326 HE P65 opv 1 f Mineral Belt of Alabama ''HE FAVORED I SECTION OF THE SOUTH FCR AGRICULTURAL, MINERAL AND TIMBER LANDS FRANK Y. ANDERSON, LAND COMMISSIONER. BIRMINGHAM «^ ' A. For FaHsenfier Kate?, apply to W. C. Rineavson, General Pa8!^enp,er Aixr.t, Qneen & Crescent System. Cincinnaii, O. 0. H. R06AN, Colonization Agent, Fiirmingham, Ala HT8 A SON, "BmTefW, BlHTINfJHA*. Glass iLll^ A-k^ GENERAL DESCRIPTION. THE ALABAMA STATE LAND COMPANY, owner of the lands of the Alabama and Chatta- nooga Railroad — now known as the Alabama Great Southern Railroad — has for sale in North Ala- bama over six hundred thousand acres of agricultural, timber and mineral lands. These lands are situated convenient to the stations and on each side of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, a division of the Queen and Crescent system, which runs from Cincinnati to New Orleans and from Cincinnati to Shreveport, via Meridian, Mississippi. The Alabama Great Southern Railroad traverses the entire State of Alabama from the northeast to the southwest corner, and follows the centre of the great mineral belt of Alabama for its entire length. This mineral belt is about fifty miles wide, and extends from the northeast corner of the State toward the southwest, for about two hundred miles. It is within this great belt that all the coal, iron and rock mines, furnaces and manufactories of all kinds are located, and where the future wealth and natural increase in the value of real estate will be found. It is here where the great towns of the State will be situated, as they are now springing up within this territory all along the line of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. Here, too, employment of all kinds can be found, and every pound of produce raised from the land can be marketed at a high price at the nearest station. Good farming lands can be purchased fr^ the Company within this region for from $3.50 tcr$5.00 per acre — one-fourth cash, the balance in one, two and three years. (1) r^ .At5 OUR AGENTS. THE COMPANY has established local agencies for the sale of its lands at different points within this mineral belt, and by calling on either or all of them, they will be found on hand to show you the country. At the north end will be found Mr. W. O. W. Paixe, at Valley Head, DeKalb county, Alabama ; in the centre will be found Mr. E. A. Ceandall, at Springville, St. Clair county, Alabama, and the head- quarters of the Company at Birmingham ; and at the southern end will be found Mr. C. E. Crandall, Tus- caloosa, Tuscaloosa county, Alabama, Mr. C. C. Collier, at Blocton, Bibb county, Alabama, and Mr. Cad Jones, Greensboro, Hale county, Alabama. Letters from well known citizens residing at dif- ferent points in this section are published as refer- ences. The climate of this mineral belt is unsurpassed, there being no fevers or malaria of any kind. The summers, though longer than those of the North, are far more pleasant and uniform in temperature. The winters are short and salubrious and exceedingly recuperative to those who have suffered from the extremes of the North. The average farmer can realize more from a given number of acres in the South than he can in the North, because in the North the summers are short and the winters are long, and a great deal of his crop has to be housed and fed away to keep his stock alive during the winter ; whereas, in the South, the winters being short and mild, the stock keep fat all the year round from running on the range, and consume very little, if any, of the crop, thus enabling the Southern farmer to sell almost everything that comes off of the lands, and in this way realize much more from his efforts than he would if he lived in the North. (2) From two to three crops can be raised on the same land each year. Good schools, peaceful homes, renewed health, pleasant surroundings, great prosperity and hospita- ble neighbors await those who move from the North- west into this section of the country. Those who wish to move South from the North and West should come to Cincinnati and take the Queen and Crescent system of railroads. For further information apply to the references within, to the local agents, or the undersigned, FRANK Y. ANDERSON, First National Bank Building, Birmingham. Alabama. (3) THE PLAC!: TO MAKE HOiMES. Valley Head, Ala. My business for the last year has carried tne several times over all of this — DeKalb— county, and a good part of Etowah and Cherokee. ij For my own profit and information, I have made it afj point to consult with farmers. I saw last year's crops gath- ered, and this year's planted and grown, and may be able to give some facts that will prove of interest to those who may wish to secure homes. I shall confine my observations to the plateaus of Lookout and Sand Mountains — first, because almost all the unoccupied land is there; second, because it has become an evident fact that these plateaus are the most desirable portions of North Alabama. I recently took a two day's trip from Lathamville, west and north and back to Dawson, in company with Mr. Linzey Cash, a man who located there some years ago and is now a prosperous farmer. We traveled probably thirty miles, and passed on our road twelve men who had money loaned, and plenty of everything about them. These men, without a single exception, began poor, bought their land on time, most of them, and have made what they have from their farms. There are hundreds of men similarly situated, and there is no doubt but what they are more or less indebted for their prosperous circumstances to the " railroad lands" which they were able to buy cheap and on easy terms, enabling them to get a start for themselves. There is the same character of soil on both mountains — loose, sandy. The land never "bakes" or gets too hard to plow, and even in the bottoms, such a thing as a clod of any size is unknown. For those who wish to engage in stock raising and fruit culture, in connection with general farming, I would rec- ommend Lookout Mountain; the surface there is much more broken than on Sand Mountain, and there will always be large areas left open. These rough lands, being generally on creeks, afford the best range for both cattle and hogs. Lookout Mountain has an average width of ten miles, and extends rather northeast and southwest, for a distance of forty-five miles (where I know the land). There are nine streams ot consequence, and numerous branches running into them. Sand Mountain is twenty-two miles wide, and there are (4) twelve streams with names, and numerous branches. It is certainly the prettiest country 1 have ever seen— smooth and level and the surface free from rocks. It is a very poor farmer wiio does not raise more than a half bale of cotton and twenty-five bushels of corn per acre. J. C. Bray, of Sand Mountain PostoflBce, told me that last year he used guano and raised one-half to two-thirds of a bale per acre, but on all he cultivated individually he used compost made from his stables and raised seven bales on seven acres — no guano at all. Wheat is not generally raised on the mountains, but one of the best crops I saw this year was on Sand Mountain, and the quality of the grain is always finer than the valley wheat, just as the "sample" of the Sand Mountain cotton is better than from any other section of North Alabama. Why this is so, I cannot say, but it is an undisputed fact. It is also universally conceded that the mountains stand a drouth far better than the valleys. Every one who has the op- portunity to compare acknowledges this, but very few try to explain why it is so. The only plausible reason I have heard is the one advanced by John Mason, a Northern man, located near here on Lookout Mountain. He says that the formation of the bed-rock is such that there is perpetual under-drainage, and the rock being comparatively close to the surface, and the soil loose, vegetation growing on top is able, by capillary at- traction, to draw the moisture up through the loose soil. Con- sequently it is only after all the water in the ground is exhausted that the crops suffer. J. C. Bray, whom I men- tioned before, came to Sand Moutain from the Coosa River bottoms, where he had always been a renter. He is a great worker, and a good farmer, and the small lot of " railroad land" he was able to buy at first has expanded to over five hundred acres. His step-sons, James and Andy Gaines, have prospered equally as well. Everything that can be raised in a temperate climate does well on these plateaus; even buckwheat can be raised there to advantage. Now, fully ninety per cent, of the peas marketed from this county are raised on the mountains, and they are the life of the soil. General McCurdy, on Sand Mountain, opposite Fort Payne, averages seventy- five bushels of corn to the acre, and uses no guano. That, of course, is extraordinary. The mountain roads are numerous and splendid, the only bad places being at the creeks, and these cieeks are being bridged by the county. So far as I know there is not a forty acres of land in all this section of the country from which one would have to go more than three miles to i each a church or school. There are numerous water mills, and a good many steam mills; "grinding" is handy, and lumber can be had at the mills for fifty or sixty cents per hundred feet. (5] The woods are usually open, and therefore easily cleared, and the timber is ample for all purposes. Stock water is abundant; there are a good many springs, and good wells of freestone can be had anywhere by digging from twenty to thirty feet. Generally speaking, the winter rains do not begin before December 15, and last until March, with a good deal of height weather in January or February, and we have a sufficiency of rain during the fall to answer all purposes. For those who want homes, and want to know for them- selves what can be done, and is now being done, on these mountains, let them visit, or write to any of the following parties: S. C. Estes, Pisgah, Ala. ; Joseph Norris, South Hills, Ala. ; Eev. Noblitt, Wills, Ala. ; Joel Rogers, Rogers, Ala. ; W. L. Justice, Crossville, Ala. ; R. C. Daves (late tax collector). Sand Mountain, Ala. ; John Mason, Mentone, Ala. ; J. M. How- ard, Heneger, Ala. ; Bud Gilbert, Floy, Ala. ; Thomas Ryan (one of our county commissioners). Thirty-nine, Ala.; W. R. Longshore, Lovelace, Ala.; F. M. O'Rear, Bankhead, Ala. To close, I will say that a man on Lookout Mountain car- ried to Fort Payne, last summer, a watermelon that weighed eighty pounds, and sold it to James Russell, a merchant, for one dollar and a half, and a man from Sand Mountain brought a wagon load of watermelons to Collinsville and they averaged forty