The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-06-06
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
Description of a Trip to
Huntsville, Ala.
BY a Former CantOnlan- State Of the Cot
ton and Other CrOps-RellCs
of the War, &c.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA, May 30, 1888.


so far toward my destination (HoustOn,
Texas,) has been one Of satisfaction and
interest. Therefore, having u desire to
describe 1t to you and inqulring friends,
begin by saying that left Canton,
Sunday evening, May 27, and at 8 o'clock
arrived at Mansfield just in time to get
train on the N. Y, P. & o. r. R., and
arrived in Cincinnati Monday morning
at 8 a. IN. After breakfasting purcha-
sed through ticket over the Louisville
% Nashville route, with stOp-Over priv
ilege at Decatur, Ala. / left Cincinnati
at S:20 a. m, starting from the Little
Miami depot for the sunny South, and
after riding at lightning speed QOr they
make excellent time on this rOad), over
hills and through valleys and tunnels,
all of which at the same time presented
picturesque view to all admirers of
nature, for four hours. l then arrived
at Louisville, KY, distance of ITO miles
from Cincinnati. This city is pleasant
ly located on the Ohio river, and has
some most beautiful farming country
around 1t. This city has a population Of
about 175,000, and has in process Of eTec-
tiOn one of the most beautiful and won
derfully extensive pieces of architecture
the Cotton Exposition building, which
is now almost under roof, and must be
completed by August 1st, and soon to be
seen crowded by many admirtng visit
OTs from all parts of the country, and
which will no doubt add greatly to the
business interests of the city. The
country towns, as well as farms and farm
houses, do not show much advancement,
as most all the farm houses are what we
in Stark county would call log huts, and
are all of an inferior kind at that. They
are all built with enormous stone chin
hn al %
building chimneys Is noticeable all
through the South. After leaving Lou
isville the next place of any interest is
Bowling Green, where can be. seen, over
looking the town, the old fort, which
Is now turned into reservoir, but still
preserves the same appearance as 1t did
when fort, and ispeThaps remembered
by many of the boys in blue from Stark
county. A little further on we came to
where Bell In 1861 started to erect a no.
tel Of large dimensions, which stands
today as 1t did then, with the first story
but partially finished, and around which
many soldier camped during the war.
The building was to have been built Of
stone, and what yet stands Is now COW
cred with moss and vines. Not far from
this is where the once famous watering
place, Tyre Springs Is, and where once
stood an enormously large hotel con-
tanning 800 rooms. This building was
destroyed by fire during the war, and
only one of the relics, perhaps, yet in
existence, Is the register, now in posses
sion Of an Ohio gentleman in st. OlaiTs-
Vile, o. In this register Jenny Lind,
the famous singer, and Mrs. j. K. Polk,
as well as many others, registered in
1858. This register was saved from the
flames by man named Riley, who now
lives In Wheeling. The Tyre Springs,
once great place of resort, Is now al
most forgotten. The next place Of any
note Is Nashville, Tenn, around which
Is beautiful country. The Capitol
building can be seen from a great dis
tance, as 1t stands on hill, and is built
OF Tennessee marble, and Is said to be
one of the finest capitol buildings In
the United States, costing about $8,000,
600. Nashville Is two hundred
and ninety-6ve miles south of Cincin-
The National cemetery at this place
is grand and reminds one Of the many
brave soldiers that fell at the battle
of Nashville. After leaving Nashville l
arrived in Decatur, Ala, about O'clock
Monday night, where l remained until
the next morning. Here the scenes
changed very much and made me think
that was In Africa, as / could see moth
ing, scarcely, but darkies and mules,
and at o'clock took tine train for Hunts
Vile, and think l mover saw a more
beautiful country. The Tennessee river
with all It's grandeur and the fine farm
ing land would almost induce Stark
county farmer to pull up stakes and
leave for Huntsville at once. Every
crop is now as far advanced here as 1t Is
in Stark county about the 4th of July.
Yesterday was my first sight of cotton
field, and at first / thought 1t was a
large field Of soup beans, until gentle
man Informed me that 1t was Gotten, as
1t has the same appearance. Cotton i'm
pOVerishes the land and also many of
the farmers who are renters, and are
only favored now by certain classes of
business men, such as provisions, dry
goods and clothing men, as they, as soon
as the darkies have planted so many
acres Of cotton, will then supply their
wants at fabulous prices, as they have
no money and can get nothing on credit
until they have planted so many acres
of cotton and then give q lien upon their
crop which is almost sure crop and
which produces a bale to every four
acres. Said lien Is the second lien
as the first one is always held by the
land owner. This system has had bad
effect upon all the farming community
from the fact that by the time the cotton
Is picked the farmer has exhausted his
crop and has nothing left for his years
work. IL farming was carried on here
as 1t is In Stark county, (and, by the
way,.it would not require more than
one third the labor here to get a crop, as
everything grows so readily on account
of the fine climate,) their general pros
perity would be noticed in short time.
Huntsville lays in the midst Of this
beautiful scope OF country, and is a
picturesque town, with fine trees OF all
varieties along the streets; among them
Is the beautiful Magnolia, which is now
in blOOm. Here can be seen some of the
old buildings once owned by slave own
ers and are of wonderful size. Among
them is the Calhoun residence, a build
ing as large as the Court House In Can
ton aud stands on hill side, having a
yard about 600 feet square and Is en-
closed with a brick wall about feet
high. 1t presents a sort of prison like
appearance, and is now deserted, but
still owned by a son and daughter, who
live In Louisiana. 1t is attractive be-
cause of the fine trees, the ancient archi-
lecture, the great wall, Sc. The great
spring which supplies the eitv with