Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-04-06
IE11sR ECON GEORGIA

The following extracts are made from a
private letter recently written % a friend by q
Maine man who = spending the winter In
Georgia. IL seems q have taken bat 8 short
time Tor him % become imbued with some ideas
which sound rather ike Aeresy % our Northern
ears-eyen 10 the extent % spelling negro with
two IS
am down in Georgia. just about the
g.ogra phical centre of the state, and IN
really and truly the land Of cotton. Un-
til within ten wears cotton was the only
money crop raised here, and with the
exception % peaches, pears and cater
miiiiORs that il vernscular) IL is so to-
dSy. This is the land Of corn and the
home Of the cane. Planters here grow
corn enough only for their own use. and
a little patch of { ne, TO make the mo-
lasses thy want Tor home use, no more
III they raised corn they could not sell IL.
They DO get some mOCey out OF peaches
and melons, but there i no certainty
that they will.
\ man told me OF his ore experiment
In shipping melons 70 New York. H..
didn't raise tn I'd, but he could buy the IN
so cheap he thought II must pay. |
think he put GOO melons 10 a car and
consigned them 10 produce commission
house ia New York. They paid freight,
took out their commiss ion, aud returned
him the magnificent sum of - cents.
All he has done Ia melons since Is 10 eat
them, and | have no doubt the Georgia
melon l. about the most entieing fruit in
the world. He tells me that the best
melons raised here can not be shipped.
because they will not bear transporta-
ton. IL they were ripe now would
give you my personal impressions, but
they are not, though all the peach trees
are in blossom, and In our garden are
peas in blossom. Strawberries were in
blossom when got here Dec. 10th, but
We had some heavy frost in January,
and they quit
This is pretty country, well watered,
well timbered, good soil and good eli
mite, YES, sud good people; but they
don't make one dollar where they might
make fifty. But they make sil they
want. There Is not pauper in the
county. The petty criminals In chain
gang make the roads, and they are good
roads too.
White men don't work, and niggers
don't work any more than they have 10
TO keep body and soul together.
Amongst them there Is no such thing as
morals. They don't know what they
are.
IL costs 81 80 to get married. That is
the charge for the license, and the judicial
officer who issues the license will marry
them for nothiug) have seen three
couples married, and one couple came
awful near, but they couldn't raise the
sl.50. think divorce costs about s5,
but they don't often waste money on
such luxuries. IL Is easier and cheaper
TO get along without.
Local politics is entirely controlled by
the whites, and 1t Is all right too. am
as solid Republican as man can be,
but IL l had to live here l should be
heartily and altogether with the white
people, and so would you or any man
In Maine. There are in this county
two blacks to one white. The whites
govern.
never saw q quieter, more contented
community In my life, anywhere. Not
. drop Of liquor to be had unless q man
does as We do In Maine, have Il come BY
express. And Niger never has money
enough TO spare to send for any. II the
niggers could get rum by the glass the
Old Scratch himself couldn't bold them.