The Augusta Chronicle, Saturday, 10-7-1899
A Traveler Through the Country Tell of Crop Conditions and Relates Various Matters of Interest That He Saw
I am back from jaunt through Columbia, McDuffie and portions of Jefferson, Glascock and Richmond counties. I went out in the interest of some of our Augusta merchants, business and professional people, and with a good mule and buggy I traveled pretty extensively in the places named.
Going along I gathered up some things I thought would be of interest to your many readers.
Notwithstanding in many places, for the rains have been very partial this year, the crops are desperately short. I noticed a feeling of hope and encouragement among. I will not say farmer alone, for merchants and others are interested, on account of better prices for cotton.
The shortest crops I saw on account of drought were west and north of Thomson, and indeed all around Thomson. Mr. Iverson Bradshaw told me that he had farmed forty years where he is now living and that this crop is shorter this year than ever before.
The best crops I saw are in Jefferson County along the Augusta Southern road.
Mr. James Denton owns, lives on, and cultivates a farm on the old Quaker dirt road, but a few miles both from Spread and Avera. His crops of corn and cotton are both magnificent. His place is said to be the best in the county, and he is said to be one among her best farmers.
Let me give your readers a little history of these lands now owned, occupied and so successfully farmed by this man, Mr. Denton.
Back in the year 1832 they were in possession of old “Bill” Stapleton, brother to Maj. George Stapleton, and were considered at that time to be the poorest in the whole country, hard, pebbly, and unfruitful. Deep sands were far preferable. People at that time had not learned to farm.
Now all is changed – they are considered the best – producing the finest crops. Mr. Stapleton could not make a living on them, whereas Mr. Denton now makes money. Mr. Stapleton gave $300 for them and sold them for $375. Mr. Denton, I am sure, would not take $20 an acre.
A gentleman by the name of Abram Cobb succeeded Stapleton to the ownership of the place, and moved all the corn he made on ten acres at one load on an ox-cart. Mr. Denton, I suppose from the looks of his corn, makes at least twenty bushels to the acre. I note these facts to show the difference between then and now, and the changes that take place even in the land.
Old Mr. Joe Oliphant once live near here, on an adjoining place, for several years, and bought corn every year. His neighbors, Henry Peebles and James Anderson, would tell him, perhaps more in earnest than otherwise, that they wouldn’t give a good coon fur hat for his entire place. An old man by the name of Tom Connell lived in the neighborhood and made fur hats. This was all back between the years of 1830 and 1840. Since then many, many changes have take place. This Quaker road land is now estimated as some of the finest in Jefferson County, whose owners do not wish to part with it at price – reasonable price.
In my rounds I visited my old time friend, Dr. Cyrus W. Kitchens, of Grange. The doctor, while being a first class physician, is also a fine farmer and withal a most energetic and enterprising man. His bee farm is worth the trip to see. A few years ago the doctor started with one hive of ordinary brown bees. He now had fifty-six hives. In 1898 he sold 2,300 pounds of honey; 1897 he sold 2,600 pounds. This year 48 pounds. The doctor incidentally remarked to me that his bees made him more clear money than either his farm or practice. He said that his neighborhood – the swamps of Rocky Comfort Creek. Bees must have a range as well as hogs, cattle, or anything else.
I visited J. B. Williams, another old-time friend of mine, at the splendid watering place of Omaha Springs, situated two and half miles south of Avera. This place has been built up through the wonderful enterprise of this most extraordinary man. The water of these springs has been tested by the best chemists, and a thorough analysis made. They were found to contain calcium, carbonate, ferrous carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium sulphate, potassium sulphate, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, alumins, lithium carbonate, together with organic matter, all of these in very effective quantities. The spring is classed as alkaline, and the water closely resembles the celebrated Carpon Springs water of West Virginia, but is stronger in iron – and magnesia, and proves of great benefit in the treatment of all bladder, kidney and stomach troubles. Mr. Williams tells me that the water is a sure cure for sores and sore eyes. The hotel accommodation is fine. Ernest, the son of the proprietor, carried me all though the hotel. I found it to be most conveniently and delightful arranged. It is a four-story building together with the basement and when fully finished will have thirty-four rooms.
I think if the northern people could once find it out they would keep it filled during winter months. Through the exceeding kindness of Mr. Williams I have an advertising care displaying itself from the wall of the main hall of this popular hotel.
I will speak now in closing of my trip to Thomson, and the visit I made Mr. John Gross and Mr. Cliatt around at their respective ginneries. Theirs are wonderful institutions in the way of ginning cotton. Mr. Cliatt has put up a three 60-saw ginnery for the first time this season, while Mr. Gross, in a stone’s throw of Mr. Cliatt, has been running his four 70-saw ginnery for several seasons. They are both doing well, getting all they can do. The main feature, however, to me was the new style of presses operated by these gins, Mr. Cliatt having the Lowry around press and Mr. Gross the American Roundlap. Each claims merits over the other; as to myself, I do not know. I was much interested in the American Roundlap, operated by Mr. Gross, seeing more of that than the other. This press certainly makes a pretty bale. Diameter, 23 inches; length, 35 inches; average weight, 270 pounds. No compressing needed, for truly it is already compressed. It will dispense also with the necessity of ties and jute bagging, binding being unnecessary and burlaps being a more suitable wrapping than jute. Mr. Gross informed me that it took but seven minutes to press one of these bales. That really with this press he could do the work of pressing eight 70-saw gins, just double the number that he has. He also informed me that cotton packed by this method brings all the way from on-half to three-quarters of cent more in the pound than it does when packed by the old square method. That is will bring enough over the old square bale to give a man his ginning and wrapping free. One man he spoke of who made a test got 40 cents more than the ginning and wrapping.
I know nothing about the comparative merits of the two round bales and do not mean to imply any preferences. I understand each claims the advantage over the other. I made it my business to inquire among the farmers as to how they liked this new process, and I found them almost without a single exception, opposed to it upon grounds of suspicion. They patronize it and freely admit that it us a pretty way of bailing cotton, yet they are suspicious that if these round bale people get all the ropes in their hands they will resolve themselves into an oppressive and dangerous monopoly and trust.
While in Thomson I say my good friend, Clarence H. Ellington, who is not the ordinary of the county. Faithful, efficient, unswerving, capable, and obliging, such as one is my friend, Ellington, in the place he now so worthy holds.
My mission is now accomplished. I worked twenty days incessantly posting cards and distributing cards and circulars. I traveled at least 800 miles and posted upward of 400 cards, and distributed 150 pounds of cards and circulars. I have placed cards from Augusta to Amitty in Lincoln County, to Wrightsboro in McDuffie, to Messena five miles beyond Thomson, to Gibson in Glascock County, to Grange in Jefferson County, back to Augusta, all around the city and below, even down to Sandbar Ferry. I have advertising cards in places where such cards have never gone before. I have them in court houses of McDuffie, Columbia and Glascock; clerk’s ordinary and tax collector’s office of McDuffie, the ordinary’s office of Columbia, the ordinary’s office in Glascock. I have them inside and outside of three express offices, thirty-one post offices, fifty-one public gin houses, fifty-seven store houses, forty-five town store houses, three doctors offices, thirty-seven wood and blacksmiths shops, one cotton warehouse office, one gin repair shop, two livery stables, two cane mills, one lumber mill; one machine ship, one meat market, etc.
The farmers appear hopeful, cotton bringing a better price and trade doubtless will be better in the city this winter than last.
Respectfully,
S.C. M.