pounds each, and were raised in the cotton field. Very truly, W. O. W. PAINE. (6) THE IDEAL CLIMATE, Temperatuee at Valley Head, DeKalb County, Alabama. From the records of the Weather Bureau (E. P. Nicholson, M. D., Observer at Valley Head), for the last nine years, the following is the average tempera- ture: January 36° February 44° March 49° April 60° May 66° June 74° July 76° August 75° Sept. 68° October 57° Nov. 49° Dec. 46° The average annual Rainfall, 52 inches. Average date first Killing Frost, Nov. 3. Average date last Killing Frost, April 1. (7) PRACTICAL REFERENCES. Below are given the names of a few heads of fami- lies, who have, during the last few years, moved from other States and settled in North Alabama, within the territory of the Alabama State Land Com- pany, and are now living at or near the postoffices named : Pernal J. Smith, Santy Mills, Jackson County. S. M. Robinson. Gebaldine, DeKalb County. C. S. Halmark, W. J. Thomas, A. S. Tinney, William Gidley, W. H. Bond, R. M. Thomas, S. T. Allen, J D. Brock, E. A. Oliver, C. A. Hurst. Sand Mountain, DeKalb County. J. C. Bray, J. A. ,[Repri7ited from The Southern States (Magazine), Published in Balti- 7Jiore, Md.] [Frequent inquiries about Southern agricultural conditions, coming from farmers in the West and Northwest, suggested the gathering of let- ters from practical Southern farmers, giving their experiences in agricul- ture in the South. A great number of letters of this character have been secured, chiefly from men who have migrated from the North and West to the South, and have been engaged in various branches of agriculture.] An lowau's Success in Alabama. Valley Head, Ala. I have lived in North Alabama for the past twenty-one years. Previous to that time I resided in Iowa a number of years. I left Iowa to get away from the rigors of the severe winters and the extreme heat of summer. When the time came that I could leave, I looked at a great many localities and finally located where I am now living, on Lookout Mountain, four miles east of Valley Head, DeKalb county, which is on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. I find that the climate here is all that could be desired. The winters are not severe, and while the thermometer sometimes reaches ninety degrees in the summer, the nights are always cool, giving assurance of a good night's rest after a good day's work, and this is a blessing which cannot be enjoyed in Iowa. There I have frequently seen the thermometer at ninety degrees when I got up in the morning. All of this section is well supplied with running streams, so with pure air and good water we are entirely free from all malarial diseases, which is not the case in the West- ern States. I have all my life been a farmer, and since moving to this place have raised successfully all the grains, grasses, etc., that (14) will'ffrow in tliis latitude, such as corn, oats, rye, barley, clover, timothy, herd grass, etc., and nowhere I have ever been will pota- toes do so -well, and yield so bountifully as here — both sweet and Irish potatoes- While in Iowa I paid considerable attention to the raising of Irish potatoes. When 1 reached the South, I found that the natives were not doing anything in that line ; the sweet potato mostly was raised, and very good crops of that variety were and are raised. In Iowa the crop of Irish potatoes was, owing to the season, sometimes good, sometimes partially good and sometimes a failure. Since being here, I have raised Irish potatoes every year without a single failure, and raised from 300 to 500 bushels per acre, and one time I gathered Irish potatoes at the rate of 700 bushels per acre. The natives would hardly believe this, even when twelve of them assisted me in measuring the ground and digging and measuring the potatoes. The ground was laid off three feet and the potatoes were cut up and planted one foot apart in the rows. Blackberries grow here naturally, and all that is necessary to have them in abundance is to let the ground alone and they will soon come and thrive, and they build up the land very fast. All varieties of apples, peaches and pears also do well, and garden vegetables and small fruits thrive. Some of the nicest cherries I have ever seen anywhere grow here. There are many reasons to advance which prove that this is the place for practical farmers to locate. One of the main reasons is that here a farmer can live cheaper and keep up his farm cheaper than in the Western States, because there everything needed to build houses, fences, chimneys, etc., and even fire-wood, has to be hauled long distances, while here rock, fuel and timber of all kinds for all purposes are abundant. There is a very im- portant consideration that must be taken into account by all prac- tical farmeis, and that is the question of under-drainage. Any real agriculturist knows that under-drains prevent drowning out when there is too much moisture and mitigate the severity of a drouth. In most Western and Northwestern States, and in some European countries, immense sums of money are necessarily spent in this manner to insure a crop, while here the natural formation is such that the under-drainage is perfect — better than all the money expended in the Western States could make it. This is a great item in the economy of farming, and every one who understands the necessity for under-drains will appreciate it, for it secures good crops under proper management and cultiva- tion. I find that it does not cost near so much to raise stock here as it does in the Northwest. All kinds of stock live well ^ight or ten months in the year on the natural range grass that grows in the woods. This will keep stock ten months except in cases of, com- paratively speaking, exceedingly early and severe winters; and, like the people, the stock of all kinds are healthy. This land responds to fertilizing very readily indeed, and an old field that has been exhausted by improper cultivation can soon be brought back to (15) fertility by a little manure and the judicious use of clover, rye and peas. If any practical farmer will come here I will take pleasure in showing him all the advantages I here enumerate, and will, I am sure, convince him that my views are correct. It is wonderful how soon this country recovered from the rav- ages of the late war. It was stripped of fencing and outbuildings, and of live stock and of men, to a considerable extent, but every- thing has long since been replaced and much more added. If the seat of war had been in the Northwest as it was here, there would be a different tale to tell. John Ma.son. HEALTH AND PROSPERITY IN NORTH ALABAMA. Snake Ckeek, DeKalb County, Ala. I was raised in this county, and lived here until after I was grown and had a family. I moved to Kansas fourteen years ago, and remained in that State two years, raising two crops there, but the climate was so disagreeable and the winters were so cold, and the wind so severe, and the health of myself and family was so bad, that I left the State and went to Arkansas. I lived in that State three years, during which time I traveled over the most of the thir- teen counties when not working my crop, trying to find a suitable place to locate, but I could not be satisfied, and after making three crops, I left Arkansas, principally on account of sickness and severe drouth. I came back to North Alabama, where I was raised, con- vinced that in all points going to make up easy and cheap living North Alabama far surpassed any place I had seen. The climate here is much milder in the winter than is the climate of Kansas, and it is cooler here in the summer than in Arkansas, and the general health here is a great deal better than in either of those States. Here we have pure air, and running water in abundance, and consequently are entirely free from all malaria or epidemic of any kind. Some portions of Kansas and Arkansas are more fertile than some places in North Alabama, but it takes much more to do a farmer there than here, because he has to feed all kinds of stock a great deal longer every year. Here all kinds of grain do well, and clover grows and holds well. So do herd grass and timothy, and in fact, all of the cultivated grasses. There is a natural grass growing in the woods all over this part of this country, which makes a splendid range for horses, cattle and sheep. It is usually up in March, and lasts all through the summer and fall, and the stock thrive and grow fat on it. The timber is also plentiful — pine, poplar, chestnut in great abundance, and all the oaks. These trees bear mast, that keeps hogs well through the fall and winter. Cattle here are all free from epidemics, and are far healthier and do better than in either Arkansas or Kansas. (16) All liinds of vegetables and small fruit$ do well here; so do both sweet and Irish potatoes, also apples, peaches, pears, etc. A iarmer can live and run his farai much cheaper than in either of the other two States, for here everything he needs for building houses, chimneys, fences, etc., is all oround him in large quantities, and he has to feed very little. The people are civil, quiet and, generally speaking, industrious. Churches and schools are plentiful and, taken altogether, North Alabama is decidedly the best place for a farmer, particularly one of small means, I have ever seen. John H. Keith. ALABAMA AHEAD OF NEW ENGLAND. Mentone, Ala I came to this country nearly fourteen years ago from the State of Maine. We hnve a delightful and healthy climate, good water and plent}^ of timber, such as pine, chestnut, hickory and various kinds of oak. The soil produces all kinds of fruits and vegetables, also rye, oats, wheat, millet and sorghum cane fully as well as in New England. With the same treatment I have raised without any special preparation as good rye as I ever saw grow anywhere. We have a good range for cattle, hogs and sheep, and they can be raised cheaply. Hay and fodder are easily raised. The heat is not severe, the mercury rarely rising above ninety degrees. In the valley it is warmer in the summer than on the uplands. The Alabama Great Southern Railroad traverses the county, and furnishes a market easilj'^ attainable at Birmingham and Chattanooga and other parts of the country. We have no outlawry here. The people are hospitable, and welcome industrious, orderly people from any quarter of the world. As to politics, every man enjoys a perfect freedom in vot- ing as he desires, without persecution. I think I am safe in say- ing that a man can do much better here farming than in New England, and can situate himself comfortably with one-half the means, if he buys cautiously, that it would require there. C. N. Maxwell. (17) NORTH