The Aiken recorder. [volume] (Aiken, S.C.) 1881-1910, January 29, 1889, Image 1
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RECORDER.
BY YOHD & McCRACKEX.
pines, and so fur from the sea that
the air is dry and salubrious.
I found t^e hotel accommodations
good; and they were well filled with
a good class of guests, who had come
to the place as a pleasant resort,
where they could enjoy a mild and
healthy climate, and escape the rigors
of a Northern Winter.
liespectfuJly Yours,
James W. Bradbury.
From Kon. C. H. Graves, Mayor of
Duluth, Minn.
Duluth, Minx., Nov. 29, ISS^.
E. P. Hexdersox, Esq.:
Dear S.r—When my wife had pro
nounced trouble in November, 1^82, I
took her promptly to Aiken. Three
months residence there, with daily
drives over the delightful sandy roads
and among the pines, completely re
stored her to health, and the debt of
gratitude that I owe to your charm
ing little town cannot be repaid, but
may certainly be acknowledged, since
you offer the opportunity.
Very Truly Yours,
C. H. Graves.
AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1889.
PRICE $1.50 A YEAR.
DRIEST CLIMATE EAST OF
ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
Elevation 505 Feet—Mean
Temperature for Winter
Months 50 Degrees.
Aiken fulfils these conditions better
than any other re¥ort yet discovered
in America or Europe, as has been
proved by (be number of invalids
who have been cured here, and of
consumptives whose sufferings have
been alleviated, and whose lives have
been prolonged.
As to that insidious enemy of the
white race, often the post of so-called
health resorts,—malaria,—the physi
cians of Aiken will testify that they
have never known a case to originate
within the- limits of the Town.
The nature of the soil contributes
almost as much to the health of the
place as does the atmosphere. Being
of loose sand, mixed largely with
gravel to a great depth, lying upon a
stratum of red clay, or kaolin, the
rains soak directly in and are carried
As there is considerable interest ^ ^ once to the creeks and rivers;
. 1 so that almost immediately after the
manifested in the .South, at this time, heaviest rains n o water is to be seen
on the ground, and persons can walk
AMPLE HOTEL ACCOMMODA
TIONS EXCELL ENT EAIL-
WAY FACILITIES.
BANKS—DAIRY FARMS PAPER
MIIjIjS—COTTON FACTOR IES—
KAOLIN MINES—COTTON, FRUIT
AND TRUCK FARMS.
by persons in search of resorts in
which they may escape the rigour of
out with impunity. Farmers know
he northern pfimate. or mav mebe 1 from practical experience that a san-
pe^qianent homes, for other reasons,
a litthT accuiatc information about
Aiken and its many advantages may
not be Unwelcome.
The Town is the county-seat of the
County of the same name, has a pop
ulation of 3,000, and is situated at the
junction of the South Carolina and
the Carolina, Cumberland Gap & Chi
cago Railways. 120 miles from Charles
ton and 17 miles from Augusta, Ga.
It occupies the highest point of land
between Charleston and Augusta, be
ing 506 feet above the level of the sea,
and 400 feet above Augusta—only 17
miles distant. Graniteville, only 5\.
miles away, Is 300 feet lower than
Aiken. By this may be seen what an
elevated position the Town occupies.
This elevation is suflicieHt to secure
the dry, bracing atmosphere so grate
ful to invalids, yet not to produce the
discomfort so often experienced by
them in greater heights. For many
years the Town has been noted for the
dryness and the tonic qualities of its
climate,—just such a climate us is
usually sought by persons sutiering
from throat or pulmonary ailments.
Its softness and balminess are most
soothing to those who have irritated
throats or lungs; while its dryness is
such as is not to he found near the
(Gist or in Southern Georgia or Flor
ida. For a radius of twenty miles the
Town is surrounded by a pine forest,
which protects it to a great extent
from bleak winds, and gives a sweet
aroma, most soothing and beneficial
to invalids. The long leaf yellow
pine is the characteristic growth of
this region
from this tree the climate of Aiken
doubtless owes much of its well de
served reputation. The temperature
in winter is mild, and the observa
tions of the thermometer in the open
air show the average daily mean for
the colei season to be about 50degrees.
Of course ice is formed on many days,
and once or twice nearly every win
ter snaps of cold will send the mer
cury down as low as 15 or 18 degrees
above zero. Last winter the lowest
point touched was 18 degrees, and
that on only one day; and during the
season not a single Hake of snow fell.
