St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-05-22

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hardly see how the two races can con-
tinue to live together and thrive, Sc
long as there is such a strong preju-
dice existing on account of color. II
the color prejudice fades away. then
there might be harmony, but they
would then intermarry and the result
would be very detrimental to the dom
inant race. In my opinion we want
no mixed races in this country. Mex
leo, Central America, and some OF the
South American states are examples
of civilizations based on mixed races.
When one sees the south with so many
ignorant whites and blacks, he can not
help asking himself, "What will the
harvest be ~
The people here tell US (even when
our eyes are open,) that this is rich
country /; that all that is needed is
northern capital and northern energy
to make it blossom like the rose. If
the country is good one they can
make their own capital. Kansas and
Nebraska have been settled by poor
men, and they have forced the soil to
give them wealth. suppose the soil
is better than it looks but to me see
nothing to induce man to come here
unless it be to manufacture the timber
or raise fruit for northern market.
Before the "walI" we are told the
people were all rich, and that we ought
to have seen this country before the
''wah." suppose this is said partly
from pride and partly by way of com
plant. In this way they excuse the
present poverty of the country and
people, and at the same time tell us
OF the injuries done to them by the
north. To hear them talk you might
be led to believe that this was a para
disc before the war.
| heard an anecdOte a short time ago
that illustrates this idea. A northern
man was lavishly praising the beauties
of the southern skies, the bright stars,
and especially the brightness of the
moon, to his southern host. The old
southerner's sole reply was, "You ought
to have seen the moon before the wah !"
/ didn't see stone from Cairo to
New Orleans. | mention this because
| know from experience that every
Vermont boy just dotes on picking
stones. He would rather do it than 90
to Il circus or Il picnic. | know my
father, to induce his boys to so fishing,
used to let them pick stones sparingly
for little while.
1t would be better for this part of
the country if they had some good
building rock. All the paving stones
and all the rock used in the buildings
at New Orleans, were shipped from the
north.
Cotton is the great staple in Missis-
sippi. She produces more of it than
any other state in the Union, but the
yield per acre is only 2l7 pounds. 1t
is very exhaustive crop upon the
soil. as nothing is returned to enrich
the land. In former years the cotton
seed was put back on the land for il
fertilizer, but since the seed has become
so valuable, for making meal and oil,
it is all sold, and hence the lands grow
poorer each year, until they are aband-
oned and new lands are cleared. Mis-
sissippi has IA wealth of timber, that
must in time become valuable. AL
ready we are using southern pine for
flooring in Iowa.
The cotton is cultivated mainly by
the colored people; the women doing
about as much toward it as the men.
They seem to have their rights here,
in that respect, and exercise them, as
you see as many women nearly as you
do men driving mules to plow, hoeing
and planting cotton.
The merchant in Mississippi and the
factor in Louisiana furnish the sup
plies to the cotton, rice and sugar
planters, taking mortgages on their
personal property and real estate, and
on the crop to be raised. When the
crop is raised it is turned over to the
merchant or factor as the case may be.
They seem to have things all their own
way, fixing the price of the supplies
and also the price of the cotton, sugar
or rice. New Orleans is very unique
in many respects. Its people are from
every land under the sun. Hence it is
very asy-gOing and cosmopolitan.
The basis of the laws of Louisiana is
the Code Napoleon, and until very re-
Gently pleadings and papers in the
courts could be made either in French
or English. The foundation of her
laws is the civil law, while the basis
of ours is the common law.
The city is ten or fifteen feet below
the surface of the river, that floats
her commerce. She is protected from
drowning by an embankment of soft,
spongey earth, extending for miles up
and down the river. New Orleans has
no sewers. The drainage for all the
rains and sewage is made through open
cutters running along both sides OF
each and every street. When it rains
heavily, these cutters are not able tt
carry off the water, and the sidewalk,
and streets are flooded with mud anC
water, often two or three feet deep
Then they start their draining ma
chimes, with huge wheels like the sterr
wheel of a river steamboat, and drive
the water along the canals, out int