Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-03-22
AWAY DOWN SOUTH.
Pen Picture of the Extremes of Life
BY V. NJ. METCALF.

No! Can't please everybody. One
correspondent says, "Tell us more
about the soil and climate of the South;''
another says, "Tell us about the habits
and customs of the people," and still
another says, 81 like your articles
read them with pleasure-but don't
give us so much science and grangerism
can't understand the first and don't
like the next. Never knew but one
man in my country who made money
out of it, and he was treasurer and de-
faulter." And so it goes. am often
reminded of the old man, the boys and
the donkey in Esop's Fables. To the
first | would say the soil and climate
is all that l represent it to be-some
very poor and much that is rich as
could be desired. This country, like
all others have seen, is pretty evenly
mixed. But the difference is, in the
Northern and Middle States rich land
is worth $25 to 500 per acre, while
you can get the best lands at from So
to SIS per acre in many parts of the
South. So you see there is fine
opening in this country for investment
in lands. Her vast timber regions are
yet almost untouched, extending from
river to river, and from gulf to sea.
Her mineral resources are unbounded
and of untold value, and her rich soil
is capable of producing anything that
grows out of the ground. Then, too,
her soil and climate are favorable for
stock raising. This alone will one day
be a gold mine to the South. AT Me-
ridian, Birmingham, Admission, and
Florence great cities are springing up
like magic. The South is great, un-
developed country, the Importance of
which will not remain long unknown.
To my friend who don't know any
thing about science and cares little of
grangers, | would say that l lay no
claims to being a scientist and much
less to being good granger; yet | wish
| understood more of the science of
farming and was so situated as to enjoy
the blessings of good grange, such as
we have at Church Hill and Casky, in
Christian county, Ky. He also wants
to know where he can find the best
place for raising cattle without feeding
them in the winter; where they can
feed on cane and Bermuda grass. TIC
this would say, that along almost any
of the rivers of the South such place:
can be found. But just here il
the trouble. Those who live here pay
so little attention to their stock tha
they are scrubby. The summer is the
most difficult time to raise stock, al
they often suffer both for food and wa
ter, as well as the hot summer sun.
But to my other friend, who wanted
to know something Of the customs ant
habits of the people, l would say Their
is not much difference between then
and the balance of the world, excep
there are more negroes and fewer whit
people than in other sections. Il
Adams county, Miss, there are abou
five negroes to one white man, an
while it was before the war one of tn
wealthliest counties in the State, it
now one of the poorest, not in land
but in development of its resources
The once rich planters have attempte
to keep their lands, working them o
the shares or renting them to the NJ
groes, drawing supplies from thei
commission merchants to run then
mortgaging often their stock, tool
crops and lands until the merchant
own nearly the whole country.
This is possibly the greatest curse {
the South. Spending their money b.
fore they get 1t, eating up their croI
before they make them, paying the
merchants double profit on their gooC
all of which is ruinous. The me
chants do not want the land, and tn
is one reasOn--if not the principal OIL
for so much good, cheap land in tt
South They are forced to sell at son
price. A few of the old planters wi
were once wealthy keep up their o
habits of living.
had the pleasure of spending u d.
,,,sGL 7.