Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-09-26


tangent. | hope, however, that they will
fore the 9TH of November next, and
again be found under the old war flag,
doing battle for the sacred cause of hui
man freedom and progression.
Yours for Grant and Wilson,
A. W. b.
For the HeraId.l
Concerning mississippi.
THE COUNTRY-ITS PRODUCTIONS-CLI-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CUsTOMs-ED-
UCATION-THE ARTs-POLITICAL No
TIoNs-KU KLUX KLAN-ANTIPATHY
TOWARDS YANKEE CHRISTIANs-TIIE
NEGRO PEoPLE-THE' NEGROES SOLID
FOR GRANT.
On Monday evening, Judge Tarbell,
of Mississippi, gave a conversational
lecture upon his State, in the Congrega-
tional church, at Moriah, n. Y. The
Judge is a native of Moriah, and remem-
bers attending ''Thc Old Church, " when
the boys sat tOgether-apar from their
parents. He has not forgotten how his
head was punched by the cane of the
aged deacon who was appointed to keep
the boys in order The lecture occupied
nearly two hours aud a half, and was
full of interesting information. Some
of its good things l have written out for
the benefit of the readers of the Herald.
THE COUNTRY.
The surface of the country is gener-
ally level-scarcely even rolling though
there are some inferior hills The seen
cry is not variegated as with us, but
there IS great sameness in its appear
ance. 1t has the look of a wilderness
amidst which the plantations are located
at distances of two, three or perhaps six
miles from each other. Only about one
half of the land (5G-100ths) has been
cleared. In most parts the land is eX-
ceedingly productive, and it yields a
great variety Of productions.
IT'S PRODUCTIONS.
The cotton plant in Mississippi is tree
shaped and grows from one to eight or
nine feet high. The color of the bios
som is bright pink, which however
changes to pale yellow A field Of cot
ton in full blossom is very beautiful, and
SO also after the snowy balls are opened.
The crop is a very uncertain one, and it
may be doubted for that reason whether
raising cotton Is Of real advantage to the
people.
Mississippi has a variety of trees.
Within half a mile of Col. TarbelIs
house, there are twenty kinds of large
Towering forest trees, (similar to our
Our maple is called ''the
sugar tree" The red bud'-named
from the crimson buds which distinguish
our poplar in shape and
in size. If branch from almost any
tree be stuck into the ground, it will
take root and grow The elegant moses
from twelve inches to six feet long
are found chiefly on oak trees.
ITS CLIMATE.
The country is in many respects eX-
eeedingly attractive. Mercury rises no
higher than here. A temperature of 80
degrees is hot; Of 81 degrees very hot.
But their warm season. is longer than
ours. The speaker intended to reach
Jackson about the first of October, and
would then resume his summer clothing.
A home may be made very attractive
with quarter of the labor and that are
requisite here.
THE BIRDS, &c.
The robin-the favOrite of Northern
people-appears in Mississippi only as
bird-of-passage, moving Southwark in
the fall, and Northward in the spring,
they are found in the swamps by mil
lions, and it is not pleasant to add that
the boys shoot them in large numbers,
and that the people are profane enough
to eat them. The hooking bird is to
the people of Mississippi what the robin
is among us. 1t is not 50 tame nor af-
fectionate, though it builds its nest about
the house. Everything in that State
be it dog, chicken or baby-is full of
fight! Accordingly, the mocking bird is
very quarelsome, and it drives almost
every other bird. But its notes are very
1t has no song Of its own,
but it will sing a note or note or two in
imitation of a duck. then of goose,
then of cat, etc. 1t is interesting to
watch a young bird while it listens to
cat or some other animal, and then sounds
a note or two in imitation of what it has
heard. Another bird of a crimson col
or, is the grossbeak; It has only a few
notes, but these are very sweet. Black
birds are very numerous. Crows are
not as large as here.
The State can boast of unloyely in
sects. There are mosquitoes in some
parts. A more troublesome creature,
though an exceedingly small one, is
the red bug, they will get upon you by
myriads as you walk in the grass or other
vegetation. In the sand moreover,
there'are myriads of tleas, which are as
troublesome as the red-bug.
PECULIAR CUSTOMS.
Some of the customs are notable. In
the country, when visiting is to be done,
the whole family-adults, children and
dogs-go in the morning and stay all
day, or longer. Sunday visiting and
Sunday riding are common, even with
church members. As you approach a
gate you cry HaHoa To alight pre-
yiousiy to this would be breach of i'm
politeness. Your first question may
probably be, ''Does your dog bite p If
you wish to call a servant Cor indeed any
one else) the formula is-Ho, John!
As you enter house, you shake hands
all around, and you repeat the ceremony
on leaving, though your stay may have