The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-12
Correspondence OF tho Ph@ni1.
UNION Town, Ala, March Z, 1916

COuSauSuiulIy OctWceu Tue ClClZeuS OF
South Carolina and the citizens of Ala
bama, that is very palpable. Throughout
Georgia there is peculiar Northern ac-
cent, Northern manner, and Northern
habit, that is observable in neither South
Carolina nor Alabama. Possibly Ala
bama may be foster child of South
Carolina. Georgia certainly is not.
Politically, there is sympathy cx-
pressed in both States for South Caro-
lima, and, think, entirely gratuitously.
for cannot see that we are whit worse
off than they arc. Truly we ore all sub
merged in the slough of rascality and
ignorance. The Legislature Of Alabama,
recently adjourned, is a counterpart of
our mongrel body. perhaps, if not quite
so sombre hue. The lighter shade of
Alabama's legislators, however, doesn't
betoken greater purity of character, for
most of her members are scallawags, and
of all men they are certainly the most
contemplate. Sitting recently in the
gallery of the House, in Montgomery, 1
heard the Chairman of the Committee on
the Penitentiary read his report. Before
he finished, q negro member sprung to
his feet and, without asking the privilege
to say q word, simply shouted, "Mr.
Speaker, that report is incorrect; the
gentleman says those prisoners that were
padded were not penitentiary prisoners.
know they were, for my friend told me
they had on striped clothes"
The committee man simply turned and
replied: "They were not penitentiary
convicts. and if the gentleman says they
were, it is false, and he tells falsehood. !"
The negro, without having taken his
seat, spread out his arms with few con-
vulsive jerks and said: 81 give the gem
tleman to understand I thinks rs much
of my word rs he do" G? This ginger
bread fellow was representative from
Mobile, and had recently been admitted
to the practice of law in Alabama.
Shades of departed heroes, when sat
and looked upon that scene, and remem-
bered that I had from the same place
drunk in the eloquence of Yancey, or
been perfectly fascinated with the bril-
liancy of Hilliard, could but solilo-
quize, Oh' tempora! oh! mores.'
Montgomery is the same refined and
fourishing city it always was. There is
manifested degree of thrift and enter
prise very commendable, but cannot
understand what is to add to its wealth
VI pOpuluLlOu. IL Is Sltuulcu III u IeTIll0
region, but this fertility will be barren
materially increased. Westward from
the rival town Of Selma, and the two will
soon be connected by railroad, about
fifty miles long, though heretofore they
have been 140 miles apart by the river.
Selma is at present connected by an
almost air line of railroad with Vicks-
burg, and by another with Rome, Ga.
When the link is finished to Montgo-
merry, (only ten miles incomplete,) the
two places will be connected with the
seaboard by two routes, and it seems to
me, in that event, nothing but immigra-
ton will enable the two cities to main
tain their present population.
Eufaula is q very nice, pretty and
wealthy city, in Southeastern Alabama,
aud is daily growing larger. All over
the town, new buildings are going up,
and the capital of that section is pro-
iectipg three railroads-one nearly com
pleted to Montgomery; q second up the
river to North Alabama, and q third on
the air line principle to Vicksburg. The
South western Railroad now connects
Eufaula with Macon, and another rail
road is being rapily projected from
Brunswick, Ga, through Albany to
Eufaula. The capitalists of these vari-
Gus roads are sanguine that in few
years this will be the great thoroughfare
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
from Brunswick to Eufaula, thence to
Vicksburg on to Shreveport, La, through
Marshall, Texas, to California. So may
it be, say L.
Opelika is the Atlanta Of Alabama
Railroads run in and out of that little
place in sort of cross and pile manner
and the ring of the hammer and the saw
is only drowned by the whistle of tho To-
comotive. AS transient trains of cars
cannot increase the wealth Of town, it
is as wonderful why Opelika grows as
why Atlanta has become city. The
surrounding country is poor, and yet
trade is brisk and the town thrives The
town whence am writing is in the midst
Of very fertile country, and yet there
is an absence of that thrift seen in Ope.
lika
Demopolis was once most promising
town, and is surrounded by splendid
agricultural country; but things appear
oto tbara onI tha to,r, ~ ~ 10