Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-18
FROM MEMPHIS.


Perrysburg, .. Nv Dear Sir: In ac-
eordance with your request and my promise. |
take this opportunity 10 communicate to you a
few facts, such as they are, that | have picked
up in hopes that they may be OF some little in
tcrest.
When arrived here expected to find flne
and pleasant weather but as went south the
weather seemed to grow colder, and when got
to Memphis il was raining Hrd showing aud WA $
quite cold. The people here said that brought
the unpleasant weather with me, and guess |
did for before, they had had and since they have
had very pleasant and warm weather. The
snow that fell did not whitcn the ground and
the next day was pleasant and warm and there
were no traces of the snow left. Since, we have
had, most of the time, pleasant and very mild
weather with now and then a m de"ate rain
storm, and there has been nun5er of days, Of
which to-day is one, that il has been So warm
y and PLEASANT that could sit in the office with the
d,crS and windows open. This like much bet
t'r than lowering around and bending over red
hot stove to keep warm as used to do mp in
those "Artic Regions called for short Michi-
gan and Ohio. In fact, so Tar as have had OPP
portunity 10 observe. think the elm tte conld
not DO much bettered, The country in and about
Memphis is also very fine. Itis, 50 far ~ have
had opportunity to observe, Of sfhdy nature
with clay intormixed. The clay is not Of that
tenacious nature that we find in nnrlh-wcStern
OHIO. The surface nf the country is railing AMI
qui'e heavily timbersi, in fact very iincly tim.
bered. We have Saks Of several kinds, hickory
button wood, dog wood, several kinds of gum
trees, and IN law wet places the cypress, all of
which are gaud for lumber The principle crop
is cotton. The people do mt pretend to raise
much else except for their own use, from the
fact that cotton pays them better than any thing
ie'se that Lhey eau go into. The lands in this
vicinity will produce from x to | bale of 500 ID
each to TIA" acre, in a good year. 1t costs one
half t' raise 1t. This is generally the terms up
on which the negroes work the land; rather from
one third TO One-half. In some sections the form.
er rate prevails and ia some the latter. Now n
bale Of cotton of first rate quality is to-day worth
IN Memphis, "a cents per pound which would be
$l20; deduct one-half for expenses of raising,
and we have $6e pee acre left; and still deduct
say $40 tor contingencies aud we have $50 net
per acre. This is pretty large and perhaps
larger than shGald be as | took for the basis of
NY calculations one bale or 5001b: but il you de-
duct one-fourth from the $50 not, we still have
big thing. Where is there a crop in the north
that will pay One-half that amount? And then
| to, the lauds are much cheaper here than in the
northern states, though in this vicinity they are
advancing very fast. Land that could be bought
two or three years ago for $50 per acre, is now
worth SIS. This was on the Tennessee g. Mis-.
sissipi Railroad about nise miles from Memphis.
But there is still great chances for those who
have money and wish to invest il, both in this
State and Mississippi and Arkansas, there is
any quantity of land that can be bought from S.
tn S25 per acre, and good improved lands to- and
n great many with buildings on. know gen
tlemen in this city that has just bought place
OF Ace acres over in Arkansas Tor about s27
per acre. II is situated ON the banks of the riv-
er just opposite to Pine Bluff "A place of some
four or tive thousand inhabitants. Ii has a fine
house, large negro quarters, Clubhouse, &c =, 700
acres under cultivation. II takes good deal Of
money to swing such place as this, but there
is plenty of chances where q man Of sma II maa a
could dojust as well in PREPARATION. and wpn-
der that people flock TO the west as they do,
when there is, in my estimation, so much better
chances down here. The people are anxious to
sell end will sell cheap and are glad to have
northern men settle in their midst, iur they know
that it is for their interest for them to do so.
There is great deal uf land still in a state Of
nature, but Of this, that is up land is very east
~ cleared. A man could clear ten acres Of this
where he could clear one in the Black Swamp.
Yours Respectfully,
GEO. WESCOTT.