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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, JUNE 1,1884.
Editorial Correspondence Southern World.]
From •mUhvIHe to Blalceljr—A
Terra IncoKi'lta Recently Open*
cd to the World-theory, Arling
ton and Ulakely.
The writer will now re«ume his notes
of travel on the Southwestern Railroad,
and as promised, take up at Smithville
the broken thread of his narrative.
The country to Albany via Leesburg
has been described in a previous letter,
and few incidents worthy of mention
transpired by the way. There is a no
ticeable improvement in the crops of
corn and cotton, however, and oats are
doing moderately well. Never has this
country been blessed with better
“ stands,” and the farmers are fairly up
with their work. It is a surprising fact
also that while Middle and Upper Geor
gia have been deluged with torrents of
rain, and the rivers and creeks frequent
ly overflowed their banks to the serious
retarding of all planting operations, in
this section the rainfall, while suflicient,
has not been excessive, and we have the
word of a farmer that his plowing has
been interrupted only two days since
Christmas.
With this fair start it is to be hoped
that a plentiful harvest will supplement
the partial failures of the past three
years and gladden the hearts of the hus
bandmen.
It is a matter of fact that many ponds
that are brimming full in the winter
months, are still “as dry as a bone.”
God grant that refreshing showers
from time may keep up the present sup
ply of moisture, and that there will be
no repetition of the unprecedented
drought of last year.
Pausing long enough at Albany to im
bibe deep draughts of the health giving
“artesian" the writer ere long enterec
the cars of the “BlaVely Kxtension"
and was soon bowling along at moderate
speed under the charge of Conductor
McD. Jones, a clever gentleman, through
a region entirely new to him.
The growth of the country varies with
the ch trader of the soil, Some districts
are heavily wooded with oak, hickory,
ash and laurel; others are mixed with
{ line and oak shrubs, and then we have
arge tracts covered with long leaf yel
low pine. The first mentioned may b«
classed as hammock land and is very
rich. The second, though quite produc
tive, is not so fertile, while the pine
woods are chiefly valuable for their tim
ber and turpentine When cleared
however, and sufliciently elevated, with
a little fertilizing they yield very fair
crops and are desirable from their supe
rior salubrity.
The soil of the oaky lands is n rich al
luvial abounding iu lime, and here chills
and fevers prevail universally. The wa
ter too is execrable. But in their virgin
state they will compare favorably with
the prairies of the West, and readily
. yield a bale or more of cotton to the
acre.
The train passed directly through the
♦Lockett convict plantation, and within
two miles of the famous “Salter Stock
Farm."
The bo called jail birds wero hoeing
and plowing corn, and save for their
striped clothes and the guards with their
gunB, might readily have been taken for
a happy plantation gang of freedinen.
And this is the great error in our present
penitentiary system. The writer is not
prepared in the existing condition of the
nuances of the State to suggest a better,
and is not disposed to be censorious.
But he would respectfully submit that
moderate outdoor work abundant ra
tions, warm clothing, and hilarious so
cial association with each other consti
tute tittle or no punishment to the mon
ster who has perhaps slain his fellow,
committed arson, or attempted rape.
Aside from the danger to which peace
ful communities are exposed from the
vicinity of a large body of such miscre
ants, necessarily but imperfectly guard
ed and confined, the ends of justice are
not subserved by this treatment of of
fenders against the lawB. Some of them
have been known to beg to be continued
on the penitentiary roll when their terms
have expired, ard others straightway
commit -ome felony that they may be
put back again. In short, the punish
ment is utterly inadequate for the crimes
that have been perpetrated, and has no
terror for evil doers.
When, therefore, the Commonwealth
is relieved from debt, every good citizen
ought to lift his voice for the re-estab
lishment of a penitentiary proper, where
the convicts can be kept in solitary con
finement and made to perform hard la
bor in silence within prison walls, and
under the strictest surveillance. And
this is said with no disparagement to
the lessees, who doubtless perform their
duty as faithfully and conscientiously as
possible. It is the whole system that is
grievously defective.
of a visit to. Mr. Salter’s magnificent
stock farm. It is a movement in the
right direction, and the profitable results
will doubtless induce many to emulate
bis example.
