Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-04-10
Illinois.



Mr. O. Walloce, Editor
DEAR SIR-As | agreed to write
to several of my friends, viii
adopt this plan and so reach a
great many by one letter.
I win tell you a little about
this part of the State. / landed
at Piper City on the 9Th of Feb
ruary at five A. M. Since then
the weather has been so fellow
could not do anything but sleigh,
ride and hunt. / have enjoyed
myself very well hunting. But
not being used to shooting ON the
wing | did not get much game.
| shot fifteen ducks and one brant.
The brant is flying very thick
yet. The frost is about all out
of the ground now and it is very
muddy. There are but few
teams on the road now, and like
~ won't be soon. | think we
viii get to blowing in a few days
if the rain holds up. The way
the roads are now, the mud will
stick and roll up on the wheels
so they will slide along until the
mud is taken off, and it don't
come off ike it was creased.
The land is black here. When
the roads get dry they are as
nice as can be and they are
straight and level, nice summer
roads and also in the winter;
the spring is when the mud
comes. Wages are very low
this season, the farmers can't
sell their grain for much and they
can't afford to pay much. Corn
is worth twenty-four cents per
bushel, and corn is all they have
to sell now. They sell their
timothy and flax seed at thresh-
ing time, it is generally worth
one dollar per bushel. As to
wheat they raise none in this
country to amount to anything.
Flour is worth two dollars and
ninety cents per hundred; crops
were not very good last year but
have been worse. There are great
many Dutch in this country and
they make the money if there is
any to be made.
The political affairs are get
ting to be very exciting thing
among the people; they are very
well divided now to what they
were two years ago; there are
some hot-headed ones on both
sides, some on each side think
their way is the only way and if
you are net with them you are
going down very low. This is
the way on both sides, some Of
them hold up for the n e gro
but mostly those persons that
never were among them. Some
of the natives here think from
what they read in the papers and
hear that if one of them was to
go south and rub against a man
on the streets he would get shot
before he could wink his eye.
Some of the Piper City men
were though Tennessee and Al
ALBANIA in war times. | have
some long talks with some Of
them about where they were; they
ask me about certain men and
places around in Lincoln County
and the most Ct them think they
had as soon the negro would stay
there as here, that is the most of
them do. There amt any black
faced kinkey headed fellows in
Piper nor in the surrounding
country; | haven't seen one since
| came up here. ! reckon the
reason the Piper folks like them
so well is because they don't
bother them any. / have never
had any trouble with the negro
but / always treated them right
as far as ! could. | say give all
a chance and if they fail to come
totime, then is time enough to be-
gin complaining. Ii is easier
talking than doing in most cases.
If there is anything in the world
some men need it is bride for
the tongue when political mat.
+a,c o,,iCn Il r -