The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-06-17
For tho COURIER.
A Trip South.
C0NTIN UED.

@ - CONTINUED.
The Railroad from Selma to Nc
. ridian, runs through what tho people
there call Cane-break prairies. Th,
original openings are however small
, compared with the prairics of Iowa
or Illinois. This region of South
western Alabama, between the Ala.
bama and Bigbec rivers, extending
so to 100 miles north and south, and
6Oto so miles cast and west, is by far
the richest and most productive sec
ton wo saw south of Mason and
Dixon's line. In fact there are no
better lands in the worId-and there
is no crop that grows ons our best
lands that begins to compare in nett
profits with an average cotton crop
in that country. A fair crop on
those rich plantations is bale and a
| half of cotton per acre, say in round
numbers 700lbs. Last year it sold
right at home where RAISED, for 22cts
per lb, or s154.OO per acre. Planters
will tell you it is q very expensive
crop to raise, and that it takes eleven
months of the year to make it, and
| get it ready for market. Admit it.
and deduct $50 per acre for expense
of production, and they still had last
year more than 500 nett per Sacrc.-
1t is not likely to bo worth less than
lOcts per lb. for many years to como
and it will aggregate SO per acre,
less $50 expense, and thoy still have
$50. per aero. $4,000 net, on one
of these splendid 1000 acre planta
tions per annum, would be a nice
thing to have in the house.
| The parts of this region not en-
braced, in the Canc.break openings
were originally covered with very
good timber, embracing all our best
| hard wood varieties, with the addi-
tion ola greatdeal Of large nice cedar.
The timbers Of many houses arc cedar
and tho roofs cypress shingles, and
will last for generations OF men 10
occupy without repairs.
If there IS any part of the earth
that have seen blessed with natur-
al advantages above all others, it is
this. And yet good lands can be
bought there to-day for less thansnc
half of what could be realized from
ono good cotton crop. We were
shown splendid plantations of 1000
acres, well improved, near railroad
station, that can be bought for S20,-
600, or less. Ycu oil ask, why is it
SO The reason seems to me quito
evident. Almost everybody except
unscrupulous politicians, weLt into
tho rebellion, with an earnest con
viction that they were battling for
their rights, and against fca full odds
fought for their darling scheme Of
setting upa Southern Confcdoracy
with an enthusiasm of determination
to win, and q self sacrificing deyo-
tion TO their cause rarely ever equal
led. At the close of four long years
Of fruitiesS and terrible struggle, ex-
hausting lmpo9erishing themselves
to a point of prostration, bordering
upon utter ruin and helplcssness.-
They found themselves compelled to |
give up the lost cause, cease their
warfare, and go back into the com.
mon and peaceful avocatiohs of life /, |
and they went not back to find
things as they We're, but state
of things for which they were
most lily prepared. Their whole
system Of labor, the only true basis
Of wealth and prosperity. was now
undergoing radical change. Their
slaves had been emancipatcd, and
now in tho early stages of transition,
from slavery to freedom, were in
such chaotic condition, as to be al
most useless to themselves and en-
tirely SO to their former masters
The masters could not reasonably |
be expected TO easily and at once to
adapt themselves to this new condi. |
ton, much less could their negroes.
For z time it was a bad mix. Doctor |
Charming, one of the champion Wi
ters and thinkers, on emancipation |
while a pioneer, in it held that it
would take hundred years of wise |
preparation and harmonious action, |
by both North and South, in order
to accomplish the experiment of FREQ
labor with any degree Of safety to
the whites and blacks. Yet under
the swift and remorseless agency Of
war, the change was effected almost
in day. There had been no well
concerted system of gradual cleva
tion of the negro, for the ordeal of |
freedom, and the change grave and
almost fearful was terribly |
complicated by the general and dis.
astrous arrangement of every thing
else. Is it wonder then that at
this still carly period of the change
that such \ system of well under !
stood and we'll org..4, i labor, as
Is Indispensable to the mutual inter-
ests of the employer, and employed |
should not. hGyo been reached, ind |
thus general 7 prosperity restored. -
No, the wonder is that so much pro-
gross has been made, and | think |
both the former masters and slaves
deserve great credit for adapting
themselves even as we'll as they have
to their circumstances, that there is
now y general and in many places a