The true northerner., 1878-02-22
MIDDLETON STATION, Hardimon Co.,
Tennessee. Feb. 9th, 1878. }


EDITOR TRUE NoRTHERSKR;
wish through your columns 10 answer some
questions for the public good, as cannot an
swer all the letters | receive. Last MONDAY
received eight letters-nearly all making the
same inquiries and by using your paper as
medium all can get the Information Desired
AS regards the people, they are the most nos
pitable and friendly ever met with. There is
hardly family in the place but what have call
ed ON Us since we have lived here; and they
do not care what paper man takes nor what
hs politics are, for they don't talk politics. L
have not heard word on political subjects
since I have been here. They say they want
Northern people TO come here and settle and
they will sell them farms cheap. Good land
can be bought all the way from two dollars to
fifteen dollars per acre, according to improve
ment and location to market This place has
two or three hundred inhabitants, two rail
roads-one narrow and one wide gauge, one
meeting house, one steam grist MILL seven
stores. including drug stores, think three sa-
looms and one hotel. No regular hardware
store, no meat market, no bakery, no cabinet
shop, no dress making or millinery shop, and
no shoe maker in this region 30 far as | know,
and they are very anxious to have good one
come. A good wagon and buggy maker would
also do well here. But most of all they want
farmers to develop the country. There is a
great deal OF wild lands with beautiful timber
aruond this place. The timber consists prnc-
pally OF white oak, shag bark hickory, black
oak, black walnut, beech, birch, plenty OF
chestnut and other varieties. Good pine lum-
ber can be bought for twelve dollars per thous-
and, good shingles for four dollars. There Is
no saw mill in this place. The oaks are very
tall and nice. Slaves ars worth fifty dollars
a thousand delivered on track. Fruit and all
kinds OF berries do well here. The product is
principally cotton. have seen seven car loads
in one day shipped from this place. and did
not get here until after the bulk Of the cotton
crop was sold and shipped, but there are some
farmers that have not yet finished their cotton
picking yet. Some is being brought to market
almost daily. The soil OF the land is clay mixed
with SAND. and it is very muddy here in the
winter but the roads are good In summer. The
water Is good in most places. although some
trouble Is experienced where there is an under
layer OF soap stone, Both hard and soft water
are found within a few rods of each other.
Wheat does well here as does also corn, po-
tatoes, beans and peas, and it is peculiarly well
adapted to the growth of tobacco. Some are
preparing to SOW oats next week. The weather
! is very nice and warm here now, only slight
frosts nights. The dwelling houses in the
country surrounding this place are principally
built OF logs and are poor at that, The land,
excepting where it is worn out by cotton, looks
black and rich, but those lands which have be-
come impoverished by successive cotton and
tobacco crops look as red as brick, The coun-
try is generally level IN this region. l could
get farms for as many as twenty families II
they were here now. Men living as far as %
miles from here have called on me to inquire il
]
this country, as they wanted to let them have
farms to work or would sell them farms cheap,
The land in this country is owned principally
by old men. Their slaves are all gone and nc
one to work their land and they want to sell OF
rent to Northern men. Good mules can be
bought for S100-horses n trIhe more. Cows
can be bought for from eight to twelve dollars
and hogs from two to six with pigs with them
But the hogs are not OF very good variety
rather small aud inferior. Very few sheep are
raised here There IS no saw mill nearer here
than five miles that know Of. There are &
great many blacks in the country-not many il
town, They generally work land on shares
Some are plowing to-day.
Very respectfully,
JOHN KELLEY.