The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-10-06

is practically nothing at thls POM
besides the hotel and depot Of any
interest. The black prairie coun
try begins about this point. The
surface is slightly rolling, similar
to the Vermilion prairies with us
Good comfortable room and {
splendid breakfast did much to
wards refreshing us and putting
us in fine spirits.
For 200 miles the Mobile & Ohio
4. Il. runs through the celebrated
black prairie region of Eastern
Mississippi. This section was the
Egypt of the South before the war.
The lands were sold at from $50
to 500 per acre. This prairie re-
giOn combines more favorable con
ditiOns for general agriculture
than any other portion of America.
Some of the farms are considered
worn out because they do not pro
duce as large crops of cotton as
they did fifty years ago The anal
ysis of the soils, however, show
that the only element lacking to
make them as rich as can be de-
sired, is vegetable humus, which
can easily be supplied 10y the
growth of cloyers and grasses. The
planters in this section have been
devOting their entire attention to
the production of cotton, in many
cases not even growing the food
fDr the stock and the help neces-
sary to carry on the plantations.
Farming, under such conditions,
cannot prove profitable at the pres
ent low price of cotton. Stock
raising and all general farm pro-
ducts can be grown with the great
est success in this region. The
land is just rolling enough to af
ford good drainage. 1t is a prairie
region, but yet there is enough tim
Der to supply all the needs of the
country. Improved farms can be
purchased near the railroad at
from $40 to So an acre. These
lands are held by private individ-
uals, usually in good sized tracts,
and in many cases the improve
ments are worth all that is asked
for the entire plantation.
The NJ. & O. r. II. is land
grant railroad, and has for sale~a
third of a million acres of land
along and contiguous to it's lines
in Mississippi and Alabama. The
lands now offered extend from Mo-
bile, Ala, to West Point, Miss.
aud for distance of fifteen miles
on each side of the Mobile & Ohio
Railroad, and, as rule, in alter
nate sections. Are timbered, gen
orally, with pine timber, but a con-
siderable amount have had the
large saw-log timber cut off, and
can, therefore, be more readily
cleared for farming purposes.
Prices for same run from SL25
per acre to $500 per acre, accord
ing to distance from railroad, To-
cation and quality of the land, etc
The people of this section seem
to be good natured as the follow,
ing incident Will illustrate:
In our coach was a couple who
made it sef-evident to the other
of the car that they
were bride and groom. No bride
ever had husband who was more
attentive or prOuder of his wife. 1t
was after night when we reached
the station of their Destinations
little village OF a hundred or so in
habitants. They were the only
passengers disembarking at this
point. The brakeman entered the |
.ar, after the usual manner and. |
the station, supplement
ing the announcement with: s'This
S where the bride and groom get
If; Mr.. and Mrs. -. They |
we're married to dag at - A
wave OF suppressed laughter swept
'ver the car followed by. a very
'en' rous outbreak of ha, has,
mid WHICH the bride took the
cad, followed by her lord through
he aisle with bowed head and
lrawn features to the car plat
orm and steps. On the depot
'latf0rm was host of friends to