Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-09-05
Atlanta-"rhe Gem of GEORGIA"


end gidsd spire OF this magic city than OF
Monday last, the day the railroad contin-
gent arrived.
It was 8. ~, August %. when our palace
train pulled out from our old home and
commenced its dark, rapid fight through
Virginia. Our first stopping place OF any
| consequence was Lynohourg. will have
little TO say of that place, ss said too much
about it two years ago. and will follow the
old maximum of verbum sat sapienti Dan.
| Vile was our next naiG, where we had
| breakfast, and royal one 1t was. In fact,
our General Mapage, aided By the chiefs Of
| the several departments, bad, With kindly
forethought, provided for as In such man
| ner that from the herd working little ticket
boye to the chief clerk all fartd alike.
Crossing the Virginia border Into North
Carolina, it occurred TO us it was now the
holy day of the seven, and that it was meet
and proper that we should respect 1t. All
prayer books and other religious effects were
packed in our trunks In the baggage Oar.
We then gathered ourselves together and
the next best thing We could DO was to call
upon Capt. Syricb, who gave us treatise
| from "Greenlesf oC Ststuatory Law" After
| this John Waller put on clean shirt, and
Harry Prlce polished up his diamond collar
button and doomed his white vest. A shors
recess was then taken for refreshments In
| the emoker. Arriving at Charlotte about
2 m we had dinner. The whole city had
| turned out to welcome us and show u5 every
| courtesy in their power all of which
we had to decline. ss we were
travelling by special schedule. Our even
ing exercises opened up In fne shape. Mr..
Buckshsw rendered, with fine effect, upon
the typewriter, LEAD, Kindly Light" The
vocal end was held up by Capt. Butterworth,
OF the record Office. He has q 6ne mtzzo-
soprano voice, cut biased. It's melody is q
aross between rip-saw, fiddle and O Chi
nese tom-tom. 1t is sort Of telephone
voice. He can sing in Clay Ward, In Rich
mond and can be heard at the Gallego mills.
The remainder OF our trip was unevent'
| ful. After supper at Central, 8 O., We were
/ hermetioslly sealed In our bunks. Then
got to thinking OF what had seen during
tie day. After passing through the tobacco
section Of Virginia we struck the old "Tar
Heel" State Of North Carolina. Portions of
this country are very fertile. On, on we
! sped amid the roar OF thunder and binding
flashes of lightning. We soon cav the bis
| In cong and story. Tbie is the typical South !;
how beautiful it looks the waving grain
and the cotton with It's snowy plumage. 1t
| is hard to reslizs that only little over two
| decades ago grim visaged war drenched thie
| fair land In blood and 6re and the sword
made sad homes and caused many to join
the great sjority.
| Now, something about Atlanta, the Chi
cago of the South. Great. massive buildings
ocm up before you; the hurrying throDg
| and the hum of busy life infuses In many the
feeling of excitement never known before.
| This Ia great railroad centre, and no less
than eight different roads lead into Its great
central depots. The finest building here, or
in the South, is iss beautiful marble
State House. There is one peculiar feature
attached to this building One million dol.
| lars were appropriated for its erection. Al
| ter Its completion there was surplus to the
credit OF the State OF thirteen dollars. How
different this Ia Ia many other cities where
| Jobs of this kind make b0odlers rich. The
Legislature Ia now 10 session and few days
ago bill was introduced to provide home
for sick and disabled ex-CoDfederates. AT
Tar heated debate 1t was killed. TIE storm
OF indignation this has caused has been
roDg and great. A few nights ago the citi-
zsns had public meeting to denounoe the
action. The principal speaker was the
famous Sam Small. He may be small In
name but he is great In INTELLECT and brains
and he possesses peculiar magnetism that
e1ctes the admiration and commands the
respect of hls auditors
There are three splendid daiies here. The
principal one, the Constitution is known too
| we'll to you for comment. 1t Ia one of the
ablest edited papers Of the South. To fact,
| 1t bas few equals anywhere. It Is to Attain
ia what the San 10 to Baltimore, fearless In
expression and devoted to every beneficial
interest of this great and glorious Common.
wealth. The mantle Of Henry W. Grady
has fallen In q great measure upon Clark
Hsmett, the present editor. The hotels here
are on footing with any In the South. The
"Kimbali" s the leading one, and Ia fes-
ture of the progress Of this booming place.
Churches of every denomination rear their
beautiful steeples to the sky and, ss write,
their deep-toned bells are calling the faith
full to prayers. The system Of wa
ter supply Is novel and unusual.
Arteslan VI ellis are distributed over the city.
They look like Eiffel towers with big bath
tubs to crown their aqueous heights: The
street car service should come 10 for fair no.
tioe-electrioal lines, mule lines and last,
but not lesst, the steam dummy trains. They
90 through the streets sf such rate that
fairly takes ones breath. They are nothing
more or less than the eleyaled style OF care,
only on a surface plan.
Our ofi.e bui ding here Ia magnificent
structure It ie called the "Kiser Building"
and Ia In the heart Of the business portion.
We are sIl in sonS confusion just now, but
few days will put us all straight. Very nat
urally, many of the boys ere home-sick, bnt
all assume cheerful air and treat each
other with kiudl.er feeling thsn ohsrscie er-
lied them when In Washington, where at
times little animoslties we're engendered,
caused by different places OF nativity. Ali
that hae disappeared and is deep In the