Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-11-28
Letter From Alabama.


and other southern woods. The forests
are not so dense as our spruce and hem
lock forests, but they are extensive. In
der the surface of these hills are the de
posts of coal and iron ore, the seams
cropping out on the sides of the hills In
the valleys are the farms, where clearings
have been made. Other deposits such As
kaolin Of fire clay limstone, etc , are
found in numerous places
1t i in these valleys that the new towns
are springing up. Birmingham. which in
1850 WAS hamlet Of SEQ people, and now
IS humming city of 40. 600 inhabitants. IS
in Jones valley, so called This place,
Fort Payne. i in wills valley. ninety
miles northeast from Birmingham Las,
March il was town Of 500, now q.
write, il contains 5000 regular residents.
II has electric lights, water system. three
hotels half dozen brick blocks ~ stores.
two banks. a large stove foundry, All in
actual operation There arc building an
enormous blast furnace. steel works roll
In. mill fire brick drain pipe and terra
cotts works. lumber mills sash and blind
factories furniture factories. asphalt
works etc have looked over these plants
AM they are certainly being built IN sub
stantiaI manner and on large scale I
should judge that these plants will employ
1000 men when iE operation or course
prices Of land are extremely high, and
speculation is rife, but am convinced that
the town will grow. The coal, iron. lime
stone etc are here. The growth II
Birmingham has demonstrated that In
these narrower valleys towns cannot grow
50 large a. in The wider valleys TO the
south. but see no reason why in all these
valleys towns NAV not arise
The native Aahamians AMI Georgian,
however viii not furnish much trade.
They are poor and with few wants They
look On With seeming indifference They
do not earn or spend much and I've In a
state Of poverty that would be uncomfortable
in Maine. The educated Southcrncrs how
ever are catching on. snd arc As deep in
plans q Development, a. any Northern
man car hc meet them everywhere. and
Aud them earnest, eager and SHARP The
mass however seem apathetic They look
on and that : all. The skilled labor must
all come from tie North Tor some time
They will Re the local customers The lo-
cal farmer. the strength n Maine Is here
a cipher He buys nothing and has moth
eats them Sill farming feels The im-
pulse ana cotton feld. are increasing. and
50 are other farm products
The negro 10 rot st s.l. disturbing Gle
ment in these region. He works fairy
well hut spend. IS fast IS hc earn. have
seen whites and blacks working together
st the same job In seeming amity The
negro seems to work AZ nn-k!iicd labor
rpostly. but now and then he /. found in rc-
>ponsiole positions The influx Of north
ern settlers is so great that there is no dan
ger Of negro domination. or even negro IN
fiuence In this part OF The South
The conditions of life here are fsvo bic.
The climate i mild. and vet not enervat-
ing AT Birmingham yesterday We rode
By gardens with the seconi crop % cab
eages bets, squa-hes, etc, still growing
We also saw ladies 81 work in flower gar
d-n- among flowers and roses stlll in
bloom The water pipe. sre laid only
-
windows and storm door. are unknown
| coal for fuel can be had for 81 50 per ton
and oak wood for 81 ~ per cord The
height Of these valleys above the level Of
the sea tempers the summer, and keeps
81 the dreaded malaria
Should Maine man rome here 10 llyci
| | cannot advise it, Iii. the South, not III,
North More money perhaps can he got
more easily here than in Name but The
| life IL different Here Al Fort PAYNE
| Northern sentiments. habits and influence
predominant, and Maine man would hnt
here congenisl fellowship, but the coun.
! try at large Is Southern In everything
| But the New South" has been born. and
| will grow 70 sturdy manhood Mr.. Dorr
| our Register OF Probate, j. enjoy
/ ing his visit verv much, and makes ar
! excellent impression on the people lie
| found n the Judge Of Probate here con
| federate soldier with only hi. left arm
! They shook hands cordially snd upon com
pairing notes found they were In severa
battles together Mr. Dorr was Disguised
however with the dilapidation, confusion
and dirt - conspicuous in the probate and
other county Offices here The court house
itsel,wa. encru.ted with dirt The records
and files seemed turnbled about in dire con
fusion. The officers all kept their hats on,
and had not shaved or changed their linen
for weeks They were good natured and
cordial however, and am told are good
officers TIE Northerners here say they
will soon change the style Of things, and
have the officers and Offices made a. nea, az
ours in Maine
We have been received very cordially By
the southern gentlemen we have met.
Col Shorter. one Of the railroad commits
s!oner- and Col. Capcn, who was in the
Confederate Treasury department. and Col.
Psille!.r leading lawyer in Birmingh ham
have been very kind and attentive. Evil
dences are not wanting. however. that the
South Is not yet fully reseneratc. The old
/ prsjudlces against the North and the Union
still occasionally crop out. Until there
/ have been more conversion and regenera
( ton here, the government Of the Union
/ will be safer In the hands Of it's old friends
! We have met several Maine men who
have come 70 stay. Col. Spaulding. the
/ head Of the Fort Payne Coal and Iron Co.
/ is from Richmond. Ne T. p Pierce, the
attorney for the company, was lately lead
ing lawyer at Rockland Mr.. z. B. Cook
well known in Ellsworth, as the travelling
member Of the Portland hardware firm oil
Emery. Warehouse & Co, has a larg,
hardware store here. Ellsworth il also
represented here. as We found Jimmy
Cook" In charge of the tonsorial depart
ment Of the De Kalb Hotel They all pro
fess to be contented, and more. Mr. Dor
and myself however have felt 40 tempta
ton TO make any exchange Of Maine TO
Alabama, and shall return with increased
pride over the greatness of our country
and ipcra~sad Iowa for our own Mama