Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-02-07
FROM THE COLONY"
Ed. Mahan Writes Letter
From Fitzgerald. Irwin
a4. County, Ga.

Last week Ed. Mahun. Martin
Scott and A. H. Bryan left for the
Old Soldiers Colony in Georgia.
and a day or two ago letter was
received In this city from Mr..
Mahan, giving his first Impressions
Of the locality and people. Wequote
the follow ing from the letter:
LAS per agreement l write you. 1
wrote you yesterday from Abbeville.
The train was till dark getting to
Lulaville, which is four miles from
this place. Bryant. Scott end my
self haa a "cracker" haml us In after
dark. We mad lots vi fun with him.
He had the skinnieet team l ever
saw. l asked him how it came to
be So poor and he said hay was
1872 u Ton. told him in less than Il
year it would rot be over $40 Il ton.
He said L bet you I'se gwime ter git
my hOssts one good bale then
l have 50 much to say about what
have seen today that don't know
where to begin. Imagi.ie yourself in
q dense pine forest. or at least what
was such but ninety days ago, but
now there are about six hundred
houses in all stages Of construction;
men are grading streets, set ting out
fruit trees, and planting gardens;
saw mill. shingle mill aud brick yard
are all running: 1t IL 50 warm that
have seen lots III men today with
but one shirt on and with sleeves Of
that rolled up. l did not 40 out to
my allotment today, as could get
no one to show, me where 1t is, but
will z q tomorrow. went to see
Bryan's today. Its nicely located,
coming within one hundred feet of u
cotton field. The land here will GER
taiuly raise cotton. l measured one
stalk which was eight feet. nix In
ches high, and four and Onc-half
inches around the butt. l saw
negro breaking cotton, aid went
over to him and took a hand at 1t
myself. broke three stalks to hia
one. He said II that was the way
We all work up north he YVES nOtgO-
ing up. went over to the ''crack-
er's" house and saw two pretty
good looking young women sweep
ing the yard with kind OF rus.l
that grows here, tied up In Il bunch.
1 said to them, Ladies', this would
make fine croquet or tennis
ground" They looked at me and
one of them said. What you all
say?' l repea ted my remark, and
Hhe replied, Eve don't know what
you all talking abOut." Having
Just G. ossed an old grade that had
been made 80 long ago that there
v ere trees in it 10 inches through
and 50 feet high, asked one Of the
women how long that had been
done. she having told me she was
born only few feet from where we
stood. She said she did not know.
l then asked her II her father knew.
She said he was only six years old
whep the war closed. 1 learned
from her that ne was ms rried when
he was II years old, she was his
youngest daughter, and was
married vixen she was IL years old.
I will probably have another inter-
view with her, when will go some
what into family affairs. However,
found out that the man who was
at the head OF the railroad was as
sassinated in 81 when it meant sure
death to be a Republican in these
parts.
don't know Just what to think
about the land here, but it seems to
me that 1t ought to produce good
crop. l will send you a sample of
sugar cane as soon as 20 out to
plantation that raised some last
year.
Bryan and Scott were out looking
for alligators today. Scott caught
a lizard and thought it was an al
ligator, and came bringing it in by
the tail. I will go out and get a few
alligators when I get around to it.
am little afraid to 20 out because
Ihave no snake poison, as Scott
+ and Bryan have. They began to
take it before they LETT St. Paul. and
II they don't get bit soon they will
have to send and get another 10 gal
Ions OF 1t. 1t is now dark and
people are sitting outside with their
coats off and the frogs are singing
all around. lam going up to hear
|; the band play. l will write you in a
few days how they make straw
berries. cotton, corn and turpen tine.
There was a negro quartette just
drove up in front Of the place where
I stopped and such singing and play
ing it has never been my Int to hear
before. They call this street am
On the Midway Plaissnce. I will
~ rite tO Won again in few DAVIS"