The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-13

Within Herself New Rugby the Poo
est Part OF the Btate-Ihe PoIities
outlook simply olorfous-NeW Rirn
ingham the Pittsburgh OF the South.
A Letter Pull OF Meat, and worth You
while 10 Read IL.
BlRxrSdHAM, ALA, December 9.
Special couespandsaes Of the tntsliiseaesr.
Since left Wheeling l have been float
ing around considerably. Have been owe
a laIge portion Of Kentucky, and hay
struck out for q warmer country. lik
Kentucky. It's a great state-sreat Ii
every respect. It's greatest drawback i
its Bourbonisn. Not Bourbon whisky
although 1t Is the eternal centre for that ar
ticle-but Democratic Bourbonism, which
is far worse than the other article. Bu
there is a sign Of improvement. 1t d
gradually sloughing of. From 10000
shortly after the war, 1t Is now down te
about 10000 in the majority.
I repeat that Kentucky is q great STATE
IL natural resources. With few excep.
tions the land lies well, and ia easily cul.
tivated-the most OF It's territory being
level and rolling, very much like the roll.
ing praries OF the far West. There Is no
better grazing State in the Union, and II
also produces corn almost as abundantly
"a Illinois and Indiana; and for wheat It Is
hard 10 beat. That portion OF the State
bordering on the Cumberland Mountains
is filed with an excellent quality Of coal,
both bituminous aud camel. A railroad
is now in operation as far as Livingston,
which Is in the outer, or northern edge OF
the coal area OF the State. Contracts have
recently been let 10 construct this road
further up into the mountains; and it Is
expected that within year It will be COM
pleted through to Coryville, the present
terminus OF this same road south OF the
mountains. When this Is done It will sf.
ford southern outlet for the Kentucky
coal basin, which will give the road a
heavy freight business In coal alone. It
will likewise be great benefit to Knox.
vile. which is destined to become, at no
distant day, q great manufacturing centre.
But Kentucky does not excel alone In
grazing lands, coal and timber; It Is noted
for its pine.top whisky. Itis said BY the
Government officers that 1t can boast Of
more illicit distilleries to the square acre
lin It's mountain counties, than any other
State south OF the Ohio river. What!
with Its grazing qualities; It's broad acres;
its splendid water power; its noted horses
and cattle; its one thousand or more legal
Bourbon distilleries; its growing railroad
facilities; Its coal, iron and timber; It's
corn, hemp and wheat; its beautiful
women and chivalrous sons, and It's mil.
lion or less moonshiners-whatl with all
these, is It not already success7
Leaving Kentucky | dropped over into
Tennessee, stopping little while at Nash-
vile. Now We are In great country.
Tennessee Is an empire within itself. It's
own people do not know or appreciate its
resources. It has everything to make 1t
great, in most every respect Il Is superior
to Kentucky. If 1t were lifted up and trans
ported Just as It is-climate and ALTO
New England, great heavens! how 1t
would shake up the cold. .blooded "Ysn.
kees" OF that sterile northland. Tom
Hughes, the English N. P, has le
great deal TO bring this State into notice.
But the trouble is Tom settled his colony
in the only real poor and worthless por.
ton OF the State. New Rugby Is situated
on what are termed the "Flats" OF
the Cumberland Mountains. The soil Is
crawfshy and Is too poor to sprout black.
eyed peas. Still with cultivation and a
thick coat Of plaster" every year it may
be rendered productive. I once rode on
horseback thirty-two miles over those
fats and never passed but one settler, and
he was too poor and trifing to get away.
Nashville is growing rapidly. In my
opinion 1t Ia the best and most business.
like town in the South. It's the nestest,
prettiest town know OF except, OF course,
Wheeling, the great nail centre OF the
universe, so. TO speak. will not take
back word. New buildings are contin..
ually going up in Nashville. Last spring
she celebrated her one hundredth ami.
We 'sary. happened to be there. It was
q big thing. Large buildings were erect.
ed for the purpose, aud the displays OF the
products OF the State were varied and
many.
Politically speaking, Tennessee 10 get.
ting healthy. She now has Republican
Governor and within four OF Republican
majority in the Legislature. Four years ago
"Solid South" majority Of about 10000 /;
this year 10000 majority the other way.
That is good showing. The Democratic
party in this State Is thing Of the past. Il is
thought by many in Nashville that Ga.
briel with his horn couldn't resurrect il,
even II he wanted 10; but your correspon.
deut Is Of opinion that he wouldn't Il he
could.
But am of for the Southland, down
the Tennessee and Decatur railroad,
through as pretty country for one hun
dred miles rs ever crow flew over.
check up at Birmingham, Alabama, and
lay over nine hours to catch the train due
west for Vicksburg, Mississippi. The
country Is rough and poor. The soil Is
red clay, and Is pretty much good for moth
ing except raising cotton and Democrats.
Walking over the town this morning I
counted upwards OF one hundred wagons
on the different streets loaded with cotton.
By the way, they tell me this has been
bad year for King Cotton. Only about
half crop was produced.
Birmingham Is comparatively q new
town aud is going to be . big place In q
very few years. It Is thought by many
that Chattanooga will ultimately become
the Pittsburgh otthe South, but from all I
can learn, should rather believe that
Birmingham will take that place herself.
She is situated in the centre OF an i'm
mense coal aud iron field, which Is
being rapidly developed by Northern
capitalists. Already two big relling mills
are in successful operation. and several
others are in prospect. With coal and
iron at her very doors, and with good
railroad facilities in every direction, what
can prevent her growing? Nothing can,
except It be the hidebound ideas Of her
own people.
The town was laid out about ten years
ago, but was almost abandoned on &C.
count OF the cholera breaking out in its
worst form soon after 1t was settled. In
1875 II took O new start, and now boasts
Of 1000 population. II any Of our Wheel.
ing iron and nail men want to invest,
here, In my opinion, is the place.
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