The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-11-12
The Hills Compared TO the River Lands--.
4 Word for Monroe, &c.

From a communication appearing in
the Claiborne Advocate of last week,
signed \. G. H., which are the initials
Of our friend Col. Hill, now a resident
and recommend the suggestions tender
ed, to the earnest attention of our hill
readers:
Our hill people have the best energy
OF any in the world; but by education
IS confined to q local habitatiOn and
upon q barren soil. Take this same cl.-
orgy and industry and use them upon
this rich swamp land and the Missis-
sippi Valley would be the Eden of
earth.
Now 1 know in your hill lands hun
dreds OF young men who are models of
industry, frugality and economy, and
they are killing themselves upon those
nils, and every year it is close work
for them to pay out. The same labor
with the same habits would in a few
years make them rich.
Here are millions Of acres Of the best
land i'll the world begging for labor.
These lands have been opened to pur-
chase for the last five years. Our hill
boys have had every opportunity to Sc
cure good home for all time. These
lands are being purchased by other
people than ourselves. Yankees, and
even the negro are becoming owners Of
this land. If such continues a few
years, 1T Will necessarily make our peO-
pie the tenants Of these iiege Lords.
Yes! to-day l find much of this land
owned by Yankees, and yielding them
a handsome per cent. on the capital.
The few OF our people that come here,
rent rather than purchase. I know of
instances that the purchaser buys on
a credit and pays for the land with the
first years rent. Now will we Of the
South let such valuable treasure slip
from us. We not only lose the land,
but we surrender the control of society
and Government, for be you assured
the land owners OF the South will con-
troll the destiny of the country.
Our people should wake up before it
is too late. They should no longer be
strangers to this delightful country, but
come and look, Iningle and mix with
the world. Your boy is stout, able and
willing, send him out, and let him cast
his destiny with a country where there
is land and money. Drive him from
your hill country and lot him go where
he can get fresh air.
Now in the hills you will find many
people with the firm belief that Monroe
is a sickly town, and yet tell you that
Homer buries three to her one, with
onc-third population. And / will Ven
ture the assertion that Homer pays
more medical bills than any town III
the swamp Of equal population. find
as many children here as there, and
looking as healthy. I mention these
facts that our people there may think
how erroneous they are about sickness
in the swamp. Death is the common
lot of all men in every cline. They
die here and there, the young die, the
old pass away; but not more here than
there. l see as many old women and
men, black and white, here as there.
II IS time our young men and women
We're looking at this question in earnest.
This swamp country will soon be the
centre Of wealth, fashion and fun. Your
hill lands must give way, and at the
prices for cotton prospectively, they
can't lice and DO areU. Let the hill girls
and widows come down and look at
these swamp boys and old widowers,
and the hill boys mic with swamp girls
and widows, and we will have greater
interchange Of ideas and notions.
Swamp prosperity mixed. with hill fru-
gality will make a good mortar.
Women Outlive the men here any
how. They seldom die and never get
much shirts. If they could talk with
those temperance girls in the hills they
would do better; for my part, ! have
compromised on Garry O,cen Filters
-oncc n day, more or less.