Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-09
AWAY FROM WINTER.
AnAugusta Lady's Impressions
of Life In Georgia.
Scenes In Charming Village Among
the Piney Woods.
The Lark Cracker. the lndoent Darky. Christ
mas Fireworks and Volets.

Thomasville, GA, Jan. s.. Especial. y
Since our arrival in Thomasville our i'm
prcssions of the South have changed very
much for the better. Situated in the
middle Of the great pine forest, this little
town, only twelve miles from the Florida
line is called the garden of South
Georgia. The mir is pure, dry and hrac-
ing, with delicious piney fragrance, the
streets are wide and bordered with oaks,
magnolias aud pines aud the walks and
drives are pleasant and accessible, as
roads run through the forest in all direc-
tioDs. Although there have been some
quite heavy frosts the rose bushes are
covered with new leaves, violets are in
bio )m and lettuce and other vegetables
are still in the gardens.
The scenes in the streets are amusing
to the energetic Yankees who come here
for health and pleasure The natives all
look so deliciously lazy, that watching
them is rest for tired nerves. like to
see the little darkies basking under the
warm sun, eating long sticks Of sugar
cane with never ending appetite. Half
of the population of Thomas county con
sists of negroes and they are as happy q
looking race as | have ever seen.
One question l have asked is, ''Why If
the land in this county is easily cult
waited, so much is left in barren states"
and am answered, THAT some money,
and more ambition and industry are
needed to make farming successful. :"
Arabic lands here sell from two to twelve
dollars per acre, and YET good looking
farms are few and far between The
Georgia cracker is the typical one Of many
magazine stories, long lsnk AID lazy, "
always chewing tobacco, living in tiny
cabin, with little corn and sugar cane
patch, chickens, hogs and COW, for
stock, happy in his ignorance of any other
life.
On the 2sth of December the hotels
opened for the season. All Thomasville
has been preparing for months, for the
crowds of northern visitors Who come
here for the winter Even the Stakes
know what is expected of them, and ar,
said to go into the ground when the
hotels open
The Plney Woods and the Mitchell, -
the two largest hotels here, have Orches
tras, cooks and walters from New York
even the daily supplies for the table com
ing from northern markets.
Christmas in Georgia is somewhat like
the Fourth Of July il Maine. For three
days the noise of bursting bombs and fire
crackers was almost continuous The CRY
of "Christmas gift saluted one from III
Sides in walking through the crowds q
gayly dressed darkies who came from fal
and near for their Christmas shoppipg
Holly, mistletoe, and beautiful vim
called bamboo are very plentiful, an,
nearly all OF the houses are decorated witt
them. The weather during the holiday
has been delightful, bright, and jus
warm enough.
We had heard so much abou
the Georgia "chain gangs that w
rather dreaded seeing them, but they hay
been cleaning the streets of Thomasvii
during the last few days and certainly d;
not look either very unhappy or il
treated. Perhaps the chain gangs @
Thomas county are EXCEPTIONAL as tn
revelations made in the recent investiea
tions before the Georgia Legislature woult
seem to imply.
asked the editor Of the Thomasvi!l
daily paper, Glow the people of Southern
Georgia regarded the Presidents mes
sage" He said, that they were str0ngl
patriotic, and believed IN the cnforcemen
of the Monroe doctrine, by might if nccss
sary,'' also that they wCrc all soun,
money men, and were sure to defcs
Crisp for the Senate" On the otht
hand Il rather prominent Democrat tell
me, that they are sure of Cr-p's ccc
ton, and they do not like Cleveland for
financial guide
NELLIE NJ. STEVENS.