2> i> >.-)>- .2> x> >:5* 1> "^>o.»^ ^ > X >>3> DS>a/ > >D» ;vi» t LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. J I .^r^,/. £^7.1 \l # ^ I UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. | > > ^.■C»>:>'^ ^¥ > :3l>:>2> > 3 > or > ^>: i»> - — --> tl> 3) 1> 1^ J5) >3 ^^ 3^ ^ yj> 7- ^^ ^ .3. 1 «i* •.-:r>>5>...3)i> 7> >jS :> ot>:t> a3>i> y. - 3)^ ^^5^ 3- >r= >.BVX5 ^1 yy . "> > > = >>:>_:x:) ^^¥- ¥- s^^r*^^ i. m i \V1TH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO AIKEN AND VICINITY, AS A DESIRABLE LOCATION FOR ACTUAL SETTLERS. " Tlxc varieties of climate, soil and capacities of different countries induces nations as well as individuals to select those pursuits for which they have some natural or acquired advantage, and by this division of labor the aggregate production is largely increased. John Stuart Mills. J^ussell's ^merican Steam Printing J^ou.se, \ 28, :tO, ANn 32 Centre Stheet. 1867, $ 1, / U:/, /C^y/ //r-/// t/vr/' //n/ /c'// . y//f ■ y/^/y/j rr^f///u/it/i-Mi/yf .IFoifMotl (Uhiuiiin-rRixi-r. T.likrn.ci l'oluiiifii,i U' (^^ ^ ^ww^w^^^rv ^^§ tfiiii^ WITH SrECIAL REFERENCE TO AIKEN AND VICINITY, AS A DESIRABLE LOCATIOX FOR ACTUAL SETTLERS. ^-1 JR.ussell's American Steam Printing J^ouse, 28, 30, AND 32 CEmiBK Street. 1867, Ad-S AIKEN AND ITS YICINITY IN' SOUTH CAROLINA.. The great variety of climate and soils embraced within the area of the United States has frequently been the theme for the panegyrists of our country. Each section and each State has some special aptitudes for particular employments : some special advantages over others, which render it peculiarly adapted for certain productions or appropriate pursuits. In general terms, much has been said and written of the immense undeveloped resources of the South ; still the ideas of the citizens of other sections are quite frequently vague and undefined, or ridiculous and absurd. Erroneous ideas prevail as to the actual condition of the physical characteristics of the country, as well as of the moral and intellectual characteristics of the people. Statements the most opposite and contradictory, by newspaper correspond- ents, bureau officials, or transient visitors; some representing everything as '■^ couleur de rose,^^ whilst others can hardly find language to express their hatred and dislike of their recent foes. In a country as vast, extensive and populous as the Southern States, there must necessarily be great diversity in regard to the characteristics of both the people and the country, and what may be true of one section may be inapplicable to another. Believing that reliable information respecting a district in South Carolina, which offers peculiar attractions to Northern men who desire, now that slavery is abolished, to locate in the " Sunny South," as well as to the thousands of consumptive invalids who are annually forced to migrate, will prove interest- ing, we propose to give, in the following pages, some account of Aiken and its vicinity, and the data upon which to found a rational opinion of its advantages. / Th^ reputation of Aiken as a resort for invalids affected with pulmonary diseases has extended even beyond the limits of the United States ; but there are few who are aware of the resources 4 AIKEN AND ITS VICINITY. or the advantages offered by this vicinity to those seeking per- manent homes. In order to have a proper understanding of the opportunities afforded to enterprising and energetic men, by the results of the war, some of the customs and habits of the residents should be borne in mind. The disparity between different classes was more marked and well defined in the Southern States than in the Northern. The sons of the wealthier classes were taught that it was derogatory to enter pursuits requiring manual labor ; consequently, those having an opportunity of acquiring an edu- cation were ambitious of being planters (in contradistinction' to farmers), physicians, lawyers, merchants, school teachers, &c. ; thus there is a superabundance of the non-productive classes and a corresponding want of educated farmers, mechanics, artizans, &c. The employment of slaves in other than agricultural pursuits, or as domestic servants, having been very generally discounte- nanced, dependence was had for all manufactured goods — even the most bulky and difficult of transportation, on importations ; consequently, but few mechanics were to be found. If a watch needed a crystal, or a knife a rivet, or even a tin pan needed mending, it had to be sent to the cities, often more than one hundred miles distant. Another exemplification is to be found by entering any well- stocked Southern country store, where may be found bacon and lard from the West ; butter, cheese and hay from New York ; onions, beets, and potatoes from Pennsylvania and New Jersey ; cotton goods, shoes, tin- ware, wooden- ware and notions from New England, In short, ten thousand articles which might as well, or better, be made on the spot, and for no other reason than the neglect of applying the proper skill, energy and capital to their production ; for, as to the manufactured articles, the raw materials of many of them are at hand, and are shipped North to be manufactured and tlien returned ; and as to the animal and vegetable products, the soil and climate is better adapted to their production than the colder climate of the North. Durino: the war the want of skilled mechanics was felt and acknowledged to be seriously detrimental to our cause, cut off as we were by the blockade from our former sources of supply. Now, there is a disposition to encourage and support indus- UNIFORM AND PLEASANT TEMPEIUTURE. trious aud competent citizens, and it will take many bands and many years to replace the thousands of articles destroyed by the soldiers or worn out during the great struggle. The climate of South Carolina corresponds with that of the South of France, Italy, Middle Asia and China, which are con- sidered as among the most favored parts of the globe, being a medium between the tropical and cold temperate latitudes ; and the position, exposure and descriptions of soil in this vicinity correspond almost exactly with the places, where, according to French authors, the finest vineyards are situated. Ilere it is a rare occurrence to see ice a quarter of an inch thick, the thermometer not falling as low as 30 degrees Fahren- heit more than eight or ten days in the year ; and delicate plants like the fig, the pomegranate, the azalias and the jasmine flourish in the open air, aud in summer the thermometer as seldom rises as high as 95 degrees during the day, and at night it is requisite to have a blanket convenient for use. Vegetation generally lies dormant about eight or nine weeks. Early fruits, such as peaches, plums, apples, &c., blossoming about the middle of Februar\% and the first frosts about the latter part of November.