The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-20

(" HE following account of Florence,
written two years after the town
was laid off is taken from Trot-
wood s Magazine
Florence is one of the new towns of
this beautiful and rapid rising state. It is
happily situated for commerce at the head
of steamboat navigation, on the north side
of the Tennessee river, in the county of
I.auderdalc. five miles below the port of
the Mussel Shoals. and ten miles from the
line OF the state of Tennessee
Florence is TO be the great emporium
Of tho northern part of this state | do
not why it should not; 1t has great
capital and is patronized by the wealthiest
gentlemen in the state. 1t has great
state at its back another in front, and
noble river .on all sides, the steamboats,
pouring every necessary and every lux
ury into its lap. Its citizens, bold enter
prising, and ndustrlous-mueh more so
than any | have seen in the state.
Many large and elegant brick buildings
are already built here although it was
sold out but two years since, and frame
houses are putting up daily. 1t is not UNI
common to see a frame building begun in
the morning anu nnlSheu ny niBhN'
N Several respectable mercantile houses
safe established here and much business
Is done on commission also. The site of
The town is beautifully situated o. du
commence. commanding an extensive vie"
of the surrounding country and Tennessee
River. from which II three quarters OF
mile distant 1t has two springs OF eX-
icellent and never failing water. Florence
has communication by water with Miss
issippi, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana, ILL
nos, Ohio, Kentucky West Pennsylvania.
West Virginia and East Tennessee, ana
Merry shortly will communicate with the
eastern states. through the great canal
sTlc great military road that leads from
Nashville to New Orleans, by way of
Lake Ponchartrain, passes through thlS
town, number of people sHho travel
through it, and the numerous droves of
horses from the lower country, for market
are incredible Florence contains one
printing press, and publishes paper
weekly called the Florence Gazette; 1t is
ably patronzed, and edited by one OF our
first men, and said TO be the best paper
in the state. Florence is inhabited by peo-
pie from almost all parts of Europe and
the United States: here are English. Irish,
Welsh, Scotch French, Dutch. Germans,
and Grecians. The first Greek ! ever saw
was in this town. ! conversed with nm
on the subject of his country. but found
him grossly ignorant lie butchers for the
n.
latto woman for a wife, lie very often
takes an airing on horseback of a Sunday
afternoon with his wife riding by his
side. and both arrayed in shining cos
tunes.
The river at Florence is upward of
five hundred yards wide. il is ferried in
a large boat worked by four horses, and
crosses in a few minutes.
There are two large and we'll kept tav-
erns in Florence, and several dogseries. A
doggory is Il place where spurious liquors
are Sold and where men get drunk quar-
rel and fight as often as they choose, but
where there is nothing to eat for man or
beast. Did you ever hear anything better
named. II swear said Yankee pedler
one day. with both his eyes bunged up,
THAT are doggery be rightly named.
Never seed the like ont IL | get to hum
agin IL! be nice mani catch me in these
parts. Awfullest place one could be at, 1t
iappeared the inmates of the doggery en-
ticed him under pretense of buying his
wares. and forced him to drink; and then
forced him to fight; but the poor little
Yankee was badly beaten. Not content
with blackeneing his eyes. they overturn-
ed his tin cart, and scattered his tins to
Tho four winds, frightened his horse and
tormented his very soul out about lasses,
etc He was laughable object but TO hear
his dialect In laying off the law was a COM
plete farce. particularly when Pat came
TO invite him into the same doggery to
drink friends: Il bent a dog to go into
that are dog house
The people you see, know a thing or
two. here; they call things by their right
names But TO proceed There may be
about one hundred dwelling houses and