Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-02
CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCE IN SOUTH
Celebrate With Fire Works-A Quaint
Old City.

The CENSOR is permitted to make ex-
tracts from letter received by Miss
Anna Turner from Mrs. Ed. Lind. 1t
was written from Biloxi, Mississippi,
under date of December Goth, where
Mr. and Mrs. Lind are passing the WIN
ter in quest Of health and mild climate.
We glean:
"We have been here over one month
and like it much better than when we
left Viroqua. Very seldom cough and
guess am rid of la grippe proper, but
still feel some effects from having it so
long. The weather has been simply
ideal-just warm enough to be out with
out wraps and enjoy the sun and air.
1t has been a little colder the past two
days but today people are out bare
headed, without wraps. Biloxi is lit
tie, quaint. old city of about 10000, /
think the third oldest in the United
States. Streets are not much wider
than our alleys at home and all the
streets (eXcept the main business part)
are paved with oyster shells. They say
there are thirty-fve miles of oyster
sheel streets, which look very white
and clean, but are very dusty and hard
on shoes and clothing, as the shells are
pulverized very fine. The business
streets are paved with brick. They
say the city just grew without being
plated, consequently the streets are
very irregular and in a great many
places they run only in one direction; so
if on one street and want to get over
on another one block away, will have
TO drive mile to get around. They
celebrate Christmas here the same as
we do the Fourth of July, only more So
Have been having fireworks for two
weeks, and they tell me they keep 1t up
till after New Years.
Biloxi is considered very beneficially
located for all catarrh and throat trou-
bles 1t is surrounded on three sides
by salt water, and back of this and on
the fourth side, by southern pine.
see large pine forests where they man
ufacture turpentine. Had fine drive;
a party of about four of us went out
about five miles to see a large orange
grove over 100 acres, all hanging load
ed with oranges which were the sweet
est | ever ate, but small and seedless.
There are great many northern peo-
pie here and last week we all had pic
mic Went over to the bay about two
miles out on street car line and had an
oyster bake MIR. Lind is having good
lazy time. The northern men have a
public square where they meet and play
games and pitch horse shoes, etc, 80
with that and going down tn the beach
and fishing, he manages to keep up a
good appetite. We have three rooms
rented and do light housekeeping. Are
pleasantly located on street car line and
street running down to the beach, so
can see from my window the sailing
vessels. We get the paper every week,
so we know something of home and the
weather
Eatables are high here. Eggs 40
cents, butter DO potatoes, sweet and
Irish, 81 per bushel, -four $1.75 per
sack, milk cents per pint, apples two
for cents, etc. There is comparative
ly little farming People depend on
fishing and oysters from the gulf ina
ture's reservoir) for their support.
There are twenty-six nations represent
cd here, but one comes in contact very
little with any but the English-speaking
people. What southerners have met,
have been very pleasant and hospitable.
We went to the cemetery, Sunday. 1t
is the quaintest of all, mostly vaults,
and what graves there were, were
mostly bricked over, resembling a brick
furnace, that is all the graves Of any
age; the ones of recent date were COW
cred with ivy, not one spear of grass,
but many beautiful roses, and all graves
have a stone curbing around them.