* In colonial times, when there were but few slaves, South Carolina was a flirming state. In 1747, its exports were rice, corn, barley, oranges, peas, potatoes, onions, live stock, butter, bacon, beef, pork, pitch, tar, turpentine, rosin, masts, booms, oars, indigo, potash, skins, tallow, lard, silk, wax, leather, pot- * TABLE PREPARED FOB THE AIKEN VINE GHOWIXG ASSOCIATION, SHOWING THE QUANXITY OF BAIN, NUIIIIER OF RAINY DATS, AND MEAN TEJIPERATURE, DURING THE FRUIT GROWING SEASON. 185S. 1859. 1860. 1861. 1862. 1863. ? ^ o ^ ^ g f g to ^ W E* ^ a W a a S g c B h << a p ^ a "> £■ o o C H.1 « a : 3 a MONTUS. ■< H H H -it H a H d H 3 *=■ M P* tr V m tr 1 (3* W ^ % w 1 a> a a a ffl 3 5" ui B ■s P P. R o o o o • 3 S s B 3 R o 5.880 1 C 40 J 4 1 43 0.940 4 47 6 48 \ 7 54 ^ *^ Jiinuary 2.705 0.395 6.210 3.095 5 47} February 5.650 : 47 4.140 7 53 7 . 590 48 4.245 7 52 i 9.400 10 53 i 5.0C0 5 4fiV Marcli 3.450 6 r.i 4.261 4 00 1.005 7 50 i 2.890 6 56 s 3.840 6 5.J |3.92-0| 51 2.910 1.040 6 nr, « 74 4.005 4.070 5 7 03 04,^ 2.475 2.455 8 5 68 J 08 i 3.580 3.245 7 8 63', 72:1 5.250 2.650 8 5 03 2.095 3.580 5 01 May J 68^ June 6.280 8 81j 3.745 5 74 3.070 8 79 ^ 1.315 5 82 1 G.435 8 73; 6.285 9 76v July 3.905 1 81* 4.205 U 78i 4.640 C 85 0.550 4 80) 4.535 8 78V .79; 6 AIKEN AND ITS VICINITY. ash, sassafras, cooper's ware, soap, candles, bricks, and only seven bales of cotton. Gradually tbe production of cotton, rice, and naval stores absorbed tbe attention of the people to such an extent that these articles were almost the only exports. The abolition of slavery, with the consequent breaking up of the plantation system, necessitates a return to the opposite plan ; and as a competent mechanic can command higher wages than an apprentice, so can the Northern man, whose wits have been sharpened by active competition with the various labor-saving contrivances of the North, have a decided advantage over the Southerner who has only employed a system which is now extinct. As illustrative of our argument, we would call attention to the immense quantities of butter and cheese which are annually received from the North. At the South, not one farmer in a thousand ever thinks of building a house to shelter his cattle, nor makes provision for feeding them regularl}'', during the winter. They are expected to subsist themselves on the indige- nous grasses and shrubs to be found in the wild woods, until the season when the crops are gathered, when they are allowed to glean the fields ; and in the winter a scanty allowance of fodder, or corn shucks, are thrown on the ground for them, when they come up at night. Under such a system it would be supposed that the beef would be of a very inferior quality. On the contrary, strangers often express their admiration of the tender, juicy steaks on which they are regaled. It is evident that a moiety of the care be- stowed on animals at the North, would, under the more favor- able circumstances at the South, prove a most remunerative business, independent of the value of the manure. The vast variety of the manufactured articles imported from abroad also shows what a fiield is open for competition. It is not only such as require complex machinery, but even those of the simplest construction, requiring but few tools and which are made of indigenous materials. Lumber is shipped from this vicinity to be returned as furniture, carriages, wagons, mould- ings, sashes, blinds, «fec. The kaolin of this section is forwarded to be returned as crockery ware — the cotton as cloth — the hides as shoes, &c., &c., ad infinitum. STRANGERS INVITED TO LOCATE THERE. 7 In March, 1866, the Town Council of Aiken passed a resolu- tion appointing a committee of prominent citizens to adopt such measures as would bring to notice the advantages of the vicinity, and thereby encourage immigration. The committee accordingly submitted a comprehensive report, which was ordered to be printed, and subsequently circulated through the press. The following extract is from that report : " Desirous of again seeing our native State advancing in wealth and prosperity, and confident that, by a proper use of the opportunities at our disposal, remunerative employment can be afforded to both capital and labor in this immediate vicinity, we would invite attention to and consideration of the advantages hero enjoyed. " The specialties we claim for our district, and to which wo invite attention cf en- terprising and intelligent men, are — " First. Unsurpassed salubrity of climate, noted for its beneficial effects on pulmo- nary diseases, and enabling the white man to labor, without fe eling that lassitude and debility common to low latitudes, and yet enjoy the productions of a Southern clime, with exemption from that pest of the "West — Fever and Ague. " Second. Adaptation of soil and climate to the production of tho finest silks, fruits, wines, and vegetables. " Third. Combination of advantages as a manufacturing district, but most especi- ally for the establishment of potteries. " Taking into consideration the locality of Aiken, the superiority of its climate, as attested by the celebrity it already enjoys as a resort for invalids ; its intimate con- nection with