The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-05-11
Y is I! ~ San,ter Watchman las By
fst.s ea,yest circulation (espe-
i n tie surrounding country)
e assy paper published in Sumter,
s11Rd scas establSshed in 1850.
ESITOnIAL CORRESPONDENCE:
:a.siEMpHIs, TENN, May 6; 1870.

s,S51ortably situated IN this stirring and
stliriving city.
4 ;s My route was from Sumter to Au-
sEpsta, via Kipgsville and Branchville-
a:thepce by tho Georgia Railroad to At
z ,,2iauta--thcuce by the Western and
!. Atlantic Road to Chattanooga--theuce
BY the Nashville and Chattauoo Road
70 observation-disclosures by the Momphis
I aud Charleston Road to Memphis.
8. On the line of road from Sumter to
Atlanta,H found corn generally up !;
! cotton generally planted, and in some
INSTANCES breaking ground" The evi-
ldences of increased agricultural vigor
and enterprise, exhibited in more liberal
i application of fertilizers and thorough
4 preparation Of the soil, were highly
gratifying.
10 response to very kind invitations
from friends at Atlanta, Saturday and
Sunday were passed in that city /; aud to
say that was favorably impressed by
what I saw and heard of it's energy and
prosperity, would be the mildest form
ofspeech that could be employed with
truth.
The ante-bcNum population of the
/, "Gate City" was about fifteen OF sixteen
thousand 1t was more thoroughly
destroyed by fire than was our own
beautiful capital, and yet it now nuns
bers about thirty t,co thousand souls. It's
business streets show scarcely vacant
space, aud its buildings are fully equal,
and in many instances superior to those
that were destroyed. 1t was difficult to
realize that such a city as Atlanta now
is had arisen literally from the ashes of
the late war. Capital and population
are pouring in ut an astonishing rate,
for Southern city. Tho cost ofpublic
buildings, projected for construction the
coming sumpcr, amounts to more than
u million Of dollars, whilst this sum
would be moro than doubled if all pri.
vate building enterprises were added.
The foundation for new hotel is now
in preparation. The lot of land upon
. which it is to rest cost $4,000, and the
building is to cost $500 1t will have
four hundred rooms above the first
story. The net work Of rail road tracks
, by which Atlanta is envelopcd, connect
ing it with all the great avenues
Of commerce, and opening up q
way of traffic to every surrounding
locality, is the secret of this cxtraordi
nary prosperity, taken in conuexion
with the fact that there is a growing
disposition to trade nearer home. Gcor.
gals alive with energy, activity and
enterprise, Notwithstanding Congress.
sional manipulation, aud will doubtless
advance as the Empire State of the
South, whilst Atlanta is destined, doubt.
less, to become great city.
Leaving Atlanta, we found ourselves
directly on the line Of Shcrman's ad-
vance from Chattanooga, and many
points leading, and now classic, were
pointcdout and observed by the highly
Intelligent company with which VIC
Travelled. Marietta, Kcnncsaw Noun.
tain, (whcro Gen. Polk fclD Allatoona
Mountain, Rosaca (whcre Sherman frs,
fa"kcd Johnstou.) tho great Chicha-
mauga battle field, Missionary Ridge
and Look Out Mountain, immc.
diatcly adjacent to Chattanooga. The
Chichamauga, or "River of Death" is q
narrow, scrpcntiue stream, whose some
what turbid waters, is worthy oil
note, are crossed thirteen times, within
tho distance Of few miles, by the
Georgia State Road leading 10 Chatta-
nooga. Some Of the country between
Atlanta and Chattanooga, on this liuc.
is beautiful aud luxuriant in an ayricul
tural sense. The valley oC the Ecwal
presented to the eye lovely patchwork
ofgrcen wheat squares aud ncwly.plowcd
red lauds. The prospect for an ABUNDANT
wheat crop in that section is now fine
This road (called the Western and
Atlantic) is owncl by the State of
Goorsia, and is row profitable little
business ior the manipulation of the
Hadicol party Of that State. i observed
Nl,at the truvelcY had less accommodation
on it than on any other road over which
we passed. The passengers famished
for water, and the conductors, who, in
other respects, seemed to have but little
appreciation Of the school Of Chester
field, walked through the lady's car
with cigars in their mouths.
From Chattanooga we Travelled ~