Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-02
The Country Along the Way to Old
Mexico.
BY f. M CARR.

Mexico.
BY E. NJ. CARR.
On the 22nd of last June COM
menced my journey southwark.
wanted to see and learn more about
that part of the American continent
which has a history dating back to a
time 400 years previous to the inva-
sion Of England by the Normans in
1886; wanted to observe the climatic
and other conditions which seem to
have had such civilizing effect upon
the people who first inhabited this
continent wanted to see the places
made forever historic by the blood
and valor of Americans; wanted to
note the unfolding development OF
that portion Of our own country be-
tween here and the Rio Grande Il
wanted on my return home to tell
the readers of The Democrat, as best
/ could, something about what | had
seen and heard while away.
On the threshold of our journey
crossed the
CORN BELT,
that strip of land about $50 miles
wide which commences in Ohio and
extends westward, inclining little
to the north, through the states of
Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. While
it is true that corn, Indian corn, can
be grown fairly we'll in many por-
tons of this and other countries, the
crop nowhere else attains the per-
lection that it does in the Corn Belt
of the Mississippi Valley. In this
favored region there natures a royal
corn, within whose yellow heart there
is health and strength for everything
that eats it.
During the crop growing season
Of former years l have crossed the
Corn Belt a number of times, but
never before saw its side lines SO
well developed as they are this year.
For the first thirty or forty miles
south from Chicago the diminishing
effect of the cool lake breezes were
plainly visible in the corn fields, but
from there on for couple of hun.
dred miles the dark green leaves Of
splendid corn covered the greater
portion Of the ground as far as the
eye could see. But as we journeyed
further south the corn grew smaller
and its color changed from dark
green to yellowish tint. In the
judgment Of the writer the majority
Of the people who live in the Corr
Belt do not properly appreciate its
agricultural value.
The greater part of two days were
spent in
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE,
a city which if it continues to forge
ahead as it has for the past few
years will soon become one of the
great business centers of the South
l often wondered why the Illinois
Central double tracked its road from
Chicago to Memphis instead O
double tracking it from Freeport tc
Waterloo, but day or two in Mem
phis removed all doubts in relation
to the wisdom of the company's
action. The enormous traffic ovel
the Tennessee Division of the Illinois
Central is little less than marvellous
The superintendent of the division
Hr. j. j. Gaven, assured me that tn,
business on his division for a singh
day exceeded the business of weel
over any Of his company's line
in Iowa.
At the request of Mr.. Thompson
The Democrat foreman, / visited tn
National Cemetery few miles cas-
of Memphis. Mr.. Thompson wante,
to know how the graves of his com
rades of the Second Iowa cavalr,
were being cared for. In the sbelte
of a magnolia grove and separate,
from other portions of the cemeter
l found the graves of 700 Iowa sol
disrs. l copied the names and date
al death of 30 members of the Sec
ond Iowa cavalry, % members Q
the Twenty-first Iowa infantry an,
IL members Of the Twelfth Iowa in
fantry, who are buried in this GENE
terry. The portions of the
STATE OF ARKANsAw
visible from the lines of the Rocl
Island railway, are largely covered
by heavy timber. Much of the east
ern portion of the state is low ant
swampy and, from an agriculture
standpoint, anything but inviting
The majority of the farms consis
of a clearing Of 10 or Is acres, OF
which could be seen small house
q cotton field, a negro and a mule
The cotton plant is about the colo
of potato stalks, and when but 81,
or eight inches in height looks yer,
much like a crop of growing pota
toes. ;.
Little Rock, the capital of the state
10 we'll built city about the size Of
Des MONIES, and sixty miles distant
from Little Rock is the Hot Springs
Reservation, comprising about Gil
acres belonging to the United States
and under the control of the Score.
tary of the Interior. There are
about 48 springs issuing from the
base of Hot Springs Mountain, of
varying degrees of temperature, and
having combined flow of about
$4,000 gallons per day. A recen,
analysis of these waters, made by q
government expert, demonstrat ee
that they are radio active to greater
degree than any of the famous
anrinors in Enrono nlaaa