the commercial centres of the South by means of the various rail- roads and water courses alluded to ; the extensive power of the cheapest kind afforded by the creeks and streams ; tho immemse deposits of the purest kaohn and other clays, granite and buhr mill-stones ; the valuable woods and timber which abound in our forests ; the vast demand that exists throughout the South for thou- sands of articles of every day necessity, aa well as of ornament and luxury, which have now to be brought a distance of hundreds, if not thousands of miles ; tho ad- vantages incident to locating factories where the raw materials are produced, and as near as possible to the consumers, thereby saving the cost of transportation to and fro ; and the high protective tariff which must be levied for many years to come, indicate this place as offering inducements and advantages rarely to be foimd." The fact of such action by the Town Council and citizens of Aiken, should be a refutation, at least in regard to this section, of the oft-repeated statements, that Northern men are not safe in the South. The want of capital and labor to resuscitate the South after the exhaustion of the late war, is generally felt and acknowledged. Strangers are invited and urged to come and settle in their midst. Gen. Wagener, in his report, says : " As a law-abiding and orderly community, South Carolina can have no superior ; and to her the report of Hon. Mr, Peters, the great agriculturist of New York, S AIKEN AND ITS VICINITY- on the condition of the South, peculiarly applies, that 'here the enforcement of the laws is as rigid as in any other State, and' property and persons quite as safe ; and that in none of the other States of the Union — not excepting any — are the people better protected, or the laws more impartially enforced.' " As a religious community, South Carolina can proudly refer to her hundreds of churches, that point their spires to heaven from her hills and dales everywhere. And not in pharisaical self-righteousness, but with the truly Christian liberahty that knows no difference whatever in sect or creed, but appreciates the good in all. " As a prosperous and progressive community, South CaroUna, although having every element of wealth within reach of her grasp, is just now in a less liappy posi- tion than might be desired. This must be candidly confessed. But, at the same time, the causes thereof may be as candidly indicated, and the sure and effective remedy suggested. Heretofore, the State relied for her prosperity exclusively upon tlie rich results of her agricultural pursuits. Her system of African slavery enabled her opulent planters to do without every other branch of industry but that of cul- tivating the soil. And even in that, their whole attention was given to the raising of the great staples of commerce, and very often even their bread and meat were imported from other parts of the world. Their tools and implements, their wagons, plows, harrows, spades, axes, &c., their boots and shoes, their wearing apparel — all were imported from the North or from Europe. In this manner slavery, which ap- parently enriched the people by means of the great profits of their staple produce, yet in reality impoverished them by their dependence on others, and by preventing that universal and close industry which enables human society to create within itself all that is requisite to the necessities, comforts, and luxuries of life. But now, slavery has been forever abolished. The African has become free and his own master. And where is now the hope ? The hope — the sure guaranty — of success is in the elasticity, determined courage, and manly fortitude of the Carolinians. Instead of repining and sorrowing over the lost comforts and riches of the past, they are boldly and manfully grappling with their necessities of the present, and not unfre- quently the planter of former days may be seen guiding his plow or wielding his axe, with an energy which will ensure his future prosperity. It has been re- ported that manual labor was not honorable in the South. If this ever was a truth, hard work and steady employ have now become fashionable ; and whoever culti- vates his fields best, and is personally most industrious, is the most successful and the greatest gentleman. And the immigrant, as a brother workingman, will bo heartily welcomed, and will meet with encouragement and friendly ofiSces wherever he exhibits habits of industry, frugality, honesty, and thrift. And the Carolinian, furthermore, instead, as formerly, preferring goods from abroad, will now prefer an article made at home, and feel proud of his choice. Whal an opening for ■ me chanics of every trade! Every town, every village in the State, has need of such, and will afford them a competency. Let them come !"* Here arc' lands susceptible of indefinite improvement — a cli- mate unsurpassed for salubrity — raw materials of various kinds and manageable water-powers for the manufacture — home mar- kets and facilities for transportation — a large class of customers, * From report of Gen. John A. WaRenor, 8. C. Commissioner of Emigration. fUTURE niPORTANCE OF AIKEN. V accustomed to the refinements and luxuries of life, who have depended on foreign markets for their supiDlies — another class, needing employment, and whose average wages are far less than in the Northern or Western States — schools, churches and courts already established — railroads already constructed — ex- emption from the extremes of heat and cold — where the ears are daily regaled with the melody of the mocking-bird (than which even the far-famed nightingale's notes are not clearer, sweeter, or more varied), and where the homestead can be per- petually surrounded by fruits and flowers, that in less favored climes are only to be enjoyed by the wealthy, as they require forced temperatures and constant care : such as the fig, the pomegranate, the passion flower, andromeda plumata, red aza- lias, spiglia, cacti, magnolia or lamel, kalmia latifolia, yellow jasmine, &c. The