The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-04-28
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE,
NEW ORLEANS. Anril l2lh. 1870

NEW ORLEANS, April 18th, 1870.
DEAR JouRNA1.-Mobile presents,
a city, but little that is Of interest.
With the exception Of the Custom
House, 4 handsome structure Of gray
stone, there are no large buildings, but
few rising above three stories, and the
majority failing to reach even that
height. The Battle House, the priu-
oipal hotel, was built Of brick and coat
ed on tho outside but as this covering
is falling of, the building looks dscid-
eddy scaly. The streets are Of fair
width. The business il principally, in
cotton, and now that the season il about
over, the city is dull. The place lacks
that evidence Of enterprise oce might
reasonably expect in city Boosting
population Of over fifty thousand souls.
There are no business blocks that will |
At all compare with many in St. Paul. |
Tho suburbs arc the most attractive
portion Of Mobile. Although few of
the resid ences pretend to any outward |
elegance, yet they are delightfully."- locat-
ed in groves OF wide-spreading live
oaks, magnolia, orange and fig trees.
At this season the gardens are bright
with flowers, the air Is sweet with the
perfume Of orange blossoms, the "bit-
ter" oranges hang thick upon the trees
looking much more tempting than they
taste, strawberries peer up rich and
red from among their green leaves, the
fig trees (unsainly scrubs) are covered
with their uewlJ-formed fruit, and al
together the sight is an..agrseable one.
A double line of earthworks, for
batteries, thrown up by the rebels on
tho outer edge Of tho city, during tho
siege, can still be seen, though they
are fast tumbling down. AS the Union
forces approached ia = somewhat diff.
ferent direction from what had been ex-
pected, no guns were ever mounted on
these works. Spanish Fort can be
family seen in the distance. I had
been requested by some friends who
had assisted in its capture, to visit it..
But upon learning that = man who in
walking through the fort had struck
his foot against one Of the many uuex-
plodsd shells which lie there, had not
since been heard from, I concluded ]
had not time. might be absent too
long-"up in balloon, boys" 1 re-
GREETED to be compelled to. deny my.
self the qualification Of approaching.
with awo and reverence, the ground
which had shaken beneath the martial
tread Of the warrior-statesman whom
St. Cloud had given to her country
and to fame, and who is now beyond
tho &C.; but it seemed the part if no
Of choice, at least of discretion.
I took drive one afternoon down
, the she'll road which lies along the Ba,
Of Mobile. It is hard, smooth whit,
road, and extends Eve miles from tn,
city to the race course. The horses
boots click sharp and fast as, with ,
pleasant breeze from the bay, you driv'
!, ;, past crumbling rebel batteries ant
magazines, past nurseries aud beautiful
gardens, past great pine trees, ant
through the grove Of maguolias, will
= their large, dark, glisteniug leaves
Long TUFTS Of Spanish moss hang lik'
doary locks thick from the braoche
and sway in tho breeze, half:hidiog
, halfrevealing the bay, the white sails
and the other shore that looks dim ant
hazy in tho distance. The tall tree
overlap, and form long vista of waver
= ing shadow and sunshine. 1t is i,
u this grove that spot was pointed on
J. to me as having witnessed the forma
4 surrender Of the city Of Mobile.
Il A United States Land Office is locat
cd at Mobile-Hon. G. T. Stearns
Register; DR.. s. Moore, Receiver
The district embraces several counties
aud contains over one million acres o
government land. This is mostly pin
land, with thin soil, suitable onl
(without much fertilzing) for raising
fruits, upland rice and sweet potatoe:
d A part is good grass land. Considerabl
turpentine is made. This land is sub
u ject only to homestead entry, and t
% this tue business of the Office is limited
Last month the entries amounted
, 1868 acres, the applications bein
u made about equally by whites and ne
groes. Mr.. S.earns (an old resident Q
!. St. Cloud, and after whom Stearn
, county was named) has pleasant HON
:, >. about one mile from the business pa,
e Of the city. Henry Stearns is about t
:. enter As partner in book and st,
; tionery store. The weather has bee
!, quite warm-so much 80 that it va
;. found desirable after nios O'Clock
- cross to the shady side ofthe street.
= The trip from Mobile to New Orlean
is, in pleasant weather, as delightful q
could we'll be imagined. The steame
70 leaves at half:psst one O'Clock in th
G. afternoon, reaching New Orleans, e
lie rather the end Of Lake Ponchertrxiu
o, by four o'clock the next morning. TIL
t weather when I crossed was very favo1
X aole. There was just breeze enoug
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