Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-15
THE SUNNY SOUTH.

our program, which was arranged TO
leave DeFuniak on the 1st inst. but
the best laid plans of mice and men
gang aft agles' or in other words,
there is many slip 'twixt the cup and
the lip" Having learned before the
time liked for leaving, that the floods
prevailing in the Alabama river at
Montgomery and the rivers north, had
so obstructed the railroads at that place,
and on our intended route, that it would
be impossible TO get farther north than
that point for some time, We there
fore bad to content ourselves where we
we're four DAYS longer, until the waters
subsided A number of our people left
for the north several days before we in
tended to. but some. like Noah's dove,
returned, and reported that the waters
were over the earth. Others sought to
get north from Montgomery by going
around by Macon, Ga. but after being
gone two days,and failing to get through,
returned; some others did get to Cin+
cinnati by going back to Mobile, and
thence by way of Jacksonville, Miss
the balance remained cOoped up in
Montgomery, and only got away the day
we arrived there.
At a. NJ. the 5th, we took the mixed
train for Pensacola; passing down the
ridge and by unimportant way stations,
and occasionally a saw mill, amidst the
pines, black jack and the fragrant
blooming titi, whose blossoms yield a
rich harvest of honey for the busy bee,
! Milton, on the Black water river, twenty
miles from Pensacola, is reached. 1t is
a town of some Importance on account
of its lumber business, which is carried
on quite extensively, but it has rather a
sauallid appearance. Passing on, soon
Escambia bay il reached and crossed, on
a long bridge of a miles. with a draw
for bOats-then down along the border
of the bay for ten miles, with high bluffs
on the right, some of which are terraced
and beautified, and On which are some
tine residences, and the characteristic
southern city of Pensacola is reached,
is situated on Pensacola Bay; it has
an excellent harbor, fine view of which
is had from the gallery of the City Ho-
!, tel, where we stopped till next day, and
where we met several of our DeFGniak
friends, among them Mr.. Van Kirk, land
agent, and his very sociable sister, ano
Col. Chipley, very wealthy, influential
and enterprising abroad man of
PENSACOLA.
This city is port of some considerable
Importance, has increased in population
from about 1900 at the close of the war,
TO about 10000 now. A new custom
house is being built. The bay abounGs
in fish, among which are the celebrated
red snapper, which are among the finest
tish of southern eaters; they are caught
by hook and line, and also by seine, ia
great abundance, weighing from four to
fifty pounds, a hundred barrels of which,
it is said, are shipped to other parts daily.
There are few very good buildings
here. but very few; among them the
First National Bank and Opera House
building, the Continental Hotel ard the
Custom House. Out on the slope of the
bluff, some distance back from the bay,
are some neat residences and grounds
tEat of Col. Chipley is. perhaps, the
finest. Pensacola was ceded, by Spain,
to the English in 1868, by whom it was
laid out in regular form, and was sur
rendered to the Spanish and their
French allies in 1881, at which time the
town was destroyed. On top the bluff
or ridge back of town, so feet above the
bay, at the head of Palofox street, the
ruins of Fort San Miguel are still to be
seen, from the top of which one can see
over the entire city, the shipping on the
bay, the navy yard, and Santa Rosa Isl
and, on the point of which is Fort Pick
ins The style of the people ard Of the
cookery here are peculiarly southern,
and the negroes numerous and peculiar
ly lazy.
At p M of 9th. took the train and
struck out 40 miles to FiOmaton or Pen
sacola Junction. and connected there at
3:15 p. m. with the north bound train
on the L. & n, which put US in
MONTGOMERY
at s p. m 120 miles more resting there
all night, at the Windsor Hotel, which.
10y the way, is a very good one. The ef>
fects of the flood here, the highest ever
known, were very visible. The bridge
of the l.. 6 n. road. crossing the Alaba-
ma, was washed away; tho water two
feet over the floor of the Union depot,
and all the lower part of the town had
been submerged; so that the people Of
that part, mostly the poorer classes, had to
abandon their houses and seek shelter
Elsewhere. The river here, when at its
highest, spread out six mics wide, doing
much damage TO the surrounding coun-
try, Causing great distress and loss in
stock, and in numerous cases, loss of hu
man life. The general get up of this,
the capital of the once Southern Con-
federacy, 1 rather like. The ground on
which it is situated, rises gradually
from the river back, perhaps, three
quarters of mile, to the crest of the
hill, OIL the top of which the State house
is situated. The streets ale broad and
clean, with some very good blocks of
buildings on either side. The writci
took walk, before breakfast, up to cap
itol hill, which commands the town and
river for long distance, giving one d
line view. On returning down to our
hotel be accosted merchant standing
10y his store door, who said he was from
indianapolis, Ind, and had been here
seven years. He gave some notes about
the place and epeople-thought it was
pretty good place for business, though
quite dull just now. The number of
the people about 10000, and their habits
very indole9t as a rule. Our party had
a good nights rest and likewise good
! breakfast, and at a. N. moved on by
the Western R. r. of Ala. & Geo., 175
miles to
ATLANTA.
| The district of country over which we
passed in reaching this place for the
most part is, as l think, exceedingly
barren. The land has been mostly clear J
ed of its timber, the only thing about it |
of any value. The soil is of the red clay |
and sand order, having scarcely any !
productive quality whatever, without
heavy fertilizing. A long and almost
fruitless effort has been made to produce
something on it to profit, but as far as
aPpeara noes go, with but little success. | |