town of Aiken is located partly in Barnwell and partly in Edgefield districts — the two largest judicial divisions of the State — comprising, in the aggregate, 3,200 square miles. It is proposed to divide the adjoining districts of Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, and Orangeburg, so as to form a new district, to be called Calhoun, in honor of Carolina's great statesman, with the court house at Aiken, which will contain about 600 square miles and a population of 10 or 12,000. The growing import- ance of this section demands that additional judicial facilities should be afforded the inhabitants, and steps are now being taken to consummate the measure, which it is confidently antici- pated will prove successful. As remarked by the Aiken Committee : " This will add much to the worth of real estate, and supply what has long been needed here — a centre to the peculiar interests of this part of the State. "With this impulse and motive, the growth of the town cannot bo chocko4, and the rapid development of the natural resources of the land, which he in such abundance on every side, will be its legitimate result. "With regard to facihties for communicating with the outer world, there are advantages here which will give this section additional value. The town of Aiken, lying as it does directly on the line of the South Carolina Railroad, a trip of a few hours conveys the produce of the year to Charleston, from whence it can be exported to Northern cities, or, on the other hand, to Augusta, from whence it can be distributed to the interior towns of the South. The Columbia and Hamburg Railroad, which will constitute one of the links of the ' Great Seaboard Mail Line' from New York to New Orleans, runs within five miles of the town. 2 10 AI^EN AND ITS VlClNITY. "The Aiken and Ninety-Six Railroad has been surveyed and located, and even- tually will be built to afford an outlet to the produce of the Groat "West that will pour over the Blue Ridge RaUroad ; the Port Royal Railroad, which joins the City of Augusta to the deep water of Port Royal — one of the finest harbors of the world — has also been fully surveyed, laid out and partially graded, and runs but a few miles south of the town. So that the place will bo surrounded on all sides by tho most ample facilities for transportation by rail, to say nothing of tlie abundant carrying moans afforded to the lumber trade by the natural channels of the Edisto and Savannah rivers. "The markets of all sections arc thus laid open to our producers, and the demand for the produce will be steady and increasing. Communications with the teeming prairie lands of the Northwest, by means of a short and direct route to the Atlantic coast, will be such an advantage to them as to insure its early completion, and tho great towns of Cincinnati, Memphis, and St. Louis, will transact their foreign business along a hne of road on which our town ig advantageously situated. " The town of Aiken is pleasantly situated on the high ridge of land that sepa- ' rates the head-waters of the Edisto River from the streams that fall into the Savannah, and is remarkable for its elevation above tide water ; being located at that happy means which combines most beneficially tho advantages of a pine growing region with the bracing and invigorating air of a mountainous country. Free from the miasmatic influences which so frequently attend the moist climate of a lower section, it is equally devoid of the deleterious eflFects of the thin, cold atmosphere of a higher range ; and tho pure dry nature of its air, acting like a healthful tonic upon the exhausted lungs, and causing the blood to course with renewed and delightful vigor through the fevered veins, has often been productive to the invalid of the happiest results. / "Ascending gradually from the seaboard, along the line of tho South Carolina Railroad, the country presents an apparently level surface to the eye of the traveller, and he is surprised to find himself at an elevation of six hundred feet when he reaches the plateau upon which Aiken is situated. " The town itself is laid out in a neat and pleasant manner, with wide streets, shaded by large trees. It is built upon a diCFerent plan from that which has in general governed tho growth of our inland towns ; and tho houses, instead of being gathered together around one common centre, are in detached groups and villas. The stores, however, are all arranged on tho main street, which is at right angles to the Railroad Avenue, and are commodious and well .supplied witli wares. It may not bo out of place to remark that the appearance of the town has attracted the admiration of the numerous officers and strangers who have passed through it, and it has always been contrasted most fixvorably with other portions of the State. "Westward the country falls away rapidly towards tho Savannah in a series of broken hills and undulating slopes, that furnish to the lover of the picturesque many scenes of the wonderful beauty of nature, while evidences lay strewn around him, thick 'as autumnal leaves in Vallambrosa,' that he is traversing one of those peculiar geological formations of tho State which bears unmistakable evidence of marine productions and deposits. " Tho aluminous formations that occur in immense beds of tlio finest porcelain clay.s, are here exposed by the denuding effects of water, and lio in rich strata upon tho very surface, ready to tho liand of tltc manufacturer. Between Aiken and RESOURCES A^'D ADVANTAGES OF AiKE>;. 