampsreCmpn Atepr ect Printies 121 A i STET16 Main Stree Columbia, S. C.