The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-06-29

Water Valley, besides sundry rides on horse
back into the interior, away from the rail-
road, has furnished abundant materials for
another of my missives. the. subject matter
of which is herewith condensed for the ben
eft of your readers land the rest of man
kind"
First, as to the crops-corn, in most of the
localities visited by me, though still back
ward for the season, is generally doing well
AID with favorable weather, from this time
| on will yield tolerably fair crop. Oats,
with here and there an exception, have
yielded most abundant crop and comes in
at a most Opportune moment to many whose
stock of corn on hand was growing beauti-
fully less" with no greenbacks to replenish
their corn cribs-but with oats and one feed
OF corn day now, planters can finish their
crops and be more independent of obliga.
tons to the merchants for supplies this
year than at any previous crop for many
years. Cotton is universally small, sickly
and very grassy in very many cases entire
ly oVershado ed by the grass. Some PLAN
/ tiers who have had to replant are Just now
scrapipg their cotton, some have recently
plOwed up their cotton in wet places and
planted corn instead, while others. to save
portion OF their cotton ;haYe abandoned the
poorest to the grass and the elements and
redoubled their efforts to save the balance
Here and there. however, you find man
who has as fine prospect for cotton as he
had last year, but as whole the crop can
not, without the most prOvidential indul-
gence as to seasonabie showers and weather,
exceed over half TO twO-thirds OF an average
crop. l do not think our planters have
ever worked harder than they are doing
now; the freedmen, in many cases. who are
renting lands, are working as well as they
ever did when slaves There is more mea,
among planters than last year, more young
hogs to be seen everywhere. and. as to cattle.
they are to be seen in droves in every old
abandoned field-Or grazing in the swamps
which are now covered with the greatest
abundance of luXuriant grass. If our peo-
pie would eat more beef, and less hog meat,
they would have better health and have less
money to pay for Cincinnati and st. Louis
Bacon and Pork every year.
Notwithstanding the " dull times of
which merchants everywhere complain,
very many ofthem finding more occupation
in fishing, playing billiards, back CANNON
and reiuvenating themselves IN games of
marbles, than in showing off goods. and
fumbling the; cash very many of them are not
paying expenses the people of the towns
continue to make improvements, starting
new shops, new steam mills, establishing
brick yards, and are watching closely all the
grand railroad schemes projected, and hold
Ing pubic meetings anu Dleu2iil2 Lncnl-
selves, their relations and friends, tor fabu-
lous amounts to this and that enterprise,
and, if building railroads on paper and with
resolutions amount TO anything our noble
State is destined to be grid-roncd at a very
early day, with most complete and mag
nificent system of railroads ahead of any
State in the South. Every scheme has its
advocates, and the wonderful vitality evinc-
ed by even some ''Old fossils" rs to these
railroad enterprises. amaze aud astound.
aud taking fresh dranght of Hope We eX-
claim with energy there is life in the old
land yet"
The people are generally very prudent
and frugal in their expenses this year
Running to the stores for this and that
every day is very little practiced. and very
many have undertaken TO make their crops
with much less help, in the way of hands
than ever before, thus saving the division of
crops, that has grown so unfortunately out
of the present mode of cropping on shares.
| stopped all night at planters house, who
is perfect marvel tor what he has accom-
plshed in the way of big crops. 1t is Mr..
Thos. A. Fair, living near BankstOn, in
ChOctaw county, Mississippi. lie made,
with the aid of one young white man last
wear, and occasionally hiring a few days
help in the pinch of the crop, $500 bushels
of oats, 700 Du. corn, 1900 gallons of sorg-
ham mOlasSeS, bales of cotton, with his
gin,) and bacon plenty enough for his large
family and to have 1000 lbs. to sell now
I
cattle, of which he has quite IA lot. He is
plain, unassuming, intelligent man 43 years
OF age-has the greatest abundance around
him, living well, and has money out at in
tereSt instead of mortgages upon his pro-
perty. He and his son are cultivating his
home place this year-has 100 acres in oats,
upon which they expect to make 5000 BUSH
els-have a few acres in cotton, several in
corn, potatoes, &c. And, such results can
be accomplished by many, very many 9TH
"a In MisSisSinni If they WOnl1 1iVarSi fv
their crops, live upon the products of their
own farms, and do more work with less la
Dor by using what artificial aids are adapt
ed to the country in the way of labor-sav-
ing machines.
Before disposing ofChoctaw, which is now
one of the best counties in the State, would
remark that | saw here several instances of
white women aud girls working in the
fields. They seemed 10 be in the enjoyment
of fine health and worked with will
These same country girls have more beauX
ON SUNDAYS than the old folks know what
to do with. These girls help the old man make
crops and when they marry the old man has
the money to set them up in right good
style.
AT Water Valley found the railroad mag
mates taking matters as cool as the weather
would permit-Gen. West and Capt. Frost,
Major McConnicO, Gen. Nicely, MeSsrs.
Morey, Wendell, Colquhoun, were all in fine
health and were just congratulating them
selves on the splendid condition of the Mis-
sissippi Central and flattering themselves
with an early prospects of cessation of in
corruption in the New Orleans road below,
when the news arrived of the terrible storm
upon the Lake and overflow OF the city. Of
course everybody did not curse the luck"
but no particular prayer was offered up for
a cessation of these visits of old Dreas and
sudden irruptions of the waters. Railroads
have their troubles as well as people. Capt.
Frost went down the next night to look af-
ter the damage-which has since been rem
edited.
Politics are beginning to be right sharply
agitateu. Many conversions of Radicals or
Republicans, whites aud blacks, are report
ed. The onerous taxes this year has done
the job--and it will take volumes to make
the people believe that ten months of legis-
latiOn out of the term. and enormous appro-
priations were necessary TO run the "GoV,
eminent machine" in this Impoverished
State. Conventions, beat meetings, sc, are
being called and the Conservative Demo-
cratic voters of the country are being thor
oughly aroused. The determination is gen.
eral to give the RAIDS a right lively fight-a
regular Waterloo defeat this year.
Ny perigrinations on the Central brought
me to Winona On the 9TH inst, the second
day of the session of the Mississippi Press
Convention at which some thirty-five or
forty Editors were present, and more jOv ial.
intelligent and energetic body of gentlemen
have not met with in many day. Among
them were the veterans and the youngest
members of the Editorial fraternity in
Mississippi-each host within himself
such were the gallant fellows who were met
to consult together as TO the interests of the
craft and to compare views lin an informal
meeting) as TO the approaching canvass.
The Convention adjourned after y most
harmonious session, after electing officers
for the ensuing year, selecting Columbus as
the next place of meeting, and adopting
Treasurer Vanee's laconic Report which
was as follows: THAT there is not green
in the Treasury, but Is gratified to know
there Is money in the Association
OBEDIAH.
An Ignorant ns well as On Modest
Auditor.