11 Granitovillo tlie bads aro iu many cases sixty feet tLick, wliilo tlioso ou tho Savauiiali River, near Hamburgh, aro from ton to liftocn, and aro of unsurpassed purity. (See Tuomcy's Geology of South Carolina, p. 141.) " Eastward and Northward from Aiken tho land decline.s gradually toward tho sparsely wooded black-jack region of tho surrounding districts, and presents uo features of peculiar interest. A few miles to tho south of tho town, on Cedar Creek, lie, in considerablo thickness, tho very valuable beds of buhr stone which form so rich a part of tho mineral wealth of this section, " Its accessibility to travelers from all directions, and tho well-known salubrity of its situation, has given to tho place in all quarters of tho United States and Canada that reputation to which it is so well entitled, and which must continue to increase as its merits as a resort for consumptive patients become more widely known. As a natural result from the iiiflux of persons in quest of that greatest boon of nature, good health, the tone of society in tho town is much superior to that usu:xlly found in country places of the same population, and tho social standard is much elevated by. continued additions from the better class of persons, who finding the climate so admirably adapted to tho wants of their physical nature, settle here and become permanent residents. '' Various denominations of religious belief find their appropriate places of worship here, and are well represented in the several Churches scattered throughout tho town. Educational interests have always boon well attended to. There aro at present several excellent schools for the primary education of children, and an institution for boys preparing for college, which is ably conducted by competent' teachers, in the commodious building erected by the corporation for the purpose." " Among the resources of Aiken your committee would place most prominently tho remarkable effects of its climate ou pulmonary disorde'rs, as already incidentally referred to ; believing that a more favorable combination of the essential requisites for tho successful treatment of consumption cannot be found, embracing opportu- nities for profitable employment and social and educational privileges for the vari- ous members of a family with the sanitary efforts of the climate on the invalid. " A more extended publicity of the facts of such a conjunction of favorable cir- cutiistanccs would, undoubtedly, be the means of alleviating the sufferings and pro- longing the lives of no inconsiderable number, who would gladly avail themselves of the knowledge when brought to their notice. " A glance at the bills of mortality of the Northern States will show how general and wide-spread is this fell disease, under its various modifications of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, tubercles, hermorrhage of the lungs, etc. Hereditary predisposition to consumption hangs liko an incubus over the heads of many, paralyzing their energies, destroying their usefulness and embittering their lives. By it , thousands are annually driven forth from their homes to seek relief in more congenial climes, as it is now conceded that the medicine capable of arrest- ing its progress is, as yet, undiscovered. " The preventive treatment consists in attention to tho various functions; exercLso in tho open air ; freedom from mental anxiety or physical exhaustion ; a liberal and nutritious diet; a residence in a dry, light, and elastic atmosphere, which in- vigorates the lungs and air passages without irritating them ; and some pleasant and agreeable employment, which will induce tho patient to exert himself and pre- vent the mind from dwelling on tho ailments of tho body. At no place can these 12 AIKEN AND ITS VICINITY. indications bo better carried out than in this vicinity, where the hygromotric con- dition of the atmospliere is such as to challenge comparison with any of the usual resorts of consumptives — even of the famed table-lands of Mexico, and excelling that of the Islands of Cuba or Madeira, or the cities of Italy. This pecuUarity is attributed to the porous nature of the sandy soils, which readily permits the water to percolate through and discharge itself at a distance, and to its situation on the summit of a ridge at such an elevation as to rarify the atmosphere, and at the same time gives a most thorough system of drainage to the neighboring country. Being surrounded by immense pine forests, it has also the advantages incidental to pine regions. " In regard to the beneficial effects of the climate, your Committee can speak from personal knowledge as well as from observation of its ell'ects on others, as several of them have been induced to locate here on account of ill health, either of them- selves or some member of their family, and most cheerfully do they bear testimony to the good result. Many eminent medical practitioners who are acquainted with this locality recommend their consumptive patients to try this climate. " The reputation of Aiken is not based on a few isolated cases, but on the fact that hundreds of invalids, in various stages of their several complaints, have been bene- fitted by a residence here. The piney woods roads, covered with the fallen straw, will tempt him to ride or drive. If a disciple of Walton, the trout, jack, bream and perch, with which the mill-ponds and creeks are stocked, will furnish sport ; and if fond of gunning, many an hour can be whiled away shooting quails, par- tridges, squirrels, pigeons, &c." In the Richmond Medical Journal (Jli13", 1866) may be found a well digested article on " The Climate and Topography of Aiken, S. C, in their relation to Phthisis, by E. S. Gaillard, M. D,, Eichmond, Va." We take the following abstract : ******** " Until comparatively recent years the influences and adaptation of climate and topography, in their relations to phthisis, have never received the adequate inves- tigation of competent observers. Patients have been sent indilferently and indis- criminately to the dry, cold atmosphere of Spitzbergen, or to the warm, moist air of Bermuda and Jamaica ; to the temperate climate of Madeira, Florida or the Me- diterranean, or to the dry and warm atmosphere of Cairo and Sierra Leone. "It is for the general welfare of this class of patients, in all sections, that the climate and topography of Aiken is now brought to the attention and consideration of the profession. " The country immediately adjacent to Aiken is drained by Shaw's Creek and Ilorso Creek, with several smaller streams emptying, some into the Savannah and some into the Edisto River. This drainage is most thorough and complete, as the village is built near the centre of an elevated plateau or table-land, possessing an area of about twenty square miles. The character of the soil is sandy, with a sub- soil of red clay, silex entering largely into its composition. The soil is exceedingly dry; water not being found at a less distance than from 80 to 125 feet below the surface. This water is of a superior character, being transparently clear, with a temperature varying from C2" to 65° Fahrenheit; it is generally impregnated v/ith AIKEN FREE \ FROM DISEASES. 