The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-03-15
RAMBLING THROUGH DIZZY.
The Cheapness of Clothing and Hard.
ware in the South-Some Heavy
Natives That We Saw.

Well this is Friday morning and
our allotted time at this place will be
up next Monday. There are several
places yet, that we have not visited
The first place that attracts our atten.
ton is the cotton factory, and we can
say it is pleasure to see the spoolf
and looms go and the girls tie the
threads, but the noise is dreadful. TIC
see the cotton cloth made by such an
ingenious process it does look like il
ought to be very cheap. While we
stand and look at 162 looms, beating
the threads into cloth, we could not
help thinking of our mothers who used
to lean against the old loom beam from
early morning till late at night and
probably measure off from 2 to 4 yards
for days. work. 1t was a good thing
for US that they did not see this process
or they would have gone out of BUSH
ness, and we would have had no shirts
pants. The wooden factory is much
the same as the cotton in its operations
therefore will not dwell on that SUBJ
ject. IT'S enough to say that they can
make you blanket for your bed before
you cauld get on that reposing institu-
if you had your boots off.
The next place We visit is the spoke
and handle factory. The work in
this establishment Is all done by the
aid OF machinery as we'll as in the 9TH
er places and makes nearly as much
noise and throws the chips and dust
all over ones good clothes. So we re-
manned but short time, but long
enough TO learn that our hardware
men make living profit when they
sell us hammer and Ratchet handles
at from 5 to 10 cents apiece. They also
have stave and barrel factory here,
and we do not wonder at the low price
that we pay for -four and salt barrels.
In fact it was surprising to the writer
to see at what remarkably low prices
these industries all sell their goods and
still have a living, and profit, for as 1
said before they all seem contented
aud prosperous. The blacksmith
here only charges % cents for shoelng
horse all around, with new shoe.
The undertakes furnish a nice wal
nut coffin trimmed in good shape and
complete for $40. Of course one can get
them more expensive if they desire.
Good white farm hands hire at from
IS to Sl2 per month. Carpenters 81 to
s. a day and, as the Irishman said
''ate HIMSELF But there is very little
difference made when the employer
.'ates" yo1,as they don't seem to think
mans board worth anything down
here. Board and brandy comes almost
free. The farmers raise every thing
they need and of course the expense
is small.
But there is one more place of inter-
est that we willvisit before returning to
our boarding house, for it is high noon
and We are tired and hungry. Some
one tells us there is curiosity on
Second street that We must see. Now
reader stop and hold your breath, for
Pm about to tell you the biggest negro
story that have yet related during all
my rambles through Dizzy. We
called in at the number designated and
to our great wonder beheld, sitting al
the wash-tub at work an old black
auntie who weighed over 400 lbs, and
she said abe had q sister that weighed
100 lbs. more than she, but as she was
more than we could see at one look we
departed for our boarding house with
out seeing the sister.
Saturday We spent in driving over
the country and viewing the old time
people living in their log cabins with
the stick and dirt chimneys covered
with clapboards or "shakes" as the
New Englauders call them, and one
corner of the door sawed off to admi!
pussy in case it should be closed. We
take @ look at things around the YARD
aud see two yellow dogs, pet deel
a blind horse ald an old cow with
horns pointing directly heavenward
we take walk and as we return W,
notice several coon skins stretched
just over the only window that the
dwelling contains. These circum
stances bring wildly to mind past rec
objections when a boy back in thu
mountains of the old Dominion stat.
and we could not help but wish fo
our childhood days again.
Tomorrow is Sunday, aud we mus
90 to church and see how these people
serve God, before we take our depar
lure.
Well, it is Sunday. told you in :
former letter there were five churche!
in this town, and to hear the bells al
ringing at once it does seem as though
they coald be heard clear back in Kan
sas. Tits a lovely morning, every on
goes to church here, we can see whole
families all ages and sizes starting TO
their house of worship. We went Il
the Christian church, and about one
hundred of the young ladies from tn
college marched in, in regular soldier
style, and made splendid showing
being dressed all alike. The text wa
1--WE see through Glass Darkly" Tia
subject / thought good one, and
IL