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UP THE STATE ROAD. A Trip with a Pretty Grirl to Marietta. A Western Tourist on an Investment. A Cazette Correspondent as a Cuide Book. Something about the Stations and the Country. Chattanooga, June, 1875. Did you ever take a trip up the Western and Atlantic Railroad on a clear, breezy, sunshiny day ? If you never did, try it, and then inform the Gazette what you think about it. When Wrenn requested me to make a tour for him, and to write up every station on the road, I prepared myself for a four weeks holiday, packed my trunk, laid in an extra supply of tobacco, and when the cheery voice of the conductor cried out “ all aboard,” this correspondent entered the car, threw up the window and settled down complacently in a seat, determined to see all that there was to be seen and to fill his memo randum book with notes. THE TRAIN HAS STARTED, Block after block disappears from view, the Rolling ill rushes past, a little farther on Oglethorpe Park presents itself for a brief glimpse, and then is suddenly lost, and you lean back dreamily contemplating the flitting trees, and inhaling the sweet, balmy odors of a summer morning, until your reverie is disturbed by a pretty girl in the seat in front, who turns and displaying a set of pol ished ivories, requests you to put up her window as the river is in sight and she wants to get a good look at it. Os course you comply, and, sure enough, there is THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER Glistening in the sunlight, at a distance, as if it were molten glass. But as you approach near it the illusion disappears. Its muddy waters lose their silvery appearance and be come the yellow’ red that they are. Still, the river is pretty enough, and on its banks Atlanta and her thirty-five thousand inhab itants ought to be resting. As we move slowly over the bridge, a glimpse is caught of the ice factory, while on the bank are two negroes patiently awaiting a bite, doubt less indulging in pleasant anticipations of presently hauling in a too venturesome cat fish. After awhile, a conversation with the pretty girl is in order, and you learn from her that she is from Southwest Georgia en route for MARIETTA, To spend the “ dog days.” That old couple in front of her are her parents. She has never been to Marietta before, and so she requests this correspondent to tell her some thing about the town. Marietta, then, fair listener, is the county seat of Cobb County—a county justly famous for its agricultural progress and for its good looking women, and I may add, that when you arrive there, will be another very pretty girl in town. (Just here she blushed, but seemed pleased.) As I was saying, Miss, Marietta is about twenty miles from Atlanta, beautifully situ ated at the base of the Kennesaw mountains, and containing a population of between four and five thousand. (Here she suggests that it must be quite a lively place.) So it is. Not only is it the centre of a large trade, but it contains four cotton mills, one paper mill, and one of the largest flour mills in the South. Then, again, it boasts of the Marietta Female College, under the management of Rev. I. R. Burnham, D.D., who is suspected of having resorted to spec tacles to prevent his sight being impaired by the dazzling array of beauty, sweetness and loveliness he is compelled to confront and to instruct everyday. There is also Prof. Lavis’ High School for boys. Both of these educational institutions are admirably con ducted and liberally patronized. (She laughs, and remarks that she com pleted her education two years ago.) THE KENNESAW Pardon me. If schools no longer interest you, perhaps churches may. Marietta boasts of Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, all in a flourishing con dition, and in any of them you can hear a good sermon on Sunday next. You are a Methodist ? If I were not so exceedingly gray, two glances of your eyes would con vert me to the same faith. Os course she blushes and declares that I flatter, but is evidently not displeased, and the little compliment of your correspondent reminds her to inquire about the society. Excellent. It cannot be surpassed in the State. A well educated, refined, hospitable people, who know how to live and how to enjoy life. During the season visitors will not lack for recreation and amusement. The town sits in the shadow of Kennesaw mountain, to which numerous picnic parties | resort. Twice each week the well trained j Silver Cornet Band gives a free and de lightful musical concert in the lovely little park in the centre of the town, and thousands attend to listen to the music. Then there ! are frequent balls, while hops are of nightly occurrence. Thus you are not at all likely : to die of ennui in Marietta. As regards accommodations for visitors, I these are ample. There is the Kennesaw i House, a large and admirably fitted up hotel under the management of Mr. J. Q. A. ' Lewis, and where a visitor can obtain the : best accommodations at only §4O per month, or §ls per week, while children and servants are charged half