The summer temperature is also mod
erate, and never as high as it is for a
short period at the North.
The dryness of the air is its great
and most valuable eiiaracteristic. Sta
tistical reports of the humidity of the
different health resorts of this coun
try and Europe prove this to be a
drier climate than tliat of any of the
other places in this country east of
the Rooky Mountains, or of any one
of the principal resorts reported in
Europe. The mean relative humidity
is 58 per cent., compared with 71 in
Jacksonville, r.3 in Tbomasville, 70 in
Mentone, and 71 in Nice. This state
ment will surprise many who are not
conversant with the facts, but it will
stand the closest investigation
A well known authority on pulmo
nary complaints,—Thorougood—lays
down the following rule for the gui
dance of physicians in search of a
health resort for consumptives: “En
deavor to have a residence on a dry
soil and at a rroderate elevation,
where there will be tree circulation of
air, and avoid plages lying low, where
dy soil is a warm one. On it the air
is never damp, stagnant or cold.
The glorious sunslnne, made more
brilliant by the clearness of the atmos
phere, is one of the most marked
blessings that invalids enjoy here.
Daily, during the fine weather that
usually prevails, many strangers may
be seen strolling about, or resting on
the benches placed about the town
parks, basking in the sun and drink
ing in the air, as if they cannot get
enough of it; and even during the
winter months, in most piazzas ham
mocks remain hanging, in which in
valids may be seen during the warm
portions of each day, lying at ease,
enjoying their sun-baths.
From Joseph Pulitzer, of The New
York AVorld.
New York, 2f>th November, 1886.
E. P. Henderson, Esq. :
Secretary Executive Committee:
Dear Sir—The health of one of my
children compelled me to speud.the
winter in Aiken, and I can bear testi-
niony to its advantages, attractions
and importance as a Winter Resort.
Those who are unfortunate enough
to sutler from bronchial or lung trou
bles, may regard themselves as fortu
nate if they are able to spend at least
the harshest part of the winter in
Aiken. Yours Truly,
Joseph Pulitzer.
From Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, of Xauga
t tick. Coni).
E. P. Henderson, Es<*.:
Dear Sir—Replying to your favor of
the 24th of November, would say, in
my humble opinion, Aiken has no
equal on the lace of the earth as a
Health Resort. I went there some
six years ago a complete physical
wreck. Three months started me a
long way on the read to regained
health, and an annual visit since that
time has completed the cure; and of
my own knowledge can state that my
experience lias been that of hundreds
of others.
Yours hastily and most sincerely,
Geo. A. Lewis.
From Gen. W. IV Ilazcn. U. S. A.,
Cliiel Signal OIRcer.
Mr. E. P. Henderson, Aiken S. C.:
In reply to your letter of August 1st
—received while 1 was absent from
the country—1 am glad to say, that
having placed my family at Aiken
for the Winter of~1885-6, and from my
knowledge of that place as a winter
residence, I consider it in point of
temperature and climate the most de
sirable of any place in the United
States.
N ours Very Respectfully,-
W. B. Hazex,
Chief Signal OlficeE
Testimonials.
As evidence of the good results ob
tained from the climate of Aiken by
those who have come here, we in-
| elude a few of the many testimonials
in the hands of our people:
From a Northern Settler.
Messes. Editors—I would he glad
! to state what our experience has been
i in Aiken County din ing a residence
j of nineteen years. Our former home
j was in middle New Jersey. My wife
I had inilammation of the lungs for
four years, and our physician warned
me that she would not probably pul!
through another winter in a northern
climate. I therefore came south in
the Eall of l.~t> *. and went to Florida,
but found the climate there too ener
vating. 1 then travelled through
Georgia, without finding such a cli
mate as I sought. I had avoided South
Carolina, as J was prejudiced against
the people as the leaders in the Scces-
and to the exhalations I siou movement. But I finally deter
mined to visit a friend who was living
at Aiken; and as a result, purchased
a farm about four miles from the town
—a place that was said to be the poor
est in the County. I soon found I
could do more work in three months
here than I could have done in a year
at the North, before leaving there. I
have raised diversified crops, fruit,
«fce., have made a comfortable living,
and laid up something for a rainy
day. My farm has increased in
value, and I have recently refused a
cash oiler of four times as much as I
gave for it.
We have been respectfully and
kindly treated by all of our neighbors,
and have never regretted our move
south. Hero we found health and
comfort, and here I would advise all
persons to come, whose health disa
bles them from standing the northern
winters.
