Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1910 — CHARLESTON THE CLEANLY. [ARTICLE]

CHARLESTON THE CLEANLY.

Hren the Buitarda Assist In Keeping Things Picked Up. “The coat of arms of Charleston should contain a broom, an antique and a relief of John C. Calhoun. To speak concisely," says a writer in the Taylor-Trotwood Magazine, “the city may be described as the city cleanly, historic and loyal to its greatest son. “It is Charleston’s badge of honor to clean up, and with characteristic zeal she fell to after the war and again after the earthquake of 1898. Few mementos of either event are to-day visible. '‘Where but in cleanly Charleston would the detested buzzards be welcome? Yet here they are undisturbed in the street by the market, eagerly making away with the refuse that may be thrown out. Verily they are typical Charlestonians and should elect their representatives to sit with the city fathers. "Statues are scarce in Charleston, and hence the more impressive. Let

m turn now to the one heroic figure in jihe city, erected to commemorate the life and deeds of Charleston’s most illustrious son—John Caldwell Calhoun, Surmounting a lofty, fluted column, mounted on a massive pedestal, stands the great statue of a greater man.

“South Carolina and Charleston are justly proud of their able citizen, and largely through the efforts of the women of the state this memorial was erected several years ago. It stands on the most impressive site that could have been selected—the spacious Marlon or Citadel square, named in turn for General Francis Marlon of the revolution and from the citadel or military academy that bounds it on the north.

“The latter was at one time a to: bacco inspection plant, but in the early part of the last century was transformed into a citadel and later into a military school, with the students as garrison officers. The square in_ front affords an Ideal parade ground.

“What an opportunity for accumulation of rubbish and filth this square presents! And one dreads to venture the thought of what it might degenerate into in a city less particular than the cleanly Charleston. Not a newspaper blows hither and yon across its face, not a tree on its borders but is trimmed and tidy, new. Even the walks themselves seem to have been freshly swept each morning. ‘Charleston’s first pride is in her churches. To the traveler by sea their pointed spires can be seen from far down the bay, beckoning a welcome to a hospitable city. St. Philip’s and St. Michael’s are the two most in evidence. Why, they were built alike! “Not quite, but near enough to confuse the visitor of a day. The fame of St. Michael’s was spread from ocean to ocean largely through that little poem by Mary A. P. Stansbury, ‘How He Saved St. Michael’s,' which recounts the story of a slave that earned his freedom by tearing from the steeple a burning brand that had somehow lodged there, and thus saved the beloved old church. ’Twas St. Philip’s where the incident happened, but the poem has it St. Michael’s, and to St. Michael’s will the crowd surge so long as a lie will travel more swiftly than the truth.”