The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-05
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
CINCINNATI, April 18th, 1870.

e.. se., CINCINNATI, April 18th, 1870:
..z DEAR JoURNAL.-Lcaving New
Orleans, I returned through Mississip-
&, p,, Tennessee and Kentucky, to Odin,
Ill., Passing through. the forests of
pines 10; Mississippi, I witnessed one
night E. sight not unfamiliar at home
the dry grass burning and extending
into the woods in long lines Of fire.
Hero and there the flames would sieze
upon a pine tree, leaping up and up to
the topmost branch. For off in the
dark woods could be seen tho light OF
an occasional knot still burning high
up on the tree, looking like the glim-
mer Of a uatchman's lamp. Cotton
planting was still backward, while it
should be over. The weather has been
cold and rainy throughout this part Of
the South. In some places the negroes
were only putting up last years corn
stalks in fields which are to be planted
this year for cotton. But in the main
blowing seemed to be we'll under way.
Although the cry bad been ruug in my
cars that "the niggers won't work." l
could not help noticing that what work
was being done in the fields was done
entirely by negroes. In some instances
even the women were blowing. did
not see one single white man in the
fields 10 any capacity but I found that
they composed, from an indifferent
class, the majority Of the loaie1s
around the depots and eating houses
wherever tho train stopped. The ex-
ample set the "niggers" is certainly
not one calculated to incite them to
any great industry.
The Southern roads are generally in
not. very good condition. They suffer-
ed severely during the war, and have
not had time to recover their lost
ground and undergo repairs. The rate
ofspeed is necessarily slow. Travel is
light, The eating houses are, without
exception, ,execrable. After being at
their mercy for two or three days, I
have felt that meal of cold potatoes,
goldfish aud buttermilk would be feast
&, for king. Their charges bear an
inverse ratio to tho character Of their
supplies, Thor, plan seems to be to
famish : man until he shall be: too
weak 10 resist their i,npositions. I find
that "train boys" arc indigenous to the
North, You 10 not sec one hollow
Cairo, A little chap may rush on at
some station with basket of apples,
but he hurries off as though he had
been guilty Of some evil act. This
can certainly BE- set down as one luxury
10 southern travel. In the politic'l
millennium which will come one of these
days, when only the chest men" will
be selected by the people to make their
laws, (and as q matter of necessity leg
islativo bodies will then be composed
entirely Of editors I propose to muve
for declaring train boys punishable
nuisance. They wake you out Of .
comfortable nap with their everlasting
srJ Of ay'app'es'" t.'or-rangcs !" They
shovsf-you with trashy novels, and in
sist upon your buying: They drag you
away from the window to invest in
twenty-five cent box Of chewing gum
which contains some piece Of jewelrv Of
nntoldfvsiue. They poke ivory pin
cushions and ivory baby -rattles under
your nose, when you have not the slight
ct use fer baby-rattles and wouldn't
tske 4 cart load Of pin-cushions if they
we're given to you. TLeyTbut what
j. i thsy don't do to torment = poor
traveller i.
Is snow storm commenced at Hmm.
uz--z