Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-07

FLOWING.
is not the case here We have a good,
quiet class of residents, mostly white,
with black polka dots, of course, this be-
ing where slavery used to spawn in the
early days.
But the country is settled by a peace
able class of agriculturists, who have ac-
quired from the summer boarder an air
of being on perpetual vacation. Many
farmers in western North Carolina, by
watching their chances, are enabled to
sell their corn at forty cents in the fall
and buy back a portion of it in the
spring at one dollar per bushel to plant
and feed to stock. This builds up a
traffic in cereals, and has tendency to
make the farmers son ask himself why
the farmer is the most Independent of
any class.
The average mean temperature of the
state Is SO degs., but for this portion it
is only 80 degs., which you see is a very
fine average, and well adapted to the
growth of almost anything. Our soil
here, however, is poor. | must admit
that TO you, as secretary Of agriculture.
for Iwould not wish to conceal ANYTHING
from your bureau. Our soil is a rather
pleasing red clay. covered with a thin
topdressing Of footprints deposited here
by the soldiers who during the war re-
treated from each other at high rate
of speed, snatching, perhaps, water
melon from a noncombatant as they
ran.
no
Tennessee and Kentucky during the war
was very exciting. A neighbor tells me
that one night the Federals came and
took four mule teams from his thrashing
machine, and two milk cows. Also his
father. That evening the Confederates
came and took four shotes and the
grandsire of the family Being a very
tough old man, however, he was re-
turned. 1t was hard enough to be a SOL
der during the war, but to be a non
combatant at that time, Mr.. Secretary,
and maintain peaceable and friendly re-
lations with both armies would overtax
the tact and etiquette of an angel
Our soil here is about the only soil in
the south that has not been drenched
with fraternal blood. Either army could
escape at any time by abandoning the
roads and allowing the enemy to follow,
if the enemy adhered to the roads The
wagon roads, even then, were impass-
able. To burn the bridges behind them
was a figurative expression only, for
there were no bridges. 1t was SO with
the railroads also. I'VE are riding much
more smoothly now" said a passenger to
the conductor. YES" he did straight
way make reply, I'VE are off the track
now"
Some criticise our agricultural meth
DDS here because we use a single mule
for blowing, and little shovel pillow,
such as is used for blowing corn at the
north, but this is necessary, because the
soil is 50 thin that TO pillow deep while
sluggards sleep in order to have corn,
corn to sell and keep" is fatal. for you
thereby turn up a miserable red paste
with pulveriZed mica in it, which con-
stitutes about the only attachment which
the North Carolina farmer has for his
farm.
Human health is prevalent to a re-
markable degree here, Mr.. Secretary,
and it is one Of the two regions of the
globe where consumption is unknown.
No actual residents die here. Only
strangers who came here after it was too
late. Many northern people who come
her with advanced phthisis or tuber-
culOsis die, especially if both lungs are
gone, but if the windpipe and enough
lung tissue be left to bait a trap, the air
here will soon add on nice new red
lung with real scallops on the edge.
Electric lights are also common here)
Whose funeral is that?" | asked in
Asheville the other day of bright eyed
little tarheel child leading goat and a
stone bruise.
Il don't know his name, sah," he an
swered simply. 1T Is some northern
gentleman; some stranger, sab. l don't
know his name"
Even the children are bright and quite
ready in conversation, Mr.. Secretary, far
beyond their years.
The vine, cotton and silk flourish in
this country, and if you have cuttings of
either that tie department could spare /
would like item. If you have a dozen
cuttings of sIvs grain silk that would be