Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-12-23

Going west find to be quite a differ
ent affair from my juvenile conception,
which found it's embodiment in the newt
able covered wagon. Shaggy horses with
mud stained hoofs, the greasy ''chist -
and bed-clothes. brood of haxen-haired
children, mater familias looking out from
the shadow of poke bonnet and covert of
pipe-smoke, "old mon +" tending along
side with whip in hand and that well
known bob TITLED, invaluable dog. "good
for coons and every other v8rmipt under
the sun" following the fortunes of the
family from tie old country. Exploding
our conception, like a miniature balloon,
we make the start with our goods and
chattels in money and half dozen trunks,
draw on pair of fresh kids as We leave
the "Pnrcell'' in Wilmington, and with
our strapped rug, and packet OF segars in
our overcoat pockets step aboard the
Southern train on the Wilmington, Column
bia and Agusta Road, have our hot break
fast, warm dinner and tea at our usual
hour, along the way; enjoy our sleeping
quarters, and thousand miles from our
starting point find ourself as fresh as wild
goose after plunge in BieWett's Falls.
Passing through South Carolina one
sees those endless fields of cotton, all now
Of that miserable dead leaf color, cave for
the last scattering pickipgs, the enevitabIe
Cuffee finishing up with ]anguor that
stops to cape at tho passing train, to nurse
the fire that halves his row or roast his
caters at the same. Then there is the
swamp, green now only with ''bonnets" and
mistIetoo and cane; gray with tillapdsia
walls, bieakIy floating over mourpfuI cy-
press trees, like Grape from widowed browe.
We are glad when we come where the land
swelIs into sand hills, near the confluence
of the Congaree aud Wateree. There are
pretty places in Orangeburg district,
down there the Clatfiin University.
at Branchvllle we change conductors, but
not cars, and afterwards watching a
glorious sunset, gradual rising Of stars,
and at eight o'clock we cross the Savannah
river and slowly pass through the streets of
Augusta, with it's wide, beautiful streets,
adowE which glimmer the street-lamps,
giving us glimpses which impress US with
the elegance OF the city. We are going
right through, however, make but a mo-
mentary stop, long enough to step aboard
another train, fitted up with every appli-
ance for comfort sleeping cars, with rich
curtains looped aside from luxurious
touches, sections with sliding doors and
cosy mattresses, clean sheets, soft pillows
and warm blankets, where one may SUM
Der, lulled by the mutfied din of the rap
the old fashioned bolt-up-right seat where
a fellow could indeed indulge in the luxury
of redundancy, but could not lie at his
length, nor stretch himself with impunity,
without at least risking cramp, crick,
headache and backache. Instead, we
sleep refreshingly, and are walked by a ser
want, who blacks our boots and supplies
lis with fresh water, soap and towels for
our toilette.
at Stone Mountain. 1t is an isolated,
pyramidal shaped peak in Northern Geor-
gia, giving its name to All incipient town
of probably several hundred inhabitants.
We stand for a moment on the balcony
of our breakfast house. watching that
grand sentinel mount, flaming cherub in
the rosy dawn, guarding an Eden, grander
in its isolation, like the great intel!ects
that loom up in loneliness among the
mediocre herd. Then we enter the nice
dining room and eat with keen relish the
hot-bu.tered battercakes. beefsteak and
coffee that ar obliging host presses upon
Us. "All aboard" and we are passing
on through Northern Georgia, admiring
the hilly, rocky, picturesque country, the
beautiful seats, the frequent villages, the
many evivences of rich aud thriving
population. At nine we are in Atlanta,
which by no means suggets the Hes
perides or Elysian fields to inc imagi
nation. It is q rapidly growing place,
but does not please our fancy.
A travelling companion pronounced it @
"dirty place, with an Insignificant 'popu-
latiop, small matter of forty Thousand
people," We believe it owes its rapid
building up to the enterprise Of Yankees
and Jews, who have come in since the war
ended. We had heard great deal of
Western girls, the "girls of the period, "
so very different in their style from our
shrinking violets at home chose meek,
father or brother, are content to lice, nor
call their sweetness wasted" Our eyes
begin to see things in new light, if not
yet attained to actual sight, "men as trees
walking" are visible to us, and how we
stare ! stare at the display, the heartless-
meas, the saDg-froid, the hypocrisy devel-
oped before our eyes, the shining, gilt
tering, cruelty corrupt, white-washed Sc
pulchres. that we stumble over ! We don't
fully realize it all yet, but spite of the bril-
liant compilations, the pearly teeth, the
stupendous heads of hair, toilets msgnif-
cent, the profles a la Greek, we think
when we go in search of q wife, it will be
back to North Carolina, far away among
the hills in some brown old farm house,
where another single-hearted, as the maid
of Astolat, plies the needle, so condemned
by the ''Girl of the PERIOD" and has a
heart as we'll as brain From Atlanta to
Chattanooga is altogether an uphill bust
ness. At Marietta we catch sight of the
deep blue-lines that marks a mountain
range. and wisttully look from our car.
window as we slowly get nearer the Blue
Ridge, that dividing line that seems to our
fancy to shut in another world, and beyond
which we will be "among new men,
strange faces, other minds" At last
we are in the very midst of those