Yours Respectfully,
J. H. SATTERTHWAITE.
From Capt. Oscar Coles, ot New York.
E. P. Henderson Esq.:
Dear Sir—I should deem myself
sadly deficient in gratitude, were I to
hesitate a single moment in speaking
in most eulogistic teims of Aiken,
the hamlet of the hill country of
Carolina. Its dry climate, free from
the slightest miasmatic tint, coupled
with its various attractive attributes,
will always render it not 01113- a Mecca
for invalids but a resort for those who
would exchange the rigors of a North
ern winter for an atmosphere of semi-
tropical brezes from the Gulf of Mexi
co, mingled with the bracing air of
the Blue Ridge. After a residence of
twenty winters, my own practical ex
perience leads to the belief that.Aiken
has no equal East of the Rocky
Mountains.
Your Obedient Servant,
‘ Oscar Coles.
From Dr. F. Gedcliiiffs, Chairman of
the Committee on Hygiene of the
Immigration Convention in 1S70.
“Fortunately for those resident up
on that soil, as well as those from a
distance, atfiicted with this class of
maladies (throat and lungs), the\-
find in the high climate of Aiken, as
well as the light, dr\ T , pure air pecu
liar to the sand hill region so often
referred to, a ph3-sical combination of
inlluences more favorable to restora
tion, and even to prevention, than
any other known spot on the face of
the ()lat>e. It is a familiar expression :
“See Naples and die!” We would
say to persons laboring under pulmo-
naty and throat disease: “Come to
Aiken and live!”
is of excellent quality, pure and
wholesome. This hotel accommo
dates about 300 guests. All the corri
dors and public rooms are heated by
steam, and nearly all the bedrooms
have open fire-places, which are sup
plied with oak and fat pine for fuel.
Connected with the hotel is a well
equipped livery stable, and the roads
leading in vi rious directions through
the pine forests afford ample facilities
for driving and riding. "
. The other hotels are the Park Ave
nue Hotel, under the management of
Mr. A. M. Taft, and situated imme
diate^- opposite the railway passen
ger station; and the Busch House, on
York Street, under the management
of Mr. Henr3-Busch. Both of these
houses are well located, and offer
ever3’ comfort to guests.
In addition there are a large num
ber of private boarding-houses, many
of them affording unusually excel
lent accommodations at reasonable
rates.
In respect of market facilities, Ai
ken is not surpassed by any town,
and is at all times supplied with the
best meats, game, fish, fruits and veg
etables in season.
Recreations
As inaii3- visitors come to Aiken
who are not really invalids, they nat
urally wisii to know what recreations
can be had here. To provide these
the place is well supplied with several
excellent livery stables, where vehi
cles, and horses for driving and ri
ding, may be had at all times. There
are several good roads leading through
as attractive bits of forest and as
liiglil3' cultivated farms as can (be
found anj’where. Among the most
attractive of these roads are that
along the old track of the South Car
olina Rail\va3\ by the Mill Pond
bought a few 3’ears ago by Miss Eus-
tis; that known as the lower road to
Graniteville; and those through the
farms on the Levels. During the
months of March and April the woods
along the first two of these reads more
particular^*, are filled with the beau
tiful and fragrant jassamines. and
the dazzling kalmias and azalias.
In the eastern part of the Town are
the extensive grounds of the Aiken
Driving Park Association, where fre- ‘^y v * n 8 every
quent games of polo are plu3-ed du
ring the Winter and Spring seasons,
and base-ball during the Summe^
Several of the visitors who have been
attracted to Aiken for a number of
3-ears, are very expert pla3-eYs. and
the games alwa3-s attract a large
numbei of spectators.
For those visitors who may not
desire active out-of-door recrea- 1
tion, the Aiken Club affords a pleas
ant place of resort. This Club, or
ganized by the gentlemen of the
Town, has its rooms on Laurens
Street, where the latest papers and
periodicals may alwa3s be found. A
stranger may be introduced by a
member, and then if he desires to
visit the Club-rooms frequently, he
ma3 , I upon the payment of a small
fee, become a member for the season.
Ik-giving qualities, as from them
supplies the Highland Park Hotel,
keeps about 70 head of cattle, old
young, all carefully housed in a
at two-8tor3 T stable, that probably
bis not an equal elsewhere in the
South, and also depends almost en-
tiffly upon the silo sj-stem for feeding
hif cattle. This farm, like the other,
is well worthy of a visit.
