Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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HOY! & CO., Proprietors. ANDERSON 0. EL, S. 0., THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 18, 1873. VOLUME IX.?NO. 11. ?'? STEAM YS. WATER. ; ?:L .irsi ?-, i?'"?r.i?.i ];??''?.?<.- 1?;. w.-. ? Pendleton Factory, S. O. July 11,1871. My D?ar. Sit : I will .try to. answer your in? quiries ia relation to manufacturing cotton in South Carolina, and particularly in Anderson, Counfy. I understand you as wishing tavas-' certai n, the amount of capital'requisite ? to^put in^operation sufficientmachiqery- to weayedaily \ some- 4*000 to 5,0.00 yards q?% shirtings^ similar, in kind and quality, to Graniteville and Augus? ta snirtings! :; 1 * ?* v-*' To erect fire-proof-buildings of brick; to purchase: .andk. place in operation machinery enough to manufacture. SjOOO yards of i shirt? ings daily, will co'stin round numbers $100,000. With a new concern are always connected some expenses Xaa purchase of land and the like,} which cannot be exactly :estimated. Besides, it; costs, less tqimproye .some locations than others. So'it will be safe to say $110,000, and whidh wirrmore 'than cover all the'cost; and leave some-cash capital, on whicli to commence business. ! Now, I estimate the profit on the investment, to be 22} per cent. You say this is a large dividend; this is .' true, yet it is not up;to the earnings of the Pendleton Factory for the past five years, which have been fully 261. per cent, on the capital invested. While saying this much, I am speaking from an. experience of over' thirty-eight years as operator, manager and owner of factories; and 1 am:fully capable of correctly, estimating the ^profitableness of co.tton^anu^cturJng, and especially qf manu? facturing in South Carolina, haying been con? nected with the business in this State for some twerily-irVeriyears past. Wi th the-.estimateof buildings and machine? ry, I will lurnish you-with; the cost of a steam engine-to drive .the factory ; and also the daily cost of fuel, compared" with the cost of water, power, &c. . There is no doubt, generally speaking, that steam is more expensive than water to drive machinery. rl Yet; "there are advantages arising from /using".steam-as- the'moti ve power, which will; in some cases, more than counterbalance the increased'cost When steam is used the location is at your option;-which is not the case when water is used, because you must locate the factory, to suit .the power. With steam, you locate the power to suit the factory. In order to give you*a c)ear understanding of! the difference in the relative advantages of water power and steam power, we will say that you wish to locate your factory at Anderson C. H'., or as near that place as possible. In the first place, as water power is the cheapest, when it can be obtained, (advantages of location be? ing equal,) we will ascertain .the' nearest point where water with the proper fall can be on- ' tamed in sufficient quantity to give you the power necessary to drive your factory.- Upon inquiry, we find that thereis allocation shitable for our purpose, just six miles from the depot in Anderson.' Now^ we" will assume that the cost of land and mill-site, with mill-dam and race-way, and the water-wheel ready for opera tion^ will be the same as it1 will cost for land and the steam engine placed in position. (The actual-cost will pe about the same.) With your Factory six miles from town, you will have to use wagon transportation, which, from its amount, will require one four-mule" team, and one two-mule team. With two drivers, the'daHy 'expenses, with wear and tear, may be safely put at eight "dollars per day. You will bear in mind that.these teams must haul daily, and their loading must be kept dry. . Now, locate, your Factory directly on the Railroad, near the depot, where you cau have a side-track branching into the yard near your engine, so as to deliver wood, and deliver and receive freight on the spot. Do you not sup ?ose that you could save'six dollars per day, vor and above the cost for wagon transporta? tion,, with your Factory located six miles from the Baiiroad ? I certainly do. The six dollars thus saved you can apply to the purchase of .fuel foryour' steam'engine. 'My ^estimate is, that it will require three cords of pine-wood daily to give the necessary power to run the' Factory twelve hours per day. . .Again, yon can, if you choose, pnt in a some? what larger engine, whieh will enable you to drive," in connection with your Factory, a Grist Ifill, (corn and wheat,) Saw Mill and Plaining-machine, with work shop for turning wood and iron ; and all this with but a small addition to the cost oi' fuel, &c. I will not stop to discuss the advantages of having a saw mill and grist mill'so near you. You can esti? mate that better'than I'can, having felt the need of them. As to the advantages of having the factory located in town, I have to gay, that it will give employment to not less that one hundred hands, wh ose daily wages will average fifty cents each. This makes $50 per day, oi $150,000 for a year of 800 working days, ail of which will be dis? tributed in your town. 3jow add your mills and planing aud turning shop, and you have some $5,000 ) more; or a total of $20,000 in cash, in which your proftssional men, mer? chants, mechanics, and trades-people in general will share. We have a peifect right to expect $25,001)in dividends on the amount invested; which, to cover all the additions named will be about $125,000. Now, you have the snug sum of $45,000 incasbdrawn to jour town annually. This is not a.visionary nor i theoretical calcu? lation. It is one based on practical knowledge of matters pertaining to thesubject under con? sideration. This matter should be viewed in yet another asp-ect We must consider lue enhanced value of the cotton raised at home.1 Comparing 1,000 bales of cotton, in its raw state, with 1,000 bales afteri)erng manufactured into goods, we have: . ..! " 1,000 bales @ $80 per bale.