Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-07-10
LEX 4ER FROM TENN

'o0" ldlng IN incidents of varied char
ile" r, unmarried by any accident
W Jrthy OF record; all spiced by the
'4ovelty of travel.
/ The tedious inonotony of river tfavel
was relieved by tie picturesque scene
ry that meets TIE eye at every turn o
the current. After we reached the
kentucky shore, saw first peach trees
IN biorm, Indicative of a .warmer
ciiaie than the one left behind. AT
.eaC .cinnati we remained but a short
.hne, until our baggage was transfer
red to one o. the L. S. Mail steamers,
and from whence we were soon drift
ing along down the Ohio while our
splendid steamer "walked the water
like thing Of life" Soon after reach
ing,the deck, were called to a choice
collation. in the cabin, 10 which we did
full and ample justice;-the reputation
of Old Pelmont was fully upheld upon
this occasion. Next morning debarked
at Louisville fer Nashville where we
arrived on Friday eve., April 18th.
We left Nashville about ten O'clock
2. NJ. evening OF the 22nd, armed with
through ticket for Galveston, Texas.
Owing to the lateness of the hour we
were unable to see but little of South
ern Tennessee or Northern Alabama
until we arrived near Birmingham,
Alabama, a live and fiourishing town,
situated in the center of the "Cahaba
Mineral Fields OF. North Alabama, on
the South & North r. II. at its inter-
section with the M. q g. r.. r. The
country around is rich mining dis
trict. Iron, coal, aud lead are obtain
ed in paying quantities from the sur
founding hills. Eighteen months ago
not a single house marked the spot,
now youthful city with a popula ion
of 4, 800 and on the increase at the rate
ofone house daily gives practical. evil
dence of the energy, enterprise and
tpersistency of its founders. The city
is the direct outgrowth of mining
company owned and operated by Ala
banians. After refreshments we
again boarded the train and were rap
idly whirled away through a rough,
broken region, thickly timbered with
giant pine, toward Montgomery,
where we arrived about 8 O'Clock, P.
N. Montgomery is beautifully situat-
ed upon gentle" bluff whose sum-
nit is crowned by the State CAPITOL
The houses are generally low, sur
rounded by beautiful shade trees, and
i the air is redolent with the perfume
of flowers, which are in full bloom
The capitol gleams il the golden sun
shine like the whited sepulchers in a
moonlit churchyard, and its situation
strikes me as the ideal representation
offhe capitoline hill of the ''mistress
OF Nations" From its dome we OBJ
tanned a fine view of the surrounding
country, whose general character is
Islightly rolling, with occasional belts
of timber in whose, shady recesses the
residences of wealthy planters are en-
besomed, surrounded with the little
cabins of their former slaves. aiaIt F
Leaving Montgomery on the five
O'Clock P. NJ. train for Mobile we ar
rived in the latter city early next
morning after wearisome ride of IL
hours in traversing distance of about
i15O miles. The road (the NJ. & M. R.
r. is the toughest ] have ever known
and the rolling stock the poorest. na--
/ AT Mobile dense fog enveloped. the
city during the greater part of our stay,
which prevented our ''doing the city,
in proper style. At 2 o'clock A. M.
we boarded train on the M. & N. O..
r. r. aud soon we were rolling onward
toward the Crescent City. Here We
met with tropic vegetation ofluxuriant
growth, and gorgeous hued as a bril-
| liant rainbow. Swamps covered with
dense growth of palms, bay-trees
and forests all densely- matted togeth-
er covered with trailing moss of a
dull leaden color, gave a wild, weird
beauty to the scene, that you may i'm
lagine but I cannot describe. Aliigators
swarmed in these marshy pools, and
snakes of varied color and size were
summing themselves upon the fallen
and decaying timbers that were strewn
around. so 5i.59 stJy5 u laall .l t's
The general character of the country
is level, and at a distance very beauti-
ful, but nearer approach diseIlc. &Hts
tthe picture and instead of fertile
lplains covered with luxuriant giass
land flowers, nothing bat bog and mo-
rass was visible. 'fi"b a.5}i5 '' 80. .
t Arrived ae New Orleans about seven
loieloek p. NJ. where we adjourned TO
the St. Charles for sumptu0us eolla-
ton, and then to the couch for repose.
! where dreamland was peOpled with
the creations of our own fancy. EARLY
tneXt morning crossed the .'Eather of
Waters" and boarded Morgan Tex
las II. r. bound for Brashear City on
1.-THE Mexican Gulf. Arrived at Brashearl
! City about II M. after a pleasant ride
through the sugar and rice producing
region of Louisiana. Rice and sugar
-cane were just peeping through the
rich alluvial loan; the rice reseInbled
grass very much. Large spreading
Live oaks were standing in clulIIps Of
/ two or three, affording a grateful Shade
! from the almost mid summer tropical
sun. $50. -, -. -, -. =. 49,
! The live oak is indigenous to the
coast lands. Macy fiiagnolias with
their yellow pendant blossoms, and
oranges, bay-tfees, and. ihany others
| lined the bayoiis along our course =
While at New Orleans attended tEei
! E.motss Irens h market, and rode across
a portion of Lake Ponchartrain on the
railroad which skirts its Borders. After
larriving at Brashear City were tr:tils-i
ferfed 10 the splendid steamer jose