Both these gentlemen find dair3*
NN"« profitable, and are satisfied
that it will become one of the leading
industries of this section.
tbvm for the
i
>•
From Sir Morreil Mackenzie.
Extract from a private letter from
Sir Morrell Mackenzie to a resident
physician at Aiken:
19 Harley Street, )
Cavendish Square, W.\
I am alread3' aware of some cases
that have derived great benefit from
a residence at Aiken, which place ap
pears to compare favorably with the
be.-t winter resiliences in the South of
Europe. Believe me, dear sir,
Yours Tru!>',
Morrell Mackenzie.
From Hon. J. YY.-Biiullmry, Ex-Sen
ator from Maine.
Augusta, Maine, Dee. S, 1SSG.
E P. Henderson, Esq.:
Dear Sir—In rep!3- to 3-our commu
nication, I can sa3’ that I spent a part |
of two winters in AiKen, and,I have)
a verv- favorable opinion of its loea- ;
tion and climate. The village and '
hotels are situated upon a long ridge
the air is damp, stagnant and cold.” j of dry, sandy land, surrounded with
Appearance of the Town.
Aiken is probably the most hand
some^- laid off Town in the State.
If we ma\* compare a small tiling
with a great one,—like Washington,
in its incipienc3*, it was wisely plan
ned, with a view to its future impor
tance. The streets cross each other
at right angles, and by the town char
ter are fixed at 150 feet wide; so there
can never be the crowding that is so |
conducive to disease in cities. In all ;
of the streets there are from two to!
four rows of shade trees; and in the |
principal Avenue of the Town—Park ,
Avenue—which is 200 feet wide, for a
distance of half a mile the middle ot j
the Avenue, between \?ach cross!
street, is preserved as a park, planted !
with shrubs, evergreens and fipwers, ]
all prettilx- kept, at the expense of
the Town.
The private residences are unusual-!
lv good,—far better than are com- 1
monK' seen in the interior small I
towns of the South, and nearl3- all of
them on lots of from 100 to 2<Mj feet
frontage.
Hotels ami Private Hoarding Houses.
In the matter of hotels and private j
boarding houses, the Town otters all j
the accommodations that the travel- i
ling public can desire. The Highland
Park Hotel is in Uveiy respect a first-
class house, of large size, fitted with |
all the modern improvements, and
situated in a commanding position,;
affording a beautiful view of the
Town and surrounding county*. The;
grounds around the Hotel include ,
about 400 acres of pine forest, and all
the sewerage is conducted through 1
tile pipes a mile out to Mr. Chatfield's
farm. The water supply is obtained
from a natural spring, which dis
charges about 7,000 gallons daily, and
Churches and Schools.
Among the first inquiries made re
garding a place ty strangers, are as to
the church and school facilities. With
both of these Aiken is well supplied.
The churches are the Baptist, Episco
pal, Methodist, Presbyterian and Ro
man Catholic. In addition to these
there are several churches for the ne
groes—Baptist, Methodist and Pres-
b3’terian.
The educational advantages for chil
dren in the primary departments are
unusually good. There are two large
public schools—the Aiken Academy,
Mr. J. R. Mack, Principal; and the
Aiken Institute, Mr. F. H. Curtiss,
Principal. Besides these there are
several private schools.
There are also two schools for negro
children, one of which is admirably
conducted b3- the Rev. W. R. Coles,
the pasty of the colored Presbyterian
congregation. This school now has
an average attendance of about 90,
and a new building is about to be
erected at a cost of ^3,500, which will
accommodate 250 scholars. The other,
the Schofield Industrial School, has
been established a number of 3-ears,
and is a thriving institution, giving
tuition and industrial education to a
large number of pupils. There are
two large buildings, one of brick and
one of wood.
The Meilieal Profession.
As to ph3*sieians. it is naturally to
be expected that a noted health and
winter resort such as Aiken, would
attract some of the best medical talent
in I be country; and thus we find that
the profession is most ably represent
ed here ly members of both the allo
pathic and homeopathic schools.
Dairy Farms.
Among the industries that contrib
ute largely to the welfare of the town
and afford most interesting places for
strangers to visit, are the two Dairy
Farms. That conducted ly Mr. H.
M. Dibble, at his farm, “Vale of
Montmorenci,” about seven miles
south-iast of Aiken, is well worthy
of repeated visits. The place itself is
vey prettil3- located, in a hilly, bro
ken county, is handsome^* laid out
and improved, and contains one of
the best arranged daiy establish
ments in the South. He has a herd
of 36 thoroughbred Jei\se3* cows, from
which is made the butter that has
earned a high reputation here and in
the Augusta and Charleston markets.