$ 80,000 1,000 " $190 " j.$190,000 ? You see at a g;lance thai you have realized an enhanced value of $110,000, over and above the cost of the raw material; which is a clear addition to the wealth of the County, from the operation of a single factory, Respectfully, WM: PERRY. Pendleton Factory, S. C, July 24, 1871. Dear Sir: I have before mo Applelon's Jour? nal, in which I finAindustrial statistics of some cities in the State of New Yo-k, some of which may interest you. . The city of Syracuse, with a population of 43,081, has a capital of $11,8(1,000 invested in 21 manufacturing establishments. Tho total value of manufactured articles sold annually is 29,627,000. i Rochester, with a population of 64,424, has a capital of $15,000,000 invested in 30 manu? factories. Total value of manufactured goods atmually is $28,000,000. Auburn, with a population of 17,233, has $5,075,000 invested in 21 manufactories. An? nual value of productions is .il2,175,000. Oswego, with a -populatioi of 29,919, has >v>,l08,0U0 invested in tf maiufactories. An? nual value ul" productions io 13,U0(.i/J0l). ITtica, with a population of $28,804, has $6, 225;000 invested in 19 manufactories. Annual value of prqdactions is $14,861,000. "While calling your attention to the above named cities, and the large amounts there in? vested in manufactories of various kinds, I do not wish you to consider them as being excep? tional as manufacturing centres. Such is not the case. You may take all the towns and cities, and villages even, and you will find about the same-amount invested in manufac? turing finproportion. of conrse, to their pop? ulation. Havfe we not in these facts, sufficient evidence to satisfy us as7 to" the'reason "why their farmers are sp prosperous, their State so populous,' their cities, towns and villages so progressive and wealthy?-~Is it not owing to their diversified pursuits, which makei a home market for the, produce of their farms L.The farmer, mechanic,'' and manufacturer, Doing near neighbors, buy of each other, and sell to each others hence, money is kept at home, and circulates freely, putting life and vigor into all pursuits. In short, the farmer cannot greatly prosper, unless he has for his neighbors the mechanic and the manufacturer. For your information, as to the relative cost of steam and. water power to drive cotton ma? chinery, I give below an estimate of the ex? pense of operating two adjoining factories, one driven by steam, the other by water. They are both spinning fine yarn, and a careful esti? mate of expenses was kept for one mouth, so as to test the question of cost. In the one driven by water, it' cost eight and Tiine one hundredths 108.09) cents per pound, to manu? facture. Iu the; steam mill, it cost eight and fifty one hundredths (0S.50) cents per pound, to manufacture. '?" You will see it cost a trifle more to operate by steam, than by water, location and other things being equal. If you wish further evi? dence, go to Fall River, Massachusetts, which is; how the leading cotton manufacturing city in the United States. There you will find steam largely used as a motive power. Indeed, two-thirds of the mills are driven by steam. A friend of mine who is now the manufacturer of Graniteville, recently visited Massachusetts; and after inspecting the Factories at Fall Riv? er, told me on his return, that he would at all times prefer steam as a motive power. You must bear in mind that the Steam Engine has been much improved within the past few years, both as to power, and the saving of fuel. It is said we have not sufficient capital to go into manufacturing. I think that is a mistaken idea. Truly, money is scarce with us. Still, can we not effect our object by co-operative means? If five men cannot provide capital enough, ten, twenty, one hundred or five hun? dred can do so. Let us unite our means?let us do', as men do elsewhere, when they wish to start a new busiuess. I know men in the North, who have several hundred thousaud dollars invested in factories, and thsy have not more than $20,000 in any one concern. They take stock in several factories, preferring to have the risk divided. How many persons do you know, who can spare $100, $200, $300, $400, $500, or $1,000, or even $5,000, to iuvest in a factory, and do it without crippling their present business? There are many farmers, merchants and professional men, who can spare some one of these amounts, or more. It will pay them handsomely to put all their spare capital into a