The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-17
THE LAND OF CANE ANp MoLAssEs,

THE LAND OF CANE AND MoLASSES.
These buildings are sometimes on one
edge Of the plantation (say two hundred
yards back from the river and sometimes in
Its center. Sometimes the sugar house is
away back near the woods that separate
the tillable land from the swamps at its
rear, aud on somo plantations you see q
steam pump, or a sail pump, at work near
these swa,nps, raising the water out Of q
ditch or canal, into which It has been
gathered, and forciugit through pipes over
back levee into the bayous.
Bot the sight OF the growing cane, look.
ing Ike green corn a foot high, is what
attracts the eye as 1t wanders over these
vast tracts OF rich alluvial land. Imagine
the largest and levelest piece OF bottom
land TO be found anywhere along the
miles, and have it level as floor, and have
1t in corn straight drilled rows) as It
would appear ordinarily by the middle OF
June, and you will have some idea OF the
appearance Of one Of these grand sugar
plantations at this time Of year.
All this wealth and all this beauty lies
from five to ten feet below the level OF the
Mississippi river at its present stage, and
all OF it is at the mercy OF the artificial
embankments, which are twenty feet at
their. base and from three to five feet ut
their tops. that save 1t from inundation and
at least two years ruin.
Hr' EATON ROUGE. lt
| got Off the good steamer Blanks with
regret at Baton Rouge, feeling tempted to
accept an invitation of the genial captain
to go on with him up in the ouachita
country. But my purpose was only to see
the river and the coast between New Or.
leans and the capital at this season OF the
year and at this stage OF water, and, there
fore, in the language OF bill OF lading,
having accomplished" this, l was ready TO
turn back as soon as the redoubtable
steamer Natchez, commanded by the fam.
Gus Capt Tom Leathers, should round 10
at the Baton Rouge landing on her way
down from Vicksburg.
Having an hour or two on my hands l
concluded TO take in the State Capitol
building, including the Governor, il he
should prove accessible. The building sits
on the bluff close to the river, and Is seen
for several miles coming up. "Bull Run
RUSSELL" when he was In this country in
the winter OF lS60-6l made visit here, as
l recollect, and spoke Of this building in
a letter TO the London Times as the most
becupaloed edifice he had ever seen in any
country. There is, one must admit, sort
OF tropical profusion in the towers and
pagodas with which 1t Is surmounted, max
ing it look a little like q Mahomedan
mosque, but still 1t presents rather at
tractIve aud unique appearance. At all
events, II is evident that the officials OF
Louisiana are not ashamed oft, for on both
ends Of it they have had their names cut
on the hcades to the number Of dozen
or more, including two presidents protein
OF the Senate, as il relying on it for name
in the future.
A VISIT TO GOV. MESERY.
found Gov McEnery in his room. He
resembles not little the Hon. David Wag-
ner, OF West Wheeling, save that he Is
minus those shirt rufIles Of David; and he
is also quite as social, genial and talking as
our Ohio friend. I felt like saying to bis
Excellency what George Train said to
Grant; viz-"l've Just five miastas to stay
tell me all you know" did not how
ever. venture on anything as abrupt as that,
but intimated that had called in TO drink
at the political fountain Of the State until
the Natchez should blow her whistle.
Whereupon the Governor, as II to make
sure that should not be on his hands for
a longer time than that, tapped the bell and
told the small boy who patrols the hall to
keep his weather eye ont the window and
see that the gentleman from West Virginia
was not deprived OF his opportunity to get
on the great and only Natchez. Well, it
happened tnat several five minutes went
by-almost an hour-before the faith
ful boy came in, and during that
time / had had good deal OF
random and interesting talk with the Gov.
ernor, and at the close, when had to 90,
he bowed me out in way that made me
feel as II We had struck up pleasant ac-
quaintance. will note one remark that
he made as the result, as he said, OF his &C.
tual and personal experiences as Il lawyer
in the settlement OF planters accounts, that
they do business on advances that cost
them % per cent for interest, and that this
was the average cost Of money to the cot.
ton raisers OF Louisiana. ''lsit any wonder"
said he, that they make no money? And
they never will make any, until they
raise more corn and meat and less cot
ton." A. W. @.
BUTLER WITHOUT AMBITION.
A Letter Ia which He shows How Poor