The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-01-06


Rditors Of the Bedford Gazette.
DEAR SrRs Being acquainted with
a greatinamber of the citizens of your
county, desire to speak to them,
through the columns of your paper, in
relation to affairs here in this unre-
constructed state of Georgia. j have
been here about six weeks and have
come in contact with a vast number of
these so-called unrepentant rebels, and
must say that | have not in all my life
met with a more hospitable, more
genial or more social set Of people any
where. They extend hearty welcome
to all persons, of whatever political
faith, who come among them for the
honest purpose of helping to build up
their country, and L have reason to
believe that man could remain here
six months without being asked his
politics.
l admit that l am somewhat sur
prised to find with what cOmposure
and apparent indifference they regard
the late action of Congress, which re-
seats ignorant negroes in the state Leg
islature, and gives all control of the
state into the hands of a Carpet Bag
Governor, who has maligned and very
grossly insulted and abused one of the
best communities of people on earth,
and who has no interest in the state
except to rob it, which he has already
done and hopes to continue to do
Everything is quiet here, and life is
full as safe, and in my best judg
ment, safer here than in the state Of
Pennsylvania. The outrages reported
from time to time in Northern Radical
Journals are generally base fabrications
gotten up by the enemies Of the state
for political purposes. If a murder
similar to that of the Peichtal Family
of Huntingdon county was perpetrated
here, it would dimmediately appear in all
Northern Radical Journals as a Ku
Klux outrage.
From what / see of these people |
am fully convinced they are formed Of
the same flesh and blood, possess as
much brain, and have it as well cultiva-
ted as any of the people Of the North,
not even those whining hypocritical
Puritan Radicals Of New England
excepted. Ye who may doubt my
word come and see aud be convinced.
E,,I
and the people high-toned. l am not
of course, speaking of the Niggers, but
even their morals here are much above
those of the border states, of the same
color
And, now, having said a word to
you on the political and social situa-
ton, / wish to add something in rela-
tion to the country. The climate is
one Of the finest in the world, here in
central Georgia. 4 very intelligent
foreigner, who has Travelled over south
ern Italy, tells me this climate is equal
to, if not preferable, to that of south
ern Italy. Our winters here are much
pleasanter than your Octobers in Bed
ford county. Up to the date of wri-
ting | have not seen a snow fake.
We have but little frost and vegetables
| of nearly all kinds are raised in the
gardens during all seasons of the year.
This portion of Georgia is admitted to
be equally as healthy as any portion Of
the United States. Water is both good
and abundant-plenty of springs. The
! timber consists Of oak, hickory, pop
lar, pine, chestnut, sassafras, black wal
nut, &c. The soil is varied and produc-
| tive, adapted to the growth of all kinds
/ of grain, such as oats, wheat, barley,
rye, corn, &c. Cotton is the chief sta
/ Pile, although wheat raising is much
more profitable here than in the
North. With very good cultivation
/ and fertilizing some farmers have raj
sed fifty bushels per acre, which is
worth now here two dollars per bush
| ell These high prices are owing to the
/ fact that nearly all attention is given
/ to cotton raising which is considered
more profitable.
/ Although these are not regarded as
1 the best cotton land~ in the south, yet
( planters, by good fertiIizing, raise from
/ one to three bales per acre, worth at
/ this time her about one hundred and
/ Twelve Dollars per bale. One-half
/ bale is considered fair average yield
/ in a good season without fertilizers
/ and on old lands. While more cot
/ ton can be raised in some other por-
| tions Of the south than here, those por-
/ tions are no by means as healthful
} as this section and hence the preference
/ for these lands.
As to Fruit: Apples do only tolera-
bly, well here. They are very abun-
dant in some other portions of the state.
Peaches, pears, plums, figs, ounces,
&C., grow in abundance, likewise the
/ smaller fruits, such as bIackberries,
I gooseberries, raspberries, Strawberries,
/ &c. Strawberries are ripe in May, and
t peaches in June aud last till the latter
part of October.
As to prices OF lands: They are low.
Good farms can be bought at from 81
/ to so per acre, with some improve
ments, in many instances very COM
Portable dwellings with tenant houses
/ and cotton Gin and Press attached.
To cultivate well from 100 to 200 a
cres on a farm of six or eight hundred
acres you can pay for the whole with
! two good crops.
While lands are cheap, consider
them worth more, acre per acre, for