factory. I am, respectfully, WM. PERRY. Hon. j. P. Reed. Manufacturing. The citizens of Anderson are making anoth? er movement in the direction of manufactur? ing, and are talking of reviving "Tho People's Manufacturing Company," which has been lying inactive since 1871. Mr. Reed, in a let? ter published in the County journals*proposes raising a capital of $250,000, aud the establish? ment of three mills in the County, one to be devoted to weaving, to be located at Anderson Court House, aud two to spinning, one at High Shoals, aud the other . at Centreville. The prospect of a good crop this fall, and the sub? sequent surplus capital which will be in tho hands of the people are considered as affording a propitious opportunity for this step in pro? gressive wealth. It is proposed to propel the Factory at the Court House by steam, and the two others by water. Whatever may be the result of this wave of true, wisdom, this awakening to the true inter? ests of the County and of the up country gen? erally, it certainly deserves practical success, and we trust will not again be suffered to be lost sight.qf. That upper South Carolina is well adapted to manufacturing is universally conceded. The cheapness of wood and w?ter, the mildness of climate, the exceptional Hygiene of the coun? try, the present and increasing railroad facili? ties, and the cheapness of the raw material, all combine to render manufacturing highly profit? able. The people are becoming imbued with these ideas, and whether or hot the present movement of our neighbors meet immediate success, we have never doubted but manufac? turing would in the no distant future become general in the up-country. Periodical move? ments like that at Anderson demonstrate the bent of the public mind, and their failure for the time only proves the want of sufficient ac? cumulated capital to carry out what the good judgment of the people approves. Since the war. the true energies of the Southern people have been well illustrated. Instead of repin? ing at the loss of the accumulated capital of a century, they set to work to recuperate their broken fortunes and re-establish a more durable prosperity. Though but a few years have elapsed with propitious and unpropitious sea? sons interchanging, they have constantly grown wiser and richer, and will soon be in a condi? tion to 'extend aud develop new sources of wealth. The chief of these are increased rail? road facilities and tho establishment of manu? factories. The first of these is constantly going on, and the other is taking root in the hearts of the people. The movement at Anderson, if carried out, will encourage other similar enterprises, and each factory in keeping at home a portion of the money now annually expended in the North for the spinning and weaving of our cloth, will make the State richer, money more plentiful, our population more numerous and thrifty, and the result must follow, that other and larger factories will be built aud run until our people will eujoy a true prosperity. We well know that we can never become a populous or wealthy town or county in the true sense of the word, while we create the raw material alone, and annually pay to less favored sections all our profits for manufacturing for us what we could manufacture cheaper for our? selves. If the money made in this County on cotton, for five years, could be kept here in circulation, we would be amazed at the amount of it. Suppose we should manufacture or even spin jut cotton here, it would more than dou? ble its value, and hence, double our annual income, besides affording a market to the farm? er for his surplus provisions iu the increased population, which would flow in and obtain employment in these new enterprises. Wc wish Anderson success. Jler people are ' ahead of us in surplus capital, and will lead the race in the new ana. only sure road to general wealth and prosperity. We have al? ways expected to follow the same road.' We have not only all conveniences for manufac? turing cotton, but our people should and ought also to make our great forests a source of wealth, instead of bringing their axe handles, wagon spokes and hubs, buckets and such like from abroad. This will be done in time.? Keowee Courier. To the People of the Static. At a meeting of the citizens of. Columbia, held August . 27, 1873, the Messrs. Sprague proposed to the citizens of Columbia to form a joint stock company, with a capital stock of $650,000?the Columbia Water Power Compa? ny to contribute all its real and personal prop? erty, its rights franchises, &c., at the assessed sum of $325,000 ; the citizens of the State to contribute in cash the same amount in shares of $100 each. As soon as a reasonable sum is raised, the company to be organized, with -Mr. Wm. Sprague as its President; fifteen percent, of the subscribed stock tobe paid at the organ? ization- of the company, and xhe balance in monthly installments of ten per cent. The sum thus raised to be expended in building the dam across the Congaree, in. erecting a mill for 15,000 spindles, and in other improvements. Resolutions of approval were passed by the meeting, and Dr. J. W. Parker, the Chairman, appointed a committee to canvass the city and solicit subscriptions. The committee is as follows, viz: