University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL. XXVIII, NO. 2.') DAULI \ OTON, S TIIUKSDAV, -MM 11)04 WHOLE NUMBER 1,40 !» THE. TOWN OF DARLINGTON >■' a in .h nnin* •r i • v- t'i-icts a One of The Most Progressive Towns in The Southern Country. ma<: ■arri" - jrp! a I In <•< >m- ii:' r,. • >vor - ar- c >m- Origin and Progress from to 1904. $785 I lull Ot • 'I,a’'ir u<‘ .tu O' ii:'.' h ,j i< 1 in iiavi', imt a hotel is an absolute necessity, ami. if the town is of any importance it ouyht to be a yowl one: presenting a hand- 'ojiie appearance outside and full n) coiniort and good clu cr v.'it.i- in. Ttie building was eroete I 'onie > ears ago, tint has recently been completely remodeled ami overhauled, making it practically a new building. The rooms arc cosy and comfortable and the sanitary arrangements are per-! tort, being put in place by the best workmen. All these im provements cost, of course, ai great deal of money but the pany owning the building f< r cotton during a number of years had the effect of .stimulat ing the culture of tobacco, and ttic business men of Darlington, fully alive to anything that would increase its business, made every arrangement to facilitate Lie handling and sale of this now im portant crop. From a beginning ol annul 100.000 pounds, the sales ot the first year, the busi ness has assumed large propor tions; the sales for 1903 being 7,500,000 pounds. To accomm >- date this large quantity of the weed there were four ware houses, Pargan’s, conducted by Dargati it Stem: Darlington, aii/.ed the fact that the town AbramSydnor; Carolina. Milling had l lion main itgrown the hotel and that was nothing to do hut ;o it larger, more convenient Magnificent and Costly Buildings Erected During the Past Lour Years. / The Leading Tobacco Market of South Carolina. P re I. M ^ 'll '!.. and more comfortable. Mr. A. .1 r Kt i: i i I. Dutlt is the proprietor aid I'.a a' •' ■ i • ■ "Iging by the way in which he V. go'-, up banquets, and entertain- tn< nts of that kind, it is very 1 1 ' ' ' Mil !® 1 easy to believe that he is at the let!;" . * II, ’ [! 1 ■ business that nature design O ♦ 1 : ‘' : 1 ' L ed ban -tor, for a really good r , . ■ 1 1 r. Ml'' hotel keeper is, like a poet, horn p!ai.' V " ■ !. in and not made. Anyway the order l- ■ - t 1 H'i'laiioii ? r milD In- . . 1 . 1 hotel has a good patronage and (bar. Mr. Du (ft stands a mighty fine Fine Back Country Composed of Thrifty Farmers Having Two Ready-Money Crops to Depend Upon Tobacco ant! Cotton. LIVE MERCHANTS IN HANDSOME BRICK STORES- Al.I DOi.Vi GOOD IH S'MiSS. the the ORIGIN OF the town. ington was formed in 1785; The County and town of Dar- first Court House was near lington were named for an officer 3,te ^e present town hall and of the army of the Revolution so opera, house. The next was in tradition says, though nothing the same place. The third was authentic at this day can be put upon the stiuare some w here found to corriborate the state- ir * the twenties. It was 'unit'd ment. Gregg in his valuable work after the war between the . tales “The history of the Old Che- but rebuilt, and when the new raws” makes no positive state- tjne, in course of erection, meht aS tb the name. designed the old one was Sufficient to say that on divis- down. It was in the old that the ion the old County of Craven meeting was held in I860 mauve with its County seat at Green- t° tbe Secession Convention and ville.a village on the banksof the persons are now living who spoke Great Pee Dee River, the town at the meeting, of Darlington, was laid out. It At one t> m e in the fifties there hone davs called the vil- was a large tan-yard carried on . .the selection of the site by Mr John F Ervin. It was beasts roamed, tin promise. Some want- situated on the left of tne hill as lechanicsvillve toward you go to the creek on w hat is others wished to known as the new Darlington rlv’s Cross Roads roaTl. fest. It was aftei A notel was kept by Mr by those whe Doled ;near the present could come back oner a; what