Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-02-13
CT the JONI hat
A FTP 80 Mtsxissippi.

Dear Journal Monday morning,
the Goth ult. we found ourselves aboard
one of those elegant new cars built by
the w. G. & A. Il. r. at their shops in
Wilmington, speeding on towards Col
umbla. At 3 o'clock, or about that
time. camein sight of Columbia. We
make connection with the Augusta
train. We bid Captain Marsh good
bye, step aboard and are soon travel
hing over territory which is entirely
new to us. The road is in splendid
order and everything in good working
condition.
In due time we pass Graniteville. S.
c.. where we take supper and then
push forward to Augusta, making con-
nection with the Atlanta train. After
leaving Atlanta We spread out our
overcoat and go to sleep. At 6 O'Clock
next morning we wake up il Atlanta
and there find out we mustlie over I'M
til 1 30 p. IN. After breakfast we COM
mence strolling around the city
Atlanta is quite an important city.
covering nine square miles aud all
being built since the war Everything
seems to be full of life and
business is buoyant notwithstanding
the pressure of the panic. We make
the acquaintance of Col. L. G. Simms,
who acts as. our ..cicerone in showing
up the sights of the city. Though
his kindness we were introduced to
one of Atlanta's most promising law
yers, MIR. J. Alex. Stephens, a neph-
ew of Hon. A. H. Stephens. It
being near time for us to leave, we
bid Col. S. good bye, and are soon
Montgomery bound.
Conductor McCoole, of the Western
Railroad, running from Atlanta to
Montgomery, is surely the right man
in the right place, and every traveller
passing over that road may congratu-
late himself if he falls into the hands
of Capt. McC. All along the road.
new buildings are going up; life and
| activity seem to pervade everything.
Night comes on before we get beyond
| the Georgia line ond we can see moth
ing outside. We reach Montgomery
at 10 p. m. There our ticket and
check end, and we commence making
| inquiries for the ticket Office, find it,
buy our ticket for Meridian and are
soon on the way to Selma, Ala.
We arrive there at 1 o'clock in the
morning and find that we must
stop over till 1920; stop at the st.
James. After breakfast we go down
on the river banks and look at the
stesmer r. +. Lee taking on freight.
1t being something new we stand for
some time looking and when we were
ready to start, find that the hack had
left us and we must walk. We reach
the depot just i'll time. Along the
road from Selma We commence taking
up negroes emigrating to the Missis-
sippi bottoms. At Demopolis we stop
for dinner. What negroes we already
had on board and those waiting to
start commenced fighting. In the
midst Of the fuss, Capt Mcconnell
sings out "all aboard" Rocks and
sticks are dropped aud Il general rush
made for the tr:iu.
Reach Meridian iii due tilne, make
connection with The Vickshurg ana
Meridian Road We watch the trans
fer of the baggage OF the negroes
Beds, belsteads, whole ones and some
with holes, chairs, stools. dead tables,
dogs, &c, aud also tie rver-present
gun.
During the transfer the has / organ
Of the baggage-man underwent an eie-
vation of several degr. es, and there
being seemingly no end he commenced
using some bad grammar. Bat when
it came to the transfer of the dogs his
spirits lightened, vengeance WAS de-
picted on his countenanc+. He could
do nothing but grin and bear it while
handling the chairs, bags, beds and
rags, but when it was something alive
and could make n flss he used his
power. There was moIe noise and
bowling than there ever W. Is IL VII
mington during dog days in a similar
space of time.
We asked Capt. Harris some lues-
tons about the exodus of the negroes,
and he told us that he had four cars
loaded with them that night. and that
it WAS the lightest load lie had carried
out for six weeks.
We reach Brandon, Miss at IL
O'Clock, and that being as far as We
wished to 20, we stop. We meet
several North Carolinians: Mr.. d. B.
Mckee, of Bladen; Mr.. Will McLaurin,
of Wilmington; Mr.. W. Smith, of Sa-
lem. and others.
We find business somewhat brisk,
though beginning to lag. Merchants
are complaining about The panic and
curtailing expenses.
The farmers bring cotton into town
in wagons drawn by oxen. You may
see q negro coming along, perched
upon bis cotton bales. with long
pole about eight feet, with a lash about
ten feet long on one end. Hitched to
his wagon are from four to six oxen
never less than four They would not
be disgraced by driving two. We
look on the oxen for some rope, bride,
line or something by which he guides
them, but none can be found. We
watch aud listen, Il. d all We can hear
is "Gee, whoa, haw,' and every min
ute or two Il report like unto the sound
is produced by that whip. In our own
boyhood days we used to have whips,
and thought we had some of size and
length; but nothing our imagination
ever conceived OF in its broadcast
stretch could come up to those whips
drawn and used with force 10y those
transfers.
Everything is sold On credit; only
one settling time in the year and that
in the fall, and if the cotton does not
paw away go the oxen and wagon if
that fails away goes the firm ; and if
that does not settle up overheard the
farmer goes and no more use for him.
| Oranges IRE numerous and the cry is
still the come.
People are down in the mouth about
SO many negroes coming among them.
Politics are in almost as bad q state as
N Louis ana.
'urday night we bid our North
| Carolina friends good bye, shake the
dust of Mississippi from off on: feet
and start homeward. Lie over in
Selma on Sunday an,! hear Bishop
Marvin, Of st. Louis. preach. Mon
day se cali on Col. ID. S. Troy, in
Montgomery, originally from North
Carolina. Spent a short time with
him. Leave Montgomery at 3 p. m.
and come up to Opelika Meet two
gentlemen there from Wilmington who
are residing there, Mr.. French Strange,
brother OF Col. Robert Strange, and
Mr.. Jno l.. Cowan. editor of the Ope-
lika Observer. We spent an hour ve,y
pleasantly with Mr.. Cowan i'll his
sanc.nm. II 5, ms to be chock full
OF business. He Is an energetic,
driving young man and deserves sue
cess. We lie over in Atlanta on We'd