13 the salts of iron and magnesia, but not sufficiently so to render it deleterious to the invalid. " Tho annual rain fall, as tested by the rain guage, is usually about tiiirty-sevon inches ; the heaviest uniform fall being in the months of June, July and August and the smallest fall in the autumn. "Tho earliest frost usually occurs from the 10th to the 15th of November, and tho latest from the 1st to the 10th of April, tho average duration of the period without frosts being from 200 to 225 days, or two-thirds of the year. This fact is deserving of especial attention. Tho mean annual temperature is from 50" to 54" Fahrenheit; tho mean temperature of the winter months being from 42° to 46' F. ; that of tho spring months 58' F., summer months 11'^' F., and autumn 62° F, " Attention is directed to tho very gradual and equable variations of these tem- peratures. The extremes of temperature for one year are as follows: January, 60°-40° F.; February, TC-SS" F. ; March, 82°-24° F. ; April, TS'-SS' F. ; May 86°-50° F. ; June, 92°-66° F. ; July, 86°-64 F. ; August, 92°-69° F. ; September, 90°-53° F. ; October, t8°-40° F. ; November, l3°-29° F. ; December, T4°-31° F. " The prevailing winds are from the south and south-west. The dew-point is in- variably low. The hygrometrical condition is here characteristic. The ordinary long moss (tilandsia) of the Gulf States, as has been frcquentl}'- tried by experiment, will not grow here ; the cryptogamous plants are but feeblj'' represented, and those only grow that are usually found flourishing in dry atmospheres. Tho atmosphere is decidedly terebinthinate. Endemics are unknown, and epidemics rare. The country is entirely free from malarial diseases. The climate and water together have produced very conspicuous results in the health of those suffering from gastric and intestinal complications." Dr. Gaillard then proceeds quoting high authorities to show that the supplementary action of the shin is in an indirect ratio with tlie hj^grometric condition of the atmosphere, and that the skin is physiologically the chief supplement in respiration, and vitally important in phthisis. He describes and compares the various climates Avhich patients are advised to try, remarking that— " It will be observed in this summary that no air is more frequently appropriate and beneficial than that of Aiken, S. C, resembling, as it does, that of Nice and St. Ilemo, which are regarded at the present time with more favor perhaps than any other sections of Europe. Aiken pososses also a virtue in the important fact that tho consumptive residing there can with impunity exercise in the open air tliroughout the year. * * * * The distinguishing characteristics of the Aiken climate, then, are its peculiar dryness of the atmosphere, its freedom from sudden and violent atmospheric changes and absence from frosts for two-thirds of the year, its freedom from endemics and malarial diseases, and the general prevalence of soft southern and south-western breezes. These important and interesting facts in regard to this locality, in connection with its dry and porous soil, rendering exercise at all times practicable, its remarkable elevation, its facility of access and 1-i AIKEN AND ITS VICINITY. removal from the crowded centres of population, with their irregular hours and in- separable excitements, render Aiken especially adapted for the home of the consump- tive." The rich, virgin, alluvial lands of the West and South are proverbially unhealthy, whilst this section is noted for its exemption from malarial diseases. Professor Tuomey, in his valuable work on the Geology of South Cc/olina (see page 259), speaking of the tertiary formation of this region, says: "The sandy hills in the upper part of the region occupied by this formation, are covered with pines, the sub-soil being sand, gravel, and clay. There are few soils more grateful, or that yield a more ready recompense to industry ; it con- tinues to produce as long as there is an atom left that can sustain a 2)lani. The following analysis of a soil from the land of (the late) J. D. Legare, Esq., at Aiken, by Professor Shepard, will show the character of the lands alluded to : Surface soil. Sub-soil. Water of absorption 5.500 8.000 Organic matter 8.500 Silica 77.000 81.000 Protoxide of iron 4 . 005 Alumina 5.000 5.500 Lime, with traces of magnesia and phosphoric acid. . .050 Peroxide of limo 3 . 500 Carbonate of lime . 400 Traces of ma!?nesia and loss 1 . 600 100.055 100.000 Such are the lands on the flats and iu the valleys, where from six to fifteen inches beneath the surface is a sub-soil of what is generally termed red clay, but which has very little alumina. Oil au adjacent lot to the one of which the analysis was made, the product was 40 bushels of corn and 30 bushels of wheat to the acre, and, after cutting the wheat, a proportionate crop of peas. Witli a growing season of 200 days, it is a2")parent that two crops of many articles can be 'made each year; and iu corroboration of Prof. Tuomey 's statement in regard to their continued productiveness, instances are not unfrequent where fields are now tilled by a class of farmers who pay little or no attention tp manuring, which were cleared over fifty years ago. AIKEN A GREAT FRUIT REGION. 