Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-11-08
Correspondence of the JOURNAL.
BAINBR1DaE, GA, Oct. both, 1872.

years mas now elapsed since leIL the ''Olu
North State" and after wandering over
portions OF Alabama, Florida and Georgia,
have concluded to cast my lot in the city
of cambridge in the latter State, aud if
you think that this letter, the result Of
leisure hour, would be of any interest to
your readers, and worthy Of a place in
your columns, you can publish tiff not,
then consi2n it to your waste basket.
Decatur county. covering a large area,
has many advantages over the adjoining
counties in Georgia, being near enough to
the Gulf to derive the benefits of the breeze
prevailing along its coasts, which render
the nights and mornings exceedingly pleas
ant, even in the height of the sultry heat
OF midsummer. The population are prin-
cipally the descendants of emigrants from
the Carolinas-a majority, perhaps, COM
ing from North Carolina. I here is a Dis
trict in the county known as North Caro-
lima from the fact that its settlers were
all originally from that State, and here may
be met with the well known names Of the
Buffers, McNai. s, McMillans, uerriDg's,
Maxwell's, Ed wards, Singleteries, Will
lams' and hosts OF others familiar in your
own Cape Fear District, and it is q marked
fact that the inhabitants of this district are
singularly noted for their thrift, energy,
honesty, sobriety and hospitality. The
latter is characteristic of the population of
the whole county. The products are near
ly the same as in North Carolina, with the
addition Of sugar cane, which is more cX-
tenslvely grown here than there, and the
syrup made therefrOm forms no small pro-
portion of the profits of the farm. The
| yield is about seven barrels or two hundred
and ten gallons per acre, on ordinary land,
| with average cultivation. Syrup sells
readily, either in cambridge or Savannah,
at thirty cents per gallon. Every farm has
! here, as nutural appendage, its tiel1 or
| patch of cane, either to make into syrup
! or to chew. In week or two now the
| sugar boiling Will commence, and young
and old of both sexes will gather at night
around their neighbOrs furnace and kettles
to chew cane, drink the beer made from
the skimmings Of the boiling syrup, and
| for meIriment generally. The time for
syrup-making is looked forward to by the
young Of both sexes with as much aItici-
! pated pleasure as are the corn stockings in
North Carolina, and all in the country par
ticipate in and enjoy the social gatherings
there so generally prevailing.
| The soil is reasonably fertile, and with
! skiIlful cultivation will readily yield half a
bale of cotton per acre, without the aid of
fertilizers. Cotton is the great staple, and
the faInlers generally lend all their ener-
| GIGS to its cultivation. But the uniaVOraDle
seasons and the caterpil'1r have this year
cut down the yield to at least one-half the
amount that it would otherwise have been.
The system Ct farming generally prevailing
could, L think, be improved upon mate
rally, although we have many sklllful and
eminently successful farmers in this county.
| The population depend mainly upon the
Western I'rairies and markets for their
grain and bacon. The average accounts
with their merchants, for supplies for them
selves and their labOrers, secured by liens
OIL their crops, due the LIST CT November Of
| the present year, have already forced upon
| the market no small proportion Of the
present crop and, at the low prices now
existing, will render the next years farm
ing operations extremely circumscribed
| and enDal TasSed.
Perhaps some account Of cambridge
may not here be ont Of place. The earliest
accounts OF it all agree that General Jack
son constructed fort on the bluff Of the
river, near the present boat whaIf, known
| as tIFOrt Hughes" where traces Of the old
| foundation can be still seen. 1t was laid
out i'll 1886. 1t is situated on the Flint
River, about fifty miles above its junction
with the Chattal .OOchCe, the two streams
forming the ApalachicOla, which emptics
into bay Of the same name on the Gulf,
distant about two hundred miles from
! cambridge. The population numbers
|
native born Georgians. There is All I'M
usually large proportion OfJews among the
| mercantile business men, whose energy
| and devotion TO business add materially 10
the interest, wealth anI general prosperity
| of the city. 1t is usually well supplied
with professional conference.-the legal
profession alone numbering seventeen lesi-
! dent practicing attorneys, and among them
| are some of the sUundest lawyers i'll the
of l,n 1ina1 10 Not
numel ously supplied, numbering only six
practicing physicians. The surrounding
counties, with Decatur, support two Demo-
cratic newSpaperS-'Ihe Southern Sun
| and ''The cambridge Democrat" both
energetic and enterprising, and / am in
| formed that preparations are being made
| to start third in Il short time. Bainbrdge
| has an engine and Il hook and ladder COM
pany, composed If the best young men
around the city, and both of which have
proven their skill and efficiency at three
| fires that have occurred within the last
two years. The city is Incorporated, Of
course, but the admirable administration
| Of its affairs 10y the present Mayor, DIR. III.
! 5. Jones, and the orderly and laW-abIdng
disposition Of its Inhabitants, have rem
| dered the services of police, except upon
extraordinary occasions, entirely unneces-
| sary. The Mayor is ably assisted in pre-
| serving Oruef ana decOfUln ny Inc Marshal,
Mr.. Probe Collier, whose untiring energy
has given him the cognomen of''U biqutous
Probe" Situated i'll a central position, in
the business part Of the city, is the Court
House, Cambridge being the county site
of Decatur county,) handsome structure,
neatly rallied i'll and amply shaded 10y
| towering water oaks.
The streets all radiate from the Count
House, as common centre, and some of
them are as handsome as can be found
anywhere, being shaded by STATELY water
oaks and magnificent live oaks, the beauty
and pcturesqueness Of which have given it
the name Of the coax City" Beautifully
situated on the Flint river, about two
miles above Bainbri lge, is factory, which
is net running now, however, owing to
some legal complications, which have not
yet been adjusted. A steam saw mill, To-
Gated on the river, is kept busy all the
time by the local demand for lumber.
Among the new enterprises is n steam grist
mill and cotton gin, which is amply re-
paying the outlay and energy of its projec-
tors, and the banking house of Dickinson
d Stegall, also a new enterprise, under the
able management of the former gentle
man, has established itself upou finn
basis, and is in 1ourishing condition
The cemetery is one Of the many chains
of the city, and is the favOrite resort for
an evenings promenade Of the young and
old of both sexes. The chief ornament of
Bainblidge is its ladies', who add to all the
charms that nature has lavishly bestowed
upon them, endless accomplishments, in
telligence and refinement; in fact, all