As the road progresses through Cal
houn and Early counties, the finest graz
ing and agricultural region in the State
opens up to view. The land is as level
as a billiard table, has a good founda
tion, and is fertile and easily cultivated.
Here it was that General Taylor, Col.
Nisbet, the Hills and others located their
a|jnost boundless plantations in ante
helium days. Some of the clearings re
semble large prairies in their treeless
extent.
One Boston gentleman has recently
purchased a farm lying on the road near
Leary, which has twelve hundred acres
covered with Bermuda grass nearly knee
high. He expects to devote it to the
raising of stock.
This is indeed the poor man’s para
dise, for with a single horse and plow
and a bare start of cattle and sheep, al
most without assistance, if steady and
industrious, within a few years a fortune
is in his grasp. These lands are still
lidiculously low owing to the paucity of
the white population, and the fact that
they have never been properly adver
tised and placed upon the market. They
will soon be sought after with avidity
for truck, fruit and melon raising, for
which both climate and soil are admira
bly adapted. At Leary, Calhoun coun
ty, the train paused to leave some load
ed cars, and the writer embraced the op-
portuni y to visit the artesian well, dis
tant several hundred yards. It is 700
feet in depth and sends up a pretty jet
which delivers 30 gallons to the minute.
The water is perfectly pellucid and de
cidedly mineral It will prove a God
send to that malarial regiou.
Leary is a thriving little town of 350
inhabitants, with seven stores, two
churches, one hotel, a good school, and
receives 5,000 bales of cotton every sea
son. We had no time to torm the ac
quaintance of the people.
Once more en route, Arlington, also
situated in Calhoun, eighteen miles from
Blakely, is another considerable place
that the railroad has called into exist-
ars, in charge of Prof. Granberry, and the mounds are the mausoleums of the
three other schools, sixteen business dead after a great battle, or were con-
houses, three warehouses, one newspa- structed to commemorate some historical
per, three lawyers, two dentists and four event, cannot be successfully deter
doctors. . mined. They belong to the unsolved ar-
The town is ruled by a Mayor and five cana of the distant past. But enough
Councilmen, and they have spared no for the present. H. H.J.
pains in ornamenting the streets with |
THE III.uk AND the GRAY.
A Southern “Confect” In a Tight
Place.
The writer will vouch for the truth of
the following incident which was derived
enee.
Here we noticed a man frantically
fighting fleas, who swore he was too
busy to talk to anybody. And sure
enough, there he stood stamping and
scratching and shaking himself until he
bad well nigh wriggled clean out of his
half demolished shirt. Inquisitorial
tortures were light when compared with
the sufferings of the poor fellow. The
very reinembrauce of his agonies sets
one’s flesh to crawling, from the imagi
nary incursions of these active and ven
omous little travelers. He was a car
penter and had been working upon an
old stable, which furniBheB the necessa
ry explanation.
Arlington lias a population of 300,
eight business places, four small hotels,
two churches, one mixed white school.
The receipts of cotton sum up about
5,000 bales. The town has been on a
stand since the extension of the railroad
to Blakely, but owing to its rich farming
surroundings will always be a consider
able business place.
At another time we shall pay our re
spects to the good people of both Leary
and Arlington.
Niglu had -let fall her sable curtain
wheu the train arrived at Blakely, and
your correspondent lost no time in re
pairing to the neat boarding house of
Mrs. Mary Livingstone, where a nice
supper and downy bed awaited him. In
this connection the public will be glad
to learn that for lack of suitable rooms
for her guests in the poorly contrived
edifice which she now rents, Mrs. Liv
ingstone, who is a perfect lady, and uni
versally popular, has contracted for the
erection of a handsome and commodious
hotel where she will be pleased to greet
her numerous patrons. The work has
already been commenced. The most
fastidious epicure could find no fault
with her table.
Early county, to which a portion of
Bak**r and Decatur- once belonged, was
laid out in 1818, but it was not until
seven years afterwards (1825) that it
was regularly organized. The following
year Blakely, the county seat, was set
tled. The town is picturesquely and
pleasantly situated on an elevated ridge
commanding fine views of the adjacent
fertile country, now clad in all the
bravery of summer.
