Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-07-22
Editorial correspondence:
YARBRorGn FAM. J
ST. CLAIR Co., ALA. ;
IT,. mi IO.n

In compliance with my promIst
before leaving home, | will lnfufIt the
readers of the BEAco. Of my where.
abouts and how l came here,
Not to be tedious, | will begin be
stating that, after remaining in Sich3-
burg, twenty four hours, transacting
some business and partaking of the
bospitalities of the courteous inahas-
ers of that popular house of entertain
ment. the Washington Hotel, we
boarded palace sleeping car at the
Vicksburg and Metidian Railroad tie.
pot, at 3 o'clock on Tuesday evening,
July 4lh, and stepped OF the same car
at the Selma, Rome and Dalton Rail
road depot, at Jacksonville, Ala. about
twenty-four hours afterwards, the
trains having made close connection
both at Meridian and Selma-in fact,
We stopped only long enough at each
place for the baggage to be transferred
and the car we were On to be coupled
TO tie train that was in waiting for
us, which did not consume 5 minutes
at Selma. The car was crowded
when VIC entered it at vicksburg, but
to our delight we found most of the
passengers were going to Cooper's
Well, which left US an abundance Of
room the remainder of the route.
The conductors of the trans were
kind and courteous, while the colored
porter on the sleeper was as attentive
as any passenger could desire. The
convenience of travelling so far with.
out changing cars has to be enjoyed
to be fully appreciated. This sleeping
coach runs through from Vicks
burg, Miss, to Dalton, Ga.
Arriving in Jacksonville very tired
and the madam quite unwell, we &C.
cepted the hospitality of the venerable
editor.sof the Jacksonville Republican
and his family, with the Intention c1
remaining several days; but on
Thursday morning l was shown q
letter stating that my father.in.law
was very sick, and determined to
hurry forward to this place; and
accordingly hired hack and started
at o'clock p. NJ arriving here at
dark the same evening; but was
gratilied to find that matters were not
so bad as l was led to suppose.
On our way over here we passed
many old familiar places, that had
undergone but little change during
my eleven years absence. but fUGRd
others SO changed that l did not
recognize them. Of course the grand
old mbuutsirs still lift their towering
peaks 10 the clouds and the same
majestic old river washes tbeit bases,
and these old landmarks awakened in
my memory thoughts of the happiest
hours Of my life-thouSbts Of tie
scenes Of bOyhood days sbedt about
these romantic spots.
/ drove over to Ashville on Satur.
day and Sunday, and had the pleasure
of hearing q discourse each day from
the venerable pastor of the Asbville
Baptist church, Jesse A. Collins, who
was ordained by this same church
forty -one years ago yesterday. He
is growing very old and feeble in
body. but still POSSESSES a vigorous
mind, we'll stocked with religious
knowledge. God bless this father in
Israel with an abundant harvest when
be comes to gather in his shelves.
can not describe the feeling that we'll
ed up in my breast and choked dowil
utterance as l once more graspcd the
hand of this venerable divine and the
few members of his flock who still
remain as a connecting link between
the past and the present, but the
reader can Imagine it no doubt.
! flnd Asbville very much improved
in its Old days, the population having
more than doubled Within the last few
years; and among its ihhabita6ts
find here and there an old, familiar
face, but most Of them are strangers
to me-young people grown up and
strangers moved in to take the places
o. those who are gone. mss Say
the same OF Jacksonville, except that
IL does not exhibit the same spirit Of
improvement.
l Ipresume crops are doing we'll
people say they are-but cotton and
corn that l have seen this side of the
Mississippi do not look as we'll as they
do in Louisiana. Still people make
enough to live on here, ard live well,
while they have many advantages
that we do not. In fact, they seem
to me to be more prosperous than our
people, although the land is old, poor