, 1865-12-26
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS,

their fortunes further West or aouths Illinois
is certainly the s7eat agricultural State Of the
Union, and, within twenty years, will rank
frst In population, wealth and Importance,
Northern and Central Illinois have long been
considered as .sEl Dorado" 1.-THE desire, Of
the husbandmen, bnt Southern Illinois OF
Egypt, has never been d prominent or fayoritc
country with immigrants, and to this dAy Is
neither fully known or duly appreciated.
True. the soll Il not 50 rich, nor is vegetation
as luxuriant as upon the grand Prairie Of tic
North-that great body Of land Is IN anomo-
II in nature, and has not its equal upon the
continent; but our soil compares nayorablY
with that Of our ncIshboring States, and Is
far superior to that Of nine-tcnths Of tha up
lands south Of the Ohio.
THE WEATHER.
Our climate Is most desirable. Spring sets
In carly; summer is moderately warm, with
out the sultly debllitating heats Of the South;
winter is mild and short, whilst fall, instead
Of being our melancholy tlays, the saddcst
OF the year." Is our most delightful season,
end to he appreciated must be- enioyed
Cold weather rarely Rcts in before the middle
Of December, and 5now but seldom lies ,1,ou
the ground long enough to Five rs tastc Of
sleigh riding. Much Of tho Ice We consume
comes from the lakes Of the North, and did
VIC depend Eolely upon our own resources for
Ice, cooling beverages, creams, etc., would be
rarities during summer.
TuR FRUIT CROP.
Egypt has an established reputation ns the
Lest fruit region Of the Mississippi Valley,
The "Mdge" extending from the Ohio TO the
Miseissippl, Is better adapted to the culture
Of peaches, grapes, apricots, and all the
smaller fruits and berries, than any other re-
gfon in the West; aud npplea, pears, cherries,
ETC., are produced in Ill their perfection. In
addition TO all Kinds Of grain, both our soil
and climate arc admirably suited to the
growth Of cotton and tobacco, md both these
little labor and to greater advantage than In
Western Kentucky and Northern Tennessee.
MINERAL WEALTH.
= Our land i also exceedingly rich in nine
rals-our coal Is celebrated Throughout the
er coal save that from Pittsburgh. Great as
Is our wealth In this mineral, 1t will be eclipsed
In after years By the development OF our iron
mines, which traverse great part Of our ter
ritory, and nre pronounced Of incopcelvuble
richness and tne1haustible In supply. Some
years since, furnaces were established near
Elizabetht own, in Hardin county, and pro-
duccd iron Of a superior quality.
The great drawback to Southern Illinois Is
lack Of active capital nnd sparseness OF popu-
lat1on.
EGYPT A1SESpEnsTooD.
Before the opening Of the Illinois Central
railroad, Egypt was a terra i1co1aua to the
rest of the world-nbsolutely nothing was
known respecting the country, except directly
upon the rlrcre, and the public was no better
posted respecting our country and people
tllan it is about Japan. True, we sent men
to represent us in the Legislature, md took
special pains to have one Of our "smart"
men 10 make IN annual buncombe speech in
t,~,Af MI
traveller felt called upon to emit
Of Cairo and shawneetown, which
places were then considered fair types and
representatives Of the country. The Central
road, although It is d most oppressive mo-
nopoly, opened up this end Of the State to
ten years; still VIC are far behind the rest OF
the Hest, md ask the press of Chicago to d.
rect the attention OF capitalists thitlerward.
JACKSON COUNTY.
One Of the best counties In this Congress
eiona1 District Is Jackson county, and to my
notion one Of the p1easantest country towns
in the southwest Is Ca1bonda1e. The country
In the neighborhood Is gently undulating; 90
the north and east extending into fat prairie,
whilst aouth md west it is broken and billy.
The town contains about 1850 inhabitants,
and from the day 1t was located to the present
has never had licensed dram shop within lta
limits,
LOYALTY or TIE SECTION.
4 more loyal and patriotic people nowhere
exists. 1t wns here that the bull Of secession
in the North was first checked, and finally
beaten back. Immediately upon the fall Of
Fot Sumter series Of Conventions Werc called
By leading Democrats, sustaining the South
in its rebellion, and calling upon Southern
Illinois to secede from the North, and to join
the Confederacy. The Conventions Ind been
held in several counties, great excitement
appeared That the Democratic traitors would
succeed in their internal purpose. In pursu-
nncc OF the programme Convention was held
in this town, which was numerously attended
and the usual secession resolutions adopted.
Three Democrats alone opposed the proceed
inss, and called Union meeting few nights
Issued, which drew forth m immense crowd,
every man Of wlom was actuatcd by the.
lofticst patriotism, aud then and there
pledged themselves, II neccssory, to fight
Tor the old fng. About eighty men from a
armed themselves and marched into town,
swearing that no such abolition meeting
should be held, threatening to shoot the ret.
ters up Of It and to burn their property. The
meeting, however, was held, the Dcmocra
party iopclcsa1y divided, and Egypt proved
herself under the leadership Of the gallant
HaoIs. % II More % than % sif t&o % gen 'Ga who com. NJ
posed this meeting served their country falth-
fully during the war. Nearly half the men
seen in our streets wear the army blue and
our cemetery contains tho remains Of more
thann score Of brave lads who fell at Donel-
son, Shiloh, CoEinth, Hlcksbnrg, and other
hotly contested felda.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.