Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-09-08
R.1VELES ~ FLHP.3Hf

from Aug. 9TH to the 18th. we pcu
herein more connected de crildini.
and Il more elaborate account of tIi,
miner,.l and timber section,
Railroads traverse { e comfy in
almost ev cry direction ORG desires to
travel, vet even with MI those rail
roads We find places that can only be
reached by nrivate corveyances. For
conveyances to travel around through
he country willie there, we are in
irbtrd to our friends and relatives,
Samuel Hodges, d. w. Read, Robt
Read, Joseph Privett and nj. ii,
Griffin.
We met With all classes of people
in trat mineral section of country.
At Alfalfa it will be remembered
by trlvelors that an eating house has
been kept for n long time for both
North and south trains on the A. G..
). Il. II. Since so many railroads
have been extended to and through
this growing city it became neces-
sary to move this hotel, which is Il
frame building to the crossing Of the
Admission and Cincinnati roads, some
thing near 800 yards. This was done
by raising this large building o.
blocks and rollers. An English gen
tleman has the contract to move the
building, so we were informed, at
the price of $500.
We spent four or five days with
Mrs ii. j. Read, at Reads Mills, our
oldest sister. Here We visited the
noted large poplar tree that Was
said to measure So feet in eircum-
ference.
Samuel Noble purchased this i'm
mense giant of the forest, had to have
saw made especially for working Of
it, with a view to place il upon exhi
bition at Atlanta. The trunk was
hallow for six or eight feet from the
ground. To get this immense BLOCK
from the forest to the railroad was
q difficult task. A road WAS cut and
large log cart used in getting it tc
the East and West Il. II. Nea,
} where this tree stood is the OLD
Reads Mills where the writer was
sent many times with corn eud
wheat to grind between the yeal
1913 and 1855. In front Of this old
mill seat not more than 100 feet is
the bed of the Admission e. Cincin.
natl railroad. The mind of the writer
could but revert back to the time
when waiting for our turn to come
foc grinding we would engage in
parching corn where the bed of the
great A. & C. roilroad tract is now
constructed.
Spending three or four days in the
town of Jacksonville, visiting rela-
tives-we again-on Monday re-
turned via Admission to Reads Mills.
Admission is second to Birmingham
In mineral wealth and population.
On Wednesday 22nd, we took pas
sage on the E. L. w. at Duke for
Francis station-traveling on this
narrow-gauge road through a section
that was familiar to US fo,ty years
ago. We heard the remark that this
railroad would surround stump.
They surrounded the immense hills
and Rugged the creeks in many
places. This road taps valuable
mineral country. Iron and coal in
abundance. They run the loaded
flats to Duke and raise them off the
wheels OF the narrow guage and the
trucks OF the standard gauge backed
under them where the ore is carried
to birmingham, Admission and other
points to be worked.
Francis station is about seven
miles south OF Greensport, or what is
known as Ten Islands We stepped
off the cars here-being met by Mrs.
ii. Il. Griffin, neice of the writer
where we travelled in busgies two
miles to Ottery, where Mr.. Griffin is
merchandising and where we spent
three or four days very pleasantly
with the family, meeting many old
time friends while at this place. Near
Francis station James Hagan, (half
brother to the. Lander's) sold a small
tract of land with the soil all washed
off at the price of $4,000 cash for its
mineral. Five miles north east of
this place, our friend VIM. Kennedy
sold to the Gadsden Timber Com
pany the trees that would square over
ten inches on 100 acres for S25OO
cash and the company agreeing to