Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-24

plantation TO the Governor. We went up
the river and returned on the J. NJ. White,
the finest steamer ever tloated on the Mis-.
sissippi, and named for its former
Distinguished Commander,
OF whom it is said he never passed hail,
and upon the death OF whom Will S. Hays,
of the Louisville Courier.J Journal immor-
talized himself by writing that sweet poem
called Captain J. NJ. White, His Last
Trip" Nothing could be more delicate and
beautiful than the sentiment running
through the entire poem. 1t is worth pub
fishing and reading over and over again.
Here il is verbatim;
"Mate get ready down on deck,
I'm heading for the shore;
I'll ring the bell foI must land
This boat, foreNeimore.
Say, pilot, can you see that light"
do-where angels stand?
Well, hold her jackstaff hard OH that
For there I'm going TO land.
That looks.like death hailing nae,
go CHASTITY, grim and pale;
I'll toll the bell. l must go in.
never passed hail,
Stop her; let her come In Slow
There: that will dO-no more;
The lines are fast and angels wait
To welcome me ashore.
Say, pilot, / am going with them,
Up yonder, through that gate;
III not come back, you ring the bell
And back her out J.; don't wait,
For have made the trip OF life
And found my landing place;
III take my soul and anchor that
Fast TO the throne Of grace"
Last week we excurted up tine river to
the Capitol Of the State, at Baton Rouge,
with Captain Wm. Campbell, a native Of
Wheeling, commanding the large, hand.
some steamer Ed. Richardson. which took
the place of the noted K. +. Lee. The
Captain treated us royalty. When intro.
duced to US, he said: Il am glad to meet
from Wheeling We returned on the
Edward J. Gay, named after the largest
planter in Louisiana. She carries
Historical Bell.
the Oldest and sweetcst.tOned on the wat
ers. 1t was placed on Jesse Hart's steam.
er, Brilliant, in 1850. Capt. Harts friends
made up a purse OF $3.50 in silver, which
was melted and forms part of the metal.
From the Brilliant it was transferred to the
Mary Hunt, thence TO the Niagara, thence
the X. w. Adams, thence the Hodge, thence
the National, thence the Governor Allen,
and lastly to the Gay. IL antedates the
steam whistle. At the commencement
of the war this patriotic bell entered the
Confederate service under Capt. Dick
Smith, and uttered forth its melOdious
tones from the roof OF the b. &. Hodge for
four wears. 1t never deserted the cause,
was never captured, exchanged or paroled.
but kept on ringing till the curtain fell. II
no more sounds the wars alarms, but in
times OF peace rings out the glad news to
all, "The Gay is coming
While at Baton Rouge was surprised to
see life size oil painting OF General Shur-
man hanging up in the mess hall OF the
Louisiana State University. lpon in.
0uiry ! learned that he was the founder OF
this school at Alexandria, La, on the Red
river some years before the war. 1t re-
entire war.
The Mound builders.
There are large number OF mounds in
the Mississippi valley above Baton Rouge,
but, strange to say, not one is TO be found
between there and the mouth OF the MisSis.
sippi, distance OF nearly 800 miles. IL
the theory OF some distinguished scientists
be true that this great river is heightened
one mile in every 100 years by the debris
mo, ing down its rapid current it has at
least been 5000 years since the mound
builders whoever they were, Inhabited this
country.
We visited
Mobile Alabama
last Wednesday, and witnessed the i'm
posing and impressive ceremonies at
Bishop Quinlan's funeral.
The torpedos placed in Mobile Boy by
the Confederate authorizes during the war
have been removed, and the chanel deep
ened frem fourteen 10 twenty-three feet.
The increasing number of vessels entering
this port from Central America and the
West Indies bringing in coffee sugar, and
tropical fruits, the large saw and planning
mills located there during the past five
years, developing the finest yellow pine
country in America. The gardening in
terests raising early vegetables for the
northern markets which has increased the
value Of lands near the city from s. 10 s.
per acre now. The high, dry, sandy soil,
and pure atmosphere, which brings
thousands OF iryalids and pleas
ure seskers here in the winter
from the north and west, and the
educated, refined and hospitable people
have all united in making Mobile, COM
paratively dead city for fifteen years, one
OF tho most interesting and important in
the South.
We saw the Byrnsides sugar plantations,
the .argest in louisiana, fronting twelve
miles on the Mississippi river. They are
on the east bank of the river, near Donald
sonville, and were left on the death OF this
gentleman two years ago TO Colonel Oliver
Beirne, of Monroe county, W. Va. The es-
tate, personal aud real, was valued at eight
million OF dollars. Mr.. Beirne was worth
over one million before getting this proper
". The sugar country extended from
Baton Rouge to the Cult The best cotton
lands extends from Baton Rouge up 70
Memphis. Large quantities OF rice is raised
on the lower Mississippi, where it is easily
overhowed.
The Labor Question
with the negroes seems 20 be settled, at
least for the time being. They almost uni
versally prefer TO work for their former
masters, or, at least, q Southern man. They
understand each other better, and conse-
Guently get along better With them than
With strangers. The carpet bagger, as
general thing, cheated the poor. credulous
negro outrageously. Very few OF them
have anything at the close OF the year, no
matter who employs, them. They spend
their money for whisky, sardines, canned
meats, fruits, &c All plantation stores
keep whisky, and it is said neRoes Won't
work on Q plantation without whisky on IL.
Ii would be an eternal blessing both moral.
" and pecunisrily, il this evil could be
remedied by the planters. Most Of them
desire to do il but dom { know how TO get at il
Many of them are in the same position on
this subject as some Of our West Virgins
Legislators.
The dark clouds of war which have huns
Ike q pail for so many long and anxiou,
years over this once serely afflicted land
are at last passing away, and the brigh
sunshine OF peace and prosperity is begin
ming TO dawn. The people white an.l black
cara nothing ah.art nnliiins eYcant Hha,