Mr. Dibble finds read\*saleat 40 cents
per pound for all the butter that he
can make, and is unable to supply the
demand. His cattle and all the horses
and sheep on his place are fed on en
silage, and his s3-stem of silos is of
itself most interesting.
On the northern side of the Town,
just be\-ond the corporate limits, is
Mr. B. P. Chatfield’s Dairy Farm,
“Rosa Villa.” He devotes his atten
tion principally to the Holstein breed
of cattle, on account of their great
' Banking Facilities.
/The Banking facilities are unequal-
leH by any other Town of the same
size in this State. There are two
B^nks here, both organized under
S'kte charters, with capitals of $50,000
eaih,—The Bank of Aiken, Mr. F. B.
Hlnderson, President; and The Ai
ken County Loan and Savings Bank,
Mr. W. W. Woolsey, President. These
BVnks buy and sell exchange on all
tlie principal cities of the county,
ar*l afford eyey accommodation tor
deposits and loans, and The Aiken
County Loan, and Savings Bank has
a savings department, in which in
terest is allowed.on deposits, at the
rtCeof 6 per cent, per annum, com
pounded semi-annually.
The business of the Town is suffi
cient to afford steadj- use for the ag
gregate capital of $100,000, and to en-
aiije the banks to obtain an average
rate of discount through the year of
aliout 6 per cent, per annum, and to
obtain all the ftrst-class paper that
they can safely handle. Both of these
BKuksare prudently and economieal-
ly managed, and have thus far paid
ni«wi satisfactory dividends to their
sh'jtfioiders.
‘lOkfe Bank of Aiken occupies an ex-
ceBcnt banking house on Laurens
Struct; and the Aiken County Loan
an4-Savings Bank is now erecting a
hsadsome building for its use, at the
corner of Laurens Street and Park
Arenue, and at present, while its new
building is being erected, occupies
temporary quarters on Park Avenue.
At' both of these Banks strangers
m*y always rely upon receiving every
reasonable accommodation, and of
facility extended to
transaction of business.
Value of Property.
gradual but uninterrupted ex
tension of the Town has caused a cor-
n- ponding steady advance in the
value of real estate. While there has
net: been at any time a speculative
hi. 'in,—such as has been manipulated
in many other places in the South, to
fofit of the few and grief of the
the increase in values has
irf4K*teady, Within the past twelve
or thirteen years the population has
increased from about 1400 to 3000 per
manent residents. With this in
crease has come the necessity for more
houses, more stores, and many small
industries that add to the general
welfare. While no one has made a
fortune out of the enhancement in
values, there has not been an instance
where anyone has bought a desirable
piece of property, that he could not
sell it again, after the lapse of a few
3'ears, at a good profit. The Town has
been steadily growing, and certainly
during the past several 3'ears the
brickla3-ers and carpenters here have
had all the work they were able to do.
The values of property are on a solid
and healthy basis.
Farming Lands.
The farming lands of Aiken County
possess that combination that is rarel3 T
found anywhere else in the South—
fertility of soil aud healthfulness of
climate. As a general rule, wherever
tertile soil is found the natural causes
that have produced this fertility have
also made a climate unhealthy for a
white man. This County is an un
usual exception to this rule; and
while it is not pretended that the fer-
tilit3* of the soil here approaches that
of the Mississippi valleys or other
river bottoms, it is sufficient to repa3’
the farmer for his labor, and enable
him to earn a good living while he
may enjoy the best of health. Of
course there are tracts of land that arc
very poor aud really worthless for
purposes of cultivation; and stran
gers will do well to see that such
tracts are not put upon them.' But
most of the Count3’ is sandy, with a
cla3' foundation, is retentive of ma
nure, and responds liberally to the
application of fertilizers. There is
none of that tenacious cla3' which, in
winter retains moisture to an un-
healthful degree, and in summer dries
and bakes, to the detriment of the
crops.
A large portion of the fertilizers
used on these farms is manufactured
near at hand in Augusta t>3' the Geor
gia Chemical Works, which is the
largest concern of the kind in the
United States, and well worthy of a
visit by strangers. The effects of
these lertilizers are so favorable that
lands which were thought worthless
a generation ago, are now productive,
and command high values. The val
ues of course var3’ according to loca
tion, improvements aud other circum-
stances. and range from $5 to $64 per
acre. O11I3’ last week a sale was made
of a tract of 132 acres, within one
mile of the corporate limits, for the
sum of $8,500 cash.
