Smyrna times., 1877-03-14
For the Smyrna Times
Notes by a Lady Traveller.

After travelling through seven or eight Of
the Southern States and seeing more log
houses than any others, and hearing con-
stant complaints of unjust taxation and
having thorough demonstration of the fact
that the people are deprived of many of the
comforts that we at the North consider in
despensble, | have come to the conclu-
sion the sunny South" has few charms
for me. Yet the air is sweet and balmy
now, (the middle of February and the peo-
pie sit with open doors and windows. Peach
trees are in bloom, the mocking bird is
carolng his sweetest notes, and the ever
present negro and mule are ploughing the
cotton fields for this years crops. They had
an abundance last year. AT every station
the platforms were loaded with bales of
cotton waiting for transportation. lnpassing
through Georgia and Alabama | saw the
gray moss peculiar to the Southern swamps
in its greatest perfection. We could look
through long vistas where those tall trees
formed interminable avenues, and the long
gray moss which envelops every limb float
ing and swaying in the light breeze it gave
to ones mind the idea Of the true poetry
of motion, and mingled with these were
variety Of evergreens of the brightest hues,
together with the beautiful bay tree and
live oak. The scene will ever remain in
| the halls of my memory like a cherished
| picture. But it is only in these swampS
where the malaria broods like bird of i'll
omen that this moss is seen in all of its
beauty. In Georgia we passed some thrifty
looking plantations, also elegant mansions
whose surroundings betokened wealth and
culture in the luXuriant and neatly trimmed
hedges and shrubbery tastefuly disposed
over the wide lawn. Through the centre of
Mississippi there lies belt of prairie land
that is admirably adapted to cotton raising.
Here we travel for many miles beside those
level fields stretching off in the distance as
far as the eye can reach, no fences or
hedges, the dividing line between the plan
tations being in many instances merely a
row of trees. The northern portion of the
State is marshy and unproductive. For
many miles the railroad passes through
swamps filled with trees peculiar to the
country, that seem stripped of bark and
foliage, presenting bare and gloomy ap.
pearance. After leaving Mississippi and
coming north through Tennessee we enter
the region that is rendered sacred and
interesting as historic ground where some
of our most important battles were fought
during the last war. Vicksburg, Shiloh anC
COrinth, will live in the memory of all o.
us who were acquainted with the partici
pants in those dreadful scenes. Here iT
southern Illinois | see decided improve
ment in the farms, and the buildings are o
much better class. Illinois is rich il
coal and mineral productions. | visited
the salt wells in this vicinity. On approach
ing them we could see at a distance tai
lighthouse looking structures that we foun(
on nearer approach were buildings to pro
tect the wells and the machinery TO draV
n up the water. | was quite interested in tn
. process of preparing this very common bu
very useful commodity for the market
Y There are some five or six wells here il
. | working order. Although they are quite
distance apart they are so managed tina
the water from all of them runs into on
!. reservoir. From there it is conducted int
Il large vats, where by the process of evapera
ton it is converted into beautiful pure sal
i oc the best quality. The large heaps iyin
IS around are suggestive of something colde
q than it really is. Here also was stored an
10 number of bright, new barrels ready to r,
% ceive the saline product. Last year thes
" wells produced about 10000 barrels. Th
81 work is done by negroes, mostly. Ho
is wonderful that our Heavenly Father di
tributes all over His fair heritage this veI
necessary article of food, as well as til
luxuries to comfort and sustain His chi
= dren. 1t is very interesting to watch I'll
l. process of crystilization and see the stala
- - tites as they form in rows depending fro
~ the bottom of the watts, the light shinin
- through in such manner as to show the
u beauty and purity. About mile fro
u here are extensive coal mines of the btum
nous kind, and above the average of Il
81 Western bituminous. They are successful
a worked. The amount accessible at vel
moderate depth is enormous. The coal
= brought directly to the salt works upon
u elevated railway and used to heat the sa
u ~ water. There are numerous coperas sprin
~ ~ in this part of the State, also some miner
"' springs that have attained some celebri
- for their healing qualities.
ei J.. G.. JACKMAN.