The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-06-09
IOOITe1pOnuence OF Iha NsWd'
LETTER FROM GEORGIA.

VicksbUrg to AlIHnta-ATerfdiRH
Selma - Montgomery - The
Cotton Belt Atlanta Traces
Of tile WRF-ReVieW Of the Sit
URtiOn in the SOUth-Hatred OF
Northern Men Slowly Dying
Out-''Ku-KIux'' Outrages Di-
minishing-NO More Congress-
tOnal reconstruction Needed
Tennessee POlitics-''Let Us
Have Peace"
ATLANTA, Georgia, May Is, 1870.
If the State Of Mississippi is fairly repre-
sented by that portion lying along the
Vicksburg and Meridian railroad, it must
be poor indeed.
The town of Meridian, at the close of the
war, or as the people say. in this country,
at ''The Surrender" did not have over hall
dozen houses in fact it was no place at
ALL but to-day its population is about
| 5000. Its people seem to be alive, and
should its growth continue as during the
past five years Meridian will Outstrip all
of the cities Of the State in ten years.
The Mobile & Ohio, and Selma & jackson
railroads intersect here. 1t is the terminus
of the railroad being built from Chatta-
nooga, called the Alabama & Chattanooga
R. R.
Between the Tombigbee and Alabama
rivers lies what is known as the Prairie
Country. It is the finest large body of
land that have ever seen, outside of uli-
nois and Iowa: 1t is hardly prairie, and
yet is better farming land, as timber and
water are plenty, and the soil is good.
Selma, with a population Of 10000, is
our next city. For business activity Vicks-
burg is far ahead. The Alabama river
furnishes an outlet south to Mobile, and
east to MOntgomery-the railroad being
unfinished between these places. The
northern outlet is the Selma, Rome and
Dalton R. R.
From Selma to Benton-15 miles-there
is line of stages-regular oId-time stages.
Four hours of tedious stage-riding, and an
occasional walk up hill, and we were in
Benton, with no very serious damage,
where we took cars for Montgomery.
This city, the capital of Alabama, and
once Of the confederate States" is rather
sorry place. It has a population of 20
600 or thereabout. From the Capitol,
which is situated upon an elevation beau
tifully overlooking the city, the view re-
minded me of Chillicothe, Ohio. The soil
in Montgomery is so sandy that pavements
are not needed, and there are none except
a few squares in the very centre of the city.
The same may be said of Selma, the streets
of which city are nothing but sand, in
which in dry weather you sink every step
you take.
From this city to Atlanta, I Travelled
mostly by night, and cannot speak of the
from observation.
Through the entire country from about
Clarksville, Tennessee, to this city, the
business of all seems to be Cotton. Corn
grows generally very well, but the plant
ers prefer planting Cotton, and buying
Corn and everything else they need. This
is certainly a ruinous policy, as Cotton Of
ten fails, and it is very hard on the land.
do not think that saw in the country
between Vicksburg and Atlanta as many |
as fifty Hogs, and very few Cattle or Sheep.
But little Wheat is raised. The demand
for Corn and Bacon is enormous. The re-
tail price Of Corn now, in some sections of
Alabama, is two dollars per bushel. It's
wholesale price is SI.55 in Atlanta.
''Sherman's men" left little of Atlanta
standing, but Phsnix-like, she has risen
from the ashes, and now has a population
of $4,000. Over one hundred new houses
are now being built, and everybody in the
'ity seems busy. 1t is said that when the
'ity began to be place, twenty-five years
lgo, the houses were put up without re-
gard to streets, or regular order, and just
As the builders were disposed to place them
Ipon the roads, several of which came to-
yether here. The streets now run in all
directions, no two being parallel. The soil
s yellow clay and sand, and of windy days
uch as have seen while here, it is terri
Die to endure the sand and dust.
The State buildings have not been put
Up here yet. The Capitol is located in a
inc large building, erected, believe, for
IN Opera House.
Gov. Bullock is a resident of Atlanta.
The Notifications generally have been lev
led down, but there are yet to be seen
many marks of the campaign of 1864, of
which have a "lively" recollection.