Book: Wintersville Citizen

              VOL.1, NO. 30                                  THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1963 - TEN PAGES                         $5.00 per year    l0c
     --   .   _*                               ''


Tale OF Two    ities


       By EVE SEITER
 SSummer is now official. The
 Gypsy caravan is on the road.
 Vacationers have once more
 taken over the highways and
 by-ways fanning out 'in all di-
 rections. Your wi'iter has been
 among them eagerly absorbing
 new sights and sounds, adven-
 turing in friendship.
 "Having a wonderful time;
 wish you were here" is more
 than a tim e worn cliche. The
'pleasure of following the rpivers
to the sea and hopping the sea
to the Islands must be shared
to be fully savored. So-if for
one reason or another you are
traveling b y armchair, won't
you join your reporter and trek
southward?
  Picturesque n o m e n clature
jogs the imagination as one fol-
lows the uncluttered sweep of
the Ohio river near Ben's 'Run,
West Virginia. Fishing Creek,
Sistersville - "NOT BIG BUT
BUSY" - Willow Island, Samn's
Creek and New Era slip into
view as slides in an old fash-
ioned steroptican. A   b 1 a c k
hearse stands starkly outlned
near a lovely, white steepled
church high above the river,
clustering  mourners gathered
in groups among the door-yard
graves. In Wiseburg one dis-
covers the Shepherd's Chapel.
  Pausing for a coffee break in
Sistersville, W. Va., population
2500, we are amused to learn
that "Everybody's m.ad in Sis-
tersvflle  this  morning"!   It
seems t h at someone called the
Mayor at six A.M. growling,
"You up?", "I am now", the
Mayor replied. Over which the
early morning caller gloated,
"Well, you may as well be up
with the rest of us- someone
is mowing the lawn at the Hos-
pital and I can't sleep!"
  The red earth of Virginia de-
lights the eye as always and
one Amens the billboard cap-
t i o n : "Photogenic scenery --
1,000 feet". The New river is in-
credibly beautiful at t he Nar-
rows; handsome "Gone With
The Wind" houses turn one's
thoughts toward anohter era.
  A few magnolias linger near
Mt. Airy, home of Andy Grif-


fith, wholesome and entertain-
ing Police 'Chief of TV's ficti-
tious Mayberry. Corn is knee
high, wheat almost ripe and
the tender new tobacco plants
need moisture. It has been a
dry season.
  Traveling through the Caro-
linas is the usual pleasant
experience. Long, wooded high-
ways undulating through t h e
hills bring o n e at length to


Camden on t h e Wateree river.
Camden, South Carolina, is an
old town dating back to 1733.
A traveler from Wintersville
feels quite at home in this
small town of 6,842. Camden is
located in the sandhills region
of S. C. and is a noted winter
resort area where equestrian
sports premdcaminate. The mild,
dry climate is, well suited to
horse shows and ridin'g. Polo,
steeple chases ai nd flat races
are held here.
  Both Dupont and the Fire-
stone families maintain stables
in Camden. Horses from all
over the United States are win-
tered here. The Coffee Shop of
the Sarsfield Hotel is hung to
the ceiling w i t h photos of fa-
mous horses, their owners an d
their grooms. The Hale coat-
of-arms catches the eye and
one is told by the gracious
hostess, Charlotte Lamoy, that
Mrs. Hale owns the Shop.
  Camden was the site of 14
Revolutionary battles! Its his-
toric past, even capsuled, is a
story in itself. 1733-The Royal
Council on December 6th, pur-
suant to instructions of George
II, passed a resolution wherein
James St, Julien is employed to
survey   a  township   on  the
Wateree River, at such point as
he judges most convenient for
settlements 1756 - Funds are
appropriated  by   the, Royal
Council to make Wateree River
navigable. This to insure a
waterway inland to Charleston
and the Atlantic.
  1758-Joseph Kershaw, recent-
ly of Charleston, opens a store
and calls the spot Pine Tree
Hill. Later it was to be known
as Magazine Hill. 1768 - A
Royal Charter of Incorporation
is granted by George III and
Pine Tree Hill becomes Cam-
den, named f o r Lord Camden.
  1771-The first Courthouse in
Camden is completed. 1780-
Lord Cornwallis and his troops
enter Camden to s e t up Head-
quarters. 1780-The Battle of
Camden, often called our great-
est victory in t h e Revolution-
ary War, occurs August 16th.
Baron De Kalb falls mortally
w o u n d e d. 1791 - President


