Morning journal and courier., 1891-08-07
Tho south Revisited.

Left Richmond at 1:20 a. m. for Raleigh, N. O., crossed the James river on high bridge above the factory chimneys. Saw negroes dredging in the river with hoes twenty feet long Enter s'piney woods,'' with here and there an oak. Occasional | clearings with cultivated fields, inc1osed | by tssnake fences" made of unsplit pine rails
 Second-class cars are run on the trains, 1 which the negroes are expected to occupy. They are the same as the frst-class cars, except that smoking is allowed. The fare is about one-sixth less.
 Much of the land is low, with pools of water. Here and there uplands rising into slight hills. The streams are muddy and stop. Wooden depot surrounded by whitewashed cabins with red trimmings. Soil sandy and poor. The country here abouts reminds one of the story of the traveller who drew rein and asked na- tive who was sitting on the roadside fence: 'Is this your landF" To whom the native replied: "Stranger, you don't think Pm poor enough to own all this land, do yea"
 An occasional pine log cabin chinked ! outside and there are some advantages in this. They take up no room, and are safer.
 Saw man ploughing with one mule. Thirty years ago it would have been negro woman In 1858, saw as many women as men ploughing; not one now. From what have seen, judge that the negroes are improving.
 Petersburg. Policemen in fur cap and | r o,,l wood yards; unpainted palings around the houses; door yards lettered and dis orderly; no grass. Houses built on brick piles without cellars. The better class houses have nice yards with grass Two stops in Petersburg. Grass starting and cattle grazing. Outside of Petersburg 8 heavy upgrade. Corn is planted with negro ploughing side by side. Not so ''befo' de war"
 | Wages are so much land rations" A ration is two quarts of meal and half 8 ! pound of meat per day. In the slavery days one pint of meal.
 Saw the first Corduroy" road. It is made by laying logs side by side crossways. 1 The bumps in riding must be felt to be ap- preciated.
 Held 8 confah with negro named Sea- born in the second class car. Was born | During the talk he said: "We put Harri- son in slick as an eel, didn'twe!' ssDo they keep you from votings" asked. "Oh, no, dey don't keep us from votin', dey fool us bout lection some times, tell us lection aint to-day, dats all." He told me that there were several rich negroes in Petersburg. "Do the colored children go to schoolg' I asked "You jest can't keep 'em outen de school room" he replied. He went on to say: "Colored folks can't ride first-class nor stop at hotels. Yes. All of lem vote the publican ticket. I knew one or two who voted democratic, but dey don't do so no mol" Remes' Station. Soil thin, yellow and very poor. Cant git ivin' offen 2,OOO acres" said my colored friend. Pass steam sawmin in -piney woods. Also a little | cabin with one door and windows without glass. When it rains they close the shut ters and sit in the dark.
 Stony Creek, store and saloon, the lat ter with cannon in front. Postofice and few houses. Outside the 'svillage' oaks, pines, and beeches, standing water and dead trees. Soil darker, deeper and richer. Oaks indicate good, pines a poor soil. Pass negro cabin covered with long, split shingles. One window.
 Make the acquaintance of Virginia planter, Swiss, who farms 'tfor fun." He informed me that the negroes work from essun up to sundown," and will not go to work before "sun up." l First cotton field. Planting time is in May.
 Jarratt's Station. 4 store and no more
 Belleville Junction of Atlantic Coast Line, and Atlantic and Danbury railroads | A store and a few houses. First picket | fence.
 Talk with a typical southerner (B J.. DuVal, Centralia, Val "Never was a slave holder. Was opposed to it before the war. Negroes are dead weight. We give them free schools, but they all vote back in Africa. The south has been developed by the war. It taught us what we can do."
 Better lands and better fences. Plough ing with one OK common in the south. Large pine trees. More cotton fields. A Virginia paper says: "Only the northern democrats can settle the diff culty. The Carlisles and Millers should be retired"
 Fences here have eight or ten, sometimes them, being made of small poles.
 Fewer smokers on the trains than at the north; more chewers.
 Cabins of logs, with stick and clay chim- neys. Pine trees larger; better soil, and new fences.
 Garrysburgh. Large cultivated fields. Railroad junction; village near by; sta tions nine to twelve miles apart; clearings frequent.
 Cross Roanoke river, navigable mile and half below.
 Weldon. 'Twenty minutes for refresh ments." Excellent dining room, better tables and better fare than on New York and New Haven railroad. Soil fair; large pines and oaks just outside the village. Log cabins with stick and clay chimneys. Woodpiles beside the track for miles and miles, cut three feet long for locomotives. Hogs foraging in the ploughed fields. Ne gro cabins frequent; one with cloth win dows. Occasional "white folks" house with brick chimney.
 Halifax, N. 0. Quite town; two churches and one new building. A ne- gro with banjo enters the train. The women we pass wear calico dresses and long sun- -bonnets. Steam saw-mills, large oak trees, whiteybrown soil, corn and sugar-cane fields, wire fences fastened to trees, also the Virginia ''snake fence."
 Soil grows darker. Large oak and pines. The woods full of hogs feeding. | TO BE CONCLUDED.