The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-02-22
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
A Day Spent in the Sunny South.
Beautiful Scenery.

tennessee; In tne foreground was Gne
sweeping and majestic,
strong and powerful. with the strength
Of many thousands of miles of water
pushing. it irresistibly on toward the
Gulf. Its waters told OF wild and hur-
RED leaps down rugged mountains, of
swiftly moving flow through prairies
vast. In its murmurings could be heard
The gay voice OF the northern woods
man lifting his love song on his rough
hewn raft, in its reflected sunlight
could be seen the glow of a thousand
furnaces belching forth demoniac
flames in the far off Alleghanies. Back
Of the river stood Memphis proud
queen of the middle Mississippi, A
city of beautiful homes, busy mart of
trade. where thousands of bales of
heecy cotton fill streets and warehouses
and great piles of lumber robbed from
the hard wood forests of Arkansas, rises
high as houses. Before us as
the train sped westward was forty-four
miles of swamp. Water glistening out
from banks of overhanging boughs,s
water cleaning in the distance, water
stagnant under huts and
shanties, water, water everywhere
Great trees there. were, some fallen,
some leaning on their fellows for sup
port, others erect and seeming proudin
their hundred feet of strength. 1t was
a primeval forest, the abode of fish and
wild fowl, of reptiles. foxes and bears.
We could we'll realize the hopelessness
OF the runaway slave trying to fight his
way through this dark and dismal
swamp to the freedom of the North.
The region was inhabited, that was the
greatest surprise to us. Such inhabi-
tations, little squalid huts set up on
stilts over stagnant pools. Along the
way we passed convict gang at work,
they were mostly colored men leased
by the state to contractors at 80 cents
per day. A Memphis gentlemen on
board expatiated on the benefits of the
contract system and told how when a
negro failed to work as hard as the
boss deemed that he should, he was
thrown down, and to use the Memphis
mans own words fairly cut open with
the whip 1t was all in keeping with
the swamp and its gloomy reptile
haunted recesses. Later the dripping
land rose from the morasses, human
life was more abundant and here and
there were signs of cultivated fields.
We were informed that this was the
richest part of Arkansas. If this is
true, heaven help the rest of the state.
In the afternoon we came to Little
Rock, which from the station had every
appearance of being fine city. Itwas
relief to see the hills as we approach
ed Hot Springs. They call them noun
tains, but they are not much higher
than the bluffs between here and
Omaha. Hot Springs is gem of a
city. A typical resort town, where
there is every opportunity afforded to
spend large amount of money for the
smallest possible return. Gambling
houses flourish in nearly every block OF
the main or central avenue. One does
not feel about them as he does about
gambling houses in other cities. how.
ever, for Hot Springs is great place
for the gamblers and sports of the en-.
tire country to inhabit for season.
and thus it is dog eat dog instead oil
"dog eat lamb" There are many
| beautiful hotels and bath houses and al
any rate we shall have no quarrel with
the place, if it returns our loved one's
to us safe and we'll. The richness Of
Memphis. the beauty of Little Rock
and the splendor of Hot Springs
brought to mind the days of old, wher
the wealthy Barons lived in beautiful
castles and trod upon cloth of gold
Outside was the squalid village in
habited by serfs and beyond was the
limitless forest where dwelt the lowly
/ "oOeiIi0L III hiS iluU. IL 10 uIlS SWGd
and blood. the chills and the fever O.
an under-fed, under-educated. under
| pitched people which have been coined
to build the beautiful cities and the
4 stately mansions which we saw. Coo
help the poor whites and the poore,
colored people of Arkansas, may the
day come when labor the foundation O
all wealth shall be more highly prizet
and when the labor shall receive more
consideration than the beast of burden
Until that time comes. however, lie
Senator Jones and all of his ill observe
strict silence about the wrongs of th,
laboring man of the north,
J -
Saloons all closed today on accoun
of public holiday.
;. We are glad to state that Henry See
mann has been i'll but a day or tw,
during the time of his quarantine ant
/ the cause of this illness is due more +,