Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1884-03-21
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
4 Business Mans Observations
in tho South.
Interesting Letter from y. VI. Link.

Arrived in St. Louis same evening,
Did not stop but a short time. Pushed
on for Kentucky, intending to stop
over at some point In that state for a
few days and rest. Found more snow
and ice IN that state than left al home.
This was not what | had anticipated.
In fact | have found a great many
things l was not looking for, money,
however not included in the list. Took
transfer boat at Evansville, Ind, down
the Ohio to Henderson, KY. I6 miles.
Great destruction Of property all along
the river bottoms. Nearly every farm
inundated and houses, barns and
crops destroyed Henderson is a fair
little town with some good buildings
and a great many dllapidated, weather
beaten poor ones. Some good look
ing land around this place, but as you
get back from the river it gets thin and
looks poor. \ gentleman on the train
with whom | conversed said the soil
was good, but from the size ofthe corn
stalks and general dilapidated appear
ance of the houses, stables, etc, 1
could hardly credit the statement. As
you 60 south through KY, along the
L. g. n. road, the towns are small,
buildings common, with notable ab-
sence Of paint. House painting seems
to be lost art in this section The
lands were nearly all originally forests !;
IN fact there are large traC.s of forest
here yet. As we get down the road
forty or fifty miles the soil assumes a
yellow color like our poorer Charlton
hills. Still farther the soil becomes red,
giving the water in the streams the col
or Of blood. If you find good build
ing you generally learn that it belongs
to some tobacco dealer or manufac
turer. Corn stalks still look very spind-
ling. They could not have produced
very large ears. Unpainted houses,
log cabins, log stables, log tobacco
houses, log chicken coops. pig stys,
etc, og is the rule. There is very
few broad meadows, good painted
farm houses, barns, etc, such as you
find everywhere in Adair Co. and
North No. My fond delusion which
| had cherished all my life of broad
meadows, stately mansions, blue
grass pastures and ine herds have all
vanished away. How facts disPel
fancy.
1 have the greatest respect for my
Kentucky friends and would not de-
tract anything from the proud glory of
that people, but if they came
from that part ofthe state my respect
is increased fou7 fold in their judge
ment and good sense in leaving there
and locating in Adair Co. Nothing
much of interest until you arrive at
Nashville, Tenn, except spring that
gushes out Of the Cumberland Noun
tain, as large as a hogshead. 1t is
high up the mountain side and would
be available for an immense water pow
er. That is about all that have seen
that wanted very bad, but as it did
not seem practicable to move it | did
not make any offer tor 1t. Nashville
has good capitol building, fine busl-
ness houses and some elegant resi-
dences. C urches and schools Land
around here generally thin, bat build
ings and Improvements denote more
thrift and prosperity than back farther.
Our next point OF any importance was
Montgomery, Ala. This Is quite a
handsome little city, overlooking
beautiful stream the Tombig nyer.
Colored people seem to do all the
work from mere or, and they don't
seem 10 hurt themselves either.
From Montgomery south as well as
north some distance there are immense
pine woods with clearings here and
there. Houses generally log without
any window, simply hole and board
shutter which they can close at pleas
ure. Their pleasure seemed to be to
leave windows and doors both open.
At one point, little town, is located
Griffin Hotel, quite a frame building
with no: single glass in it. From
appearances ! should Judge they had
peen entertaining thelr guests IN that
manner for years. While on hotels |
must say they have the poorest hotels
in the south to be found anywhere.
They will give you less and charge you
more for it than any Yank would dream
Of, as for restaurants, ii you should Sc
down in one and order as many things
as Pool or the PARCEL House would
set before you it would bankrupt you.
If you did not have more than s. to
S., so they would take i; all for a din
ner and want more. Mobile is sood
city with good people, but you will no:
get as good meals at the Battle House
at 81 per day as you will get at home
at either hotel. The St. Charles in n