The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-01-27

the only way the Cracker" fills his
pockets Is by keeping his hands In
them When hc takes his hands
out his pockets are empty. Az intend 10
deal more thoroughly with the Southcrntr
and Southern interests IN future letter.
will give them rest" here, while make
a note Of wi at the "bluc grass" country,
which we are about leaving, cont,ins
worth noting. But then here 10 Tennessee,
where cotton and niggers are the principal
crop; the former requiring two acres t" the
bale, and the latter two niggers to the acre
Poor land averages two cabins to the acre,
ond fourteen niggers to the cabin. They
are distributed into groups OF seven at the
door, three at the window, two on The
porch, one hanging out clothes IN the yard
and another chasing pigs. Their white
teeth show a good disposition and The
white of their eyes are inimiIable on ihe
minstrel stage. In the cotton fields first
you see the teeth cleaning from aiar. then
you see the eyes, and then you see The mig.
ger. But here we are nearing Memphis.
MEMPHIS
is the chief city on tennessee, and In iacl
one of the principal ciues of the South. 1t
is charmlngly situated on high bluff ov
erlooking the father of waters. | ) stress
are broad and dirty, regularly lad out and
cross each other at right angles, hut there
| is nothing particularly attractive to be
seen either IN houses, buildings or gar
dens The town is what might be called
"0ld style" but 1t has had such fearful
drawbacks from yellow Jack" and other
GAUGES, that one is almost inclined To over
look any improvements IN the way OF
buildings But 1t Is ike nearly all other
southern cities, dirty and unkemp,, which,
perhaps, accounts for the occasional ap-
pearance OF epldemics.
Memphis has not improved much in
this respect, and although its denizens Will
tell you that all that can be done to pre-
vent repetition Of past caanities has
been done, yet, to the eye OF 8 traveller
from the north, where people keep their
streets and cutters clean for the sake of
cleanness, and where no such epidemics
are experienced, the appearance OF the
streets Of Memphis is horrible. Memphis
has advantages In the way of ORA image
I hot fa,u pitias and yntybt Va 1 In
some effort ana expense, be the cleaDest
city in America. 1t Is situated near the
centre of the cotton belt, and has big
trade with the states Of the west, south and
northeast. The area of cotton production
is in all directions form the city, ana the
location always accessible by water, on
the great river, which Is below the ice
gorges of winter, where planters can CON
troll their crops and have access to the
markets for ITS sale, as well as to source of
supplies But rs | am not intent on writ
ing the history Of the couatry, l Will mott
go into further details just OF this time,
especially regarding Memphis.
We left Memphis sia the Mississippi s.
Tennessee railroad, for JACKSON, Miss, pas
sing through belt OF country which in
appearance Is anything but encouraging.
Vast tracts Of land, stretching away for
miles in all directions, apparently value
less, and with exceptions of now and then
u struggling son of Ham," the regions
seem deserted. Here We are told that
beautiful plantations once bloomed, and
happy homes were seen where now -four
ishes the cabin of the black man. But,
great Caser, q quarter OF q century should
revive things, and sll this desolation hap.
pened over twenty years ago But Of all
this anon.
Jackson, the capitol of Mississippi, wss
reached late at night, and with exception
of the escaping steam, the regular thrObs
Of the air brake, and occasional jingle of
the engine bell, the town reminded one Of
a city ofthe dead. Mornings bright sun
light brought no more lively scene, aud
as the day wore on nothing turned up to
enliven the day At the once gay capitol.
The Legislators were not in session, and
law makers were taking rest The
members and senators NEE, only every
other year to save expense, and as blue
blood" Mississippian remarked, 1T would
be well for the state if they met only once
every ten years"
Jackson is city OF poor prelenuons for
capitol. 1t 10 divided into two principal
thoroughiares, on which the stores and
business houses-such as they are-are 10.
Gated. They are neither pretentious nor
imposing IN style, stock or anything else.
The state house stands upon an eminence
overlooking the city. 1t is of the old style
and unpretentions, It's halls echo more Of
that eloqucnce which flowed from the lips
of colored members and senators seven
years ago, when first saw It, All now is
still, and stroll through Its corridors re-
minds me Of the words of the poet
| feel like one who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted,
Whose lights are out, whose guests sre gone,
And aII but pe have left II