Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-01-09


some years before his death.
The members of the congress were in
vited, and accepted the invitation of the
proprietors of large fruit farm at Fruit
hurst, Ala bama, eighty-fve miles from
Atlanta, where they were Hospitality en-
tertained and shown about the place, and
where session of the congress WAS held
under the shade OF grove of oak trees
Speeches were made, barbecue served,
and the party was photographed from
several points OF view.
The members of the congress enjoyed
their visit to Fruithurst, and were much
pleased with what they saw there and
with the hospitabe manner in which
they were received and entertained.
From Fruithurst they took train to Tai
lapoosa on their return, and there took
supper at the Lithia hotel, fine house.
where they were finely entertained. Tai
lapoosa is town Of 5000 or 5000 people,
situated in Georgia, upon the Tallapoosa
river, fifty six miles from Atlanta, and a
place OF considerable Importance. There
was a long delay in the arrival OF the At
lanta bound train, but it came at a late
hour, when bidding adieu to their hos
pitabe entertainers the train started and
reached Atlanta at midnight. The next
day WAS the last of the farmers congress;
it adjourned to meet at Nashville, Tenn,
in 1895
THE SOUTHERN MULE.
One interesting incident of the con-
gress is worth relating. A member from
Georgia exhibited silver cup presented
to George Washington in 1890, by the
South Carolina agricultural society, for
raising the largest jsckass. A picture of
the jacksss was engraved on the side OF
the cup. The raising of jackasses, mules
and slaves in the South in 1-9o, was con-
sidered to be commemorate industries,
and good iackass was prize animal and
important to the success of the business.
The raising OF mules is still lucrative
business in he South, but the raising OF
slaves for the market, we are glad to add
has fallen Unto innocuous desuetude.'
The thought came to me since the ex-
hibition of that cup, II it would not be
good idea to give prizes of silver cups to
all wo-legged jackasses who should com
pete for them and brag about silver, and
thus find way of utilizing the silver in
the vaults of the United States treasury,
the output of the mines. and so "solve the
silver problem
My seventeen year old son accompanied
me to Atlanta. He had never been South
before and the sights and scenes were
new to him. The mule came in for
share of his attention and thought. One
day he said: Father, mule Is not a
handsome animal, is he? Did you ever
notice how much like an eel their tails
are?" said l had not noticed it before
he called my attention to it, but thought
1 did see some resemblance.
An old sailor once asked his shipmate
What mule looked like. Did you
never see a mule?' was the reply. NO
said the questioner. Nv ell then, Bill
will tell YOU mule is just ike n horse
only good deal more So"
SO the Southern mule of to-day, though
not handsome animal, is a strong, hardy
one, better adapted to the climate and
the work he has to perform than any
other, and lis just like horse, only
good deal more So
GOOD ROADS PARLIAMENT.
At the close of the farmers congress,
the good roads parliament was convened
in the hail lately occupied by the former,
and tne members of the congress re-
naming IN the city We're made delegates
to the latter. That body was also able
and dlgnitied, and heard reports from the
different states upon road-mak ing, road
material and upon IKE best met hods to
be employed i'll making and keeping in
repair country roads. Addresses We're
made, papers were read which were ex-
ceedingly interesting, instructive and of
great value. Massachusetts, in the opin-
ion of the parliament, is the banner state
for good roads.
A delegate from New York state advo-
Gated steel roads, saying that he believed
it to be he road of the future. His plan
was to grade his road after the present
system, then lay cross sleepers level with
the road bed and upon them place broad
steel rails, wide enough apart for carriage
wheels to run upon them, and bicycles
could run upon single. rail. He claimed
it would be of great service in transport
ing farm products to market, for on the
steel road team could haul with ease
three or four times the weight which can
now be hauled on the common gravel or
dirt road. The plan Lad the merit Of
being novel, and to the delegates it
seemed TO be original and We'll worth
careful consideration.
THE COTTON STATES EXPOSITION.
The cotton states and industrial eX-
hibition We visited matter of course,
but except in few things il resembled
other fairs. The grounds and buildings
are laid out upon the plan Of the worlds
fair at Chicago, but on a much smaller
scale, and yet it is crediiable affair.