Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10


and while on high lately covered the city OF
the dead with three feet of water over its entire
surface. The waters had receded but the
grounds were in deplorable condition IN
many places. No interments had been pos
sible for more than a week. Augusta lies
low, and these frequent foundations are be-
coming very serious matter. The citizens
are not willing to be taxed for dykes and
yet, every few months more property is lost
on the whole than would pay for them. All
the time of our visit the marks of disaster
were plainly visible, and to have the graves
of Is, 900 people under water for week
would suggest serious doubts as to the
healthfulness Of such conditions.
PUBLIC GARDENS.
Across the broad street from the cemetery
are the public gardens and park. The sight
of these in their winter beauty brought up
the melancholy fact that here again Augusta
could score point against Pittsburg even II
they were under water when the river rageo
and roared.
Camelias white and pink were in bloom,
hyacinths, jonquils and violets made fragrant
the air, and altogether Augusta seemed very
fair and lovely to those accustomed to
climate where "Winter lingering chills the
lap of May"
But while the city proper is low and sub
iect to floods to such uncomfortable extent,
it has suburb called the "Sand Hills, - on
which it plumes itself greatly. This. is the
hill upon which the United States Arsenal
is located, reached by street car Line in less
than an hour. 1t requires four good, stout
mules to take bobtail car up the hill, but
when the top is reached magnificent pan
Drama of the surrounding country and
the city is presented. Here in
c,1 o,1
hotel is in process of erection that will make
the Sand Hills of Georgia formidable
rival of the sand hill on which Aiken is
located, and on which the latter SO partic-
ularly prides itself as the foundation of its
dry air and salubrious climate. There is
strong rivalry between the towns as it is,
and, with this hotel, the advantage of
street cars, and beautiful location within
cheap shopping distance of Augusta, Aiken
will have to look to its laurels, and wake up
to the modern requirements of winter re-
sorts. A New York man said to us ne had
been spending his winters at the Sand Hills
of Augusta in Georgia for seventeen years,
| and after visit there we did not greatly
wonder over his enthusiasm.
The arsenal is evidently fine one, and it
made one feel at home and on our own
ground to see the beautiful Stars and
Stripes floating proudly over all, where
once the stars and bars of the Confederacy
gave token of desolating war and di-
vided country, and to see the "boys in
blue" 'sogering" round with q. S. on their
belts, instead of the G. S. that gave evidence
of disloyalty to the Union.
SOUTHERN RESIDENCES.
On the Sand Hills are many beautiful
homes, in which dwell the magnates of the
oif nfh uha OF
guests during the winter, and for large
and liberal cash consideration keep "mum'
as to the true inwardness of their senti-
ments concerning the doctrines of Calhoun
and JEFF Davis and Wigfall and Rosser
and "sich." Such intercourse between North
and South every winter, as is growing more
and more common, will do much to weaken
the old prejudices and kill the old bitter
nesses that have too long been barrier be-
tween the sections of our common country.
Southern hospitality is whole-souled and
Southern courtesy is most noble and notable,
so that as years go on, and the people of the
South learn to know their brethren OF the
North better, the barriers will fall away by
mutual consent, and give way to amity and
brotherly love. If the loud-mouthed dema-
gogues, and pernicious politicians. who pro-
mote bad feeling for partisan and personal
purposes could be condemned to silence,
such would long ago have been the case.
In one matter we may say the South
should go in for improvement, and that is in
its railroads. To any one accustomed to the
smoothness and solidity of the Pennsylvania
Central, the bumpity-bump of the local
train between Aiken and Augusta is some
thing dreadful. However, though at times
it was hard to persuade ourselves that we
were not clattering over the ties, we reached
%ba of
after delightful experience of the sights
and pleasures of Augusta, which it would
take volume adequately to portray.
SOME FUN.
The holiday pleasures of this unique town
are lead by party of prominent New York
ers, ably aided aud abetted by Mr.. H. P.
Smith, of Pittsburg, and others from North
ern cities, who are here for the win
ter. These are determined to have
all the fun going of Southern
furnish prizes, and organize cake walks,
fox hunts, paper hunts, athletic sports,
whist parties and concerts. The cake
walk was great fun. Finely orna-
mented cakes, in which were imbedded sill
yer dollars, were the prizes contended for by
the colored folks. One prize was for walk
ers over 80 years of age, and was won by
'Sam," an sold darkey" of the real planta-
tion variety, who had recollections back
IA years, but did not know how much older
he was. The second prize was won by the
colored belle of the town, VINO had the de-
meanor of Duchess, and the regality of a
Queen. She was arrayed in a white dress,
cut decollete, and majestically walked with
colored young waiter, gorgeously attired
in full dress, with badge on his shoulder
of floating red ribbons. Another prize was
given for waltzing.
An open air entertainment was on the
programme yesterday at which the guests
roared in stunning chorus of cheers of
laughter Tor over two hours at running
races, sack races, wheelbarrow races, climb
ing creased pole and catching pig with
a creased tail, boxing with Toured gloves,
and diving with open mouths into a tub of
flour for concealed half-dollars, with tied
hands, The colored folks take genuine
interest and delight in these sports, to
which the prizes give large zest to competi-
tiOn, while the white folks-located in the
dancing pavil on as private box-witnessed
them with cheers, laughter and applause.
Sitting in the sun in carriages, carts, on
horseback and on the open platform amid
the odor of pine trees in ideal picnic weather
on the 4th of March was certainly a con-
trast with the cold drizzle at Washington,
where the new administration was going
into power under weeping skies and wide
spread discomfort. BESSIE BRAMBLE.
The Young Idea.
\ r.