Milford chronicle., 1895-10-25
To Atlanta and the South

On the principal Of 'all work and no
play, makes Jack a dull boy" we &C
cepied the opportunity 10 attend the
annual session Of the Delaware and
MARYLAND Press Association held at At
lanta. Georgia. on October 18th. Aside
from the desire to meet our journalistic
brethren, the temptation to visit the South
land and the great exhibition at Atlanta
drew us like magnet to make the six
teen hundred mile railroad ride from
Milford to the busiest and most euer-
getic CITY in the South. Through the en-
ergetic work Of Col. +. T Cooper the trip
was one of unaloyed pleasure. Each de
tail was attended to before the party Of
sixty five started, and so the trip passed
without a hitch to make even one mo-
ment less enjoyable than another,
The route selected was over the South
ernNRailwav system, and we lett Wash
iugton in two spscial cars on the I2;h.
IN common with many others. we thought
that the Southern railroads were not
abreast of the times and like much Of ;he
farming lands, that they were poorly kept;
but to our surprise every railroad IN
the South with which we came in con-
tact, is the equal of the hest roads in the
North au1 managed on much the sane
system This is not to he wondered at,
as the railroad interests all over this coun
try are largely controlled BY the same
class of owners.
The Southern system compares with
the best Our first halt was at Alexan-
dria, Va a city made famous by the re-
bellion Then Manassas, Brandy Sta
ton, Bull Run and a dozen other places
made historical by the fierce battles
fought in and around them. flashed by
the fast express train. The hills and the
mountains made a beautiful panorama
until Lyuchburg, with It's immense to-
bacco factories drew attention 10 the
fact that huge manufacturing enter
prises are not confined 10 lands north of
Mason and Dixon's line. Only a brief
stop was made here, aud as the train
wound its wav around the bills and
through mountains the shades of evening
fell. and left the tourists to their own re-
sources for amusement until Dlnviile
was reached aud a splendid supper was
served The walters at this place-and
in fact all other Southern railroad res
taurants-were the cause OF much dis
comfort-not because of lack OF atten-
ton, but for the peculiar habit of urging
in persuasive tones, "boss, please just
have a little more Of this" and thereby
causing many waistban1s-and ave, cor
sets too, to become uncomfortable for
accepting the temptation
AS the train flew on in the night, at
each stop it took OH all manner of pas
sengers, AID, as they occasionally got
into the special car by mistake, each &C
cording to his station furnished his quota
OF amusement First to fall among the
Philistines was a colored man who gave
his name Jasper and he was not so
much of fool as he looked. He was
typical North Carolina negro, and adj
United that he voted the straight Demo
cratic ticket, drank a little whiskey, aud
was PRAYING Baptist. He had a wife
and fourteen children-all Of whom lie
named to the doubling editors.
Many North Carolinians Of prominence
and ability dropped Into the party and
impaired much Information Of a general
character before Charlotte, N c, was
reached Just before midnight. We were
told that planters pay their negro help
from tour TO six dollars per month--and
even that largely in supplies or store
orders; also that the negro was necess
sity to them and they 10 the uegroi that
no other people could or would do the
labor OF the cotton aud tobacco fields
that they did not compel them to vote
the Democratic ticket; but that the negro
voted that ticket because the planters
voted It, and believed that whatever was
best for the man who supplied them with
meal aud bacon, must be best for them.
Charlotte, N. c.. is an interesting euler
prising and rapidly improving city OF
about &c. 900 people Il was there that
the Mecklenbury Declaration Of Iude-
peudence was written aud declared in
April I775--more than a year before the
Philadelphia Declaration was drawn. In
the centre of the main business street a
large iron slab marks the spot where the
huilding ia which il was written stood.
In Charlotte the old mint which was used
to coin money previous to 1850 is located.
Il is now used as an United States Assay
office. and there really all Of the gold
mined in Georgia and the Carolinas IS
assayed to-day. The postofiice is hand
some structure in keeping with the many
/ beautiful churches aud private buildings
4 OF Charlotte, and It is in charge Of Post
master Robinsou,a man boru with nat
ugsl talent to entertain. To him. the
Mayor aud members Of the Manufaclur-
ers Club Tone Of the lueat clubs ~ the
South, a small humber OF editors owe
much Of the pleasure OF their half day
visit 10 Charlotte. In tie city there are
great manufacturing enterprises largely
devoted to cotton, which is utilized in one
form or another 4 I'll absolutely nothing
is lost but the smoke The cottor hbsi
makes cloth the seed oil, the hull leet
for cattle. and 10 some instances Tie
canes are used for fuel
L A pleasing leaiuTe 81 Charlotte. and u
fact Of every town il the South, is lAt
houses ali staAl beck fF,m Tie slrss' ,sH'
afford space for aoWer yards Of gfas
pio.s-whieb make the streets beaaiiff