Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-04-07
New Series, Vol So No IA

| ". a.
son, superintendent of Instruction: Miss
| Powell, Elocutionist of Indiana. and
Mrs. Lathrop, of Mich. This lady made
the most eloquent and effective lecture
on the subject of temperance to which
| ever listened. For music we had DIR.
Palmer, of New York, the prince of mu.
sic teachers, directors and leaders, and
his chorus of one hundred singers, with
Rogers orchestra, of Goshen, Ind. The
Adelbert Glee and Banjo Club, of West
ern Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Also Madame Decca, star soloist, and
other soloists and readers of lesser light.
Taking it all together the music this
year was superior to any l ever heard,
either here or at the Assembly at Chau-
tauqua, N. Y. 1t has been one of the
attractive features of the Assembly and
a source of enjoyment and inspiration to
the people generally, as well. And to
none more so than to the Cracker ele-
ment that come in from the surrounding
country, many of whom never before
heard much better music than that which
comes from the throat of frog or the
tongue of jewsharp. These natives
have been greatly benefited by these as
semblies. To all who have come within
touch of their influences, an uplift for
good has been given, in various ways,
which is very observable-in their dress,
in their habits, in their inspirations,
t 'irst for knowledge is impaired; they
begin to see, dimly though it be, the beau
ties in nature and in art, and strive to
look from nature up to natures Cod
TIE State Normal School, located here,
four years ago, together with the annual
four to six weeks meetings of the As
sembly have made this place an addition
al center in the departments of art. sci
ence, music and literature, also in agrieul
ture There being an experimental farm
established in the neighborhood, aided by
by the State, for the testing and finding
out the best mode of cultivating the soil
the kind of crops and the fertilizers
best adapted to it, sc. These things
have been their legitimate fruit A very
great improvement in the various de-
partments of knowledge among the ma
tive people is noticeable. One among
the best soloists who sang at the Assem-
bly, was Cracker girl of about 20 sum-
mers She attended the Normal School
from the beginning, and in addition to
her other studies, soon developed taste
for music-took lessons in instrumental
and vocal music, became quite proficient
in both, and from Cracker girl. very
ordinary in appearance, became hand
some and accomplished lady. At the close
of each solo sang by her, she was eneored
and bouqueted profusely by the audi
ence, as token of its appreciation of her
| fine singing.
At the risk of making too sudden
change from pretty Cracker girl to the
swine of the woods, and thus going from
the sublime to the ridiculous (which is
but step, want to say here that there
is an improvement, too, even in the razor
back hogs of this region. The regular
old razar back is not handsome indi-
vidual; it has its typical long snout made
so, it is said, by its constant effort to root
down into the sand after its coveted
grub" This operation very naturally
humps up the shoulders, giving the out
line of the back of the animal the shape
of a half-opened razor, with the ears at
the apex This snout is SO very long
that, it is said, they can reach through
the crack in the fence and take two rows
of corn; and it is further stated that
when a Cracker farmer wants to know
whether particular porker is fat enough
to kill, he lifts it by the ears, and if the
body flies up, it won't do yet, but if the
snout tips up it is all right. The i'm
provemeDt in these quadruped has been
such here, that / don't think they can
now poke their noses through the fence
far enough to take more than one row OF
corn. This has been brought about, not
by educating the hog, but by the agen-
cies that are at work here in educating
the people.
DClOhC OiOoAh6 bhAo iObeOAr q WIN IA
general about this sunny land,
THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
As to size it has three times the area of
Ohio Starting at Jacksonville you can
travel 600 miles due south, and still be
on Florida soil or sand, or perchance
swamp-then again, travel from the
same point due west 400 miles, and
you have only reached its western
border This will give some idea of its
vast dimensions, which is not often real
lied. 1t has 1900 miles of sea and gulf
coast-the best watered State in the
Union--springs and streams without
number. rivers above ground and rivers
under ground-lakes and lagoons innu-
merable, and swamps interminable. A
strange, mysterious region, comparative
y new made; its uses, capabilities, or
even its geography are not yet fully
known.
The Spaniards were the first to settle
n Florida, whittier they came under
Ponce de Loen-the history of the colo
lists terms of feuds with the native
ribes of the once powerful Seminoles.
As late as 1885 to 1912 ragged the Semi
lole War;" which cost the United States
ome 1900 in men, and S25, 5,000,O ,O0Oi in mon
". The entire population ofFlorida is but
bout 100000; this number to be spread
'ut over such a large State, there neces-
arily must be some places very sparsely
ettled.
And now, having spent two months very
'leasantly sojourning in, and perambu-
ating through the flowery State, we,
o o-morrow, will leave it in its spring
'eauty, and take up our line of march