Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1877 — The Sunny South. [ARTICLE]

The Sunny South.

Magnolia, Mn*., March 47, 1877. TO THE D*AB FRIKNQB OF OLD JASBJMU the more favor*, bly ara w« impreaaed with the coun-try.-Thia piney bolt 1a by no meant the moat fertile portion ol Miaaiaaippi. The rich bottom landa of the various rivers of the Mate are,said to be unaurpaa i»ed in, fertility of toil, portions of them overflowing at times, and, as a generalthing, more or less unhealthy. Barbers we have an area of country some seventy miles in length by nearly the same in width, with an altitude of from four hundred to five hundred feet above the Gulf, covered msinly with beautiful pine timber, interspersed here and there with amtH but beautiful streams of water, flowing the year round, which are formed and fed by the numerous sparkling springe that come gushing forth from the hill aides. These streams (or rivers, herd called,) abound with fish in good variety, such as pike, perch, trout, etc. The bottoms or valleys along these streams are usually narrow, and covered with a great variety of Upiber, such as gum, hickory, beach, soft maple, ash, poplar, Magnolia, oak, etc., etc., wherein is found quite abundantly, deer, wild turkey, and plenty of smaller game. These valleys have a .richer soil and will give to the husbandman a more bountiful return for his la|»or than the upland; yet, the more level portions of the upland, gives a yield of products, whibh, in variety, quality and quan-

tity; especially when taken in consideration with other advantages, ought to he satisfactory. Vegetablt*(rf nearly al! kinds, as well as most kinds of fruits, do well so far is triyd. It is doubtful if the world renowoed Cali tomia is much, if any, superior for grapes. GAisses, such as Bermuda, erab and do well. Timothy and clover have been but little tried. I saw some at McComb City, with no peculiarly favorable circumstances so far as I could see or learn, that was looking well. Oats does well. Corn, compared with that of Indiana and Illinois, is but a moderate yield; so far as I cat* leant, under favorable circumstances, not exceeding from forty to fifty bushels to the acre. But then it should be remembered that even fifteen bushels, which, perhaps, is an average yield under present cultivation (plowing with a little one-horse plow), at present price here ($1.00), is better than forty bushels at present prices therp; Stock of alt kinds does wclk The cost of raising is .comparatively little. Before the War many became wealthy, moat of whom wer»»financially rained, only here and there an exception. In company with the very intelligent and gentlemanly State Com-1 missioner of Immigration, Col. Id. B. Hillyard, together with two geMial, friends, A. D. Witney, a former citizen of Rensselaer, thy other a nephew of his) a few daysT since, we visited the town of llkolehurat and vicinity, some fifty miles north of here, where we stopped with an old gentleman and lady who 'entertained us tn the most hospitable manner. They are living on a splendid, tract of 800 acres of land, with no help but their cook, Who was numbered among those of wiealth, who was also Among the exception* as to genefrat management, and whose illustrations of the general policy I give iu hik own words: “Buy uivah nigger* to makemoah cotton, make inoah cotton to buy moah niggjers.” He came to Mississippi twelve years before the war to “get rich r ” being the owner of cite horser The war found him worth $78,000, consisting 61 3,000 acres cf land, pegroes, stoclf of ail kinds, etc. During |his time he produced his own supplies nearly entire—wheat* corn.Wiils, hay, rice, bacon, beef, piuttph, wool, leather, cloth, etc., etc., thereby making the ..prodtic tjon pf cotton in large quantities a (dear gain,' But-io my mind the only real and advantage of this nouiitry consists not in that you can >u<cuinilbile dollars ami cents much faster than any other place, but rather in the enjoyment “ f T«W * prefer , «.»

pet ent living by honest toil,; with good health, splendid waler, abundance of timber, delicious fruit, with picturesque scenery and genial climate, perhaps almost or quite unsurpassed, to the accumulation of a fortune amid the inconvemertben, aches and pains consequent upon a life in the malarial districts, or the rigid cold winters of the North, I would have no hesitancy in saying ,front all I have been able to see and learn so far: This is a splendid country. Still there may be drawbacks that I have not discovered. Wile says she has no idqa of returning to the cold regions of the north. But I intend making hastevery glowly. I shall endeavor to apprehend and report to you the disadvantages as I may be able to discover them. You doubtless will ask, What of the people? I can only say fin this already 100 lengthy article) so far as this locality is concerned, quteide of which would be only hearsiy, they are not savages, nor, as is sometimes represented, vicious and blood-thirsty. In general intelligence and morality, the whites here would compare favorably with any town of like size there, so far as I have seen. So far as friendship and hospitality toward strangers is concerned our people would compare very unfavorably. There in much in their ways that I absolutely like, but wjll speak more particularly of this and some other matters i>hat I think ■will be of interest to you hereafter. Weather beautiful—rather cold Sunday morning—some Sleet. Wife seems to be doing well now, though she experienced a backset of about a week from over exerdising. We have good hope.

D. T. HALSTEAD.

William T. Wells, aged 17, was killed near Hartford, by a falling tree, one day last week. John Eizroth, an old citizen of Miami county, killed himself and wife by shooting with a revolver, on Wednesday morning of last week. He was about 35 years of age, and infelicity and financial embarrass ment are supposed to be the cause of his fashness. R. T.. Taylor cashier of fie Franklin national bank it was discovered several weeks ago had engaged in systematically robbing that' institution for several years until he had taken nearly $12U,000 of its funds. He left suddenly bfit returned in a few days very insane and was sent to the asylum at Indianapolis. -Last week ho escaped from the asylum and is now at large. It is suspected that his insanity was feigned and that his escape was assisted by parties that are implicated in his robberies who have spirited him out of the country.