George Washington visits Cam-
den, March 25th. 1791- Cam-
den's first School, operated by
the Camden    Orphan   Society,
opens., 1792-First mail leaves
Camden for Charleston, carried
on horseback! 1794-The first
Tavern is established by J o h n
1802 - Camden's first    news-
Dinkins. 1802-  Camden.s first
newspaper is published. 1805 -
The Camden Library Society is


incorporated  and books a r e
placed on loan in the Old Mar-
ket. 1822-Camden's first bank
opens for business.. 1824-Cam-
den to Charleston Stage Serv-
ice is inaugurated. Time of
trip, 2 days and 2 nights. 1825-
Marquis de LaFayette     visits
Camden. 1838 - Camden's first
cotton mill is established. 1848
Train service, the first for
Camden, begins No v. 1st, 1865
- General Sherman and his
Federal troops occupy Camden.
The o l d Cornwallis Headquar-
ters together with several other
buildings are burned. All rec-
ords and books antedating 1843
destroyed. 1874-Street lighting
comes to Camden. 20 gasoline
lamps are installed    on the
streets. 1899-February 13th i s
the coldest d a y in the history
of   Camden.    The    mercury
reached 10 degrees below z e r o
and snowfall reaches a height
of 12 inches!
  Poring over Camden's color-
ful history was stimulating fun
as your writer partook of t h e
Hotel's excellent cuisine. Buf-
fet luncheon is served each day
including Sunday. Wi tho u t
benefit of the provocative peek
into early history one could
have enjoyed this stop over
Southern Fried Chicken, Creole
Rice, cucumbers a n d onions in
sour cream, brussels sprouts,
hot rolls, melon wedges and
coffee!
  One travels through the deep
South   from  Camden    to St.
Augustine, Florida.    Through
m[les of graceful wood pink
mimosa, past dreadful indica-
tions of the tension of otir
times., "Impeach Earl Warren"
looms in scare heads on a bill
board, -one's heart leaps to
beauty and recoils f r o m ugli-
ness!
  St. Augustine, oldest c i t y in
  the U.S., is an old haunt of this
writer. It continues to charm.
The ancient gates to the city
are all that is left of the wall
built during the early 1700"s
and were once the only en-
trance to the city from    the
North. The old Spanish Fort,
Castillo DeSan Marcos is now a
National, monument. I f you


cannot ima'ine gallant Spanish
soldiers fighting hunger, dis-
ease, hurricanes and the French
Fleet then you may live the
story of these Conquistadores
through the Pageant of Sound
and  Light. As darkness de-
scends and lights pl a y on the
great coquina fortress, begun
in 1672, the narration of the
story takes on a flesh     and
blood atmosphere. The ancient


cypress trees sough in the wind
as batteries of lights play on
the fort and the grounds simu-
lating glares, smoke, battle and
celebration.
  The o 1 d Cathedral draped in
black in mourning for Pope
John, the 23d, is one of the old-
est churches in the country.
The adjoining garden invites
one to meditate within its nar-
row confines, too.
  The Market Place located, on
the Plaza facing Matanzas Bay
was established in 1598. The
present open structure w as re-
built in 1824. Here the Spanish
Governor established the first
system of weights and meas-
ures. Today   young and    old
meet here to play     checkers,
rest a bit or j u st gossip while
Ponce De Leori. looks down
from the pedestal of his lofty
statue.
  St, Augustine, founded    in
1565, will soon   celebrate its
Quadricentennial! Anticipating
this occasion the Spanish Gov-
ernment will rebuild several
downtown buildings exactly as
they were in the founding days!
England, too, plans to partici-
pate and there is a possibility
that the Pan American Union
will complement these struc*
tures with other reproduction.
The ancient Fort, Cathedral,
Jail, Home, Market Place, Trea-
sury and countless old homes
and streets stir the heart and
mind. ,The generous gifts of re-
production planned wi 11 en-
hance an already authentic at-
mosphere equalled by no other
American city.
  We have traveled far. If you
have enjoyed this tale of two
cittes pull up your arm chair
for a flight to the Bahamas
next week.


  Independence Day, July 4, is
on Thursday, our regular publ-
ication day. The Wintersville
Citizen will be published on
Wednesday, July 3. Please have
your news or ad copy in by. Sat-
urday, June 29.


per copy


NOTICE