The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-09-13
FROM THE SOUTH.
r1rS. l.. p. Hunt Writes Letter From
Atlanta.

permitted to copy portion OF letter
written to her husband, and which
was received today:
Atlanta and bath at last. l never
was quite so thankful in all my life
for good clean bed, and plenty of
clean soft water, as | was last night
when l reached here at nine o'clock.
The trip from st. Paul was tireSOme
and awfully dirty. 1t is still hot but
there is delightful breeze from the
south OF southeast; really have not
got the compass Strengthened out yet.
| l have a large bay window in my
room looking north, east and west
So have magnificent view Of the
city's surroundings. Far away to the
north and west low range OF hills
| too insignificant at this distance to he
| claSSed as mOuntainS-SurrOund the
city. To those hills the distance may
| be five miles, but | would not be sur
priSed to learn it was twenty-five, or
even more. The atmosphere is filled,
at distance, with blue haze that is
deluSiOn and snare, when it comes
to measuring the distance with the
unasSisted eye. To the east rises
solitary mountain far away, which l,
very early this morning, took for
queer shaped cloud, but as it has not
changed its location or form, and as
the air has cleared somewhat in that
direction I've come to the conclusion
that it certainly is mountain. l
shall name it "Old Lonesome" and let
it go at that. "
From my window to the north look
upon the Exposition grounds. Many
of the buildings stand out prominently
even though the distance is over one
mile. AS far as the eye can reach the
city is mass of green, and that cou-
pied with it's quaint streets, of colon
ial homes and numerous darkies, are
its chief charms.
! have just come in from ride
dOwn-Or up, am not sure which
the celebrated Peach Tree avenue.
Though why called Peach Tree fail
to see, as only counted five of that
breed of horticulture along the entire
route. Perhaps it refers to some dead
and gone Renaissance "befo de wah."
1t certainly is entitled to all the beau
tiful things that can be said Of it.
Well paved with asphalt, broad and
well kept, street of magnificent
homes, extensive and well kept
grounds, fine shrubbery and beautiful
| flowers of enormous growth.
[ inclose you cut or rather pic
ture of the hotel where am stopping,
1t is Spanish Romanesque affair OF
magnificent proportion, called the
Hotel Aragon. 1t has roof garden
from which fine view of the city can
be had. At night band and darky
vocalists with banjo and bones help
beguile the evening hours.
The soil here, and in fact all the
way through Alabama and this part
of Georgia, is plain bright scarlet.
This is caused by the quantities OF iron
with which the states abound. In
fact passed through parts of Ala
bama where coal, iron and gold were
being mined within stones throw Of
each other. Along the line of the
"Cairo Short Line" railroad the coal
lays exposed to the world in some
places. In other places the railroad
has cut through the hills and the coal
vein about II or IA inches thick lays
below the surface some or 6 feet.
The coal is clean bright, nice look
ing variety such as we in the north
burn in our CRATES. This mining is
done west of Birmingham, but to me
it seemed possible to mine iron and
coal anywhere along the route.
Perhaps because this vast field OF
natures product lies within reach OF
the native it is not appreciated, but
l really believe there are two greater
reasons why this great industry lies
idle: The one is the lack of capital,
the other the lack of energy, or in
clination to help themselves, which
latter reason seems to be the most ap-
| &c l0n 4 70
the people of this sectiOn-generally
able outside of the principal cities
are too Indifferent to grasp the posi-
| bilities within their reach. We OF
the north would class them as shift
| less and lazy, and | really believe that
is the true reason: perhaps it's in the
air and contagious like smallpox or
scarlet fever. In any event we of the
north might drop into the same Gin
noccuous desutude" in a very short
time ourselves.
One thing, / am sure Of, and
that is no western woman would live
in the novels that do duty as homes
in the rural districts. They consist
in nine out of every ten instances of
logs or light timber elevated upon
wooden piles or pedeStalS some five or
six feet from the ground, one story
high and windowless, wooden
blinds are at each window which at
night, or in leaving home, serve as a
protection from storms (of which [ am
firmly convinced they have more than
a liberal share) they close leaving the
interior as dark as pocket, except as
the light from the huge fire places,
or rather two fire places, as
they nearly all have two, throws
cheerful glow upon the crowded in
terror. Most of these homes are built
like two houses connected by a floor
between and all including the said
floor and both houses under one roof.
The said floor then forms the only de-
lightful spot in all the house, open at
both sides, it is delightfully."- cool and
shady spot. AS lake cOttageit could
not be surpassed. This porch COW
cred floor or veranda, which ever way
the native designates it, is the family
living and dining room; a detached
kitchen is a sure part of almost all
these southern homes. The above de-
scription applies to the homes of the
| ;snoor whiten as well as to the cOlOred