Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-29
THE wINTRY SOUTH.

TIE WINTRY SOUTH.
This is not a time to indulge in pretty
talk about the sunny South. The land
of the magnolia and fig tree, Of sweep
ing moses and ever green lawns, has
suddenly been transformed into a region
of snow and ice, cutting winds and KAN
skatSain landscapes. There is a poetry
in the beautiful snow and Inspiration in
lis zigzag aud whirling eddies, but a lit
tie experience teaches US that these wild
pranks OF the ma11ened elements are
best seen from the inside of a
large glass window, backed and
warmed within by a cheerful an
thraeite FIRE. Another good view
may be had from a flying cutter
with buffalo robes and a genial com
panion. The most pleasing view, how
ever, is perhaps, after all, obtained in
summer, after the gorgeous snow and
the s~tslactites of ice from jutting cor
rio5s have been reduced to canvas and
can be discussed all the better by the
aid Of ice cold lemonade and frozen
mint julips. Such accessories are out
Of season just now, but they always
highten the effect Of art, and often pro-
duce q blush not found in ell nature
Another good view of the snow in its
virgin purity, without feeling the cold,
can be had in the City Of Mexico. The
SNOW capped peaks Of Popccatepetl
lift themselves above the fertile plains
above the clouds and glitter and SHIN
mer in the sun, like a sentinel Of
eternity without variableness or shadow
of change. From year to year and cen.
fury to century, these solid drifts which
may nave been left there by some an
cient glacier, defy aud repel alike, the
rays OF the SUI, moon and stars and the
fierce volcanic sea of FIRE within that al
ways burningan never-consumed throws
up burning lava, red hot stones and sui.
phurous smoke. The distance from the
city to the brow Of this burning, frozen
mountain, is forty-fve or fifty miles. Yet
it does not seem ten to the eye. Any Of
our sentimental readers desiring to see
O combination of winter and sum
mer withsut tie inconvenience of
either can step over TO the City Of Mex
leo and escape the prosy reality Of a
snow twelve inches deep. The perspec-
tive is beautiful; the actual fact is either
more or less than poets and painters
have pictured. Snow is no novelty in
the region Of Bherrings' Straits, and
there is enough 10 q mile of the South
pole to Gil every cistern 10 FIVE hundred
miles Of there; nor is it such q novelty
10 this section as the Northern public
might suppoNe. The ice king has built
his castles in our gardens. Thou aa'ls
of his beads and spangles simmer afi
twinkle Ike star dust in groves where
of late the brown thrush aad the mock
ing bird piped and thrilled amid the lux.
uriant foliage. Now how changed A
snowbiti on its way south would not fod
aretreatthere overnight. The denizens Of
forest and stream, of rocky crsg, deep
glen and thicket are clasped in wintry
arms. Man only strives TO conquer the
elements, and is the only animal which
%pretends to enjoy a season imported
from Minnesota, and spread over a vast
country between the Tennessee and the
Tombigbee rivers, supposed usually to be
exempt from the Arctic blasts. The
earth seems to have veered out Of its
course a little for the last few years
Tnose who watched the transit of Venus
tell US that we are gradually approaching
the sua at a rate which will land US
there ia shout fourteen hundred
millions of years. These wise
gentlemen must have been LOOK
ing through inverted glasses aud ar
rived at the converse conclusion from
the fact. It seems more likely this sort
of weather that the earth is drifting %
into space at the rate OF about ten miles
ayear, and ihst 10 the course Of time
the sun will cease to take any notice o.
our globe whatever, and then, unless we
come across another sun, the price Of
coal will go up to two hundred dollars a
shoveIful. 1t is high enough already, but
if Tilden is insugurated President thing
will cjme right. The country vii
swing around square to the suu
and flowers and bounteou3 crops
peace AMI plenty again bles:
our Southern ice fields. The present
occasion affords an opportunity for tn
display Of rare mechanical genius in tho
construction Of vehicles called sleighs
We have on an avarage about two good
days sleighing a year. This does not
justify fly dollar cutters. So the popu.
lation turns out 10 i~mproyised flying ma.
chimes, made Of buggy beds, goods boxes,
chicken coops, ash boppers, patent wash
ing machines-everything that will rest
on two runners and hitch to a horse.
Then the pleasure Of mounting enc OF
the crazy traps, tying q cowbell to the
front end Of the horse ard driving over
the rats aud slosh of the streets in a
chilling wind, running races with other
cowbelled horses hat throw the
snow aud slush in your fs2e. get.
H.. - A.. 1880