The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-11-11
A Trip UP the Yazoo Valley, on
the New Branch of the
I. G. Railroad.

a tpuZ S'NNIN'A haAl' UP Wv 'aN' '"''
lev of the Yazoo, via the new route
of the I. c. Railroad This new
branch, known as the Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley Railroad is now
completed from jackson to Parsons,
on the Yallubusha river, covering
distance of one hundred and six.
teen miles, with connecting line OF
twenty five miles, running from
Tchula to Durant. Daily trains,
both freight and passenger, are now
run over this system from jackson
to Green wood and return, and from
Durant to Tchula and return.
Friday morning, buoyed up by
the crisp frosty air and delightful
nights rest, before 7 o'clock we were
comfortably seated in one Of the Gle
CANT new coaches for which the |. c.
is proverbial, and eager TO catch the
conductors familiar cry Of "all
aboard" The pleasure Of the jour.
ney was heightened for many miles
by the company of a number Of old
Kinds county friends; among them
DR.. c. G.. Andrews, of Jackson, who
was on his wsy to Bentonia, DR.. w
$. Webb, and Revs. J. L. Pettigrew
and F.. f. Smith, Of Clinton, Capt.
w. T. Ratliff, OF Raymond, Rev. r.
A. Cooper, of Utica, r. d. Gambrell,
Editor of the Sword and Shield, and
Rev. w. A. Mason, OF Crystal
Springs, who were all on their way
TO the meeting of the Central AS
sociation with. Rocky Springs Baptist
Church in Yazoo county. Another
most agreeable and pleasant fellow
passenger was Mrs. Gen. d. H..
Cooper, formerly of Natchez, but
now of Washington, d. c., who was
en- route to visit relatives in Yazoo
City.
The first station on the new road
out from jackson is Annie then
follow in succession Pocahontas,
Flora, Morey, Bentonia, Valley, and
Yazoo City. The largest place be
tween Jackson and Yazno City is
Bentonia, situated contiguous to the
valley Of the Big Black river, and
doing a good business. Morey is
situated in the fertile valley of the
Big Black, but as yet has made but
slight Roadway; while Flora has the
appearance of having overgrown it.
self, not infrcquent thing with
new railroad towns. At Valley sta
tion the road penetrates the rich
Yazoo Valley and runs due north to
Yazoo City, within sight Of the foot
hills on the right, and the rich allu-
vial valley spreading out for miles
to the left.
Yazoo City is one of the finest
towns in the State, it's citizens
among the most prosperous and en-
terprising, and is fourishing like a
green bay tree. Here the l. G. Rail
road has built a large compress. II
is one of the largest in the State
and the machinery and buildings
are of the most substantial charac-
ter. Located Immediately on the
bank OF the Yazoo river and con-
venient to the business houses, ship
pers consult their own interest by
having their cotton compressed be-
tore it leaves the city. At this
place the road has also built large
and handsome freight depot, whose
spacious warerooms are capable of
accommodating many tons of mer-
chandise. The passenger depot is a
model of beauty and convenience.
1t has separate apartments for white
and colored people, both fitted up
exs city alike. No mixing of the
races is allowed. The raill Dad has
arranged with boats to bring cotton
up and down the river at this place,
and expect to compress twenty five
or thirty thousand bales of cotton
this season.
From Yazoo City to Parsons, six
teen miles beyond Greenwood, the
road runs through a country as rich
as the Valley of the Nile, passing
many farms containing thousands OF
acres Of cultivated land and at
other places, penetrates the vir-
gin forests Of hickory, ash, oak, gum,
ETC.. and for miles no signs of habi-
tation are visible.
With all its natural fertility, how
ever, what Gen. Lee stated in his
speech here last week 10 painfully
apparent on many places even in
this great valley, to-wit /: that even
the richest soil on earth may become
awhanatad hu ann.tont n-l.;.u.:z.