i. W. McMaster, J. M. Crawford, W. B. I\Tash, J. T. Sloan, Sr., J. Qutftnan Mar? shall, G-. A; Darling, Joseph Taylor, R. D. Senn, Wm. Lowrance, S. B. Thompson, W. H. Ly Brand. Thesuin thus far subscribed amounts to about ?70,000, which the committee hope speed? ily to increase within the limits of the city. Being impressed by the immense importance of the enterprise, not only to Columbia, but to the whole State, they respectfully solicit sub? scriptions to this great work from all portions of the State. The committee believe the prop? osition of the Messrs. Sprague offers an advan? tage to Columbia not enjoyed by any city at the South. The superior facilities of factories for cotton yarns at the South have been fre? quently commented on by th?? press, and illus? trated by the success of those who have en* gaged in them. The special advantages of the present project are as follows : 1. The water power at Columbia is greater than in any city in the Atlantic Stales, and this power can be utilized at comparatively small expense. 2. All the mill sites on the Congaree in prox? imity of the canal belong i:o the Columbia Water Power Company, which, with other lands, am unt to about 170 acres, in the cor? porate limits of the city; all of :which will greatly advance in value as soon as a factory is erected. 3. The people of the State, in this enterprise, will gain the co-operation of the Messrs. Sprague, who are amongst the largest manu? facturers in the world, which of itself will en? sure its success. 4. The great want of capital at the South is the prime cause of the failure of many joint ' stock companies which have been started since the war. In this enterprise, we have, as a basis, the property of the Columbia Water Power. Company, on which $200,0004ias been expend? ed?a greater sum of money than has been in? vested in any Southern State by any Northern firm since the war. 5. The great experience of the Messrs. Sprague in cotton factories augurs'a success for this project equal to any factory in the-South. The mere fact of Governor Sprague acting as President of the Company will add to its credit. The city of Augusta, which is similarly sit? uated with Columbia, aroused to the necessity of enlarging her industrial resources, has con? tributed ?500,000. to build her canal over a space of seven miles ; and at this very time, there is an agent in England, endeavoring to induce capitalists to invest there. At*Colum bia, we have the water power at hand, and can use it without an extended canal; and the capital equal to the amount raised here is of? fered without our solicitation. The committee cordially appreciate the prof? fer of the Messrs. Sprague, and if it is heartily endorsed by the citizens of the State, they feel assured that in a few years the city of Columbia will spring forward in the race of prosperity with other cities of the South. She-is now so circumvented by railroads that unless an effort is made to enlarge her resources by factories,, her future prosperity caunot be rapid. The rise of factories in her midst .will De the in? crease of her population and wealth. To all who feel a deep interest in the welfare of our beautiful city and the prosperity of our impoverished State, we earnestly appeal. We invite all who can subscribe even a single share of ?100 in the company, to lend us a helping hand. Let us meet in fraternal kindness the proposition made by these Northern gentlemen, and it will do more to create peace, to produce harmony, comfort and plenty in our land, than anything that has been presented since the war. If we fail in this project, the chances of starting factories here will probably be post? poned for ten years. Editors of papers throughout the State, fa? vorable to this enterprise, are requested to ex? tend this invitation. And those who wish to obtain further information, may address any member of the committee at Columbia. F. W. McMASTER, Chairman of Committee. Sustain Southern Manufactures.?The success and prosperity of Southern manufactu? ring enterprises largely depends upon their patronage at home. In this connection, we ask the attention of our merchants and planters to the following statement made to the Columbus Sun by a prominent citizen, a Southern manu? facturer, who has just returned from Europe. He says: "Quite a number of prominent Eng? lish, manufacturers are moving their works to this country and locating them at the North, as there has been a large falling off in their American orders. One of these manufacturers brought with him over fifteen hundred em? ployees. Now, this case of removal of English capital and labor to America, like many other similar cases, was the direct result of a with-> drawal of the trade of our merchants from England, and the bestowal of jt upon manufac? turers in this country. This is the true plan by which Northern capital and labor can be induced to come South and locate. Our mer? chants and plauters mmt patronize and sustain the factories and enterprises that have been started here, many of which to-day loudly ap? peal to them for their patronage, without which they will he compelled to suspend operations and close their doors. When this patronage is bestowed, and prosperity dawns upon our .man? ufacturing enterprises