Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-02-14
WOMAN NUITESO OF SOUTH
AWAY BEHIND THE TIMES IN
MOST EVERYTHING
The Williams Enjoy Health, Quiet,
Radiant Sunshine, Fragrant Flow
ers and Needed Rest
BILoxI. MISS. january 30.

might be written about our one months
STAY in the National Capital, but | re-
frain. We left Washington the day
after Christmas at 900 a. M, crossing
the Potomac intoVirginia, going through
cities and towns made memorable as
battle fields in the civil war; passing
cemeteries with the rows of little white
headstones marking nameless graves,
while steady fall of rain made the
winter landscape even more cherries.
Virginia has cities and homes of his
toric interest and diversified industries,
but little up-to-date farming. Night
came early and we slept through the
Carelinas, but from Atlanta, Georgia,
through Montgomery and Mobile in Al
ALBANIA, to Biloxi, Mississippi, at the
end of the second day, we watched with
interest different country, the black
man and the mule mostly in evidence.
There are the cotton fields-no fences,
no cattle or barns, few houses, only the
one room negro cabin with big CHM
ney and fireplace at one end, one win
dow with a wooden shutter and door,
the open door or window giving light
when it is warm and the blazing pine
| fire when it is cold These cabins are
scattered through the cotton fields and
| for miles we would see no other homes.
| All this country near the coast was
nnce heavily timbered with the long
| leaved yellow pine, The interior farms
have been cleared for the cotton fields.
Nearer the coast the land is low and at
our coming much of it covered with
water; everywhere water is on or near
the surface. The standing pine has,
| in the past, and still does, afford rev.
enue to the owner by being tapped for
| turpentine. The bark is stripped from
one or more sides for several feet and
La V shaped groove cut at the bottom
and formerly hole dug in the tree to
catch the pischy fluid A later method
is to suspend tin box or basin at the
point of the groove and this method is
not so soon fatal to the tree. The tur-
pentine is distilled in factories for this
purpose and the turpentine and the res
duum (rosin) are sold, largely for ex-
port, under the name of naval stores. |"
In many places lumber mills were in
operation, others had been abandoned
as the supply would be exhausted.
| A winter sojourn on this coast is GER
tainly enjoyable and ! am told that
many come from the interior cities for
the summer months, Biloxi is a favor
tie city, as 1t is On a point of land ex-
4 INV ttlC' KUN VI AathCA ot aAhA
of the gulf runs in behind the city, so
that it Is easily drained and affords
line of water front. The city water
comes from deep artesian wells .:3 is
abundant, soft and has taste of min
erals, but is liked by all and considered
beneficial A good system Of pumping
Ito and elevated stAndpipe gives the
necessary pressure. The beach for
miiesis lined with cottages, club houses,
!, hotteslls. and pgiyate homes. Every week
! for 10 cents. stopping first at Beau
latter the war; -whitd ~ n1erson Dayis
Confederate soldiers and supported Dy
n the state. The soldiers live 10 little
cottages under the beautiful live oaks
. festooned with moss. These live oaks
older than the oldeEs records, and the
magnolia trees, constitute one OF the
charms of this coast.
Gulfport, comparatively new town.
q the next stopping place. wharf
has been built long distance out ana
the harbor dredged, allowing oce n
Z vessels to come alongside to be loaded
= with lumber or cotton for export trade.
: We saw one being loaded with lumber
bound for South America. We were
told it would carry $500, 100 feet; Az
E GuIfport is the great Southern hotel,
| where the party took dinner. Pass
! Christian Is a quiet old town with flne
! hotels ard homes. We are told much
truck farming is carried on in these
/ tplaces but we saw little OF 1t along the
I trolley line, and Ibis month of January
G has been exceptionally cold here, in
: fluenced of course by the extreme and
Q long continued cold of the north. In
, spite of some frost roses and other
7 flowers are bloorllng IL the yards, palms
a and ivy growing out doors and soon
e gardens will be made everywhere.
+ One of the principal industries OF
: Biloxi is the shipping and canning OF
e oysters. Shops carrying several hum
d bred bushels Of oysters unload at the
piers into littles eages holding few
I bushels which are run on a track into
d COMMITMENTS OF retorts and subjected
J to powerful steam heat to open the
shells, The little sages are then run
into sheds and women of all ages, from
old grandmothers to little children, all
G white foreigneres are standing en- either
8 side to pick out the oysters from the
y shells: even babiesiu their cabs, are
h near their mothers at work. The oys-
q ter meats are weighed, so each gets
n pay for her work, then are thoroughly
: washed and packed in small tin cans,
l. weighed again, covered and cooked IN
the can. cooled, labelled and are ready
: for market We saw a car being load
;. ed to be sent to Chicago and maybe
J, some will find place on our grocery
: shelves as cove oysters. There are
y several cannerles here, besides large
J, shipments of raw oysters to the inter-
J. ior are made.
? Each winter here the visitors form a
Tourist Club, which meets weekly
for mutual pleasure and acquaintance.
One of the first subjects brought up
It was the sorrow OF the northern people
i to witness the Wholesale destruction OF
d the robins here, which are shot and
s eaten. and the club Is sending petit
i ion signed by all tourists and many
k BiIoxians to the Mississippi legislature
: .ow in session, to pass law taking
: the robin from the list of game birds
y and have it protected.
: have been trying to form some just
+ estimate OF the resources and advanta-
}. pes of this southern country. We
y hear 80 much about the congestion c.
8 the cities, the high cost of living and
> the necessity of going back to the
J. farms, and here is so much country ~
ing almost fallow from northern
! standpoint. The time will surely come
!, when this southern country will have
better and more scientific farming,
better houses and barns, more cattle
: and diversified industries, but eacn
i must settle for himself whether he VIII
. 90 to the wilds of Canada for a Dig
:, oL.A e., av,l y,;ra Months winter or