Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-12-28

houses and people, as each IS passed, and
at certain distances, the decided change is
manifest; especially in the large cities At
Louisville, thourogh Kentucky town, We
stopped sufficient time to visit it, and its
suburbs. or all the cities we have visited,
Louisville impressed US most favorably.
There is about it a solidity and wealth,
and an aroma of genuine business. In the
streets, carriages and livery were common,
as were magnificent business structures,
and palatial residences. While here, we
visited their celebrated CEMETERY AT CAVE
| HILL.
1t Is one that agrees with ne city in its
magnIhcence. The area occupied is 1923
acres OF beautiful timbered and unduls-
ting ground. 1t is covered with lnonu-
ments sacred to those occupying the tolnbs
they comprise; monuments of design and
excellence nowhere to be excelled. 500.
600 is common cost for one of them; and
those at this figure are innumerabe. Some
are masterpiece of the sculptor's art, and
cost immense sums. All are of the best of
marble. and made in Italy. Even the
| grave of the poorest person inferred,
Is marked in manner compatible with
| the whole. Around each grave, vault, and
tomb, the tendrils of the vine creep, and
! with the deep green foliage, forms a splen-
| did ground to relieve the Towering shrubs
| and choice flowers blooming there. At our
visit the air was perfumed with the roses
and other OdOrOus flowers, yet in their
summer glory. In one part of this huge
! field of the dead, are 1000 bodies OF SOL
| diers of the Union, laid, and 500 Of the
! Confederate Service. The Union boys lay
where the national flag flies over them,
and monuments of cannon and ball, tells
] the history. Each grave has a headstOne
| of Italian marble, Is inches high, s inches
wide, and inches thick; and on it is the
name of the occupant, if known; the date
of their death, their State and Regiment.
! Ohio is carved on many a headstOne, and
silently tells to the world story of patri-
otism and death of those of that State, as
of the others represented there. The 500
! Confederate graves, are decorated by larg-
er headstones, raised from subscription
| from the ladies of Louisville.
When one gazes on these 4 acres of
| graves, the horrors and fate of war need
no more suggestion; the mind fully real
| ICES the awful nature of that great strug
| gle, which shook this Continent, especially
when we know that this Cemetery is only
one of hundreds that contain a like COM
|
! had an opportunity of being with the "Fa-
| ther of the Waters" Its scenery is not so
| grand as on the Ohio, and partakes of char
acter that borders on the monotonous. All
| along we saw the localities of struggle du-s
| ring the late war; but very few indications
remain of its once having existed. Mem
! phis and Nicksburg, were both passed with
| out an opportunity of careful visit, and
| ours does not entitle us to description of
/ them. Our first realization of being away
| down South, was at Matches. The town
| is situated on high eminence above the
| River, and commands a magnificent view
of the whole adjoining country and river.
| We were distinctly impressed with its diff
| ference to Northern towns. Each house
| possessed that solidity and closeness that
| characterizes Spanish cities; and such per-
| feet and solid quietude pervadsd the streets.
| that the rattling of an occasional vehicle,
and the screaming voices of children at
! play, seemed almost sacrilege. Evidence
| of tropical foliage asserted itself here, and
human beings, beasts, and vehicles were
so decidedly alien to us, that we at last
felt ourselves in foreign land.
1t was not until we reached Baton Rouge,
| 100 miles lower down than Matches, that
we revelled in the luxury of a southern
/
fruit on the trees, and plucked roses and
| other flowers, to grace our room and fill it
with their perfume. Huge bouquets of
the most fragrant roses were scattered ev-
| erywhere, and our consciences were sadly
at variance with the Calendar, not clear
| ly understanding the seeming anomaly Of
| such things in the middle of November;
| hitherto to us a season of snow and ice,
| but here perfect paradise of warm sun
shine, luscious fruit and resplendent flow
ers.
New Orleans was reached on the 10th of
Nov, after 1S days travel
We must not complain of our journey.
although somewhat long, for it certainly
contained a daily and new diversion, pro-
| viding new scenes and observations, and
| truly giving to us a knowledge of the
| land we live in to a remarkable degree.
We enjoyed every phase of River life as
far as we could; one day steaming at full
| speed, the next, struck high and dry on
sand bar, and vigorously sparring to get
off "a method of steamer fighting these
peculiar difficulties, and one without
! gloves.) Some days we had all the water
we wanted to sail in, the next day we
would have to lay up by the bank for
water to come to US. This day visiting
y.
social scandal, etc., etc.
One more fact-ef River life before we
leave it. On the occasion of our being
obliged to lay up all night waiting for wa
ter, our Captain proposed Coon hunt.
The Doctor and Mr.. Van declined. But
! |, not initiated in that particular sport,
most readily acquiesced, with some hands.
and few of the gypsies-passengers on
! the deck, we went off to the woods at
the agreeable hour of ten at night. Two boys
had been engaged with dog to meet US,
and give US the sport.
We met the boys in the woods, and the
dog, aud they were soon away in the
depths, while we built fire, and waited,
waited and waited. We could hear the
dog now and then, but no coon ever
took to tree that night. After an hour
or so of waiting and firing, we
called in the boys and that dog. and
such boys, and such dog. Being dark
when we met them first, we could not see
| them in detail; but now before the fire, we
saw Them plainly. The Master of Ceremo-
nies, the boy who owned the dog was a
pitiful sight. Thin, pale, shlvering and
| shaking, with torn and ragged garments
| on him, through which the piercing cold
| had entered freely; he stood unable to
| keep his teeth from a perpetual tattoo.
! We asked at once whether he was sick
''No said he" not much. 81 jist had
| touch of chills this morning, tibet about
| shuk me out of my boots, thets all. "
He evidently spoke the truth; for
| glanced at his feet, and only one foot
was covered. and that boot seemed as if
it had had fright smart Of chance
Of shake" We asked what he had done
with the dog so long away ald not freeing
a coon. "Oh," answered the other boy,
'.it TUX us all the time building fires TO
keep warm, so thet we had no time to look
fur coons." We had enough coon, and re-
fusing the entreaty of the healthy boy to
take another turn, we sufiiced their merce-
nary souls, and came back to the boat. The
gvpsies, who We're with us were disap-
pointed they went for coon, and coon, or
other quadruped they must have. Their
nature is such as to not allow of an empty
return from any hunt. So in some myste-
rious manner they stole the dog; although
they bore the torches in front of us, and
we could plainly see them, and no dog was
visible; still, when we reached the boat,
the dog was in their possession. l may
add, the Captain put the dog ashore; and
would not allow the robbery to be COM
pleted. As to New Orleans, to describe 1t
would fill volume Suffice to say, It Is
city full OF business, stores, churches, con-
vents, hotels, saloons, Frenchmen aud me-
groes sand healthy white populations: