The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-12-11
CoRRESPONDEN CE.
PAXTON, Ill, Dec. 7tb, 1871;


Mr. Editor Having been long
u resident OF your vicinity, and a
constant reader of the MAIL, 1 have
often intended to write little items
for your paper, thinking they might
be of interest to some of the Missis-
sippians to hear something of the
far North.
Farmers in Illinois, rs a general
thing, direct their entire attention
to the raising OF corn, and their la
bors have been crowned with unu-
sual success this year. There will
be an average of about 40 to Is
bushels per acre, although some
will go as high as 100 bushels.
Potatoes come next; quito n large
crop of which has also been raised,
although quantities rotted in the
ground during the rainy season last
summer.
Not long since had the pleasure
OF visiting the farm of Micheal l..
Sullivant, Esq, who is justly called
the champion farmer of the world
Hi. place lies in the southern portion
of Livingston and tho northern OF
Ford counties, and comprises $4,000
acres, almost all of which is in cultiva-
ton. This year he has about $4,000
acres of corn, which will yield about
40 bushels per acre, average, making
400, 900 bushels The remaining
5000 acres Is cultivated in hay, flax,
oats, etc. The SO sections contain.
ed in the farm arc each separately
surrounded by an Usage orange
hedge, making 272 miles of hedge
fence, Mtrabile dictu.
The Chicago & Paducah r. R.
passes through the place, on which
he has his own depot, express and
telegraph offices. On his two switch.
es l counted Is cars ready to be
loaded with grain and hay. His own
town, "Burr Oaks" is u village Of
several hundred inhabitants, where
are situated his stores, shops, board
ing houses for hands, etc. The Ia
borers are Swedes, Germans and
some negroes;the latter were brought
from the South since the war. The
rules for management are very
strict, and every one must be pune
tual to the moment or they arc i'm
mediately discharged. Generals and
captains preside over the laborers
in squads. A large ground is pre-
pared where they are allowed to
Il semble on Saturday evenings and
relax themselves with dancing and
other amusements. Including dwell
ing houses, barns, cribs, etc, there
are about $500 buildings on the farm.
One might imagine that this great
planter would live in a princely
mansion, but on the contrary his
residence is a very plain frame
building, which could not have cost
over 81 500 at the outside.
Mr.. Sulliyant is a mar about 80
years of age, very large and COM
handing in appearance and man.
| ners shrewd in business transac-
tons and a man of indomi:able per-
| severance. He was born in Colum-
bus, Ohio, where his father owned a
good deal of land in the suburbs Of
that city. AS the town grew the
property became more valuable
until it was worth several hundred
thousand dollars, and on the death of
his father, Mr.. S. inherited the en-
tire estate, which he determined to
sell out and invest in western land,
which he did, purchasing tho estate
he now lives on Rumors are afioat
that the farm will soon pass into the
hands of Eastern capitalists, and il
is we'll known fact that 1t is en-
numbered with mortgages etc. At
ter having spent the greater portion
of his life in the accumulation OF
property, he will no doubt, in his
old age see it pass into the hands of
his creditors. Such IS life.
f. w. P =