would they think m o u r public square. w! they laid off near the centre the town, which wa> onl> a '■ on a hill.an Indian pat ii : r> >n, creek. Ail of the handsome m buildings would he a P'. i in to them. ‘ When t"ld was many of them were mane torn brick moulded in Dan.... County they would he amu; and properly so. When' Indian trail wound its ua, from the fishing ground, i.a some Darlington oaks now and flower gardens bloom :n Spring time. Wiiere :'m prev of Indian hunter, children ; meet to he instrwete i a aj i their innocent game. ng to ' -to of ! hose | I were ! Dar- eat i 11 ilia! . seed - pan, to a v 1\ ev, spent DAbi i- No t • mater wilhon' Well.- , Win. r ■i'lD - ' II, nt ; i 'im plants. >. 1 near- ' lie \ is • Deal M.\ X k.- tb o! making .'et on .nton i- liai mg ; i mt tael III nt Mil PT w h. ■ .a r : one and was t-.i i "••d 1 1 a capital 1" Its o ■ p." -. profes- Slock of -. • 1 ■ r .•!, a- .-. 1-.n i -.uTai ii fe. after a i S 1. M 1,1 M H 1. ; -r r I;:, 1 1 passed From p - ■ ; .o ■ ; - an airs • ea- o| Re- hare h. e . ’ e a: 111 me-l'ille and wholesale 1 conserv at.i . , ami it now and I i i.' • 'i.di; Ion of the justly r.p ; ; : pe safi st an to .m ol'.ice. It soon hank.- in : ’ a . | • - - -mg in ai' nl P . Darlington’s a remar i i eol.ll- t IlllSille- mon that the idellee of .■■"O’, and this 1 r let' to pro-1 .or as it 1 WT1" X p!; i ■a -.-it are O". PIP .■■I I.p'.i somi -o e , O '. The ll'-ll.- w »nd, and the site was reference to that, ^time near the cen- the^ known as I 121,, which, with fjf one County in Tas the largest Cot- rCounty in the South F»re in the World. The Few counties, and moie political power, has of some valuable tern- .'uUt the character of its p 'o- ple remains the same; it is to-day one of thfe finest of the many C ^unties in South Carolina, its population being made up of des cendants of the people who came here from England, Scotland, t*?)and, Wales, with a mixture "of ch Huguenots, who,first set- l on the Coast, afterwards tup the middle section ^ade this the coun- is. In the Re asons of the first set- J!e"it hot for the Brittish ^es, and the soil has been with blood shed in the ( ! of feedom. More than one Jet of atrocity has been enacted within the borders of the present [county, witness: the hanging of iCusaac by the Tories near the Ivillage of Society Hill almost on Site Of Wolfram’s store and it was on tj-ounds where rt -.ipliveswere burned at th Ind, ' Star. DartiTigton to-day as she appear- to the eves of the traveler is th> the piazza of this house, kept | result ot the pluck and energ ther by Mr. J. J. Cannon, that Capt. George F. Williams of the [ Williams Guards was shot by William Wingate in the early 1 summer of 1802. For a long | time Mrs. Hymes kept a hotel on the site of the new building now being erected by W. D. Coggeshall. This was called the Darlington Hotel. Afterwards the new hotel was built at the corner of the square and Florence md Pearl streets. This was alle 1 the "Enterprise,’’ the name having been suggested by a newspaper man in the town, which name it held until it fell into other hands when the name of the former house was adopted and now the handsome brick structure which has all the modern conveniencies is known as "The Darlington." Seeing the necessity for a place where the youth of Dar lington could receive instruction, Capt. John Gibson gave a plat ot five acres just on the brow of the creek for the purpose of a school house and St. John’s Academy was built. The old wooden structure was good enough for those who lived in those days. the men who are the descendant of those who wisely saw In future and in their selection ' the site budded better thev knew. r. kent 11’Td ; - LU . ; s most : . r M .’Lilli 1 U ''! ss i ■ uerprisc. '« ** 4 vV c i i' ‘ ill . t on. ;; itg was reeled ll.e ■ •' • ’ii h:r- ; oen moref -.1 1 . \ . IV. nan douli;. it i.- *y far ll.e j T li is i’S'.' , > a ' • Liiizcti sov- ll'.'e.-l c-tt on m;ll m tills soetion : . •ral >( •ai ' -t !