The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-03

1t was originated ny the master mind OF Ton
Scott and the Pennsylvania Railroad company
as the connecting link to his Southern Pacific
road, two of the costliest jobs ever executed or
this or any other continent.
1t was night, and like the Arabs Of old, pack
ed my trunk, aud quietly moved away-prclcr
ring even the dulncss Of Pullman Palace Cal
to the solitude Of a city like st. Louis.
When morning dawncd and the train hat
come to A dead stop, we were informed By tn,
porter tina; here we had "tweaty minutes fo'
breakfast Such news as that is refreshing a
any time. but when II fellow has to hunt arouno
with a spy glass to find the Eating House,
and then use the same instrument to sec what
there is to eat for your seveaty-Gve cents, il is
rather discouraging. ..
The place is called Columbus, but whether il
was named after Columbus of DID, or old Colum
bus after the place, was notEquite clear to my
mind, at all events it looked old enough to have
been around when "Christophcr" put in an ap
pearancc on the American continent.
While admirlng the vast wilderness around us
and the "rollng Mississippi to the right that
good old tune
ave will sing one song Tor our old Kentucky
home,
The summer the darkcys are gay;
BY and by hard times come knocking AZ the
door,
In our old Kentucky home far away"
began to take possession of our thoughts; but
we had doubt in our mind whether this part
Of "Old Kentuck" was even worth zone song
though it was very evident that the "ha,d times
had come, and the darkeys were no longer gay,
but "busted"
A day light ride through western Kentucky
and Tennessee reveals to us nothing much in the
way OF scenery or good farms, but more Of the
dilapidated remains Of decaying plantations
bringing wildly to our mind the sad effects o!
war, and the ruin which is always sure to follow
Along the line of the Mobile & Ohio railroad
from Columbus there is no town worthy OF men.
ton excep. Jackson, Tesn., until the historic
town Of
CoRINTH, MISS,
is reached.
The battle OF Corinth was one of the hottest
contested engagements OF the war, and to-day
the entertainments remain in as perfect state
of preservation as when the boys in blue" left
them.
The graves of the federal and confederate
dead are fast going to decay, and soon it will be
hard to tell where sleep the heroes of either
side, for
"No marble slab or grave stone
Their gallant deeds to tell; ~ .a o.. .....
No monument to mark the spot
Where they with glory fell"
From Corinth to Mobile, this road trayerses
q beautiful section OF country, in fact the
finest lands IN Miss, and the most flourish.
ing cities and towns in the state. The land is OF
a rolling and billy kind, interpreted with num-
erous rivers, the most important Of which is the
Tombigby. This section has more the appear.
snce of civilization and prosperity than any 9th.
err part Of the south that have yet seen, and
from the condition of the various plantations
and appearance Of the towns, would Judge that
the people are in a fiourishing condition.
Aberdeen, Columbus, Artesia and Meridian
are prosperous and growing towns; still retain.
ing their "old time" appearance, as they were
not disturbed by the soldiers of either the North
or South during the war.
As gave description Of
MOBILE
IN my letters last winter IL VIII not be necessary
to mention it now, but suffice it to say, that Mo
bile Is still lovely, and its orange trees, with
their fragrant blossoms and the soft balmy brccz
es from the Gulf, as delicious as ever.
Between Mobile and New Orleans is to be
found one of the lovelest little watering places
on the American Continent,
"BAY ST. LOUIS"
Here we find n town possessing rare charms
with a vast pine forest, mngling its balsamic
oders with the salt day brcezcs from the Gulf
and the fragrance of orange blossoms and yari
Gus other perfumes which this section OF the
country is noted for, giving us a Paradise on
earth. think one of the lovelicst views in the
world is here presented rs the train from Mobile
approaches the town. The broad bay on the
right and the waters of the Gulf on the left
with beautiful sweep Of shore in the front
clothed with verdurc. aud the beach covered
with hundreds Of white cottages for bathing pur
poses, form picture of calm and lovely beauty
which cannot be surpassed on earth. J. ID. H.