The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-04-17
FROM WAY DOWN SOUTH IN GEORGIA.
CORRESPONDENCE of The Journal. |

Correspondence of The Journal
TOWNSVILLE, GA, April y, 1902.
Thomasville and Thomas county are
named fol an old soldier-Jett Thomas,
captain of artillery in the army of
Gen. Floyd, who distinguished himself
in the battle of Antopee and Chalibee-
and this is rather an historical town.
The soil in the surrounding country is
interesting because of its varied colors.
1t is said Oh good authority that there
are no fifty acres exactly alike. The
greater part is gray, sandy loan, with a
red clay subsoil, while near by will be
red clay or sandy formation. Not far
distant will be found black muck, which
is very fertile, and acres of pure sand
which are entirely useless to the agri-
culturalist In this section land is
very cheap, prices varying from two to
ten dollars per acre, according to the
quality, location and improvements.
An average farm in fair state of cult
walton brings from five to six dollars per
acre. The principal crops raised are,
cotton, both long and short staple, sugar
cane, sweet and Irish potatoes, peas of
all varieties, the common vegetables,
water melons, and a fair amount of
grass Sugar cane syrup is one of the
leading productions.
There is good hunting and shooting
here, and one can have much sport at a
very little expense There is good
coon hunting; quail are found in the
thick underbrush in abundance; and the
wild turkey is game which any hunter
would take pride in bringing to ground
The meat is fine eating. Provisions
are quite cheap. Beef, pork and
mutton sell for ten to twenty cents per
pound; chickens from fifteen to thirty
five cents per head, and the freight Oh
flour is but eighty cents from St Louis
to this city.
One misses i'll the south the 'nitar-
ian and Jniversalist churches, but in
their stead may be found Episcopalians,
Catholics, Baptists and Methodists.
The latter is the prevailing church.
The negroes look to no ether creed, and
the majority of the native whites are
also connected with that church. In
this city there are many colored |
of various grades and beliefs, |
but all are Baptist or Methodist. |
Prominent among them is the Foot |
Wash Baptist Church, where on sun
day nights the congregation in the
presence of a large audience wash their
feet and thus wash away their sins.
Wages are not very high here and
there seems to be plenty of working
people yet a northerner can find work
lere and good pay. The average wage
s but five to seven dollars per month
or women and ten to fifteen for men.
including food, but not the lodging.
rhis is the common working people.
Through the kindness of friends here
ha,t the pleasure OF rabbit hunt
The other day and got several Dummies,
beside some birds which resemble duck,
although not as large, but were fine
eating. Our party embarked in a boat,
went up the lake some distance, and |
entering low swampy section, with !
the aid of three dogs secured our game. |
The rabbits here are of two kinds, the !
swamp and cotton-tail. They are not |
nearly as large US the northern rabbit |
and have fur about the same as the
northern bunnie sports in the summer,
never changing in the winter. The
swamp rabbit is rather the smaller of
the two, but the cottOn-tail has longer
hind legs and is rather sWifter on the
run. They ar very plentiful here, and
those shot by orr party were i'll the low
marsh beside tie lake, where it was very
wet and the scrub brush and grass grew
high. When pursued by dogs and find
ing themselves in close quarters the
swamp rabbit will take to the water
and make good progress in swimming.
Rabbits are used here to a great degree
fine They sell in the markets at ten
cents each, and at Easter time are in
considerable demand.
One of the sweetest singers which is
making the mornings i'll the south cheer
full at this time is the hooking bird,
whose clear shrill song is 50 full of
beauty that he should not have been
christened as he is. They are not quite
the size of robin, but have a longer
tail and more feathers. They are very
numerous. 1t must be admitted that
in the collection of birds eggs the boys
of the north are simply not in it, and
some of the collections the writer has
seen in this city have few equals and
would please many a so-called egg
"crank'' of the north.
Il : ho Al