at the South, there will be no need to solicit Northern capital and labor to move here, as it will come of its own free will, and for its own best interests." ? It is not safe to send money by a postal - For the Anderson Intelligencer. Rust in Cotton. Pendleton, S. C, Sept. 4, 1873. Editor Intelligencer: I find in the weekly New York Sun, furnished me by a .friend, an article of interest to every cotton planter, which I copy for your paper, under the head "Rust in Cotton." If you think it worth a place in your columns, please publish. If the applica? tion of lime or ashes to our cotton fields should prove to be a preventive of rust, then it is surely a most favorable discovery, acting not only as intended, but as a manure so far as may be 'required by the crop, and as an ameliorator of the soil mechanically, rendering stiff soils more loose and pliable, and soils of lighter texture more compact and retentive of moisture, and also in hastening decomposition of vegetable matter, and fitting it as food for plants. I hear much complaint of rust this season, and although too .late to apply the remedy on this crop, it is in good time to pre? pare for the next. For your kind attention I am due an apology for my short comings of late, but doubt if any original contribution from my pen would prove to be as interesting and valuable to your read? ers as the article offered. I have copied it for other papers, and other readers that may not see yours. Although neyer much of a cotton planter myself, an$ especially now when 1 have no reliance in such labor as we can procure, I would be pleased for every planter in the South to find a remedy for rust, which we would all hope this will prove to be, as it has with Mr. Williams. S. "Rust in Cotton.?John Williams, South? ampton County, Va., writes to the Rural Mes? senger : "Iu the Messenger of May 17, a 'Cotton Grow? er' asks if any cotton planter has been fortu? nate enough to learn what would would stop or prevent rust in cotton. I have waited several weeks, hoping some experienced cotton planter would give the wanted information ; but find? ing that no one has given it satisfactorily, I propose to give my experience in the.matter. "It seems to me that it would be enough to say 'Lime your land well, and you will have no rust.' But a question would arise, how and when should lime be applied ? I answer? broadcast, and in the winter, to prevent rust the next season. As to stopping the rust after it makes it appearance, all experiments fail with me. My first experiment was made with unslacked ashes. I purchased the farm on which I reside thirty-three, years ago. There was a lot on it on which the crop was ruined with rust for several years, commencing at the same point each year. I put broadcast a few bushels of ashes, beginning at the point where the rust started. The result was that the rust did not start at that point the next summer, but made its appearance at the place where the ashes stopped. I then spread ashes over the remainder of the lot. The next winter I save it a coat of lime broadcast, without regard to quantity, and did not plow the land until April, but let the lime remain on the surface up to that time. The result was there was no more rust on that lot for the next twenty years, while the laud was in cotton every year. "I have had rust on other lots to some ex? tent, and have sowed lime in the rows, and extended it ahead of the rust, with little or no effect; but wherever it was applied in the win? ter, it had the desired effect. I recommended it to my neighbors, particularly to Mr. James Drewry, who tried it with the best results. "As to the cause of rust, we are somewhat in the dark; but I am strongly inclined to think that it is due to one of two causes. One is acid in the land, which is readily corrected by lime; the other is an insect too minute to be seen with the naked eye. This opinion may be erroneous, but whatever the cause may be, lime has proved to be the* remedy." Health and Drainage.?The existence of malarious fevers in different sections of the up-country, during the presont and past sum? mer, naturally suggests to the mind the idea of some exciting cause. On the Beaverdam, in the neighborhood of Fair Play, the people wore greatly afflicted last summer, and while the town of Fair Play was exempt, )-et it was said that ar^r person who spent a night iu the affected spots wouid surely have chills. The same state of things is reported in t?e neigh? borhood of Anderson and Pendleton, though the towns are exempt. These sections have in the past been gene? rally blessed with the usual good health of the upper counties, aud iu the'present unfavorable change there must be some cause. We have heard persons express the opinion that it was due to the planting of cotton and the use of fertilizers. This belief is, however, traceable to the fad that these fevers have heretofore been the scourge of those sections where cotton was commonly planted, and in appearing with us, where formerly cotton was not the leading crop, we, from associating these diseases with cotton sections, are led to connect them with the growth of cotton. There is no reason iu such a conclusion. In our judgment, they are due to imperfect drainage, and want of atten? tion