ALABAMA A POOR MAN'S PARADISE. Mentone, Ala. I came to this part of the country seven years ago from West- ern New York, and located on the top of grand old historic Look- out Mountain, which is a plateau from five to ten miles broad and eighty miles long, with a general elevation of two thousand feet above sea level. It is a beautifully undulating wooded country, abounding in natural grasses and forest plants, affording excellent pasturage for cattle, sheep and other stock nearly the entire year. The forest trees are largely oak, chestnut and hickory, affording most seasons such an abnndanceof nuts that hogs grow and fatten with but little expense to their owners. Stock of all kinds, includ- ing poultry, are remarkably free from disease. Our cheap lands, though not rich, are easily made productive by proper tilling and fertilization, producing nearlj^ all the grain, grasses, vegetables and fruits of the Northern States in perfection, alongside the more Southern productions, such as cotton, peanuts, sweet potatoes, etc. We have the purest and most invigorating mountain air; long, pleasant summers, and short, mild winters ; no swamp nor mala- ria ; an abundance of pure water from the mountain springs. Our society is about equally divided between the Southern and North- ern settlers, who have long since given up sectional differences, and all are working with a single aim for the improvement of our section. We need more farmers, more mechanics, more new enter- prises, such as mills for utilizing our timber, fruit canneries, cream- eries, etc., and bettei stock. I have lived in several of the Northern States, and am free to say that while they have generally a richer soil and better trans- portation facilities, and often better markets, and generally better educational advantages than we have in the South, yet we have enough to offset these advantages in our climate and variety of productions, and the length of our working season. Farmers can successfully plow here every month in the year. While the fuel question in many places West and North is one of serious consideration, here we have millions of cords of the finest wood decaying on our hillsides for the want of people to util- ize the waste timber, and with an abundance of coal underlying our mountains, the cold storms of winter have little to terrify us. Truly this is a poor man's paradise. C. F. Parker. (18) FAILURE IN CROPS UNKNOWN ! Mentone, DeKalb County, Ala. Gentlemen : — This is to those, both North and South, who desire to escape the rigors of a Northern winter and hot summer : Come South ! To those in the flood region, come up on higher ground, and breathe the pure air of Lookout Mountain ; to those west of the meridian of the western end of the Gulf of Mexico, come east, where there are no crop failures ; all who wish to live in a salub- rious climate and enjoy health, will please review your school books, and refresh 3'our memory in regard to the earth's surface being divided into zones, and that it is 3'our right as an American citizen to go where you can better your condition ; and I take^ pleasure in sending this invitation. I am of the opinion that there are thousands who, if they knew or could believe there was such a country as this, they would do as we did in Iowa: sold $40 land for $20, and bought in Alabama for $2 to $5 per acre, which is better in many respects, besides being in a mild and healthful climate, which is found in latitude 35° in this part of the United States, and by following the isothermal lines around the world, you will pass through some of the most noted places on earth; then wh}^ stay longer in a place where life is made a burden — with sickness, hardships and dangers? I am speaking to those who really desire to make a change, and, as I have lived in the North, it is an easy matter to make the comparison, so I will endeavor to show the difference between Cen- tral Iowa and North Alabama : 1. We find the winters short and mild, altogether amounting to less than one month in the North ; neither are we subject to extreme heat in the summer. The rainfall is regular, and failure in crops unknown ; the soil is sandy loam, and naturally drained — therefore no stagnant water, and no possible chance for malaria. Taking a territory with a radius of one hundred miles, which includes North Alabama, Georgia and a part of Tennessee, gives a country that every trade, profession and following could thrive and every known industry find a field. It is rich in natural resources, and only wants men and money to develope them — of which there are, judging from the outcroppings, vast quantities of coal, iron, lime, kaolin and aluminum clay, besides many other minerals ; and of building materials of many kinds, plenty of timber for fuel and building and manufacturing purposes. All of these are advatages over the Northwest. The soil is adapted to a higher state of fertility, and with ordi- nary means, little energy and no capital, a man can make a good living out of the soil, while with extra labor and expense, we have accomplished wonderful results, of which I will mention a few of the champion products : We have raised over 500 bushels of Irish potatoes per acre, and the day they were dug we sowed rye and clover on the same ground, cut a green crop in the winter for the milch cows, cut a seed crop (19) of rye in the spring, and two crops of clover in the pummer and fall — all inside of twelve months — and the land was in better order than in the beginning, as it was only a sage field when prepared for potatoes. Potatoes bring from 50 cents to $1 per bushel, rye $1 per bushel, hay $15 to $20 per ton. Again, we have made pigs weigh 312 pounds, when ten months old ; steers 1,200 pounds, with no other feed than the grass they get in the woods; have seen clover grow four feet the first year, while it took two years to grow two feet in Iowa. As a general thing, the stock of Alabama is inferior, although the best cow in the United States was raised in North Alabama, and there is a man in Middle Alabama who receives the highest price for butter, for all he makes, regardless of ihe year or season. This is sufficient to show what can be done on the farm. Sheep, poultry and honey are other items of importance. Fruit and dairy farming, no doubt, will pay ; great quantities of fruits go to waste for want of canninti: factories, and the growing demand for canned goods prompts me to invite comers to invest. Being desirous of calling attention to my own immediate neighborhood, I will state that I am at Mentone, on the top of Look- out Mountain, which is about eight miles wide and is traversed lengthwise fifteen miles by Little river, which is fed by thousands of clear water springs. The mountain at this point is dish-shaped, and over one hundred square miles of territory is drained by this river. The surface is undulating, and cohered with timber of many varieties, and also grass- There are some few farms opened. The people are composed of Northern, Western and native born, and appear to begetting along harmoniously, and are anxious and will- ing to do all in their power to make new immigrants feel at home. Most all improve in strength after a short stay, have excel- lent appetites, and I have often told parties that it is a great place to live a long time before they knew it, there being none of those dangers which prevail in other districts to cause anxiety or nervousness — there being no mosquitoes to fight, no hot nights to swelter in — whereby a person feels so refreshed that time passes pleasaintly. Now, as we have nearly every natural advantage, and in the right kind of climate, it is useless for me to say more, but will ask you to form no idea about it, but just take a little run over here, and we will show you more and better than we can tell. Those parties who cannot step off at a moment's notice, and have the least desire or curiosity to hear further particulars, will address Your humble servant, E. Mason. (20) Office of Mx^.jok W. H. Huntek, Secretary, Grand Army of the Republic. Birmingham, Ala. Maj. F. Y. Anderson, Land Commissioner, Q. & C. System, Biiminj^ham, Ala. Dear Sir: Your note, asking me to give my impressions of DeKalb county^, etc., was received, and is cheerfully answered. In company with Comrade J. F. Zediker, of Nebraska, we vis- ited the beautiful Wills Valley, through which the Alabama Great Southern Railroad runs, and the wonderful plateaus of Sand and Lookout Mountains, in June last, for the purpose of making per- sonal investigations of that section of DeKalb county, to determine whether or not it was a desirable location to recommend to our Northern comrades, and their friends who contemplate moving South. We left the Queen & Crescent railroad at CoUinsville, Alabama, under the escort of Agent W. 0. W. Paine, and soon found ourselves on the top of the famous Sand Mountain, fifteen hundred feet above the sea; and for the next two days, we traveled northeast toward Valley Head, a distance of some fifty miles, over the finest body of mountain lands we ever saw— level as a prairie, with splendid tim- ber — oak, chestnut, hickory, poplar, walnut and pine. We were most hospitably entertained by the thrift}" farmers along the road, who had good dwellings, plenty of good stock, plenty to eat, and old corn in their cribs. Wild fruits abound, and seem " to the manner born," while cul- tivated fruits and vegetables of nearly every variety seem acclim- ated and at home. Every few miles we passed churches and school houses, saw and grist-mills, and only one small grave-yai'd. I could not help thinking that ff the famous old Baron, after whom DeKalb count}'' was named, could come back from the echo- less shores and see the county as it is, and realize what it is certain to be in the near future, he would be very proud of his Alabama namesake. The numerous sparkling streams we crossed all seem to empty into Town creek, which would be called a river at any other place. There is room for twen^^^y thousand Northern and Western farmers on this wonderful mountain plain, for the improved places we saw were often many miles apart. Your agent, Mr. W. O. W. Paine, of Valley Head, Ala., in- formed us that most of these lands belong to the company you rep- resent, and can be bought for an astonishingly low price, and on long-time payments, and that your titles are direct from the Gov- ernment. Late on the night of the second day we reached Valley Head, the highest railroad point in the State, having an altitude of one thousand fifty-six feet. Next morning we climbed old frowning Lookout, not far from where Joe Hooker fought and won " above (21) the clouds." Here we found several old