The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-10-23

hess. But, with far more destructive con.
tingencies threatening the great staples
OF the South, it is easy to see why it at
times struggles under heavy burdens
which should excite anything else than
the envy of the other section.
In regard to the profitable cultivation
of large section of the lower country,
of the Carolinas and Georgia especially,
the appearance alone Of the mass of the
"poor whites" of that region, as the
traveller meets them, is enough to con-
vince anybody that strong, thrifty,
enterprising population is not to be
looked for there at all. Wearing, most
of them, that sad, snane expression of
countenance characteristic of the want
of vitality caused by constant sickness
from malaria; wan, emaciated, with spin
die legs and bloated bodies, they seem
to merely creep about as it were, in at-
tempting the cultivation of little corn,
cotton, and a few sweet potatoes and
other truck" such as with 'possum
hunting and fishing may serve to sustain
existence. Some one has told it to me
or l have read of an incident SO
descriptive of some of these people
that l must give it as near as can.
A traveller through that section, hap
penfng to meet in the road large and
tolerably good-looking woman, followed
by puny, spindle-shanked little man,
the latter carrying bundle, stopped
them to inquire his way, and next,
struck with the appearance of the pair,
art1 nj Iorlxy -
between them, could not forbear asking
the woman, If that was her husband?s
Yes, was the reply.
"Then," said he, "tell me, in the
name of all that is sensible, how came
a good-looking woman like you to mar
ry such mere excuse for q man as
that?"
:" Look here" Indignantly broke in
the little chap, before the woman could
reply; eff you talk that way about me,
mister, I'll set down on this here bundle
and cuss you all to piecesl"
Poor fellowl He couldn't even reck-
on upon breath enough, strength
enough, to stand up until he could do
his proposed "cussing," letting alone
resenting the affront put upon him in
any other way.
In marked contrast to the coast line
of Europe, which is bold, rocky, in
most cases the land frowning over the
ocean in cliffs and headlands where not
indented by small bays and coves, the
Southern coast is almost continuous
sand-fat, or section of sand hills, from
Capes Charles and Henry to Cape
Sable, and along almost this entire
sweep of sandy shore forming the coast
line is population, sparse enough cef-
tainly, but poorly and unhealthfully
| placed, outside of the few towns and
cities on the way, and such as never can
be reckoned upon for anything that
bears the name of enterprise.
To be sure, on the little sand spits,
covered with trees. below and adjoining
Cape Hatteras, there is hardy popu-
lation of pilots, fishermen, wreckers,
| etc., a sort of amphibious population,
almost as much at home in or on the
water as upon the land but these, few in
numbers, comparatively, seem to thrive
upon the breezes that sweep in from
seaward, and do not wear the wan and
dazed look of the dwellers on the la
goons, bayous and sand hills" fur
ther inland.
Indeed, so far as the pretty and pict-
uresque may be considered attractive
| and desirable, there are some of these
| little sea-shore hamlets which are sell
dom surpassed simply as marine pict-
ures; but oil this, I repeat, does not
! ,,.oa,, 4I,~.ft ,av,o aroa fro1a tho ,,roft Re
of the great fisheries and SO on, such as
is witnessed along almost every mile Of
the shores of rocky New England; and
therefore the South, in holding many
hundreds of miles of poor coast line
with its generally shallow harbors, has
but poor heritage in this, and one
which, as the consequence of late events
is not likely to improve.
In all this, have been attempting to
show that the South, rich as are its re-
sources In land unsurpassed much of il
in fertility, and fortunate as it is In the
possession of mineral wealth, labors
under the disabilities of malarious dis
tricts; liability to destructive floods; to
untimely frosts in the gathering of pre-.
cious crops, and so on, such as should
call for consideration instead of envy
and moreover, condition that should
prompt the exercise of forbearance, oi
kindness, and a disposition to helI
wherever these qualities can be brought
to bear. Deficient in capital, yet teem
ing with elements out of which in al
other countries wealth is evolved, out
of this section, so vast, so thinly peo
pied, can be selected spots blest as are
few countries under the canopy of the
heavens.
Because at the close of the late wal
true craftsmanship enough was found
to at once extend the helping hand to
the then half-ruined railroads of that
section, in order to do the forwarding
from the interior to the seaports, and
afterward shipment abroad of the cot
ton at that time in hand there, that one
far-sighted act, that signal sagacity and
wise confederation, tided the nation
over its perilous difficulties for thai
memorable year; period thus subject
under ordinary circumstances, to dan.
gerous reaction from the sudden cessa
ton of war expenditures was certainly
among the most ominous and menaclnt
to our credit as nation ever known.
Such lesson as that ought not to bt
lost. Nurtured, aided, borne with, un
til little by little the South is able t.
fairly adjust itself to new conditions
discarding as she best can the old, he
products may be fc1nd more valuable
in the future than they have provel
even in the past, helping 10 sustain on
financial standing abroad, and adding
to the prosperity of all sections here a
home.
Too Polite for BOarders.
A correspondent of the Washington