Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-11-06
THE NORTHWEST
OUR SOUTHERN LETTERS.


iers of Henry county. | moved from
Henry county last fall to Dekalb coun-
ty, Alabama. This country is In the
extreme northwest corner of the State,
on what is called Sand Mountain. Our
mountain extends from near Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, south and southwest for
a distance of one hundred and fifty
miles or more through the thriving
State of Alabama, in width it averages
about twelve miles, some places 1t is
eighty miles across. 1t is very beauti-
full level country, say level because 1t
is generally SO in some places it is gent
ly rolling, but very rough hills, the sur
face is covered with natural grass,
which makes this mountain one of the
finest stock countries in the world, cat
tie and sheep not only grow and thrive
on the abundance of grass, but on ac-
count of the pure air and water they
are healthy, and the winter being short
and mild, the cost of wintering Is very
little: plenty of cattle and sheep winter
without any feed or attention and do
very well, but of course they should
have better treatment than that for
three months of winter. Sheep only
need little feed to do well through the
winter. Take everything into consid-
Grafton O more desirable location for
stock raising would be hard to find in the
United States, and doubt If there are
any that is as good. have seen good
part of the north and south and have
seen no place that equals this noun
tain for stock range. Our land here is
of a sandy nature and is very easily
cultivated. This Is a fine country for
fruit and for all kinds of vegetables, it
can not be beaten north or south. 1t is
the home of the sweet potatoes, they
are of much better quality than those
grown on the low lands or clay soil,
the same is true of Irish potatoes; my
neigllbors who have been down below
on the mountain lately where it is an
older farming country says, he saw
plenty of large corn fields, some with
forty acres in a field that would go
so to go bushels to the acre. Cotton is
grown extensively and is fine crop,
the sand mountain cotton is considered
finer quality then low land or valley
cotton. This mountain land never was
considered of much account for farm
ing until people began to settle in from
other parts, now it is being sought for
not only for the stock range but for
farming here In this sneighbOrbood there
never has been much farming done un-
til lust lately, it has been nearly all
vacant land, but people have come in
and homesteaded, there is lots of vacant
land yet; but improved land has
doubled in value in the last two years.
Our prospects for the future are very
promising, we are having two railroads
surveyed on the mountain; our country
is full of coal and iron, moneyed men
have found itout and are showing their
faith by their works, by building
up towns and starting manufactures
on very extensive scale. A few miles
from here are the booming towns of
Fort Pawn, county seat of this county,
Bridgeport and New England. We are
blessed with a fine climate, pure
springs of water as ever gushed from
the sand rocks in the United States.
The healthfulness of this mountain is
remarkable. people of poor health come
here and are soon robust and strong
from breathing the pure air and drink
ing the healthy waters.
Now I have told of the many advan-
tages of this country; it is like all coun-
tries; it has its drawbacks. One of them
is that we have to go several miles off Of
the mountains to town and the railroad;
but we will soon have a railroad here
on the mountain; another drawback
has been that this land being sandy
soil it requires better treatment than
the farmers in this country have been
in the habit of giving land, but with
proper treatment this is as fine land to
produce continually as in the north,
while the crops were nearly ruined on
clay land In the valleys by drouth,
this year our crops were not hurt in
the least where cultivated properly,
this sandy soil holds moisture wonder
fully.
Chattanooga is our best Market won
derful Chattanooga, this is my third
trip to this city in the past year, and its
evidence of substantial growth and rap
idly increasing wealth within the past
year are simply marvellous. Without
doubt Chattanooga is the most desirable
point in the south below Louisville,
Ky, the city is compact, buildings,
substantial and in many cases elegant,
streets we'll paved and her citizens en-
ergetic and spareing neither labor nor
cash in improving this fast growing
city and its beautiful surroundings
Lookout Mountain few years ago was
a tangled mass of mountain foliage, and
travelled by pleasure seeking people.
1t is to-day travelled from base to sum
NIT by two steam lines of ofrailway cars
and for the small sum of thirty cents
one can enter comfortable passenger
coach in the Union railway depot ant
be carried to point Lookout, from the
place of starting fora nickle. You car
ride to several suburban towns in thu
Chattanooga valley, to Historic Orch
ard, Knob, Tunnel Hill, or the Nation
al Cemetery. Instead of toiling OF
footup Missionary Ridge or being com
PEELED to hire rig to carry you up
you can enter electric car near the rail
way depot, and for ten cents be carried
in luxurious style to the very crest o
Missionary Ridge, the heart of the grea
battle field. Even distant Walden''
Ridge is being fitted up for suburban
residences and is to-day valuable
Chattanooga is indeed one of the won
ders of the South and firmly believ'
she will in time be the leading city o
the South, her mineral wealth, natura
geographical position and fine railway
facilities entities her to this prophetic
distinction. AS point of historical in
terest, no place excells Chattanooga
especially to the old soldiers of tn
north, many of whom in war time
were familiar, necessarily familiar, will