Union soldier farmers, all doing well and happy. We also saw very fine currant bushes, loaded down with luscious fruit. We found all kinds of small fruits and berries growing to perfection. We did not like the lay of the land as well as that on Sand Mountain, but saw many fine farms ; and lots of splendid corn, wheat, oats and clover. One old comrade farmer explained to us the secret of his suc- cess, and he had no patent on it either, for it was simply " muscle and manure." We have recommended Sand and Lookout Mountains as the most desirable places Ave saw on the trip (ever3'thing being con- sidered) to our frost-bitten, drouth-stricken, blizzard-wrecked friends of the Northwest. Yours truly, W. H. HUNTEK, Ex. Maj. 12th Ohio Vol. Cav. Valley Head, Ala., May 31, 1895. Editor Southern States, Baltimore, Md. Dear Sir: It is about one year now since I first became interested in reading the little books or pamphlets sent out by Frank Y. Anderson, general manager of the Alabama State Land Company, of Birmingham, Alabama. I then lived in Wood county, Ohio, where I had been a resi- dent for thirty-four j'^ears in the same township (Bloom). My home there consisted of thirty acres of land, and will say to the credit of all the so-called " black swamp " lands of Ohio, there is no better to be found for the production of corn, wheat, oats and clover, but nevertheless, that country has its draAvbacks — such as seven months winter, leaving only five months to plant, reap and sow each year. Fruit raising is so uncertain in Ohio, that after setting out and pruning an orchard of 150 apple, pear and plum trees for twenty years, I can remember of only three years, that the May or June frosts did not kill nearly all my fruit. This, with the effects of the changeable condition of the atmosphere, from warm to cold and cold to warm, on the health and comfort of both man and beast, is the principal reason why I became interested in reading the advertisements of the Alabama State Land Company. I also congulted with private individuals (by letter) living in Alabama, who invariably gave the assurance that the good inducements pub- lished by the above named land company were true. So I at once began to distribute the same information to my friends, who ap- peared to be suspicious of the correctness of the information given by the land company, and also the letters I received, saying : "You go down there and you will not find anything you expect to find if (22) you believe what you read in these pamphlets and letters." Now you, who are so honest yourselves that no printed matter is to be relied upon, mark this down to my credit or discredit, just as you please to do. I am here, near Valley Head, DeKalb county, Ala., and I find the cheap lands here ; I find a good, hospitable, moral and Christian people here. I landed here on the 10 o'clock train April 3, 1895 — this is now within four days of being two months ago. This is not long, of course, but when I tell you that during ray short stay here, I have not seen a man drunk, I have not heard any man or woman swear or use profane words, you may wonder. And I will also say this to the credit of the Southern people : They confess that the war of the late rebellion is over, and as a rule, the people here are less inclined to harbor ill feelings against the Northern people about the past than is the case with many Northern politicians, who (I well remember) are fighting the war over, more or less, in every political campaign. There is no such putting on of war paint here — if there is I have not discovered it. There are only some seventy colored voters said to live in this (DeKalb) county. I can say, for all I have seen of them, they are quiet and well-behaved citizens. I was told not to bring my team of horses so great a distance south (650 miles). " They won't endure the change of latitude." But my son who came with me, and I, both shipped our teams through, and we find up to this time, that horses like men, feel bet- ter where the temperature is less changeable. North Alabama has the four seasons of the year — spring, summer, fall and winter. This is necessary (in my opinion) to insure the good health of man or beast. Go south until the four seasons are almost blended into one, and no doubt it would not be advisable to go there yourself or ship stock there from the North. As to agricultural lands, I will say where I live, and as far as I have looked this country over, I find that if a home-seeker knows anything about the difierent kinds of soil in any other State, and knows what kind he wants, he can find it right here. 1 think I found the kind of soil I valued the most of any found in Wood county, Ohio. I can raise any kind of crop here I ever saw raised in Ohio, and very many more successfully. I will mention the more successful : Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes — in fact, all gar- den and field vegetables, peaches, apples and small fruits. Respectfully, Eli Raub " Corn," says the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, "is not the only product which is breaking all records. The iron output these days is the largest which the country has ever had at this time of the year. Moreover, it is steadily growing. This is one of the most striking evidences which could be found that a period of business activity, exceeding any which the country has yet known, is close at hand. The woolen and cotton mills are also on a boom of produc- tion." (23) The first section to feel the benefit of the increased output of furnaces and factories is bound to be the min- eral belt of North Alabama, toward which mechanics of all kinds will flock as labor comes into demand. The feeding of the thousands of new-comers into this industrial State will create a market for every pourwi of produce that can be grown upon the farms of this section. SHE LOTES ALABAMA. A Lady from the Northwest Finds Her Alabama Home Mucfi More to Her Taste. Apropos of the subject of immigration to Alabama that is attracting such general interest just now, the Age- Herald publishes the subjoined letter from Mrs. M. C. Arter, a lady who moved to Alabama from Nebraska about a year ago and established a home. Maj. F. Y. Anderson, Land Commissioner of the Queen & Crescent system, hearing of her progress, asked her to write her views about the relative conditions of the home of her adoption and in the West, which she has done, addressing the letter to the Southern States Mag- azine, which journal is now publishing the testimony of Northern and Western settlers who have taken up their residence in the South. Mrs. Arter's letter is particularly interesting as showing how much more pleased women are with the South than the bleak Northwest. The newspapers often contain letters from men, giving testimony from their standpoint as to the superiority of the South, and now we have the testimony of an intelligent lady, giving the attractions of the South from woman's point of view. MRS. arter's letter. Having had nine year's expeiience in the West, in the north central portion of Nebraska, the year past spent in North Alabama has seemed like an oasis to a desert traveler. Not that the West is wholly devoid of good elements. The soil of the prairies is often- times rich and deep, and the ploughman rejoices in long, straight furrows; but when his grain is tender, just glinting the field with green, and the terrible sand storm sweeps up from the sand hills, (24) tearing it from the ground or burying it out of sight, his joy is turned to sorrow. He knows his crop of small grain is doomed. But, with a brave heart, he says it is not too late for corn, and, with planter and lister, puts in the corn. It grows rapidly, and his hopes are raised as he sees the tassels waving and watches the broadening blades. Anxiously he scans the signs for rain as the tender leaves begin to curl, but often, instead of the hoped-lor rain, the hot winds come sweeping up, blighting both corn and hope, as he sees his second crop destroyed. Perhaps the hot winds have not come, and h« sees the ears well formed, promising:; an abundant harvest, when a mighty storm comes sweeping down with wind and hail, und his broad field is laid low, bruised and broken like his heart. With a family to provide for, he gathers up the fragments of his crop and prepares to struggle with the long, cold winter approaching. The wood is perhaps four, eight, ten or more miles away, growing along the streams that often must be forded amid treacherous quicksands to reach it. He is lucky if he finds a gov- ernment forty from which he can secure his supply — although liable to be called to account for stealing government timber. He gets his load, but, on getting back, finds the flour or meal barrel empty, and sends the children out to gather up '"buffalo chips" with which to make a fire, and next morning he hauls his load to the nearest town to sell it and procure bread. His kouse is but a rough-lumber shanty, hauled oftt-ntimes a long distance, and has cost him, at the lumberyard, from $18.00 to $22.00 per thousand. He has cut the sod from the bottom land, with which it is enclosed perhaps on the sides to keep out the piercing blasts when the mercury has sunk to 10 or 25 degrees, per- haps, below zero. The Northern prairie, with its rich soil, sunshine, and in some portions, sparkling streams of pure water, aftbrds but scant mate- rial for founding the new home. Not a stone, not a tree on the new comer's quarter section — only sod. When 1 hear complaint of the hard labor of clearing the tim- ber to make way for the new home here, my thought is, what a blessing there is something to chop, and the sound of the wood- man's ax is music to ray ear. It means logs for walls and lumber for tlie floor and roof easily obtained. Where the forests are the saw mill soon finds its way. Forests and rocks are bed-fellows, and the fireplace, with is broad hearthstone, soon warms and cheers the new home. There is no scarcity of fuel ; pile it high and rejoice in the glowing warmth and light ! My most painful eraot'on in establishing my home here has been fiom the necessity of burning so much of the timber on the land where it grew. I thought of the many little prairie homes where hearts would be cheered by the possession of one single pile of logs that must be sacrificed. Their ashes seemed, too, but a poor return to mother earth for the richness and beauty of her creation. Some laugh at my groves left here and there, and the row of trees by the highway ; but may the time never come when (25) the mountains and valleys ot the fair South will be wantonly stripped of their forests and fountains of life allowed to dry. Though it is less than one