Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-04


The following extracts from a letter
from Gen. Joe Shelby, will give the
reader an idea Of the climate, soil and
productions of Mexico. The letter was
written to a private friend, without any
expectation OF its being published but it
IS lone the less interesting for that fact {:
CoEDoyA, MEXICO, Nov. Il, 1855
This Is the best country l every saw.
The finest climate / was ever in. | am
satisfied the climate here would entirely
restore your health, beside, l know
the land would suit you. Every
thing under the sun grows here 10
perfection. / have seen cotton, sugar,
coffee and tobacco, corn, rice, and every
kind of vegetables you have in Missouri
growing to perfection fruit of every va
riety that can be found on earth, is 70 be
found here oranges, lemons, pineapples,
in fact 50 many varitIes, that this sheet
Of paper would not contain half their
names. The land lies as pretty ss in La
fayette or Saline. The government IS very
liberal ; it offers TO foreign coionists six
hundred and forty acres near here, to each
man Of family, at one dollar per acre, on
five years time. The lands are not more
than five or ten miles from the rail-
IOGtls WHICH III u tbllD 1ENGu III LNEANC
months to this place. l am fully
satisfied that n good farmer can make
a fortune here in six OF ten years. IF our
people emiggate at all, this is the place
for them, and not Brazil. Any place but
Brazil. They make two crops Of corn a
year here. The seasons are regular and
fine, abundance OF rain, and, unlike the
most Of Mexico, there is no irrigation
here corn grows beautifully, plenty of
timber and fine water. 1t is eve
here than in September in Mis-
souri,, and il Is neve warmer than
your MAY weather. We have ice
here and never out Of sight Of
snow. You will ask, how is this? I
viii answer, that the mountains ten miles
of afford ice, and their tops are always
covered with snow. II our people bad
this country, it would be a paradise. A
farmer, ten miles from here, q German,
told me he sold his coffee crop last year,
the proceeds OF sixty acres, for sixteen
thousand dollars. He only worked ten
hands, except while gathering, and then
double that number. Labor here is from
twenty-five TO fifty cent 5 per day; they
board themselves, and only get pay for
the days they work.
I have secured a section OF land for
you, and will hold it until l hear from
you.
We have various reports of how things
are managed in Missouri, and il they are
as we hear, they are horrible indeed.
Many of your old acquaintance are
here among them, George Young he
is perfectly delighted il going to farm
ing Immediately. l see Frank Gordon
has returned. Where are you lvingnow?
My mother writes that Maury Boswell
has returned. Tom Is with me and do
ing well. Col. Frank Mitchell is up about
san Louis POtosi has rented a large
hacienda, and is planting cotton largely.
But that Is no such country as this.
Slayback and Gen. Price are here; in all
about one hundred Confederates, who
intend settling. DR.. Terry IS here. Dick
Charley Jones, Bill Fell a
great many who have become d~iscour-
aged, out Of money and away from their
ones, have returned. Many come
back. Tobacco can be made very profit
able here. 1t grows a well here, Gen.
Price says. as he e saw it in Missouri
or Virginia.
Prospects Of another war seems to be
looming up. One with France It bids
fair to be a right sharp affair. Let us
await and see how il goes.
Under the decree Of the Emperor, you
can make contracts in the United States,
with your negroes for ten years, and il
viii be binding here; the negro will have
to stick, so any person coming here can
bring their servants, ifthey can get them
come.
IremaIn yours, afe%ctionately,