Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-04-03
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NOTES OF SOUTHERN TRAVEL.

the south, which Will now endeav-
or to do. f. t,1esg.
We left home one month ago to-day,
over the X. & D. NJ. and st. Louis & |
Chicago N. w. to st. Isouis, where
we arrived the next morning at
o'clock. gss-s. ~,
These are both good roads, and |
seem to be conducted with care for |
the convenience and comfort of the |
traveller. 8s.s.s.ts@5
AT st. Louis we remained till TX p. |
M, and rs 1t rained all day, we did
not get to view anything Of interest
in the city, but had to remain at the
Planters house all day.
From st. Louis we travelled over
the Iron Mountain and Ohio g. Mo-
bile r. r. to Mobile. The latter is a
very smooth and excellent road.
Unless other portions of the South
are much better than that we passed
over from Columbus to Mobile, 400
miles, think the pictured richness
of these sunny lands is more poetical
than real.
With the exception of about sol
miles in Mississippi, which is said to
be the best cotton lands in the State,
nearly the whole distance is pine for
est, and should Judge at leastonc-
third of the distance was covered
with water.
At Corinth we saw the first evil
dences of tho war. Here we pass di-
rectly over the battle field, and in the
few minutes that the train stopped
the long lines of earthworks were
pointed out, with immense embank-
ments where were planted the bat
teries of each of the contending fore
es, these earthworksa yet being in
good state Of preservation; and then
where the Union forces were at one
time hurled back towards Memphis,
and while the rebels were yet rejoicing
over their supposed victory, reform
ed and returned, and here on the
plain adjoining town, fought and con-
qucred in one of the severest contests
Of the war. Upon this field, where
they fell, thousands of little white
head-boards stand, lonely, and silent
ly marking the sleeping places Of the
dead.
Mobile is q regular type Of what
was once . rich Southern city, with
evidences Of great wealth before its
days of adversely, but which has now
lost all its former glory. The build
lings are old, substantial and dingy.
The bay is nothing more than q first
class frOg-pond; vessels have to an
Choir Is miles out and be loaded by
lighters which take out a few bales
of cotton at q time.
1 -,
tlpoor that they raise nothing but char.
coal and CHARCOAL, C-H-A-R-C-o-A-L,
is the musical sound that breaks in
upon your morning slumbers, and
drives away your dreams Of North
ern climes with Seattle upon thou
sand hills"
4 Here, too, we see evidences of the
late "unpleasantness." A line OF
earthworks forms the entire circuit
of the city. I rode around, with q
former commander of rebel artillery,
who narrated the incidents of the
flight at the fort across the bay, the
small loss on their side but large lost
Of Union forces by torpedoes planted
in the ground, qchich killed horses, ri.
der and all And now / see that the
L
ticularly championed Tor Office, set
ting forth his gallantry as though il
was some foreign foe that he had sc
gallantlY slaughtered and repealed.
While all this was being narrated
J it occurred to me: Was any govern
ment ever, since governments acre IN
stituted, so lenient to those who &C
earnestly and persistently endeavoreG
!. to destroy 1t, and still so srdently con
, tinuc to cherish the "lost cause 2"
There is great deal being said here
about the refunding oftthe cottor
tax, and he that can say most abou'
the injustice of the tax and the re
funding of the same, is the coming
man for Office, and unless Tilden can
In some way set the matter right, in
regard to his promising to veto any
act to refund, if elected, 1t will be
useless for him in 1880, ito knock il
any more barrel heads" 1t dom
seem to occur to these people, that The
cotton tax paid would not amount te
, one mill on the dollar of the amount
, lit cost the North to put down the re
bellion, which created the necessit,
for the tax.
From Mobile we made q visit of ,
week to New Orleans, distance la
I miles. 1t seems good deal like rid
ing in the cars across the guilt, Il
travel this road . great portion O.
the way is over the water, across
} bays and lakes, with vessels sailing
by your side, and then again closi
upon the beach. During storm tn,
day after We passed, the train had tt
: stop II hours for it to subside, will
: the waves dashing against the ca
| windows and in some places raising
, the ties. This whole gulf countr!
seems to be not much above the leye
of the water, everything is low down
: except hotel bills and they are abou
t as high as the Rocky Mountains.
Mardi-Gras is the great event in al
this country day in which all give
themselves up to enjoyment. Thu
costumes are gotten up in o very ex
: pensive and elaborate manner. TIL
q street parade, with chariots, tableaux
&C., refer mostly to scenes in mythol
ogy. We attended one Of their nigh
: entertainments, which was very fine
. and where there were 160 characters
81 s a9A so,,,a on" mrthn i.
a aoane So' s"
oce W. nu,o.;a ,r,h ,;.or ~,
.,on 10y Oan - saa " Tho sh;nn;n.
a ;., opeo ~, " Sc ho;n" 1;nad fn
. miles with vessels two or three deep
< The city, in its build, stir and cosmo
J politan character, reminds me yer.
Q much of San Francisco, though yer.
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