Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-11-24
Away Down South
in Dixie Land
CONTINUED from Page d

Continued from Page u
extending over a period from March g
to July !, 1868. The general plan and
scope of the park is such that it is an
intensely interesting and instructive
place to visit, situated in a rolling
country of beautiful valleys and abrupt
hills overlooking the majestic waters of
the Mississippi river This reservation
contains about /, 800 acres, and clearly
defined are the battle lines of the op-
posing armies and all the fighting
ground between them. Every part of
the battlefield is made accessible by
the park roadways. Two principal
avenues, Union and Confederate. bound
the main body of the park and the most
important parts of the battlefield. The
sub-ayenIes are named for states that
had troops engaged in the siege. and
after prominent generals who directed
movements. The park hills overlook
ing each other have been purposely
kept clear of any timber that would
obstruct view from one line 20 another.
Wisconsin has prominent markers on
positions held by her troop who did
valiant service here, and there is now
in course of construction, and will be
dedicated next May, Large marble ard
bronze memorial that will reflect credit
on the state and her patriots who sur
rendered their lives on this field for
freedoms sake.
The national cemetery, fronting the
river and blending into the north por-
tion of the park, although not of it,
was established soon after the close of
the war. 1t certainly is one of the
most magnificent cemeteries ever de-
voted to the interment of the dead
soldiers of any nation, and it is also the
largest of the eighty-t two established
and maintained by the general gov
eminent in honor of its valorous de-
Tenders. 1t contains the graves of II, =
600 Union soldiers who losC their lives
in and about Vicksburg during the civil
war, OF which the appalling number of
nearly 1900 are unknown. 4" The
cemetery g a masterpiece of landscape
engineering, with delightful walks,
drives, ravines, terraces and plateaus,
long avenues of Spanish oak and mag
nolia trees, supplemented with tropical
plants and flowers.
A run of a hundred miles during the
night and forenoon of Friday brought
the fOtilla to Matches four hours late.
but the demonstrations were no less
boistrous because of this. and the ar
rangement for entertainment ard gen
eral observances for the occasion were
most unique, the president making due
acknowledgment of the same in his adj
dress. Speaker Cannon and others re-
sponded to calls for short talks. Nat
ches was IN a storm center in the day s
Of sectional strife, but she, like her
sisters of the south, is counting leg
islation that will stimulate her re-
sources and perpetuate prosperity for
the people of the southland. This is a
cotton growing region but they are
badly handicapped this season by boil
weevil, which works on the p ants and
practically destroys growth, The gen
tleman with whom | here rode was a
planter, and he told me that his county
usually produced $4,000 Jales but this
season would not marke.. 1900 because
of the destructive pest.
Baton Rouge, the capital city of
Louisiana, was to receive the exeur-
sionists at eight o'c ock this evening,
but it was near midnight before ar
rival, yet the reception committees
were at the lar ding and with that
''smile that neve: comes off" the genial
president addressed a multitude from
the portico of the state house. Fire
works galore, the booming of cannon,
bon-fires from the hill tops, and other
demonstra tons were kept up till the
fleet was drifting well down the cur
rent.
Now we are on the home stretch for
New Orleans and the big convention,
without intervening stop, a distance of
1873 miles. The hour of arrival was to
be eight O'Clock Saturday morning, but
it was 2 p. m before the winter capi-
tai of America" was reached. A bright
afternoon, thermometer registering
August heat for Wisconsin, the actiVi-
ties of a magnificent harb0r were at
once apparent. With four government
iron-clad war ships and a number of
torpedo boats at anchor and veeseis
flying the flags of almost every country
on the globe in view the scene was one
to excite admiration and wonder.
THE LAKEs-T GULF CONVICTION
Something like five thousand dele
gates and representatives were regis
tered, and a program of three days
work laid out Papers, resolution, dis
cussions, speeches were the order 1t
was the purpose of the deep channel
advocates to commit congressman, gov
errors and delegates to the scheme
There were a lot of intellectual giants
in the great convention and they ex
erted every influence to bring pressure
that will work on congress for favor
able river legislation at the approach
ing session. These advocates would go
to the extremes of having congress APP
propriate $500, 600, 900, and they have
worked themselves up to the actual be-
lief that the country would be bene-
fitted to that extent in the lowering of
freight rates because of water com
petition. My Judgment is that those
who made a similar trip two years ago
and again at this time arc less i'm
pressed with the feasibility Of this
stupendous project than formerly. 1t
Is really pathetic to witness the de-
cadence and disuse of the LONGEST, lar
gest and greatest river in the world,
traversing as it does the very heart Of
the mightiest agricultural states of our
country. The whole distance of nearly
thirteen hundred miles we scarcely saw
boat ladened with freight for north
ern delivery. Whether the expendition
by the government of vast sums would
accomplish the desired and projected
ends is very problematic.
NEW ORLEANS, ANCIENT AND QUAINT
Around this quaint old city now grown