Within four or five miles of the
Town ma3* be seen some farms as
handsome as can be found anywhere
in the county*; and many of these are
conducted by men who started ten or
fifteen 3 r ears ago with but little more
than the unimproved land, but now
have very attractive places, and are
thriving and have comfortable com
petencies laid by. Some of these far
mers came here from the Northern
States, ill with pulmonar3* diseases;
buti they have recovered their health
whne they have earned their living.
Th# character of the soil is peculiarly
adapted to the production of fruit and
vegetables; and while the general
products of the country are cotton,
corn and water-melons, some farmers
devote their attention to raising
peaches, grapes, raspberries aspara
gus, etc., for the northern and western
markets, and have found these crops
very remunerative. The seed used on
many of these farms is obtained from
the Alexander Drug and Seed Com
pany, of Augusta, Ga., a firm that has
a high reputation over a very large
portion of the South.
The Azalia Gardens.
Among the many attractive places
to which visits may be made from
Aiken, are the Azalia Gardens, at the
old plantation “Magnolia,” on the
Ashley River, near Charleston. In
the month of April, when the azalias
are in full bloom, these gardens are
said to be the most beautiful of their
kind in this county; the plantation
is also one of the oldest, having been
settled in 1671, and it has never passed
out of the hands of lineal descend
ants of the original grantee. During
April the South Carolina Railway
Company runs excursion trains from
Aiken to these gardens.
Hallway Facilities.
The railway facilities are unusually
good. The Charlotte and Augusta
Railway passes through the Count3’
from north to south; the South Caro
lina Railway from east to west; the
Cumberland Gap and Chicago Rail
Aiken LamI and Improvement Co.
Among the foremost enterprises
here, promising the best results to the
Town, has been the organization of
the Aiken Laud and Improvement
Company. This Compaq* has an ex
ceedingly liberal, in fact, elastic char
ter from the Legislature, allowing it
to buy and sell real and personal
propertj*, to build houses, cotton
mills, saw mills, and cut lumber,
mine ores. &c., &c. Its capital stock
is $200,000, and the Directors are Dr.
T. G. Croft aud Messrs. Geo. W.
Croft, B. P. Chatfield, H. K. Chat-
field, and Henr3* Smith. The Presi
dent is Dr. T. G. Croft; Secretary and
Treasurer, Mr, H. K. Chatfield ; and
Superintendent, Mr. B. P. Chatfield.
The object of this Compaq* is to af
ford facilities to persons who wish to
obtain homes, as these can be had
most effectively b3* a combination of
capital. It owns a large number of
most desirable town lots, on which
comfortable houses will be built and
rented or sold to those who want
them.
Along the line of the C., C. G. & C.
Railway the Com; any owns large
tracts of land, much of it heavily
timbered with the valuable yellow
pine; and in several tracts are exten
sive deposits of kaolin cla3*, near the
surface of the ground, and 13’ing most
advantageously for railway transpor
tation- Borne of these lands lie along
L.
way is being built from Aiken to
Asheville, North Carolina, and trains
are running to Edgefield. Another
line, ver3* important to the people of
Aiken County, is the Blackville, Al
ston and Newberry Railway, which
has been built already from Black
ville to Seivern, in Aiken County,
and will be continued on to Newbeny.
The Atlantic Coast Line has com
pleted the survey of the line from
Sumter, S. C-, to Augusta, Ga., pass
ing through this Town and the Una-
ka Line, through Rabun Gap from
East Tennessee to Port Royal, S. C.,
will pass through the western part of
this Coui^’; while the Port Royal
Railway, from Augusta, Ga., to Port
Royal, S. C., traverses the same part
of the Count3*.
Here are seven railway’s running
and to run through Aiken County;
three of them have been running for
a number of 3*ears, two are being
built, while the other two have been
surveyed and will be built. These
facts show that this County is not in
an out-of-the-way location, but that it
is an important centre, directly in the
route of most important railway' con
nections.
Water Powers.
The hilly and rolling characte; of
much of the land in Aiken County,
and the very elevated situation of the
whole section, give this County un
usual advantages in water powers.
One cannot travel a day’s journey
without crossing several bold streams
that await development by capital
ists. In the neighborhood of the Au
gusta and Charlotte Railway there is
Horse Creek that affords power for
the prosperous Vaucluse aud Granite
ville Mills; and then passing on fur
ther turns the wheels of the mills at
Langley and Bath, with much power
and several fine sites yet unutilized.