* ,' '• ■ 1L':' .'is tor] Halt ■ m iai'.i the spot where the first depot of It nurtured the men of the six- the Cheraw and Darlington Road | ties, and others who have made the town and county of Darling- stood. The town of Darlington was settled in the year 1785 and the first Court House was of hewn pine logs. It may not be know n to many of our readers that at one time the jail, a wooden one, caught fire and was in danger of being burned up for the reason that the fire was on top and there was no ladder with which to reach it. There was, however, a lawyer here at the time whose practice extended over all of this section and whe in his sulky vent from Court House to Court House in the course of his practice. He was of good old Scotch stock, his father having been one of Marion’s men. He procured a long pole and leaning one end on the top of the building he walked up carrying water and put the fire out. His name was John D. WhithersiKKin and he lies buried in the old churchyard of Trinity Church in DABl.INGToN IN Till: !'. TWEN TV VEAUS AND Ti NTMEKoi'S KNTKkl'll! SES Til A I II.W i SPllCNC IT. Till: ( olTuN Mil.I -hi. ton known in this Southern land. The town of Darlington, as was to have been expected, in creased and the necessity for a larger building and better accom modation, resulted in the build ing of the St. John's Graded School bunding, than which there is not a finer in this or any other State for the purposes for which it was intended. Not content with what he had done for tile cause of education Capt. John Gibson gave also the site on which tiie Methodist Church stood for so many years in this town. This old building hallow ed by associations which should be so tender, has been made into a dwelling house and the present place of worship of the Method ist congregation is a handsome j t ‘”: s ( V r "‘ rt ', surri , ull , modern brick building on the corner of Pearl Street and a short cross street. It has a pipe organ soon a 1 The much ; liiuh rep- tobacco .Mr. W. uid treas- Wh .'ll leu the village of Society Hill where he lived for many years. With the present handsome structure which we now have for the jail one would be at a loss to get on the top by any and is lighted with electricity If the good old people who shipped so fervently in the old woAlen structure could come _ back to us what would they say? v ' vor k they Before the days of the rail- such primitive means. The first I road the stage passed through Court House was built in 1785; here connecting with Florence the next in 1795-6. This was before the Cheraw & Darlington burned in March 1806 while j Road was built. The route was anj leading citizens ha\ Court was in session. Next day direct from Society Hill to this worked togethe r ail D The Darlington ot tii'.e. twenty years ag" gave promise ot what the to’,', n is, for at that time even r sanguine citizens did i."' for any very great m. r. a -, business .>r p.ipulatlot I - years ago tile railroad a.o i nearl.v all the work luiii'.tt mg allow ed some a- ' during the l>us\ -ea-un. v : the pl'i'M'Ilt LUle lie Da - seven clerks and a shift it.'.' that is kept at work t t.r. ■ tiie whole \ear. Some i. their grow in and pro.'i't t■ very large extent at la'.: fact that thev are railio .u i io favorable circumstance however, has not he n t n. with Darlington, all •>: crease being practical . u vvo l r j tiie courage and enterpi. < own citizens, who can. -a ,i 1 donable pride, point !« tio have accomni for their town. It i:na> g to state in tins connect r e in all tilings alTcctmg in. fare of the town its progn alw a the Court convened in the house of Geo. Bruce, where it had for- nerly been held, which house s yas about onehundred yards from j ariah Nettles, James T |herei the Court house had stood. I Robert Fide a n d place without stop. Suppose Lemuel Benton DuBose, William Dewitt, Zach- W’ilson, Charles L order of Court on is record tell- Dewitt tiie commissioners , what records were destroyed | selected the present mated by tiie same pui'ji.i Elias that purpose has been the and prosperity of Dar A very interest mg Dim.' nection with tiie groc. i n tow n is the fact that .c; business men who site lis fire. The District of Dari- of tiie town of Darlington. I sl)K „| lvai p | w ho 11 W I tli im. Mr lx M i. Malt In ew es sec- 1 a*.»1 M". F. C. Graddick ■ !.». L'i.