New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-09
THE NEW SOUTH.
CHARLESTON TO sAvANNAH-A SOUTHERN RAIL
ROAD-PROsPERITY OF SAVANNAH FEA'
TIRE OF RECONSTRUCTION.

The trains now run slowly, with long stoppages
at stations the platform and the southern Express
Office are the only visible signs Of mans occupation OK
the land and long tresteworks through swamps OF
canebrake where the alligator comes out TO sun
and is not disturbed by the passing thunder OF tne
locomotive The land ia Of great value from Its posslp
ties OF fertile future when drained and TILED though
now absolutely unproducve except that half long
legged pigs run about in 1t, get living, muinpy
like rabbits home at night al 'ho
sound OF the horn, and so are cheap
and profitable stock though they never come 10
OF the North should consider paaabe degree OF fane
Wild backberries grow the higher land and are pe
before Strawberries, which, with preoede thempy
more and plenty that they get
market at fifty cents bushel. They very tempting
to the dusty thirsty by the ran who jump
of at the stopping places and pick few Itis easy to
imagine how opportunity would be improved on
Northern road for the inhabitants TO drive ane WIN
travellers but here the loungng children at the s
tons black and white, have notion OF doing anything
but summing themselves and staring at the train One
uncouth girl indeed appeared at one "viuage' with
tempting dish ripe plump berries but there was nearly
half gallon Of them, she had no measure TO dVde the'
and quite unable to price for the whole OF
any part the train left her with her entire sock ON
hand and apparently quite contened with the result or
at least not disturbed In the apathy which was not lively
enough to deserve the name Of content Yet she had
come distance to sell the fruit, and might
have easily done 1t had she exerted the slightest
energy, even entered the cars Possibly she
was afraid Of the jealousy of an old negro woman
who accompanies the train regularly, and in
the car devoted to manufactures ieeceam TO
peddle out the passengers while an old man, SEEM
ngly her husband acts brakeman, baggage porter,
and swtchman getting of at the rear platform to ADJUST
the switches and running automatically to get on again
IL the train starts before he has quite replaced them
Not one house such Lowell factorEoperatiye or
Vermont farm aborer would be content to appears
| aendo ~ he tn he
| or rock breaks the monOtony Of the landscape.
| 1t Is to stretches Of country like this that
| many Northern immigrants first come, with their
| imaginatons infamed by all sorts of ideas
OF the charms Of the sunny South and 1t is after
soourn In such spots that they back like one penn-
less but particular felowpassenger Of mine, who came
down hopeful of making fortune, but goes home de-
clarng there Is not a spot in the South in which he
would live ten years and keep his family for all the
wealth Of Stewart Aston People liable to discour-
agement by uncongenial surroundings ought certainly
not to from the North TO the belt of land along tho
coast south OF Virginia however fertile the soil may De.
The place for them the high land near Augusta and
Columbia and SO all the way back TO thriving Atlanta
whose sudden growth wonderful TO these Slows
| moving Georgans as the rising Of Aladdins palace
Savannah has been more lightly touched by the samo
magicians wand Of prosperity. 1t is much TO say ora
Southern city that IL TO the level OF before the war
and Savannah is above it, having somehow charmed
away much of the trade that used 10 center at Charles
ton and showing none the desoatOn and decay which
mark that city. The negroes share in the general pros
perty fewer being in the Streets oungngor
engaged petty trades which can hardly produce enough
of profit to keep soul and body together and more being
steadily at work hire There are no unoccuped bud-
ings and many structures have lately been put up
to accommodate growth OF population and business
| The wharyes are lined with vessels, even though
| Charleston still commands most OF the Northern
invalid and pleasure travel which at his season OF the
year is considerable. There general air OF hopeful
ness and activity among the people in marked contrast
with the sister city in South Caronaand this IN spite
OF the presence Of troops who have their quarters IN
the heart the city, and an ever visible PROOF thaS
the National Government has not yet loosed lts grasp
on Georgia Probe the feelings OF the people with R'
duYes you find perhaps quite as much bitterness or
feeling as in Charleston but people seem to have some
thing else do than to nurse this bitterness some other
staple OF conversation than "reminiscences OF the war and
lamentations over the worthlessness OF the negroes
| Perhaps it is not worthy TO De reekoheo
| as symptom, but in Charleston every
day has its climax Of brskness when the mail train gets
IN from the North the streets blossom out with the New
| York journals; black boys Of all ages rush a0eus
madly with these sheets, thrust them into every
face and din their titles into every and every in
habtant 20 purchase copy Of the other,
at than double the home price, and TO have ample
| time for reading it with thorOughness which few
readers disposed to bestow in the city of ts issue.
the coming OF the rains no newsboys are heard one
must hunt up newsroom TO buy paper.
Touching the bitterness against the existing order Of
things Of which have spoken, found in Savannah a
hint the possible OF of it, which OF the
North have certainly interest in keeping alive Visiting
the PosOce yesterday afternoon, at 10 minutes paste
o'clock, to obtain letters which knew awaiting
me- found the windows all tightly closed. The clerks
might be inside, distributing mails and stamping
letters; they paid attention raps beekonngs,
and manifesty considered themselves shut OF from CON-
muncaton with the public Neither transient strangers
resident Except the few provided with
lock and key could get at letter much post
age stamp. They have provincial fashion at Charles
ton of shutting up the PostOfce for half hour
while they distribute the mall and supposed this an
other instance of the neonvenient but exccsable
habit But question regarding the matter 10 citizen,
proved TO be match to a mine, which exploded
| what in this way:
"Open again. Sirf 1t won't open again till O'Clock to-
morning, at the last stroke OF the bell No,
letters delivered after In the afternoon for love
money There three in plain sight in my box and
clerk in plain sight behind them, but can't get them
out tonight, though my life depended IT, Two i'm
portant mails get In later than this but get good
of 'em till morning. and the mail leaves again at 10
O'Clock, 80 we have small time to In. IDconve-
nien for business men OF course II is But there's
help for it, Stand tf We have 10 stand L. Government
officers used to the servants OF the people, they
are masters down here in Georgia. What weight in
| Washington would complaint from Savannah have
Reckon it's all planned and arranged there We've got
right to expect TO be accommodated. No, Sir, and
we've learned not to expect it, We've got nothing TO
say about Post-Offce. Reckon country town In
New England wouldn't he treated that way. But what
can we expectf Why, Sir the Postmaster in there
got niger clerk Can't look for much intelligence
decency from him. No. Sir It Is Of the unpleasant
things we've got TO put up with. We getting used