The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-02-03
Memories of Southern Cities.
Savannah to New Orleans.

This was primitive journey compared
with Mrs. Dinsmore's all-rail ride-dat
ing back to the time when the following
newspaper item began to circulate: "A
Southern railroad has this notice posted
in its cars: Passengers not allowed to get
off to pick berries on down grade.
There were several stop-overs, changes
from train to boat ard boat to boat; no
Pullman's, no dining cars; and in leaving
Savannah this was in December, 1858
fee was necessary to get our baggage
checked to destination. When about
five miles from Savannah the train stop
ped in a swamp with not human habi-
tation in sight and the conductor assist
ed young lady to get off, calling on the
baggage master as he did so to "put off
that small black trunk" He then en-
gagged in conversation with the young
lady for fifteen or twenty minutes, after
which the train proceeded, but stopped
after that about every fifteen minutes.
1t W as midnight when we reached Ma
con and we concluded to stop over there,
but had to get into the baggage car and
roll out our trunks as the surly official in
charge refused to do it for us. Then we
went to Browns Hotel, the house found
so satisfactory in 1872, but which at this
time was very primitive hostelry. At
breakfast next morning, after many
Il TO To of no of
f one of the slipshod darkies who were
running aimlessly about the room, collid-
ing with each other or clustering, half
dozen at a time, about single beWilder
ed guest, | caught youthful African
whose head Just reached the top of my
chair, and asking if they had green or
black tea. he replied: {" 'Taint green nor
faint black; when we pours it out its
white, and when we puts milk in it its
kinder yaler" The menu consisted
mainly of liver and bacon, corn bread,
hominy and fritters.
At noon we boarded the train tor
Montgomery, but there was hanging
the cars were filled with rough crowd,
many Of them drunk. After standing
for three-quarters of an hour on the
platform of a car in which there was not
4 vacant seat the railroad officials con-
cIuded 10 Pat on another car, in which
we cot a seat, but it was dirty beyond
descriptions At Columbus another crowd
got aboard TO 60 to the hanging, and it
was d most disagreeabe and uncomfort-
aba tourney. There was nothing eat
able to be had, but fortunately we were
provided with package of asserted bis
cult and a warm-hearted Southerner
with whom we had some conversation
gave us some Isabella wine made on his
fathers plantation in South Carolina.
AT this time we made the acquaintance
of two New Workers, one accompanied
by his wife, whose destination was also
New Orleans, and their company made
the remainder of the trip more pleasant.
One was selling hoop skirts and the other
baskets!
We arrived at Montgomery, Alabama,
about II p. M, pretty we'll used up, not
having had a meal since breakfast, and
drove to the Exchange Hotel. Finding
it too late to get anything to eat in the
hotel we sailed forth in search of a
restaurant, and succeeded in finding one.
While waiting for our supper to be
served picked up a local paper and read
in it news of the death in New Dan
vile, Texas, of my paternal grandfath-
er, Hon. Timothy Pilsbury, a relative
had never seen. Some years later /
visited his late home and his last resting
place III the cemetery at Henderson, the
county town of Rusk county.
Returning to the hotel after hearty
supper We had a good nights rest, and
the next morning started out sight-see-
ing. We found Montgomery a very
pretty little city, with wide streets
shaded by.trees, and a handsome State
House on an elevation overlooking the
other buildings. Some of our party saw
''slave pens" for the first time, with
the stock in trade lounging about await
ing purchasers. | am under the i'm
preston that there was very good din
ner provided at the hotel, but because
of the lack, or inefficiency, of walters we
were able to partake of but little of it.
After dinner we saw our baggage load
ed on baggage wagon, during which
operation an ambitious darkey who
had tackled two trunks went headlong
down the stairs, his head and shoulders
going through the glass in the door at
their foot,
We walked leisurely to the landing
and went on board the steamer LeGrand,
in which we had taken passage for Mo-
bile, and found her cabin filled with
motley crowd of passengers. There
were twenty-five or thirty men of vari-
Gus ages in suits of butternut-dyed
homespun, with broad brimmed hats,
and bowie knives and revolvers more or
less in evidence; about the same number
of women, and innumerable children,
most of them babies As the boat left