The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-09
AN ALABAMA TOWN.
What a Reporter Saw at Gadsden.
A Thriving Place and the Advan-
tages 1t Enjoys.
The Cracker" Evidently Not Pass
ing Away Very Much.
An Indian Legend with Some
Funny Modern Trimmings
The Sad Fate Of Drifting MIst-From
the-Mountain"-Her Heart Staked
Upon Ball Game-What Judge
D., Of Memphis, Said.
Special Correspondents OF Tho Appeal.

Special Correspondence Of The Appeal
GADsDEN, Ala, Sept. 6.-If one follows
the crooked windings of the Coosa river
from Rome, Ga, to this place he will have
to travel distance Of l5i miles, but ii the
= trip is made by rail it will be shortened to
tiity.four. The town, which contains
about 5000 inhabitants, is situated at the
southern terminus Of Lookout mountain,
ninety-two miles south OF Chattanooga, on
the west bank Of the Coosa river, iorty-hye
feet above the highest water and 200 feet
above the sea. The constant brcezes from
the mountains which surround the place
on every side are cool and refreshing, and
rs 1t has thus far been exempted from
every form OF contagious disease is claimed
to be perfectly healthy. Besides the river
on which boats run regularly the year
round TO Rome, carrying mail and freights,
there are four railroads connecting Gads-
den with the great railway systems OF the
south. OF these the Rome 4 Decatur
railroad furnishes a connection with the
East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia sys-
ten at Rome, and upon its completion to
Decatur will, by way of the Memphis d
Charleston, open up new country TO
Memphis, a country rich in coal, iron,
timber and agricultural resources, and the
cotton fields Of the Coosa valley, which
have heretofore sent 10 Rome $4,000
bales annually. The coal beds ex.
tend around the mountains for miles
commencing within two miles Of the old
brick courthouse, which Is in the center
OF the town. Some Of these coal mines
are leased by farmers and worked in the
most primitive manner. The coal is car.
Iied out in wheelbarrows and dumped in
farm wagons and carts and sold In town
like wood in other cities, a double team
load costingfrom Sl.75 10 -. Iron, lime.
stone and manganese are found in appar-
= emily inexhaustibc quantities, while an
abundant store OF marble, slate, building
stones and iire-clay crceps up TO the very
edge OF the city. Scarcely less valuable
are the forests Of long-leai yellow pine
timber along the river and the rich farm
ing land in the valley, which produces
some Of the best grades in cotton, most OF
Coates thread, II is stated, being made Of
this Coosa valley staple. Gadsden had
very fine exhibit OF lis natural resources
ut the Piedmont exhibition last year, It's
manganese ore attaining the highest pre-
MUM aud being pronounced far superior
tO any similar ore ON exhibition. Fifty To
s. per cent. Of metallic iron OF the anest
quality is the yield claimed for the soft
rcd ores Astounding in this section, and
also that the ore Is delivered 10 the fur.
naccs at 80 cents per ton, and IL worked
direct from the mines, no washing or
roasting being necessary. Wood costs
less than Sl.25 cord and charcoal
can be purchased in large quantities
ut 3 cents per bushel, while charcoal car.
wheel iron can be made here at IS 80 90 50
per ton. Coke iron Is estimated 20 cost Il
per ton less than charcoal iron, and the
Coosa, Lookout and Sand mountain coal
fields, whose coal cokes equal 10 any in
the south, all lie in close proximity TO
Gadsden.
On last Sunday, knowing that the
best people Of community are those
who attend It's churches, your CORE
spondont went 10 all OF them. OF course
he only caught piece Of a sermon here
and there, and bar or 80 OF hymn,
maybe, but these he would hitch ON to
the next church where the last one left
Oh, and 50 was enabled 90 see what :ho
Gadsden people looked like, and have q
livery enjoyable time" all around. The
people OF Gadsden are very nice looking
set, and seem 90 care more for comfort
than style in their dress, although all
were neatly and respectfully attircd. A
few plug hats came away under silk UNI
hrcllas, over owners who wore baggy
trousers; however this was the oxccp-
ton. But such q lot OF pretty girlsl
Blondes and brunct,os aud girls with
warm hair all Of them dressed In muslin
and lawn and light summer dresses, en-
livcned with gay ribbOns-vc ritable
visions In white. And there were some
Of the prcttiost little prattlcrs Of six and
ten, who sat in the Sunday-school Of one
otthcchurches and listened wOnderingly 10
discourse by their superintendent upon
the Immortality OF the soul, that your cor
respondent ever saw. There are FIVE
churches in Gadsdcn, with q to-
tai membership OF about 1000,
Baptist, Methodist, Christian, Prsby.
tcrian and Catholic, while the Episcopa.
lians are organizing aud before long will
also have a church Of that denomination
erected. Tho largest Of tho churches mem
toned is that Of the Mcthods,s, which
has membership Of 400, aud like the 9TH
crs is frame structure. From the ceiling,
NnlCn ~ ihluti Ilgnt " suspended an arc
electric light. There Is no gas In Gadsden
and these people probably find electricity
cheaper and better than the coal oil lamps
which we're formerly used; the Bap,is,
church also has an electric light The on
~ objection 10 these lights IL their uncer-
tainty; sometimes they 70 entirely on, for
several minutes, not only oItinguishing
themselves, but also the eloquence Of tho
minister ut the same time. and the old
fashioned illuninant has 10 be again called
into use. But, speaking Of people, there
are somc queer characters 70 DO met with
IN north Georgia aud Alabama Bill Arp,
In recent article in the A.
lanta Contribution, saws that the
Cracker" hns passed away. II this be
true your correspondent would like very
much 20 know who and what manner Of
people II was that be saw on the way down
10 tiadsden. Tho road is a new one, and
Tho train stopped At clearing In Tic
rplncy woods IN north Georgia there
was no station) 20 allow n passenger 20 GET
aboard. A man with lace bronzed by
tie SUP and drcsscd In duck pants and 4
dirty white cotton shirt, sat IN a crazy