SOLON ROBINSON, 1850 387 



had been ordered by a vote of directors, in consequence 

 of my connection with the American Agriculturist. I have 

 some reason to believe that I owe this to my respected 

 friend Colonel Wade Hampton. I certainly look upon it 

 as a compliment to my labors in the cause of agricultural 

 improvement, and a mark of high respect to the agricul- 

 tural press. 



Now, kind reader, if you please, let us journey to- 

 gether. We leave the Charleston Hotel, (one of the best 

 in the Union,) in a large omnibus, which is worthy of 

 notce and commendation, at nine o'clock, and drive about 

 a mile to the depot, principally along a plank road, re- 

 cently laid down in King street, and though not quite 

 equal to a "Russ pavement in the goodly city of New 

 York," it is far better than the deep sands of Charleston. 

 The neatness and order of the depot is somewhat in con- 

 trast with that of Boston and other places ; but the cars 

 are pretty fair, and it is worthy of remark, that the con- 

 ductors of all the passenger trains I was upon, (and I 

 believe it comprises nearly the whole,) are among the 

 most gentlemanly, well-bred, kind and accommodating 

 officers of my acquaintance. At ten, we are under way; 

 the Hamburg train a head and the Columbia train follow- 

 ing within half amile, so that both are at Branchville at 

 the same time. Along the first five or miles, we see a 

 succession of vegetable gardens, but, few or no farm 

 houses, for the reason that no white person can live out 

 of the smoke of the city fires, during summer, on account 

 of the extreme unhealthiness of the country. 



The road now passes through an almost unbroken for- 

 est of flat, sandy, wet land, of pines and scrubby cypress, 

 62 miles to Branchville, where the Hamburg and Colum- 

 bia trains part company. Thence to Hamburg is 74 



died December 26, 1858. Served in the War of 1812. Became a 

 colonel in 1820. President of Louisville, Cincinnati, and Charleston 

 Railroad, 1840-1850. Interested in a southern railway to the Pa- 

 cific and, as minister to Mexico, negotiated for the purchase of land 

 for the route. See sketch in Dictionary of American Biography, 

 7:83-84. 