to cleaning up about farms. We know these fevers so far have arisen on or about creeks aud swamps, and are thus led to believe they are caused by the want of prop ? er drainage Since the war, too, farmers have neglected this because of the scarcity of labor aud its high price. Formerly, owners of good plantation owned negroes, and the idle periods i of the year were devoted to ditching and clean ing off streams and banks. When lauds are i rented this is now either neglected or imper- j fectly done Another reasou is found in the i fact that cotton growiug requires more labor j and attention than corn growiug, but being more profitable, an unusual amount of labor is applied to the upland or cotton farm, to the neglect of the bottom or corn farm. The latter has gradually become sobbed, and the poison? ous atmosphere from decaying vegetable mat? ter under the heat of the sun and wetness of the land has produced sickness. We have not. heard any complaint this season of sickness about Fair Play or in any other portion of our j County, but in the appearauce of these fevers ; iu our hitherto favored sections, it becomes every person to guard his premises against all' exciting causes. If you grow cotton, take care ! to keep your lowlands, though idle, in good condition.?Keowce Courier. What Ails the Farmers? We know a man living in Spalding county, who came out of the war with only one lot of poor land and one mule and one wife. He owns now between 1,500 and 2,000 acres of good land, has built a fine house in a beautiful fecation, is out of debt, and will have several thousand dollars of surplus this fall. He has made it all farming; has bought very little corn or meat; has no difficulty with freedmen; many of his hands have mules, hogs, provision and-other personal property of their own. Ev? ery year he has more applications from negro tenants than he can accommodate with land. He picks the best families and has no difficulty in keeping them. He is not stingy. He takes all the papers in Griffin and some others; sup? ports churches and schools liberally; has mouey in his pocket the year round, and is al? ways in a good humor.' What is the secret of his success?' We answer?a thorough system about everything he does; a determination to act with perfect honesty and justice towards all, and to make his own provisions; to attend strictly to his own business, (farming,) which he understands, and not to dabble-in things he knows nothing about. We know another man who came out of the war with absolutely nothing but a horse. He went to work on rented land like a little man, and the first year made enough with his own hands to make the first payment on a lot of land. The second year he paid for the land ; the third and fourth year he bought and paid for another place nearer town, and the fifth year built a nice house, bam, &c, on it, and made- him a beautiful home, to which he brought a beautiful young wife, a farmer's daughter, who was willing to help him and be a farmer's wife. Soon she gave into his arms a charming child, the complete weld of their domestic happiness. But, alas.! in an evil hour, our clever friend left the business he understood and came to town to be a merchant, a business he didn't understand. The pretty farm and home was rented out, and things began to go wrong. The town store had big stocks and many clerks, and all went swimmingly for a while, but not long. The commercial papers fell due faster than'money came in, and the farmer fell into the hands of the money-shavers. Two and one-half percent, a month compound? ed soon did his business. The town store, the farm, the personal credit, all went up the spout, and the creditors were settled with through the bankrupt court. Still another came home from the war, a clever fellow, a gallant soldier. His father was rich before the war, and had raised the boy well as the times went?that is, he was sent to school and to college. He had horses to ride and fox hounds and plenty of pin money, and was popular in town, and being rich and handsome, was a great favorite with the giris. When he was out of cash he went on a credit, and the old man settled the bills. But the old man died during the war, and somehow or other the niggers went free. But still there was land a 'plenty for the young man, and there was some cotton on hand, for the old man was thrifty and out of debt; so our hero had a good start, and he hired the freedmen who went to work for him, but as he had never paid negroes for labor before, the idea was ridiculous, and the first crop he managed to save pretty well, as the old man had left some? thing to cat on the plantation when he died. The second year the negroes air left him, nod a new set of strange hands had to be employed? some of them had been in the Federal army and others were town vagabonds, and the whole were rather a ;'bad lot." Our hero set them to work, and then, as he "had a good deal of busi? ness in town," he didn't stay about the planta? tion much. What he had to do in town none of his neighbors knew. But it finally leaked out.? Having more money than the town boys, he was very popular among them. He treated like a lord, and there was a little game called billiards, which was said to be the best exer? cise in the