Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-12-29
FROM THE PEOPLE
Another Brazil Letter
December ), 1916.

miles. In making this trip one
sees about an average of this state.
I made this trip ten days ago, and
during the first 240 miles ! did
not see more than 800 acres in
cultivation and not one acre that
had been broken with a plOw.
The land is prepared for planting
by scraping off clean and then fire
to the raked up vegetation. Dur
ing the rest of the trip one passes
through section where there are
good number of stations, and
there some of the land is plowed,
a roller used and the land planted
in rows either by hand or with
planters. This laud is rich and
has quantities of lime. Corn is
the only crop planted. One sta
tion ships annually about 200, 600
bushels of corn. The land is
beautiful and it is a chocolate
clay loan and has something OF
the topography of the Cliftonville
hills, though larger and the val
leys not so broad. When / pass
through that section | always inf
anime | smell the sweetness O.
mellilotus, but it is purely imagi-
nation, for there is none in the
state as far as / am able to find
out. And ! also cloth these hills
and valleys with the most beauti,
full growth in the world-the
queen who was so Loved and
praised by the great and noble
Joe Wing, the man whoeXtended
the kingdom of this great plant,
alfalfa, from New York to Kansas
and from Michigan to the black
lands in South Louisiana.
The greatest monument that the
world can erect to his memory is
for us to grow six tons alfalfa per
acre where but three used to
grow.
A trip on these narrow guage
roads is not as pleasant as travel
is ON No. 4 On the M. & 0. The
trains are short, usually one first
class passenger coach, one second
class, another for express, bag
gage and mail. ~The fuel used is
wood and the sparks and Goals are
SO thick thal ,;nne soon learns TO
close down the window near by
Yesterday, as | was coming from
CurvellO, a man who sat just be.
hind me was careless enough to
have his window up and soon we
all were looking ourselves over Ior
fire, but the young man behind me
read on as if he were inaccessible
to the vagaries of flying sparks.
After we had all satisfied our
selves that we were not afre, we
began our left off conversations
land were soon startled by the
young fellow calling for help-hiS
coat, hat and umbrella being afre.
, | could not help laughing at the
intensity he went into the fight to
save his clothes. | should have
not laughed, though, for when |
my hat to burn almost off my head
no one laughed. We all carry the
marks of much travel on US
holes burned in the clothing, holes
in oul hats, umbrellas damaged
and often a part o! our hair gone.
The road winds in and out of the
small valleys and climb range OF
hills at about six miles an hour,
but when the top is reached and
we start down grade l always
wish | was heavily insured with
accident insurance, but the little
engines have the ability to follow
the rails.
Everybody smokes cigarettes
and smoke in all places. Some
times | want to rush out about &
half dozen of the most insOlent
looking negroes because of Their
insolent way of making smoke
rings settle over our heads. The
conductor asks for tickets soOI
after you get on the train, but hi
doesn't take them up, but at near
ly every stop he has to see then
again to be sure no one goes 10y
where he paid to.
When you register at hote
you have to give your full name
age, post office, color and occupa
tion. My middle name is 50 lont
! get to where wish it was Viii
liam or Henry. | am sure NJ
middle aged woman ever register
for the registers Pve seen SHOW
ages from infancy up to 25-nont
more than that. Many of the wo
men look much older, but / at
tribute their woven and Wrinkle(
faces and their gray hair to homt
worries.
Every town has numbers ant
numbers of beggarS. They ar,