15 During the war a refugee from the coast, and one of tlie largest and most successful planters in the State, leased one of these farms, and, after three years' culture, asserted that under proper treatment they improved more rapidly and permanently, in proportion to the manure used, than did his lands on Edisto Island, which are considered very fertile. However, the larger portion of the lands in the neighbor- hood are of a more sandy character, and are preferable for fruit culture. The cultivation of these light sandy lands requires but little labor, farmers making up in the area tended for the small yield, frequently jjlanting as much as forty acres of corn to each horse, and seldom using the hoe. In the immediate vicinity of Aiken very little cotton was planted before the war ; but this year a considerable area has been planted, and the crops compare most favorably with those of sections heretofore con- sidered far superior. With such improved modes of culture and management as are in vogue in the Nortliern States, and a judicious selection of such varieties or specialties as are best adapted to such soils, most of these lands would prove highly remunerative. If, on some accounts, the prairie lands of the West, or the alluvial bottoms of the river vallies, are preferable, here are compensating influences that are counterbalancing. Those who are seeking new homes would do well to consider the question in its various bearings. In deciding on a location, let them take into consideration the comparative salubrity of climate, accessibility to markets, tone of society, facilities for literary and religious instruction, the price of lands improved or unimproved, the relative number of worhing days in the year, t1ie comparative rates of wages and opportunities for procuring workmen, the care and trouble incident to surrounding the liomestead with vines and flowers and fruits, and the influence such things have on the character of children, the probability of the future prosperity of the countr}^ and consequent advance- ment in the value of property, and other similar influences. FRUIT CULTURE.* "It is only since 1850 that much attention was attracted in this vicinity to fruit culture. The immense returns realized by the proprietors of some of the orchards and vineyards, from lands unfit for the profitable culture of cotton, led their * From r('i)ort of tlic Ailtcu Coinmittcc y 16 AIKEN AXD ITS VICINITY. neighbors to inquire into the secret of their success. Since then orchards and vineyards have gradually but continuously increased in size and number. " In 1858, those interested formed themselves into a society, and adopted the title of 'The Aikex Vixe GrOwixg am) Horticultural Association,' their object being ' to promote the culture and improve the quality of fruit in general, and more particularly of the vine and the manufacture of wme.' "This association has been instrumental in extending much valuable informa- tion ; many of their reports and essays having been published in pamphlet form and republished in the agricultural journals and Patent Office Reports. In 1860, this society extended an invitation to the wine growers of the South to hold a Conven- tion in this place, and to bring with them specimens of their grapes and wines for comparison and classification. Delegates from five States accordingly met on the 21st of Aug-ust, and ex-Senator and Governor James H. Hammond y»-as elected presiding officer of the Convention. Upon taking the chair, he remarked ' that the exhibition this day, and the presence of these delegates, indicated that an interest in behalf of growing our own grapes and manufacturing our own wine, was ex- tending, and that a large belt of waste lands, capable of growing extensively these fruits, were now about to engage the attention that should have been called to them hitherto. Nay, more, the exhibition this day, he ventured to say, could not be surpassed in ant part of the world, and in using this hroad expression, he did it WITHOUT Q0.4.LIFICATION, especially so in reference to the variety and quality of the grapes here to be seen. PEACHES. " The facility of transportation afforded by our lines of railroads to the coast, and thence by steamships to the large Northern cities, enables us, by selecting the earliest varieties of peaches, to reach those markets from the 20th to the 25th of Juno, thus anticipating the New Jersey crops from four to six weeks. The first peaches command as high as $15 to $20 per bushel, and an average of, at least, $5 may be reasonably expected, as the Aiken fruit has an established reputation, ex- celled by no other section, being healthy, well flavored and highly colored. " One of our peach growers, since the close of the war, sent to his factor in New York for various family supplies, stating that he was without money and would have to depend on the next peach crop. Much to his gratification, the articles were immediately forwarded, with an intimation that no bettor security was requi- site than a promise of a consignment of an article so prized in Now York as were the Aiken peaches. '•' Mr. James Purvis states that ho has sixty acres in peaches, which requires three hands to cultivate, and that he has made five crops in six years, realizing from $5,000 to $10,000 each. " Sercral of our orchardists have realized more than $500 per acre in favorable years, which far exceeds any other crop requiring as little work. " The trees are usually planted about sixteen feet apart, or from one hundred and fifty to two hundred trees per acre, and commence bearing the third year and producmg from a peck to two bushels. They are remarkably health)', the disease known as ' the yellows' not having made its appearance, and the fruit is more free of the curculio than in the richer lands of the low country. By a proper selection of varieties, a supply of this rich and luscious fruit may be had continu- ously from June to November. AiKEN A GREAT FRUIT REGION. H APPLES. " The impression that good apples could not be produced at the South has gene- rally prevailed ; but gradually this error is being dispelled. In the culture