The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-23
SOUTHERN LIFE.
Appearance Of streets, Houses ANA
People in Cities and Villages.

Appearance Of streets, Houses ana
People in Clties and Villages.
Landing in Southern city Of any con-
siderable size one is met soon as he steps
from the cars by gang-for that is whit II
is of negroes, each one endeavoring but
II you are wise none succeeding--to catch
your eye, or for that matter the whole Of
You, by series of cries as II bedlam had
broken loose These are the so-called hack
men, broken-down looking set Of men
who will cheat even their best friends II Il
is possible to do SO. You always want to
arrange matters with one Of these men be-
fore you hire him. The vehicles in which
they invite you to ride are as rule open
carryalls, which a New England farmer
would think only fit for kindling wood.
After passing these hackmen and reach
ing the hotel you will find little improve
ment There are good hotels in some por-
tons of the South, and If you stop at one of
these you will be tolerably comfortable
TINT is, II you fee the servant sufficiently.
The hotels are quiet and the negroes go
,bout like SO much machinery, although at
imles there seems 10 be oil needed that the
nttchinery may I, n more rapidly.
On the streets one sees many strange
sights; II it were not for this same strange.
ness there would be little TO look at, for
there are few beauties Of nature to be adj
mired in Southern town. You must go to
the mountains TO see those. The pigs and
chickens, as rule, have the freedom Of the
city, and, to use aslang phrase, they work
it for oil that 1t is WORTH" Very few streets
are more than sand hills, and dust covers
you from head to foot.
The people whom you meet have tagged
look, and II It should ever happen that you
should see one running, you will have seen
. curiosity indeed. The mon generally
wear soft Kossuth hats and long legged
boots, although the pants are not now tuck
cd into them 40 commonly us Of old. No
matter how hard It rains, there are very few
people who ever wear rubber overshoes. /
remember once seeing Southern paper
which gave an account with much gusto,
and as a highly humorous piece Of news,
that two little girls were seen on the street
wearing rubber boots. Such sight had
never before been seen in the city, and all
the people turned and looked after them as
they passed down the street.
In the smaller towns the buildings are
mostly Of wood, and impressed upon one
that paint must be high in that section.
The best residences, which are quite COM
Portable in appearance, are TO be found q
little distance removed from the town itself.
The negro cabin, with its chimney ON the out
side Is one of the most common sights, al
though the days Of the old log cabin are al
most over
One cannot live for any length Of time in
the South without being struck by the
friendliness which seems TO exist BETWEEN
all the people. The communities seem like
large families, and even in the largest cities
all know one another and one anothor's
business even more that they do in o North
ern country village. Everybody is free and
easy with his noighbor, and to mister I"
him Il too much Of ceremony to be often
iniulged in.