Good Spring, about Smiles northwest
of Aiken, is a spring of uncommon
boldness, emptying into Horse Creek
and affording an admirable site. On
the northwest runs Shaw’s Creek,
about 4 miles off, possessing along its
course through the County many val
uable sites for factories. This creek
is crossed by the present railway from
Aiken to Edgefield, thus having its
resources immediately available. The
South Edisto River, about 12 miles
frsm the Town, also affords several
very valuable sites for mills, all of
which will be more available when
the railway from Sumter to Augusta
is completed. In the southern part
of the County*, along “Three Runs”
Creek, are also several very* valuable
mill sites, which may now he bought
for very reasonable prices.
Aiken County is as well supplied
with streams as any other interior
county in the South, and the confor
mation of the land renders the water
power sites peculiarly easy of devel
opment. And the streams mentioned
are never frozen in winter and dry in
summer. All throughout the year
the supplies of water exceed any pos
sible demand. Besides, these streams
being rapid and bold, springing from
an easily drained soil and country,
form no stagnant pools or swamps,
and do not injure the good health of
their neighborhoods.
Shaw’s Creek, a hold stream of 600-
horse power, and one that is fed by
numerous springs, and is practically
exempt from overflows. From the
hilly character of the country, and
consequent good drainage, the health
ot this section is unexceptionable,—
absolutely free from all suspicion of
malaria.
About eight miles from the Town,
lying on both sides of this railway, is
a large tract of about 5,000 acres,
owned by this Company; of this tract
about 1,000 acres are in virgin pine
timber. Here is now being laid off
the village of Lakeview, so called
from having a large and most beauti
ful expanse of water lying in front
and several miles beyond. At this
place building lots may he bought,
and it in time will certainly become
a most attractive town. It has the
advantage of water scenery, com
bined with the best of health; and hav
ing the best of railway facilities,
must develop into an important re
sort.
As we have stated, the object of
this Company is to encourage the ad
vent of good settlers, and these will
And every facility extended to them
to obtain good homes in healthy* situ
ations, at reasonable prices.
The Bath Paper Mills.
Prominent among the manufactu
ring industries of the County Is the
Bath Paper Mill, situated on Horse
Creek, at Bath, a station on the South
Carolina Railway and the Charlotte,
Columbia & Augusta Division of the
Richmond & Danville system, seven
miles from Augusta. This is the lar-
i gest and most substantially equipped
J paper plant south of Richmond and
1 Louisville; its capital stock is $90,000,
divided into 900 shares of $100 each.
Its business is being successfully’
managed by* the following officers:
President H. T. Hill is a paper maker
j of a life’s experience, and lias charge
of the works; he constructed the
mills of the Contorcook Valley Paper
! Co. at Hunikee, N. H., and for a long
time efficiently filled the position of
; superintendent for the P. C. Cheney
Co. at Manchester and Goffstow, N.
j H.; lie is ably seconded by his son^
E. S. Hill, who is also Secretary of
the concern: W. V. Gilman, Treas-
' urerof the Companv, is a young man,
| but having spent twelve years in the
I paper business at the mills of the
! Contorcook Valley Paper Co. and the
Nashua Card and Glazed Paper Co.,
the largest makers of card board,
glazed, plated, enamelled and em
bossed papers in the country. In the
latter firm he resigned the position of
treasurer in order to embark in this
enterprise. The output is manilla
aud news. A sample of the latter is
now being used by The Aiken Re
corder. Valuable deposits of kaolin
have been found upon the 2,400 acres
of land belonging to the Company;
on which are also several hundred
acres of some of the finest yellow pine
timber.
The Graniteville ManuYacturinfC Co.
Among the most important wheels
turned by the waters of Horse Creek,
are those of the Graniteville Manu
facturing Co., at Graniteville and
Vaucluse, both about miles from
Aiken. The Factory at Graniteville
was established in 1847, with Mr.
Wm. Gregg as president, and was one
of the few mills in the South that
succeeded prior to the war. Immedi
ately after the war new machinery
was necessary, and on this account
debts were incurred, which at the
time of Mr. Gregg’s death in 1867 ag
gregated $50,000. The true beginning
of profitable cotton^spinning at the
South dates from about this period,
when Mr. H. H. Hickman became
president. The capital of the Com
pany was then increased to $716,000.