The place is noted for its good morals,
singular salubrity and excellent water.
No artesian well need supplant the crys
tal fluid which every family enjoys in
abundance. In its whole history, verg
ing on sixty years, but a single honveide
was ever perpetrated in t».e town, which
is certainly a surpiising record. The
population numbers 800, and there are
four cliurclie-* ilwo while ami two n-l
umbrageous shade trees. The principal
thoroughfare reminds me of the elm em
bowered boulevards of New Haven.
Many of the stores are handsome and
carry large and varied stocks of goods.
We name the most important firms as
follows: J. M. & R. \V. Wade, J. H.
Robinson, Smith & James, B. R. Doster, I from a source thoroughly reliable
& H Br^S, z A r : 1 T l . he d r,v be ™ • G -
Manuel, H. H. Buchanan, Fryer & 8 ,a merchant who had served in the
Chipstead, livery and sale, W. H. Kil- Confederate army went North to pur-
gore, Jno. T. Williams, contractor. chase a small stock of goods. While
The bar is illustrated by such men as Vnrt ho i u , •
Ex-Senator E. C. Bower, Clarence Wil- ^, ew T.? T lted by a kinsman,
son, and R. II. Fowell, Esqrs. Gen * w * f L H - Davis, to visit him at
In the medical profession we find the his home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
accomplished and erudite Mayor of the The General is a staunch Democrat and
town, Dr. B. R. Doster, Dr. Tom How- *i.„ u n-,. , ,
ard, Dr. C. J. Mulligan and others. ° PP ° sed the war ^stildies had ac-
Of the county officials we formed the tually commenced. Like a true man he
acquaintance of Ordinary J. B. Jones, then espoused the cause of his State and
J. W. Alexander Clerk Superior Court, 8ec tion, and raising a regiment (the 147th
Jno. S. Mosely, Sheriff, II. II. Buchan- 0 , , '
an, Treasurer, all competent and deserv- y a) was elected Colonel, lie
ing men. served gallantly at Charleston and other
The writer was pleased to meet also points and was severely wounded. Af-
his worthy fellow-citizen, Ab F. Holt, terwards he was made a Brigadier Gen-
engineer, who with McD. Jones as con- 1
ductor and O. C. Allen baggage master,.
make all comfortable and safe on the When the war ended, Gen. Davis
“ Blakely Extension.” wrote and published the history of his
It was the pleasure of your scribe to regiment, and was mainly instrumental
circle of that Christian gentleman and gett U P tlie funds for the erection
veteran journalist, A. J. Fleming, of the at Doylestown of a handsome monument
Early County News, who, with his bright to the memory of the fallen braves
son, W. W. Fleming, as an editorial as- This had just been completed, and our
Bociate, is keeping that journal up to its i,„ r „ <Vw> F ’
fullest standard of excel ence. Brother e ar * ned u P on the tcene on the eve
Fleming has been knocked about con- °* Dm day designated for the dedication
siderably on this “terrestrial sphere," of the monument
and his mining adventures in the canons n e found General Emory (then com
and gulches of California are interesting. 4 . ... .. . * ,
But long, long ago, by the magnetism of a ding ^ 16 Washington lepartment)
bright eyes and a loving heart, lie was and staff Die guests of his kinsman, and
made to cast anchor in this secluded the town swarming with Union soldiers
cove, anil here he lias lived and flourish- and sympathizers who had come from
ed ever since, contented and happy. 1
The old fellow', who is one of the pil
lars of the Baptist Church, “ natheless"
seems to like to dwell upon those frolic
some days when he was sowing his wild
oats and toiling amid the wilds of the
.wn.uic lour niun iu-. vm.i mu"; uini i-i-i- tnwnry water lor thine hm-ritiren lli,» etc
We regretted that Ume did not admit I oied) one lirst-claui academy of (iOschol-1 this is nitre *pe.ul«tion, and whether' perfect Mill in
all quarters to witness the pageant and
ceremonies. Distant only eighteen mileB
from Philadelphia, the military of the
“ Quaker City ” had turned out grandly
Golden sTatef" “¥he community 1 can I to grace the occasion and were present
boast of no worthier citizen. by thousands.
When her new hotel is completed, General Emory, the old division com-
the regiment - ™ lh « ”'“ 1OT
to attract many visitors who periodically 01 1,16 da ^*
escape South from the chilling blasts of] Our Southern friend of course, under
D^ehr bypoborean homes. the circumstances, felt very small, and
SinUh^th^clever^correBponde^nt of'lh: "« ««<>»“> 10
Constitution and Clerk and Treasurer of gle WIth lhe crowd and remain per du.
the town, for a* pleasant ride in the The General remonstrated, saying tl at
country and had a fine opportunity o f his guest should be treated with every
patches 1 of theVeinV^ He saw oate^ consideration, but finally, in deference
the premises of Mr. J. B. Hobbs fully to hlB re( iuest, a ssented.
one month in advance of the common Then came the parade and procession
varieties. They were grown from the of splendidly uniformed troops in serried
Hawkins seed furnished by Commission- L—»i . ,, .
er Henderson, of the State Agricultural ™ nk , 8 ’ preceded b y a score of regimental
Department. bands who made the welkin ring with
Mr. Hobbs has ten acres in watermel- Dieir strains of martial music. Arriving
oo8 also and will be among the very first a t the monument the programme of ex-
1° ^ ie ,na r ket ^ or Dus refreshing ercises was.duly carried out, the orator
fruit the present year. . , , ,,
On Little Colomokee creek, several pronou ncing a most eloquent address,
miles in a northern direction from Blake- Immediately Gen. Emory concluded,
ly, a most remarkable group of mounds our lonesome and disconsolate Georgian
5 W -<w er * the antiquary, slipped out of the crowd and returned
lhe largest is <0 feet high with its sides L .1 . > . ^ ...
covered with majestic forest trees. to the residence of Gen. Davis.
Two other structures quite near to Some half hour afterwards, while eon-
them lift their heads 30 feet above the versing in the drawing room with Mrs.
T d the t n re ? wer , e Davis, the General galloped rapidly to
evidently enclosed by a wall of earth Li \ ... . f, ‘ 1
having a distinctly marked gateway or Die gate and hurriedly announced that
entrance. Outside of these, four smaller Die troops were about to pay a marching
mounds are visible near 20 feet in height, salute anil serenade to his wife and fain-
and the whole group or fortification was i| v , and as he was forced to be on duty
connected by an arched passage way 300 , , 7 V, ? , Q
yards long with the adjacent stream. elsewhere, be would expect his Georgia
Who were the builders of these curi- kinsman to make the customary response,
ous works,whether they may be ascribed The poor “ Confed ” considered this
to the Indians or some prehistoric race the trimmest of iokes and told Mrs.
long since extinct, will forever remain n g nrame8 t 01 Julies, aau 1 ,
111 doubt, though the latter theory in Dav,s Bome one of her husband s nepn
commonly received as correct. ews who were present, must do the hon-
Many years ago an excavation 00 feet I ors of the house at the proper moment,
deep in the largest mound revested a bed S oon the blare of trumnets and roll of
of human bones five feet in thickness , 11 01 6 1 trurape , “ - ntf
almost wholly decomposed. Recent ex- a hundred drums announced the conini>,
ploration8 have thrown hut little addi- °f the host.
U Mr 1ft 1 - ,h ? ? u . h i ect * , They filed in and filled a small p^k
connected with these mounds, as the re- hous « l U8 t opposite, as closely as a p-“ <*
mains of charnd wood may be Feen of cards.
i£°rL l U rl r summits which Then all the bands united and ren>U r-
The aichc.1 ‘SUPSSiP 1 " 1Uil C °'” ra >«•” " Th,! SU ;t Sp “'e
have I een designed to procure He noc- *Ded Banner,” “ Horae, Sweet H° D '
e«u*ry water for thine snonfire*. Bull etc. Suddenly there was a pause •
as. At tins jui ciure