The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-31
Scenery Along the River is
Attractive and a Boat Trip
Delights Tired
Travellers.

tOudy,-On! t0urlSt from OIner idHuS,-il
you have never taken trip by steamer
down the swift waters of the Alabama
River to the Gulf.
Starting at Montgomery, the Capital Of
Alabama. you may traverse in the space
OF two days over 400 miles of matchless
country passing through Selma, that
beautiful city of homes, and ending in
Mobile. the romantic city by the sea.
You may lie at ease in your chair on
the deck of a swift flying steamer, lazily
watching the ever-changing panorama of
scenery on either shore, basking in gold
en- sunshine from the bluest of skies, and
drinking in on every side the delicate
fragrance OF Towering nature.
Come with us and first acquaint your
self with the points of interest In Mont
gomery,-the Cradle of the Confederacy.
Here was the storm center of the terrific
battles of '61 which eliminated in the
civil war. Yon stately building, glisten-
ing snow-white in the sun, at the head
of this magnificent boulevard. the prin-
cipal retail street of the city, is the olden
capital of the Confederacy. Here 1t was
the infant nation was born and on those
steps marked by a golden star, may still
be seen the spot upon which Jefferson
Davis stood. when he was inaugurated as
President of the Confederate States Of
America; in the Treasury within may yet
be seen the very Bible upon which he
took the oath of offiee,-and the spacious
halls seem still to echo to the voices of
those who composed the first Confederate
Congress.
At the other end of the magnificent Dex-
ter Avenue is the "Square,"-the heart
of this pulsing city,-and there may be
seen the Office. from which was sent the
| message to fire on Fort Sumter; the old
| Exchange Hotel. where President Davis
gathered together his first Cabinet, the
hosiery made famous by Bob Toombs,
Yancey and the rest On the way to the
wharf you may pass the white House
| of the Confederacy.-or the spot on which
| not long ago stood the little one story,
stone house In which Lafayette was en-
| tertaned upon the occasion of his visit
| to this country.
| Embracing in one of the steamers, on
| the broad bosom of the beautiful Ala
| bama you glide swiftly through the rich.
river plantations of Middle and South
Alabama; through valleys of picturesque
| scenery and varied beauty; through for
| ests of poplar, cypress and oak-a solid
| bank of green to the waters edge. dashed
at times with a touch of brilliant red
or purple. Some of the tallest trees are
| decorated with green ivy from trunk to
| stem, whilst from the branches of others,
| long gray moss Is draped in quaint fes-
| toons of beauty.
Doubtless the negro roustabouts will
first attract your attention. as they break
| into a jolly song when the gang plank
comes in,-"The Tinse got los in a fog
one day" or "Oh, 1 went down to Hop
john" etc.
The crew is divided into two gangs, the
two stevedores choosing their men alter
nately when they start. Until you have
| become acquainted with an ,old-time river
| roustabout you have distinct type Of
negro yet to study. They work hard; are
paid well and are happy-go-luck, jolly.
| chatting set of irresponsible creatures Of
nature. Every now and then they unite
in burst of melody that is captivating,
usually a part song with chorus.-singing
different songs for the various duties oc.
cupying their attention. bag song
when loading fertilizers and march
when the gang plank goes out. The
| songs are original and would never be
recognized by the modern writer's Of so
called coon songs
! Come young man. don go so slow;
| Hi! bag, bag, a-bag- a-bag.
Take dis bag and go asho' :
Hi! bag, bag, a-bag-a-bag.
Jes' tell my folks when you reach town;
Hi! bag, bag. a-bag- a-bag.
De City Mobile dun broke me down;
Hi! bag, bag, a-bag- a-bag.
The landings are frequent and a good
| opportunity is offered the traveller to study
the characteristics of the people in this
secluded section of Alabama who live
close to the heart of nature. The vari-
Gus bluffs. landings, etc, seem to do a
steady business and the crews are kept
busy taking off or putting on merchan-
disc and freight, to the sound of me-
lOdious chant.
Washington Ferry is a picturesque spot
just below Montgomery, and not far from
the new bridge of the Mobile and Ohio
Rail- Dad.
Selma is city where the eye is rested
by beautiful ViStaS of tree-lined avenues
handsome homes and shaded sidewalks
1t is the home of both of Alabama's Sen
ators, Morgan and Pettus,-and the city
mas a just pride in the distinguished
statesmen it has furnished to the State
and National governments
Not far below Selma one can see Ca
haba-the olden capital of Alabama, be-
fore railroads cut other channels of traf-
tic than the river bed; diverted the stream
of business life to other points and di-
vested it of its pristine glory. Here was
once city of 5000 inhabitants; now three
buildings remain to tell the tale-a feeble
echo of a most romantic past. The Per
rine place was the most magnificent, with
its forty rooms, fish ponds, cedar groves
whose owner drove six elks and owned
more negroes than he knew what to dc
with. The State House was sold not long
ago for $500 and was demolished The
brick was carried down the river to bt
used in foundations and chimneys oil
houses going up on various plantations.
Canton's Bend is one of the pretties
parts of the river. 1t is forty miles Ions
from Bridgeport to Burford the river
making a complete loop and returning
within seven miles of its starting point
Here are long stretches Of river, whose
banks. clear to the waters edge, are
/ verdure clad, while the occasional syca
more stands out, a white sentinel agains
. the solid green.
, The Towering dogwood is a continuou!
charm to the lover of the beautiful, Will,
the fragrance of the hOneysuckle every
, where scents the air.
Claiborne is also the relic OF a famou.
past. At one time it was the commercial
} center OF all South Alabama, before thu
great Louisville and Nashville Railroad
was completed. Cotton was taken Their,
even from Georgia, and a double roaC
? was necessary to accommodate the lin,
of loaded wagons two or three miles long
1t was burned during the war, and nov
only a small settlement remains to mari
the spot of past grandeur.
} In the lower part of the river NOR,
0 points of interest are passed Above Hol