Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-03-31

THE COTTON TRADE OF THE RED RIyER-THE
LOVELY YOUNG LADY WHO DIPPED"-wAR
RElIINIsENCRR

| hEMlNlsENCHB.
CYPRESS Bayou, la, March II, 1870.
MEssRs. EDIToEs'-I am at this moment seate
10 the cabin of the Era No. 1O-a spiteful lttl
steamboat of the stern-whcel persuasion, an
bound for the Crescent City, where 1 hope +
arrive on the 18th, at the latest. We left Jeffei
son, Texas, last highland are now winding dow
the Bayou towards the lakes. Here let me ex
plain. Shreveport, La, Is just below the foot Q
the great "raft" of Red riyer-the raft being
vast drift or accumulation of debris and tree
brought down from tho uppe: river in times o
Hood. The ''raft" has completely choked up th
channel of the river for sixty miles, and causet
The water to seek a new outlet to the westward
over a swampy country, which has, 10 the pro
cess OF time, become q chain of broad shallow
lakes in which stand great forests of cypress tim
ber, now dead, from excess of water Cypres.
Bayou ompties into the upper one of the lakes
and Jefferson is situated about ten miles above
the debouchn,ent, on the right bank of the Bayou.
The Bayou and lakes are navigable for small
steamboats, for the greater portion of the year.
The distance of Jefferson from Shreveport, is 80
miles, from New Orleans $50 miles. We're the
''raft' completely removed, Jefferson would be
without navigation, and from being, as now, q
| city of 10000 inhabitants. would speedily sink
| iuto nothingness. When first visited the place,
In 1866, lots could be had In the business portion
OF the town for 300 to $500; now, the same lots
bring $4,000 10 $4,000.
The. general government many years ago en-
| roycd Capt Shreve to remove the ''raft" and
after years of toll with powerful 'snag" boats
he finally succeeded In opening the channel, but,
owing to the remarkable crookeduess of The
river and want Of Wntphfill N ha inf
steambontmen, 1t soon became choked up again,
and each year adds mile or more to the upper
end of the raft. Boats now pass through series
Of lakes and Bayous to get above the raf., whence
three hundred miles farther up.
The two cities-Shreveport and Jefferson-will
send, In the aggregate. 100000 bales of cottou to
market this season, that is, from September last,
T., May coming. The total exports of the two
places in cotton, hides, beet tallow, &c this
season, will reach s15, ,0OO,O 900, gold valuation AS
the bulk of this will be returned to the interior in
the form of merchandise, il will be readily per.
celved that trade ut those points Is exceedingly
large. know of men in both places that COM
menced with very small capital in 1865 and 66,
who are now worth 100000 to S150,000 each
but there is now such competition that many are
unable to make anything. The number OF mer-
camille houses, large and small, in jefferson, ex-
ceeds three hundred.
During the latter portion OF las; week, and the
first OF this, | rode on horseback through the
country to the northeast of Shreveport, II dull,
nninteresting pine wilderness, broken at Intervals
with plantations, many OF which were deserted,
their former occupants having caught the "Texas
lever and ''made tracks" In that direction. The
principal objects that attracted my attention, in
the domiciles of the Arkansians, were snuff bot
ties, and brown jugs in which reposed ardent
spirits of the most villainous taste and smell.
Speaking of snuff bottles, have s'tale to un-
fold" l stopped at place-lhe name of which
| have forgotten-but will call for the nonce,
Onc-horse-v ville-to stay over night The place
contained one log grocery, one ditto stable, one
blacksmith shop, a smoking coal pit, and frame
dwelling sans shutters sans windows or glass,
and guarded by two ferocious bulldogs, with
abridged narratives who were vainly striving to
run Robert-taed Texan ranger OF the bovine
species out OF the inclosure that surrounded the
house, Riding up to the fence gave the usual
"holloo ]" that ali travellers In southwest give
for the purpose OF bringing out occupants Of the
house; but the "dorgs' bayed so loudly was
not heard. Alter several fruilless attempts of the
kind gave genuine Texas whoop, and mo-
mcnt later small boy emerged from the house
After explaining that 1 wished TO rcIntin over
night, he went into the house and the family held
u consultation. The verdict was: "Dsmouut
s.tranger-hitch yer hoss TO the palms, an come
ip."
entered the house and sat by roaring fire,
with chilling draft pouring through the room
from three open windows. Near me sat girl OF
met. Such beautiful hazel eyes, and hair OF gold;
and such n mouth, small, pouting, crimson, with
the ach of Cupid's bow outlining the upper lip
so kissable that sighed us looked nj her, us
she eat with her small hands crossed over her
lap Her garb was hOmcly but she-was beautiful.
shivered In the draft, and she told her brother
to hang blanket over the window which he did,
and thanked her. The old lady, who sat smoking
cob pipe in the corner, lowed must be ''city
chap. cvz them sorter folks are mighty particular
and always freezin."
ventured to suggest that three open windows
were q few too many for comfort In cold weather
When rs cold, said the ancient dame, puff |
fling forth a respectable cloud OF smoke II alters
hugs the fire or puts on II blanket"
During the preparations for supper, the girl |
Informed us that her name was Kitty, and MS we |
were alone, we chatted along US happily as q |
couple of magpies. She was "A good conversa-
tlonist and ioyed her lively sallies very much.
1--WE were not always poor-tho YaHks tore us
up during the war, said she; and learned far i
ther that she was just home from school. my
sweetheart-the one had at school-looks just
like you. only, only-I fancy you are the most
pleasant"
About this time-I was sitting close to her
my arm somehow suddenly claspcd her waist,
and moment later her mother came to the |
door to say that supper was ready, aud | rose to
leave the room. MAY escort you to the sup
per-tabc ?" asked OF the young lady. 4" / don't |
think I'll take any supper" was the response, |
she reached for bottle of snuff that sat upon
the rude mantel. "Good Heavens! do you dips"
| asked, as she produced her mop. i" Dip of |
course do, and chen also sometmes-I reckon |
you'll find very few here in this country who |
don't Dip"
went to the supper-table, but could not cat |
had actually-l mean came near-kissing that |
girl, and horror OF horror, she was snuff clipper.
" What shall | do? The girls of the North 20 on /
Grccan Blenders, and the Southern girls dip and |
chew?" / am in despair, and think 1t quite pos
sible that shall yet die an oil bachelor.
On my return from Arkansas, passed through |
Rocky Mount twenty-eight miles northeast OF |
Shreveport 1t was ut this place. that-afler nv |
trial by the rebel authorities just before the close
of the war-I was conscripted into the rebel |
ranks, and made to serve in McNally's Artillery |
Company. Five days later struck out for Red |
River, twenty-five miles West and after an en-
counter with bloodhounds and rebel man-hunters, |
and canoe ride Of over five hundred miles, |
reached our gunboats on the Mississippi river. 1t
was my last war adventure. now visited the old |
camp at Rocky Mount, and found Its site covered |
with dense growth of oak bushes. The hollow |
tree wherein had sccreted my provisions before |
starting, lay upon the ground, hurled by some
past storm from Its base. The spot possessed for
me a peculiar attraction, and sitting npon the |
trunk of my fallen friend for such regarded
the PROSTATE oak-I mused upon the past, upon
my ten years of almost continuous wandering
and thought of my many escapes from deadly
peril, my moments of happiness and my months Of
trouble and excitement. The life OF an adven-
turer is, in the main, bitter existence. In
May, hope TO cease wandering, AS ever,
Your KALEIDOSCOPE.
The Committee on Reconstruction held
I...