world ; and the best of all, it was such a scientific game that a master of it could excel a civil engineer in laying out railroads or building blind ditches and hill-side ditches and such. And then, again, as the country got to have some money in it, there came along to Griffin divers fancy-dressed strangers with huge watch-chains and very flashy appearance, ana they conducted a little business in which our hero became interested, and soon embarked some of his surplus capital it. It wf? a clean business, all the tools used being silver and? ivory, and could be carried on by night as well as by day, so it was very cool and delightful. But somehow or other it didn't turn out as well for our hero as it did for his new found friends. After this he embarked in politics and damned the reconstruction measures with such zeal that at one time he was spoken of for the Legisla? ture. He found out at last that the niggers wouldn't work. Then he cussed the niggers out, rented the land out, and having decided that farming with free labor was a humbug, he wanted to sell out and move to town. But his place is so much run down he can't sell it, and he is so much in debt that he contemplates getting married so he can take a homestead on the land, and then he will come to town and clerk for somebody. So goeth the world.? Gri?n [Ga.) Star. Traction Engines.?Although the problem of adopting locomotive steam engines to ordi? nary roads cannot be said to have received a complete solution, yet in Great Britian the use of traction and self-moving engines is daily increasing. According to the Pall Mall Gazette, it was lately stated to a Parliamentary Com? mittee by the representative of one engineer? ing firm that out of SU0 ro:ul locomotives built by them up to the present time, 500 are believ? ed to be employed in the United Kingdom. Another engineer stated that he has supplied about 1,000" self-moving engines to British owners. These engines are mainly of two kinds?namely, plowing engines rendered loco? motive under their own steam, and engines built for traction. In the majority of cases such engines are also capable of driving ma-1 chincry for threshing, sawing, pumping and other purposes. A large proportion of the i grain grown in Great Britian is threshed out j by portable machines driven by steam, and itj seems probable that before long the majority 1 of these machines will be moved from place to place by steam. Such an arrangement is stated 1 to save inconvenience and delay to the owners of these machines when, as is frequently the case, the engines, etc., are let out on hire, while the hirers profit by the saving of horse labor, in bringing the engines on to their farms. It is roughly estimated by the two witnesses j referred to that the value of the engines sent [ out by their establishments alone, and now in use iu Great Britain, reaches' over $3,500,000. Many other firms make agricultural and self moving engines, so that the committee consider that the partial substitution of steam for horse power lias become a matter of national impor? tance. The great trouble with such a substi? tute in England is that coul is growing dearer year by year, and the cost of steam power is beginning to be as serious a question as the cost of hor>e power. Improvement Demanded. The South is emphatically an agricultural country. By this we mean that.the people of the South are exclusively devoted to tilling the soil. The natural facilities for manufac? turing and stock* raising are as good in the South as in any other quarter of the globe ; but the people have been sc long engaged in agricultural pursuits, that "there ^a m-ltfeir minds an aversion to engaging in anything else. Such is the prejudice against every other; pursuit that it is more than probable that no change will take* place in the South during the present generation. Our people will-continue - to make cotton, and d'uf*'meat; "bread and clothes, as our fathers have' done.- - It is a strange thing that, notwithstanding the fact that in the cotton growiug States noth? ing but cotton has been raised, still no great improvements have been made in the cultiva tion of cotton. But little effort in this direc? tion seems to have been made. The effort seems to have been to devise some mode by which a greater number of acres could be cul [ tivated in cotton, but not to make the acres produce the greatest possible amount of pounds. Once this theory might be endured, but at present it is ruinous. It .costs, money, aud' a f;reat deal of it, too, to cultivate au acre of and. It is clear that the greater amouut'of cotton that each acre produces, the greater will be the profit. If one acre" of land can be so improved that it will procfbce as much as two acres do at present, the income is more than . doubled. The investment is only half and the ' taxes and other expenses reduced in propor? tion ; still the income is the same as if double the amount of land were cultivated. On an average, we suppose that about four hundred pounds of seed cotton to the acre is as much as is, at present, raised on an acre. This is, we are convinced, not an under estimate. It may be an over estimate. By proper cultivation and by improving the'seed, we feel safe in saying that the average yield might