The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-11-29
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
SOME THINGS THAT WE SAW, AND
TIE IMPRESSIONS MADE BYA
TRIP IN DIXIE LAND.

arrived home on the sand inst. feeling
that Bloomsburg is the most delightful
spot on earth and that there is "no
place like home" 1t does one good
to go among strange people and yisi,
strange places, thereby acquiring some
knowledge of different modes of life,
and receiving renewed impressions of
the magnitude Of this great country
Every moment of time was spent
in sight seeing, and when night came
l found myself too much fatigued to
do much writing. Besides this. the
conveniences for writing were not
what they are at my own desk in The
COLUMBIAN Office, and hence nv
former letters were quite meagre in
detail.
On our way to Georgia we passed
through Delaware, the District of
Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina and South Carolina. As the
broad fields and fine buildings of
Pennsylvania farms disappeared be.
hind us the fertility of the soil and
the general appearance of the country
gradually changed, growing poorer
and poorer, until we entered the state
of Georgia. In Virginia, Delaware
and Maryland, there are fine planta
tions, but in the Carolinas the soil is
not so good. Corn and cotton are
the chief products. AT every station
there were large quantities of baleG
cotton. As the crop has been gathered
for this year there were no cotton
fields IN bloom. The contour of the
land in places is as level as western
prairie, then rolling, and then covered
with scrub pine.
Every railroad station has two wait
ing rooms, each distinctly labeled on
the outside, Waiting room for white
people" and Waiting room for
colored people," On every side the
cabins OF the colored people are to be
seen. They are but one story high,
some made of logs, some of plank,
and now and then there is one covered
with siding. They have no cellars,
and are all set up two or three feet
from the ground, with piles of wood
or stone at each corner. They average
in size about IS by IS feet, and have
no glass windows. The door in front
affords some ventilation, and those
that have other ventilation get it from
square holes in the walls with tight
board shutters on hinges. In front
of these cabins the whole family
gathers to watch the cars pass by,
men, women and numerous children,
all scantily clad, and yet shouting and
laughing and with an air of general
contentment with their lot. We saw
no garden patches, very few out
buildings where pigs or COWS or chick
ems could be kept at most of these
cabins, and were unable to ascertain
how they exc out an existence.
asked gentleman on the train why
there were no cellars, and he replied
that they were too lazy to dig cellars
and that even if they had them they
had nothing to put in them. A
colored man who owns mule and ar
old truck wagon belongs to tht
wealthy" class, while he who possess
es team consisting OF mule and
COW, is regular nabob.
The towns we passed through arr
composed of frame buildings, mostl.
one story, and do not possess the ap
pearance of thrift that is seen in north
ern towns. On reaching Atlanta
however, we felt more at home. 1t /
like northern city in many respects
with broad streets well paved, hand
some business blocks, fine churches
beautiful residences, and good hotels
The Aragon is called the palace hote
of the south, and compares favorabl.
In all its appointments with first clas
hotels in our northern cities. Th
city is supplied with good water, ant
has electric lights, trolley roads an
all modern conveniences, and
acknowledged to be the most pre-
gressive city in the south, In one {
the large drug stores owned by tn
Jacobs Pharmacy Co. we found Josep
Furman, son of our townsman {.
Furman, employed as a clerk. IL
is thorough druggist, and Will
filling position, he is also taking a
occasional look at the Exposition
Besides the people from this sectlo
whom l mentioned last week, w. I
Hidlay and d. A. Greasy OF Blooms
burg were in attendance. lsaw the
names registered at the Pennsylvanl
building, but did not meet them. :.
There is no difficulty in hndin
souvenirs Of the Exposition in Atlant
Every fakir in the country is ther
and the sidewalks are lined with then
Hotel rates are high at the leadlr
houses, but many private families al