During the period of twenty years
since, the results have been astonish
ing. Over $1,200,000 have been paid
out to the stockholders as dividends;
$116,000 of the stock has been bought
in by the Company and cancelled, re
ducing the capital to $600,000; and
the mill at Vaucluse has been built
out of the profits, at a cost of $362,000.
The one Company* now owns and op
erates the two mills. That at Gran-
iteyille has 624 looms and 24,000 spin
dles, and consumes 30 bales of cotton
daily; while that at Vaucluse has 350
looms and 10,000 spindles, and con
sumes 14 bales daily. The quality of .
goods turned out by these mills is
equal to the best anywhere, and de
servedly has a high reputation. The
Company owns 10,000 acres of land,
and has 350 operatives’ houses.
The Langley Manufacturing: Co.
Lower down Horse Creek, directly
alongside of the South Carolina Rail
way, the Langley Manufacturing Co.
has its fine mill. This mill was built
in 1870 by a Company organized by
Messrs. Evans and Cogswell, of Char
leston, which failed; whereupon the
property passed under the control of
another Company, organized by Mr.
W. C. Langley of New York. Since
this re-organization the mill has been
doing a good business, and is now one
of the most profitable in the State.
The capital of the Company is $400,-
090. Mr. W. C. Sibley of Augusta Is
president and treasurer, Mr. John W.
Chafee secretary, and Mr. H. W.
Jordan superintendent. The water
power is supplied from a large artifi
cial pond, and turns two 42-inch Her
cules wheels, which give 350-horse
'.power. The mill contains 360 looms
and 12,672 spindles, pnd turns out cot
ton cloth that has an enviable nation
al reputation. The village of Lang
ley, settled by the Company, is a pic
turesque place, witji a large number
of unusually goo£ houses for opera
tives, all very neat and attractive. In
all of these'mills only white opera
tives are employed, and they are al
most exclusivity jrnm_tho aurround-
Kaolin Clay.
The County of Aiken is very rich
in deposits of the finest quality of
clay, used for the manufacture of fine
crockery, in addition to having large
deposits of clay of a commoner kind,
suitable for common pottery. The
kaolin is widely distributed and de
posited in large and thick beds; and
alongside is feldspar in abundance,
which can be ground on the spot.
When the extent of these valuable
deposits are more generally known
at the North and in Europe, there is
no doubt that the mines will be more
developed, and Aiken County become
one of the most important centres in
the count ry for the production of fine
clay. This clay has been known and
mined for the past forty years, but
until recently only the deposit near
Bath, about 13 miles from Aiken, has
been worked regularly, by the firm
of R. McNamee & Co., of New York,
who have found the industry a profli-
able one. But now there are several
new Companies at work digging kao
lin and shipping it to market, among
which are the Aiken Mining and
Porcelain Manufacturing Co., the
Craig Kaolin Co., and the Franklin
Kaolin Co., all of which own or lease
mines more or less developed. The
Aiken Mining and Porcelain Manu
facturing Co., of which Mr. P. A.
Emanuel is president, is about ma
king arrangements with some capi
talists for the establishment of a
crockery factory at the mines, which
are situated about 3)£ miles from the
Town. But at present the clay is dug
and washed and shipped to the facto
ries at the North.
There is but little doubt that this
kaolin mining will soon become one
of the most important and profitable
industries of the County.
The foregoing enterprises will serve
to demonstrate to manufacturers, the
advantages offered by the natural re
sources of this County. There is an
abundance of good water power, easi
ly available, yet to be utilized, af
fording unusual opportunities for the
establishment of cotton and furniture
factories, lumber mills, cotton seed
oil mills, potteries, &c.
How to Reach Aiken.
From the Eastern States, via New
York and Washington, and thence
either b3* Lynchburg, Va., Charlotte,
N. C\, Columbia, S. C., to Granite
ville, thence to Aiken, witboutchange
of cars from Washington; or from
Washington to Richmond, Va., Wil
mington, N. C., over the Atlantic
Coast Line, either through Charles
ton, or Columbia and Graniteville.
From the North-Western States—
from Chicago or St. Louis, via either
Cincinnati, O., or Louisville, Ky. t
through either Knoxville, Tenn.,
Asheville, N. C., Columbia, 8. O.,
and Graniteville; or through Chatta
nooga, Tenn., Atlanta and Augusta,
Georgia.
The fare on limited ticket from
New York is $23, and schedule time
twenty-eight hours and twenty min
utes. From Chicago the fare is $26.90.
As we have stated, through Poll-
man cars are run over all the lines,
without change, from Washington
direct to Aiken. _
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