be made three times as much. The expenses would no doubt be greater for cultivating an acre properly than it is at present; but not ?s much as might bo supposed. It usually costs Jess to do a.thing. right, than to do it wrong or improperly. Now the change which we think is demanded, is that cotton be so' cultivated that it be as remu? nerative as possible to the cultivator. In order to bring about this change, the theory of large farms mus,t be banished from the minds of oar people. Large farms are like overgrown horses; it takes a great deal to feed them aud they soon wear out. We always have thought, and still think, that there axe portions of~the State of South Carolina that is excelled by no other section on the globe. Nature has done . her part, but art has not done much. If cotton were cultivated in South Carolina as grain, is cultivated in sorae;portions of the world, there is no telling what would be the results. The same thing might be said about the cultivation of corn, wheat, oats and the other cereals. The average yield of breadstuffs might be in? creased four fold. The climate of South Caro lina is better adapted to the growth of corn than Pennsylvania. Why do we not make as much corn per acre as is made in Pe'nusyl v'auia ? The only reason that can be assigned is that we do not properly cultivate our corn.? Yorkville Enquirer. Sensible Words. John H. Dent, of Floyd County, Ga., writes as follows to the Country Gzntleman: We heat from all quarters the geueral com? plaint that "farming don't pay," and see a gen? eral disposition to change to some other occu? pation. Why does uot Jarmiug pay? The earth produces in abundance; grain, they say, has become a drug; the grasses are abundant; 1 all other crops are bountiful; as much cotton made as when cultivated with slaves. Tho ? truth is, the farmers have changed from their former economical and prudent habits, and eubarked in extravagance. Hence our expen: ses exceed our incomes. It is all folly for the farmer to try to keep up the appearances in his family which we see among persons of great wealth. Our incomes are derived from hard work in cultivating the earth, from which ouly so much can be made, whilst with bankers, stock brokers, merchants, and others who live by speculation, fortunes may be easily and rapidly made wheu in luck. . But how many. fail to the few that succeed ! With the farmer it is different; rapid fortunes cannot be accu- ^ initiated, but a steady income can be made ? annually from farming, and although small, it< may become an independence if judicious economy is observed. 1 remember" well wheu our wives and daughters required only seven yards of calico to make a dress; after a while they came up to ten, now to fifteen yards. So it is with everything else. Hence we may lay it more to the fashions thau to anything else that "farming doesn't pay." Our wants have become unreasonable. This is not coufiued to the women of the farm alone, but the men arc rather in the advance. Every department of busiuess has become tainted with this mania. Hence the prices of everything must be ad? vanced to keep up the order of things. But only so much food can be consumed; couse- ? quently its price is regulated by supply and demand. When it comes to pleasures, fashion and imaginary wants, the demaud is unlimited; hence the cost becomes heavy and extravagant. Great hopes are entertained of the Granges doing something fcvpromote the welfare of agriculture. They will, if properly managed, aud maintained strictly as an agricultural body. But this must be borne In mind, Grange or no Grange, it is as the farmer manages his affairs that his success will be. If reckless aud extravagant, fall short he must. Success with him is as with all other classes, depending on good management and judicious economy. Reformation is what is wanted, going back to first and sound principles?that is, liviug within one's income. If we are poor, we must live humbly. If iu ordinary circumstances, live in an ordinary way. If rich, then indulge in ex? travagance ; but never attempt what we cannot afford. If we do so, no business will pay, hon? estly conducted. The general cry now is, cor? ruption and dishonesty have seized upou all classes. Such is the result of extravagance in ideas us well as in living. Millions are con? sidered as no more than what thousands once were, and the effort is to become millionaires by tho shortest possible route, let it be the right or the wrong road. Hence, if any pur? suit cannot support wanton extravagance, it is said "it don't pay." Weather Observations.?When you wish to kuow what the weather is to be, go out and select the smallest cloud you can see. Keep your eyes upon it, and if it decreases and dis? appears it shows a state of the air which will be sure to bo followed by fine weather; but if it iucreases in size, take your great-coat with vou if you are going from home, for falling weather will not be very far off. The reason is this: When the air is becoming charged with electricity you will see every cloud at? tracting all lesser ones toward it, until it gath? ers into a shower; and, on the contrary, when the fluid is passing off or diffusing itself, then a ? large cloud will be seen breaking to pieces and 1 dissolving.