-Mt, The land on 1 ’ 11' ’ I'lM mill st; mds was. : 1 •,. ■ t ■ r* h u ion. an .ild field ' • •«i ID» pm po-e except as ' '• l • a r * 1 1'. -’d mg g round for !•;'!■ !ut and t he vora- . M' .or. both "fthem, . < i . it i ' a lllm-t n Hess to • kipped ■ . 1 - 1 I..I in* It lis r tor . p where ' la’, t• i - W '.fl II .|| be dis- i i. > 1 *' • ■ i! ,m "I n: i .'hmery. V.e ; hi ■ mill has 11 IS ■ nil ne- . i... • 1 dmmi ail'. c 111 a t tn. iffie ■ : li t he . g. -, I ha 1 ' - t,' > t a " - w hie!l ’ i ■ • < . ped the c\ .« Mi' n\‘ ; v i-.kia v. luitev er !' . i! a m na< r\t T existed. i »■(■!> p-r'"M a 1 ill Its Pi*. LI. N 1 MX 1 i •' . i 1 t'N Dll. i oMI'AM . and tlo ' ! .ng en- I- . .w e- 1 t> intt*; ’. .'i to ;he 11 hm.mt i»f a 11 ») ’ i mill, some .e.'o. W il i li a capil al ot' $75,- Afier h finp in ■ *perat ion , p inher of . fa r it was ed with (hr ID’, . :. estah- 1 Fert ill/. er let oi \. This P the . r e u f a Ik w ,\ ears. 1■. 1 lie \ III UP p t 'arolina 1 Co , t lie oil p ill 1 ie m g P"d l.,\ IE or," im d owner-. Ip tPITie d ot! !i ' he a \ e i’ j the im 11 ha- not . k |;i-, me , from III low pa r to a e. .n- Millie - mu above. 1 i om i In lining the eompanv now has. t "i.f manaiTiiK ■nt. 0 mills ' .! i.tioo ,!. . no da Tin: Oil Mil,I. oK I i , .10 fertT noil an.I L Mi' Djiffliiun batiu. rv and Rhodes, and the Centre Brick, Hunt & Coker I n addition to these warehouses there are the Factory o' the American lobacco Co. and the s emeries of (i. T. Dalton & Co. ’laliatern, & and Burwell A’ Co., also g number of pack houses belonging to the large buyers, of which there are quite a number; in fact enough of th nil' to make the market a very lively one. One of the warehouses, The Centre Brick, is shown in one of the illustration.-. There change to get fat. just from fine lias been from .$50,0(H) to $60,000 contentment and good living,, invested in buildings and nift- tliis. however, does not mean 5 chinery. will eat more than his! It is very manifest that the or he wont forget his I smaller markets cannot success- tfiat ht share, guests. THE COK1NKT STEAM I.A ON DRY I ii 1 lie early days of the tonec of the hum; m exis- race, the fully compete with the large ones ; and tins will ultimately eoncer- ! Irate the business and confine it to a few central points. It is almost needless to sav that Dar- people made out with very scant i lington will be one of the large attire, and that was supposed to markets i ne made of the beasts. But lie thi.- thev had no use fora laundry and an institution of this kind would have been decidedly out upposed to j markets of tiie future, furnish-1 skins of wild | ing, as it does, every facility for ' tis it may; selling, handling and shipping tiie tobacco. It may not be amiss to say that the fanner who brings his tobacco to Darlington will lie of place and have- met with an [a permanent patron of the mar- early death owing to alack ofjket. patronage. Tilings are very! different now, and while the) ' >OM ohl ' I(i '- business OF folks of the present day may not j DARLINGTON, clothe themselves in purple, they There is no more convincing insist on wearing a great deal of! proof of the increase in the busi- fine linen, and this they want to I ness and population of a city or be done up in the most approved ! town than that furnished by style. lo meet this want three | the growth of its post office of our enterprising young men, business. Darlington has been Messrs. E. R. Cox, R. J. Riven-! advanced four grades in the bark and J. L. Nettles, establish-! past five years and next year: ed the Corinet Steam Laundry, j will be put in the second class ~ ' ’ that jt lie desired in this way; for ' under the pr sent arrangement, the departure and arrival of the trains, one ean eat bie ikfast in Darlington, take the train for either Wilmington. C larleston or Columbia, have a lew hours in each city and return in time for a late supper. In addition to this there is an afternoon train that m ikes it p issible to spend the night in either of tha above named cities and he in I tarlington at lo Mo the next morning. 