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ill Editor t ],e Land of plovers. ^Sights of the Land frees Shaded, Summer Ever irsintheAir. ■ ' ^ „ . nomical too, and are not ashamed to be t«een at work, I noticed one in an bringing in a singleJiale of long staple cotton in a two-wheeled cart. He rode the little mule, that drew the.veliicle.nnd the turnout was a most comical looking tight. Idid not-imagine that tliedrt- yer was worth a hill of peas. Judge my surprise to learn that he wa* one of the solid farmers of Lowndes county, owned several valuable farms, with* a big bank account. Down here you can not judge a farmer’s financial condition by bis looks. They live plain, make no pretentions at display, and only spend money ; for the absolute necessities of iife. They pay cash, too, for all they buy, and this, is another secret of their success. lU I talked with several farmers this morning, and their favorite question lHENS, GEORGIA. TUSEDAY MORNING, OCTOBER lo, 1889. ' U Back {o the Readers LbaNNER Brief Glimp- f of Sunlight from ‘ Unceasing Sum- pier Skies. Ijjpical Floridian Described— A Girls Fair Types of South- C,ty-Our Editor Makes LJourney through Sun ny Plains on a Con struction Train. The scenery through which I am traveling is decidedly' tropical. The long-leaved pine and cypress trees are draped in moss—the woods are covered wit h saw mills palmetto and wire grass, interspersed with lovely flowers of every’ hue. This Is a splendid stock-raising coim- rry, and you see large Herds of long- hftt ii.;d Florida Cattle and vast floods of sheep. , The wire grass not only sup plies not only a summer but a winter pasture,as thegreeu grass Is ever sprout ing under the withered hay that covers the earth. . * This is ^.paradise for the sportsman, l'lie forests are, filled with wild game of all kinds, ajul the echo of the steam whistle wakes immense coveys of quails Squirrels, turkeys, and every, kind of small game is ... numerous, while some was, “What is the. Alliance doing up distance from the railroad deer are the country?” I find this organization | found. A gentlemen at Valdosta has Fields and Fra grant Flowers. juiMBwiOT- m,G*., Oct. 10.—-Dear Bax- Afier’n refreshing night’s sleep morning feeling that I iMother climate, there was such hence in die weather. Heavy L» is uncomfortable, and for once Ly that l did not burthen myself Iwovereoat on leaving home. is a very prosperous and phnith Georgia city, and is only liilesfrom die Florida line. Its jare broad and straight, being with white saml ankle deep, wry house I noticed an or- icf LeConte orSanil pears—that is jfimi*ortant crop down here, being li Georgia what oranges are Flor- | These pear trees are beautiful ms of the vegetable kingdom, |lio not know a prettier or more [sight than a grove of these 111 trees. They bear .shipping as liioninges, ami remain on the trees pfrost, the last of the crop only be- hered this week. ia prohibition standpoint Val- liwringing wet. You see bar- jl%n» o;i every block, and yet the ssay a drunken man is a rare Every town on the G., S. and Ifroin Macon to Valdosta has |i«i the liquor tradio, as it would Bible to govern the saw mill |#rpentine Hands if they had easy Btottre water. tods said to be no dull season with Iordants of Valdosta. In this di- M with its manifold resources fkicr p is coming into market all f*. The business season of the F'tvhen vegetables and watermel- [fipen, and the business done in *®®*b> s almost incredible. Then :he pear crop, followed by cot- then with a constant trade in ^rnui turpentine. The mer- "•Wl us it is hard to say at wliat ^ftht year most money is ill cir- Jon ’t r as fast as one crop goes Father is ready to take ics place, ^eertainiy » happy state of affairs leial class, receives about 10.000 bales f !on !l y^v, but a greater part of it * 0n S staple, that sells at from 23 »pound. just as determined here as with us.They are not so numerous, however, but the movement is growing rapidly. I did not see a single bale in cotton bagging —jute being rltogethcr used. It takes new jute, too, for the long staple, a* pieced bagging will not answer. A cot ton buyer, however, tells me that a few farmers use anti-trust bagging, one man refused to sell his cotton here, and hauled it back home, because he heard his cloth would be recovered with jute by the compresses. Thin g *n;h - man tells us that all the cotton liiyeia in the large cities re-cover every uaus where jute is not used by tbcfarn.er. The Banker’s suggestion. for plan ters to makeup the difference in jari by using more ties to the bale L. stead of six is taking, like wild-fire, aud v.e believe the idda will be generally adopt ed. It is the only sure and practical way for our cotton growers to defeat the jute trust and not do so at a loss to themselves. Every cotton buyer I have seen says it will work all right. I write this letter while sitting in the depot at Valdosta, waiting for the con struction train on the Florida end of the G., S. and F., to pull out. There is a break in the road at Jasper, Fla., and it is a matter of doubt if I can get through to Lake City. The distance by this new line is only 05 miles, but to go a p>ck of deer on his lot. The numer ous streams and ponds are locked wltfl fish and the hook «c rcely tOnilhes the Water before it L r nken by a trout, bream, or some other edible fish, and they grow here, too, very large. Mr. Dorsey tells lis that lie shot two trout th-t weighed 15 pounds n a short time. This is a popular way f fishing down here with a rifle. I passed Ocean pond just now—the s-.**:ne where last surnn er a gay party of Athenians went on a hunt. Tbis is not ■.he .cenc of the battle of Oiustce, where Jen. Colquitt and Col. J. II. Huggins immortalized themselves by their valor, nit the fight took place about two miles fi-om|Lake City. 1 will try and write up this historic field, and describe to th» old veterans what changes 20-od<l years of peace have wrought. There is a chain of ponds here and tne train passes in plain view of them. One is several miles long, wl.ile others form a perfect .circle. They are aM named, one of them having been chris tened “Circus King Lake” by Conduc tor Holliday. It is most appropriately named. In the centre of tbis pond is a perfect circle formed by pond lilies, and they are as regular as if placed by t to hat.d of a^gardeuer. It must be a sluggishly flow onward to the briny deep. In mid-summer this must in deed he a lovely land—-and yet I have thus far only penetrated the outskirts; of it. NOTES. , ; v I never saw such large and flourish ing umbrella china trees. The shade of several I have seen will cover an acre. This region is just being opened up to the turpentine man, and miles of trees are topped. The average dura tion of a pine is three years, when the flow of rosin ceases and the satv mill men follow. The lumber made from turpentine treeijis not as good as from nntopped pines. The railroad boys SaV the can’t get in speaking distance of a sweet Florida belle, as they have been taught to be lieve tuat railroaders are all gay and festive deceivers. .My train has just reached JasDer, w here I take the opportunity to mail cuis letter. I find that the train on the 3., F. & W. will not pa3S beforejto-mor- row, and so decided to go to White Sul- pimr Springs, where the road|now stops, uid try ami woyk our way t« Lake City through the country. It is 12 miles distant. Will write iii my next how we succeeded. I am thoroughly convinced that railroads are badly needed in Florida. T. L. G. aroun t by the S., F. and W. would he J lovely sight when in bloom. The waters 99 miles and I would not reach my *1 es tination until to-morrow. I shall take the chance and board the coustruetiou train. ~ t. l. d; ON CONSTRUCTION TRAIN IN FLORIDA, Oct. 10.—Dear Banner : At IT o’clock sharp our train pulled out from Val- dosta, and were soon steaming through the laud of the leaf pine and wire grass I am very comfortably quartered in a caboose, and while my seat is far from a downy bed of ease, I will not com plain. I have always looked upon Florida as a God-forsaken land, whose princi pal products were mosquitoes <md sa lamanders, and that the nations depend ed for their support on fish and stran gers. But the further I travel in the Land of Floweis the scales of prejudice begin to fall in my eyes, and instead of a barren and miasmatic jungle or pine region I see a healthful land, that only needs the developing touch of industry, thrift and capital to make it blossom as the rose and transform it into an Arca dia. There is a new and vast field for development here, and no State in the Union is making more rapid strides than Florida. With the new roads pen etrating it in every direction—bringing near to market its great wealth of tins hew; throwing open to settlers its pro- | cal * p^rfdian was ductive lands that only require care and skill to transform it'nto a vast t uc'; garden and fruit farm: and last, but far from least, its magnificent, invigora ting and life-giving winter climate, the State is destined, in the near future, to be one of the richest and most populous sections of our continent. The conductor of our train, Mr. Hil- liday, kindly gave pie'up bis seat in the i y ' f , ..>** 15 packed \ n s ky-light of the caboose, where I found I the scales at.over 200. of about 300 pounds each, ^ . . .. I TIia knna^s. how^vt Market ^ them i ut ties. Farmers tell us that on and they can make a bale of this ^ to two acres, hut it is hard to i costing 75 cents per hundred. A; 4 n' u "'here it is prepared for - 1 ' ft requires an entirely differ ed 1 for t},is variety of the staple, Ur J °f the lint in remov- ! ,eed being being almost as clean i* ^ M black. For seed purpo- CS 14t ^ P er bushel, but when is supplied the oil mills u P*t from 20 to 22 cents. ! Vet T touch pleased with South •untf is au entirely different to what many of we up-coun- iecii,!*' ma J?