The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-07

| No information WAS 10 he had among aucl
| inhabitants as we met as 10 any established
theory of their source. As In the billy and
mountain parts OF Alabama and Georgla
we found the copiously gushing springs
mostly AZ their bases and these water holes
were ever near the base of eminences, II
WAS fair 10 infer that the immediate source
was In them, though the fountain head
might be remote To me they were phe
nomenal the more that here WIS Giving
water" at the surface In the very vicinity
II was only % be reached a. the depth Of
hundreds of feet Aud no explanation or
explanatory facts possible 10 be obtained,
never heard Of these people, nor mention
of them since.
For stock artificial ponds were main
dependence IIOllows selected and the
margins further raised or spaces az the
foot of little hills where but little dammiug
WAS requiring To make capsciOus reservoirs
for water secured from surface draining
At the base of considerable hills, these
easily be made Of depth enough for suiiic-
lent water for good deal Of stock for a
drough. even allowing for evaporation.
This was not very inviting refreshment 10
extremely hot days, being but mud holes
but far better than none. The boys used
TO get 90 thirsty they lad the hiblt OF say.
ing, "anything that Is wet" We don't
mind the slime and filth 80 II be moist
And yet after drinking and filling their
canteens from these filthy receptacles, 10
discover the outlines dead mule or other
animal little way off In the water will so
i1uence the Imagination Of some as to Inn
part specially questionable tone TO the
previously highly seasoned, turbid fluid.
None can appreciate what luxuries are
the common but Indispensable things OF
life, until deprivement or suffering abridg'
ment OF them.
FROM MACHING WITH SHERMAN
The great hills and mountains Of North
western Georgia, those natural Notifications
which the rebels 80 wisely but frui;.ess SO.
lected for their last defences-stee and
rugged though they where, and toilsome
to climb, afforded agreeable variety TO the
landscape And many OF our soldiers will
long and pleasurably remember the num-
erous springs of cool and sparkling water,
which pushed so copiously from their sides
and bases through all that mountainous
region, and which was such constant and
grateful refreshment through all the long
DAYS of their marching among those rug.
ged heights, when they were weary and
thirs:ing We sometimes had scarcity of
water In our movements In Tennessee and
II was generally turbid and muddy, being
mostly the surface water collected In arti-
fetal ponds during rains and Intended
wholly tor stock. But the troops We're
Obliged to resort TO It when cisterns and
wells became exhausted. In Alabama and
4 alrrya hnunvar nvfntr m q nf h~iunf
clear and rapidly running water and never
falling springs, were so frequent we were
never wanting during our last summer, In
this indispensable of existance. presume
to supplement the foregoing as conclud.
Ing wash out Of the subject with an extract
from letter preserved in the family arch
ives, dated at Decatur, Ala, 80 p. m,
May 25th, 1864: - We got here
two hours ago two days from Huntsville.
learn tolerably authenticity, that our de-
stinction Is Rome, Ga, to join Sherman.
You will see by good map We have came
out of our way some twenty-five miles But
this was necessary not only to get around
the mountains for 1t Is here the Cumber-
land range In our course terminates) but as
the only practlble point for crossing the
Tenn. river. Here done by very ng
series of pOntoons. This river being con-
siderable, as high up as this, much larger
than the Illinois above Peoria Lake. In
deed, would be navigable but for the mus
sic shoals, between here and Florance. At
present tina water Is quite low, else our fleet
of transports instead of Ian ling us at Csm.
den, would have brought US as high as
Florence and saved hundred miles of
marching.
II hau olny time yesterday morning to
look few minutes at Huntsville, so wide
ly famed for beauty, and not without good
claim to IT, Like dreamful vision II lies
embosomed among those mighty hills, the
SUBMITS bathed In purple. Art and wealth
have been freely expended In setting out
the natural beauties of the situation. "1n
happy times" 1t must have been charm
ing city.
81 have said these hills have numerous
springs gushing from their bases. A
mighty one at Huntsville pouring out from
the base of rocky activity, which not
only supplies the city but flows away a
large, clear, beautiful stream which wends
through delightful valley beyond The
spring ana the rocks from which II flows,
suggests part of the view about the Fair
mount Water Works at Philadelphia, and
the same system is used as there for raising
the water and distributing 1t through the
city. You know the Schuylkill is made by
the use of that long series of great water
wheels to pump itself into that high, large
reservoir at Fairmount, creating a tremend-
Gus power for Its wide distribution through
the great city.
at is the Identical principle though on
on an extremity reduced scale, that is en-
ployed at Huntsville VIM. w. WEIGH.
Galesburg, Ills, Sept LIST, 1899.