of the apple, as of the peach, Southern raised trees must be depended on, and several of these varieties will challenge comparison with any others, either as regards flavor, size or keeping qualities. FIGS AND OTHER FRUIT. " Figs are one of those great boons of nature that contribute to the enjoyments of life in a Southern climate. Luscious, nutricious and wholesome, they are fre- quently recommended by physicians as a food for invalids, and as a laxative where strong medicuies are to be avoided. They grow freely in the open air, require little or no attention, and produce two or three crops annually. " To sit under one's own vine and fig tree, so expressive of happiness and con- tentment, can be literally realized here. " Pomegranates (deciduous bloomers, displaying ripe fruit and expanding blossoms at the same time), cherries, nectarines, quinces, apricots, raspberries, &c., are culti- vated to a limited extent, and excellent strawberries are to be had for four or five months during each year in great profusion." One hundred and seventy strawberries liave been gathered from a single plant in one season ; many of them from four to four and a half inches in circumference. The custom of putting strawberries in small baskets for shipping has never obtained here. The few that are sent off are packed in wooden boxes or large hand-baskets. The Committee add : " As attention to horticulture extends, in all probability the naturalization and acclimation of other valuable fruits, such as the date, tamarind, olive, jujube, vari- ous nuts and berries, &c., will afford a wider field for enterprise. GRAPES AND WINE. " One of our oldest and most successful vintners, writing on this subject, in 1855, says : ' Let me assure you that vine culture is the easiest thing in the world. Any of your sons or field negroes will " take to it" in one season. The pruning can be learned in ten minutes ; the work is simply hoeing, light plowing and tying of branches. The making of wine requires some attention. (Can you make good bacon without care and attention ?) All this can and will be explained to your satisfaction. An acre should yield, at the very least, 300 gallons, worth hero $2 per gallon. One hand can attend five acres. Here you have $1,500 the hand even if the wine only brought $1. You may say this is all " paper calculation." It certainly is, but experience proves that many have realized moro than that amount. It has been made and can bo made. Have the energy to try it. * ♦ * * If compared with other crops, such as cotton, corn, wheat, &c., we find the chances of success two to one with the grapes, and it should not be forgotten that they are usually planted in the poorest hill sides, adapted to nothing else, and on which the proprietor can live and enjoy health, whilst other crops require richer lands, always more or less sickly. On sandy pine lands, such as would bring five or eight bushels of corn, the yield of wine, in an average season, will be about 300 gallons. On 3 1'8 AlkEK- AND ITS VlClS^ltY. richer clay lands it is said to roach 1,000 and over. These are not surmises, bu^ positive facts.' " Around Aiken nearly 500 acres are now planted in grapes. The vines are healthy and vigorous; the peculiar dryness of the atmosphere, the rolling surface and the light porous nature of the soil, which quickly discharges all superfluous moisture, makes it specially adapted to the grape culture. The quality of the fruit surpasses that of other sections, both in high flavor and percentage of saccharine matter. The grapes begin to ripen about the middle of July, and are ready for tlio press some time in August. "The vines are generally planted in rows ten feet apart and about six feet in the row, making about 750 plants to the acre. This distance is preferred, from the more vigorous growth of the vine here. An idea of the profits may be conceived by allowing only twenty bunches of grapes to be produced on each vine, making 15,000 bunches to the acre, which, if worth only two cents per bunch, would amount to $300, or, at five cents per bunch, $750. '• They are rarely injured by the late frosts. A vineyard once properly started is an inheritance for one's children, as the grape-vine is noted for it.s longevity, frequently living more than one hundred years. "Mr. Axt, of Georgia, offered to guarantee twenty-five hundred gallons of wine per acre to those employing him to superintend and plant tlieir vineyards. And Prof. Hume, in an address delivered to the A. V. G. Association, in 18G0, stated that he was commissioned by New York Houses to purcliaso all the Aiken wines he could get at $2 per gallon, as dealers in wines found tliese best for mak- • ing their 'bases.' " "What has been accomplished indicates that Aiken, at no distant period, will be the centre of a large vine-growing region. In those properties requisite for wine the grapes grown hero compare favorably with those from which the most cele- brated wines of Prance and Germany are produced. " It is estimated that wine can be produced at a cost of 20 cents a gallon, and the demand even at $2 is fully equal to the supply. It is an article that will always be in demand ; costs but little to transport to market ; no annual expense of seed, as in cereals ; does not require as much manure, or deteriorate the soil as other crops; is a light and pleasant employment, not as laborious as common field work ; improves in quality by keeping, and its general use would promote the cause of temperance, it being a noted fact that very little drunkenness is seen in vine-grow- ing countries. " In addition to brandy made from the cultivated fruits, the various wild fruits and berries that grow in such abundance, furnish materials that find a ready sale at the distilleries. At homo wo have the haw brandy, cherry brandy, plum brandy, persimmon brandy, poach brandy, blackberry brandy, potato brandy, goosebeviy brandy, sorghum rum, &e., but when shipped it assumes other names and forms." 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