year since I began my new home, and the season has been marred by frost destroying its fruit to an' extent not known before in forty years, if the "oldest inhabitant" is to be relied upon, still we are rejoicing in the fullness of our stores. Corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, millet, sorqhum, various for- age crops and vegetables are ail abundant and of fine quality. The small fruits escapf^d the frosts to such an extent as to leave a fair crop of strawberries, blackberries and grapes. My chief pride is in some fine, crisp, celery. On looking for the seed, I was told it was not raised here ; there was no call for the seed and they didn't keep it, and didn't think it could be grown. My faith that it could was sufficient to induce me to send for a single package, and from it I have as fine celery as any one need wish. So far it has shown no signs of decay and is still grow- ing, though m}^ table has been daily supplied for two weeks with well bleached, tender, crisp hearts, and there seems to be no neces- sity for depending on Cincinnati for a supply. Forty acres here I consider worth more, under intelligent cul- ture, than four hundred in northwest Nebraska. I see no reason why stock raising should not pay as welL Grasses abound, and the great markets are no farther away.. Shelter can be cheaply provided, and no fear of their drifting before a fierce blizzard till their blood is frozen in their veins and they fall dead in its path. The winter is short, and by care green pasturage can be had at all seasons. Rye and various grasses sown in early fall or late summer will furnish it. The fruit industry of this section is still in swaddling clothes,, but the markets are annually calling for a greater supply — we are becoming more and more a fruit-eating people, and this locality has every natural qualification for this industry. The rainfall is abun- dant and the fruit growers do not need to mortgage themselves to- a great irrigation corporation in order to grow it or any other crop Irrigation is now being discussed by the people of westerrk Kansas and those of western and northern Nebraska; preliminary surveys have been made and the theory pronounced practicable^ Eastern capitalists stand ready — waiting only till the land owners, in despair, put themselves under bonds at their dictation. Why be tempted into this last ditch, when sunny skies, a genial clime, with nature's bounties spread on every side, are waiting to welcome the willing hands that will build worthy homes from which their child ren and children's children shall rise up and call them blessed. The business people of the South welcome every well-inten- tioned family that settles in their midst. It is only necessary that the two sections become acquainted to live in harmony; each can learn some better ways, and the benefit be mutual through business and social intercourse. The railroads of the South over which 1 have traveled, espe- cially the Alabama Great Southern, cannot be surpassed in its accommodation of its patrons. Clean, comfortable day coaches (26) and superb compartment sleepers for night. No Pullman sleepers, with the upper berth, though unoccupied, locked down, but com- modious double and single compartments, where one can have the privac}' and comfort of a room well ventilated and wholesome. Gentlemanly officials and attentive trainmen, from conductors to brakeraen. There is an abundance of land waiting the home seeker, at low prices and easy payments, all along its lines, from Tennessee to its terminus. Respectfully, Maria C. Arter, Lookout Mountain, near Gadsden, Ala. Frnit on Chandler Mountain. ^ AsHviLLE, St. Clair Countv, Ala. I desire very briefly to call the attention of those who wish to grow fruits in Alabama to Chandler Mountain. This Mountain is one of nature's beauties and is located some six miles north of Ashville. In almost every respect it is the best place to grow fruit I ever saw in Alabama. This mountain rises on the west bank of Little Canoe creek, on the line of Etowah and St. Clair counties, and etxends southwest a distance of eleven miles, and then sud- denly drops down. The table lands on its top are about 800 feet above its base. It is bounded on the east by the beautiful valley of Canoe creek, and on the north and northwest by Greasy cove. The mountain is from seven to eight miles across, and on its top are to be found beautiful table lands, in width from two to four miles. These lands are quite productive, well timbered and well watered, and produce well almost any kind of fruits and vegetables grown in this latitude. Thej' hardly ever fail to bring fruits, being above the frost latitude. The small fruits, as well as peaches, apples, pears, etc., can be grown with great success up there, and thrown into the early spring markets. The Alabama Great Southern Railroad runs at the eastern base of the mountain. It is within forty miles of Birmingham, and in less than sixty miles of Chattanooga. Fruits can be gathered on this mountain and placed on the Cincinnati market in less than twenty- four hours. Early peaches can be grown there and sold in Cincin- nati for $7.00 or $8.00 per bushel. Health is almost perfect; scen- ery beautiful. A public road crosses this mountain, leading from Steeles, a station on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, to Greasy cove. Some of these mountain lands belong to the United States government, and can be homesteaded. Almost one-half of the lands belong to The Alabama State Land Companj'', Birmingham, Maj. F. Y. Anderson, general manager. There are a dozen or more farmers living on this mountain, and there are the best of reasons why there should be more than a thousand families there within the next three or five years. All manner of vegetables grow well on this mountain land. I could say much more, but will say no more now. (27) This mountain is in townships 12 and 13, south, and ranges 3 and 4, east. John W. Inzer. Intelligent, Energetic Men Wanted. Spijingville, Ala. We have a uniform climate, running into neither extreme heat or cold ; every variety of soil — mountain lands, table lands, valley lands and bottom lands along our principal streams. All of these are adapted to the successful cultivation of the cereals, grasses, stock raising; with no better climate or country for fruits of all sorts, grapes and berries. We have neither in the towns nor cities, nor in the country anywhere, any locality subject to disease or epidemics of any class. Generally speaking the country is high, with dry, healthy atmos- phere and abundance of pure limpid water gushing from the mountain sides, of which we have many in almost every vicinity. All we lack in Alabama to make it the foremost State in the Union, is men — high-minded, intelligent — who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves to make their homes attractive and happy. We will guarantee homes for all. Lands are cheap, living is ■cheap — none cheaper anywhere — and the way is open to every good citizen to make a handsome competence for himself W. S. FOKMAN. Remunerative Crops. Mr. John E. McCleskey, Boaz, Marshall county, Ala., writes: " Understanding you are desirous of getting the experience of persons who have emigrated from other States, especially from a colder climate, and settled in Alabama, and as I regard myself as one of that class, coming from a colder country, I send you a few lines. " This is a very good country for a man to make a good liv- ing at farming. I have done so, and am doing so from j-ear to year. It is a good country, however, for all classes of industrial laboring men. "I find my lands will produce and yield me returns in almost anything and everything I exact of them. I say to them, I want corn, wheat, potatoes ; I stir them in a proper and timely way ; I plant the seed, they germinate and grow, In this way, I say to them, ' You do your duty, and I will do mine.' 1 try in good taith to keep my promises, for the reason that I feel assured they will try to be faithful to me, and thus, by persevering and holding out faithfully to the end we almost invariably come out rejoicing together in a knoweledge of the fact that we are rewarded with remunerative crops ot corn, wheat and potatoes. " Lands equally as good as mine, and located all along the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, can be purchased from The Alabama State Land Company', Mr. F. Y. Anderson, General Manager, Birmingham, Ala. (28) " Should any reader desire further or more specific informa- tion, he may acdress the undersigned. " Respectfullj', " John E. McClesky, " Boaz, Marshall County, Ala." A Prosperous County. Mr. M. L. McDaniel, Etowahton, Etowah county, Ala., writes : " Being one among many others who have tested by personal experience the advantages of the Routhern climate and soil, as compared with the country and temperature of the more rigorous latitudes, having now been a resident of North Alabama for several years and having succeeded in making an independent and com- j>etent living, and learning from various sources that many are tell- ing their expei'ience in a public way, I have concluded to do the same. "I grow, with other crops, peanuts, pumpkins and potatoes — both sweet and Irish — corn, oats, cotton, sorghum, tobaccc, and, in fact, almost anything I want. " I have improved and brought up my land so that it yields me three to four times as much in successive crops as it did at the be- ginning. " My land averages, in good seasons, within a fraction of a five- hundred-pound bale of lint cotton. Had cotton on some of my land last 3ear fully ten feet high and pretty well boiled from bottom to top. A full acre like it would have turned out at least two and pos- sibly three, bales. " My neighbor excelled in pumpkins, making them weigh from forty to fifty pounds. A fifty-pound pnmpkin is a big thing and worth looking at. Ours is a rather sandy soil — vegetable loam. With our usually favorable seasons, of corn a fair average is from twenty-five to fifty bushels, and of wheat, ten to twenty bushels per acre. " I have seen as fine tobacco grown on our lands as can be pro- duced anywhere. "We ought to devote more time and land to growing some of the grasses. Orchard grass, millet and several varieties can be produced with profit. We need hay for the supply of our larger towns and cities. " To every one, North and West, I would say, we have here a good country and one that I would not exchange for any other. We have not much cold weather in winter, and not much hot weather in summer; a healthful country, a soil just as good as an industrious worker will make it ; good water, and everything else favorable. " Some of