Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-03-13

thin soil. | had expected to find the
grass showing signs of green, but
every thing was bare and brown. A
person from the north must always be
attracted by the immense outside
chimneys attached to every house.
The chimney seems in most cases to
be the important feature, the house
being merely shanty joined to it.
don't remember crossing the bor-
der line between Tennessee and Ala
bama. AT any rate the change from
one state to the other did not give
much variety to the scenery. If any
thing the country seemed worse, the
settlements more fOrlorn and negroes
more abundant. No matter what de-
lapldated and to all appearances de-
serted shanty we passed out would
pop a woman's head, and num-
Der of little darkies, comical little
things, would appear On the scene.
Soon we began to enter something like
pine forests with here and there i'll the
underground what took to be holly.
At Dectur we crossed the Tennessee,
noble river, and had dinner at ho-
tel up on hill where we were waited
upon by negro women with gaily
caparisoned heads. Negroes were
every where in all sizes, of all ages,
and for the most part in such rags as
one must come south to see. AT De
catur we had quite concert, on the
platform, one little darby dancing very
well.
After miles of pine forests inter-
spersedwith swamps and fever and ague
settlements, we reached Blrmlng ham,
lively smoking town, the Pittsburg OF
Alabama. 1t made one rub ones eyes
to see such hustle, such an amount OF
building and improvements going on
after passing through so many lazy
towns. The loungers at the station
Sc emed fewer, the negroes more tidlly
dressed, in fact one seemed to be in a
busy prosperous town IN the north-Coal
and iron make Birmingham. l noticed
that before we reached Montgomery
the grass appeared to be getting ready
for spring, but otherwise there was
nothing green except the interminable
scanty pine forests with now and then
some holly or other evergreen shrub.
At Montgomery we found electric
lights and great confusion and hustle
of trains and people. All along the
route had been interested in noticing
the changes in the speech of the peo-
pie. 1t seemed to get softer, slower,
less nasal and more forgetful of the
letter Ct"
Soon after midnight we rolled into
Mobile and it was quite relief to get
out of the train and betake myself to
a hotel, and such a good one as found
the Battle House to be. The air COM
ing from the bay was delicious, and it
was delightful on coming down in the
morning to find the day bright and
warm, like day in early June. The
doors and windows Of the stores and
houses were open and it was difficult
matter to realize that it was only the
third of March. During my short
stay there I saw a good deal Of Mobile
and was delighted with the place. 1t
seemed very quiet with little business
doing. Many buildings were empty.
They say, however, that it is pick
ing up somewhat lately. To one it
seemed almost like foreign city. The
uuaintness of many of the houses,
some of them very old, the window
less state of many of the market shops,
the general air of elegant leisure hang
ing over everything, these were at least
foreign to one from the north. Then to
walk along Government ST., with its
fine residences and magnificent trees
and strawberries, to notice the magno-
las, the live oaks, various kinds of
palms, large camelia and laureStlne
bushes in full bloom, to smell now and
then the delicious fragrance of orange
blossoms and early roses. these sensa-
tions were also quite foreign to a
northerner. Other things in Mobile
struck me as strange, the common use
of oxen in the streets, of small mules
in the street cars, the peculiar dinner
pals of three and four stories sur
mounting basement filled with Goals
carried by negro servant girls evident
| ly to their masters in the city, the
posting of funeral notices on the street
| lamps. these and various other odd
little trifies which 1 cannot now recall.
was sorry to have been able to get
a glimpse only of Mobiles greatest
| feature, its magnificent shell road,
bordered by immense live oaks and
magnolias. Perhaps also if l had had
time l might have caught glimpse of
| the home of Mr.. Augusta j. Evans of
gorgeous st. Elmo" fame.
/ left Mobile yesterday afternoon
and came along the shore of the gulf to
| this place. 1t was quite an interest
ing little journey affording beautiful
views over the gulf, views of bayous,
pine forests with sWampy under
growth. masses of low growing palms,
mere anu Iu6I6 d lltllc Clcttk1uS uOlIcu
with the huge piles of the charcoal
burners, and at intervals old towns.
all New Orleans summer resorts after
a fashion, and each Boosting hotels to
all appearances as barnlike as that at
the Mammoth cave. Pass Christian /
think charming although it has rained
nearly all the time since l have been
here. Ii is on comparatively high
ground. faces the gulf in one long
street or shell road some five miles in
length, and is a mass of yerdure. The
air Is delightful. and the breeze from OF
the gulf has not chill in it. In SUM-
mer it is very gay with people from
New Orleans, but in winter it is given
I'D to people from the north, many Of
whom are now here, amongst them
Mrs. CaIlie Spensley and daughter from
Mineral Point This afternoon / had
the pleasure of meeting Mr.. and Mrs.
Laurie formerly of Helena, but now
residents here. at noon to day we
had a salute in honor of Mr.. Cleve-
lands Inauguration. But enough at
present, from Z. IL