The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-07-31
Impressions OF a Traveller.
Wehawkin, y. Y.

0A'h ior the nTst TINE | thought
would offer you a few of my impress
sions.
1t consumed twenty hours to trav-
el from Sumter to this point. I got
to glimpse things just before arriv-
ing at Richmond.
The country from Richmond Nm
10 seventy-five miles north of Bal
cmore seems deserted Only a few
patches OF corn that looked more like
weeping willows than corn. also. a
Iew' very few. patches of sweet uo-
tatoes, Irish potatoes and toma-
toes.
L would judge that nineteen-
tWentieths Of the land was forest or
old fields. The forests are composed
OF sweet gum, white ard red oak
maple and very short leafed nines -
Ihere are a few farm houses
along the way and it is hard to i'm
agine where the profit came from to
erect them them. for along 200 miles
there are not crops enough to war
rant one hundred dollar lien.
1t will be a sorry day for our ma
ton when all of her people quit the
farm, and once they take their de-
parture they never return, therefore.
L take it that to mention the farm
and farmers is the very highest ex-
preston of patriotism
The passenger station in Washing
ton is acres and acres long and so
simply arranged that no traveller need
err
After striking Wilmington, Del.
ali was factories and frame dwellings
to Jersey City.
[ wonder how men are found in
SUFFICIENT numbers to operate them.
1 have not had the opportunity to
meet any one yet, all are SO bent on
getting further.
The people are not as all-round
as good Ioking as we are. but there
is this difference, they are serious
and eager.
Up the Hudson on the West Shore
is trip of wonderful scenery. The
river runs through a valley with hills
on each side, some reach an altitude
1000 feet of sheer precipices of
solid granite. One can see in the dis
tance valleys and some of the highest
points shrouded in clouds.
These people up here are very
busy. L find trains rushing up and
down on both sides of the river over
double tracks every fifteen minutes.
The freight and passenger trains
both carry numerous cars and
coaches, but the coaches are not
crowded with passengers. The peo-
PIE here seem to be bent on living for
one sees here whole train loads of
milk, live stock, chickens, fruit. etc.
Where we have negro workmen.
here all are white. 1 find them in
cllned to abuse the company manage
ment. If our people felt and talked
like these people they could not be
prevented from doing something to.
ward remedying conditions.
Oats in this section are Just ripening
and are about knee high, corn about
large enough to plow the first time
and planted thick in the drill and in
two and three foot rows. Negroes
up here do not look as black as ours.
but have a pale sickly cast of coun-
teance, but are strong and we'll be-
haved, in fact, every one is we'll be-
haved, and accommodatingly polite,
In the way of information
l omitted to cay that the Hudson
Is hiled with steamboats, and sailing
crafts loading and unloading freight
at every point. Factories still abound
all along the way from New York
up here 125 miles. 1 am now at Ca
naan, pronounced Canin). This
country is series of knobs, one half
of it is cleared. Nearly all of it is in
grass, which seems to be the main
crop.
The men are not as fine looking as
ours, neither in size nor complexion
The older ones have the alcohol face
similar to what one might remember
of the we'll to do farmer before the
war in our country.
/ notice some corn tassels today at
Is inches to feet tall. T find tba
elm oak, and water willow here.
Apple orchards abound and strange
to say the oats right under the trees
are just as good as anywhere in the
field.
The pirlS ora NOT .. cxoo.e, -,