The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-08-23

srrrrsLANr, Aug. 10th 10.


suspicious capitalist, and quietly boarded
northern bound train at Hazlehurst, deN
termined on pilgrimage to the county
sent of Mississippi. The locomotive Ia an
improyement on the 'cloud by day and
pillar of fire by night that Moses followed
in tho wilderness, so far as speedy transit
goes; but in facility and opportunity for
examining the face of the country, the Old
law-giver had some advantages Desiring
to examine the midnight beauties of the
roadside scenery, l put my head through
the window, into the rain. The view very
CLOSELY resembled red hot cinder in the
left eye 1t felt that way, too; and let
down the sash.
The occasion presented very little oppor-
tunity for studying human nature. My
fellow travellers were all doubled up, I'M
comfortably sleeping away the noisy watches
of the night. One obese gentleman with a
a bald head, who occupied one OF two seats
next to mine enabled me to observe that the
effect, on fat man, of being suddenly
walked up by a severe cramp in the left hind
leg, is to cause him to spring suddenly
to his feet, fling out violently with the
affected limb, use language not warranted
by the statute, and fortify himself against
another attack by stiff dose of saddle
L. Tho nopInafpr IN
once, and we had courteous but brief con-
versation, upon purely business matters,
however, saving which, the forty mile ride
was enjoyed in peaceful silence, listening
to the rafting clamor of the train as 1t shot
along the iron rails, keeping time to the air
of Fishers Hornpipe. Dumped at the
Jackson depot at o'clock A NJ, l proceed
ed to the old Nelson House, registered my
name as John Smith, Texas, and sought
repose. Rising early in the morning and
partaking of good breakfast, 1 inquired
as to the exact dinner hour, and then hur-
ried up town.
1t would please me to instruct your read
ers, as to the impressions made upon tho
mind of an untraveled piney woods scrib-
bier, by visit to your city, but 'the rain,
IL raineth every day" in jackson, or did
while was there, and patriot longing
to ramble over the town, was damped
effectually by the continuous showers and
the superintendent mud.
captured the State House at once, and
established headquarters in the Auditors
Office, where found some old familiar
faces and formed some very pleasant new
acquaiDtanceeI. Having some buEiness
among rusty records and out of the way
old papers, it affords me pleasure to make,
here, grateful acknowledgement to the
habitues of that Office, and especially to
Mr.. John NJ. Smylie, the efficient Commits
sioner of Swamp Lands, for invaluable as
sistance, courteously rendered, in what
would have been, without his aid, emphati-
cally ''pursuit of knowledge under diff
culties."
The records of original surveys Of the
lands of Mississippi have been transferred
from the office Of Secretary of State, to
that of the Commissioner of swamp lands,
where, there being no Surveyor General,
they properly belong. The attention of
our Legislature, at its next session, should
be directed to the state of certain imports
ant papers in this department, i. g., the dis
criptive notes of surveys, or field notes, y
which are lying in bundles on the shelves of
the Office, in form and substance Just as
they were returned by the original survey
ors of the public lands. Owing to the
rapidity with which the original landmarks
of surveys are disappearing in long settled
portions of the State, frequent reference to
these notes, on the part of county surveyors
is becoming necessary, and for their con-
venience as we'll as for the certain preserva~
ton of records, the loss of which would be
trnsferred in regular tabular order into
substantial, well-bound books to match
those in which the township maps are pre-
served. 1t would be well if you would call
the attention Of the powers that be to this
important matter, which, strangely has so
long escaped their notice.
found time, between showers, to call on
my old f. lend Reel Kerr now used by Col.
Thomas as a sign at the Sheriff's office, and
found him the same genial, pleasant gea-
tleman as of old. He remembers the good
old times when Poindextes was Governor.
as If it were but yesterday, and recalls with
pleasure the satisfaction he felt when the
State Commissioners decided on Jackson as
a pelmanet site for the State capital. He
has disposed OF his stock of gray hairs,
with view to buying curly black wig,
and beginning life over again--a determi-
nation at which his friends greatly rejoice
none more than your correspondent.
was anxious to visit Hamilton Park
and some of Jackson's excellent charitable
institutions, but had to defer it until an
other tine. The nearest approach made
to visiting the Lunatic Asylum, was in go,
ing home with the State Auditor. He has
captured and resides at on old Federal bat
terylnear that Institute. 1 have not tine to
give you any further infection at present,
but remember, respite is not n escape
f.om Yours very hastily,
DoUGAL DALGRTrY.
In letter to his sucieat friend, Col. d.