*ne. The water is good, delightful, the land easily Btj-. Sl,c «ptible to a high state of lilij on,an<1 with the large number Te, j, ■ nt erops tnatcan be grown ri^ ’ 4 Ver y easy matter to ^hiake a n» 11 (i f * 1 rmers are said to be in a better leor than those in Mid tectrai eru Georgia. They are, as H not 4 Uun ”’ in dustrious and thrifty toe- r '° 1,1 IC * 1 r °ft #ne3 * 8 placed in * ' The people are more eco- in the lakes are as clear as crystal, anil abound notouly in fish, but also alliga tors. -~These' animals are freqm8rttly awaked from their slumbers by the shriek of the locomotive, anil will dart through the water at lightiiiug--peei]. These animals have not as yet become accustomed to the march of civjUizatio... These fresh water lakes have neither inlet or outlet, and a drought has no ap parent aftect upon them. At Ocean pond an enterprising land- owner has laid off a town and is giving away lots to parties who will build on them. At Turkey creek the train stopped at a spring of excellent water, onlj* it was coo warm for my taste. In sight ol this road here a lime sink was pointed out, where a short time since the earth sunk in for a circle of about 15 feet and 12 feet deep forming a natural well Into this cavity a bold stream pours, | the water of which is lost to sight, prov ing the presence of an underground cavern. These lime sinks are common here, and a story is told whire the earth yawned and swallowed up a farm er and the mule lie was plowing, and they were never heard of again. We have always heard that the typi- a dwarfed, cadave rous worm eater and dirt-begrimed specimen of humanity. There never was a greater mistake. The natives I have seen are in every way equal in statue and appearance to our up-coun try people. The girls are all rosy cheeked, fat and hearty, and appear the picture of contentment. I noticed to-day several women who would pull a comfortable revolving chair anil en joyed a splendid view of the country on all sides. THIS SECTION |OF FLORIDA with the exception of au occasional cleared patch, is as fresh and inviting as when that intrepid explorer JPonee de Leon and his band of adventurers treaded their way through a trackless wilderness in quest of the mythical Fountain of Youth. We find here the vanguards of civilization to he saw mills. As fast as the track is laid an enterprising piner wilVMgin to cut the magnifleont pine and : cypress timber millions in into lumber. There .are , . , . this business. Heavily timbered land I upon the inviting landscape can be.bought at from $1 to $10 per | quent intervals the railroad crosses The houses, however, are cheap and rough affairs. I have not as yet seen the first sign of paint or whitewash. The people Igreatly believe in small frame or log buildings, many without glass windows, and with plenty of air holes. But in the mild and delightful climate it is not necessary to build as close and substantial residences as are required in the region of sleet and snows. While 1 have no doubt but that Athenians are today shivering over fires, I have shucked nay coat and vest and the breeze fanned by the morning train is very refreshing. I never grow weary of looking out At fre- a acre, according to distance f.om the railroad. It doesn’t seem to me that South Georgia need fear $ tat her stock of timber is in danger of exhaustion for a century yet, for I have seen, since I left Macon, nines enough, apparently, small swamp, the dreary s;ene of hang ing moss relieved by gigantic magno lias, bays and other tropical trees and shrubs that are so highly prized and carefully cultivated at hom$, while tlic aarth is carpeted with all manner of to supply the market of the world for “ llowers ant j the different shades of centuries. I notice in South Georgia fo]iatre and Florida that hroail-tireil vehicles 1 in the rivers and streams are used as it is easier for them to travel j ^ cr0S5 are almost as black as ink, and the sandy roads. -v. Jasper, Fla., Oct. 10.—I am back again here, where I will spend the night and go on to Lake City to-morrow. We stopped at the construction camp, had an enjoyable dinner of fried bacon, corn hr. ad anil raw onions, with a stalk of sugarcane for desert, and I. don’t know when I ate a heartier meal. After dinner we boarded the con struction train again, and had proceeded something over a mile when another 1 >c«motive was soon meeting ui. As it has often been tried, and found to be a a disastrous impossibilityfor two (rains to pass oh the same trackVour engineer halted, and soon began Lto wake the woods with shrill whistle^, which were answered by the other train. After earn ing on this animated conversation for some time, the two engines appar ently understood, one anot^jferperfectly, when our train begjjn. to"oackj toward Jasper. We then learned that ft would Ite an impossibility for us to go any further, and there was nothing left but to stojrover here and take the morning train oiAhe S'., F. & W for onr desti nation. *** The engineer of our construction train is a little Englishman and an old sailor, having travelled all over the world. He is a very intelligent mau and a close observer, and while at dinner gave us a most interesting account of his jour neys to strange countries. / He has been on a voyage to Alaska, doubled Capes Horn and Good Hope,, .looked upon Mount Hecla, and served iq.the Peru vian navy, in which couit&y he once lived. He says the loveliest women are the Spaniards and Caucasians, but they lack a great deal of being modern edi tions of Caesar’s wife. The Peruvian ladies are also lovely to look upon but are liked whited sepulchres. In speaking of countries, our engin eer said that there was a peculiarity about both Spain and Kussia that he notice about no other land on the globe —you c m smell both countries even before land is in sight. The odors from the shores of Spain are like those of Araby the Blest, and act like an intox- eant on the traveller by sea. With Rus sia the same peculiarity is detected, only' the smell is of a most offensive character, which increases as the land is neareil. An acquaintance with the inhabitants does not improve matters, and even when you are in company with the most refined ladies you can readily deteet the source of this natural odor. This is a discovery we have never heard travellers touch upon. I have just been over the town of Jas per, and of course called at thenewspa per office, which I found in charge of a very clever man from Illinois, who is editor, printer and devil combined. He said lie came South a republican, hut couldn’t stand the complexion of that party here, and is now a dyed-in-the- wool Democrat. He says F : orida is a very* good country, hut it is a hard mat ter to make a living from a newspaper on account of the large number of igno rant people. He says the negroes here are nearly all armed with carbines and Remington rifles, and there is no tell ing when serious trouble may break out. V Only last month, at the railroad camp about a mile below Jasper, two negroes were shot dead and three badly wound ed by men from Jasper, while they were gambling at night. The murderers, who were three noted negro gamblers w'anted to loin in the game, hut w’ere refused, when they’ stepped outside and opened fire upon the unsuspecting men in the car, with fatal effect. The fiends escaped in the darkness, but one has since been captured, and is in jail here. Since the killing, it is impossible to get a hand to occupy the car where the tragedy took place, as the negroes say it Is haunted, and so it remains side tracked. We were shown the bullet holes, made by carbine balls, while the inside is sprinkled with buckshot. •V. I am writing this letter from one ve randa of one, of (he cosiest little hotels in the “S.yreet Sunujf rJ^mth.’ ’ It is shaded by gigantic live oaks,-while the yard and piazzas are embraced in hardy flowers and exotics. I never saw such a collection of geraniums, colens and all manner of flowery and foliage plants. The rare bushes, cape jessamines and other bushes are in full flower, andthe- air is laden with their perfume. *.* It is a rare sight to see a four-wheeled vehicle in Florida. Most of the travel is done on horseback, and the crops brought to market in carts drawn by a small pony or a steer. The stores have good stocks, and seem to do an excel lent business, most of it being cash, as the credit system has not much of a foothold here as yet. A RAILROAD RUMOR • A -L +* WHIGH IS NOT ALL A HU>TOK , RUT A REALITY. The Rome Railroad Extended to Ath ens—An Important Outlet for North Georgia and Tennesee— * The Bill has Passed and the* ; , - i’. Gorernor will Sign It. I stopped a farmer at Jasper and ask ed him about the Alliance movement here. He said he hadn’t heard much about it, and didn’t know any of his neighbors who hail joined. Nqsuch thing as cotton bagging is known here. A1I the farmers use new jute. This is necessary, for as I stated in a previous letter, the long staple bales are not bound in hoops, hut. sewed in a solid bag. This cotton has not so much elas ticity as the short staple, and springs but little after leaving the press. Buy ers here pay $16 per ton for the seed, which are all exported. There is a ready demand lor them. Jasper receiv ed last year 1,800 bales of cotton, a part of which was shipped In the seed. *** The long st iple cotton s altogether’ raised here. I noticed a number of fields, and they appear to produce about as much per acre as good land around Athens, Some of the stalks are taller than my head, but will average about thigh high. The crop is mostly open, but the bolts do not burst as wide as with us, aud the fields not of such a white coat. I never in my life saw so many buz zards and carrion crows as to-day. You see great flocks of them like blackbirds, and at one place, where a train had killed a pig, the engine was upon the flock before they moved, and flew baek to their revolting feast before the last car had passed. I also noticed a great many blue and white cranes, while many of the pouds were covered with wild ducks. A gentleman tells us that squirrels hre so tame and plentiful that some of the natives hunt them with rocks. *#* There is no doubt about Lake City being the coming metropolis of this sec tion. Everybody I meet is talking about the great things in store for it and it seems to have taken on a regular Birmingham boom. I shall reach it to-morrow at 11a. m., and mustconfess that my curiosity is considerably wrought up to see the place. Will write you my impression. T. L. G. DROPPED DEAD. Charlie Shaw Dies from Heart Disease on Yesterday. Coroner Pitner was out early yester day morning getting up a jury to hold an inquest over the body of Charlie Shaw, a negro who had dropped dead in front of Mr. Jesse Allen’s house while on his woy to work. The jury was soon summoned and *hey found the negro lying on the side walk dead. Chief Oliver was chosen as foreman, and the body of the negro taken to bis home, where the testimony was taken Charlie Shaw’s wife was the first in troduced, and testified that he slept well Wednesday night, and left home in good health. Charlie had before complained of his breast hurting him Wm. Wingfield met Charlie as he came out of his house and as they walked along Charlie told a joke and laughed at it heartily. Just as he stopped laugh ing lie said, oh! threw up his hands and sank to the ground, when lie died in ~ very few minutes without uttering word. From other evidence it was clearly shown that he had been subject to heart disease, and the Coroner t s jury rendered a verdict accordingly. Charlie Shaw was one of the best ne- gtoes in the city, and lias been working for the Carlton family for years. A most important hill. Jias passed both houses, of the Legislature and is now awaiting the Governors sig nature _ It a' bill which interests Athens materially and our citizens will watch with eagerness the results of the law when the Governor’s signature: makEs it of force and effect. Tile bill provides for the building’ of very important railroad to Athena hich will give a most desirable dutlet * to North Georgia and Tennessee. It is the extension of the Rome railroad. In speaking of the advantages of this road and the prospects of its being built, the Rome Tribune grows enthu- r siastic and gives the following: ROUTES OF EXTENSION. “There is a rumor afloat that the ex tension will be westward as well as eastward from its termini at Rome and - Kingston, It is generally supposed (hat Presi dent John D. Williamson apd his asso ciate who own the controlling interest in the Rome railroad are backing the . scheme. This may or may not be true. It is certain however that the matter is being kept still with “Williamson- * like” quietness. .yr The rumors about the extension are . that the road will be built to Gaines ville from Kingston by one of the routes originally proposed. From Gainesville the extension will be made to Athens, connecting there with the Seaboard and Roanoke rail road, or the “John Robinson” railroad, as it is familiarly known. This would give an OUTLET TO NORFOLK by a system entirelv independent of the Richmond Terminal system. Then from Athens it is possible that the extension may be made to Port Royal, one of the finest deep water har bors on the Atlantic coast. The charter granted bjr the Iegisla-^" ture authorizes the extension to the State-line of Alabama on the west. It is probable that the road will be built to Montgomery and Mobile, or perhaps Birmingham and New Orleans. AN IMPORTANT SYSTEM. Whether this he the true direction of extension or not, and the Tribune be lieves it is from its best judgment and all rumors heard, the system is bound to he an important one . when its con necting branches are taken into consid eration. And furthermore, it is probable that when the Borne railroad wakes from, its Rip Van Winkle sleep at the com pletion of the extensions that it wont know itself.” This is the extension which the Ban ner called attention to more than a month ago. and predicted that the ru mors about its consummation would as sume practical shape and become bright realities. We feel that our prediction is being fully realized aud we firmly believe the road will he built. IDN’T SHOW DP. A. T. O'Dell, the Redmond of North Geor gia in Trouble. “Come up in my office,” said Tobe Murray the deputy collector for this district, “and I will show you a capture that I have just made.” Collector Murray conducted us up into the Booth huilding to his office which hehas fitted up in the latest style. In the southeast corner is a. beautiful maliogony desk where the business of the collector is done. Around the room is fine plush’bottom.chaire for those who have business with <the office to sit in. A sofa also sits where the breezes from the slopes of the Blue Ridge can fan the brow of those who call. The sofa is a little out of re pair, but it is good. “See that keg? I captured that from A. T. O’Dell, audit is filled with peach brandy, and O’Dell has been carried to Gainesville. O’Dell had made 219 gal lons, and this keg is all that he could show up for his summer work. I got the tax on the 219 gallons and have been laying around several days t o get it.” Collector Murray is determined to break up illicit distilling in Madison and other counties, and^it is to he hoped that those who do such things will stop it and not give the collector the un pleasant duty of arresting them. The couple that marries ’ in cotton bagging “trousseaux at the Fair will show their loyalty to the Alliance’s warfare against the jute monopoly. Moreover they will get many a pres ents from the spectators. Who will the couple he? All of the railroads are offering won derfully reduced rates to the Piedmont Exposition, and great c-owds will take advantage of the excursion days and flock to the Gate city while the great •ihow lasts.