The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-06-27

ISiiiSeSs lIitg SlOOQ III small CLUSTERS.
Not the large, expansive roses of The
North but a smaller rose. a climbing or
tea rose. small but of exceeding beauty.
The rose could almost be said to be the
flower of the South, so numerous and
beautiful were they. And the negroes
apparently love those beautiful flowers
also, because around nearly every tum-
BILE shack there were roses, and
sometimes other flowers.
We passed through Memphis about
noon of that Saturday, Memphis being
city of about 253,000. We didn't linger
there long but drove on toward Vicks-
burg and on the drive from Memphis
to Vicksburg was where much of the
negro life was seen that | have de-
scribed above. 1t was at Memphis, how
ever, that we saw our first magnolia
tree. had left the car to ask directions,
leaving Mrs. Rowe and Helen sitting in
the car at the curb before beautiful
home and near which there was tree
that aroused their curiosity Just then
a young man and young girl came out
of the house and paused by the car,
when Mrs. Rowe asked the young lady
if she could tell her the name of the
tree. THAT tree, ma'm2 Why that is a
magnolia tree, man," the young lady
graciously replied. and her voice car
ried with it all that delightful inflec-
ton it is so impossible to put down on
paper.
The magnolia tree has a wide. heavy
leaf and bears blossom of much beau
ty, a blossom saucer-shaped, with
large, white, wax-like petals. We never
saw a tree in full bloom, only few
blossoms at time, but they must
be beautiful when in full flower The
blossom has strong, highly pleasing
scent and from it there is made a per-
fume, samples of which the ladies OBJ
tanned later in New Orleans
We drove into Vicksburg that night,
crossing the Yazoo river during the
early evening. That was low country,
the streams were all full of water and
many of them were Overlooking Here
the vegetation was extremely dense
large spreading trees everywhere And
on every tree, vines running wild. The
trunks of all trees entirely covered
from sight with climbing vines.
We spent the night in Vicksburg and
after putting up at a hotel walked up
and down the streets for time The
streets were filled with shoppers, inanv
of them negroes The stores were MI
omen and busy. at about 8 o'clock at
night. We noticed this throughout The
South-stores open at night, something
one no longer sees in the north.
A Historic Battlefield.
The next morning we started the
days drive by first visiting the Vicks-
burg national military park, which was
the scene of the az day siege and de-
Tense of Vicksburg in 1853. The grounds
are now a beautiful park There are
80 miles of roads and Is bridges, many
beautiful drives. The lines of both
Union and Confederate forces are
marked by tablets and monuments
There are 1893 tablets and 468 bust por-
traits, statues, monuments and memoir
ials in this park Iowa has one that
cost S156,000, Illinois one that cost
$4,000.
A memorial arch serves as the grand
entrance to the park, and was built by
the United States government COM
memorating the national reunion of
the Blue and the Gray in 1917 The park
is full of hills and ravines, making it
easy to defend and hard to capture
in the famous struggle for possession of
the city.
when Vicksburg fell the fate Of the
Confederacy was sealed" said General
Grant, for Vicksburg was the "Gibral-
tar of the Confederacy"
Adjoining the park is national GEM
etery. 1t is said only a few national
cemeteries can compare with it in at
tractiveness. Therein lie 1892 Union