Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-14
A GOOD LETTER.
An ex-0hio Man Says Alabama Is All That Is Claimed-Hs Very Interesting Experience.
 -cszsAz-

To the Age-Herald:
 Valley Head, Ala, May 31. 1S95.-It is about one year now since l first became interested in reading the little book or pamphlets sent out by Frank Y. Ander- son. general manager of the Alabama State Land company of Birmingham, Ala.
 l then lived in Wood county. Ohio, where I had been a resident for thirty four years in the same township (Bloom) My home there consisted of thirty acres of land. and 1 will say to the credit of all the so-caled black swamp lands of Ohio, there Is no better to be found for the production of corn, wheat, oats and clover but, nevertheless, that coun- try has it's draw -backs-such as seven months winter. leaving only i've months to plant, reap and SOW each year.
 Fruit raising is so uncertain in Ohio that after setting out and pruning an orchard of 150 apple, pear and plum trees, for twenty years 1 can remember of only three years that the May or June frosts did not kill nearly all my fruit. This. with the effects of the chanseable condition of the atmosphere from warm te cold and cold to warm on the health and comfort of both man and beast is the principal reason why l be- came interested in reading the adVer- tisements of the Alabama State Land company. l also consulted with private individuals (by letter. living in Alabama, who invariably gave the assurance that the good inducements published by the above named land company were true. So at once began to distribute the same information to my friends, who ap- peared to be suspicious of the correct ness of the information given by the land company, and also the letters l re- ceived saying: You go down there and you will not find anything you expect to find if you believe what you read in these pamphlets and letters" Now. you who are so honest yourselves that no printed matter is to be relied upon. mark this down to my credit or discredit, just as you please to do. l am here, near Valley Head, DeKalb county, Ala, and I find the cheap lands here; find good hospitable, moral and Christian people here. I landed here on the lo o'clock train April 3, 1S95-this is now within four days of being two months ago This is not long, of course, but when 1 tell you that during my short stay here 1 have not seen man drunk. l have not heard any man or woman swear or use profane words, you may wonder.
 of the southern people: They confess that the war of the late rebellion is over, and as a rule the people here are less in clined to harbor i'll feelings against the northern people about the past than IS the case with many northern politicians who, I well remember, are fighting the war over more or less in every political campaign. There is no such putting on of war paint here; if there is I have not discovered 1t.
 There arc only some seventy colored voters said to live in this Dekalb) coun- ty 1 can say for all I have seen of them they are quiet and well behaved citizens.
 was told not to bring my team of horses so great a distance south (650 miles) "They won't endure the change of latitude" But my son, who came through, and we find up to this time that the horses, like men. feel better where the temperature is less changeable.
 North Alabama has the four seasons of the year-spring, summer, Tall ana winter. This is necessary, in my opin- ion, to insure the good health of man or beast. Go south until the four seasons are almost blended into one and no doubt it would not be advisable 10 go there yourself or ship stock there from the north.
 As to agricultural lands l will say where live, and as far back as l have looked this country over, l find that If a homeseeker knows anything about the different kinds of soil in any other state, and knows what kind he wants, he can find 1t right here. I think I found the kind of soil I valued the most of any found in Wood county, Ohio can raise any kind of crop here l ever raised In Ohio, and very many more successfully. I will mention the more successful: Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes-in fact all gar den and field egetables-peaches ap- ples and small fruits. Respectfully,
 ELI RAUB.