the railroad lands here are reallj^ excellent in quality. I purchased some from the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, and they are among the best I have. " 1 came near forgetting to say that we raise excellent fruit — (29) apples, peaches, pears, etc. I have apples that will keep until the new growth comes in, first class in quality. " If any man desires other or more specific information on matters about which I have written, he can address me. " M. L. McDaniel, " Etowahton, Etowah county, Ala." Healthy North Alabama. Mr. a. J. Hunt, Friendship, Marshall county, Ala., writes ; "I have now lived in the South several years, having come from the State of New York. We have in our section about as many of the elements necessary to make up what may be termed the good of the land as in any State — uniformity of climate, excellent water, a generous and prolific soil, constituting the base — soil which, with timely and intelligent manipulation, will produce crops that have no superior in any community. This section of the country is reached via the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, along which road land similar to my own can be purchased at from $4 to $5 per acre on easy terms. " Several years' experience have confirmed opinions as to the capabilities of Alabama, and I would urge these upon the attention of many thousands of would-be thrifty, hard-working people, cul- tivators of the soil, who are struggling in the North against adverse •contingencies for a livelihood. "North Alabama is in part rolling, somewhat mountainous; nothing rough, ragged or forbidding; just variation enough in its surface and topography to impart beauty and grandeur to the landscape; abounding in rich, productive valleys, ridge plateau or table lands a few hundred feet above the level of the contiguous valleys ; just undulating enough for sufficient and ready drainage, free from rock, quagmire or marsh, with soil of every variety for •cultivation. " In speaking of the soils ot North Alabama, their composi- tion and adaptability, I am prepared to say, for all ordinary farm products, — cotton, wheat, oats, corn, tobacco, rye, potatoes, Irish and sweet — are produced as abundantly and successfully as in any of the States or in any soil I have known anywhere. So, too, I may add, as to the growing of fruits— the peach, apple, pear, grapes of many varieties — whether for their fruit or for wine, each, all flourish in this region. " Stock raising, sheep, hogs, cattle, horses, etc, can be pur- sued with profit. '^ With favorable seasons and proper preparation of soil, we average from twenty to forty bushels of wheat per acre; oats, from thirty to seventy-five bushels, and corn anywhere from fifteen to seventy-five bushels on our lands ; our wheat, oats and corn will be found to be ot as full weight per bushel, and of as good and mar- icetable quality as in the best cereal regions elsewhere. "Tobacco is not now grown with us as a money crop. Many (30) farmers raise tobacco for domestic use, little, it any, for market, lience small patches only are seen here. But I am satisfied from what I have seen of its culture that no section of our country is better adapted for its successful cultivation. " Yevy much the same may be said of grape culture as here -stated of tobacco. Many varieties of the grape are grown in our .soil as luxuriantly and abundantly in yield as in any other country. " On the homestead of nearly every enterprising farmer will be seen the vines of several varieties; many produce the fruit and make wine, both for the family and for sale. " This is the land and country for potatoes of all sorts; no- where that I have lived or traveled have I seen finer tubers than are yearly produced in our soils. The same is equally true as to garden vegetables, the strawberry, etc. " Citizen residents are here from many of the different States. As a people, they are upright, moral and industrious. Travelers will notice more churches and school houses by the wayside along •our public thoroughfares and cross roads, and more regularly occu- pied at their appointed seasons, than he is accustomed to see in many other localities. Nature has done abundantly for us. " We have a mild and quite uniform temperature, not subject to extremes of heat or cold in summer or winter. " Should any one desire fuller or more specific information on any point or matter pertaining to North Alabama, if he will put himself to the trouble to address me at my postoffice, Friendship, Marshall county, Ala., stating his desires, I will take pleasure in undertaking to supply his wants. But the best of all will be for him to come and see for himself." Sunshine and Pleasure. Blocton, Bibb County, Ala. Three years ago I bought ten acres of land two miles from Blocton which is situated near the Alabama Great Southern Rail- road, in Bibb county, with the intention of growing vegetables and marketing to this town. This land which I bought was considered worn out, and con- sequently it had grown up with old-field pines, but 1 find that it yields far better than I had expected. This year I gathered over two hundred bushels of sweet po- tatoes from one acre, while other varieties of vegetables produce equally as abundantly. All vegetables sell at good prices. Potatoes sell readily at 75 cents per bushel. All fruits do exceedingly well in this section. In this immediate neighborhood, and all along the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, there are thousands of acres of well tim- bered lands which can be liought for from $4 to $5 per acre, and they are equally as well adapted to gardening as my land. All the lands in this section are underlaid with coal. Our place is destined to become a city. Our country will be known as one of sunshine and pleasure. The summers are pleasant, (31) scarcely ever reaching over ninety degrees, and the winters also are pleasant, thermometers scarcely ever registering lower than thirty degrees above zero. A look is all that is necessary to convince any one that this is the grandest section of the country. Neighbors all around are reaching out in this direction faster than I am. J. M. Wallace. Farther South ! The Farm, Garden and Orchard Flourish. Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Ala. I am constantl}'- traveling through the counties of Tuscaloosa, Bibb and Hale, located in Middle Alabama, on both sides of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad — one of the divisions of the Queen & Crescent system — and necessarily have excellent oppor- tunities of judging of the character of the country. In these counties are located, convenient to transportation, great belts of long leaf pine timber belonging to the railroad, stand- ing ready to make fortunes for those who come here and invest. This is an exceedingly favorable section of the State for farm- ing, gardenintr, fruit and stock raising of all kinds. We need more settlers ; industrious men who desire to better their condition should come here to reside. The sections I have visited abound in excellent water, numer- ous springs and rivers. Th'j climate is uniform and healthy, and everything the farmer can produce can be sold at good prices at the nearest station on the railroad. The lands the railroad has for sale lie along its line, conven- ient to the stations, and can be purchased at from $8 to $5 per acre, on easj' terms. Persons wishing to examine this country should write, giving me timelj' notice, and I will meet them at the Tuscaloosa station and take pleasure in showing the country. Below I give, as references, the names of a few of our farmers residing in the counties named, who, no doubt, will be glad to answer anj' inquiries in reference to this section of Alabama. Very truly, C. E. Crandall, Local Land Agent. Below will be found the names of a few heads of families for references in Tuscaloosa County, Ala. : Names. Postoffice. Andrew Clines Crump James VV. Norris Tuscaloosa W. C. Jemison Tuscaloosa N. N. Clements Tuscaloosa E. D. Christian Oregonia J. W. Earnest Oregonia Lumas Clements New Lexington (32) : NAMES. POSTOFFICE. Sam Clements ^'ew Lexington George Washington Norris Binions Creek W. P. Keeton Woodstock JoeHase J^earl Clay Lewis Carthage John Auxf ord Carthage Henry Banks Carthage Jim Smith Romulus J. W. Robertson Romulus W. S. Spencer Sylvan John Townsend Sylvan N.G. Holly Fosters T.A.Rice... Northport N.T. Fatton Northport W.W.Watson Northport N.L. House • Northport Joe Ferguson Northport J. M. Jackson Hayes W. A. Keopple Coaling Mathew Vance Vance Station J. M. Lindsay Cocoa. W. G.Dunn Wiley E. J. Hagler Samantha The Best Watered State in the Union, CoALiKG, Tuscaloosa Co., Ala., Feb. 14, 1895. Mr. e. E. Crandall, Land Agent, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Dear Sir : Replying to your inquiries as to what section of the United States I prefer as a home, I answer, with emphasis, Alabama. I am by birth a German, and came to this country in 1853. I have lived in Kentucky, " The Blue Grass State," and also in the State of Missouri. I moved from Missouri to Mobile, Ala., where I lived for several years; leaving there I came to where I am now living, where I have been for the past twenty years. I can truly say that I am glad I came, for both myself and family have enjoyed excellent health during all this time. I have prospered in this country, having made enough to live on, and have saved some money. If any one would give me a farm in the North to move there I would not accept it, but would thank him, assuring him that the balance of my days would be spent in Alabama. The South has a great many advantages over any country in the way of climate. Vegetables of every description grow the whole year; stock can be kept in good condition for the most part of the winter without feed, consequently this is quite an item with a person who has stock, costing but little to keep them. Oats are sown in January and harvested in June ; we then plant the same ground in corn, potatoes or any other crop that is raised in this section, making two good crops off the same ground. Most of this part of the State is rolling, sandy soil, which makes it easy to cultivate. Alabama is the best watered State in the Union, finding any kind of water imaginable. I will take pleasure in answering any correspondence relative to this section, and would (33) advise any one looking for a healthful, prosperous locality to visit and investigate this section before settling elsewhere. Yours truly, W. A. Keopple. A Garden Country. Johns, Jefferson County, Ala. Manufacturers' Record Publishing Co, Baltimore, Md. Gentlemen: I bought lands from The Alabama State Land Company, of