The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-01-17

CHARLESTON, 5. c, Jan. :. 1850.
MEssRs. HosxER l. kERg-A few weeks pass

MEssRs. HosxER i kERs-A few weeks pass
ed at Nashville. Tenn, from whence my last let
ter was Dated waiting patiently for friends from
the North who dii'eat arrive, housed up much
Of the time to avoid the searching winter winds
and humid atmosphere of that variable climate,
admonished me that the sunny land Of the
South, particularly q, this remarkable cold sea-
son, was located much further to~ ard the g ulf
Of Mexico, where the Gulf Stream at all seasons
tempers the waters and waits freezes laden with
sunshine through orange groves that bloom the
year round, inviting the weary foot tops Of many
health seeking pilgrims from the ice clad regions
Of the North to winter in the more genial c.imes
Of Florida, Cuba, New Orleans and Savannah.
In this City, which is located on spacious
bay some ii rAiles from the ocean, aifOrding an
Nations. The present winter il Of uneAampled
rigor. Though no snow has fallen, the temporal
ture la. been down to IS or 20 degrees above
zero and overcoats and fires are essential 10
comfort.
Throughout the Northern and Central Coun-
tie. of Georgia, where freshet carried away
several Il. r. bridges, breaking up several trains
Of cars, aud OBTAINING hundreds Of passengers
besides myself for a number OF days, he SLOW
lay the last week 10 depth of about four inches
accompanied much of the time with extremely
rigorous weather.
At Chattanooga, a city of some , 10 COCO in
habtan,s, scattered among the hills Of South
East Tennessee, upon the river of that nam ;
which is navigabe to a distance ot 90 miles
above, passed a number Of day~. The Cum
berlsnd mountains are in fall view, and the place
il much of resort during the summer months,
for planters and their families from the lower
country. The look out" mountain there reaches
an elevation of about halt mile, and il covered
on its sides with patches of garden, firms, farm
houses and hotel and affords an excellent view
of the varegated landscape for many miles
The town appears To have got tn " stand still"
except the X. r. eating house, which IL in tull
blast and activity, thronCs OF hungry guests, on
the arrival Of each train, charging into the tur-
KEY, pig and hominey, (the staple feed through
XIV. and Tenn and the landlord with clerks
standing ready to charge them rouuHly in turn
This is the terminus OF the Nashville and
Chattanooga Il. r." Ga most wretc' Il aad I'M
safe affair 10y the wayD of the Eat Tenn and
Va. r. r." connecting on through Genital Va
tn Richmond aud Washington, and of the
Georgia and Atlantic r. r." which i a con-
meeting link in the great southern route from
Memphis to Charleston. To one born aud bred
at the North, and a stranger in the Southern
States, many things in the manners AMI customs
of society, and the way of doing things here
cannot fail to be observed, both strange and Gu
rous, and might in some instances say comicaI
The traveller who journeys southwark, should
by all means dispense with the paper trash called
bank bills, mo matter Of what State unless OF
that in which he trayelsl and provide himself
and liberally too, with Benton's pararea for al
evils, good yellow mint drops, 0'h.reiss h.
will find himself subjected to cud'.>s yc2ations
aud barbarous shaves upon his ''>',ek secured, -
his safety fund" &c
Immediately after crossing the Ohio south
ward, York State bank bill is looked upon with
suspicion, and Estate Bank of Michigan" bill
of which happened to have few scripts, has
no validity at all a. circulating medium. was
amused in several instances in Ky. aud Tenn,
when offering bills of current New York and
Connecticut banks in payment for hotel bill,
purchases, &c, to observe the Incredulous
looks with which the bills a. well "a myself were
scrutnzed, while receiving the invarahle rctu-
sal. Ii was almost tantamount to the declaration
-" here lie another of those em,sed Yankees
While the South NAV have been greatly al
fiicted from the sharp bargains of Yankee notion
vendors, as well as wandering jew ied!ers lot
which last class | see many on ther travels
here yet must say so far "a my experience
goes Of famed southern hospitality and of South
ern traders of all classes, it is but paving them
in their own coin. Particularly is this the case
with the public hotels where the necessities OF
the weared traveller are a general rule, most
outraseoualy taken advantage o.. Miserable ac-
commodations and hard fare being most FREE
quentlv furnished, while the city prices o! 81
per diem, and all sorts of "extras" seem to be
invariably adhered To. The with us highly pri-
zed animal called the horse, seems Ia be almost
raritv for common uses throughout Nv, Tenn.
and Georgia. Mules, however, of all sizes, J.
ors and varieties, NAV be found in abundance,
and the four and five mule teams attached to
the great crazy, heavy looking county wagons,
with a darkie on the near wheel mule usually
halowing at the TOP of his voice, meet one
everywhere The cartmen of the cities, at Nash
vile. Louisville, and elsewhere, drive their mules
in tandem and "a the streets are frequently mar
row. thus avoid the risk OF collisions i'm passing
These compose a numerous and noisy set in the
cities named, and especially about the time Of
Christmas and New Years, they make the streets
vocal with their shouts and laughter. Most Of
cases seem TO DO especially selected for their
African origin, having all the peeuliaijies of
that race.
In the cities, many Of the servants are hired
by the wear, frequently from planter, living in
the surrounding country. who thus realize for
their peculiar property in many cases a very
large percentage on their value, wiki no care or
charge for their maintenance. As every family
who keep house. seem 10 deem II essential to
have one or more coloured persons TO serve them.
frequently SO numerous a. 10 be in each Others
way, this item OF Housekeeping is of no iacou-
siderable account when figuring up the expenses
of the year. was surprised 10 learn the high