rates. Besides this hotel there are a number of first-class private boarding houses, where the fare is excellent j and prices low. Marietta can, in short, ac commodate from six hundred to one thou sand visitors. As a summer resort, it is destined to be one of the most popular in the South. Just at thispoint the whistle blew’; “ down brakes ” was the cry, and in a few- minutes the depot at Marietta was reached. A graceful inclination of the head, a friendly smile and my compagnon du voyage left the car—a thing of beauty and a joy forever to some lucky man one of these days. Fate, pretty one ! WE’RE OFF AGAIN. And this time a substantial looking West ern man, whois “ down South ” on a look out for investments, picks up the writer and gossips with him. He needs precisely what Wrenn has requested, and so I proceed to give him a brief, concise report of each Station. Here is BIG SHANTY. A most atrociously named place, but as you perceive, sir, beautifully located amid fine scenery. Quite a busy place, of perhaps a couple of hundred inhabitants, a good hotel, flour mill, and several other industries. It is also the depot of a large farming inter est. Healthy, sir? I should say so. Why, there is not a doctor in the place, because the town can’t support one. Some of these days it will be a goodly sized village. At this point my companion invited me to the smoking car and producing a couple of good cigars invited me to partake of one which I did. Chatting pleasantly we soon reached ACWORTH. This place, sir, is also located in Cobb county, and is a thriving, industrious village, of some one thousand inhabitants. Its min eral springs possess curative powers of re markable character, many surprising cures having been effected by drinking the waters. This fact must finally result in making the place a popular resort for the afflicted and for health and pleasure seekers gener ally, as, in addition to the springs, it contains a cultured population, a first-class hotel, excellently well kept, three or four flourish ing churches, a high school of much merit, and everything else deemed necessary for civilized life. Board can be obtained at S2O per month —remarkably cheap, indeed, when you are assured that the fare is as good as can be obtained anywhere. We puffed our cigars meditatively admir ing the scenery until we reached STEGALL’S, Where we touched the first station in the ROUTE GAZETTE notably wealthy, energetic and popular Bartow County. Stegall’s is a small station at present, but it has a good future before it. Its iron works are at present in their infancy and agriculture takes the lead, but in a few years the works will be among the most im portant in the State. Rushing on, we pres ently came to CARTERSVILLE, One of the largest and most delightful places on the road. It contains about five thousand souls, and is increasing in population and wealth with marked rapidity. Here, sir, if you wish to make a profitable investment is one of the points to stop at in Georgia. As you can perceive, the town is beautifully located, amid some of the loveliest scenery for which North Georgia is justly celebrated. The climate is superb, and, of course, the health of the people excellent. As a sum mer resort it is of marked attractiveness. Near here are the Falls,.with their immense power; a couple of miles distant are the si lent relics of pre-historic ages in the shape of mounds, etc., where images of gods have been found. Near by, too, are the famed Rowland Mineral Springs. Indeed, in and around Cartersville are objects of interest which will keep a tourist actively engaged for a couple of months. And then the sum mer months are cool and pleasant. The material interests of Carlinsville are many, varied and important. The centre of a great mineral and agricultural region, her commerce and manufactures continue de veloping steadily. The people are thrifty, and energetic, and every year adds to their wealth. Passing the two small stations of Rogers and Cass, being busily engaged in discussing the merits of quite a palatable cold lunch, washed down by some old Port which the Western traveler had in his satchel, we at length came to KINGSTON, With its twenty-five hundred inhabitants, its lime kilns and its saltpetre cave. Our companion, who was an officer in the Union army, was interested in a flood of war remin iscences which the writer let loose upon him. Kingston, like Cartersville, is the centre of an important agricultural and mineral dis trict. It contains two well kept hotels. We dash up to hall’s station, Remain a few minutes and then dash off again, and have barely time to mention that this place abounds in valuable iron ore, which offers great inducement s to capitalists. It also contains a chalybeate spring. Before these facts are fully stated, we have stopped at ADAIRSVILLE, An aspiring village of nearly one thousand population, with several excellent schools, including an academy, three churches and a well kept hotel, where the prices are mod erate. At this writing, Col. J. W. Gray is building a cotton factory ; there is a flour mill here, and the water