The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-01

evidently most desls0us place for Southern
residence. The iron horse took me in sever
hours to Atlanta, place rather swkwardly laid
off, owing to the interference Of the rairosc
tracks which intersect its limits. The steam
whistle is heard here every hour Of the day, an
nouncing the arrival and departure of border
and passenger cars. There are here about iif
teen hundred Industrious, enterprising citizens
It's business grows solely out of the trave
passing through it. Being in high latitude
cool nights are experienced at this place, &c
that you may sleep comfortably under blanket
in summer A railroad trip Of ten hours sci
US down in Augusta Being SO fortunate here
as to take lodgings at the United States hotel
| experienced great refreshment from the kind
attention of its proprietors and the excellent
vands served TO its inmates. A population OF
about ten thousand is found at this place
Its principal street is Of handsome width
stretching more than two miles along the Sa-
vannah river. The town is lighted with gas.
Cotton creates the chief trade here, although an
extensive business is done in the wholesale
supply of country merchants. 1t has extensive
warehouses for the reception Of cotton, which
its merchants forward to Charleston by railroad
and to Savannah by steamboat. Owing to its
railroad facilities and 10 the water power which
river, also to its being the centre of rich
planting region, Augusta gives promise of be
coming large wealthy city. A ride of eight
hours and lao miles through a sterile district, al
though exhibiting many luxuriant cotton and
corn fields, (some OF which contained one thou.
sand acres,) brought to my view the beautiful
city jof Columbia, s. Carolina A field of cot.
ton in full bloom with it's parti colored flowers
ia a to- ali tallv ,uhn e.. 1
first time. This magnificent inland town has an
elevated location. and is laid out on "A tasteful
plan. It offers, however, but little to stimulate
the enterprise fits citizens, as almost its entire
business grows out of the supplies called for by
the neighboring planters. railroad radiates
hence TO Charleston with Il branch to Camden !;
also similar roads to the northern and western
portions of the State. The last mentioned is
however, unfinished Its completion to it's
western terminus will it is presumed greatly
enlarge the business Of the place, as it will in.
tersect another from Tennessee Columbia
offers to The view many sumptuous private man.
sions, surrounded with gardens, which are dec
Grated with the flowers and foliage natural to
the sunny South. tits the seat of large col
lege, which is well supported, owing to its be-
ing conducted by tho most able professors 10
every department of science and literature The
very distinguished and eloquent Hon. w. G..
Preston was till recently the president.
now took the rails for Charleston, one hun
dred and thirty miles distant, on my homeward
route. A rather b0lster0us steamboat passage
of sixteen hours conveyed us thence to Viii.
mington, North Carolina commercial town,
containing about 10000 inhabitants, and lying
on the Cape Fear liver, about forty miles by
water from the ocean, although only nine by
land. This is thriving enterprising place. Its
chief trade is in lumber, naval stores, and tur.
penine, which productions it exports to the diff
ferent American and foreign ports. Rice is the
principal article cultivated by the planters in
the vicinity. The railroad from Weldon termi
mates at this place, the Ileasantest track on the
whole line from the Potomac river, owing to its
having but little grade, and large proportion
of straight line. | am informed that this costly
road was constructed mainly by the enterprise
of the citizens of Wilmington. They are also
pushing to completion another road to inter-
sect the Manchester and Charleston rcd, which,
when completed, will shorten the passage and
overcome the necessity Of the Objectionable
ocean route now travelled. The cars conveyed
us hence at rate of twenty miles an hour,
through a barren country, and swampy lands.
The trees that we passed were hung with sort
of moss, which looked at distance like punches
of flax carelessly thrown on Them
After jaunt of fifty miles, we came to the
little village Of Warsaw, where we were trans
ferred to stages. The people living in this part
of North Carolina depend principally on the
production Of turpentine. The mode of pro-
ducing it will alude to. Early in the spring, in
cisions are made in tie bodies of the pine trees,
in the form of u pocket, to receive the turpen-
tine as it runs therefrom. On some occasions,
the bark and a portion of the sap are removed
by three. cornered chsel to produce flow of
the turpentine. There are two species Of pine,
the broad and narrow leaved, the latter of which
produces no turpentine. A good running tree
will produce about three gallons of turpentine
in season They will also run for many years
before becoming exhausted.
After travelling through low sultry part of
the country arrived at Fayetteville, about one
hundred miles above Wilmington, at the head
of navigation on the Cape Fear river This
town contains 900 souls, and is well laid out,
bat is rather stationary in the way Of improve
ment. The citizenshave of late, however, made
commendable efforts, by the construction of
plank roads and slack watering the Cape Fear
river, to bring trade to this place. Its business
consists mainly in the reception and transporta-
and cotton factories in the vicinity, also an ex.
tensive United States arsenal.
now bent my course to Raleigh, about
sixty miles distant by stage route, crossing
Cape Fear river at its highest ,tage of water in
a rickety canoe. Our stages were well adapted
to relieve persons afflicted with dyspepsia The
State Capitol at this place is one Of the first in
the Union, and adds much to the beauty of the
town, the population of which is about 1000.
Raleigh is in healthy section Of country, and
is selected as summer residence by planters
from the lower portion of the State The
dwelling houses are built on costly plan, com
bining comfort and convenience. A large por
ton of its citizens are wealthy and refued
There is at this place large and prosperous
female seminary, under tie supervision of
the Episcopal diocese of the State The
town is laid out with wide streets, radiating for
the most part from the Capitol square, wbicl,
gives it handsome appearance. A railroad
runs hence to Castor and Petersburg. This
has been in bad condition for some time, but
with great enterprise is now being relaid with
substantial rails and other corresponding i'm