Middletown transcript., 1896-02-29
written for the TRANscRIPT.)
MORE OF THE SUNNY soGTH.
MARSHALL, N. c.. FEB. 10, '96

/
DLETowN, DEL, DEAR SIR:-To con
tinue my observations which include'
in my last letter short description o
the French Broad River the southern
boundary Of the town of Marshall
! Further obsei vations confirm what ha
been said of it by its many admirers
1t is teautiful picturesque stream
full of miniature falls, rocks of quain
and wierd shapes, both diminutive an(
huge in size, tie rapidly flowing wate
in its descent over the rocks creating /,
foaning and whirling mass, making i
very interesting to pleasure seekers.
! In my former letter | said there j!
no room for expansion for the town OF
Marshall owing to its rocky boundary
yet there is great room for improve.
rnenl. Owing o its location along the
side of this interesting liver, ard he.
ing an important station ON the line of
the Southern Railway between Ashe
vile and Hot Springs, consequently i.
is included in the ''Land Of the Sky;"
while not SO elevated as Asheyill., yet
the scenery is beautiful, the climate
delightful, pure, dry ali, the best and
purest spring water from out the
mountain sides including mineral
springs to which the natives ascribe
medicinal virtues. There is no reason
that as health resort it should not be
desirable. Probably all it needs is
capital, financial ability, etc. The
mercury indicates about the same de-
gree as in Delaware. but presume the
pure, dry air, combined with the pro-
lection afforded by the mountains, so
m0difes th5 severity of winter as to
make the climate on the whole de-
lightful. The month of February is
said to be the most trying and un-
pleasant of the year, yet only open
CRATE fires are used during morning
and evening, yet there are frequent oc-
casions when it is necessary to use
them during the day.
just at this time the merchants are
very much interested In the tobacco
crop which is now being sold by the
farmers, and they, the merchants, are
supposed to be reaping the benefits.
1t is very necessary they be shrewd
and awake or money will be lost, owing
to the prevailing system of doing busi-
ness in this section. Nearly all of the
land is farmed by tenant farmers of
limited financial ability, each of whom
cultivates from FIVE to thirty acres on
which he raises tobacco, corn, wheat,
etc.. tobacco being the most import
ant, keeps one or two horses or mules,
the same number of cows and hogs
and some poultry.
If the tenant furnishes stock to culti-
yate the farm he pays one-third to the
landlord. If the landlord furnishes the
stock, including its keep, the tenant
pays one-half. Most of the work is
done by hand and owing to the rough
billy formation of the country it is |
necessarily Very expensive to cultivat, !,
and only bare living is made after |
the most laborious kind of work. When |
the tenant begins work in the spring, he |
is without money and must prepare |
by making some arrangement with his
merchant to furnish whatever may be
needed in the way of seeds, implements
etc. for its business. To do. this lie
must first give chattel mortgage on
his horse, mule, COW or on the crop he
expects to produce and the amount of |
the mortgage must be well within what
the articles will bring at Saeriff's Sale.
After this matter is satisfactorily ar
ranged his purchases to that amount
can be made and he is ready for busi-
ness.
Matters move along smoothly until
the crop is in condition for sale, when
the trouble Of the merchant begins. He
must be shrewd and awake to keep the
crop or stock from being spirited away
by dishonest customer, or, if a poor
season, to extend proper leniency to
his honest customer and yet not
lose money. There is no doubt that
both systems, the tenant and. credit
ire detrimented to tue best interests of
ibis section and they have kept the
mass of people, the tenant farmers, in
| poverty stricken and helpless condi-
ion, subject almost entirely to the
,aprices of their landlords and mer-
chants.
The knowledge of the above condi-
ions has been demonstration of the
Ibsentee landlord IN of ireland, as
'ften depicted by the foreign corre-
pondents of our newspapers but never
ealized by their American readers.
Tue court now in session here is con-
'incing proof of the baneful influence
xercised by both systems for it is full
+ such cases begotteD by tue failure of
he tenant farmer to fulfil his part of
he contract to pay the obligatioDi
,iven.
The character Of the soil is said to =
e, and have no doubt is, of the best
at as previously remarked owing to
IS rough, mountainous formation it is
cry expensive to cultivate and the
enant farmer after a season of hard
york and the most rcolnnni al living,
Though assisted b, his family, in
luding his wife anu daug has
Dund very likely that he has failed to
make his products equal the amount
( the mortgage given. Ii the season