power is sufficient to supply all the mills of Lowell. The so ciety is excellent, the people hospitable and the climate superb. Adairsville came very near being the scene of a sanguinary battle between Sherman’s and Johnson’s armies, and my impression is, my dear sir, that if the battle had taken place, Sherman would never have written his recently published memoirs. You may smile, but I assure you, sir, there were a dozen times during that famous campaign to Atlanta when Sherman came within an ace of getting badly thrashed. However, the “ late unpleasantness is over” and “let us have peace.” Another cigar ? Certainly, thanks! Yes, sir, this is RESACA. A small place you say. Admitted, but is it not beautifully situated ? This is the Oostranaula river. Do you see those forti fications with the grass growing upon them, and wild flowers blooming on their crests. Well, sir, behind those works the two hostile armies were arrayed in May, 1864, and •be tween them there was some terrible fighting. I remember that Saturday evening’s charge by Hood’s Corps on How ard’s Corps. There are the ridges on your right. Well, we just walked over Howard’s men. A severe bat tle which finally ended in Sherman trying to flank us. We fell back across the river on Saturday night. I shall never forget the scene. It w 7 as a bright, moonlight night and the spectacle presented by the retreating army was exceedingly grand. As for Re saca, the village is improving steadily. It contains one church, a good hotel, and is becoming quite a summer resort. You can visit the Cohutta mountains by steamboat. Some day there will be a big town here. By the way, I forgot to speak of CALHOUN, The station behind us, named of course, after the great South Carolinian. As you saw, it is a town of some importance on the Oostranaula river, with seven hundred pop ulation, three churches, two hotels, both well kept and charging moderate prices, and is a commercial and agricultural depot of present and growing consequence. The surrounding valley lands are exceedingly fertile, producing abundant crops, while the hills abound in'* iron, coal and other min erals. Calhoun ought to attract the attention of summer tourists, on account of the cli mate and scenery, and the opportunities for fishing and hunting. Here we are at DALTON, One of the most important towns on the road and destined to be a city of consider able size Three railroads meet here, and it is surrounded by a territory rich in min erals and of great fertility. The population is now about 5,000, and the town does a large business of all kinds. There are sev eral industrial enterprises in successful oper ation here, while large quantities of corn, wheat, potatoes, rye, hay, etc., are brought here for sale or for shipment. The society is a highly cultured one, there are several flourishing churches, three good hotels and numerous important industries. Educational institutions of a high order of merit exist, and the society ranks among the best in the State. Dalton is one of the historical points of the late war. Here it was that the Confed erate army wintered in 1863-4, and just in front of the town, a severe skirmish was fought in February, 1864, a few’ weeks pre vious to Sherman’s grand advance. As at other stations, the mineral wealth of the surrounding country is inexhaustible. At present, agriculture occupies the attention of the people, but the development of the min eral resources of this section of the State goes on steadily and Dalton will reap rich fruits from their full development. By this time we had left Dalton and were steaming rapidly to TUNNEL HILL, Which place was reached according to schedule time. A small place, sir, quite elevated and just west of the most westerly of the spurs of the Blue Ridge. The popula tion is about five hundred. Here are two good schools, two churches and an excellent hotel. As a summer resort it attracts quite a number of visitors, the climate being fine. The next station is RINGGOLD, Which we shall presently reach. It is the county seat of Catoosa county, and is situ ated in a beautiful valley at the foot of Tay lor’s Ridge, near the Chickamauga river. Civilization finds expression in two churches and two schools, while nature has bestowed upon the place a superb climate from April to December, attracting many visitors. I had gone on talking for some time un disturbed by replies from my companion, and was just about to proceed with an account of Graysville when something that sounded unmistakeably like A SNORE Greeted my ear. Looking at the Western traveler I found that he was fast asleep. This looker after investment had been lulled into slumber by the monotonous rolling of the cars and the gentle summer zephyrs. Perish the thought that my description of the stations had acted as a soporific. I leave you, Wrenn, and the three hundred thousand readers of the Gazette to decide whether, all things considered, I was not justified in indignantly rising from my seat and leaving that Western snorer on whom statistics and eloquence had been most shamefully wasted for about one hour. Snap. 3