Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-20
Editors Letter Box
yankee" Impressions
Clinton Girl South

who started from Boston Win party
Sept. 10. | thought it so interesting
that you might like to print Clinton
girls impression of the South as she
sees it.
Yours truly,
Mrs r. w. Holt.
Town of Melbourne. Fla.
Oct. IS, 1922.
Dear Folks:
For as this is to go the rounds it
may as well be dedicated 70 the whole
fanny. This is. l believe. Oct. 18th.
We have been out just a month today
and are up against a new experience
as this is our first rainy day. Two
days we followed just behind rain
storm and one night Camped about
four miles from downpour. we get
ting only few sprinkleS. We are on
Il regular camp ground. There are
four other machines here and two
gave it up and left drenched this
morning. OF the bunch we are the
only ones comfortable as we are better
equipped. Our tent has proved water
proof so far and it sure did pour dur
ing the night. Well. to 60 back to
Washington where l wrote from be-
fore. We spent two more days there
taking in the Soldiers Home. Washing
tons home at Mt. Vernon, the Francis
can Monastery, which underneath is
dltclllcu dtltT tllt tdtdCOIllDS. an di
gallery and the Rcd Cross building.
containing many interesting relics Of
the late war.
Now any of the following had best
not be quoted as from reliable au-
thority, as my impressions ma xsbc all
wrong and possibly we came through
a bad section. The songs of DiXieland
and the Sunny South arc beautiful all
right. but arc tho most charming
things about it, l should add. except
in &c. 10
most kind and cordial TO US. Through
Virginia. North Carolina. South Caro-
lima and northern Georgia. there had
been no rain since the middle OF July.
which of course did not improve the
landscape and the dust was CD inches
deep. Virginia seems pitifully poor
and the others are not much better.
Paint and pumps are almost unknown
quantities. all water being drawn with
a windlasS- about 100 years behind.
but the cities we passed through
seemed quite UP to date and prosper
Gus.
"Nicgcrs. nggcrs," everywhere. ton
or a dozen living in a one room sha...
They arc quito different from those in
the north. or the whites could not live.
The population of South Carolina is
52rc colorcd. We went through many
fields Of cotton, tobacco and cane.
Saw several sorghum plants The
natives fix UP a little press. operated
by a mule or two and Windlass, to
squeeze the juice from the cane, then
boil u down TO syrup IN large Nat
Silhilar 70 mos uSeo LOT i,iapl ~ ~
We stopped az one 10 Natch ,r rt.ciii aiiu
got a taste of their wares. They only
make it for home use.
a wise fellow in Washington tried
to tell us VIC would find considerable
lcfllhT turoush thr sou tncih $500
against TN" \'ftl: but IL mas pioNeu
far from true with us. For instance;
at ANDERSON >. - we were s,opP1IIi
q while, Billy beng IN Il store. an olu
man came along ana ho'lhS me nun
per plates stopped 10 c%ll ,i,i ~ "a
tod US VIC came from apoililol htau-
quarters ana ne was con cnefalc ~
cram who fought All through lnc VA.
After chatting WhiIc II" aSacu IL
ever saw = co''ph gin dlu oiitiI T. -
show rs through one Wnefe nc llad
load going in that morning; " was
the largest GIN cast OF ~" MISSISSIPPI
re explained az thr dlHcreht opera
TONS TO US, ana lntroduccd Us 10 me
owner ana several Others as three
lankS from BOSTON when ne hdd cap-
tured. Everyone was very cotuial'
The long Leaf pine was very inter,
ostlng to me picked up some ol.cn
needles at least foot long. As we
move away. Nhcn VIC fhouanl W.
were within two easy days 81 IT. II
proved to he more than Tour. ne iaS ,
few days we struck some prctlH rough
came through about $50 miles IN Gcor-
sia of low fiat land covered WIN
burned Stumps and tall pines, All Inc
latter being slashcd Tor turpen'inc'
The real Georgia Cracker lives here.
Men. women and children are bare
footed. Hogs and cattle run unfcnccd
everywhere. so MANY and such terrible
looking hogs too. all true razor backs.
We struck FolkStoWn, the last town
in Georgia. late in the afternoon, 40
miles from Jacksonville Fla. which
We hoped to make that night But we
got reports of Il very bad stretch OF
road so held over night with several
other cars. In the morning about SIX
cars of us planned to stick together
to offer aid should any of us get mlrcd.
All got on well but had to 90 very
slowly 1t was a Very hot day. Jack
sonville is just a big busy city would
remind one of New York. We got our
more than welcome mail. som" lunch.
and decided to so on. We made -,
Augustine next. That town has some
very quaint and marrow streets ana
old buildings The more modern part
is quite beautiful.
AS to Florida in general, had L been
brought up in a swamp. l might more
easily learn to love II. but to date am
far from charmed. Its climate is the
only thing L can see to recommend II,