Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-02-20
NOTES BY THE WAY.
MONTGOMERY. Ala. Feb.12 'e5

until FRIDAY morning, the 18th, then
took the Pan Handle route for Mont
gOmery, Ala. The weather was mild
for january. On reaching the city
limits we found the snow three inches
deep on a level, not enough to
make the roads pleasant for sleigh or
wheel. The country has dreary APP
pearance as all countries do in winter
but must be lovely in summer The
land is on dead level, dotted with
fine farms and lovely groves. Some
OF the farms have Usage orange hedges
for protection. The face of the
country remains about the same, only
a little more snow, as we cross the
state line into Indiana. At12:30 P. M.
we reach LOganspOrt, where we take
dinner. The city is situated on both
sides of the Wabash river. AS we leave
the city the houses begin to look
little southern, and rail-fences enclose
the farms. They have plenty of wood
for fuel in this state; the beech takes
the place of our bur-oak in Wisconsin,
[ am not much in love with the scenery
as we pass along, yet we see some fine
farms. Corn is the principal crop
raised in this state. KOhomo is the
next city we reach; a great deal of
! plate-glasS is manufactured here. 1t
seems strange to us to see the cars
| passing through nearly all the main
streets in the small towns. 1t is now
P. NJ. and we arrive at Indianapolis,
! 1875 miles from Chicago. After leav-
! ing here we ride for miles and miles
through fine farming country at the
rate of from forty to sixty miles per
hour and as we pass the Cannon
BALI it seems like a vivid flash of
lightning. We arrive at Louisville
at P. NJ, after crossing the Ohio
river, which is one mile wide at this
point. We remain all night at Hotel
Victoria, just across the street from
the depot. The people here use the
water from the Ohio, which is very
muddy but considered more healthy
than the well water. Since we were
| here four years ago the railroad COM
pany has built a magnificent depot,
which the travelling public greatly en-
joys. They have had excellent sleigh
ing here since December "a. Popula-
ton, 100000.
January 10 we leave for Nashville;
but few traces of the snow are to be
seen. | was surprised to see so many
manufactures, such as brick yards, oil
works, iron foundries and many 9TH
ers. As we ride along we see fine farms
interspersed with miniature lakes
or sink holes, which supply the cattle
with an abundance of water the whole
year. The soil is mostly clay and is
well wooded with variety of trees,
among them pine and cedar, giving
the country a spring-like appearance.
Kentucky is fine stock raising state
Most of the houses have a neglected
southern look and dilapidated white
washed appearance. l do not like
the shiftless, lazy ways of the south
ern people; they do not seem to make
any progress in their manner of liv-
ing. The roads are in bad condition,
being very narrow and no bridges over
shallow streams. We pass through
long range of mountains which look
quite romantic; also through a large
tunnel, immerging into the open coun-
try again. At many of the places we
stop the women and half-clad dirty
children are on the steps and pOrches
gazing at us in a listless, INDECENT
way, all having an uninviting appear
ance to tidy person. 1t is now 1:30 A.
NJ. and we reach Cave City, where tour
lists who wish to visit the noted Nam
moth cave change cars. On account
of the muddy condition of the roads
the men seem to ride mostly on horse
back; one can easily count twelve or
more horses hitched to rickety old
fences, while their riders stand round
in stores and saloons with their hands
in their pockets chewing tobacco and
discussing the ''craps." We take
dinner at Bowling Green, which is
quite large city, but like others has
no sidewalks; consequently it is much
like picking your way beside a mud
dy road in Wisconsin. Well built
rail fences enclose most of the farms.
| We see but few hay stacks. Most of
| the stock is turned out in the corn
field and it is ''root hog or die. " There
is wood enough in the Southern states
to last the people for the next hundred
years. Just before reaching Nash
vile we pass the burial place of sew
eral thousand Union and Confederate
soldiers. We arrive at Nashville at
P. NJ. Q85 miles from Louisville) and
remain until morning at Links hotel,
near the depot. The colored people are
very numerous here. From the gen
eral appearance of things, times are
as hard here as in the North and
West. The city is built on both sides
of the Cumberland river. The wealth
er is quite mild; ladies and children
go about without wraps. What
change since we left home! Sunday
morning we started for Montgomery
Ca distance of $50 miles), where we
now are located. AS we leave Nash
vile we pass some fine plantations,
with the Sugar Loaf hills in the dis
lance, covered with trees; also fine
| L Il