Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-12-16
sKETCMEs OF ALARAmA.
Crops, Gotten, Money, Politics ana ono
Situation Generally,

EDITORS CHRONICLE: Finding
time and opportunity will pen you
few lines from this point.
The weather has been delightful
nearly all the time have been in the
State, aud to see persons in their shirt
sleeves " to-day one would almost i'm
agine summer had "come again.
The two nights preceding this have
been quite cool aud frosty with some
ice, but nothing like 1 presume you
are having.
Crops generally are quite short in
The portions of the state over which /
nave travelled, and consequently mon
~ matters are erceGdingly close.
The quantity Of COTTON IL small, but
he quality Is unusually fine, owing t.
he tiue fail which enabled the planters
70 save IL in fine condition. Some il
not yet picked, but the bulk of 1t IL
now coming into market. 1t is CON-
nanding from II to ID cents.
he leading topic among the plant
RS seems TO be now to manage negro
| Dor To the best advantage. The ia
crest is much greater in this than POI
i,ics just now. 1t is vital question
which may visibly affect ones sup
pli's
No doubt but the negroes, to a great
Xtent, have been indOlent and care
less, neglecting their crops and dis
cussing politics too much. While
'ome nave been mistreated or defrapb-
ed, / think in the main their former
masters are disposed to treat them
fairly. l have enqulred infinitely in
Ia. hia l.
INTO the State, and the above is the
result. / asked an intelligent cOlored
man to-day IL he cOulI make any
money farming in Alabama. He said
he could make a living ifcrops were
good, aud we DON'T trade 1t out in the
stores" l asked him how they farm
ed he said If the white man fur
nished stock, feed, seed, etc., he
white mau) gets one-third of the
cotton and One-half of the corn
but If we furnish everything, he white
man) gets one.fourth of the cotton
and one-third of the corn.
" WE'LL" said can't you make
money at that ." Yes, ifcrops were
good" There is much poor land here
aud great deal very good. Six bush
els of wheat to the acre is about the
average, but sometimes as much as 90
bushels to the acre Is raised.
Corn and oats do better. Most farm
ers are trying TO raise bread and meat
TO do them.
The Alabama and Chattanooga, and
Selma, Rome and Dalton Railroads
are accommodating roads or at leasG
run little else than accommodation -
trains, and very few of them. Wheu
you 90 to Childersburg, be sure and
don't put up at that "boarding-hOusea
there, unless you want to fare badly
and pay dearly for it.
You can put up at the saw-mill IN
less you conclude to "call again
Childersburg is the point at which the
Savannah and Memphis road will
cross the S., r. and d. road. 1t is
completed to within 20 miles of toe
place and it is thought will be com
pleted that far by spring.
This place seems TO be quite BUSH
ness point and in prosperous cOndi-
ton. The population is 1000 or up
ward, | suppose, and there is Theo-
logical Institution here for the colored
people; a deaf and dumb institution,
besides some other institutions Of
learning. 1t Is the county site of Ia
ladega county and seems to control a
great deal of the county trade.
| hear comparatively little said on
political subjects now. The people
seem to be cOntented and applying
their time anc energies more TO re-
trenchmeDt, curtailing expenses and
preparing for another crop. Business
generally is being done on a much
safer basis than since the war, but still!
the merchants are carrying large
amounts, for the payment of which
their crops are pledged. There will be
less Of this done next year than the
present. / trust next year will be one
OF good crops generally and then We
will have true prosperity.
Yours as ever, H.&r
Talladega, Ala, Dec. 10. 1874