The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-10-08

Alive Alabama City Peopled by
Live Citizens.

Live Citizens.
Leaving Nashville after dark, on pretty
cr,wded train, nothing Of interest occurred
EXCEPT the forming of very pleasant ac-
ouantance on the cars from the vicinity Of
,hc enterprising city Columbia, Tenn, IA
mons during the war for the many stirring
in .idents which occurred in and near it.
He gave me an acc ount of what had been
raised on the farm where lie lived. | do
nnt rccollec, the plumber of bushels each OF
wheat. rye, oats, buckwheat and corn that
the farm of 200 acres produced, but they
were sufficiently large to produce in my
mind the most favorable impression OF the
fertility OF the soil in that part of Tenncs-
see--and of how we'll the farmers there
were living. The only old acquaintance
on the train was Colonel Henry Shorter,
who got on at Birmingham. 1t was some
time before we recognized each other not
having met for twelve years. He was on
his wav to Euiaula. He is President OF the
Railroad Commission of Alabama, and
popular, pleasant gentleman. | see his
name mentioned in the papers OF that Stale
for Governor. En- route he and several
Of his acquainlances were busy talking
politics and swapping jokes, while | was
irving TO sleep. When nearing Montgom-
erv, after daylight, he sal down by me, and
upon nv asking him to what point he was
going, and upon his replying Euiaula, re
marked, 81 once lived there" then he told
me his name and said lie recognized me.
No matter where man goes these days he
will find some one who knows him.
We reached Montgomery about o'clock
Immediately procured ticket and got on
board the train for Selma, distant so miles,
fare $3.50 Reached Selma at y
The crops for part of the way were very
fine, but great deal of the lands lmmedl
ately on the Alabama river are almost
worthless, having been overlooked by fresh
cts few years back and covered with sand.
Corn and cotton seem unable to grow,
though the fault in some instances was
doubtless owing to the poor cultivation
rendered by "The Nations Wards
Selma is situated Immediately on the AL
ALBANIA river One of its principle bust
ness streets, Water, is occupied exclusively
by wholesale grocery houses, which do an
immense business The retail stores al
most exclusively get their supplies from
them, and buying as they need in only
small quantities, make more and DO II
safer business, from not becoming over
stocked Alabama and Broad streets have
also large wholesale dry goods e'oTes, re-
tail sores, icwcirs, book stores, aud several
furniture stores, music stores, hotels, drug
stores and handsome private residences
Another street, Church, has handsome'
buildings for Bap,sls, Melhodsis Pfesby
terians and Episcopalans. 0 her streets
have IA Catholic church and Campbeiltr
church, Cumberland Presbyterian and Con
gregAtiona' besides numerous African
churches.
The corner stone Of a ! .ree brick acade-
my. very similar TO tn. Leon Academy al
Tallahassee, was lail with imp'sin! Ma
sonic ceremonies the day before | l'ii. l.
is situated near the ccnler o. The CITY, an4
no. far from The churches, iii plcasan'
part OF it, but too crowded to afford amy
other Fairgrounds for recess, III IN The
streets.
Nos, OF The private houses are .lamcd
wooden buildings, bat OF handsome, stylish
architecture, with fine grassy lawns in
'front.' most Of them waered by hydrants
with hose attachments, also enabling them
to wash their house walls and OF consider
hle benefit in case of fire. The water
bountiful supply for all needful purposes of
pure artesian water, and, unlike most water
thus procured, pleasant to the taste The
electric lights do not to my mind, work
satisfactorily. They give their light very
intermiltingly, frequently g" entirely Out
They are all over the city, in every street.
Street cars run only on two or three prin-
cpal streets with branch from them 10
the cemetery. The main line runs from
East Selma by the railroad shops, up Water
street to Broad, up Bread TWO miles into
the country to the Park, having crossed
another road and through beautiful hay
field OF several hundred acres, and from
the Park making circle round by East
Selma to the starting point. This is ac-
| complished in halt an hour. At the north
rrn end Of Broad street, and near The city
limits is the beautiful new depot of the
ailroads to Meridian, Miss, and TO Calcra
and Birmingham, constructed OF b,ick in a
new and unique design, and covered with
slate. Passengers arriving can get on the
street cars, instead of hacks, and go To tho
hotels and principal trading houses, and
after transscting business return the same
way in the afternoon.
Selma is almost envirOned by railroad
| Il. 6 l.