'lose connection can also be made with all the nearbv towns. Twenty years ag> it was only possible to make close connection with ('liarleston. Till-: DARI.INGTON GUARDS. Having briefly called atten tion to the leading commercial and manufa "iurmg enterprises of Darlington, something must he said about its institutions, which, while non commercial in character, are things that no town, worthy of the narm , can at!ord to dispense with. 1 lie Darlington Guards,under its present organization, is only a few years old, but it is the successor of the Id hiotoric company from which it takes its name. The original com pany was organized j n iSoti, in the early part of the year, thus having about two years in which to perfect themselves in drilling and the manual of arms. At the time the com- piny entered service there was not a better drilled command in the South, or one made up of finer material with the follow ing officers; F. F. Warley, Laptain; D G. McIntosh, 1st Lieut ; T A Sanders, ^<1 Lieut; J W. Norwood, 3rd Lieut, ami J. E Nettles, 1th Lieut J. W. Harrington was made Orderly Sergeant and it is rattier re markable that he should have held this position in the Guards until the company was dis banded, and then in a cavalry company until the close of the War. Expressions of r «,.et are often heard, that such a*hue command should have been dis banded in the early part War This E — THE COLEMAN BUILDING. For a good many years D, lington had a building fronti 1 tiie public square that was a pi feet eye-sore and a real mort: cation to all of our citizens, was an old ramshackle wood* store that had been partitioned ami was occupied by a number tenants. It really seemed bear a charmed life as it wou 1 not. despite its apparent weak ness and with a rotten shingle roof, succumb either to tire or storm. There was general re joicing when Mr. John Coleman, olio of our leading tobacco buyers, bought tiie lot and erected the pn M'l.t on Cue site. This building is ivulh an ornament to tiie town an 1 would lie noticeable in a place much larger than Darlington. It cost, exclusive of the land, sis,ooo. The first floor is occu pied by two stores while the second and third stories are used for office purposes. The town has very probab! the best and purest water in tj State, and that too in quantit: sufficient for all purposes, new standpipe, holding a 100.000 gallons, has recen' been erected and the press' erv handsome''building through the mains is amply s heient tor lire purposes even| the fine fire engine should come disabled. The streets are illuminat every night in the year, by very latest designs in elect] lights and leave nothing to desired in this line. It may well to state that tie ws comes from artesian wells contains absolutely nothing t| can produce sickness. Mr. [ M. haynsworth is treasurer! the Light and Wa.e • Co. • Owing to its pure water, to the tact that tie town is clean, Darlington is a healthy place; hut to make surance doubly sure its energ council are having the str surveyed, at a cost of $60 with a view to the installatiq a modern sewarage system, survey is being made by Mj C. Wilson, the well known itect and engineer; quite a her of the buildings on si glare are connected wit sewer that was put in months ago. There tire aH good many residences Cashua and adjoining str| that have a complete sew< s\stem of their own. '' I I'uimgton' mi. D' r \ town i". ai ng without a that it woiii.l 'N I! Hotel, e building the pro is now p. rt i of a compaii). Till: I'OBAI IT) BUSINESS, file low price that prevaili KAII.IMAD FAl ll.t ITES. 1.crept for the fact tha| trains are not always on dale, our train facilities! udmirahlo and leave nothin