Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1918 — Notes From The Sunny South [ARTICLE]

Notes From The Sunny South

Harvey Davisson, Robert J., Victor and Dave V. Yeoman, ' all substantial citizens of Jasper county, Ind., arrived in town today, almost a day late, each carrying a heavy overcoat on his arm. They attracted as much attention as the writer did when he arrived home last December in the blizzard wearing his suinmer clothes. At Louisville they became so much interested in the cabaret at “Ye Old Inn” that they missed their train and were compelled to remain there until noon the next day. They were given a trip over to Liberty and the writer’s plantation and other points in interest in the afternoop enjoyed the movies in the evening and are already becoming very much interested in this country. They felt at home after meeting the members of the Jasper county colony here. They were very much surprised when they learned that Will Porter had corn already up and all his early corn planted. Dave tried his hand at driving a mule hitched to Will’s plow, but made a failure of the job and is convinced that he is not so much of a farmer after all and that when he settles here he will have to learn the Southern way of farming. The visitors were surprised when they were shown the colored family on the plantation. One of the daughters was doing the family washing and when asked how many there was in the family she at first said six, but when questioned a little closer she admitted there were an even dozen. At Louisville they were surprised to meet John Werner on his way home from the South. John, like all the rest coming to this country, evidently fell in love with it and was loth to return.

John Q. Lewis is now running a restaurant for a party here, but is intending to return to the North soon and not return until the Prentice Highway is completed, when he will erect a building and start a country store on the seven acres of land he recently purchased. John spent two weeks clearing this land of brush and saplins, and the method he used in clearing the land is the subject of comment and jest to everyone passing along the highway. The tract is covered with small pine trees from the size of a broom handle to a stove pipe. Instead of cutting the trees down John pelled the bark from each tree for about two feet. He did this as he said to prevent them sprouting, and when he learned that a pine tree did not sprout when cut down, he felt much chagrined when he found that his two weeks work had been for nothing. Another fact that he was not aware of was that peeling a pine tree will not kill it, as rosin from the tree covers the peeled portion and heals the wound and it goes right on growing. John will learn many things, however, after he has resided here awhile.'

By the way, nothwithstanding his age, John is a good walker. He was invited out for a ride Sunday evening by the writer. Five miles out on the country and the steering rod came loose and there was nothing to do but to walk to town and leave the car there for the night. John made good time, however, and got back almost in time for church. A colored preacher who has been located here eighteen years was married the other day after being a widower about a year. A reception was given at George Washington’s grocery in honor of his return with his bride. Mayor Tatum delivered an address in honor of the occasion and speeches were made by other prominent people. Refreshments were served and the evening was spent in dancing after the speechmaking and singing. It is not customery for the whites to take part in any of the doings of the colored people but this minister had been here so long and is held in so much esteem that the custom was broken this time.

Products are much higher here then back home. Corn for seed is selling at $3 per bushel, potatoes at $3.25, eggs at 35 cents per dozen, butter at 60 cent per pound and other products in proportion. Hay is* S3B per ton. Mules bring from $l5O to S3OO each and several car loads are sold here each week, being shipped in from different points and sold to the farmers, who are putting in larger crops than usual, encouraged by the high prices and the good crops of cotton last year. LESLIE CLARK. Gloster, Miss., March 8.