Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-16
Price Four Cents.
CORRESPONDENCE.

septuagenarinn With n Bad Case of the Mumps- Something About Mont- gomery-A Sensitive SOuth~rmer-Poy- erty in the North md the Soufh-The Negroes-The Great Freshet.
 MONTGOMERY, Ala, April II. To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
 Exactly three weeks ago I wrote in a jocose manner thinking that I, Septuagena- rian, had contracted the humps, and was to be sick with the same. Perhaps it may be well to record the fact that have had them with all their disagreeable attendants I have been very sick man. As my doctor says: ''You have been one in one thousand cases; never saw such a mouth in any one" My mouth was like rough basket to my tongue. Such has been case of Georgia humps in Alabama Everywhere you could, if here, see children with their chops tied up; but how or where I contracted them, is mystery, always supposing had them when a child l wish here to record that such sympathy as I found, as soon as it was known I was a sick man, is worthy of note. To southern lady who had passed a winter in New Haven but whose acquaintance had never made, am I greatly indebted; to her husband also for hls sympathy and assistance To another gentleman, native, with whom had some acquaintance in the way of business, am under great obligations; and to strangers to me, rom Merlden, passing the winter here for their sympathy and kindness. Nv wife my good nurse, will always feel under great obligations. At one time, such was the nature of my sickness, the question with me was: How will my wife get home?" My friend, Mir. Washburn, at once consented to accompany her if necessary
 Now, after three weeks confinement hope to be able to move forward tomorrow. From my window I command a view of the Capitol building, situated in miniature like the Capitol in Washington. The Exchange Hotel commands view in almost every di- rectlon, being on one of the five points di. rectly in the center of the city. The streets are wide. Just in the open triangle formed by the arrangement of the street points is the artesian well, 650 feet in depth, to which families far and near send for their drinking water. Negresses at all times in the day are departing with pals full, balanced upon their heads, walking and stopping to talk or turn ing round as easily and unconcernedly as they could with no incumbrance. Each morn- ing the open space is occupied by the neigh boring farmers, white and black, with their large covered carts containing from one to three bales of cotton brought in for sale. These carts are generally pro- pelled by two or four mules, generally half starved, and occasionally by one or two young steers equally well fed. Their food in all cases on the carts consists of corn husks and leaves. Ones sympathy is duly excited on their account. This feed is not peculiar to this city, but such is the case all over the South There is no hay raised and no place to house it If raised. I am inclined to think the sum- mer sun burns up all the hay. Baled hay is on sale, but many are too poor to purchase 1t. l can see from year to year, however that the cities generally are looking like bet ter times, the first indications in all cases be- ing the erection of more or less new houses and more especially the repairing of old ones. Montgomery shows considerable inn provement in all these particulars. The South Is looking up and mistake. The boom has commenced. The people at large do not like to talk politics. They deprecate the war of by-gone days as much as we do No considerable part of the people now liv- ing could ever be induced to take up arms again in any cause except that of defence. A southern born gentleman told me yesterday that he doubted whether the South would be represented at all in the next national con- vention. Why? Because we propose to wait let you have 1t all among yourselves then we will go in for the candidate best suited to our views" Thus you see where the balance of power might come in.
 One day at the public table I made the mark to gentleman who sat near that thought if the cotton exposition was we'll managed it would be the greatest blessing the South had yet had. I thought I was saying good thing but another south erner who mistook my intention remarked to his wife that he would not sit and hear such talk. Such is the sensitiveness of some. I spoke louder and mentioned how in the North such expositions or fairs had elevated the ideas of farmers, producers and others, inspiring emulation and improvement in stock and in everything produced by farmers and manu- lecturers, and said I thought it would have the same beneficial effect here. He contin- ued and finished his dinper. I do not won der at the occasional pity expressed by now and then southern publication for the North, as they constantly read in the New York papers of the rascality of the commits s1oners and politicians, and read the 'poor you have always with you" columns, isolated cases, it is true, but nevertheless filling their minds with the idea that all Is rascality or poverty except with the rich. One said to me, 'How do your poor get along?" I in advertently answered, We have no poor compared with yours" "Poor!" said he, Eve have no poor, ,"-forgetting that his poor negro bore the same relation in the South that your foreign poor do in the North. I could see that the only difference is that in the cold weather of the North the poor have longer time to contend with suf- fering than the poor in the South. The poor we have always with us everywhere In the South the colored people are the poor, and they must root hog or die."
 Saturday is the negro's holiday. The shops are full from morning to night. It is a pe- culiar phase of their character that if they have money it must purchase something. They are fast becoming producers and con- sumers. The storekeepers are anxious to get their money as if they were white. Our maid says: ''The country ladies have the money and the storekeepers know it no use for city ladies to go to the stores on Satur- day" At the close of the day the carts de- part, having sold their cotton or wool and loaded up with such articles as may have been purchased, consisting of guano, bacon, meal, and baled hay when it can be afforded all loaded for nights travel homeward, some twenty to fifty miles away.
 The great freshet of which l wrote has subsided. The river opposite the city, where it was about five or ten miles in width, is now about POO feet wider. The evening of the highest water party from the city took 8 venture in a boat. A sudden high wind came up; tornado. Some praying it is said, was being done, and there was some talk of climbing tree, but the little ones at home inspired them with fresh courage, and home was reached after while It is thought that such another occurrence can not take place in this generation, as the river was higher and wider than ever before known.
 Now and then local trouble is brought to your attention. ''What is the matter with that young man ?' "Oh, he was only little careless of another's imaginary rights in the presence of lady to whom both were atten- tive. Explanation being demanded, he got the worst of it. He was wrong" How the lady afterwards viewed her favorite I have not yet been informed. M.
 How Garfield Came o be Nominated.
 From the Starke Telegraph