Birmingham, Ala.; eighty acres situated in section 19, township 18, range 5, west, in Jefferson county, Alabama. The land is splendid for all kinds of agricultural purposes. I can raise from thirty-five to forty bushels of corn to the acre. Oats, wheat, rye and other grains grow to perfection. Grapes, apples, peaches and all kinds of fruits grow magnificently. All kinds of vegetables do exceedingly well. The timber consist*? of pine and oak principally — both of fine quality and plent}^ of it. Coal and iron ore abound in exhaustless quantities, and of first-class quality. The coal is a natural coking coal and is considered the best in the State for melting oi'e, etc. The coal is also used for steam and other purposes. Dr. J. C Jones, of this place, has a garden of about one acre and.a quarter, well set in guinea grass, which produces from four to five tons of hay annually. The other acre is planted in all kinds of vegetables, including corn, potatoes, beans, onions etc., etc., which, with a little fertilizer, annually will realize at market prices, in the last few years, at least $200 to $250 without any extra atten- tion after cultivation. Four years ago this land was an old turned out field, the poor- est land in the vicinity. On a piece of ground of this acre, 200 feet by 15 feet, he sold $15.00 worth of onions, besides what he used, from April 1 to the present time. This, however, was well fertil- ized. From one peck of Irish potatoes he raised fifteen bushels. Other vegetables yield in proportion. According to your request, I herewith append the following names of tarmers, and their addresses, who reside in this section: Henry Raines Adger, Ala. Simon Sellers Adger, Ala. J, B. Cox Adg-er, Ala. Dr. J. M. Armstrong Adger, Ala. Mac Maboney Adger, Ala. J. P. McAdory McCaully, Ala. William Dixon McCaully; Ala. A. J. Letson McCaully, Ala. John E. Parsons McCaully, Ala. William Sellers McCaully, Ala. J. K. P. Laird Razburg, Ala. J. C. Howton Razburg, Ala. (34) S. V. Travis Kazburg, Ala. Jacob Smith Toadvine, Ala. C. C. Smith Toadvine, Ala. J. T. Willard Greenpond, Ala. Harvey Norwood Greenpond, Ala. Dr. Ragsdale Greenpond, Ala. If there is any other way in which I can serve you, I am, Yours to command, Isaac B. Paksons. High, Level and Fertile Hale County. Carthage, Hale County, Ala. Editor Southern States, Baltimore, Md.: Dear Sir: — I notice that you are publishing letters from peo- ple who have moved South for the purpose of locating and farming. I am a native of Denmark, Europe. A good many years ago I settled in southern Louisiana, but soon found that, though the lands were rich, the country was not as well suited to me as I Avould like. I therefore, moved into Alabama and located on the high, level, fertile lauds in Hale county, about one mile from Carthage, a station on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, where I have now lived for twenty-three years, and never enjoyed better health. This is the most suitable country I have found since I have been in the United States, for farming and Iruit raising purposes. I have a good farm and a comfortable home, good water, fine health and enough to last me my lifetime. Our crops are fine and markets convenient. We can r.aise from a bale to a bale and a half of cotton per acre on our land, without the expense of fertilizing, and from forty to fifty bushels of corn. Stock do well the entire year by running on the ranges. I advise all seeking homes to settle in this section of Alabama. Very respectfully yours, O. L. Anthon. The Soutb's Great Increase. {From Birmingham Daily News.) The man who tbinks that the South is retrograding, or is at a standstill and is not coming rapidly to the front as the favorite section of this North American continent in all things, evidently does not know the history of his country as it is being enacted day by day. Who ever heard of people starving in the South? Yet manj' farmers of Nebraska are now without the necessaries of life. Who everheardof rain not falling for a space of three or four months in this section and all the crops drying up for the lack of the refresh- ing showers from heaven ? Yet this is becoming a yearly occur- rence on the wind-swept plains of the West. Who ever heard of iron being n)ade as cheaply in the North as in Alabama, or of any other section possessing as many advantages of mineral wealth, soil and climate as tMs favored spot of ours ? The world is at last realizing all these facts and many more. (35) New England manufacturers have learned that they must come South with their plants or quit the field. They are not going to quit the field, so they are coming South. A definite idea of the rapid strides of progress made by the South of late years is given in a recent issue of the Baltimore Manufacturers^ Record. A person has but to read these few figures to be convinced that this section is destined yet to be the greatest in the country. The Manufacturers^ Becord reports in detail the progress of the material wealth of the South during the past fourteen years, i e., from 1880 to 1894, that is both astound- ing and agreeable. The following table, says the Manufacturers Record, tells the story of Southern progress more forcibly than pages of detailed descriptions could do : Railroad mileage Yield cotton, bales Yield grain, bushels Coal mined, tons Pig iron produced, tons Number of cotton mills Number of spindles Number of looms Capital invested in cotton mills Capital invested in cotton-oil mills Number of cottou-oil mills Lumber sawed and planed, value of product. Lumber sawed and planed, capital True value of property, as per census report. Farm assets Value farm products Capital invested in manufacturing Value of manufactured products 1880 20,612 5,755,000 431,000,000 6,049,000 297,301 180 667,000 14,323 $21,976,713 $3,504,000 40 $46,938,100 $26,902,644 $7,641,000,000 $2,314,000,000 $666,000,000 $257,244,561 $457,453,777 1894 46,900 500,000 000,000 000,000 560,000 425 000,000 68,000 ,900,000 000,000 300 §^$114,746,674 ' ,604,375 ,261,000 ,000.000 ,000,000 ,000,000 ,000,000 600, +$107,1 $30, J§ni,534 §§$3,182 t$850 t$800 $$1,000 § 1893. t Census of 1890. Estimate based on 1890 census. Analyzing these stupendous figures, the Eecord continues : " It will be seen that since 1880 the railroad mileage of the South has increased from 20,612 miles to nearly 47,000 miles, or, in other words, we have built in the last fourteen years over 6,000 more miles than the South had in operation in 1880. In that period the South has quintupled its coal production, rising from 6,000,000 tons to 80,000,000 tens ; increa.«ed its pig iron production from less than 400,000 tons a year to nearl}' 1,600,000 tons; in- creased the capital invested in its cotton mills from $21,900,000 to $107,000,000; the number of spindles in its cotton mills from 667,- 000 to H. 000, 000; 'he capital invested in its cotton oil mills from SiS,500,000 to $30,000,000. The census report of 1890 showed that that the true valuation of all property in the South was $11,500,- 000,000, against $7,641,000,000 in 1880, an increase of ^3,900,000,- 000. During the same census period the value of the South'sfarm assets made an increase of nearly 900,000,000. Tiie capital in- vested in its manufacturing interests in the last fourteen years has advanced from $257,000,000 to $800,000,000; the value of the man- ufactured products turned out in the South has risen from $457,- 000,000 to at least $1,000,000,000. Such a record of progress as this may well command the attention of the business world. It (36) deserves the careful study and consideration of men who are watching the currents of the world's business interests and lasing their calculations for the future upon their investigations." After reflecting upon these facts and figures, the thought nat- urally arises, that, if we have made such rapid strides during the past fourteen years, under adverse circumstances, how great are our possibilities for the future, with the prospect of bettei times, the blotting out entirely of sectional animosities, and the knowl- edge of our great resources and advantages made known to the world. The South's future is a bright one. Southward, Ho ! The Climate of the South More Genial Than Germany— Der Auswanderer Right— Major Frank Y. Anderson Writes a Letter in Reply Full of Pithy Points. {From the Birmingham Age-Herald.) Every capital city of Europe is north of Washington except Athens. The substantial immigrants who come to America look at the map and see that the South is several degrees lower in lati- tude than their native land, and they very naturally dread to come South. They think it lies in the tropics, and that the heat of sum- mer is something terrible. After they have located there they find that the cold and heat of the Northwest is more extreme than in the South. They learn that the South has the most equable and temperate climate in the world. The leading German paper of New York, Der Auswanderer, has gone to trouble and expense to prevent German immigrants from making the fatal error of settling in the Northwest instead of the Sou/th. It has compared the temperature of Germany with that of the South, and the result is a surprise. It is found that the climate of the South is more temperate and equable. This fact will turn the tide of German immigration from the Northwest to the South. The editor of Der Auswanderer sent a copy of the chart to Maj. Frank Y. Anderson of this city, and asked his opinion on the comparison. Major Anderson replied in the following pithy letter : Birmingham, Ala. To Emigrant Publishing Company, 72 Times Building, New York, N. 1''. Gentlemen : I beg to acknowledge your favor of the 9th instant, enclosing advance sheet of " The South Versus the Great Northwest," which will be published in Der Auswanderer of August 20, and which I have read with much interest. (37) Summary of International Meteorological Obser- vation Chart. From Observations Made Simultaneously in Both Countries. American Stations. St. Louis Louisville, Ky Washington, D. C Baltimore Knoxville, Tenn . . . . , Charlotte, N. C ..1^5, Little Rock, Ark , Atlanta, Ga Memphis, Tenn Norfolk, Ya Valley Head, Ala . . . , Abilene, Tex iShreveport, La Ft. Grant, Ariz Montgomery, Ala. . . Wilmington, N. C. .. Vicksburg, Miss Savannah, Ga Charleston, S. C Mobile, Ala Birmingham, Ala ... Jacksonville, Fla. ... New Orleans, La .... Yuma, Ariz Galveston, Tex Key West, Fla European Stations. Memel Munich Ausbacli Breslau Bamberg Friederichshafen Wustrow Leipsic Berlin Kiel Cassel Madgeburg Hamburii Carlsruhe Frankfurt-on-the-Main 26. 27. 28. 28. 31. 32, 33. 33. 35 35, 36, 35 37 37 38 39 M9 41 41 41 42 43 46 46. 49 64 36.. T 36.5 38. 38.3 38.7 38.8 39.4 41. 41. 41.9 42.4 42.4 42.8 43.5 44.6 April July 53.1 77.4 47.8 75.1 45.3 75.7 45.9 76.4 50.2 73.5 50.9 74.9 54 A 74.2 53.6 72.6 55..3 74.8 48.7 77. 60. 76. 55.6 78. 57.2 75.2 47.3 66.2 55.4 74.2 54.3 78.4 57.6 74.6 57.6 77.4 58. 79.5 58.4 76. 60.2 72.5 62.2 78.3 61.7 77.3 56.8 79.3 66.8 78. T:i.7 81.8 48.6 68.5 56.7 68.9 52.9 68. 55.9 75. 54.7 76.5 49.3 77.2 43. 68.3 45.9 68. 50.7 77.2 51.8 69.1 55.6 76.8 52.9 66.7 42.3 75.2 51.6 74.8 53.2 74.1 The International Meteorological Chart in this article, taken from observations made simultaneously (38) in both countries, is not only new, but the most con- vincing argument that I have yet seen in that line. Take, for instance, the temperature as shown in this chart, of Shreveport, La., and Hamburg, Germany. Upon a comparison of these two important points, I find that the temperature in January is 37 and a frac- tion in Shreveport, and 42 and a fraction in Hamburg ; in April in Shreveport it is 47 and a fraction, and in Hamburg 42 and a fraction ; and in July — the hottest month — it is 75 and a fraction in Shreveport, and ex- actly the same in Hamburg. This must be a revelation to those who ignorantly have supposed that the North presented climatic ad- vantages over the South. The tide of immigration is naturally along the lines of latitude, hence German emigrants should seek the Southern States for new homes, for the reason that the climate is similar, the lands are cheaper, and the produce raised therefrom demands a higher price. I select Shreveport because, though well situated, its altitude is not high above tide water. If, however, the comparison could be made with that portion of Alabama located between Chattanooga and Meridian, with its beautiful table lands and rich valleys, the temperature would be found to be much lower in sum- mer and higher in winter than Hamburg, as shown in the chart. The farmer in the North and West is handi- capped on account of the short summers and the long and dreary winters. He can rarely make but one crop during the summer, and only a small percentage of this can be marketed, for, on account of the long win- ters, it takes most of the crops raised in the summer to keep the stock alive. In the South this state of affairs is reversed. The summers are long and the winters short and mild, and the farmer can harvest from two to four crops on the same land, and as the winters are short it takes but a small percentage of his crops to keep his stock in good condition. The result of this is that the farmer in the South can sell a large per cent, of what he raises, and is thus able to realize much more from a given number of (39) acres in the South than he can in the North or West. All the cereals that can be grown in the North and West can be raised in the South, with the addi- tion of cotton and tobacco. ' In fruits and vegetables, the South has great ad- vantages over the North ; they grow more luxuri- antly, and consequently are more easily cultivated ; they ripen earlier, thus demanding a readier and higher market. Equally as good lands as those now sold in the North and West at from $30 to $75 an acre can be bought in the South at from $4 to 110 per acre, and this, too, on long time, so as to permit the purchaser to make the purchase money, by his labor, out of the land. Educational advantages are found in every town- ship throughout the South, and a hearty and hospit- able welcome from every citizen of the South awaits those who wish to come and make their homes in our midst. Very respectfully, Frank Y. Anderson. The Story of Southern Prosperity. The Southern States magazine in this month's issue publishes elaborate reports from Southern bankr ers and railroad officers in regard to the outlook for farming and general business interests, with a special reference to the diversification of agriculture in the South. The reports show that the usual large corn ci'op of 1894 will be excelled this year by at least from 100,- 000,000 to 150,000,000 bushels, and it is estimated that the aggregate yield in the South will be from 500,000,- 000 to 650,000,000 bushels. This yield will be the greatest corn crop ever produced in the South. Fruits and vegetables, as shown by these reports, are attract- ing great attention, and the yields this year have been unprecedentedly large. The South has been blessed as never before with every crop. The Southern States says: "It is an interesting story of abundant crops, of freedom from debts and increasing prosperity, which (40) is told in reports from bankers and railroad officers." People intending to make a change in residence will not look with displeasure upon a removal to a country that is not only prosperous and improving in every way, but where lands are cheap, and living easy, and every facility for the accumulation and expansion of wealth offers itself to the thrifty husbandman. Alabama is Advancing. {Montgomery Advertiser .) The rising sun of prosperity is shedding its benefi- cent rays over our industries, driving the croaker to seek refuge in silence and to hide his head, so that the brightness of its rays shall not dazzle his baneful eyes. The fires in our iron furnaces are lighted, the wheels in our factories are revolving, the wages of our industrial workers are being increased, and in every direction is to be seen industrial and commercial activity. From all of the agricultural sections come reports of good crops. Our farmers have plenty of corn and meat and owe less money than at any time since the war. Con- fidence is restored and capital is seeking investment. The opportunities offered for profitable investment in Alabama are attracting attention, and the indications are that much money will be invested here in indus- trial enterprises and real estate during the fall and winter. At present it is Alabama's iron industries ttiat are attracting the most attention, and well they may. The opportunities for the production of iron in Alabama compare favorably with any place on earth, and her iron manufacturers can meet the competition of the world. That this is so is emphasized by the contract re- cently made with the Anniston Pipe Company for 30,000 tons of their product, to be shipped to Tokio, Japan. The leading foundries of the world bid for this order, but they could not compete with Alabama. The contiguity of the ore and the excellent coal reduces the cost of iron production here to a very low figure, and enables us to successfully compete with all comers. This is but the beginning, and the time is not far dis- tant when Alabama will be in active competition with England for the world's trade. (41) As it is with the manufacture of iron, so it will be with many other industries. The magnificent facil- ities which are here for a great variety of manufac- tures will eventually attract them to us, and before another decade has passed, Alabama will be one of the leading industrial States of the Union, if not the fore- most one. In spite of the stabs of her enemies, in ; spite of the predictions of false prophets, in spite of the cries of woe and destitution uttered by those who are dependent upon her bounty, our grand State is forging ahead and is rapidly demonstrating that the ^wealth of her resources is almost fabulous. <42) 1 THE MINERAL BELT OF ALABAMA, — IS — The Garden ...SPOT... .^m^of the South, DO YOU WANT Safe Investment, To get Rich, A Comfortable Home, Employment for your Sons, A Market, at good prices, for everything you raise, Good Schools, An Ideal Climate, Pleasant Surroundings, A country where the value of Lands is cer- tain to advance, THEN LOCATE /N The Great MINERAL and AGRICULTURAL BELT of ALABAMA, reached through it& entire length by the QUEEN & CRESCENT System of Roads. . . . ADDRESS : FRANK Y. ANDERSON, LAND COMMISSIONER, BIRMINGHAM, ALA. QUEEN & CRESCENT Runs through the Great Mineral Belt of Alabama for over 200 Miles. REGULAR LAND RATES. §N another page notice is given of the Landseekers' Excur- sions which are run by the Queen & Crescent Route at half rates on certain Special dates. In addition to this, tickets to points on the Q. & C, named below, are on sale the year round; they can be used whenever desired, and are good for return forty days from date of sale. ROUND TRIP LAND RATES TO POINTS ON THE Q* &, C. STATION S o a '6 Akron — Ala. Arcadia La. Attalla Ala. Annistoii ...Ala. Dayton Tenu. Delhi La. Edwards Miss" Enterprise Miss" Eutaw Ala" Valley Head Ala" Fort Payne Ala" .|!23 00 32 00 19 65 21 20 15 50 29 00 27 00 26 50 23 35 17 50 18 00 ^ o 11 ^ « o ^ fl9 20 29 25 15 45 17 00 10 90 26 25 24 25 24 50 19 55 13 35 13 80 STATIONS Gadsden ...Ala. Harriman Junct.Tenn. Hattiesbur^- . . . ..Miss. Helenwood. ... .Tenn. King's Mountai n..Ky. Lancing ..Tenn. Lookout M .Tenn. Rockwood . Tenn . Somerset - Ky. Sunbright .Tenn. ^ sS o a fai; o $19 85 13 40 27 25 11 25 7 45 12 55 17 90 13 90 8 55 12 10 fc*'>> $1565 8 80 24 50 6 65 2 85 7 95 13 80 9 30 3 95 7 50 Lookout Mountain tickets are good 90 days, from date of sale. All other ])oints 40 days On the dates of our one fare excursions, the following J ates will apply for round trip tickets. The dates will be found on excursion posters, which may be had on application. Cincinnati to Valley Head, Ala $11 35 Cincinnati to Springville, Ala 13 60 Cincinnati to Tuscaloosa, Ala 16 10 Full information in regard to rates, tickets, schedules, the inducements offered to prospective settlers at any of these points, etc., will be cheerfully furnished on application to W. C. RINEARSON, General Passenger Agent, CINCINNATI, O. HALF RATES ® TO THE ® SOUTH, THE Queen &(^ RESCENT ..ROUTE... Wants you to go and see the South. Go and see if the crops are good and the people happy and well-to-do. See if you can make it pay to go South to live. ©z :© Low Round Trip Rates are in effect to land points the year round, and once per montli a rate of one fare for the round trip is made to all points in Kentucky south of Danville; all points in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Cardlina; also to certain points in Georgia and to all Q. & C. Stations in Louisiana, Ask any agent for full particulars. Send to us for printed matter. We have a little book containing letters from people who have gone South. We would like to send you one. €HAS. W. ZKLIi, Div. Pass. Agpnt, 4tli ami Race Sts., Cincinnati, 0. W. A. BECKLKll, Nor. Pass. Asrent, 111 Adams Street, Chicago, 111. €. A. BAIKD, Traveling Passenger Agent, - - Detroit, Mich. \y. W. I>riNNAVA?iT, Traveling Passenger Agent. Cleveland, 0. OR W. C. RINEARSON, General Passenger Agent, CINCINNATI, OHIO. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 541 496 d y'^y^ ,:\: '<-r: )i . 4m ■ V^/ X^: