If 326 .n68 ICopy 1 ALABAMA : AS IT WAS, AS IT 'S, AND AS IT WILL BE. A^WORK EXHIBIT^ r THE AGRICULTURAL ACTUALITIES OF TftE SOILS OF THE STATL, WHEN PROPERLY CULTIVATED AND TILLED, IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE OF THE OTHER STArES OF THE UNION ; ITS PRESENT AGRICULTURAL DEFORMITIES, AND THE REMEDY THEREFOR ; ITS MINERAL AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS, FOUNDED UPON STATISTICS AND ACTUAL RESULTS. PKEPARED AT THx; REQUEST OJ i.xo SOUTH & XOKTH AL/»BA>r\ RAILROAD CO. BV JOHN T. MILNER, Late Chief E::gineeb and General Superintendent. F MONTGOMERY, ALA. : BAT. iETT & BRO\VN, STEAM BOOK AND 10B PRINTERS AND BINDERS. ALABAMA : AS IT WAS, AS IT IS, AND AS IT WILL BE. A WORK EXHIBITING THE AGRICULTUKAL ACTUALITIES OF THE SOILS OF THE STATE, WHEN PEOPERLY CULTIVATED AND TILLED, IN COMPARISON WITH THOSE OF THE OTHER STATES OF THE UNION ; ITS PRESENT AGRICULTURAL DEFORMITIES, AND THE REMEDY THEREFOR ; ITS MINERAL AND OTHER INDUSTKJAL INTERESTS, FOUNDED UPON STATISTICS AND ACTUAL RESULTS. PEEPABED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SOXJTH & NOETH ALABAMA BAILBOAD CO. BY JOHN T. MILNER, Late Chief Engineer and General Superintendent. MONT?GOMERY, ALA. : BARRETT & BROWN, STBAM BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS AND BINDERS. me. Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1876, by JOHN T. MILNEH, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. 0, ALABAMA. In 1860, Alabama was a great and rich State — the seventh in aggregate of wealth of the Union of States, and exceeded in the aggregate prodndion of agricultural values by only Illinois, Pennsylvania, Neio York and Mississippi. Alabama was then at the height of her glory. Agricultural labor was better rewarded here than in any other State, except in Lou- isiana, Mississippi and California. How stands the matter now? Instead of number seven in the aggregate of our wealth, we are put down in the census of 1870 as exceeding only Texas, Kansas, West Virginia, Oregon, Nebraska, Dela- ware and Florida ; or a reduction of real and personal values fi-om 792,000,000 to 201,855,841 dollars, or about one fourth what it was before the war. At that time the value of her agricultural products, per capita of her farm population, was double that of any of the free States from Maine to Califor- nia, except California, Illinois and Iowa. She stands now, as will appear from the record, as made up by the Agricultural Bureau of our Government in her per capita crop production, scarcely one-half in value of that of the jjoorest of the States in the North and West. To find what is the matter with Alabama, and to propose a remedy, if any is to be found, is the object of my book. The South & North Alabama Rail Road, though traversing throughout three-fourths of its length the mineral region of the State, is like every other interest in the State of Ala- bama, dependent mainly upon agriculture for a support. If the agriculture of our State was now what it was when this road was commenced, and what I hope it will be again, the stock of this great rail road, costing ten millions of dollars, would be at par everywhere in the markets of the world. I can very clearly see, therefore, how it is to the interest of this road, to inquire into the causes of the ruin of the agricul- ture of Alabama, and to do ail in its power to restore it to its former splendor. The State of Alabama expects as much of this corporation, though in her corporate capacity as a State, she has rendered but little aid in dollars and cents in the construction of this rail road, she has ever and always, done all in her power, and, when before the war she was rich, powerful, and wealthy, she placed on her statute books an obligation to give one million of dollars in gold, as a bonus, for the completion of this great work ; and it would have lieen paid had Alabama lived. The part this corpora- tion proposes to take in repeopling Alabama and rebuilding her industries, is but a partial return for that deep feeling and favor which this railway has ever received from Alabama and her people. The fact is disclosed by the Federal census of 1870, that the agriculture of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, (the three leading cotton States before the war,) as can be seen, from Table No. 15, hereafter given, is less than one-half in bushels and pounds, and measured by the same standard, in dollars and cents, of what it was before the war. Even their farm valuation has followed the same ratio and rule, and'has fallen from $536,657,8U2 in i860, to $244,015,070 in i870. Thin measure of loss exists everyivhere in the South, and is greater or less in proportion to the number of negroes in any State, or any section of any State. As was heretofore stated, this paper is simply a synopsis of my forthcoming work on Alabama, and as such, it will be impossible to give in detail, all the arguments and facts upon which this work is founded. I will refer, however, to the authorities for every statement I may make, so that every one interested can examine the facts for themselves. This synopsis being written at the request of the South & North Alabama Kail Eoad Company, the argu- ments will be drawn from, and confined to, the counties in Alabama, along and contiguous to this road. This road begins at the city of Montgomery, and runs through the counties of Montgomery, Elmore, Chilton, Shel- by, Jefferson, Walker, Blount, Winston and Morgan, to Deca- tur, on the Tennessee river. The city of Montgomery, the 5 southern terminus of the road, lies practically in the centre of the cretaceous or prairie formation, extending entirely across the State— a distance of two hundred miles, and about fifty miles wide. This section, commonly called the Black, or Cotton Belt, covers an area of 10,000 square miles, or one- fifth of that of the whole State, and, before the war, produced more of agricultural values than any like area in the United States, and, perhaps, in the world. Decatur, the northern terminus, is practical'y in the centre of the Valley of North Alabama, as it is called — a region of country covering the en- tire northern end of the State, in length about one hundred and fifty miles, and about fifty miles wide, covering an area of about 7,500 square miles. This section of country, the most beautiful and delightful in this, or any other State in the Union, was, before the war, nest in importance in this State to the Black Belt, above referred to. Between these two sections at the northern and southern termini of the road, lies the Appalachian chain of mountains, with its rocks and minerals, its agricultural soils, and its ridges and elongated valleys ; precisely as they are found in Pennsylvania, Vir- ginia and Tennessee. The Appalachian mountains commence sinking away before they reach the border of Alabama, and by the time they reach the centre of the State, where they are crossed by the South & North Alabama Rail Road, they represent only a broad, elevated plateau, about one hundred and fifty miles across. About 1,000 feet of the rough, rugged mountains, and barren upper measures of the State's farther north, are washed away in Alabama ; and all the glittering minerals and metals of commerce, except silver, lie in Ala- bama, on the surface of a great plain, so to speak ; any and all of them capable of being aggregated at any given point, at the most ti'ifliag expense, when compared with other sec- tions of our country, where all these minerals of value are found. We find further, that as the rough, rugged, barren and interfering features of the mountain system farther north have been washed away, so have the noxious, hurtful and negative elements, found in the minerals themselves, been leached out and lost. This elevated plateau, or mountain region of Alabama, as it is called, has been cultivated, and is capable of beiiig pultiv^ted all over, and from the figures 6 hereafter given, it will be seen that the agricultural soils of this region have given to the husbandman as rich a reward as, upon an average, did those of Ohio and Indiana in 1860. All the minerals, of value in the State, are found in this re- gion. A section of country lying on each side of the road will be considered, and its agricultural and other industrial features will be measured, as will those of the Black Belt, and the valley of North Alabama. This great thoroughfare, although it has customers in every county in the State, except, perhaps, Sanford, Marion and Pickens, on the western border, is more immediately ^and directly interested in the country along the line and at each end of the road ; and for this reason, and this reason alone, I will confine myself to those sections of Alabama, Alabama is a good country, all over and every- where. The soils of some portions pay agricultural labor better than in others ; but through the varied industries of the State, labor, labor, good, effective labor, receives a rich and sufficient return everywhere in Alabama. I have lived in and been over all the old States of our Uoion, west of New York, and have also lived in and traveled all over the vast States and Territories west of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, except Arizona, Montana, Dakota, and New Mexico ; and I find no where in my travels any fifty thousand square miles of territory surpassing or even equalling Alabama, in soil, in climate, in minerals, in productions, and in all the natural elements for producing comfort and wealth. Labor, honest, true labor, is wanting now in our State, to make her not only seventh — as she stood in 1860 — of the States of the Union in wealth, but the equal and peer of any and all of them in agriculture, in manufactures, in arts, and in all things that render a people rich, powerful and great. I do not pro- pose to measure the future of Alabama in any other way than by reference to her past history and results. God alone, with- out figures, can see into and divine the future of countries and States. Any information that w^e get or give, that is worth having, must be confined to what we ourselves 'see or know, or what has happened and been seen or noted by others. Any statement in this synopsis that is not founded on authority of this kind, may be set aside and counted as naught. I will place first on the stand, with the view of ascertaining its value as an agricultural region, the Yalley of North Ala- bama. The Tennessee is the most remarkable river, for its length, in our country, for the fertility of the soils of the regions though which it passes, and for the manner in which these soils are made fertile. Rising in the Valley of Virginia, it traverses the fertile Valley of East Tennessee, an extension southward to Alabama, of the Valley of Virginia, to Chatta- nooga. Here it breaks through the Cumberland and Alle- ghany mountains — here from 1,5!J0 to 2,000 feet high — cleav- ing a channel through these mountains down to their base, wide enough only for the great river to pass through, until it reaches the line of the State of Alabama. Here the superin- cumbent mountain lying above the limestone, being softer, it has widened and washed out an area one hundred and fifty miles long, and fifty miles wide, constituting the rich and fer- tile Valley of North Alabama. In the centre of this valley the river has worked for itself a channel in the limestone, generally only wide enough to contain the water of the river itself, leaving no flat margin nor muddy swamp to create ma- laria and disease. This is a peculiarity of all the waters that traverse the elongated valleys running parallel to the Alle- ghanies, from New York to Alabama. They have no swamp or alluvial formations, and their valleys are elevated table- lands, with a top soil of red or black loam, on a foundation of limestone. The most southerly extension of- the Valley of Virginia, the county of Talladega in the State of Alabama, shows a record for health, and a freedom from malarial dis- ease, equal to any county in this valley in Virginia, Pennsj'l- vania, or New York. The Valley of North Alabama is a counterpart, in its general characteristics, of the Valley of Virginia and its extensions to New York and Alabama. It produces more of agricultural values, however, when properly cultivated and tilled, as it was before the war, as can be seen from the census reports, than any part of this other great valley, except, perhaps, the portion lying in Alabama. But in the matter of comparative agricultural capabilities of the soils of Alabama, with other sections of our coun- try, we will refer to the facts, and let them determine this 8 question. I insert here a table, compiled from the Federal census of 1860, giving the products of the soil of the counties in the Yalley of North Alabama, and of the counties along the line of the South & North Alabama Eail Eoad, and of the counties at the southern terminus of the road, composing and lying in the prairie or cotton belt of the State. I insert the county of Augusta, in the Valley of Virginia, in the State of Virginia, the richest county in that State in farm valuation. This county is an exponent of the productions of this great valley, in its largest and most prosperous estate. I insert, also, the county of Talladega, the most southerly extension of this valley in the State of Alabama. This valley is so sim- ilar, in all its characteristic features from New York to Ala- bama, to our Valley of North Alabama, and is so well known throughout the United States, that a single spot, taken any where in this valley and compared with any section of Ala- bama similar and like in its characteristic features, will give a better idea of that section than any comparison I can make. I insert the county of Talladega, Alabama, the most southerly extension of this valley, simply for the purpose of demon- strating that soils of the same character, and kind, produced more money in Alabama, than they did in Virginia or New York. 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"^ *i O S * ^ ? n 2 H li O 3J n -^ ^ ;z; iz; J?; Ph M > 05 t- O T-H t- 05 C5 t^ i— I oo' -*" oo" CO t tH UO — LO 05 X — O 01 "-H c; o uo o -t< o C3 01 t~ CO CO CO to X 00 ■*! CO CD (M 00 X of CiOOo" CO 00 ^ CO o o t- o CI — Ol 3 CO oi ■^ 00 rH 00 cc in 00 -* C5 «2 t- 00 t- ■^2 0» -* Ol C: O OS Ho 12 In comparing Alabama, and counties in Alabama, with these States, or the richest counties in these States, a paral- lel is instituted that, if successfully maintained, can not be set aside or broken anywhere in this country, or perhaps in the world. I go back to 1860, for the purpose of comparing the soils of Alabama with those of the other States of our Union ; simply because the soils of the South, since then, have not been properly cultivated or tilled. It is impossible to ar- rive at the character of our soils for productions in any other way, as the negro labor here, as will hereafter be shown, is now unproductive and unreliable. We will examine first the county of Augusta, in the Valley of Virginia, and compare it with the county of Talladega, in the State of Alabama. In population, Augusta 27,749, and Talladega 23,520. Acreage of Augusta cultivated 224,644, and Talladega 139,892. Value of farms $10,997,286 in the county of Augusta, and only $3,111,205 in Talladega. The live stock of Augusta was val- ued at $1,287,610, that of Talladega $929,590. Augusta had 31,033 hogs, Talladega had 38,832. Augusta raised 307,402 bushels of wheat, Talladega onl}^ 81,559. Corn, 752,539 for Augusta, and 755,103 for Talladega. Oats, 191,279, and 64,082. Potatoes, 44,129, and 101,977. Meat crop of Au- gusta $254,853, Talladega $243,906. It will be noted that, situated in the same valley, nearly seven hundred miles apart, these two counties are very nearly equal in their pro- ductions, except in wheat and oats. In Indian corn, the Ala- bama county is a few thousand bushels ahead. In meat product only $11,000 behind. In potatoes, the Alabama county is ahead. In hay, the Virginia county is largely ahead, producing 21,687 tons, and Talladega only 33 tons. Here I will remark that the fodder crop taken care of and cured, in the South, and used everywhere as forage, for horses and mules, is not tabulated, or recorded in the census of 1860. The county of Talladega produced over 7,000 tons of fodder. Fodder, as cured in the South, answers all the uses and purposes of hay, and but little of it was saved any- where in the North. As the census has omitted it, I will make no further mention here of this important Southern product. The cotton crop of Talladega, 18,243 bales, was worth $729,720, or more than three-fourths of the entire crop 13 values of the conntj of Augusta, Virginia, valued at $944,619, The total valuation of Talladega products was $1,258,168. The acres cultivated in Virginia 224,644, in Alabama 139,892. The Alabama county produces Avell all the other products of Virginia, besides a cotton crop, which the Virginian could not raise. The cultivation of other crops, except wheat, in- terferes but little with the cultivation of cotton. The rocks, the soil, the water, are identical ; but the climate and pro- ductions are different. Here lies the secret of our agricultu- ral success ; and I make this comparison here simply for the purpose of exhibiting this fact. Both were cultivated largely with slave labor. We will now take up the county of Madi- son, in the Valley of North Alabama, and compare it with counties in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, in 1860. We will compare it first with the county of Sangamon, the capital, and richest agricultural county in Illinois. The farms of Sangamon were valued at $11,886,486, of Madison $o,078,806, or about half that of the Illinois county. Sangamon had 62,917 hogs, Madison 49,723. Wheat, San- gamon 303,747 bushels. Madison 43,613 bushels. Sangamon raised nearly four times as much corn as Madison ; but corn was the crop of the county of Sangamon, and cotton was the crop of the county of Madison. The corn crop of Madison was 37^ bushels for each soul, that of Ohio 31|, tliat of Indi- ana 47 3-5, that of Illinois 45 1. The meat crop of Madison was $8 33 to each person, of Ohio $6 29, of Indiana $7 27, and of Illinois $8 84. The cattle and hog crop raised by the South, before the war, is a matter that the new millions that now inhabit our country, can not understand. They deny roundly and flatly, the fact, well known before the war, that Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, produced more meat, to the man, than did Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois. The figures of the census prove this, and it is well known that no farmer in Alabama, before the war, ever bought meat, bread or any- tliing, except iron, sugar, coffee and salt. The stock cattle of the South, in 1860, counting Delaware and Maryland with the Northern States, was 8,078,072. In the North and West, from Maine to Kansas, only 5,596,766. Swine, Southern States, 20,238,887. All the other States and Territories, in- cluding Maryland, Delaware and the Pacific States, had only 14 13,273,980 head of swine. I place these extracts here, from the Federal census of 1860, for the information of people who knew nothing of the South before the war, and can know nothing now, except from books and results of the agri- cultural capabilities of the soils of the South then ; and who judge the capabilities of our soils by what they see now. Since I have been writing my book on Alabama, I have met no man from the States of the North, who has seen our agri- culture, only since the war, who will admit, or can be made to believe, that the cotton States, Georgia, Alabama and Mis- sissippi, fed themselves before the war, and raised more of agricultural values than did the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Such was the fact ; and though these States have twenty years the start, with good government, and a steady reliance on ourselves, we will stand even with them, again, in less than twenty years. Madison county, Alabama, produced 90,754 bushels of potatoes. Sangamon, Illinois, only 73,644 bushels. Of peas and beans, an important food crop of the South, and everywhere, where men do hard labor, Saugamon produced only 466 bushels, while Madison produced 33,595 bushels. The acres cultivated in the Illinois county 314,271, in Madison 214,509. The per capita productions of the soil were— of Sangamon $49 00, of Madison $57 70. If the fod- der crop of Madison, amounting to 9,883 tons, was counted in this table, the difference in her favor would be greater. The total value of the crop products of Sangamon was $1,571,163, of Madison $1,520,1385. It was the cotton product of the Alabama county, as can be seen from these tables, that made this difference. The table is before the reader, and he can examine it further, if he wishes. Would that the agricultural actualities of the soils of Alabama, were tabulated and indeli- bly engraved on the intellects and souls of the people of Ala- bama, and of the new people everywhere, who inhabit our country now. In my work on Alabama, I compare our county of Madison, in the Valley of North Alabama, with Wayne, the richest county in Indiana, in 1860. The compar- ison is cootained in the table above given, in figures. I am a poor hand to convey ideas in words, and I only put words in this paper, because I know people will not read figures alone. The county of Wayne was then^ 15 and is now, the richest agricultural county in Indiana. The county of Madison was the richest in aggregate productions in the Valley of North Alabama — the popula- tion was larger, and more acres were cultivated in this coun- ty. The products per cultivated acre in Madison, however, was S7 13, and of the whole Valley was $7 18. In the table prepared for my work on Alabama, in which a measurement is made of the comparative value of the soils of the counties Alabama, as between themselves, Madison in her per capita valuation of products of farming is $62 93, and of the whole Valley $63 00 ; agreeing very nearly with the measurement per cultivated acre. To save space, I will compare Marion, the county in which Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana, is situated, and "Wayne, the richest in the value of its farms, in the State, with Madison. In farm valuation the Indiana counties nearly double Madison, being $10,923,429 and $11,583,148, and $6,078,806 for Madison. In live stock they are almost equal. In hogs they are about equal. Wheat and corn, the Indiana counties are ahead, but very nearly equal, and even themselves in their products. In peas and beans, and potatoes — things raised from the soil, and for the purpose of feeding men only, the Alabama county is ahead. It is a remarkable fact, that in peas and beans, potatoes, turnips, and small crops of this kind, raised only to feed peo- ple, the South always exceeded the West and North. Ala- bama raised in 1860, more potatoes than the State of Illinois, or 5,931,563, and Illinois 5,846,544. Excepting New York, she raised more peas and beans than all the free States from Maine to Kansas. These things will all appear hereafter, in a table by themselves, and I will use no more words on this subject. In the aggregate value of the products of the soils, the two Indiana counties, Marion and Wayne, were respec- tively $887,061 and $867,541. Madison $1,529,685, or nearly equal to the combined value of the farm products of two of the richest agricultural counties in the State of Indiana. We will start now on the line of the road at the northern boundary of this State, and examine and compare the char- acteristics and productions of the sections and counties as they come — First comes the county of Limestone, lying also in the Val- 16 ley of North Alabama. I will measure this county, also, by figures and results. The population of this county, as can be seen from the tables, is less than three-fifths that of Madison, whilst the aggregate value of her products was $976,656, or nearly two-thirds that of Madison. The 'per capita produc- tions of the county of Limestone was $63 08 in 1860, or more than double that of the counties of Marion and Wayne, in the State of Indiana. An allowance should be made, in the tables of population, to the county of Marion, for the non-producers in the city of Indianapolis. I have deducted the entire population of this city, as non-producers, and do so for all the large cities in the West ; but I have made no de- duction, anywhere, for any city of non-producers, in the South. The fact is so plain, and so patent, that the soils of Alabama far exceeded those of the West and North, in the production of agricultural values, when our soils were prop- erly cultivated and tilled, that there is but little need of re- finement in argument to convince any mind, which can or will be convinced, by reasoning or facts. The per centage of total population engaged in agriculture, or going into the fields, in the different States of the Union in 1860, is pub- lished in a table hereafter. Alabama 60, Georgia 57^, Mis- sissippi 61.^, Illinois 50|, Indiana 59, and Ohio 46^ per cent. It is very evident, that agriculture was the business of these States, all alike, at that time. More of the people of Ohio were engaged in other pursuits in the three Western States, and more of the people in Georgia in the three Southern States named. The army of non-producers, composed of merchants, lawyers, transporters, and other professions, me- chanics, and others, always incident and necessary to a healthy condition and working of agriculture in any civilized country on earth, were found in each of these States, organ- ized in numbers sufficient only to carry on the business out- side of the fields, and amounted to one-third of the population in each and all of these States. The remainder were en- gaged in pursuits not strictly agricultural, or incident to agri- culture. In Ohio 20 per cent, were thus engaged, in Indiana 7|, in Illinois 16, in Georgia 9^, in Alabama 6|, in Missis- sippi, 3^. I make this explanation, thus early, and in advance of the tables on this subject, that the reader may compare, 17 in his own mind, the relative value of the per capita measure- ments I am making in counties in these States. A per cap- ita measurement of agricultural values, measured by total of population, as far as Illinois and Ohio are concerned, in com- parison with Alabama, should have a per centage added, equal to the greater proportion of people engaged in other pursuits than agriculture, or things incident thereto.- It amounted in Illinois to 9^ per cent., in Ohio to 13^ per cent, to be added to their per capita value of total population, when compared with Alabama. By reference to the table, it will be seen that this county produced, before the war, everything requisite and needful to the comfort and sustenance of man. She raised 38^ bushels of corn, and 11.34 dollars worth of meat. The per capita corn product of the Western States, including Kentucky and Missouri, in 1860, was 45.56 bushels. The corn crop of the West is its principal crop, and here it is only secondary, and raised only for consumption at home, and still this county of Limestone raised nearly as many bushels of corn to each head or soul, as did the granary, as it is called, of this Continent; nearly double the amount of meat to the head raised in Ohio, besides planting and raising $604,600 worth of cotton, in gold. This gold crop was all profit, before the war, in the county of Limestone. The farmers here raised everything they needed for support on their farms, and this gold crop was added, each year, to the permanent wealth, the comfort, the luxury, the refinement of the county ; and it was well expended ; for no people, in any county, in any State in the Union, enjoyed more of the comforts of life, than did the people of this county of Alabama. I will not use the stereotyped phrase, set up and printed in every land adver- tising sheet in the country — " Healthy, well watered, and fer- tile, producing, etc., etc., etc., all the productions, etc., etc., etc., of value," in reference to this county, or any county of the State of Alabama, and especially the counties along and contiguous to the South & North Alabama Rail Road. The health and comfort of any region that has been long inhabit- ed by man, may be measured by the progress of that region in population, prosperity and wealth. The progress of Ala- 2 18 bama, from tlie date of her first settlement, down to the date ■when she blindly and unfortunately jumped into ourjate civil war, was equalled only, in our country, by the State of Illi- nois. We will now leave the county of Limestone, and cross the Tennessee river — next to the Coosa in Alabama, the most beautiful river in the v/orld. The town of Decatur, in the county of Morgan, is the northern terminus of the South & North Alabama Rail Road. This county also lies in the Val- ley of North Alabama, and its agricultural capabilities are fairly and well measured in the tables heretofore given. By reference to the tables, it will be seeu that the live stock, meat and grain products of this county were greater, in pro- portion to population, than the counties of Madison and Limestone, and that the cotton product was less. This came from two causes — First, the want of transportation, before the completion of the Memphis & Charleston Rail Road, in 1857 ; Second, whilst the farmers in the cotton belt of Mis- sissippi and Alabama, raised all the meat they wanted for their own use, still they did not raise enough for the mer- chants and other non-producers in the cities and towns. The rich valleys and coves in the counties south of the Tennessee river raised corn and hogs as easily, and as well, as they did in Tennessee, and carried on the business of stock and hog driving to supply the deficiency as stated above, in the cities and towns of the black or cotton belt. The county of Mor- gan was largely engaged in this business, even up to the be- ginning of the war, and made but little cotton, which is ever, and always, the best paying crop in Alabama, token people make their food crops at home. The people of this county lived well,'''and had all the comforts of life, before the war. We have measured the capabilities of the soils of the Yalley of North Alabama, by actual results, and by figures ; the only method of measuring the value of the soils of the South at this time. There is no agriculture in the South at this time, to measure the character of her soil by, and it will continue to grow worse, until white labor is brought from elsewhere. We will leave now this interesting valley of North Ala- bama, with its array of splendid facts and crop results to point to, and enter upon the description of the mountain re- gion of Alabama, as it is called, extending from the valley of 19 North Alabama to within twelve miles of the city of Mont- gomery. There are no mountains in Alabama where it is crossed by the South and North Alabama Rail Road. There are ridges and lines here that mark the places in the strata occupied by the mountains of Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The rocks and minerals are all here, however, precisely as they occur in the Sta^tes above mentioned. Com- mencing at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, twelve miles from Montgomery, the country rises gradually from an elevation of one hundred and seventy-five feet above tide water, to the summit of this mountain at Jemison, to an ele- vation of seven hundred and six feet. This mountain divides here, as it does everywhere from New York to Alabama, the freestone and limestone formation ; and is also the south- eastern boundary line, as elsewhere, of the minerals of val- ue, of the Appalachian chain of mountains. We cross over from here to the top of the Sand Mountain, the northwestern boundary of the coal measures of Alabama, and the southern boundary of the valley of North Alabama, a succession of ridges and elongated valleys, rising nowhere except at the summit of the Sand Mountain, more than 700 feet above the sea level. Before the completion of the Selma, Rome and Dalton rail road, in 1856, or only a few years before the war, this mountain region of Alabama, as it is called, covering an area of nearly 15,000 square miles, or nearly one third of our State, had, practically, no agricultural market at all. Taking Birmingham as a centre, it was sixty miles to Tuskaloosa, an indifi^erent river town ; one hundred and twenty miles to Tus- cumbia, Decatur and Guntersville, on the Tennessee river, also bad markets ; seventy miles to Gadsden, on the Coosa, another very bad market town, and one hundred and twenty miles to Montgomery and Selma, on the Alabama river. It is evident, without ai-gument, that a region so situated, could make but little headway in agriculture. The figures given in the census of 1860, may not measure fairly their agricultural capabilities. But I will give them just as they are. This re- gion was cultivated all over with results, as will be seen in the tables above given. We will resume our description with the counties of Blount, Walker and Winston, the first coun- ties on the line of the rail road south of the valley of North 20 Alabama. Winston, as well as the greater portion of Blount county, lies on the plateau, or top, of Sand Mountain. The per capita productions of these two counties was small before the war, as compared with the great and rich counties of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and the splendid agriculture of the other counties in the State of Alabama. Only two other counties in the State show la record as poor as Winston and Blount. But we are not comparing the agriculture of coun- ties in Alabama with themselves, as it is well known that the agriculture here was the poorest in Alabama before the war^ with the exceptions above noted. But if the reader will only take the trouble, to examine the value of the crop products of counties in the States of the West, last above referred to, he will find that many counties there produced less of agricultu- ral values, to the head, than did the counties of Winston and Blount, producing respectively, as can be seen by reference to table No. 2, of strictly crop values $^0 25 and $18 22 per head. The eastern and southeastern portions of Blount county consist mainly of Blountsville and Murphey's Valleys. Limestone constitutes the agricultural soils of these valleys. Elevated here almost to a level with the surrounding moun- tains, these two valleys, with their lich agricultural soils, the bright sparkling waters of the Warrior river, rising in and running through them, a crisp, clear and healthy atmosphere floating over them always, are fitly and most properly styled the Switzerland of Alabama. The crop products here were greater than in other portions of the county, but were con- fined mainly to meat and breadstuffs, articles giving plenty and comfort, but little money in this, or any other section of Alabama. Walker countj^ lies south of Winston, and south- westwardly from Blount county. Its agricultural features are more varied than those of Blount and Winston, and in- clude cotton, the money staple of Alabama. The value of this product to the agriculture of Alabama cannot be more readily demonstrated anywhere in the State, than by an ex- amination and comparison in table No. 2, of the crop values of the three counties, Winston, Walker and Blount, all lying in what is called the mountain region of Alabama. It will be seen that the per capita value of the crop products of Walker county is $35 00, and of Winston and Blount only $20 75 and 21 $18 22, This difference arises mainly from the fact that the aggregate cotton crop of Walker, with a little over half the population of the two counties of Blount and "Winston, was double the combined cotton crop of these last named two counties. So it is always, and ever will be in Alabama, cot- ton is the most valuable crop produced on the soil of Ala- bama. Breadstuffs must be produced in amount sufficient to feed the agriculturist in Alabama, but if he wishes to make money he must follow the indications of nature, and culti- vate all the cotton he can consistently with the above requis- ition for food. The soil of these counties, as of all the coun- ties in the State, produces cotton well. It is a plant of pecu- liar value, the successful cultivation of which is confined by our Maker to the soils of the South, and any system of agri- culture in Alabama that discards cotton will, and ought to, fail. Lying, as these counties do, on the elevated plateau, or mountain plain of Alabama, they are healthy ; water is excel- lent everj^where. There is a feature of this section, the discussion of which here will somewhat mar the order of my book. I allude to the German colony of Cullman, but as I have already taken the trouble to examine personally into the condition and prospects of this colony, I will consider it right here. A contract was entered into by the rail road company with John G. Cullman, Esq., in the fall of 1872, for the sale and settlement of the alternate sections of land granted by Con- gress to aid in the construction of this rail road, and included in the area lying around the present town of Cullman, of 20 by 30 miles. Mr. Cullman selected this locality on account of the pecuHarity of climate and soil, and the almost entire absence of old settlers and the consequent availability of the entire body of even or reserved sections of land for the pur- pose of entry and settlement under the homestead laws of the United States. He had here under his influence and dis- posal over half a million acres of unoccupied lands, not rich, as the records in this book will show, when compared with other soils in Alabama, but with peculiarities of cHmate, soil and surroundings exactly suited, as I find now, for the estab- lishment of a colony of German laboring people. The soil of this mountain plateau, about one hundred miles 22 loDg from east to west and thirty miles wide from north .to south, comes from and lies on the lower strata of the coal formations of this State, and is peculiar to this section and differs in its constituent elements fi'om any of the other soils in the State. The strata or rocks of the upper coal measures produce the top soils in the remainder of the coal regions of Alabama. My knowledge of the analyses and natures of soils is not sufficient to enable me to point out wherein these soils differ. But there is a difference, and the difference depends upon the character of the exact strata that happens, in any given locality, to be on top, or to constitute the surface of the earth. Mr. Cullman and those in this colony imagine that they have here soils peculiarly and specially adapted to grape culture. In my travels through this section, before and since the war, I found the old settlers scattered here and there rais- ing everywhere good crops of corn, wheat and cotton. To an indifferent observer the soils all looked alike, but to the practiced eye of these old farmers there was a difference, de- pending, as I have since found out, on the geological condi- tions above stated. The difference is but a shade over this whole area, it is true, and though it may have no influence on grape, or cotton, or fruit culture — and I think it will not— it will always appear in the cultivation of the cereals. In my recent visit to this colony, made entirely with a view of ob- taining exact information as to its status and prospects, I found at the town of Cullman a population, as stated, of about eight hundred souls, and in the colony about three thousand. Their number was somewhat of a surprise to me, but there was a matter underlying all this, and that was the material progress of those already here. I first examined the town itself, and found a flouring and corn mill in successful opera- tion and doing a good business. I next visited a furniture manufactory, and found these people manufacturing furniture and selHng it at Cincinnati prices. When I asked the price of this, that, and the other article, all new and apparently as good as any ever brought to Montgomery for sale, I was sur- prised at the low prices, and my mind involuntarily went to the auction sales of second-hand furniture at Montgomery, for a comparison of prices. I found the workmen themselves were all stockholders, and this explained the reason of these 23 low prices. The tanneiy and shoe factory I did not visit, but* am satisfied that the owner (with a hard name) is doing well. I next examined a new three-story brick hotel being built by Mr. Fromwalt. In- the basement is the — to these people — inevitable lager beer cellar. In this matter of lager beer, a person would feel like he was in St. Louis or Cincin- nati. Their merchants were doing a thrifty and safe busi- ness, not only with their own people, but with the natives scattered all over the plateau or mountain plain. One thing I did not see, and that was any idlers, loungers, or loafers, male or female, large or small, young or old. The things described above can be built and seen any where, but they must all stand on something outside of the city or town. I next visited the country, and though I may be wrong, I will give here my exact opinion on this, the underlying sub- ject of this colony. When this country was all in the woods, I knew every hill, every branch, and every plain, as familiarly and well as I do the streets and the houses in the city of Montgomery. But the changed appearance of every thing here now made me feel as if I had never seen the country before. It had precisely the same appearance (save that it was covered over with timber, grape-vines and undergrowth) as the rolling prairies of Nebraska and Kansas. The houses of the German settlers, one and two story, double hewed log, with their little gardens and parterres, also looked strange. I heard a woman directing her children in the German lan- guage to run the hogs out of the field. The intonations of her voice, and the ejaculations in a foreign and unknown tongue, made me feel that I was a long way from home. I went into, through, and across their fields, and I found here the familiar Indian corn stalk, but as a rule it was planted so thick that the crop was a failure. That this was not the fault of the climate or soil is very evident, from tjie fact that ad- joining fields cultivated by Alabamians had splendid crops of corn. The other and small crops cultivated by the Germans were more varied than those cultivated by the old settlers. But in those cultivated by both, the Alabamians were ahead. The German mind is running here on grape culture. From their own statements and accounts, and from the exhibits 24 made to me, they will succeed here in this business. They will succeed perhaps next year in corn product, as this indus- trious people will certainly learn from^the^old farmers here how to cultivate this soil. In one or two years they will learn to invest their surplus labor in cotton, the normal money sta- ple of Alabama. Such an exhibition of patient and perse- vering ' industry I have never before witnessed in my varied and checkered life. This colony will succed here ; but in the cultivation of the staples heretofore known in Alabama, they must learn from the people who have been born and raised on this soil. The soil here is not rich, when compared with the soils of eastern Kansas, Iowa or Illinois. But these soils are already occu- pied now up to, and even beyond the region of no rain fall in the west, as will hereafter be seen. These industrious people will, by persevering labor, supply^any deficiency in fertility in these soils, lying as they do on a subsoil every where reten- tive and strong. But no power of man can supply the defi- ciency of rain-fall in the new and now unsettled west. The rain-fall in Alabama is 59.58 inches ; in the new west only 14.1 inches. These matters are hereafter fully discussed. JEFFEESON COUNTY. We come next to the coiinty of Jeflferson, the county in which Birmingham is situated. The per capita value of merely soil productions of this county nearly equalled those of the Tennessee Valley, and exceeded, largely, the richest counties in Indiana and Ohio, as can be seen from the tables. Jefferson and Shelby, the counties lying south on the South & North Alabama Rail Road, are the mineral counties of the State. All the coal of any value, mined in the State at pres- ent, is taken fro;n these two counties, and the largest and most valuable deposits of iron ores. Red and Brown Hema- tite, and Black Band, are also found in these two counties. Their soils, identical with those of Pennsylvania andjVirginia in the bituminous coal regions, are far from being bare o^ agricultural value, as we will now see. It would, perhaps* not be fair to compare this county with the great and rich 25 counties of the West, as in 1860 it had no rail road or con- venient market towns ; but as I have laid down the rule to measure our soil value by their products in 1860, I will not depart from it here. Men living here now, from all parts of the North, and here only since the war, and seeing the pau- city of the agriculture of this once glorious little county, meet ore smilingly, pleasantly, but unbelievingly, when I tell them of what our agriculture once was, as compared with that of the Western States. The agriculture of this county is scarce- ly one-half now, of what it was before the war. I will com- pare our county of Jefferson, in detail, (as her j9er capita soil products surpassed in value, that of the richest counties of Ohio and Indiana,) with Sangamon, the richest agricultural county in Illinois. The population of Sangamon, in 1860, was 32,274, of Jefferson 11,746, or one-third that of Sanga- mon, The value of live stock of Sangamon was $1,926,51.4, that of Jefferson $552,195, or one-third that of Sangamon. Sangamon had 62,917 hogs, Jefferson 23,561, or a little more than one -third as many. Sangamon produced of wheat 303,747, Jefferson 51,032, or one-sixth as much. Of corn, Sangamon raised 3,599,405 bushels, Jefferson 586,785. Peas and beans, Jefferson 26,405, Sangamon 466. Jefferson, pota- toes 60,158, Sangamon 73,644. Honey, in Jefferson 20,413, Sangamon 30,722. Butter, in Jefferson 147,447, in Sangamon 337,013. Meat crop of Sangamon was $579,160, of Jefferson 130,861. In meat, corn and wheat, alone, of the above men- tioned articles, the Alabama county fails to raise crops in proportion to her population. Her corn was more than an average for the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, being 50 bushels for each soul, and the average for these States being only 48 1-6 bushels. Her meat crop was $11 09, and the average for these three States only $7 32, whilst her 4,940 bales of cotton (little bags of gold,) brought her per capita average to $48, or within one per cent., as can be seen from the tables of that of the great and rich county of Sangamon, Illinois. The total value of agricultural products was — for Sanga- mon $1,571,163 ; for Jefferson $576,648. The population of Sangamon 32,274, of Jefferson 11,746. Valuation of farms of Sangamon $11,866,486, of Jefferson $1,219,863. Acres culti- 26 Tated in Sangamon 314,271, in Jefferson 75,125. Here in Alabama, land worth only $1,219,263, produced more than one-third of the agricultural values grown on laud valued in Illinois at ten times this amount ; or three dollars in land, in Jefferson county, Alabama, produced as much money as ten dollars in land in Illinois, and if the reader will take the trouble to examine the census tables for 1860, he will find that, as a rule, land in Alabama produced three times the amount of agricultural values, according to valuation, that lands did in the West. There is this difference in farming at the West, and at the South. The surplus labor of the farmer at the South, over and above a support, was converted into cot- ton, which was gold always on the spot. " The farmer in Jef- ferson county always made a support on his farm, before the war, and there was no necessity for him to go junketing, or peddling the products of his surplus labor, to get gold. His banker was, and always is, in the cotton field at home ; and never failed to pay gold on demand. When he plants his food crops, he plants at the same time a little seed of gold, and in due time, and with care, it has grown into a great tree^ and he has only to pluck the pods, and he has gold in his hands. There is no product of the West readily convertible into gold. Only two per cent, of their breadstuffs was ex- ported in 1869, four in 1870, four in 1871, and four in 1872. The total exports of the census year lb:60, were $335,894,385 ; only $27,590,298, or 7.4 per cent, of this amount, was bread- stuff products of the West, and over $200,000,090, was cotton product of the South. From 1861, to 1872, the exports of breadstuffs was greater than before the war, and there was greater prosperity in the West. From 1864 to 1868, Kussia exported to Great Britain, the only bread importing country in Europe, only $47,376,809, and the United States $127,047,- 126. From 1868 to 1872, Eussia exported to Great Britain $117,967,022, and the United States only $116,862,380 ; and the fluctuations and uncertainties of the European market, created a panic in 1873; and since then, as stated in the re- port of the Windom Transportation Committee of the United States Senate, a bushel of corn in some parts of the West, is worth less than a bushel of coal ; and is burned there for fuel. The argument is also made, in this Keport, that Russia, 27 after supplying England, even threatens to supply breadstuffs to Portland, Boston and New York. Here then, is the differ- ence between the surplus products of the South, and of the West. The one is always gold, on the spot ; the other may be gold, or it may rot on the ground. This matter is fully discussed, in my forthcoming book, but as this is only a synopsis, I simply refer to it here. I have compared our little county of Jefferson with Sanga- mon, the richest agricultural county in the richest agricultural State in the Union ; and as has been seen heretofore, she stands equal to that county, not only in the per capita value of the products of the soil, but in every thing else produced on the farm. By an examination of the census, it will be seen that this county produced as many bushels of corn in 1860, in ag- gregate amount, as one-third of the counties in Illinois ; and as much meat as fifty-five of the one hundred and two coun- ties of that State. Such is not the fact now, I will admit ; but it is comforting to our people to know that in times gone by, when properly cultivated and tilled, our soil products com- pared well with those of the great and rich States of the west. The county of Jefferson lies on the elevated plateau, which represents in Alabama the great mountains of Penn- sylvania, Virginia and Tennessee. But the rough, rugged features of these mountains are all washed away here. The water, the rocks, and the soil, the ridges and the valleys are identical with those of the bituminous coal region of the States above mentioned. The products of her soil are com- pared and mathematically measured in the tables above given. I have but little data, on the climate and health of this county, other than that derived from observation. I publish here a thermometrical table, taken at a farm-house near Newcastle in this county. The chmatic record published from the State of Alabama is generally that of our cities, and always indicates a greater degi-ee of heat than is found in the country and on the farms. 28 TIME OF DAT. A. M. Noon. P. M. P. M. Eight. Twelve. Four. Ten. 78 88 90 76 76 88 90 78 78 88 83 74 69 72 74 70 69 77 78 74 80 85 88 78 80 87 82 74 76 88 '90 74 80 86 88.30 74 70 81 82 76 70 82 82 70 71 80 74 70 76 85 80 72 72 79 76 74 73 75 74 72 74 82 84 74 75 85 83 74 77 84 84 73 74 85 80 72 75 84 82 72 77 82 84 72 76 85 88 72 76 84 88 76 76 83 S8 73 74 83.30 86 93 76 88 89 79 92 91 80 79 88 91 79 79 99 91 79 83 89 91 79 81 80 80 83 85 76 81 88 88 81 81 90 90 80 81 88 88 76 76 86 84 72 74 86 85 72 76 90 90 78 76 90 91 82 81 90 The above is the only record I have been able to obtain from a farm-house in this region, and I have taken this while writing this paper. The nights are always cool, and the days are never hot. There is not a swamp or stagnant pool of water in this whole county, or any other cause for sickness or mala- rial disease. Well watered, and lying on the summit of this elevated plateau, with a soil easily tilled, and capable of be- ing cultivated every where, with a crop and climatic record as 29 given above, this county, as a home of the industrious, agri- cultural white man, has no superior in this or any other State. I will hereafter refer to the minerals of this county. SHELBY COUNTY. Shelby, the next county south of Jefferson, lies also on the elevated plateau, or so called mountain region of Alabama. Its topographical and agricultural features, its surface, its soil, and its rocks, are identical with those of Pennsylvania and the other States along the Alleghanies north. The Valley of Virginia terminates in this county, and is as rich here in Ala- bama in the production of crop values, as any where north. And so are the other elongated limestone valleys composing the principal agricultural features of this county. There are no swamps in this county or causes for malarial disease ; and the climatic record is nearly the same as that of Jefferson. Its crop record is also nearly the same. In fact, these two counties may be considered as one. The next county, south, is the county of Baker ; but as it has been formed from Shel- by, Perry and Autauga, since the war, and does not appear in the census of 1860, I will take no notice of its county lines, or of the county by name. But will proceed with the discussion of the old county of Autauga, extending from near Jemison, on the summit of the Blue Ridge mountains, to the Alabama river, opposite to the city of Montgomery — a distance of nearly fifty miles along the railroad. We enter now, a country pe- culiar in itself, and differing from any country in Alabama. Though the old county Autauga, covered most of this region, I will first describe it as a section, without regard to county lines. As heretofore stated, Jemison is situated on the top of the Blue Ridge mountains. At this point, the summit is low, and the mountain here is broken up and fast sinking away to a plain. About one mile south of Jemison is a high knob, the outlier and the southern end of this mountain. We will take the reader to the top of this knob and let him look on, while we describe one of the most interesting regions in Alabama. We will suppose, first, the heavy growth of timber to be cut 30 away, so that we can see over a vast region, as one can any where on the plains in the West. The beholder sees here that he is standing on the apex or summit of a great plain, sinking rapidly, regularly and smoothly away from its eastern, southern and western sides to the Coosa, Alabama and Ca- haba rivers. At his feet rise three little streams or branches. The one, the Yellow Leaf, strikes boldly to the east, and cut- ting through the here broken up range of the Blue Ridge mountains, enters the Coosa river, above the great falls made by the forced passage of that river, through the east bound- ing mountain, from New York to Alabama, of the Valley of Virginia, extended into Alabama. On the west, Mahan's creek runs rapidly away to the Gahaba river, whilst the little streams running south, southeast and southwest, fall into the Coosa and Alabama rivers. The streams running east fall rapidly over rough, broken rocks, to the falls of the Coosa river ; those running south-east, south and south-west, run smoothly over pebbly beds of white water-worn quartz ; at first appearing like silver threads, and afterwards gaining in volume and bearing upon their bosoms the pearly white foam of the sparkling, clear waters from the last of the granite hills of the great Appalachian chain of mountains, they mingle their sweet, pure waters with the great river of Alabama. These streams, as they flow from the pores of these, here broken up and smoothly rounded freestone mountains, fall six hundred feet before they reach the Alabama, an average of nearly fifteen feet to the mile ; yet there are no rapids, nor are there any shoals, but a strong, clear running current all the way down. To the south-west is seen the once beau- tiful city of Marion, on the borders of the great prairie- belt of Alabama. Immediately south is the commercial city of Selma, on the Alabama river, and also on the border of the great prairie-belt, and from our elevation, appearing just at our feet, though forty miles away ; south-esat is the city of Mont- gomery — the capital city, and once the pride of Alabama. Whilst still further east, is heard the rough, rugged roar of the Coosa, falling through the mountains, to the city of We- tumpka. Beyond the cities of Marion, Selma and Montgom- ery, lies the great prairie- belt of Alabama, stretching across the whole State, upon which, before the war, was planted and 31 cultivated, the tree of gold, wliicli enricbed, then, our beloved Alabama. Cut away, on the fourth day of July, 1860, the stately yel- low pine and the splendid other growth which covered over this slowly sinking plain of forty miles square, and standing on this knob, near the exact center of our State, look, reader, upon a scene of agriculture such as the world never saw, and I fear will never see again. Never see again? Because the negro will not cultivate this soil, shall the balmy mountain air that gently floats along this mountain plain, fan no laboring Anglo-Saxon cheek ? Shall the sweet, freestone water, that gushes from every pore of this long extended range, quench no Anglo-Saxon thirst ? Are there no more Daniel Pratts, from the grand old Granite State, to touch these limpid streams and turn them into power ? Look across the Ala- bama river, over the broad extended plains, where grew the fleecy tree of gold. The brightly sparkling, limpid waters of the region at our feet, are not running here. Cut down deep into the dark, black limestone soil, flow the sluggish creeks— and shallow seap weDs furnished all the drinking water found in 1860 here. Houses, fences, farms and cultivated fields, in one connected chain, cover this region over, and wealth, boundless wealth, is seen every where. There stood upon this Hmestone soil, in July of that census year, 14,374,052 bushels of Indian corn, 644,911 bales of cot- ton, and 654,787 hogs or head of swine. In July of the last census year, there was on this identical soil, only 6,279,843 bushels of Indian corn, z59,0l9 bales of cotton, and 16o,396 hogs or head of swine. This country, now. without any fences to mark the boundary lines of the rich, half culti- vated fields, is marked with poverty, want and ruin every- where. The purely Hmpid waters, from beneath the moun- tains across the river, gush out, now, from deep artesian wells, any and everywhere, all over this broad, extended prairie plain; and there is no want of drinking water now. The miasmatic, disease producing clouds, hang only along the slow running, sluggish streams, as they were wont to do, in the decade before the last. The gentle showers come, and the vagrant weeds grow as rankly now as they did before the 32 war. What then is the matter here ? Ah, that is the ques- tion we are now finding out ! I am warned by the accumulating pages I have already written, that space will not be allowed to describe these in- teresting regions further. But I will show by results what they once were, and how fertile are the soils, when properly cultivated and tilled, of the rounded Autauga plain and prai- rie belt of the State. In my more extended work, I will take this subject up, step by step, and describe this section well. The county of Autauga, representing as well the plain of Autauga, as named by myself, produced in 1860 more of crop values, as can be seen from the tables, than any county passed over as yet, by the South & North Alabama Rail Road, except Limestone. Look along the columns for this county, and it will be seen that nothing is wanting for the enjoyment and comfort of man. There is no county in the West, or no county anywhere, with which to compare this county, in the peace, plenty and comfort enjoyed by this people before the war. The soil thej cultivated, the water they drank, the air they breathed, and the comfort they enjoyed, taken all in all, is found no where else in our country. But that has all passed away now. Everything is gone, but the country, the air, and the water. I hope the reader will look along the columns in the tables, relating to this county, and spare me the space, and the trouble of comparing this county with any of the rich counties of the West. We will now cross over the Alabama river to the county of Montgomery^ Ijiug in the prairie belt ; and though, as can be seen from the tables, its per capita did not average with the whole prairie belt, an analysis, and comparison of her crop values, shall answer for the productions of the whole. The products of the soil of the richest counties in the West, are too poor to compare this county with. Butler county, Ohio, shows the best record of any county in the West. We will see how our county of Montgomery compares with this great and rich county, in the production of crop values, in 1860. In population, Mont- gomery was 35,904, Butler 35,840 ; only 64 difference. Acres cultivated, Montgomery 257,602, Butler 207,964. Value of farms, Montgomery $9,888,964, Butler $19,0i9,044, or double that of Montgomery. Live stock, Montgomery $1,748,273, 33 Butler $1,333,592. Here the Alabama county is ahead. Hogs, Montgomery 63,134, Butler 51,640, meat crop or ani- mals slaughtered, or sold for slaughter, Montgomery $336,915, Butler $318,274. It will be seen liere, that the cattle and meat crop, in these two counties, with nearl}?^ equal popula- tion, is nearly the same, Montgomery leading the Ohio county, almost the same in each. Wheat, Montgomery raised but Httle, only 6,317 bushels ; Butler 682,823. Wheat in the West, is what cotton is in the South, especiall}^ in the cotton belt of the South. Corn, Montgomery 1,586,480 bushels, Butler 2,396,323. These last figures will surprise nobody more than the new people of the West, who look upon Ala- bama, now, as only a cotton field for the grain of the West. But as heretofore stated, the county of Montgomery is not an average of the counties of this prairie belt ; and the tale I am telhng, now, will apply equally well any and everywhere, all over this ten thousand square miles. Of rye, oats, buck- wheat, and barlej^, Montgomery produced but little, as corn serves a better purpose. Peas and beans, next to potatoes the most important small crop for food, Montgomery pro- duced 32,206 bushels, Butler only 733 bushels. The matter of the paucity of the production of peas and beans in the West, surprises me more than anj^thing else. Pork and beans is the western laborers strongest diet, just as it is for the laborer in the South. This important article of food is imported there from New York, and the States of the East. In potatoes, Montgomery is largely ahead, (there is evi- dently a mistake in this article, as it appears in the census, and I have taken the liberty of correcting this mistake), pro- ducing 235,233 bushels, Butler only 97,734 bushels. It is a matter of remark, that in all the small crops raised to feed jjeople, the South was alwaj^s ahead of the North. In the small crops raised to feed animals, the North was always ahead. This arises from the fact that it was necessary to feed cattle and hogs, and other animals, for a longer period, and to a greater extent, in the North and West, than in the South. It is also clear that the question of short feeding, was the reason that the South had so many more stock cat- tle and hogs before the war, than the States of the North and 3 34 West. The wool crop of Montgomery was 18,448 pounds, of Butler 9,389. There is evidently some unexplained reason for this short crop of wool, as I see that Franklin county, Ohio, raised 64,494 pounds, and Sangamon, 111., 15,716 pounds. Montgomery raised 10,662 pounds of honey, and Butler 3,965. The crop of honej^ at the South was always larger tlian at the North. Montgomery raised 163,798 pounds of butter, and Butler 537,344 pounds. This measures coiTectly, and fairly, the average ratio in which this article was made, in Alabama and in the States of the West, before the war. We raised no butter, nor anything else in the South, to eat, that was for sale. Eveiything raised in a cotton region, was con- verted on the spot, into cotton — the only banker that never suspends specie payments, and ahvays pays gold on demand for everything to eat raised on the farm. The recognition of the hay crop of the census, as a product of the soil, and not of the fodder crop, as taken and cured at the South, and used everywhere as a substitute for and in preference to hay, is an error that should be corrected. The fodder crop of Montgomery county was over 15,000 tons, and worth as much or more, here, than the same number of tons of hay in the West. Neither county did much in the way of manufactures, as can be seen from the table. We have said nothing, yet, of the cotton crop of Montgomery county, amounting to 58,880 bales. It has been seen that in everything to eat, or to feed people on, except wheat and corn, the county of Montgom- ery was not only equal to, but ahead of, Butler county, Ohio, the richest county in the West. Experience has shown the farmers of the South, since cotton has become an article of commerce, that to economize labor, and produce cotton cheapest, the cultivation of a corn crop is a necessary com- plement, to utilize the labor needed at times for working and picking promptly, and in the nick of time, a cotton crop. The labor engaged solely in the jjroduction of a cotton crop, could never pick it out ; and much of the crop would be lost. Nor could the rotation in the times of planting and cultiva- tion be so arranged as to employ the labor cultivating cotton alone, profitably, each and every day. Hence it has been found, and it was the practice everywhere where cotton was the principal crop, to cultivate corn, and enough only, ta 35 raise all the cotton farmer's meat and bread. You may look through the crop records for the last fifty years, all over the South, and such has been the rule, everywhere. Even the State of Mississippi, the greatest cotton producing State be- fore the war, with the Mississippi river, the cheapest carrier in the world, running down from the grain fields of the West, all along her coast, and near her cotton fields, produced, as can be seen from the table, heretofore given, (table No. 12,) 36 bushels of corn to the soul, or three-fourths of the pro rata amount raised in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and 9.88 dollars worth of meat to their 7.32 for each soul. For the reason given above, a cotton crop can never be raised on bought corn and meat. It is not so much the dif- ference in the cost of these articles, whether brought from abroad or raised on the farm, but it is a matter of profitably and economically utilizing the surplus labor every where needed, at limes, in the cultivation and saving of a cotton crop. The West, then, can never depend upon the cotton South, when she once gets right, as a consumer of her grain. For she never can produce cotton properly and well, unless she makes her grain and meat on the farm. The theor}^ of these great western canals is all wrong. If you would render Ala- bama a worse waste than she is now, abandon the raising of meat and corn here. The county of Montgomery raised 44 1-10 bushels of corn to the soul, or within four bushels of the average for Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and $9.36 of meat, or more than they did. We have said nothing of the splendid cotton crop, worth nearly two and one-half millions of dollars, oiot in chips and lohetstones^ but in gold — or as much as the entire crop products, estimated as if they ivere ivorth gold, of three of the richest crop-producing counties in the State of Indiana; and nearly as much as any two of the counties in Illinois. The total value of her crops was $3,264,170 ; that of Butler county, Ohio, only $1,671,132; or a fraction only over one-half of that of our county of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, and more than double any two counties in Illinois. Place the county of Marengo, or Dallas, or other of the richer counties of Alabama, on the stand, and the coun- ties of the West would sink into insignificance beside the rich "values their record would show. 36 The figures I have beeu givicg. of the products of Alabama when properly cultivated and tilled, in comparison with the richest agricultural States of the West, sound to the new millions that inhabit and control the destinies of our countiy now, more like fiction than fact. Even our own people have forgotten, or they have never had the opportunity of com- paring, our splendid agriculture before the war with that of the West and Kortli. Had our condition been known at that time, as compared to that of our neighbors in other States of the Union, there tvoidd have been no war betiveen the States. I will speak of the climatic and other characteristics of this section of Alabama hereafter in this paper. I have given a fair statement, in the pages already written, of what Alabama was, as far as relates to the counties along the line of and contiguous to the South & North Alabama Rail Eoad, in an agricultural point of view, when her soils were properly cul- tivated and tilled before the war. I will proceed to give a brief record of what Alabama is now, as far as relates to the saime subject and the same sections of the State. I place first before the reader a table giving the crop products of these coun- ties before and since the war, or as taken from the census of 1860, before the war began, and from that of 1870, five years- after the war ended. 37 ■uo:>:)03 sdiv.Q sqj-ooo'Bqox 1-i i-H lO O 'M 1-1 00 O -* CM C-1 CO -*< -^ co" t> CO cm" i-T o6" •*' Ci -^ 00 cT cc' -*':£>miOO-^lO-*C0 lO 00 c~ Ui -i-H ■S!;B0si8qsna;l t-«DCOiM03-*OClCOa5t>Cli-l (MOS'^CMC^Ot-COOOCSOOCDOO t--^t-t-a5'>>^CMCM'-H0-*0 in o" t-" lo" CO t-" co" to" ■-!" ccs' of o' crT COrHlO'MOOOS^t^C; OJIOOO C^ 10 CO CM 1— I CM X lO CM lO lO (35 LO C;roiOt~COt^^CM'>>t>.C5'*lJO OiCM T-rQ0'-*'"oi'ra'"-^''-^tO CO'CO — Oi-0.-IQ0(»t^00t>-C»CMt-crirH OIOCO'MCOOTl-OOOOQOC-Ct'O rt O (M t^ O lO O l^ CO O 1-4 O C5 CO IM Oi o to ^ 1-1 CO 00 lO 00 1-t O Tj< qsna— n.ioo •qsna— a^a i.Otoc~ioioos»>ocMOioc:ii:~ r-T C-t^COCO~-TO rHi-lTCOi-llOCOXCOClOOJOO itf o --o" — <" cf i-T x" Lcf CI CO -*' — " co" (Mi-i-t^cc — crs^ocNcocoooo CMt~C~tOtOCMt^C0CMi-IClTHCO CM-*-MOCMCl-*CM'OOl:~C75Clt~ ^ T-H O t^ tO' — w to l-< T— «. -tH C^ 1-1 QCt^QOTtl300C5-#tOtOt005i-' o" i-h" to" o" 1^ LO cs" lo" to" th" ci' co" i-I' tO.-IC^^Cl'MOOt^i-l-^lOO'-l OCOi-iO^OOXCMCC~C5COOO •* 3;" crT oi" o" Lo" ci" t-^ -*" CO 'i!" io" t-^ -aiggy •^o«ia •Q^THiW I UJ »— t L-~ ^-^ — ' ;*"^ 1— 1 VJ \^J l-'J 1—1 >ODtr-i-iOOCit>.CO-*OOtO r o" t-^ -- to" lO t-^ cm" ^" to" ■•#" ■^'" )C0CMC03*C0G»05t~tO':OCiLO CM 00 LO to to c>» 3^ t~ — . rj( CO rH 00 tOt^CMCOt-tOrH-#i-(tDSiClC^ -TjT tC t>^ OO" to" Otf cm" Oi" o" Lo" o" lo" to r? 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X 1 'X' 00 I -* Oi CO 1— > rs- nr^ rrs _< (35 O CO^ 00 00 (M O CO _ t~ 00 COi-H<^Ot~lO-T<':ClO OC03L0rH(Mt-C0C0 ■^" T-T co" o lo' t>^ Lo' >-H co" a5C:2LOC5(MOCM wCM ODOCOOl31t~iniOOO t-^ciroooit^Loocr-acT CO ^ (D ^ 3 H : a - ^ "S^ O XI 03 (S g ^ a S o g: oj Oj a: x , 05 rH ^ ^ ^ 43 •spnp O.TJ [.Tn:)pou C- CC t- i>. t- T-H C5 O 05 T-H LO iM CC t~ O tr-^ oc cs' cT in -rfi cc io c'i ■*'" •>? > -o' or" cT c'*-*la507-H 00 »0ll0CO O 'M -* C~ O ^J" »cOi— ii— I 0>OCi-*t~C0rHQ0CNtEt~r-JOU0«3 O '^ O CO o o •siS-sassBioj/ij O T-l T-H O CO si38j JO siaqsiig t~ CO O O C~ to O CD >-i O OT (M tc CM 00 fMiraiOCOCOOCOOOOtM^OlrHQOCO ODOC^'OCltMClSIM (MQOOOIO lo' co' •sqi-oooTjqox 1-H CO CO -# I03 ; ^ OJ (D > j; a s o -e WK g s'-^ s ^ a - H 5 JS o "o p >Ot:~CO ■sqi— le^^na wo T-H CO CD c~ooococicoc;oc CD" i-T rH -tH' -*' lO" oo' t^ C o" CO t> 1 1-H COC^t-CO^t^rHt- 00 CD 00 (N <= C:lOC~CDTtlCO':J "* IC' o oa Cio^ooc-it>-ooi>-c: Oi •sqx— ^^anojj CO lO CD COlOlOt-COrHCOCOt- lO-^T-df '!)rco'"o'cD'"!M o^ ^6 cq lO lO CO oc CD(NOt~COOO^t- 1 00 CO 00 (M-^tlOOTtHQOCOOi-^ LO ■sqi— looAi oo'o Oi-IQ0(MCDQ0t-CDt> -* CD" CD" oo" T-T -*" LO' QO" CD °0_ of" "3 T— 1 1—1 1 *> o O lO IC r>-c5i-iioiooo-*i05i> lO o 00 lO CO OCD(MOO-rr*COCOO Ol sxS-sass'Bppj T-l I> 00 CO C5 1— 00 00 o o o o CD CO o oo CD 1 CD •;?9XJ'Ga ptfB CO CO CO 1— 1 Ofl ^ :j'B9qM.J[ong: ■^ 01 o C-^-*05CDt~C tH T-l iH (N T-llOOOli-lOOCOt^i-l OI Q P sqx-ooo'Bqox CO CO OiCDrHCOt-lOC-i^rH CD i-T CO tH OT 00 lo" i-H 05 o" ft I— 1 lO O Ph Ai z P o Q 1 1 g CO l' n M ^^ aj o , '-/ 5,illg=. 1 H Si ^ c .s "•■5 h; ^ ^ ^ ^ 45 Commencing at the northern end of the road, and taking up the counties in the same order that we have done hereto- fore, we will see what Alabama is now. The above tables will show the comparative amount of the products of the soils of these counties in Alabama, and, rated at the same price, their value in dollars and cents. It is true that the value of every product of the soil is greater now than before the war. But to arrive at a comparison, and mathe- matical measurement of the soil products, before and since the war, I have made the standard of prices the same now as it was then. Some of the minor soil products of the South are stricken out of the compendium of the census of 1870, for the reason, I suppose, that they had become too insignificant, since the war, to be noted. Some of them before the war — peas and beans, for instancCj — were of great value as articles of food. They are produced now, however, as compared to the period before the war, in quantities too small to be noted, in each county, in the compendium of the United States cen- sus for lo70. I will give here a table of the products left out in the county enumeration for 1870, but placed in the enumer- ation for the whole State : Year. Peas and Beans. Hay. Rice. Barley. Bye. 1860 1870 ........ 1,482,070 156,174 62,211 10,613 493,465 222,945 15,135 5,174 72,157 18,977 From the above table, it will be seen that the omitted arti^ cles of crop productions are insignificant now, even for the whole State. The total money value of these articles, left out for the whole State, was $1,035,668 in 1860, and only $200,868 in 1870. With this explanation, I will proceed with my ex- amination of Alabama, as it is, so far as relates to the coun- ties above referred to. We have heretofore shown what Ala- bama was — or the counties in Alabama — by comparing them with the States of the West. We will see what the counties in Alabama are now, by comparing them with themselves be- fore the war. To make this comparison entirely just and 4g equitable, as some of the minor products are wanting in the census of 1870, of a money vakie less than twenty per cent, of what they were before the war, I will substitute the meat crop — the money value of which before the war, for the whole State, was $10,237,131, and in 18/0 $4,670,146, or 46 6-iO per cent, of what it was before the war. It is my opinion that this comparative increased money value given to the meat crop of Alabama since the war, arises from the fact that it was estimated at a higher price, or the price ruling since the war. It is right that this should have been so measured in the census. I am confirmed in this opinion, from the fact that the total number of swine in Alabama in 1860 was 1,748,321, and in iS70, 719,757, or only 41 per cent. Be this as it may, the meat crop of Alabama, though not strictly a crop growing directly from the soil, was, and always will be when our coun- try gets right again, next to cotton and corn, the principal of our agricultural industries and productions; and though less effected by the results of the war than are the omitted minor productsj amounting in 1670 to nothing, any way, I will use this, with cotton, corn,' wheat, and potatoes, as five leading products, in comparing our counties in Alabama with them- selves. It is true, that by taking strictly soil products, the loss to our agriculture would appear greater ; but no one will deny that this measure will show better for the Alabama agri- culture of to-day. I insert here a table prepared on this basis ; 47 •uoi'jonpo.ij •S3{d'B;f! 9AIJ JO au^u^^^ •p9J9f ray JO 9nit:^Y 3D O 00 h- CO OS O C ^ 00 (M CO t-^od (M 00 cc in o CO 00 ■= O en in -* tH «C t-1 na;-sao;«;)Ojj S81.a— no;;oo ■qsng— n.xoo •ng— qtjaq^i •sSojj JO -ox -9jS8y •iioBta ■9?RA\. 05 to t~ :d coo Ct) CO lO 00 to IC QC TJ" CM -50 to »- OO to CO CO lO to to lO t- .-« Qi O I-O o CO (M ^ o CQi-l t~ to X' o ri CO Tit -*( (M 00 co'to" -* C5 t~ 30 to O LO CO to OJ to to 00 (M U5 00 1-H O ic o LO to to Ci CO Oi CO oq 3>1 t~ to o tN 00 CO CO co"2 T-H CO o o CO ■* to oa ^ .-H (M to CO Oi ■* lO'^ OX) i-nao cci COCO CT5C0 LOCO OCCO OOOl 00 00 tO>-l ffllO 00^ T+IO COtO COCO t^'* b-lO L^i— I toto LO-^ rjtio tocT 00^ t-co LO-*" c^TcT to— T oor-T oir-T to" of O— ' QDC^ tMCO ODO CCi-I 00 LO C~-01 LOCi «o toto CltO -^ICO lO-. c; — t- 0000 >-lC~ TjHCO — iT-H CiX' COi-l -#t- oo -HTtH rr-H CO^ tOOO coco coo X't~ OCO -^CO i-iO coo T-llC ijood" coto to"co o"-* o"ci" T-TicTt t-^o" o" tocf oto Oi-l-^COrHC^dC^lOlCllO-^COCOT-l t-i-l CO gI tO i-H lO tO CO 1-H to T-H -*-* ot- LOi-~ tot- T-Hco toin QOQO to— I -*^ cio tO-H into COOO oo. 0>-* -*■* r-i r-t OJ d oo 005 QOO '^COCO— I coco •'^tD t-CO tOCO t-O C5t- tO— I ofo" to— — Tco io"i-i" co"o" — Tco coco" to"— T loco" to"co' I CO-* CO CO —(I-H — ICO CO CO — (iH *M— t — iT-H CO-* tooo CO CO 'i* CO in o co'oo ^ o CO --h cc to ^oo —Tco oTin c^^oo coto t-rt* -*in C5-* T-H— I too -*t^ C0C5 ODQO OOCl 0-* tot- t-CO Ot- coo tOlO toco toco t-CO — 105| -* 00 -* in~ CO co" 00 lo' —T — T co co" co co o" c-^ co — T co o" I in-*i-H— I —I coco-^ci CO CM I o CO in t- COOT icc- OOCl oo'ot oo inci coot t-^co I COOO OOCO OTCO — "CO oco t-CO C--* oco 00— ( COOT ocin tOLO Looo COLO — ito ooo otoo — ico i-h-* "*~| odf-n' —Tin" t-^00 t-^'icT —Tot otot ocToo b-^-*" cfcf t-03i-HtH —100— I — I— 1 oo to t- CC 00 oo to t- OO CO o o to t- 00 X) O O to t- oooo o o to t- 00 00 o o to t- 00 00 oo CD t- 00 X o =■ to t- 00 00 o o to t- CC QC o o to t- OC' 00 -a CO cc w 48 We will be brief in our examination of this table, though it contains the substance of what is the matter with Alabama, at this time. The population of the Yalley of North Ala- bama, in 1860, was 132,864; in 1870 140,044, or a total in- crease of 9 per cent. The whites increased in this valley 19 per cent., or from 78,830 in i860, to 91,582 in i870, and the blacks decreased ten per cent., or from 54,034 to 48,462. The blacks were in 1870, 35 per cent, of the total population. In 1860, 40 1-10 per cent, of the total. Acres cultivated in 1860 were 993,775, in 1870 602,365, or 60 6-10 per cent. The ag- gregate value of the five leading farm products was $8,353,388 in 18()0, and $5,065,638 in 1870, or 60 38-100 per cent. ; or the value of the products is in exact ratio with the number of acres cultivated in each year. The per capita productions were $63.00 and $36.16. More people cultivated fewer acres, is the sole cause of this j^er capita loss in 1870. There was produced in 1860, in this valley, 5,606.436 bushels of corn, and 3,619,026 bushels in 1870, or 64 per cent. Cotton 93,281 bales in 1860, and 49,266 bales in 1870, or 43.6 per cent. Meat, produced in 1860, $1,457,941, and $1,001,603 in 1870, 68.6 per cent. It will be seen, here, that the per centage of meat is the largest. This arises from the heretofore stated fact, that the price prevailing since the war, has been used in obtaining the census value of this article in 1870. It shows, also, very clearly, that I am doing no injustice, in my meas- urement of the present agriculture of Alabama, in placing this product in my tables. MADISON COUNTY. The population of Madison, in 1860, was 26,450, in lh70, 31,267 ; a total increase of 18 per cent. The whites increased 3? per cent., and the blacks 9 per cent. This, with the other counties in the valley, is a white man's country, as it is called; as is clearly shown by the silent, eloquent, and unerring teach- ings of these figures. The aggregate value of the farm pro^ ducts of this county, in 1860, was $1,674,623, in 1870 $992,- 998, or a loss of 50.7 per cent. Acres cultivated in 1860, 214,509, and 139,305 in 1870, or a decrease of 65 per cent. ; 49 very nearly corresponding with the decrease in production. The per capita productions were $62.93 in 1860, and $31.91 in 1870. Here again, more people cultivated fewer acres, or did not work at all ; and we see the per capita crop productions only about one-half of what they were before the war. The war. The county of Limestone, as can be seen from the tables, has the largest fcr capita production, both in 1860, and 1870, of any county in North Alabama, and averaged more than the whole valley. The county of Morgan shows a falling off in the black population, and an increase in the white. The negroes in this county are only 27 per cent, of the whole population. ' The per capita productions were $56.47 in 1860, and $39.44 in 1870, or a loss in per capita pro- duction of only 30.16 per cent. Blount, Walker and Winston, had only 5,5 per cent, of negroes in 1870, and their loss in 2)er capita was only 12.76 per cent. The South & North Ala- bama Rail Road was completed in 1872j through these coun- ties, and they are being fast settled up. CULLMAN. The condition of the Germany Colony of Cullman is shown by the following statement of its founder, John G. Cullman, Esq, : The first settlers arrived in this colony, May 28, 1873, and consisted of five families. In January, 1874, the number had increased to 130 fami- lies, and to-day we have nearly 500 families, of whom 130 are living in the town, and the others are on farms in the country. In the town, where all was woods when we came here, 142 buildings have been erected. We have a furniture factory, (Southern Novelty Works,) wagon factor}^, cigar factory, fire-arms factory, steam flouring mill, saw-mills, tannery, five stores that keep everything for sale that is needed, and do a large business, in buying up all the produce that comes to this market, three good hotels, drug store, physicians and representatives of all trades. The first fifty families, with few exceptions, were poor peo- ple and acted as pioneers in cuttiog out streets and improv- ing the town ; they were employed by myself and paid $1.50 per da}" ; fire-wood was cut and delivered to the rail road 4 / 50 company at $1.75 per cord. This was of material assistance to settlers in the beginning. These people entered government land, and their farms are worth from $1,000 to $2,500 to day. Before the settlement of this colony the land here had hardly any value, and could be bought at from 12| to 25 cents an acre ; to-day the aver- age price is $3.00, and near town is sold at from $10.00 to $15.00. Old farms, that were offered when the settlement was be- gun for $b00.00, were sold a year following for $1,250.00, and others, offered for $700.00, sold for $1,800.00, and so on ; over 100 old farms have already passed into the hands of new set- tlers. The whole territory, which forms the Colony of Cullman, was not worth over $250,000.00, to-day it is worth $3,000,000. Section 15, which formerly paid $2.4U taxes, now pays about $1,1.00.00. Wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, potatoes, hops, and all the products of the South and East, are raised here. Particular attention is being paid to grape culture, and with good success. The product of one acre of grape vines, in this the second year of its growth, amounts to $500.00. It is safe to assume that, with a full crop, each vine will produce 50 cents worth of grapes, and, as from 1200 to 1600 can be planted on an acre, they will bring, at least, from $600.00 to $800.00. John G. Cullman. JEFFEESON COUNTY. The county of Jefferson stood, in 1860, $50.48 in per caioita farm products, and $25,5 in 1870, showing a loss per cent, of 49.49. This great loss in production, in a county containing only 20 per cent, of negroes, was a matter of some surprise to me. I, however, found the cause of this loss. Jones' Val- ley, extending entirely through the county, a distance of fifty miles, and from three to five miles wide, was, and is now, the principal agricultural feature in the county. In examiniug the detailed statistics, by townships, of this county, I found that of 2,506 negroes in the county, 2,289 hved in this valley in 1870, and 3,697 whites, or the negroes were 38 2-10 per cent, of the total population here. I found the loss had all 51 occured there, and was chargeable there, as elsewhere in the State, to the loss on, or shrinkage of negro labor. The county of Shelby has suffered in the same way, and to the same extent, as Jefferson. It stands $51.15 in comparative value of the counties in Alabama, as a farm producing county. Autauga has been so much cut up, since the war, that no fair comparison can be made of this county, now, with its former self. It stands $72.83 in the tables. We come nest to the county of Montgomery. There has been some change in the county lines of this county, but not affecting the per capita production since the war, as the portion cut off carried an equal proportion of pop- ulation. Population of this county in 186U was 35,904, and in 1870 43,704. The whites increased only 2^ per cent., the blacks 23. I per cent. There was a loss of white population in Alabama, in the decade ending with 1870, of nearly one per cent., or 4,887 souls. The loss of the whites was mainly from the accidents of the war. The increase of the negroes was altogether in the counties of the black belt. The larger towns and cities, have the greatest amount of this increase. The blacks were 71.5 of the population in 1870, and the loss in production 67.25 per cent. We come now to the Black Belt. We, find, that by taking the whole area of ten thousand square miles, the whites had fallen oft' about ten per cent., and the blacks had increased about twenty per cent., and that the blacks in 1870 were 71.1 of the population, and that the loss in production was 63.83 per cent., or that there was pro- duced in this region only 36.17 per cent, of the total before the war, or as taken from the census of 1860. This is nearly the same proportion of loss as that of the county of Mont- gomery; 71.3 of its population lieing negroes, and 71.1 for the whole area. By an inspection of the following table, the value of the soils of each section, and each county, for agri- cultural productions, before and since the war, will be found measured in dollars and cents — the American rule for meas- uring all things. Also, the proportion of negroes, in each section and county, for 1870 ; the 2'>^>' capita productions for the two periods; the per cent, of production, and also the per centage of loss, for 1870, as compared with 1860 : 52 County oe Section. PEE CAPITA PKODUCTION. Per centage of production. a S 00 sntage of popula- 1879. [ 1860 1870 Per c negro tion, Tennessee Valley $ 63 00 62.93 56.47 33.79 72 '83 99.45 103.25 $ 36 16 31.91 39.44 29.48 36 '95 32.57 37.41 57.40 50.70 69.84 87.24 50.70 50.73 33.37 36.23 42.60 49.30 30.16 12.76 49.30 49.47 67.23 63.77 35 Madison 47 Morgan 27 Blount, Walker and Winston. . Jones' Valley 5.5 38. 2 Autauga 62.75' Montgomery 71.5 Black Belt 71.9 The first column measures, in my opinion, the exact com-' parative vakie of the soils of the several sections, as agricul- tural regions. They were all cultivated equally well in 1860, the period upon which this column is founded. It will be seen, that the Valley of North Alabama stands $63.00 ; Mad- ison county $62.93. Madison is, perhaps, not fairly meas- ured in this table, as her large city of Huntsville is not de- ducted, though a city of non-producers ; this county, this being done, will stand equal to Limestone, in the value of her soil for farming, or $72.85, With this exception, this table measures fairly the agricultural value of the soils of all the sections and counties, along the South & North Alabama Rail Road. It would read then, Valley of North Alabama $62 93, Madison $72 85, Limestone $72 85, Morgan $56 47, Blount, Winston and Walker $33 79, Jefferson $50 48, Shelby $51 05, Autauga $72 83, Montgomery $99 45, Black Belt $103 43. In other words, one man would, and did produce, in 1860, by his labor, $6-^ 93 upon an average, in the Valley of North Alabama, $103 43 in the Black Belt, $50 48 in Jef- ferson county, and $33 79 in Blount, Walker and Winston. It will be seen that the loss in production is everywhere in exact proportion to the per centage of negroes in any coilnty or section. The number of negroes in Blount, Walker and Winston is 5.^ ]5er cent., and the loss of production is 12.76 per cent. ; Morgan county 27 per cent, negroes, loss 30.16 per cent. ; Valley of North Alabama, negroes 35 per cent., loss 40 per cent ; Jones' Valley -387-10 per cent., and the loss 49.30 per cent. ; Madison county 50 per cent, negroes, and the loss is 49.30 per cent. ; Montgomery 71.5 per cent, negroes, and 53 the loss G7.25 per cent. ; Black Belt 71.1 per cent, negroes and the loss is 63.83 per cent. That the amount of this loss may more fully appear, we will continue our examination and comparison of the Black Belt, with itself, for 1860 and 1870. There was raised here, in 1860, 14,374,052 bushels of In- dian corn ; in 1870, 6,270,843 bushels. Wheat, 170.141 bush- els in 1860, and only 16,517 in 1870. Cotton, 644 911 in 1860, and 24;),018 in 18/0. Potatoes, 2,767,582 bushels in 1860, and u44,055 in 1870. Hogs, 654,787 in 1860, and only 166,396 in 1^70. Meat, $3,898,918 in 1860, and only $973,416 in 1870. Stop, reader, and look again over these figures and results. They tell what Alabama is now, and what is the matter with her. Your losses, and your condition, are truth- fully and truly expressed here, people of the rich counties in Alabama, in figures, in dollars and cents. Is there any wonder that want, and gaunt, haggard des- pair prevails everj^where in the Black Belt, since 1867? If the reader in Alabama will only look to the end of that year, he will recollect that a sadly dark cloud settled then, over this part of Alabama, and from that time, until now, this section has been gradually growing poorer. We will continue our examination, and comparison of the Black Belt, with itself. We have stated that the farmers in the Black Belt, produced corn and meat enough, before the war, to do them, and no more. This with an immense amount of small food crops, carried them comfortably through the year. The counties south of the Tennessee river, in the Valley of North Alabama, and those in the Valley of Virginia, extended into Alabama, furnished a large amount of the surplus of meat and bread- stufifs for the army of non-producers in the Black Belt ; but the farmers, themselves, consumed in their families, and agri- cultural operations, the entire amount of grain and meat crops raised in this section. In 1860, they raised 14,374,052 bushels, and only 6,279,843 bushels in 1870, or a deficiency in the corn product of eight millions ninety-four thousand and tivo hundred and nine bushels. As can be seen from the tables, there were more mouths to feed, here, since the war, than be- fore ; and it is well known that this deficiency in corn was paid for at a high rate, averaging since 1867, $1 25 per bushel laid down in the crib, on the farm. Including com- 64 missions, advaiices, and forced mortgages on growing crops a system prevailing everywhere in Alabama, where cotton was produced, it was nearer double this figure, on an average. The cost of this short corn, was then $10,117,511. The meat production, at the prices ruling in 1860, was $3,898,918, and $973,614 in 1870, or 25 per ct. of that of 1860. In i860, there were 654,787 hogs in this region, in 1870, only 166,396, 25.36 per cent. The comparative accuracy of the statistics of the census can be seen here — only 36-100 of one per cent, difference in the ratio of meat products in 1860 and 1870, and that of the number of hogs in each of these years. The deficiency of meat was $2,925,502. But the deficiency of meat was also saddled with commissions, advances, haulage, profits, under forced mortgages, and amounted, when it reached the smoke- house on the farm, to at least $5,000,000. We come next to potatoes. This crop amounted here in 1860 to 2,767,582 bushels. In 1872, to only 544,055, or 19| per cent. It has been seen, that the small crops left out of the county records, but tabulated for the whole State, were, in 1870, only 19.41 per cent, of what they were in 1860. So, that the production and loss on the potatoe crop may be con- sidered as applying to all the left out and unenumerated crops of this section. In dollars and cents, this appears small ; but in health, comfort and convenience, these small crops now are sadly missed in this section. Owing to the climate, these small crops grow better here, and are missed more when want- ing than in any section of the United States. Hundreds and thousands of once well to do, but now poor families in Ala- bama, live from April to November on the crops of their gar- dens, seasoned with a little salt, and a very little meat. The deficiency in potatoes here is 2,223,527 bushels. Although our farming people do not buy them, and can not buy them now, they must fill up with something else, or lie under a log, and starve to the extent of the loss. In dollars and cents, it would cost here one dollar per bushel now, although we have estimated them in our tables at one-third of this amount, or $2,273,527. The loss on the fodder crop, amounting in 1860 in the whole State, to 300,000 tons, and in 1870 to only 150,000 tons, or 55 only a few more tons than the crop of the Black Belt alone in 1860, is seriously felt in this section of Alabama. It amounts now to less than 50,000 tons for this whole section, or a loss of 100,000 tons, costing the farmer now, in imported hay, over $2,000,000. The wheat crop of 1860 was 170,161 bushels ; in 1870, only 16,517 bushels. This was a small crop, even in 1860, but gave 2 2 bushels of wheat to each person of the white families en^ gaged only in farming here in 1860, and was all of this article they used. The loss, at one dollar, is $153,624; but as the farming white people in this section now use only corn bread, and do not buy flour, we will place the loss at the above fig- ures. The un enumerated lost crops of this section are large, but we will take no account of them here. We will add up now, and see how we stand : Lost Corn $10,117,511 " Meat 5,000,000 " Potatoes 2,237,527 " Fodder 2,000,000 " Wheat 153,624 Total $19,508,662 Now what has the farming population with which to pay this great debt every year? This debt must be paid first, or the people will starve. It is meat and bread — it is life itself. We find nothing but a cotton crop of 249,018 bales, of 400 pounds each. The product in I860 was 644,911 bales; in 1870 it was 249,018, or only 37.05 per cent. As there is no record of the amount of cotton produced in each county, except that made by the census at the end of each decade, and to show that the cotton product, as enumerated in the census of 1870, is an average for Alabama since the war, I will insert here a table of the receipts at the port of Mobile, for the period commencing with 1859 and ending with 1876; and also the prices of cotton at that port for each and all of these years : 56 o H H O Q P4 O CO O I— I Ah Ph O < W H ;zi O aj.oaa F^ox ® 50 CO I eo 9 •judv I eg) •qoJBH •ifj'Bnjqa^i •iii'BnnBf .-H CO ®® CO t~ ®® •jgqniaoaQ ©© •loqmaAO^ •i8qo:)0O o m S^ CM §)S) 1-1 Ol lOO)OC5T-l,-IIOJC2COlO ®©©©©®©©®© HH" u:iQO">^ e^hf «ht inl:r ©©®®©©©©®® -1^ ftkj' -KJ" f:hj« f,hj< ®®©©®®©®®® ®®®®©©©@©® OO-^i-li-ftMCNQOt-COCS) C0(Mi-IC■<+| lOOCOCOCCOCDCDCOCCOt^C^t— t>-t~ OOaiOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOQOQOOOOOOO t5 6X3 o O ^ Vh ft' SO M >? ^ *^0 57 It will be seen that the average receipts for the port of Mo- bile from 1866 to 1875, ten years, was 301,703 bales. The receipts for the census year was b06,061, or more than the average receipts for ten years. The rise and fall in the re- ceipts for the port of Mobile, for each year, measure always the rise and fall in the aggregate amount of the cotton pro- duct of Alabama. The prices are also given in detail, and for each month of the season, from 1859 to 1876. Though cotton has risen greatly since the war, it is now only about the same price in Europe, (and of course here, in gold,) as before the war ; and here it will remain, for the next decade at least. v The cotton bale of the census weighs 400 pounds, and I value it at ten cents, or $40 per bale, the price it was in the years immediately preceding the war. When we left our sub- ject, there was a deficiency of $19,508,662 to be paid for out of the cotton crop of the Black Belt, amounting to 249,018 bales. At twenty cents per pound, or $80 per bale, the price ruling then, the cotton crop of the Black Belt was worth $19,921,440, or just about paid for this deficit for food, to say nothing of tools, clothing, medicine, and the thousand and one unenumerated things incident to and necessary for farm- ing, for rent, repairs, time, and the wages of labor. It will be seen that cotton commenced falling this year, and it is worth now, as heretofore stated, not more than ten cents per pound, or the price before the war, and a price above which it will not average for any decade hereafter. When cotton was at twenty cents, it has been seen that the people of the Black Belt could live, and just live, on their reduced produc- tions ; but could buy nothing, or make no clear money. Cot- ton has not averaged since 1870 more than 12^ cents per pound to the planter, after paying advances, interest, and commissions on the forced mortgages. At this price, the cot- ton crop of the Black Belt was worth $12,455,900, or there is a deficit of $7,052,763 in the payment for meat and bread, the very essentials of life. This state of things has existed here for five years, and will never grow better with the present system of labor. It has been asked how these people lived? Go look in the hook of mortgages and deeds at your court-houses and you will see. Ask for the treasured relics of a race thcd has 58 passed away ! Your loomen unadorned with the treasures of art, their jewels given up, that their offspring might live. I am not above the figures, when I state it as a fact, that one-half of this area of ten thousand square miles, has been mortgaged, eaten up, and has changed hands, since the war, and the remainder, two years ago, could have been bought for a song. Since then, there has been some little change for the better ; but not much. When cotton was worth lO cents, and upwards, the people could live, and just live, notwith- standing the loss in production here, but as cotton continued to fall from 20 to 17, 15, 13, 12, and then to 10 cents, and un- der the death like shadows of disappointment, and despair, settled sadly and slowly over this section of our State. The high prices of cotton alone, kept us from starving, and kept off the evil day. Free negro labor is a failure in Alabama, as it has been the Avorld over, and from the beginning of time. I knew this, when our civil war ended, and so did every intelligent man in America. But I hoped the superior vigor of Anglo-American people, would make our country an exception to the rule, and that the negro could be made self- sustaining, as a race, in Alabama ; but the figures in this book, and elsewhere, the condition of agriculture, any, and everywhere in the South, where they are the only reliance for labor, prove conclusively, that I am hoping against hope. I can not enter here, into a discussion of this negro question. His value as a laborer, now, is truly measured, and given, in this paper. Go back with me now, gentle reader, to the spot where we stood on the fourth day of July, 1860, on the south- ern end of the Blue Ridge mountains, near the exact centre of the State. Sixteen years ago, we met on this spot, and I bade you look out on a scene of agriculture, such as the world never saw. Look again, and what do you see now, on the fourth day of July, 1876 ! The same fertile soil, the same air, and the new artesian well water, is there. The same people are there, too. The Alabama, the Tombigbee, and and the Warrior rivers run here now, as they did then, cut down deep into the rich dark Kmestone formation. Only an occasional steamboat is seen now, on these rivers, as they meander slowly along the vast, now uncultivated, prairie meadows. It is ribbed all over with rail roads, now, built 59 mainly since the war ; some long, and some short, some run- ning, and some not. The cities and towns have grown larger ; but that splendid agriculture you saw on the fourth day of July, 1 860, is gone, forever gone, and a sickly, hand-to-mouth, unprofitable agriculture, is carried on here now. Look at the country immediately at your feet — the mountain plain of Au- tauga. Go with me over the southern section of this region, some ten to fifteen miles wide, bordering as a rich selvage, the rich prairie belt, all the way from Marion to Wetumpka. A region of rich land, good water, and good health, all com- bined ; and a region where once was carried on the most ele- gant and comfortable agriculture in the State. The comfort is still there, but the elegant agriculture is all gone ; and I find here, that the farmers are abandoning negro labor, and they, and their 5'oung sons are cultivating their broad fields, by themselves. A visit to the farm of a single planter, in this region, will serve as a sample of all, as he is here well known as a model, and leading farmer, in this region ; that of Lazarus B. Parker. He owns some six thousand acres of land, in the south-eastern part of Autauga county. When the war ended, he owned more than a hundred slaves ; prop- erty made on this identical farm, in thirty years. When there, a few days ago, he showed me the first field cleared on this farm, having been under cultivation over fifty years, and better soil now than when first cultivated. The water was of course good, coming as it does from the foot hills of the Appalachian chain. But the great granaries, the miles of great grain and cotton fields were wanting. The reason is summed up in a few woids, as given by Mr. Parker himself. I have kept my negroes mostly around me, and whilst cotton was high I kept about even. But as cotton went down, they seemed to become more unreliable and worthless, as laborers, and for the last five or six years, I have lost money on every free negro around me, and with the exception of two or three old, and trusted family negroes, whom I expect always to support, on account of their fidelity and faithfulness when slaves, I have one negro only, about me, and that is my cook. Whilst sitting in his piazza, in June, and talking on this sub- ject, I heard a number of ploughmen coming into the front yard, or grove, from a side gate, and as they came into the 60 yard, I saw that they were all white men and boys, eight or ten in all, and his son, a youth of fourteen, in the lead. There goes my labor now, as the ploughmen passed by. What has become of your old negroes ? The Lord only knows. They are scattered among the hills around here, doing nothing. There is no money in farming with free negroes, now. I walked out, and looked over his once splendid farm, a lovely valley, some four miles long, and two miles wide ; with a large, clear, swift running creek, running through the middle, with not a particle of swamp on its borders, the farm all covered over with weeds and grass. It is simply waiting now, and waiting for labor only ; as are hundreds of thousands, and even millions of acres of rich lands, all over the State. This man is one among thousands, in Alabama. He always had money, and paid no extra money on advances, and made all of his corn and meat on Ms farm ; but he did not make enough with free negro labor, to feed over one hundred mouths, and have any profit left, when cotton was under 20 cents. If this man, a success before, during the war, and now, has failed with free negro labor, there is an end of it. This man is well known, and his opinions and actions are always laws, on any subject, where he is known. The country grows poorer as the plain rises slowly northward, from this selvage section of Autauga ; but, at and around the spot on which we are stand- ing, any farmer can do well, if he will work, as he can, any and everywhere, on this elevated, tree covered mountain plain. I will insert here, a letter received from the German Col- ony of Strasburg, recently located on the rail road, in the northern part of this region. They have been here only one year, and I have heard of no complaint. The letter speaks for itself : SteasburCt, Ala., August 12, 1876. Col. Milner : We settled at this point about 18 months ago, leaving New Albany, Indiana, as a colony, the 14tli of February, 1875. As most of us are Gei-mans, we named our settlement Stras- burg, after the city of that name, in the old country. We are delighted with the climate, have plenty of good wa- ter, and for health, we believe this locality can not be sur- passed. When we arrived here, it was very heavily timbered ; 61 and have been engaged, principally, in saw milling^— having two mills at this place, and one about three-fourths of a mile further south. What farming and gardening we have done, proves to us that the soil is adapted to the raising of anything that can be grown in Indiana, with the addition of cotton, and the sugar cane, and judging from what we have seen within a few miles of our place, the country is as well adapted to the raising of the grape, as any part of Fiance, or Germany. We have not done much, yet, towards getting emigration from the North ; what few we have, are well pleased, and say they wish they had known of this country before. We expect to have quite an increase to our numbers, in the course of another year. Very respectfully, Strasburg Agricultural & Mfg. Co., Per Crowell. The counties north of where we are standing — Shelby, Jef- ferson, Walker, Blount, and Winston, occupying the plain, or elevated plateau, representing in Alabama the mountain re- gions of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tennesse, with a crop producing record as given in the statements, and tables above, is wanting, waiting only for labor. The Tennessee Valley of North Alabama, with only 35 per cent, of negroes, and they, as has been seen, rapidly growing less ; and with a crop pro- duction in 1870, of nearly 60 per cent, of that of 1860, must soon have its 40 per cent, of uncultivated, and its 60 per cent, of unprofitably cultivated soil, covered with an industrious and thriving population of white men. Notice here, I use the word mvst, and I mean it, and I will demonstrate fully that this sentence applies to ever}' part of Alabama, before I am through writing this book. People go no where from sympathy, but they go everywhere from interest. Es- tablish a civil government in Alabama, such as we have had for the last one or two years, and maintain it here, and we will be wanting in labor but a short while. The soil of Ala- bama, when properly cultivated and tilled, is, as has been fully shown by our figures of comparison heretofore given, superior to any State in this tJnion, in the production of agri- cultural values, except Louisiana, Mississippi, and California. The presentment made by the census of 1860, of the crop products, and crop values of the different States and sections 62 of our country, was a true statement, and compiled from ma- terials obtained at a time when the soils of all the States Were cultivated alike, and equally well. The presentment made by the census of 1870, is likewise, a true statement of the soil productions then. But unexplained, and scattered all over the civilized world, as they have been by those inter- ested in peopling other sections of our country, as represent- ing truly, not only the productions of our soils then, but as the actual, and comparative capabilities of our soils, for the production of agricultural values, they have done the South an almost irreparable injury. These statements have been upheld, and fortified by the circulation of colored maps, all over the civilized world, under the sign manual of our Nation, giving the capabilities of the soils of Alabama, and the other Southern States, as taken from the census of 1870. Tables have also been prepared^, representing the capabilities of our soil, and hung up, and scattered everywhere, under the same great authority, until now, the soils of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and the other Southern States, in the pro- duction of agricultural values, are represented in these maps, and reports constructed under the authority as above, in lan- guage like the following : " For the ten Southern States, the average production is $267, while even the six sterile New England States pro- duced $490 for each farmer." The above is but two lines, of ten thousand pages, costing the Government millions of dollars — of persistent misrepre- sentations of the soils of the South, and still our people have been so much occupied with their political affairs, that no man has been found to undertake the exposition and explanation of these damaging misrepresentations. I can not believe that it is done by design ; but whether done so or not, it has the full effect of placing our soils before the new generations of men, who have sprung up here, and elsewhere, in the last sixteen years, as the most worthless, and the least capable of producing agricultural values, of any part of our great coun- try. If I have time, and can get pen, ink/ and paper, and any one will print what I write, I will set Alabama, and my native State, Georgia, right. We have now shown what Alabama was, what she is, and 63 we must next enter the region of prophecy as to what Ala- bama will be. I have shown that the labor here, now, is ut-- terly worthless, as the basis of our agricultural prosperity, and the great question with Alabama now, is to get a labor which can, and will cultivate her land properly, as it was be-- fore the war. To get this labor is an easy matter, if we go at it right. "We will now proceed to give the reasons why an immigra- tion of white men must come to Alabama. The same reasons and arguments will apply to all the Southern States, as well. They will come here, not by force or the arbitrary commands of power ; hut interest, and the force of circumstances will bring them here. We have now fully demonstrated, by figures and facts that can not be doubted or gainsaid, that the soils of Alabama, when properly cultivated and tilled before the war, exceeded, or were richer in the production of crop values, than those of any of the States of the Union, except Mississippi, Louisiana, and California. The matter of climate and health will be treated of here- after, and it will be seen that on this important question Ala- bama stood before the war, and will stand again when sys- tematic industry returns to her soil, equal to and even with the great agricultural States of our Union. The negro ques-' tion will, if left to itself, be solved by natural causes alone, and the yjolitical significance of the negro being lost, he will follow now the laws inherent in his constitution ; and increas- ing as he does slowly, in comparison to the whites, where emancipated all over the ciAilized world, he will cease soon to be an object or cause of apprehension in Alabama. The population of the United States was o8,558,871 in 1870. In ISGi) i; will be, at only the usual rate of increase, 49,125,- 882. The increase now from births and immigration is one million a year. In other words, there are one million new people in the United States each year wanting homes. One hundred years ago our population was three millions, settled along the Atlantic from Georgia to Massachusetts. This three millions in one hundred years have filled up and occu- pied the territory from the Atlantic to the 97th meridian, or 150 miles west of Missouri, and would have gone farther west 64- but for reasons I will hereafter give. They have crossed the Vast deserts, and taken up and occupied every available acre of cultivatable land in the far west, and are now going south- ward into Texas, and northward into Minnesota. There is a wide difference between the annual increase of three and fifty millions. The annual increase then was only 900,000 for each decade — 90,000 for each year ; of fifty millions, is fifteen mil- lions for each decade, or one million five hundred thousand for each year. I have said there are over one million Avanting homes each year. In four years, or by 1880, there will be one and a half millions. Where must these neiv millions go to jind agricultural homes ? It has heretofore been the custom to go west; but, reader, if you will follow me attentively thiough a few pages of facts, I will convince you that this custom has ended, or will end in four years at farthest. There is no agricultural country unoccupied now by white people west of the 98th and 100th m., or the middle of Kansas, the point which agricultural civilization has already reached. Great rail roads are built and running across this region from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean ; still the emigrants in Nebraska are hugging closely the Missouri river, and don't go out on the plains. The solid ranks, as they marched out from the borders of Missouri into the adjoining rich lands of Kansas, have come to a dead halt at the 99th meridian, and only a few stragglers have gone farther west to battle with the grasshoppers, drouth, and impossible agricultural soil without irrigation. Great rail roads are running here, too, and still the emigration does not go forward. Passing south through the Indian Territory to Texas, we find the agricul- tural people halting at the meridian line of 100. Going north into Dakota, we find the agricultural limit at 98. What is the matter ? Why this straggling, this halting, this crossing over to the Pacific — this northward movement to Minnesota, and this movement south-west to Texas? The answer is found in the fact, and I stand ready to prove it any and every where, that beyond the margin just mentioned there is no country unoccupied noio luhere an agricuUttral civilization can settle and live. Open the maps we studied when boys forty years ago, old men of the United States, and you will find this region char- 65 acterized, and called on these maps, as the Great American Desert. It was a true statement then, and is true now. Since then I have traveled all over this region, in every State and Territory from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, except Dakota, Montana, Arizona, and New Mexico, and it is true from the testimony of an eye ivitness. Nearly thirty years ago I met the Mormons at Salt Lake, hunting all over the Terri- tory of Utah for little spots of eultivatable soil. Thirty years ago I stood around and defended the women and children of Iowa and Illinois, as they hurried across this treeless, rainless, uncultivatable desert of nearly two thousand miles, and set- tled down in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and in the Sac- ramento Valley in Cali^rnia, the only strip of life-giving soil (and that on an average of from five to fifty miles wide) that lies between the 98th and 100th meridian and the Pacific ocean. There are spots, and only spots, in this great area of 1500 miles square, where a possible agriculture may be carried on without irrigation. In Utah, only 1105 square miles, or an ai'ea about equal to- a single county in Alabama, possible to be cultivated successfully, even with the irrigating water to be found in that vast territory. In the Rocky Mountains, beau- tiful valleys, or parks as they are called, are found in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and New Mexico — of small area, however, but looking beautiful when not covered with snow. But even here cultivation can becarried on only by irrigation of the soil, and the seasons are so short that nothing except the quickest growing vegetables can be raised. Around Denver, in the State of Colorado, by intercepting the few rivers that flow east from the Rocky Mountains before they have been drunk up by the hot sands of the barren plains, a small area has been reclaimed and is profitably cultivated, though irrigated at great cost and expense. In New Mexico and Arizona, vaih. the exception of the narrow valleys of the Rio Grande and the Gila — and they eultivatable only by irrigation — the whole country is, agriculturally speaking, a barren waste. In Nevada, the hot winds, the alkili salts, and the entire absence of irrigating streams — even if any soil at all fitted for cultivation was found — precludes any idea of agriculture. The agriculture of Oregon is summed up in the Williamette 5 66 Valley and a few other spots only, where irrigation can be had. In California, the Sacramento Valley is well situated for agriculture ; but here^ as elsewhere, the hot winds and no rains for seven months in the summer render agriculture im^ possible, except in a few counties in the coast range and around the bay of San Francisco, without extensive and costly works of irrigation. Some parts of this extensive region are covered over with a species of bunch grass — notably Arizona and the north-western part of New Mexico. But this, when when once eaten o£f, as is estimated, requires five years for a renewal, and sheep will, by nibbling at the roots in the dry sand, destroy it altogether, Tliis country is truly a desert, compared with the poorest of the States now occupied by the farming people of the United States. There is nothing but gold and silver and the religion of Mormons to keep agiicul- tural white people for a moment in this vast, treeless, water- less, inhospitable region of our country. There is a small strip of country west of Missouri, Iowa and Arkansas about one hundred and fifty miles wide, ex- tending into and through the State of Texas, of cultivatable soil now fast being settled up by emigration. But what is this little strip of half filled country to the new millions that are seeking homes every year. In less than four years this little strip will all be taken up, and then, and even before then, the ever moving and home hunting millions must start in some other direction. " There is now no other unoccupied agricultural territory, except that made vacant in the South by the failure of free negro labor, and they must and will come here." As before stated, I am fully prepared to make good all the above statements and facts. Others have trav- eled over and examined this vast region and described it more ably than I can, but they have written in great books and volumes not acces>ible to the general reader. All, with- out a single exception, all pointing to the same end that the country west of the 98th and 100th meridian, excepting only a little strip in Oregon and California from ten to fifty miles wide, is unfit for any agricultural civilization. The Yellow- stone and oth€3r branches of the Missouri may be used at great expense for the purposes of irrigation. The various •branches of the Columbia river east of the Cascade moun- 67 tains may be used in the same way to reclaim a part of this sterile desert in Idaho or Oregon. The Platte, the Arkansas, and the Canadian may also be utilized in this way for a lim- ited distance where they first leave the snowy mountains, and before they reach the hot and dry plains of Kansas, Colo- rado and Nebraska. The Kio Grande is utilized now, and has been for the last two hundred years, for the last drop that can be spared. But what does all this mean to a people who have been accustomed to receive their rain water for their fields without cost or expense at the Divine will and from the Heavens. It means this and nothing more and nothing less to our agricultural people, or their descendants, who wish to go to this country ; they had better stay where they are, and turn the Ohio, the Tennessee and the Alabama rivers over the tops of the high hills and mountains here and by this means add something to the production of the soil naturally better suited for agriculture. As a proof of my assertion I will give a few brief extracts from authors well known, and whose fitness and integrity cannot be doubted. The evidence on the affirmative of this subject is found any and everywhere in the reports of the commissioned ofl&cers of the army of the United States, and the contrary is found no where except in the interested reports of the bond sellers, and others having a personal interest and not responsible to any one as to what they say or represent. The Agricultural Bureau of our government has gone to the extreme limit of truth in its treatment of this .subject. Yet the natural evidence found everywhere here, is so plain and so well defined, that all these strained arguments and trashy statements are swept away like chaff before the wind, by the clear, concise and ponderous evidence found every- wdiere in the reports of the great officers commissioned especially by our government to examine into and report upon this subject. I scarcely know what part or how much of this evidence to quote. Gov. Houston, the present Gov- ernor of Alabama, has agreed to examine my book, and if possible, I will submit the mass of testimony now before me on this subject for his endorsement. It will then be law, at least in Alabama, and as my object in writing this book is as much for the information and satisfaction of the people of 68 Alabama, as for anything else, my purpose will have been ac- complished. Our people had better cling to their homes in Alabama, for the time is coming, in fact is here noiv, when the chance of getting agricultural homes in the new west Avill have ended. I say this to m}^ people in Alabama with a full and personal knowledge of the whole subject. Believe me, for it is true. I will quote from the reports of Maj. Gen. Emory, Prof. Blake, Gen. Humphries, present Chief of Engineers, and from the United States Secretary of War and other authentic doc- uments of a more recent date. I will quote first from the report of Gen. Emory, of the Uni- ted States army, to the Secretary of War. It will be remem- bered, that many of the officers of tlie United States army, were specially engaged, for j'ears before the war, in the ex- amination of this region, from the borders of Missouri, Iowa, and Texas, to the Pacific ocean, and traversed every portion of this extended area, from Mexico on the south, to British America on' the north. Their reports are comprehensive, dignified, stately, and trne. In this synopsis I am limited as to space, and have already overrun it, and can quote only short extracts, but I pledge the reader, that no extracts will be selected for a purpose, or will the geuei;;d opinion of any witness, be perverted or changed, by any extracts I may publish. Gen. Emory says: "A general description of the topo- graphical features of the country, along the boundary be- tween the United States and Mexico, (traversing the whole breadth of the continent,) cannot be made comprehensive, without presenting, in the same view, the great outline of the continent itself. * , * * * * * The most remarkable and apparent difference between this region and those of the States of the Union generally, and that which, perhaps, creates as much as any other one cause, the difference in its botanical and geological productions, (s the liydromHic state of the atmosphere ; for, while the plants and animals assume new forms in life, the crust of the earth, the soil, and the rocks, are everywhere familiar, and have many types, indeed, fac-similes, over the rest of the Ameri- can continent." " It is very arid ; but this is also the character of all the country north of the tropics, and west of the lOOtli meridian of longitude, until you reach the last slope of the Pacific — a 69 narrow belt, seldom exceeding two hundred miles in width, and sometimes not more than ten. The zone extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacitic, embracing the boundary, contains a large proportion of arid lands ; yet this dry region is, perhaps, narrower on the line of boundary, than on any portion of the continent north of it, within the limit of the United States, and is occasionally refreshed by showers in the summer season, and so far presents an advantage over the arid belt to the north * -j^ «• v:- * It is the slope toward the sea, of this range of mountains (the coast range,) which forms the western boundary of the arid region, and is, in my judgment, the only continuous agricul- tural country west of the 100th meridian. There are many detached valleys and basins aiibrding facilities for irrigation, where the cereals, the vine, and all the plants which conduce to the comfort of man, are produced lu'xuriantly ; but they form the exception, rather than the general rule, and are sep- arated by arid plains or mountains. * * " " * The remaining mountain feature of North America, is the Ap- palachian. * -» * * -;f * * v;- * Persons familiar with its character, as most who read this memoir are, will scarcely be able to comprehend, still less to believe, the character given to the western and less favored regions, described in this report." " In a fanciful and exaggerated description given by many of the character of the western half of this continent, some have no doubt been influenced by a desire to favor particular routes of travel for the emigrants to follow ; others by a de- sire to commend themselves to the political favor of those in- terested in the settlement and sale of those lands ; but much the greater portion by estimating the soil alone, which is gen- erally good, without giving due weight to the infrequency of the rains, or the absence of the necessary humidity in the atmosphere to produce a profitable vegetation. But be the motive what it may, the influence has been equally unfortu- nate by directing legislation and the military occupation of the country, as if it were susceptible of continuous settlement, from the peaks of the AUeghanies to the Pacific." "The term 'plains' is applied to the extensive inclined sur- face reaching from the base of the Eocky Mountains to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and the Valley of the Missis- sippi, and form a feature in the geography of the western country as notable as any other. Except on the borders of the streams which traverse the plains in their course to the Valley of the Mississippi, scarcely any thing exists worthy of the name of vegetation. The soil is composed of the disin- tegrated rocks, covered by a loam an inch or two in thickness, which is composed of the exuviae of animals and decayed 70 vegetable matter. The growth on them is principally a short bnt nutritious grass, called Buffalo grass, (Sysleria Dicta- torcles). A narrow strip of alluvial soil, supporting a coarse grass and a few cotton-wood trees, marks the line of the water courses, which are themselves suiKciently few and far be- tween. " Whatever may be said to the contrary, these plains west of the 100th meridian are wholly unsusceptible of sustaining an agricultural population, until you reach sufficiently far south to encounter the rains from the tropics. " The precise limit of these rains I am not prepared to give ; but think the Eed Eiver is, perhaps, as far north as they ex- tend south of that river." * * * * " Whatever may be the opinion of persons interested in the more northern lines of travel and projected railway routes to the Pacific, we can not shut our e3'es to the existence of this desert, on any line of travel south of the South Pass, in north latitude 42". I am also of the opinion, that this desert within the limits of the United States is narrower and more easily passed over by a railway immediately north of the Mex- ican boundary than on any parallel to the north of it. An attentive perusal of the report of Governor Stevens Avill show that even uorth of the South Pass vast tracts of desert and arid regions were encountered in the same longitudinal zone, which, added to the rigors of the climate, form an almost in- surmountable barrier to the project of opening through those regions any great highway of travel, either by railway or wagon road, between the Atlantic and Pacific States. "The full power of the government has been directed to- wards establishing posts and. opening these northern lines of travel ; yet we have, within the last few months, seen Fort Laramie, Fort Pierre, and, I believe, even Fort Kearney, abandoned by the government, owing to the absolute sterility of the soil, and the impossibility of inducing settlements, or raising even vegetables necessary for the use of the troops. "The records of the Quartermaster General's office show the long continued efforts which the government has made to establish these posts as nuclei for settlers, and the utter failure to induce settlements, and make the surrounding coun- try at all conducive to the support of the troops. . The idea of carving out States from that portion of the American con- tinent between parallels 35" and 47" and the 100th meridian of longitude and the crest of the Sierra Madre, is a chimera. The example of the Mormons is often cited to prove the ca- pacity of the country to sustain population. They occujayan oasis in this great desert, and the power to sustain even the population they have is by no means established beyond a doubt. On two occasions the grosshoppers were very nearly 71 eating them out and prodacing a famine ; and I am very sure, if it were not for their pecuhar institutions, which can not bear the light of civilization, they could not be induced to remain in their isolated and desert home. "We learn from the report of Captain Beckwith, United States army, how very circumscribed is the area of land which is now susceptible of cultivation in this desert, and the fact that families sometimes go a great distance from the settle- ments for the advantage of obtaining a few acres of ground susceptible of cultivation. (See page 65, vol. I, Pacific Rail Road Report.) When the truth comes to be admitted, I think it will be found that the upper valley of the Rio Bravo, embracing New Mexico and a small portion of western Texas, is the only tract of land, within the limits mentioned in the preceding paragraph, where a body of land is to be found susceptible of sustaining any considerable population. And yet we see, since our occupation in that Territory in 1846, the population has increased but little, if at all." General Humphreys, present Chief of Engineers, collating these reports, says : "The important characteristic feature of Captain Pope's route (S'i*^), dwelt upon with so much force by him, is the ex- tension westward of fertile laud to near the head-waters of the Colorado." * ^ ^ * ^ * "At this point (98.\), the change to uncultivatable laud is complete, excepting in the river bottoms, which are more or less fertile." «- * * * " xhe land now culti- vated in New Mexico (35th parallel) is estimated at two hun- dred square miles, and the land cultivatable now vacant, ex- clusive of the vast region occupied by the Navajoes, Maquis, Tanians, and wilder tribes of Indians, at about 4';^)0 square miles, giving a total of about 700 square miles. Only one- fifth of the bottom land of the Rio Grande, capable of irri- gation and cultivation, is now under culture. " The valley of the Colorado, between the mouth and the 35th parallel, contains 1,600 square miles of fertile soil capa- ble of irrigation. "In neither soil, climate, productions, nor population, nor from any other cause, does it possess advantages superior to other routes, favoring the construction and working of a rail road. " The soil west of the meridian of 99*^ is, under the present meteorological conditions, uncultivatable, except in limited portions of river bottoms and small mountain valleys ; these latter, from their great elevation, being better adapted to grazing than agricultural purposes. " This description is completely in accordance with the ge- 72 ological formation and meteorological conditions, the former from the meridian of 99'^ west being apparently tertiary, ex- cepting in the high mountain passes." In speaking of the region north of the South Pass, Captain Stanbury says : *****" The only large body of cultivatable soil, found on this route (38th and 39th), west of the 99th merid- ian, is that occupied by the Mormons, on the western foot- slopes of the Wahsatch Mountains, forming the eastern bor- ' der of the Great Basin. The following description of this fertile tract is taken from Lieut. Beckwith's Beport upon the route, near the 38th and 39th parallels of north latitude : " The western range of the Wahsatch mountains, standing on the eastern border of the Great Basin, is continuous, ex- tending north and south over five degrees of latitude, from the vicinity of Little Salt Lake to north of Bear river, broken only by the passage of the Sevier, Timpagos, Weber and Bear rivers. Its altitude, at 3,000 feet above the general level of the country, is quite uniform ; but occasionally it falls down to 2,000, and at a few points rises to 4,000 and 4,500 feet. " Its western slope is very steep — often inaccessible — pre- senting generally a very formidable barrier to the entrance of a rail road into the Basin from the east. Many small streams descend from it; and as far as its disintegrations have been deposited at its base upon the alkali plains of the Basin, it forms a rich soil. " The line of deposits is narrow, and not continuous, vary- ing in width, where it is found from two or three miles to ten or twelve at a few points — as opposite Utah and Great Salt Lakes, where it occupies the entire space from the mountain to the lake shores. It is to this narrow belt of land that the Mormon settlements are almost exclusively confined, the iso- lated settlements being upon similar deposits in smaller valleys at the base of other mountains, the small mountain streams, upon which these mountain deposits are richest and chiefly ex- ist, being used for irrigation. Respectable crops of wheat and oats are produced, and barley has been cultivated to some extent ; but corn does not flourish well. The grass of this district, and of the higher mountain valleys, is excellent ; and potatoes and other roots are produced in abundance, and of a superior quality. " The area of this body of fertile soil, susceptible of irriga- tion by the construction of suitable works, is estimated by Lieut. Beckwith at 1,108 square miles." The area of the different localities are estimated as fol- lows : 73 Eastern shore of Great Salt Lake, from Bear Kiver to Great Salt Lake City — square miles 350 Valley of the Jordan river 374 Valley of Tuilla, west of Quirrah mountains and east of Cedar mountains 204 Total on Great Salt Lake proper . : 928 Upon the borders of Utah Lake 180 Total (as above) 1,108 "About one-tenth of this area is susceptible of irrigation without the construction of costly works, and is tilled by the Mormons — 27,000 in number — who eagerly seek for and oc- cupy small tracts of cultivatable soil, if sufficiently large to support a few families, even though at great distance from the main settlement." Gen. H. continues — " On this route, as on others, from the 98th to the 99th deg. meridian westward, to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, a distance of about 1,400 miles, the soil is generally uncnlti vat able, the exception being the com- paratively limited area of the Mormon settlement, and an oc- casional river bottom and mountain valley of small extent." Route near 41 st and 42d Parallels. "East of the Rocky mountains, the plains are of the same character as those described for the 38th and 39th parallels : uncultivatahle icent of the 08th meridian.'' 47th and 49th Parallels — Character of Country, &c. " The character of country along the route from St. Paul to Seattle may be summed up as follows : Miles. From St. Paul to Little Falls, fertile soil 109 From' the Mississippi river at Little Falls to Dead Colt Hillock, the soil is fertile — the distance is about 166 From that point to the crossing of Riviere a' Jacques, near the 99th meridian, the change from fertility to an uncultivatahle condition takes place 66 Thence to the crossing of Sun river, a distance of 752 miles, the prairie is uncultivatahle ; the river bottom of the Missouri in part, those of Jacques river, Mouse river, and of other streams, possessing a cultivatable soil 752 We have then a mountain region of 404 miles, a well wooded district to the Spokane river, with mountain valleys of partly cultivatable soil, and prairies of the same character 404 74 (The sum of the areas of cultivatable soil in the Rocky mountaiu regions being about 1,000 square miles.) From the Spokane river to the crossing of the Columbia, ten miles above Fort Wallah- Wallah, over the barren plain of the Columbia 142 Thence to the Cascades, an uncultivatable, though graz- ing district, about 192 Thence to Seattle, on Puget Sound, over cultivatable land, about 194 Total 2,025 " So thai of the 2,025 miles from St. Paul to Seattle, on Pu- get Sound, we Lave only a space of about 535 miles of fer- tile country; the remaining i,490 miles being over uncidti- vatable prairie soil, or mounfain land, producing only lumber, with the limited exception of occasional river bottoms, moun- tain valleys, or prairie." I will give next some extracts from the report of the Secre- tary of War of the United States, based upon the reports of the army officers, and upon the resume above given b}^ Gen. Humphreys, of their reports. Route near the 47th and 39th Parallels. " From the foregoing sketch, it will be perceived that the lines of exploration must traverse three difterent divisions or regions of country, lying parallel to each other, and extend- ing north and south through the whole of the western pos- sessions of the United States. The first is that of the coun- try between the Mississippi and the eastern edge of the sterile belt, having a varying width of from 500 to 600 miles. The second is the sterile region, varying in width from of from 200 to 400 miles; and the third, the mountain region, having a breadth of from 50(J to 1)00 miles. " The concurring testimony of reliable observers had indi- cated that the second division, or that called the sterile region, was so inferior in vegetation and character of soil, and so deficient in moisture, that it Iiad received, and probably deserved, the name of desert. This opinion is confirmed by the recent explorations, which prove that the soil of the greater part of this region is, from the constituent parts, necessarily sterile ; and that of the remaining part, although well constituted for fertility, is, from the absence of rains at certain seasons, ex- cept where capable of irrigation, as uncultivatable and unpro- ductive as the other. "This general character of extreme sterility likewise be- longs to the country embraced in the mountain region. From 75 the western slopes of the Rocky mountains to the 112th me- ridian, or the western limit of the basin of the Colorado, the soil generally is of the same formation as that lying east of that mountain crest, mixed, in the latitudes of 35 and 40 deg., with igneous rocks ; and the region being one of great aridity, especially in the summer, the areas of cultivatable lands are limited. The western slopes of the highest mountain chains and spurs within this region being of a constitution favorable to fertilitj', and receiving much larger depositions of rain than the plains, have frequently, in their small valleys, a luxuriant growth of grasses, which sometimes clothes the mountain sides ; and where the wash is deposited on mountain stream or river bottom, the soil is fertile, and can he cultivated, if the elevations are not too great, and the means of irrigation availa- ble. Such mountain valleys and river bottoms exist iipon all the routes, and the difference in the areas found m the diifer- ent latitudes is not sufficiently great to be of any consequence in determining the question of a choice of a route. It is probable that all the routes are nearly on an equality in this respect. The cultivatable valleys of the Rocky mountain re- gion, near the route of the -47 th parallel, do not probably ex- ceed an area of i,000 square miles; though there are exten- sive tracts of fine grazing lands. In this latitude, the great, sterile, basaltic plain of the Columbia, and the barren table lands, spurrs, and mountain masses of the Cascade Range, principally occupy the space between the Coeur de Alene mountains and the main chain of the Cascade system. In this area, where the rocks are principally of igneous origin, there are occasional valleys of cultivatable soil. Tlie western slopes of the Cascade mountains descend to the borders of the Puget Sound. "On the roates of the 41st and 38th parallels, in the region under consideration, the only large body of soil capable of productive cultivation, by the construction of suitable works for irrigation, is that of the i^asin of the Great Salt Lake, estimated to be 1,108 square miles in extent, about one-tenth part of which being susceptible of cultivation, without the construction of irrigating canals, is now cultivated by the Mormons. Here, also, are extensive grazing lands." "The great elevated plain of the Rocky mountains, in lati- tude 41 degrees and 42 degrees, and that of latitude 38 de- grees, CciUed the San Luis valley, are covered with wild sage ; the narrow border of grass found upon the streams being the chief, almost the only, production capable of supporting ani- mal life. The slopes of the mountains boundiig them are covered with grass. "The plains of the Great Basin, whose greatest width (500 miles) is in latitude 41 deg. are, with the exception heretofore 76 stated, entirely sterile, and either bare, or imperfectly <^oy- ered with a growth of wild sage. When a stream or lake is found in this desolate region, its immediate borders generally support a narrow belt of grass and willows; the former being also found on the mountaifj slopes, where occasionally a scat- tered growth of cedars is likewise seen. Water is found on the mountain side. The predominating rocks, from the Wah- satch mountains to the Sierra Nevada, are of igneous origin. In the southern portion of the Basin the granite rocks are more abundant than the volcanic." "On the routes of the parallels 35 deg. and 32 deg. the val- leys of the Pecos, Rio Grande, Gila, and Colorado of the West, contain the largest areas of fertile soil, capable of irri- gation and cultivation. That of New Mexico is estimated at 700 square miles, exclusive of the regions occupied by In- dians, of which 200 square miles are now under cultivation. Here the grazing land is of very great extent, the table lands, as well as the mountain sides, being covered with grass. The valley of the Colorado of the West, between its mouth and the o5th parallel, contains 1,600 square miles of fertile soil, which can be irrigated from the river." "The plains south of the Gila in its lower course, and that west of the Colorado, extending to the Coast Range, called the Colorado Desert, as well as the contiguous portion of the Great Basin, are bare and exceedingly sterile in their aspect, and closely resemble each other." " The soil of the Colorado desert, and much of this as well as other parts of the Great Basin, is, however, favorably con- stituted for fertility, but the absence of the quickenijir/, essential element, water, leaves them utterly unproductive." " West of the Coast, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade moun- tains, the country is better watered than that just considered, and the soil being mostly well constituted for fertility, is pro- ductive in proportion to the yearly amount of precipitation, and means of irrigation.'''' Route near the 47th and 49th. Parallels. "The information upon the character of soil upon this route does not admit of satisfactory conclusions to be de- duced. It is sufficient, however, to show that in this latitude, as in that of the Arkansas, the uncultivatable region begins about the 99th meridian.'' Route near the 41st and 42d Parallels. "On this route, as on others, from the 98th or 99fch merid- ian to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, a distance of 1,400 miles, the soil is uncultivatable, excepting the compara- 77 tively limited area of the Mormon settlement, and an occa- sional river bottom and mountain valley of small extent." EOUTE NEAR THE 38tH AND o9tH PARALLELS. " TJte soil west of the meridian of 90 deg. is, binder the present meterologiccd conditions, uncidtioatahle, except in limited portions of river bottoms, and mountain vcdleys ; tliese latter, from their great elevcdion, being better adapted to grazing than agricultural pur poses. '' Route near the 35th Parallel. "Near the meridian of 99 deg., the change from fertile land to uncidtivcdcdjle is complete, excepting in tlte river bottoms, ivJdch are more or less fertile." Route near the 32nd Parallel. " From the report of Capt. Pope, it would appear that the belt of fertile Jaud which lies on the west side of the Missis- sippi throughout its length, extends on this route nearly to the headwaters of the Colorado of Texas, in about longitude 102 deg.— that is, about three degrees further west than on the more northern routes. The evidence adduced in support of this opinion is not, however, conclusive ; and until it is ren- dered more complete, the /er/;7e soil must be considered in this, as in other latitudes, to terminate about the 09th meridian. Thence to the Pacific slopes this route is over uncultiva- tablesoil." * -» * ^:- * * It will be seen from the above, from the Secretary of of War, and also from the report of General Humphreys, compiled from the official reports of officers engaged in making the various explorations from the southern bound- ary of our couutr}^ to British America, that west of the 98th and 100th meridians, with the exception, perhaps, of 1,000 square miles, in the Rocky mountains, on the line of the Northern Pacific R. R., and 1,108 square miles in Utah, and some 700 square miles in New Mexico, and a narrow strip along the foot of the Rocky mountains, all cutivated by irri- gation alone, there are no bodies of cullivatable lands until we reach the Willamefteand Sacramento valleys, on the Pacijic coast. As was heretofore stated, nearly thirty years ago I trav- eled over and examined this whole region. I was then over tweuty-one, and had, as I thought, my senses about me, and my opinion formed then was precisely that of the great offi- cers of our Government, quoted above, and such was the opinion of every living soul, who, at that time, had travelled over and examined this region — that, with the exception of 78 spots, and narrow strips along the rivers east of the Eocky mountains, and the parks, as they are called, and a few val- leys in the midst of the Rock}^ mountains, and at an eleva- tion too great to admit of the successful growth of any but the quickest growing vegetables. The little narrow strips in Hew Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Da- kota, Montana and Wyoming, all cutivatable only by irriga- tion, and the water for irrigation almost absolutely wanting, and impracticable for the purpose, tliere is no cultivatable land tcest of the 98th and 100th meridian, except the narrow valleys, from five tojifty miles loide, along the Pacific coast, Some five or six years ago, my attention was atrracted, in New York, to some extensive and elaboratel}^ gotten up land maps, and reports of the various projected railway lines in this region. I was surprised and astonished at the state- ments made here, of the agricultural fitness of the various regions referred to. I felt, also, a degree of pleasure, in the hope that, perhaps, I might have been mistaken in my opin- ion of this region. At that time, every white man in Ala- bama, owing to the unrest, and social and political darkness and uncertainty that prevailed everywhere in our State, was anxious to get away, and find a home for his family, where such terrors did not exist. Being of a migratory nature, and having but little left now to move, but my wife and children, I entered immediately into a re-examination of this subject ; and I sa}' here, to my friends in Alabama, that I found that large numbeis of people had moved into and settled in this region, in the last thirty years, mainly engaged in mining, and that a few had large stock ranches immediately along the rivers ; but, m an agricultural point of view, it was as sterile and inhospitable as I found it thirty years ago. The experi- ence of the few who had attempted agriculture, had but added to and demonstrated the truth and integrity of the reports heretofore made to our Government, by its commissioned oflicers, and others specially entrusted with the examination of this subject. I will refer, first, to a few recent authorities on this subject, and finally to the census of 1870. Many a laudatory land lying scheme in the west has been ruined by the stern logic of these figures and facts, as given by the Fed- eral census. I introduce first, the skeleton ge ological map,"^ *Map not ready lor this edition. 79 published in this vohime ; a copy from that prepared by the distinguished scientists and explorers, Profs. Blake and Hitch- cock, for the census of 1870. I have endeavored to have it faithfully reproduced ; if it is not, the original can be seen in the census of that year. A mere inspection of this map will show that the top soils, west of the 98th and 100th me- ridians, differs, generally, from those east. 15 ut this does not tell the whole story. It will be seen, that in spots such as that immediatel}^ around Denver, and along the valley of the Eio Grande, the limestone, and the cretaceous, the most fertile of the formations of the United States, ap- pear on the surface. Where water can be brought on these soils, and where the frosts or hot winds, do not interfere, veg- etation will grow, luxuriantly, always. But plant even in Ala- bama, an acre of either of these rich soils, covering two-thirds of the area of the whole State, and admit upon it, even the gentle rays of our own summer sun, and expend upon it all the arts that labor and science can bring to bear, and exclude from it only the God-given showers of rain that fall every- where here, and you will have an idea of what these soils will produce, w^herethey are in the plains and mountains of the west. These little sample spots, as seen on this map, watered only by the ingenuity and industry of man, and producing crops almost equal to Alabama, Illinois, and New York, have furnished the material facts upon which were based the glow- ing, and grandiloquent reports, as seen by me in the city of New York. I regret my inability to furnish, here, a table of rain fall, all over this region, for the last thirty years. It can easily be seen at the Smithsonian Institute. I will give the following table of rain fall, east of the 97th meridian, in the United States, or the meridian of Austin and Fort Worth, Texas; Junction city, Kansas; Yankton, Dakota, and the Red river of the North, or the meridian where the annual dryness, or rain deficiency begins. It is only an exception, if rain falls west of this meridian sufficient to raise crops, as we will see from the following additional table, which is a. fair and average statement of the rain fall, and the man- ner in which it falls, all over this vast area, from the 97th meridian to the Pacific ocean : 80 o ^ a H h ^2- h> CO j^ pa W fin ^ o o S -5 " fl o O SPh 3 a; H nmn:} -ny 'N (M ■Jara -rang -rn o Saudgl •09a •AOM 100 Id « '+d9g •Stiy GO 00 X) CO •iinf 10 10 Gi CO (>> co" t-^ CO -*' ^ >-! 06 COCMi-(r-l.-( i-H T— It— ICOC-^ o ^- g a g pfiP^P:^PP^±Q 81 It will be seen from the above tables, that the spring and summer rains east of the 97th meridian, are generally equal to the fall and winter, and that rain falls regularly all through the crop growing season. Nebraska, Kansas and Texas are also included in this table, but the record in the first table is taken onhj for eastern Nehraslm, Kansas, and that part of Texas east of Fort Worth. Though as you approach the meridian from the east, there is more or less uncertainty in having rain enough to make a crop, still, by planting largely of wheat and other winter and early growing crops, agricul- ture can be safely carried on this far west ; but no farther, without irrigation, except immediately along the Gulf coast, where the rain region extends farther west on account of the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. We will proceed now to describe the other table, which is a record of a vast region, equal to nearly half of the United States. Commencing at the border of Missouri, and going west along latitude 39, we will show the characteristic rain- fall features to the Pacific ocean, including Oregon and Cali- fornia. From 94 deg. 44 min. to 96 deg. 40 min. is practi- cally the rain-fall region of Kansas, as given heretofore. It will be seen, that there is a deficiency in the late autumn, winter, and early spring rain-fall here, that militates against the production of winter wheat, as can be seen by reference to the Kansas Agricultural Keport. From 96 deg. 35 min. to 99 deg. 20 min., or nearly three degrees further west, the rain- fall is only 23.61 inches, or two-thirds that of the eastern belt of Kansas, less than two-fifths that of Alabama, and expresses the same winter deficiency of rain as the eastern belt. The strange anomaly is seen in the wheat prodiiction of Kansas, (raised almost entirely in the eastern belt) of 1,314,522 bush- els of spring wlieat, and only 1,076,676 bushels of winter wheat ; whilst in the State of Missouri, immediately adjoining Kan- sas on the east, the spring crop is only 1,093,905 bushels, and the winter crop 13,222,021 bushels. It would appear that a country so bare of rain as Kansas would plant winter wheat altogether ; but the rain deficiency here even extends into the winter, and they plant both spring and winter wheat, so that if they fail, from a drought or deficiency of rain in one, they 6 82 may succeed in the other. This vast section, extending from the 100th meridian to the western border of Kansas, has an average rain-fall of only 13.34 inches, or about one-third that of the eastern belt, and one-fifth that of Alabama. It sprin- kles here every month in the year — spring 4.47, summer 5.25, autumn 2.41, and winter 1.18 inches. The rain-fall here suits neither wheat, corn, nor any other crop. The Legislature of the State of Kansas, through its Agricultural Bureau, has had the manhood to say so, in the following language, referring to three divisions of the State : " The eastern belt will admit of most diversified grains and grasses, and is most admirably adapted to stock raising. " The middie belt is well adapted to stock raising. Spring wheat will stand about an equal chance with its winter rival. It is the experience of the farmers of eastern Kan-as that there is greater danger of winter than spring droughts, so far as this important crop is concerned. If it is too dry, the raking prairie winds will blow the soil from the roots, which then wither and die. The eastern belt has no moisture to spare dur- ing the ivinfer months, and while the difference between the eastern and middle belts is only .93 of an inch, it is enough to equalize the two crops. Spring grains of all kinds, except in the eastern half of this belt, will take preference to corn and potatoes. Flax and broom corn will succeed well. " The western belt is a good country for stock. It is proba- ble that flax will succeed there, and in some localities in the bottoms, spring wheat and other small grains ; but to go there, to engage in diversified industries, will only result in disap- pointment and loss. It is a fraud n-pon the immigrant and his family, and a positive injury to tJie good name of the State. If the immigrant locates upon the western border understand- ingly, and engages only in such industries as the soil and cli- mate will warrant, he will succeed." We have here, under the highest authority of the State of Kansas in 1874, a confirmation of the figures I have given. The next section, from 103 deg. to 105 deg., reaches Den- ver, at the foot of the Rocky mouutain, and the rain-fall is 12.98 inches. It will be seen, by reference to the geological map, that we have reached here, at Denver, a little strip of the rich soils of Alabama, and here, by extensive works of irrigation, a splendid agriculture is carried on — truly an oasis in an impracticable desert. The circumstances all combine to make irrigation a success. A rich soil, and at the very gate- 83 wa}' of the mountains, intercepting easily the only rivers that contain any water in this region, before they reach the arid and parched plains between Dever and Missouri and Arkan- sas. Extensive mining operations are carried on here, and there is now, and has been for years, a full market for every thing produced from the soil. Whilst here, I will insert an extract from Lieut. Wheeler's recent report to the government, on the subject of irrigation east of the Rocky mountains : "As the dry season begins in June, and continues until au- tumn, all farming operations are entirely dependent upon ar- tificial irrigation." * * * * * * "The extent to which irrigation of the plains can be car- ried is now a question of much importance, and, having been formally presented in a message by the President, deserves at least passing reference here. These plains are not, as is com- monly supposed by those who have not seen them, a vast level, broken only by occasional waves. On the contrary, the sur- face is exceediGgly irregular, and though in the distance re- sembling a plain, it is in fact anything else, being much torn up by erosive agencies. Only a small portion of this vast area can ever he cultivated by irrigation. That which is available, lies along the larger streams and their tributaries, some of which are now permanently dry, and consists of the flood plains, and the older terraces rising above them. These pre- sent the level surface, which is essential to successful irriga- tion. Of such laud, immediately available, it is estimated that Colorado, east of the mountains, has in all barely four millions of acres, or about six thousand two hundred square miles, an area scarcely larger than a strip extending from Denver to the New Mexico line, with a width of thirty miles. It might be possible, by extensive and very costly works, to double this area, but not more. Under such conditions, one can hardly fail to doubt the feasibility of enterprise to recover any considerable portion of Colorado by irrigation. " Even were Colorado, east of the mountains, one unbroken plain, the difficulty would be quite as seiious. To irrigate, one must have an abundant supply of water. As the rain falling on the plains is uncertain, in amount, it can afford no assistance, and the whole supply must be drawn from the mountain region. The problem, then, would be to irrigate, in Colorado alone, nearly sixty tliousand square miles, with the water that falls on less than eleven thousand. Could this ■water be husbanded in such a manner as to lose none, this would not be impracticable,. for irrigation is needed only from the beginning of June until, at farthest, the early part of 84 August ; but such a husbanding is impossible, A large part of the ivater previpifated upon the mountains never reaches the plains by the streams, and were irrigation fully carried on along the upper Arkansas and the upfer South Platte, only a small portion woiild pass east of the m.ountains. As it is, the Arkan- sas, where it issues from the mountains at Canon cit^, is very much smaller than at Pleasant Valley, only thirty miles above. More than this : The atmosphere on the plains is so dry, that the temperature frequently falls 40 degrees without inducing deposition of dew. It is clear that the loss by evap- oration would be enormous. The porous soil would absorb an equal amount, and from these two causes not less than half the water entering the canals would be lost within sixty miles. The amount of water issuing from the mountains is not sufficient to bear this loss, and still supply what is needed for irrigation. Careful calculation has shoivn that the water of all the streams would scarcely suffice to irrigate the ivhole coun- try to a distance of thirty-five miles from the base of the moun- tains. The Platte itself, though constantly receiving tributa- ries, diminishes in importance as it descends, until at Jules- burg, during the agricultural season, it is comparatively in- significant." Would that I could quote more from this report. We come next, to the mountain region in which are situ- ated the celebrated, and much written about parks and the lovely little valleys from the head of the Yellow- stone and the Missouri, to the Eio Grande. These parks and valleys are small in extent, and extend from British America along the Eocky mountains to the Rio Grande. Snow begins falling in September, and lays on the ground un- til the middle of May or the first of June, and only the quick- est growing crops can be produced in these valleys, on ac- count of frost. Even stock is driven out in the winter, and the rain fall is so little, during the season, that irrigation is necessary to raise crops any and everywhere. The record at Deer Lodge in Montana, and at Fort Defiance, will give the snow and rain fall, in these mountain valleys. We come next, to Utah, and the Great Basin, between the Rocky mountains and the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, a region of no summer rains, and little at any time. The re- cord is given as Utah in the table, and as the Dalles in Ore- gon, and at Fort Yuma, on the Gila. The total rain fall at Fort Y^ima is 3.15, Utah o.98, and at the Dalles in Oregon 85 13.81 inclies. It is not to be wondered at, that this rainless region of 800,000 square miles, or a country nearly as large as all the Southern States from Maryland to Texas, should be characterized as a sterile, inhospitable, and arid desert. The rain fall is not sufficient in Winter to cool the earth, parched by the Summer sun, much less to start even a growth of vegetation. The small streams issuing from both moun- tain chains, furnish, through irrigation, the only hope for ag- riculture here, and after the hot winds and barren sands have taken their share, but little water is left for this purpose here. The ne^t section across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, to the Sacramento and Willamette valleys, a dis- tance of two hundred miles in length, from Mexico to British America, covering 300,000 square miles, as occupied by great mountains and rocks, a large portion perpetually covered with snow, totally and entirely unfit for any kind of agricul- ture, and can never be reclaimed. We come now, to the nar- row valleys ; the Williamette in Oregon, about the size of our Valley of North Alabama, coustitutiug agricultural Oregon, and the Sacramento and Coast Range, constituting agricultu- ral California, a little larger only in practicable, cultivatable area, even hy irrigalion, than the Prairie or Black Belt of Ala- bama. None of the fertile rocks of creation, as can be seen from the geological map, can be found here. But only the poorer tertiary, and alluvial soils are cultivated in these valleys. There is a peculiarity in the climate and rain fall of these valleys of the Pacific coast, that suits admirably the production of wheat. But this is the whole of their agri- culture. The rain fall begins in Oregon, or rather in the Williamette valley, which is Oregon, in November, and con- tinues until May, and in a small degree through May and June, and then ever3:thiug is parched up. But Winter wheat is through then ; corn and the other Summer crops keep up a straggling fight, and if it happens to rain more, they succeed, if it don't they icither and die. " In California, it begins to rain in November, and ends promptly on, or before, the first day of May, and nothing grows afterwards, unless watered artiticialh\ What I have written here, I have seen and felt myself, and it is all true. These last pages, and the geological map, are a mirror of the continent svest of the 97th meridian, and within the limits of 86 the United States. Now, I would ask any Alabama farmer, which of these regions he would swap his country for. Could you make a crop in the middle belt of Kansas, with only 2-5ths the rain fall that we have here in Alabama? In the eastern belt of Kansas, I admit you could not be worsted much, as the soil is rich, and rain fall here is 34.46 inches, or 59-100, or more than one-half of the average rain fall of Ala- bama. You are warned by the Kansas State government, however, not to go to the western belt for agriculture, as the rain fall in this meridian, and east of the Rocky mountains, throughout the United States, in only 13.34 inches, or about 2-10 the rain fall of Alabama, What then ? Have you got money enough to turn a great river, like the Alabama, all over the sandy deserts and mountains of Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Nevada, to get water for your stock, and to irrigate your hot, thirsty soils? Will you go to California and Ore- gon, where all the rich, and at present cultivatable lands, are owned under the Mexican or other grants and claims, and beg the poor privilege of cultivating other people's land, starve, or dig a great irrigating ditch ? I have tried it, friends in Alabama, and I stalled at the first step ; the absolute im- possibility of getting timber for fencing my farm, to say noth- ing of the-greater difficulty of getting water." I could add page upon page, and volume upon volume, upon this subject, all testifying the same. But is this not enough ? I will add a little more, of a more recent date. I regret my inability to get all the recent information on this subject. I will quote first, from the work of Mr. Spence, an Englishman of distinction, and from his endorsements, a man of real merit, comparing the British northwest with ours, he says : " In comparing the advantages and resources of this great northwest of the Dominion of Canada, with the west and northwest of the United States, we must bear in mind that the rate of area absorbed by settlement in ten years in the Western States of America, was 170,955 square miles, and continually increasing ; and that from the report of explora- tions, made under the auspices of the United States Govern- ment, of the region between the Mississippi and the Rocky mountains, the startling facts are revealed, that the ivestern progress of its population has nearly reached the extreme tcest- em limit of the areas available for settlement ; and that the whole space west of the 98th parallel, embracing one-half of the entire surface of the United States, is an arid and desolate waste, tvith the exception of a narroiv belt of rich land along the Pacijic coast y 87 "That rich, but narrow belt, referred to, has ah-eady been blocked out with the prosperous States of California and Oregon, with a population of 1,200,000. This momentous fact was first announced by Prof. Henry, of the Smithsonian Institute, from whom we quote as follows : ' The whole space to the west, between the 98th meridian and the Rocky moun- tains, is a barren waste, over which the eye may roam to the extent of the visible horizon, with scarcely an object to break the monotony. The country may also be considered in com- parison with other portions of the United States, a wilder- ness unfitted for the use of the husbandman, although, in some of the mountains, as at Salt Lake, by means of irriga- tion a precarious supply of food may be obtained." It is not necessary to quote the detailed description of this American Sahara. The concluding words of Prof. Henry are more to our purpose. He says : " We have stated thnt the entire region west of the 98th degree of west longitude, with the exneption of a email por- tion of western Texas and the main border along the Pacific, is a country of comparatively little value to the agriculturist, and perhaps it will astonish the reader if we draw his atten- tion to the fact, that the line which passes southward from Lake Winnepeg to the Gulf of Mexico, will divide the ivliole sur/ace of the United States into two nearlif equal parts. This statement, when fully appreciated, will serve to dissipate some of the dreams which have been considered realities as to the destiny oi the western part of the North American continent. Truth, however transcends even the laudable feelings of pride and country, and in order properly to direct the pohcy of this great confederacy (the United States), it is necessary to be well acquainted with the theatre in which its future history is to be re-enacted." Again, there is something almost appalling in the picture of the region bordering the northern Pacific in Dakota Terri- tory, the northern boundary of which is the fertile belt of our North-west. It is presented in a letter to the New York Tri- bune, by Maj. Gen. Hazen, U. S. A., from which we select ex- tracts, which should not fail to carry conviction to the most obtuse intellect. This officer has been stationed at a military post, at the mouth of the Yellowstone river, about two de- grees south of our boundary line in longitude 103 ; and hav- ing been there for some years, he is in a far better condition to judge of the facts than the most expert and observant of transient visitors could possibly be. He gives for the first time a glimpse of the barrenness and desolation of the route, which the Northern Pacific Railway was to develop in that re- gion, which is inexpressibly shocking, and should act as a serious warning to emigrants and capitalists in Europe inyest- ing in United States railway lands. He says : " For two years I have been an observer of the efforts, upon the part of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, to make the world believe this section to be a valuable agricultural one, and, with many others, I have kept silent, although knowing the falsity of their representations, while they have pretty fully carried their point in establishing a popular belief favor- able to their wishes. "When reading such statements of its fertility as appear in the article entitled ' Poetry and Philosophy of Indian Sum- mer,' in that most estimable periodical, Harpers Ilonthly, of December, 1873, — in which are repeated most of the shame- ful falsehoods so lavishly published in the two years, as ad- vertisements in the interests of that company, and perhaps by the same pen — a feeling of shame and indignation arises that any of our countrymen, especially wheu so highly favored with the popular good will and benefits, should deliberately indulge in such wicked deceptions. " The theoretical isothmericals of Capt. Maury and Blod- gett, which have gi^en rise to so much speculation, and are used so extravagantly by those who have a use for them, al- though true along the Pacific coast, are not found to have been true, by actual experience and observations, in this mid- dle region." # * * * " The past season, as seen by meteorological report, has been exceptionally rainy and favorable for agriculture here, and the Post has, with great care, and by utilizing all the avail- able season, made an extensive garden, with the following re- sults : " The garden is situated immediately on the river bank, about two feet above high water. Potatoes, native corn, cab- bage, early-sown turnips, early peas, early beans, beets, car- rots, parsnips, salsify cucumbers, lettuce, radishes and aspara- gus have grown abundantly and have matured. Melons, pumpkins and squashes have not ma^ured. Tomatoes did not turn red. American corn (early) reached roasting ears. Onions, with wheat and oats, matured at Ft. Bei-thold, D. T., 150 miles below, on the Missouri river. I am told by those who have been here a long time, that this may be taken as a standard for what may be expected the most favorable seasons on the infimediate hanks of the streams. The native corn ma- tures in about ten weeks from planting. It puts out its ears from six to eight inches from the ground, and has a soft white 89 grain, without any flinty portion, and weighs about two-thirds as much as other corn. " My own quarters are situated on the second bench of the banks of the Missouri, about fifty feet above that stream, and six hundred yards away from it. And to raise a flower gar- den ten feet by forty, the past two years, has required a daily sprinkhng of three barrels of water, for which we were repaid by about three weeks of flowers. " The site of this post is supposed to be exceptionally fruit- ful, but I have before me a letter of Mr. Joseph Anderson of St. Paul, Minn., who was hay contractor at this post in 1872. His letter states that, in order to find places to cut the hay required by his contract tliat season, 900 tons, he was com- pelled to search over a space of country on the north side of the river twenty-five miles in extent iu each direction from the post, or some 400 square miles, and there was none thick enough to be cut for as great a distance beyond. Respecting the agricultural value of this country, after leaving the excel- lent ■)< lieaf groitnng valley of the Bed River of the North, follow- ing westward 1,000 miles to the Sierras, excepting the very limited bottoms of the small streams, as well as those of the Missouri and the Yellowstone, from a few yards in breadth to an occasional water washed valley of one or two miles, and the narrow valleys of the streams of Montana already settled, and a small area of timbered country in northwest Idaho, (probably one fifteenth of the whole,) this country will not produce the fruits and cereals of the east, for want of mois- ture, and can iu no way be artificially irrigated, and will not, in our day and generation, sell for one penny an acre, except through fraud or ignorance ; and most of the laud here ex- cepted will have to be irrigated artificially. I write this know- ing full well it will meet with contradiction, but the contradic- tion will be a falsehood. The country between the one hun- dredth meridian and the Sierras — the Rio Grande to the Brit- ish possessions— will never be developed into populous States, for the want of moisture. Its counterpart is found in the plains of Northern Asia and Western Europe. We look iu vain for those expected agricultural settlements along the Kansas and Union Pacific Railroads, between these two lines, and twenty years hence the search will be quite as fruitless. We have in Nevada and New Mexico fair samples of what these popula- tions will be. My statement is made from the practical expe- rience and observations of eighteen years of military service as an officer of the army, mvich of Avhich has been upon the frontier ; and having ])assed the remainder of my life a farmer. "For confirmation of what I have said, I respectfully refer the reader to Gen. G. K. Warren, of the Engineer Corps of the army, who made a scientific exploration of this country, 90 extending through several years, and h«.s given us our only accurate map of it ; or to Prof. Hayden, for the past several years engaged upon a similar work. Tlie testimony of Gov. Stevens, Gen. Fremont, and Lieut. Mullans, is that of enthu- siastic travelers and discoverers, whose descriptions are not fully borne out by more prolonged and intimate knowledge of the country." "Herr Hass, the agent of the Berlin and Vienna banks, sent out to examine the country, could easily say the country is good, as long as he advised his people to invest no mone}^ in it ; and it is doubtful if that remark was based upon a suffi- ciently authoritative investigation of the country to merit the credence given it. Certianly it is incorrect. And especially valueless is the testimony of men of distinction of our own country, Avho are not agriculturists, but have taken journeys in the fruitful months of the year to the lied River of the North, to the rich valleys of Montana, or to the enchant- ing scenery of Puget Sound, except upon those particular points." " I am prepared to substantiate all IliOjVe here said, so far as such matters are susceptible of proof, but from their nature many things herein referred to, must to many people, loait the action of the great solvent — Time. "I have no personal feeling in this matter since, rather on the contrary, the rail roads in these western countries amelio- rate the condition of troops serving here, but I would prefer to see these roads based upon honesty, and the needs of the country, commensurate with their cost. Nor can I see much difference in the man who, in business, draws a cheque upon a bank where he has no money, and selling bonds secured by lands which have no value." " I will say to those holding the bonds of the Northern Pa- cific Rail Road, that by changing them into good lands now owned by the road in the Valley of the Red River of the North, and east of that point, is the only means of saving themselves from their total loss. "W. B. Hazen. "Fort Buford, D. T., Jan. 1, 1874" We have here the statement of a commissioned officer of the United States army. Truth was a part of the ethics of the United States army, before the war, and 1 have no rea- son to believe it is not so still. The opportunities, education, and training of the commissioned officers of the army, fit them above all other classes of our people, for giving correct and reliable information on this, or any other subject en- trusted to their care and examination, and / again say it is 91 trne,frorn my oivn hiou^edge. I insert here a synopsis of a compilation b}^ the same author, (Mr. Spence,) demonstrating and sustaining, by Blodgett and other eminent American offi- cial authorities, the following propositions : "1st. That the country west of the 98th meridian, withm the United States, is mostly a desert, made such by the ab- sence of summer rains," "2d. The soils are so much impregnated with salts and alkalies as to be destructive to vegetation ; except for the sage of the desert, an emblem of an arid and sterile region." " 3d. The great variation in temperature, from 80 deg. to 90 deg. during the day, to the freezing y^oint, and even below it at night, is another characteristic of that country." "4th. The soils of those regions under discussion, where not saline, are so sandy and friable as to prevent the cultiva- table grasses, and consequently the green pastures and mead- ows, from taking the place of the prairie grasses when these are plowed up." I here insert two 6ther extracts from Blodgett : "These statements show that the region of summer droughts — the desert area — begins at the 97th meridian, a little v.'est of the Mississipi, and extends from north to south over the whole territory of the United States, from the 49tli parallel beyond the southern boundary of Texas. From this meridian, the 97th, this climatic defect — the want of rain in summer — diminishes eastward, but increases westward, rend- ering more than half the area of the United States either useless as an agricultural country, or very inferior to the country east and north of that region." "The whole of the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains is still, generally, arid, and the loose soil and rapid evapora- tion dissipate the rains, and diminish the effect of the fall of any certain volume, much below that of any similar rain fall on the retentive surface, and soil eastward. On the upper plains of Texas, and over all the ]:)lains west of the 100th degree of longitude, irrigation is generally necessary to sup- port cultivation which requires the summer for its growth, and in the valleys, nearest the mountains in the west, it becomes more decidedly so, than elsewhere." — Blodgett, p. ij29-30." From the geological report of Prof. Hayden, for 1872, of examinations of Dakota, Montana, W3^oming, etc., I find the following : " The second climatological question relates to the rain fall. It is well known that on the east side of the plains, as in Min- nesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas, the average annual rain fall is sufficient to supply the moisture necessary for the 92 production of the cereals and other agricultural products. On the other hand, it is almost as well known that irrigation is necessary at all points on the plains lying along the east base of the Rocky mountains. Therefore, it is evident that the boundary between these two regions — that of sufficient, and that insufficient rains- — must be found somewhere be- tween the east base of the Rocky mountains and the west lines of the States named. It becomes, therefore, very im- portant to determine where this line is. It is true that the transition may be gradual and render it difficult to fix it with any degree of exactitude, yet it must be possible to deter- mine it approximately. The importance of this will scarcely be appreciated by those who have not come practically in contact with this question ; but the individual who has gone beyond this line and opened a farm upon the broad prairie, depending upon the rain fall alone to supply his crops, has learned by sad experience that knowledge, which ought to be supplied to the public. But land speculators and others, who are interested in settling up this portion of the West, are often too sanguine in their belief in regard to favorable cli- matic changes ; or are regardless of the sufferings and hard- ships they cause, by a too favorable representation of this uncertain section." Speaking of Dakota, the Territory west of Minnesota, the writer says : ( Prof. Thomas Hayden's Geology.) " This Territory has been so recently settled, except a small section in the southeast corner, that, but little can be said as to its agricultural prospects, save what we can infer from an inspection of its surface and soil, added to the slight knowledge we possess of its climate. And here the last item becomes important in this estimate, as it is known that the line of sufficient rain fall is found within its borders." Detailing the difficulties in getting timber or coal for fuel, lie says : "It is true that coal can be brought in, but this will be a heavy tax on farmers of small means, who live far back on the prairies, and are exhausting all their means and enei'gy to start a farm into active operation ; yet this will probably be the only method of meeting this necessity, unless corn is used for fuel, or forest trees are timely planted and in suffi- cient quantity. What is.said here on this point, also applies to portions of Nebraska, and, to some extent, to the south- west portion of Minnesota. I know there is in the mind of the farmer of the States, who has labored hard through the hot days of summer in plowing his corn, and in the fall in gathering and garnering it, a very strong dislike to the idea of using it for fuel ; but the true method of testing this ques- 93 tion is to count the cost. If, for instance, sixty bushels of com in the ear — about thirty shellecj — will equal, as fuel, one ton of coal, (I do not know that this amount is correct ; it is but a guess,) will it pay to sell this corn at twenty cents per bushel (shelled measure) and buy coal at $8 or $9 per ton^ besides the haulius? to and from a depot ? It is a simple ques- tion of lig'ures, not fanc}^, and it would be well if some one properly situated to do so, would give us some practical in- formation on this subject." He further says : " In closing this brief account of the agricultural resources of eastern Dakota, I should sttjte that, after carefully weigh- ing all the data I have been able to obtain, together with my own observations, I am satisfied that all luest of James River Valley must he counted as in a district not sufficiently supplied tvith rain. Taking all the records of the rain-fall which have been kept in the Territory for the five j^ears from lb67 to 1871, inclusive, we find the average yearly amount to be only 14.09 inches less than half that of Minnesota, Iowa, or east- ern Nebraska. And that this average is not far from correct, is shown by the'fact that there is no very great variation from it in either of the years included — 1867, 13.78 inches ; 1868, 14.03 inches; 1869, 14.17 inches; 1870, 15.12 inches; 1871, 13.35 inches. The meteorological data, therefore, so far as obtained, corroborate the opinion I have advanced on this subject." Again : " Although the country west of the second crossing of the Cheyenne is well adapted to grazing and pastoral pursuits, 3'et I am satisfied that the average rain-fall is insufficient for prac- tical agricultural operations. There may be seasons when the supply ma}^ be sufficient to produce moderately good crops of the cereals, but I think these will form the exceptions instead of the rule. It is true, no sufficient experiments have been made to test this question, and it is due to the welfare of the Territory and those who are largely interested in this matter, that I should state that my opinion is not based upon direct experiments in this immediate section, and that the soil, as a general thing, is good ; also, that it is very probable that the bottom lands along the streams will form an exception to this rule. I should also state that Mr. Koberts, the Chief En- gineer of the Northern Pacific Railroad, expresses a somew^hat more favorable opinion in regard to this section. He may be right, and I may be wTong; I only give my opinion, which is based on certain evidence which will be more fully set forth in my report on the Climatology of the West." In speaking of Nebraska, he saj- s : " I am now satisfied that Platte Valley can produce crops 94 of the cereals without irrigation farther west than I had for- mer! j supposed. Not that the amouDt of rain which falls on this vallej is any greater than that which falls on the adjoin- ing plains, but the moisture is longer retained." * * * * *' While I am of this opinion in regard to this great valley, on the other hand I am now pretty thoroughly convinced that the sufficient supply of rains on the upper plains does not ex- tend as far west as I had formerl}^ supposed. For southern Nebraska, I do not think this can safely be placed any farther west than Fort Kearney, except along the immediate valley of Eepublican Fork, and north of the Platte this line will pro- hahly bend considerably east^ From the report of the BurSau of Agriculture, I found sub- stantially the same facts as above. The area of possibly cul- tivatable soils, by extensive works of irrigation, is somewhat enlarged. In Utah, it is estimated at almost double, or amounts to nearly 2,000 square miles, or about two per cent, of the- whole area of the Territory. Wyoming appears to have a little larger per cent. oP cultivable area. Colorado 6,000 square miles, as an extreme amount, an^d that only by utihzing, and using the last drop of water in the Aikansas and Platte rivers, as they issue from the mountains, leaving tlwm dry on the plains. Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon, and the rest of Oregon outside of the Williamette Valley, get worse the more they are examined and reported upon. There are fifty thousand square miles of cultivatable soil in the State of Alabama, upon which the rain falls everywhere suffi- ciently for all the purposes of agriculture. There are not fifty thousand square miles in all the territory in the United States west of the 98th and 100th meridians, excluding Cali- fornia, Oregon, and Washington Territory, as I know person- ally nothing of this Territory — that can, by any ordinary ex- penditure of mone}', be made equal in the production of agri- cultural values, to the 50,000 square miles covered by the territory of Alabama. Alabama must be a great and rich country. It is, when compared with the county above re- ferred to, as we will now see, hy referring to the agricultural records of the census of 1870 for this region, and comparing with Alabama in I860, when her soils were properly cultivated and tilled. I place here a table of the crop products of all the States and Territories, in 1870, fifom the meridian of no summer rains to the Pacific ocean : 95 "O t^OOOO-^-^COlO- - ■>* CD 1 r-l CiCOt-t~00CDQ0O5— -HT^O g to a: 03 1-1 T-H -> O T-H .^ ^ IC' C^ Oi O -^11 C0350005rH— OOt-CO-it- -i< C: L'J -* O -* T(< 00 UO (M (M_ Ol X o;oo , 1 .-HXt^Ot-OiOICOlOirHD- 'V. 6 1 o LO t~ CO m Ol C5 1>- I'- 05 ci aT c S . rJH CO CO t~ CO CO^LO__CO_rH CO Ci lO Value Mauufj tures r-T t^ r^ -rH lO of Cl^ t* CO^ C^ OCft c O iO c~ t- ~CD" o LO t~ lo rH X in O O C5 O (N 00 "* t- CO I-H •oooBqox ^00 00 CO • CC in 00 : odco" -<* LOOSCOi-HC^OOCS®'-!-* >j a5coc~tr-iot~»ocit-oioo5 Ot^X^XCOlOOlOXOCO i-H t~- t- CO C:. t~ X_^01^CO_^rH co_^-* c3 t-^ ->) -fH' ■£ c^ i» t-^ gj" to" CO O 00 i-H O Tjl to O *J O CO C3 rH cT co' o" x' co' TiT to' co' t-^ in rH rH rH CO t- (MCMliOl =C>1CTSCOC005t~C0C0i-lXi-l i-H C^ CO O C O O CO 00 t- -o '^'3 -2 "-^^— ^ * "i,^, t.^, ^. .. ., ^ *! „ -* O - !M t- T-H CO X CO cc 05 t~ CO -rj< Ol CO r^ LO ^ .eO G1t~OE~COt-rJ — S, 9J CO lO m rH in -# o? o CO X CD 0^ '= s ~' s oi" -#" -* o" of — o' o" c£ ta o lo' ^ o" ^" rH ci •«*' eo' oo' in" & 3 iac0r-l.-lG<)-*3iClX CO ci ooiLncoo50iLoxo» co o'-S lO o rH rH rH ■* eo Oil Pm Ph '. d a: i :< '« O <; §1 • 6 H M PS d ^g o : s o o a o N T o ■ 1— 1 o > a a o o O p c £ o -a 1 a o to a o s o i p c s 6 a ^ "? a) a g o p s o ^a o "a 96 It will be seen, that the population of all these States and Territories, east of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade range of mountains, and west of the region of deficient rain-fall 97", is 329,566, present and accounted for, besides hundreds of thousands tramping all over this barren region trying to as- certain for what purpose it was created. The soldiers and Indians taken care of by the government, and fortune hunt- ers unenumerated, would swell the number of consumers to 600,000 souls in 1870. New Mexico has been settled and cul- tivated for over two hundred years, and has now over one hundred thousand enumerated people, scattered along the valleys of the Eio Grande, dependent entirely for agricultural support upon the water of that river, as much so as are the Egyptians upon the water of the Nile ; and if the Rio Grande fails, as it does sometimes, a famine is the result. This Ter- ritory produced, in 1870, crop values to the amount of only $710,185, or less than any half dozen townships in Montgom- ery county, Ala. Utah has been settled for 30 years, and, 9s we have been told by the best authority, agriculture was their chief and only business until of late years ; and every availa- ble acre has been fully occupied, irrigated and cultivated by this industrious people, of nearly one hundered thousand souls, besides an innumerable company of strangers to be fed. Yet the total value of this specially and fully developed Territory, as compared to Alabama, is scarcely half, in 1870, of that of the single county of Montgomery in 1860. I know that crop products in all this desolate region sell for more than they did in Alabama in 1860, but that is just what I am driv- ing at. If the grain crops, in a country producing nothing but grain, sell for a greater price than in countries where grain is only a secondary product, and produced only for a support, the agricultural surroundings must be at fault, and they are. Leaving out the innumerable company of strangers and strag- glers, their per capita crop productions in 1870 were only $1,876,031, or about one-half of that of the count}'^ of Mont- gomery, Alabama, in 1860; and yet we call this country an oasis in a desert — Nevada, a State full fledged, with Senators and Hepresentatives in Congress, for years. They must have had people, or they could not have bean a State ; and these people must have been like other people, and had to be 97 fed. They were also isolated, and cut off from the Williamette and Sacramento valleys, the only life-giving soil in the far west, by mountains ever and always covered with snow, and separated by vast arid deserts, from the rain country of Iowa and Missouri ; and yet their total crop productions, including hay or wild grass as the largest of all, amounted in 1870 to only $646,818, or less than one-fifth that of the single, and not exceptional, county of Montgomery, Alabama, in 1860. Col- orado, also, a State now, and figuring in the census largely in hay or wild grass, cut and cured in their mountain parks, im- practicable for agriculture on account of frost, and fed away in winter to keep cattle from starving and dying in this in- clement winter climate, produced in 1870 only $661,207 worth of agricultural products, or one-fifth of the agricultural pro- ducts of the single county of Montgomery, Alabama. Do you not begin to shake a little, on my above stated proposi- tion, that the soil of Alabama is worth intrinsically more for the production of agricultural values, and always laill he, than the whole of this region of one thousand miles square ? You will do so, when you see it as I have. It is unnecessary and useless to cumber this paper with a further comparison of the crop products of this region. We are told by Major General Hazen that every agricultural spot in the northern part of this section is taken up and occupied now; and we are told by the Agricultural Bureau of our government that it is a matter of great satisfaction to know that this vast region is now (1870) capable of perhaps sustaining their mining popu- lation. They must have learned, like the Irishman's horse, to live without eating — as I see no other way of sustaining them by the agriculture of this region, as fully detailed in the census of that year, and repeated in the statistical department of every agricultural report since. The products of the soil of Montgomery count}^ Alabama, in 1860, if turned into money, will buy in Kansas City, Mo., to-day, more of each and every article of agriculture, than all these States and Territories produced in 1870, and will produce even this year. Nebraska is nothing, and never will be, in an agricultural point of view, when compared with such countries as Alabama. The agricultural capabilities of the 7 98 unsettled parts of Kansas have been fully defined heretofore, and are nothing. There remains only Oregon and Californiaj or rather the Williamette and Sacramento and Coast Eange Valleys of California, to speak of now. Washington Territory, as heretofore stated, I know nothing of, and care nothing for. Look upon the geological map prepared by Prof. Blake, a published here, and you will see a little yellow spot, or rather two little yellow spots, in the western part of Oregon, the Williamette and Umpqua Valleys. You will find the same yellow spots in southern Alabama, indicating soils such as are found in Baldwin, Conecuh, and the southern part of Pike counties, in this State. The rocks, the water, and the soils are identical— no better, no richer, and no poorer, than are found in the same yellow spots in the map in Alabama, indi- cating the same soils. Yet you are told to leave Alabama and go to Oregon, and get good lands, good water, and good health. I have drank water in Oregon, and I have drank the same water in Alabama. I have had bilious fever in Oregon, and the same fevers in Alabama ; and they came from the same causes. We will see now how the soil products of these valleys compare with those of Alabama. I would compare them with the same kinds of soil in Alabama, such as we classify as poorer soil here, but the South & North Alabama Kailroad, at whose instance I am Avriting this book, does not touch any of these soils, I will continue the comparison, then, with the counties tributary to, and along that great railroad. It will be seen from the last table, that the crop values of the whole State of Oregon in 1870, measured by the same standard, are only $3,171,161, or less than that of our single county of Mont- gomery, Alabama, in 1860; and by an inspection of the de- tailed census reports, it will be seen that nine-tenths of all her crop values are raised in the Williamette and Umpqua valleys, or the little yellow spots on the map ; and here Jier agricuKure ahvays iviTl he, Unless by the expenditure of millions upon millions by future generations, the Columbia river is carried over and across mountains and plains, and used to irrigate her otherwise barren and desolate soils. We come now to California, the garden spot of creation, according to newspaper and other reports published by and 99 endorsed by the Agricultural Bureau of our nation. I hardly know how to treat this great subject. Buncombe, Munchau- sen, and all the dead writers of fiction are scarcely outdone by these statements, so endorsed by our national bureau of agriculture, on the subject of Calfornia agriculture. I will talk now to my own people of Alabama, as I know I will never be believed by the world of outsiders, who have been persist- ently stuffed with this theatrical nonsense under the sign man- ual of our government. California is a wonderful country — the most wonderful in the United States, or in the world. What nature has done for this country, she has done on a large scale, and is peculiar, well defined, and sharp. I lived once in this State, and voted for the free constitution of the State, and I know its principal features well. The gold formations were the richest in the world, and are peculiar to California. The agricultural features are also peculiar in cli- mate, productions, and soils. If the reader will place before him the map heretofore referred to, I will describe first, her soils, the ground work of her agriculture. In my forthcoming book, I have copied largely from the reports of Prof. Blake Prof. Newberry, and others detailed especially by our Gov- ernment, years ago, to examine and report upon this region. I will attempt, with the aid of the map, a description myself, and in as few words as possible. As I have traveled over, and seen the whole of it, I can perhaps exemplify, and better adapt it to the uses of this work. Only the deep and light colored yellow soils, representing the tertiary and alluvial, nnd the green color representing the cretaceous, have any agricultural value in California. The tertiary, the poorer soils of Alabama, and alluvial, represent really all of the agri- cultural soils of the State. The cretaceous, or rich soils of Alabama, represent mostly the Coast Range mountains. These little, long, narrow, deep, and light yellow strips and spots of the Coast Range, represent so many valleys or patches of soil, called rich, in this country, and cultivated by the Spaniards all over, for nearly two hundred years. These valleys and spots represent the Coast Range agriculture as it is called. The oblong area of deep and light yellow, on the map, represents what is called the Sacramento valley ; about fifty miles wide and three hundred and fifty long. It will be 100 seen, that the Sacramento river runs south, and the San Joaquin runs north, nearly through the middle of this valley, and unite, and run out to the sea, through the Bay of San Francisco. The Bay of San Francisco breaks boldly through the Coast JRange of mountains, and this break has a most important effect on the climate, and agriculture, immediately around the Bay of San Francisco. Along, and near the riv- ers, on either side, and notably in the Delta, where they enter the bay, appears a light yellow shade, representing the allu- vial, or soil washed here from all the rocks of California. This shade of light yellow extends southward, beyond the head of the San Joaquin river, and spreads out around the Tulare Lake, and is called Tulare Yalley; an isolated portion of the greftt Sacramento Valley, about fifty miles wide, and ninety miles long, having no outlet to the sea. The waters of the great rivers that run into Tulare Lake, are here evapo- rated and drunk up by the hot and dry winds that traverse this region. The alluvial is the richest soil of California, whether coming from the cretaceous of the Coast Range., or the tertiary of the plains in the valleys, or the granite of the Sierra Nevada. The alluvium from the Coast Range is of course richer than that from the Sacramento Yalley, or from the Sierra Nevada, and is found mainly in the Coast Range valleys, and renders them immensely rich, almost equal to the black lands of Alabama. It will be noticed, that there are no rivers, and but one or two small creeks, running from the cretaceous or richer formation on the west side of the Sacramento Yalley, into the Sacramento or San Joaquin riv- ers ; but they come every few miles, in torrents, in the win- ter, from the east or Sierra side. The greater part of the alluvium of this valley, is, consequently, much poorer than that of the little valleys of the Coast Range, coming alto- gether from the rich cretaceous rocks of California ; and they are, therefore, more productive than the alluvium coming from the Sierra Nevada, or the great tertiary plains that make up the Sacramento Yalley. In making the examina- tion, as heretofore stated, excited by the glowing crop reports of this great western region, I came across, among others, a statement of California agriculture, prepared by Mr. J. Ross Browne, and copied into, and pulished in the report of the 101 National Bureau of Agriculture, for 1873. The Commis- sioner says : "Mr. J. El. Browne GontYibntts, an exceedingly valuable jjaper on the subject of 'Reclamation and Irrigation.' As an illus- tration of the progress of agriculture in the State, he says that in 1849 the actual vield of gold in California was $10,000,000; in 1850, $35,000,000; m 1851, $16,000,000 ; in 1852, $50,000,000 ; in 1853, .$'57,000,000 ; since that date it has gradually decreased to an annual average product of about $20,000,000. During the years named there was imported from the Atlantic States and South America, most of the sup- plies necessar}^ for the support of the population. Contrasting this state of affairs with the agricultural products of the past year, Mr. Browne says : " ' The total value of the wheat, oats, hay, wine, wool, fruit, butter, che.ese, and hides produced in California in 1872, is estimated at $75,000,000, of which our e.>:ports will probably exceed $50,000,000. The wheat crop alone reaches about $25,000,000, being an excess of $5,000,000 over our gold yield ; and the total of our agricultural products exceeds by about $10,000,000 the entire yield of the precious metals through- out the United States. These astounding results have been produced by the hard labor and individual energy of our farming population, numbering in the aggregate less than tiventy-four thousand souls. "When we consider that as late as 1860 the total area of land in cultivation w^as only 937,133 acres, and that in 1871-72 it reached 3,653,183 acres, our progress seems incredible.' And yet, how little has been done ! California contains an aggregate area of 120,947,840 acres, of which not less than 89,000,000, including swamp and tule lands, capable of reclamation, are suitable to some kinds of profitable husbandry. Of these over 40,000,000 are fit for the plow, and the remainder present excellent facilities for stock raising, fruit growing, and other branches of agricul- ture. This agricultural area exceeds that of Great Britain and Ireland, or the entire peninsula of Italy. Yet, England contains three hundred and twenty-two inhabitants to the square mile ; Ireland two hundred and twenty-five, and Italy two hundred and fifty ; while California, estimating its popu- lation at six hundred thousand, contains only a fraction over three, and of this infinitesimal population five-sixths live in cities, towns, and villages." Mr. Browne is a gentleman of some prominence in the "West, and was employed by the Government, in 1867, to re- port upon the minerals west of the Rocky Mountains, and certainly did not expect this thin, gauzy a£fair, unexplained^ 102 to become a part of a State paper, and much less a State pa- per of our Nation, to be read all over the civilized world, vi'ith the Nation's seal of approval placed on it. I take no issue with the comments of the Commissioner of Agriculture, or with the statements of Mr. Browne, until he warms up with his subject and comes to the section as follows : " These astounding results have been produced by the hard labor and individual energy of our farming population, num- bering in the aggregate less than tioenty-four thousand souls," et sequitur. It will be seen that Mr. Browne states that a farm popula- tion of tiventy-f our thousand agricultural souls, without saying whether they were old or young, male or female, big or little souls, produced and cared for agricultural values to the amount of $75,000,000, or $3,125 to each living agricultural soul If they are big, male souls, it is ten times the amount produced in Alabama or Illinois at any time before the war. If they are mi^ed agricultural souls, it is a still greater wonder. In looking over the census reports for 1670, I found that 46,636 persons were engaged in agriculture in California in 1870 be- tiveen the ages of 16 and 60; and of this number only 283 were females — cultivating then only 2,468,0b4 acres— and in 1872, the date he is referring to, 24,000 souls cultivated 3,683,183 acres, or 151^ acres to each soul, or twice as many as were cultivated by 46,253 groivn men in 1870 ; and still the United States of America signs this statement and circulates it all over the civilized world as true. After getting through with the above wonderful statement, Mr, Browne says: '^ And yet hoio little has been done! California contains an aggregate of 120,947,840 acres, of which not less than 89,000,- 000, including swamp and tule lands capable of reclamation, are suitable to some kind of profitable husbandry. Of these, 40,000,000 are fit for the plow, and the remainder presents excellent facilities for stock raising, fruit growing, and all other branches of agriculture." We see here that three-fourths of the area of California is put down as adapted to some kind of profitable husbandry, and 40,000,000, or one-third of the whole, is noiv ready for the plow. I will discuss the last part of this proposition first, about the millions now ready for the plow. On page 381 of 103 the same report is copied another quotation from Mr. Browne. Speaking of the importance of reclaiming the swamp or over- flowed lauds, he says : " It would be of comparatively little use to reclaim from overflow the swamp lands of the Sacramento or San Joaquin vallej-s, without jjroviding at the same time an efjicient system of canals and ditches for irrigating them, during seasons of drought. The low lands have an advantage in retaining their moisture to a later period in the season than the uplands ; but experi- ence shows tliat their productiveness is materially efl'ected by drought, and that no reclamation is perfect which does not include the means of irrigation. The swamp lands in the Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin are very favorably located in this respect." Mr. Browne here fully answers his first and second propo- sitions. If it is of comparatively little use to reclaim lands daily overflowed (as much of these lands are by the tides) without providing for their being irrigated, of what value is this 40,000,(J00 acres of treeless arid, barren plains which con- stitute the larger portion of the Sacramento valley and of the Colorado desert, as it is called by all army officers. He must go into the desert to get his 40,000,000 acres flat enough to be ready for the plow. Where the hot winds and no rains fall, as can be seen from the table — as that of Fort Yuma of only 3.58 inches a year — dessicates and destroys not only any vegetation planted, but the very soil it is planted on. His 89,000,000 proposition goes with the above. He winds up with the following : " This agricultural area exceeds that of Great Britain and Ireland, or the entire peninsular of Italy. Yet England con- tains three hundred and twenty-two inhabitants to the square mile, Ireland two hundred and twenty-five, and Italy two hun- dred and fifty ; while Cahfornia, estimating its population at six hundred thousand, contains only a fraction over three ; and of this infinitessimal population five-sixths live in cities, towns and villages." I can't see how any man could make this statement, with a full knowledge that it might reach the eye of Prof. Blake, Prof. Newberry, or some other distinguished man who knows it is only a play upon words. He argues here, and compares population, productions, and area, with Italy, England, and Ireland, as if the whole Territory of California was, by any 104 mearis, capable of bein^ cultivated ; when the fact is, as is well known, that by no system of possible or probable irriga- tion, within the next hundred years can, or will 10,000,000 acres be reclaimed, irrigated, or cultivated in California. The very statement he afterwards makes, in regard to the sis or seven millions of acres of cultivatable lands being open to settlement in the Sacramento Yalley over twenty years, and occupied, on account of the want of irrigation, by only two or three thousand agricultural souls, tells the true conc^tion of nine-tenths of the possibly cultivatable area of California. This statement, and others like it, excited me for a while, but when I marched up to, and dug down into the subject, I found it nothing but sand. I have troubled the reader with the discussion of this sub- ject here, in order that he might see a sample of the thousand and one publications put forth and circulated all over the world as official, and otherwise, for the purpose as stated by Gen. Hazen, of influencing immigration and the sale of bonds. Such statements as these do no country any permanent good, except that the immigrant from abroad generally buys his ticket to his point of destination in the United States, and when he gets there, he is there. As was heretofore state.d, I was once a citizen of California, and examined it all over, and I found that the rivers Sacra- mento and San Joaquin, in finding an outlet to the sea, had washed away the mountains of the Coast Range, and the rich, cretaceous, black soil of that broken mountain had settled in all the valleys and on all the plains around the Delta and the Bay of San Francisco ; and their influence is such, that in a crescent or half circle around the Bay of San Francisco, with the city of San Francisco as a centre, are found nine-tenths of the black or only rich soils in the State. All the eastern plain of the Sacramento Valley, except immediately along the streams and around Stockton for a few miles (where are found the black lands), are composed of a coarse, sandy, gravelly, thirsty, and poor soil, similar to that found in the pine bar- rens of Alabama. The black lands are rich beyond measure, equal to the richest slough lands in Alabama. But they cover a small area in the State. The wheat crop of California is enormous ; but if the reader will follow me patiently through 105 one or two pages, I will show him that it is produced, in any quantit}^, only in the. alluvial black lands above re/erred to; and any agriculture of any extraordinary value will always be carried on on these black lands. I was a farmer, or rather attempted to be a farmer once in California, on the bottom lands of the Merced river, near the middle of the San Joaquin Yalley. The soils — coarse, sandy, gravelly — were as rich here as any where else in the State outside of the black lauds re- ferred to above ; and had the advantage of a beautiful, clear, never-failing river running always over and through them ; but it was always a matter of doubt to me, whether agricul- ture would pay here, even with irrigation. Seeing the reports lately of agriculture here, I went to the figures of the census of 1870 for information, and looking along the agricultural columns for my county of Mariposa, I found she produced of wheat, in 1870, only 4,275 bushels ; of corn, 455 bushels ; of oats, 350; of barley, 8,153; and of potatoes, 1,812 bushels — ■ aboid the value of the crop of a small farmer in Montgomery county in 1860. This was all for a population of 4,872 white people, besides Chinamen and civilized Indians. I found also the following note : " Mariposa county — Township 1, also includes 372 Chinese, and 7 Indians ; Township 2, 115 Chinese ; Town- ship 3, 383 Chinese, and 26 Indians ; Township 4, 214 Chi- nese and 1 Indian, or a total of 1,084 Chinese, and 34 In- dians;" or a sufficient number of Chinese voters, if natural- ized, to control the county. I concluded I would look a little farther, and see what had become of my neighbors, in Merced and Fresno counties, on the great San Joaquin river and val- ley. There was some land on the Merced, Mariposa, and other streams, near their entrance into the San Joaquin, or the San Joaquin itself, that I thought would produce well without irrigation. I again went to the records for informa- tion. Merced and Fresno counties cover this valley for nearly ninety miles, with a breadth in the valley of near- ly sixty miles. Yet, these two counties produced, in 1870, only 237,927 bushels of wheat, 750 bushels of oats, 161,311 of barley, 18,386 of corn, and 32,170 of potatoes. 5,400 square miles, or more than one-half of this great desert looking, treeless, much talked of and written about valley, 106 produced in 1870 values to the amount of only $275,028, or about as much as was produced in 1860 within the sound of the clock, in the steeple of the capitol, in the city and county of Montgomery, Alabama. Here, again, my youthful genius was right, and so were the reports of our great army officers, sent Out to investigate this matter. Millions upon millions of bushels of wheat and other crops, are produced in California. Where does it come from ? I have not yet looked at the fig- ures ; but I know where it comes from, and any one else can know if he will only examine the splendid and accurate 'geo- logical maps, made over twenty years ago, by the officers of our Government. There is a little strip of rich land around Stockton, and between Stockton and Sacramento, on the east side of the Sacramento river, and up that river, in spots, above Sacramento, for miles. But the great bulk of the pro- ductions of California are now, where they were 200 years ago, and ever will be, around the delta of the rivers, and in the old Spanish settlements, and in the little valleys between the Coast Range and Pacific ocean. We will see by an exam- ination of the facts, whether I am right or not. In 1870, California produced 10,676,702 bushels of wheat, and 8,783,- 490 bushels of barley. The two principal, in fact oulj^ agri- cultural staples, in the State. Of corn and oats, the two next, she raised respectively 1,221,222, and 1,757,507 bushels. Of this amount, four-fifths, or 13,180,094 bushels of wheat, 5,986,209 of barley, and 1,473,638 of potatoes, were raised within a circle or half circle of 10L> miles around San Fran- cisco. This circuit takes in Sacramento, Stockton and Mon- terey ; and extends north to the southern line of Colusi and Butte counties in the Sacramento valley, and south to the southern boundary of San Joaquin county, in San Joaquin valley, embracing an area of 16,000 square miles, including the Bay of San Francisco, and the tules or marshes of the Delta of the San Joaquin and Sacramento, or about ten or twelve thousand square miles of soil, including the mountains inclosing the valleys. The remainder of the Sacramento val- ley, about one hundred miles in length, including Butte, Ne- vada, Colusi, Tehamah, and Shasta counties, producing only 1,182,910 bushels of wheat, 890,000 of barley, and 27,582 of potatoes. We have heietofore seen how insignificant are the 107 agricultural productions of Mariposa, Merced, and Fresno counties, lying south of San Joaquin county, and covering ninety miles of this valley. From the report of Prof. Blake, and from my knowledge of the Tulare and Kern Lake coun- ties, I thought that, perhaps, something might be produced here, without irrigation. But in this I was mistaken, as these two counties, covering over one hundred miles of the broad valley of California, produced in 1870, only 67,365 bushels of wheat, 111,386 of barley, and 17,255 of potatoes, or a crop value too small to find anything in Alabama, in 1860, to com- pare it with. Here we have one hundred and ninety miles of the southern end of this valley of California, or over 9,000 square miles, that with a gold market in sight, produces now, actually less than any one of a dozen townships in our coun- ty of Montgomery, Ala., in ISCO. The one hundred miles in the northern end of the valley made a better showing ; but the whole 5,000 square miles, with the county of Coin si, in fact a part of the Delta and Coast Range country thrown in, produced agricultural values to an amount less than one-half that of our county of Montgomery, in 1860. You see, then, my friends in Alabama, that notwithstanding the current liter- ature of the day, all is not gold that glitters, in California. The question of actual agricultural productions in California, then, is reduced to a circuit around San Francisco, the Delta, and Coast Range counties, as above stated. We will now see how the crop productions in the richest part of the State compare, in money value, with those of our State, when her soil was properly cultivated and tilled, as the soil of California now is. Take two of the richest counties in the State — Allameda and Santa Clara. The farm valuation of the one being $16,747,770, and of the other $12,072,722, or a total of $28,770,492, or nearly three times that of our coun- ty of Montgomery. Calculate the value of thtjir farm pro- ductions, as found in the compendium of the United States census, in 1870, at the same prices as for the county of Mont- gomery, Ala. One dollar per bushel for wheat, their leading staple, and the rest in proportion, and we have an aggregate of money value, for the agricultural productions of these two counties, of $2,631,776, or only fout-Jifths of the value of the crop of the county of Montgomery, Ala., in 18G0. The Cali- 108 fornia counties have the advantage of ten years growth, in the comparison of the values of the soil products of these States, The Californian lost none of his property or labor, as the results of our war. His fences, his vineyards, his orchards, and his thousand and one little ornaments and comforts remained, and have continued to grow. While everything that was found on our soil, at the end of the war, property, labor, everything, was run over and destroyed ; and we have left now, only our souls and our soils. The one I am attempting to comfort, and the other I am attempting, in these pages, to defend. As stated in the beginning of this division of my subject, I am making an analysis of the agri- cultural actualities of the State of California, with no desire of undervaluing or underrating her worth. She is a great and rich State, and if the ideas and arguments I am now at- temfitiug to make, should prove fallacious and void iu their effects, and the people of Alabama can not be encouraged to stand longer in the breach, but give over to further ruin and decay, this, the richest in the natural elements of wealth, of all of the great States of this Uuion, wdth my household and my hopes, I will rejoin again my old friends in California. The agricultural actualities of California are small when compared with those of Alabama, in years gone by. But her possibilities through irrigation, are great. I see now, that her people, as I am now advising Alabamians to do, thor- oughly understand their situation, and have begun to move in the proper direction for relief. The great want of Cali- fornia agriculture, is the quickening element of water. The fifteen or twenty thousand square miles of treeless and desert plains, that make up on paper, now, the agricultural district of this State, must and will be irrigated. The water is there, notwithstanding the experiments of Pi'of. Blake show a des- sicating and eyaporating property in the wiuds^'that traverse this region, truly astounding. Every square mile of this vast iregion, covered with verdure, will quench so much of the thirst of these insatiable winds, until after awhile, and in the course of ages of time, as man, by his power over matter, pla- ces on these plains the tender vegetable mould, and waters and moistens their roots, by his hand, whilst they oppose their delicate heads to the withering, scorching heat of these 109 ■winds, in their fierce attacks on the hitherto parched and in- capable soil, this section of California can, and will be made the happy home of agricultural man. But this will take time, money, and labor. Jjy turning the San Joaquin and Sacramento each to the foot of the Coast Kange, for the pur- pose of watering the western portions of the valley, and using the many beautiful and everflowing streams, from the Sierra Kevada, in watering the eastern side of these plains, this whole valle}^ can be brought under cultivation, and in no other way. I will insert here only short extracts from Prof. Blake, on southern, and Lieut. Abbott, on northern California. They are in substantiation of the above. Lieut. Abbott says of the Sacramento Valley proper : " General Topography. '' There is a great similarity in the general topographical features of the whole Pacific Slope. The Sierra Nevada in California, and the Cascade Eange in Oregon and Washing- ton Territories, form a continuous wall of mountains nearly parallel to the coast, and from one to two hundred miles dis- tant from it. Where examined by our party, the main crest of this range is rarely elevated less than 6,000 feet above the level of the sea ; and many of its peaks tower into the region of eternal snow, the lower limit of which is 8,000 feet above the same level. This long chain of mountains forms a great natural boundary. To the eastward lies a plateau, the aver- age altitude of which is about 4,500 feet above the sea. The winds from the sea deposit most of their moisture upon the western slope of the mountains, and reach the plateau dry. This, together with the volcanic character of the country, renders nearly the whole region an arid waste, unfit to sup- port a civilized population. "West of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, the char- acter of the country is widely different. The Coast Range, another and parallel chain of mountains, but of a lesser alti- tude and a more broken nature, borders the sea-shore. Be- tween the two lie several large fertile valleys, elevated but slightly above the sea, and containing nearly all of the arable land of the far ice-st ; of these valleys, the San Joaquin and the Tulare, the Sacramento, the Williamette, the Umpqua, the Kogue River, and the Cowlitz are the chief." "Sacramento Valley. " No complete description of this valley will be attempted, no as its general character is well known, and as Lieut. William- son, in his Eailroad Report, has fully discussed its topograph- ical features. A few remarks, however, relating to its climate and productions, may not be out of place. " Sheltered by the Coast Range of mountains from the moist and cool sea breezes, which renders the summer climate of the sea-shore of northern California so delightful, much of the Sacramento Valley is parched with excessive heat in the dry season. From the Army Meteorological Register, it ap- pears that, at Benicia, where the influence of the sea breeze IS felt, the mean summer temperature, for the years 1852-53 -54, was 60.3 Fah., while at Fort Reading, which is about two degrees of latitude further north, it was 79.6'^ Fah., for the same years. Even at San Diego, situated seven degrees of latitude south of Fort Reading, the mean summer tempera- ture was only 70.9 Fah. for the above-mentioned years. " The effect of this excessively high summer temperature is greatly increased by the want of rain. Very little rain falls during the months of June, July, August, September and Oc- tober. The mean fall during these five mouths, for the years 1852-53-54, was 1.1 inches at Benicia, and 1.4 at Fort Read- ing. This tends to show that less than three-tenths of an inch of rain per month, for the five consecutive hottest months of the year, is to be expected in this valley. The result can be easily anticipated. Vegetation, except on the banks of the streams, is in a great measure destroyed, and the foliage of the trees is almost the only green upon which the eye of the traveler can rest, when wearied with the glare of the sun re- flected from the whitened plains, " During the rainy months, which are December, January, February, March and April, the average fall is betAveen 3 and 4 inches per month. The whole region is then clothed with luxuriant vegetation; but the excess of rain often causes the streams to overflow their banks, and spread far and wide over the low lands. Much of this water remains stagnant, until evaporated by the heat of the sun, which is undoubtedly one of the causes that renders intermittent fever so great a scourge to the valley.'' Prof. Blake says of the southern portion of Sacramento Valley : " The great valley or plain of California, lying between the Sierra Nevada and Coast mountains, is traversed in its lower portions by the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which, flowing from the north and south, unite in the latitude of San Francisco, and empty into the bay. It, however, extends far southward of the sources of the San Joaquin, and includes the broad valley of the Tulare Lakes, generally known as the Ill Tulare Valley, which, although at some seasons without draitr- age to the sea, is, topographically, a part of the extended plains under consideration. " This broad area is unbroken by hills or sudden swells of the surface, and thus, being nearly level, becomes a vast plain — the vision in the direction of its length being bounded by the distant horizon alone. The broad and level expanse is made more evident and striking to the observer by the gen- eral absence of trees, and the arid and gravelly surface dur- ing the dry season. " South of the San Joaquin there are several large streams flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Tulare Lakes. The lakes are broad but shallow sheets of water, with shelving shores, so that a slight increase of the volume of the water during the rainy season covers a large area of the surface. When the water is very high, it is said to flow into the San Joaquin, thus connecting the two valleys by drainage. " The valley of the Colorado desert is, in many respects, similar to the Tulare plains, but is more heated, arid, and desert like." Speaking of the evaporating power of the sun and hot winds in the Tulare Valley, an extension, only, of the Sacra- mento Valley, he says : " Rapidity of evaporatioit from the surface of the lakes. — ■ Whatever cause may be assigned for the change in the con- dition of this valley, the rapidity of the evaporation from the surface of the water in that region should not be overlooked in the attempt to solve the problem. The amount of water that is taken up by the winds in that valley is astonishing. We have seen that during the dry season the lakes have no outlet, and that they are constantly receiving great quantities of water from the rivers ; the evaporation from their surface then must be equal to, if not greater than the supply. The conditions under which these lakes are situated could scarcely be more favorable for the result. The strong winds that rush in from the Pacific during the day pass over the broad, heated plains and the numerous ranges of the coast mountains be- fore they reach the valley. They thus part with the greater portion of their moisture before they pour in among the Tu- lares. The shores of the lakes being low and shelving, and without trees, no resistance is ofi"ered to these hot and dry winds ; they sweep over the surface and absorb the water with surprising rapidity. The rapidity of the evaporation is in- creased by the temperature of the water, which is fully ex- posed in shallow lakes to the rays of an unclouded sun, and becomes much heated. " The parching effect produced by these winds, and the evi- 112 dent r/ipidity of the evaporation of any ivater exposed to their action, induced me to make an experiment to determine, if possible, the amount of water taken up each day. "According to Dr. G. Buist, the amount of evaporation from the surface of water at Aden, on the Indian Ocean, ' is about eight feet for the year.' The basis of this statement is not given, but it is interesting to notice that the amount agrees with my experimental result." (Details of experiment omitted. — Author.) "If we regard the experimental result as a fair measure of the evaporation from the lakes, we may readily calculate the amount of water taken from them a month or year. We have 36 cubic inches of water for the daily evaporation from one square foot of surface, and consequently 522,929.5 cubic feet from every square mile. This equals 16,210.8 tons, or 4,052,703 gallons — a quantity of which we can scarcely form an adequate conception, and yet it is far one day only. If we measure the amount of evaporation in depth, and assume that the quantity evaporated is equal each month in the year, Ave have, as before observed, seven feet seven inches avid one quain- ter for the yearly evaporation. The conditions Vv'hich I have detailed do not, however, exist throughout the year. In the rainy months the evaporation is much reduced, or perhaps it almost ceases. It is almost certain, however, that the experi- ment does not show the full amount of evaporation for the summer, it is undoubtedly much greater, and the results can only be regarded as approximate. They are, however, im- portant, and derive greater interest from the fact that few ex- periments of the kind have been made, and because the cli- matic conditions of that region are so peculiar." ^'^Resemblance beMveen the Tulare Valley and the Colorado Desert. — It will be seen, by comparing this description of the Tulare Valley with the Colorado Desert, that the valleys re- semble each other in their important characteristics. It is probable that their geological history is similar ; but al- though of the same age geologically, the changes in the desert have been most rapid, and its complete dessication has been long since accomplished." I insert these extracts taken from the ver}^ excellent vol- ume written by Prof. Blake on this section of California, only with the view of showing the difficulties to be encountered, even in irrigating the Sacramento Valley. The same state of facts exists over the whole valley, and it will be seen that the difficulties are indeed formidable for agriculture here, even with the extremest efforts of man. He refers to the character of this plain, as being hot, arid. 113 and gravelly, except in the Delta and along the immediate valleys of the streams. He states the average heat in the summer, in the shade, at from 96 deg." to 115 deg. This de- scription is substantially that of Lieut. Abbott, of the north- ern part of the Sacramento Valley. He states distinctly, that the extreme fertility of spots in this valley, is due to the rich, alluvial washed soils, as much as to the presence of ever run- ning, irrigating streams, and, inferentially, that the great ma- jority of this valley, even if irrigated sufficiently, would pro- duce only ordinary agricultural crops. It will be seen here, that though agriculture has been here- tofore carried on profitably in California, the standard can not be kept up, on account of the expense of irrigation and the want of fertility in the remainder of her possibly cultiva- table soil. I regret the necessity of these long and extended remarks on the sterihty or barrenness of the region west of the 98th and 100th meridian, but the public mind is unpre- pared for the unwelcome news developed in these pages, and more than the mere assertion of one man will be, and is, neces- sary to awaken them from their dream of continual westward extension of our agricultural civilization. People of the Uni- ted States, you may as well look this question squarely in the face, for as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you have covered over, now, all the agricultural area of the west, and of the whole country. Immigration will be compelled to go into British America, and around the great American Desert, included within, or extending even beyond, the northern limit of our country. A portion can and will go southward, and occupy and cul- tivate the soil left vacant here, by the worthlessness of the labor of the emancipated slaves. The rain areas begin again in Mexico, south of our boundary line, but I am unprepared to state, now, the value of the soils of our sister Republic, for the purposes of agriculture. I will insert, here, as a last reference to this subject, a letter published in the Pittsburg Iron Age, dated — 114 "Denver, Col., July 29tli, 1867. " Our farmers have a rich harvest — the first good one fof three years. For grazing purposes, the great plains east of here are almost perfectly adapted, but for agriculture of any form they are not fitted, and will not be, until a water supply is furnished them. In the valleys of the Arkansas and Platte water for irrigation can be procured, but only at great ex- pense — more than any farmer is able to incur. Rail road companies selling lands, and colonies, can build ditches that will give an ample water supply, but until this is done it would be folly for any man of small means to settle on any lands in western Kansas, or eastern Colorado." This man is a citizen of Colorado, and lives on the spot, and gives the very latest intelligence on this subject, and it will be seen, that neither the country or climate is changed. The agricultural capabilities of the United States, west of the meridian of 98 and 100, does not arise so much from the character of the rocks and consequent character of the soils, of this vast region, as from the want of moisture, any and everywhere, to cause vegetation to grow. The larger portion of the soils east of the Rocky Mountains are identical with the pine woods soils in the southern part of Escambia, Cov- ington and Baldwin counties, in this State, and could be cul- tivated, if there was only any rain fall, or water for irrigation. In Dakota, and notably in western Texas, and a small strip extending far out into the no rain region of Kansas, are found the cretaceous, the most fertile of the rich prairie soils of Alabama, and it is pitiful to see the tender vegetation, as it comes innocently into the world on these fertile soils in the Spring, and know that within the short space of six weeks it will be withered, and blown away by the hot dessicating winds that blow in summer on these plains. The Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains themselves, are but the upturned edges of the crater of a vast and once burning volcano, and the intervening spaces and the moun- tains themselves, in their rocks, in their soils, in climate and in the capacity for agricultural production are indeed a coun- terpart on this continent of the great desert of Sahara in Af- rica, There are peculiarities in the rain-fall preciiDitation on the narrow region along the Pacific coast, that render thi» 115 I'egion especially valuable for the production of wheat and other winter crops. The rain-fall here is only one-third that of Alabama, or as 21.73 is to 58.47 ; but it all comes from November to April — the exact time required for winter wheat and barley, and at the time of gathering and garnering, there is not a drop of water falling to rot or injure the gathered crops in the fields. The Sierra is simply a vast ledge of naked granite and volcanic rocks standing on their upturned edges, and no amount of rain here would cause vegetation to grow. The basin between the mountains, if watered from the heav- ens, might produce something. Then, perhaps, the winds would not be so withering, scorching and dessicating. But God, in his wisdom, has ordered otherwise ; and for compen- sation, perhaps, has filled this region with the richest of ores of our precious metals. The Kocky Mountain region is a region of wonders and curiosities of nature, but of little value to a bread hungry mortal. The vast region between the Kocky Mountains and Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and eastern Texas — a region 750 miles wide and 1500 long, immediately west of the old States referred to above — is the only part of our country offering any inducements to an agri- cultural civilization. I would not, for the purpose of benefit- ing the soils of Alabama, say a single word in derogation of this vast region of our country, nor would I keep a single im- migrant from enjoying here a happy home ; but as I have attempted to write 'on, and profess to know something of, this country, I hope to speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Taking as true the authoritative utterings of the State of Kansas, through her legislature in 1874, we find that three divisions are made by themselves of the State, of a compara- tive agricultural value, measured only by the comparative rain-fall of each division. The first, extending from the Mis- souri State line to longitude 97 degrees, has an average rain- fall of 37.07 inches, or two-thirds of the rain-fall of Alabama, 58.47 inches. From 97 to 99 degrees, the rain-fall is 23.61, or about two-fifths that of Alabama ; and fi'om 99 to 103 de- grees, the western limit of the State, it is only 13.34, or a lit- tle over one-fifth of the rain-fall of the State of Alabama ; and fi-om 103 to 105 degrees, or to Denver, is 12.94 inches, or about the same. Tlie above, in my opinion, measures the com- 116 parative rain-fall, and, consequently, the comparative agricultural value of this vast region from the Gulf of Mexico to British America. Up to 97 degrees, or the longitude of Austin, Fort Worth, Junction City, Yankton and the Red River of the North, you may go with confidence, and though even here the rain-fall is only two- thirds that of Alabama and the East- ern States, still, on rich soils, you can thrive by agriculture. From 97 to 99 degrees, the longitude of Fort Lincoln and Fort Belknap in Texas, Fort Larned in Kansas, old Fort Kearney in Nebraska and the Jacques Eiver in Dakotah, from the highest and most undeniable testimony, vou may expect to find only two-fifths of the rain-fall of the States east- ward, all through the year. If old farmers in the States think that their young scions can squeeze along on this amount of rain-fall, let their sons go there for agriculture. It is well attested and known, that the wild grasses never grow as lux- uriantly in this region as they once did in the old States How many of you would now turn out and attempt to raise stock for a living on the wild grass of Georgia, Ohio and New York ? West of the meridian of 99 degrees, the universal tes- timony is, that nothing can be raised without irrigation ; and the calculation is made by an ofiicer of the government, Lieut. Wheeler, recently examining, as he says, this question of irri- gation east of the Rocky Mountains, as a consequence of a presidential message to congress on the subject, that the en- tire volume of the water of all the rivers issuing from the mountains, if it was possible to save it all (which he says it is not), would not irrigate a sjyace of country thirty-five miles wide, and would leave the great rivers comparatively dry, on the plains beloiv. The above picture is appalling to the American mind, but it is true. I present this picture here, that the home hunting world may find the truth without searching for it in great volumes of bound books, inaccessible to the general reader. The question of fuel, referred to by Prof. Thomas in Hay- den's Geological Survey of the West, is also one of the seri- ous drawbacks to the region west of 97 degrees. By some fatuity or freak of nature, it will be seen by the reference to the geological map accompanying this paper, that the coal formations cease every tvhere along the lines of 97 degrees, except 117 a little s^jot around Fort Belknap in Texas. Think of it, you people who would propose to raise Indian corn for fuel, as suggested by Prof. Thomas, as the only resource now for fuel in all this vast region, with a rain-fall tioo-fifths that of Ala- bama and the Eastern States. The negro in Alabama, and all the other evils we suffer here, are as nothing as compared to the greater evils to be endured and found every where west of the meridian of 97 degrees. We have now reached the point in our argument where it is necessary that I should attack, and explain away, the er- rors and reasons that have hitherto kept people away from Alabama. The first and most potent is, the presence o^ the negro on our soil. The second, is the unfair manner in which the agricultural capabilities of our soil are treated and commented on in the state papers of our nation. We are wrongly treated in other publications as well, but I am a citizen of the United States and have the right, in a respectful manner, to petition and remonstrate with our gov- ernment or its agents in any matter affecting Alabama or my own interests. Besides, these national publications have a world-wide circulation, and endorsed as they are by our gov- ernment, they are taken as law not only at home but every- * where abroad. The census publications of 1860 and 1870, es- pecially that of 1860, compiled and made up during the pro- gress of our civil war, have treated us justly and fairly, and are a true mirror of the industries of our nation at the period represented. The facts so truthfully represented in the cen- sus of 1870, have been the foundation and souice from which the most damaging comparisons have been held up and insti- tuted as to the productiveness of our soils. Without explain- ing the condition and want of effectiveness of the labor culti- vating our soils at that time, great tables and maps of com- parison, founded only on the products of our soil at that time, are constructed and hung up, and commented on and circu- lated all over the civilized world, reducing the great crop pro- ducing empires of the South to a standard truly pitiable to contemplate. For instance, the crop producing value of the soil of Alabama, doubling in 1860 any of the States of the 118 West and North, except Illinois and California, is shown now in these national caricatures (as I respectfully call them) as scarcely one-half of that of the poorest of the barren New England States. These statements are not made with the intention of injuring the reputation of the soil of Alabama or the other Southern States for the production of crop values. But whether made so or not, it must be remembered that the generation of men on the stage of life now, know nothing of our splendid agriculture before the war, now nearly twenty years ago, and judge of our soils capacity to produce values by what they hear, read and see now of our agriculture ; and the meagre and counterfeit representation of our soil capacity as presented by the census of 1870 and other state papers, is taken as the true measure of the merits of our soil. I have gone back beyond the memory of the present gen- eration, outside of the South, and measured our soil capacity by the agricultural actualities of the period when they were properly cultivated and tilled before the war ; and with the view of dissipating these errors, I will hang the two pictures representing the productions of 1860 and 1870 side by side in this paper. In regard to our treatment by the census of 1860, I will say nothing. Nor can I say any thing of the census of 1870, for it speaks the truth. But the truth sometimes hurts, and hurt it does here. The crop, and other maps published in the census report of 1870, showing at a glance, by the depth of colors, the comparative virtues and deformities of the States, founded on the then existing condition of things, most ruinously and truthfully represent every industry in the South. In the volume entitled " Industry and Wealth," we come, first, to the map showing the comparative wheat product of our territory in 1870. Alabama and the whole South, with the exception of Virginia, Tennessee, western North Carolina and northern Arkansas, and a small portion of Texas, is a blank. In corn product, there appears a thin milky shade of yellow, indicating that corn is raised here, but in amount insignifi' cant as compared to the North and West, excepting only a broad strip of new and fertile soil down through the middle of the State of Texas and around Columbia in Tennessee. In cotton product, it is seen that the sceptre has departed from 119 Alabama and gone northward and westward to Tennessee, Texas and North Carohna. With the exception of cotton only, the leading crop products of the North and West are mapped out and shown by colors in the census of 1870. The hay crop, of course, shows only a red spot here and there in the South ; and these, perhaps, only a square mile or two in a place ; while the depth of colors every where north of the Potomac and Ohio is intense. In tobacco Tennessee, Vir- ginia and North Carohna appear a httle dark ; while in dairy products, the Southern States are so blank that they are cut off from the bottom of the map altogether. There are two maps in the volume on population, which though silent, and simply sheets of paper, the one traced over in parts with pur- ple ink and the other with deep black, indicating severally the location of the foreign and negro population of the United States, that speak volumes upon volumes upon the subject of the movement of foreign peoples in our country. Except in spots in and around cities, the absolute absence of the deep purple colors in the region covered over with black, indicating a negro population, and its consistent and deep shadowed presence every where outside of the slave States, clearly indi- cate that where the negro was the foreign immigrant tvould not and did not go. The Potomac and Ohio represent the line of demarcation. Soil, climate and latitude appear to have noth- ing to do with the movement of our foreign population. Here I could write a volume, but I hope some other man will do it. There are two more tables, or maps, published in the census of 1870 ; in one of them, at least, we stand triple *** and number one, the table or map representing the comparative illiteracy of our people. On the opposite page is a map repre- senting the comparative ivealth of the diferent States. Here, side by side on these two maps, is an epitome of our poverty and disgrace, our illiteracy and wealth. In wealth Alabama, once the seventh in this Union of great States, is a blank, ex- cept immediately around and within the corporate limits of our cities, such as Montgomery and Mobile. In illiteracy, or the want of intelligence among the people, it seems that the colors were not deep enough alone, and an extra bottle of soot black ink was turned over and smeared upon the once 120 bright, intellectual face of Alabama. This system of maps, as printed by our government, is circulated all over the civil- ized world, and naked and unexplained, have ruined and will continue to ruin our hopes of an immigration of white people from any where. A person looking over a series of these maps in Germany, England, New York or Ohio even, and seeing at a glance the absolute paucity of production and want of wealth everywhere now, and the dark and deep shadows of illiteracy that shrouds and covers over the whole South, will dismiss without a word any idea of coming here. From these maps the only thing that seems prominent at the South now, is illit- eracy ; a product that no intelligent people wish to cultivate or enjoy. I have endeavored to avoid any reference to poli- tics in this paper, but I will say here that our people have been so much concerned since the war with their political sit- uation, that these errors, affecting their material interests, have been suffered to go on without any explanation or notice. Is there any wonder that the new millions of people seeking homes in our country every year, educated every where as they are from the above, should pass you stiffly and silently by ? Your very silence is as an admission that these bottom facts can not be explained away. You rant and you rave in your newspapers and periodicals on the greatness and gran- deur of our country, when every man that reads your news- papers and little pamphlets has in his pockets the damning evi- dence of your poverty and shame taken from the records of our nation. The census bureau of 1870, simply placed the naked facts before the world without explanation or comment. The agricultural bureau, however, has seen fit to refer to and comment on these facts in a manner unfavorable to the South, and as this work is published every year the evil is kept mov- ing. My space, as heretofore stated, is limited, and I have already far exceeded my Kmits, but I trust I will be pardoned for inserting, in defense of the soil of Alabama, the following tables, founded on the census of 1860, or before the war, when our soil was properly cultivated and tilled. The first table gives the value of the farm products in each State in 1860 ; the per capita value, taking the whole population, and also taking only the per centage actually and wholly engaged in 121 cultivating the soil. The second sets side by side the aggre- gate amount of the leading farm products in 1860 and 1870, and also of the value of live stock and of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, and the number of hogs in each of the States for the two periods : 122 •iep^a • 00 lO CO «3 lO • CC ^ Ci T-l CO ■ CO CM 1-1 t^ O . 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Total valu' ation. OHIO. Indian com . . . bushels Wheat do. Rye do. Oats do. 88,422,000 18,567,000 401,000 23,090,000 1,576,000 191,000 6,045,000 32,500,000 1,903,000 35 12 11 27 21.8 11 4 85 1,181 1.05 2,526,343 1,. '347, 250 36,454 855,185 72,293 16,754 71,117 27,500 1,812,381 $ .42 1 31 75 35 98 99 88 55 14 61 % 37,137,240 24,322,770 300,750 8,081,-500 Barley do. Buckwheat. ... do. Potatoes do. Tobacco ...... pounds Hay tons 1,544,480 189,090 5,319,600 1,787,500 27,802,830 Total 6,965,277 2,650,000 1,860,000 27,958 570,000 25.585 11,487 45,000 19,500 714,649 $ 40 1 22 71 32 1 06 88 85 06 11 50 $ 106,485,760 INDIANA. Indian corn . . . bushels Wheat do. Rye do. Oats do. Barley do; Buckwheat. . . . do. Potatoes do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 67,840,000 20,832,000 397,000 11,400,000 568,000 139,000 2,520,000 15,600,000 893,800 25.6 11.2 14.2 20 22.2 12.1 56 800 1 25 $ 27,136,000 2.5,415,040 281,870 3,648,000 602,080 122,320 2,142,000 936.000 10,272,950 Total 5,924,170 6,839,714 2,104,963 134,064 1,178,666 99,130 10,588 137,750 8,911 1,880,000 $ 32 1 10 58 28 95 99 1 12 09 8 75 $ 70,556,260 % 45.962,880 31,258,700 1,205,240 9,900,800 2,166,000 89,100 6,171,200 681,750 30,562,500 ILLINOIS. Indian corn. . .bushels Wheat. do. Rye do. Oats do. Barley do. Buckwheat. ... do. Potatoes . .... do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 143,634,000 28,417,000 2,078,000 35,360,000 2,280,000 90,000 5,510,000 7,575,000 2,350,000 21 13.5 15.5 30 23 8. .5 40 850 1.25 Total 12,393,786 1,952,358 310,857 18,333 358,209 674 $ 82 1 75 1 64 75 1 20 % 117,998,170 GEORGIA. Indian com . . . bu.shels Wheat do. Rye do. Oats do. Barley do. Buckwheat . . do. 24,014,000 2,176,000 110,000 4,800,000 8,900 12.3 7 6 13.4 13.2 $ 19,691,480 3,808,000 180,400 3,600,000 10,680 Potatoes do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 202,000 343,000 19,500 78 750 1.05 2,590 457 18,571 1 15 2 07 20 50 232,300 71,001 399,750 Total 2,662,049 % 27,993,611 133 TABLE, SHOWING PEODUCT OF EACH PEINCIPAL CEOP, &c.— Cont'd. Products. Quantity produced in 1873. >• ® «3 Number of acres in each crop. 3> - Total valu- ation. ALABAMA. Indian corn .... bushel Wheat do. Eye do. Oats da Barley do. Buckwheat . . . do. 21,751,000 884,000 20,000 813,000 14.5 7.3 9.4 15.5 1,500,069 121,096 2,127 52,451 $ .84 1 70 1 56 78 $ 18,270,840 1,502,800 31,200 634,140 Potatoes do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 170,000 200,000 17,000 80 727 1.20 2,125 275 14,167 1 20 15 18 50 204,000 30,000 314,500 Total 1,692,310 1,196,322 19,687 1,500 34,166 $ 85 1 75 1 60 86 $ 20,987,480 MISSISSIPPI. Indian corn . . . bushels Wheat do. Eye do. Oats do. Barley do. Buckwheat . do. 18,543,000 189,000 15,000 492,000 15.5 9.6 10 14.4 $ 15,761,550 330,750 24,000 423,120 Pot^xtoes do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 206,000 85,000 13,000 87 739 1.27 2,368 115 10,236 1 20 17 20 25 247,200 14,450 263,250 Total 1,264,394 552,142 $ 90 $ 17,064,320 LOUISIANA. Indian corn . . . bushels Wheat do. 9,112,000 16.5 $ 8,200,800 Eye do. Oats do. Barley do. Buckwheat. . . do. 35,000 16.3 2,147 84 29,400 Potatoes do. Tobacco pounds Hay tons 60,000 35,000 13,100 60 777 1.20 1,000 45 10,917 1 05 18 17 50 63,000 6,300 229,250 Total 566,351 1,202,046 309,286 28,181 283,636 18,727 7,20C . 30,00L 36C ) 651,333 $ 31 1 00 56 23 70 80 94 10 3 90 1 8,528,750 $ 14,570,000 4,330,000 173,600 2,152,800 360,500 72,000 2,880,000 22,000 3,810,300 KANSAS. Indian corn. . .bushels Wheat do. Eye do. Oats do. Barley do. Buckwheat. . . do. Potatoes do. Tobacco poundh Hay toufc 47,000,000 4,333,000 310,000 9,360,00C 515,00(j 90,00C 3,000,001 2-20,001 977, OOC 39.1 14 11 33 27.5 12. S l.Ot 611 1.5C Total 2,530,76^ $ 28,311.200 134 Look at this table. It will be seen that Kansas exceeds, as appears here, any of the Southern States named in the production of crop values, notwithstanding the fact that the prices given in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi are double what they were before the war, and those of Kansas only about the same as they were in the West before the war. Whilst the aggregate values of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, which were less in 1 860, as will appear from the table No. 12, than those of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, have left us far behind. By reference to the table above referred to, it will be seen that the aggregate crop values of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois was, in 1860, $181,797,656, and that of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi $187,188,766, or more than the great Western States. By reference to the table of principal ci'ops, etc., pre- pared by the Agricultural Bureau, it will be seen that the value in 1873 was $5.95,040,190 for Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and only $66,045,454 for Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, the one rated at a little above anti-war prices and the other at double anti-war prices. But if the reader will examine closely the above tables, he will see that cotton, sugar and rice, the principal crop products of the South, are left out, and only the principal agricnltiircd articles produced in the West are enumer- ated, and still it purports to he a table of the principal crop pro- ducts of the States named. The skeleton tables, founded on the census of 1870, of the miserable crop productions at that time, are kept before the public, and continually referred to and commented on in language like the following : "The census record of production in these States is but $558,000,000; the record should be made to read $1,500,000,000. W^ith three-fourths of the people of ten States employed in agriculture, the value of agricultural products exceeds but little that of the States of New York and Pennsylvania, where only one-fovirth are so employed. The average for each per- son employed in agriculture in those States are respectively, as deduced from the census, $677 and $707, while those of Georgia and Mississippi are $239 and $282. For the ten States the average is $267 ; for the four populous middle States $686. Even the States producing cheap corn show a larger return, the average for one man's labor in the five States between the Ohio river and the Lakes being $498, while the six sterile eastern States produce $490 for each farmer. It 135 may be the census is less complete in the cotton States, but it is undeniable that agricultural industry makes a smaller aggregate return there than in any other section. Nor is the reason wanting — it is due to the prominence of cotton, the return for which is substantially a fixed quantity and the neg- lect of all other resources." '* There is no sufficient cause why twenty-five per cent, of the people of Pennsylvania should produce in agriculture a value of $52 annually for each inhabitant in the State, while 59 per cent, of the people of Virginia should only divide $48 per head of total population. " The path of progress has been open to all ; laws supposed to favor a diversified industry have been applicable to all States alike; the best water power and cheapest coal are in States that make no extensive use of either ; milder clim^es and superior facilities for cheap transportation, have furnished advantages that have not been transmuted into net profits ; and yet such communities are daily inflicting irreparable inju- ries upon themselves by neglecting the gifts of God, and spurning the M>or of man, and are wout to deem_ themselves injured by the prosperity flowing from superior industry and a practical political economy." It is strange that the Agricultural Bureau of the nation, organized and paid for the purpose of finding out the difficul- ties, and promoting the interests of farming, should fail to find out what is the matter with the agriculture of the cotton States ; and should attribute it to the selfishness of producers, in raising all cotton ; the want of economy, and the prevalence of the same wasteful, thriftless habits of ante-war times; when the true cause —the inefficiency and 2va7it of labor — is seen and felt on every farm and in every field in the South. One other comparison, and I am done with this part of my subject. In the evidence given in before the Windom Trans- portation Committee of the United States Senate, raised to promote cheap transportation for the grain and other products of the West to the sea, and with the view of getting southern votes, it was necessary to make it appear that the soil of the cotton States could never produce meat and bread, and that cheap transportation to the grain fields of the West was the panacea for all our ills. In doing this, the tables of the cen- sus of 1870 were referred to by Mr. Frobell of Atlanta, Presi- dent, or General Agent, of the Tennessee Great Western Ca- nal improvement. In my forthcoming work X comment on 136 this testimony, and give it as another sample of the manner in which our agriculture is injured, as follows : " I will advert to and comment on the testimony of a Mr. Bushrod W. Frobell, from Atlanta, Ga., before the Senate Committee. From the length of his testimony— forty-one pages — he seems to have been a man of some prominence. He was given more space than was given the city of Mo- bile, and one-third as much as was given to the city of New Orleans. He represented the Atlantic and Great Western Canal, and had the endorsement of the Governor of Georgia. He represented Alabama, or rather his was the only testimony on Alabama that I saw in the book, in rela- tion to this matter. As soon as I opened the book, I saw he was lost, and on the wrong side of the branch, as far as the initerests of the South, and especially Alabama, were con- cerned. Passing over his general testimony, I came first to an elaborate and carefully compiled table of statistics, in which appears as table No. 2, the population and productions of counties on the Coosa river, and its tributaries in Alabama, etc., etc. Old Autauga stood at the head of the list, just as she always has done, in the alphabetical list of counties in Alabama. Looking along the column, I found under the head of corn production, the county of Autauga, 191,158 bushels, instead of 559,521, her product in 1860. The county of Montgomery, just across the river, 602,549 bushels, instead of 1,586,480 bushels, iu 1860. The county of Lowndes, still lower down, 453,187, instead of 1,288,722 bushels. Dallas 437,701, instead of 1,352,961. Glorious old Macon 168,661, instead of 972,731. Animals slaughtered for food : The ca- pacity of old Autauga was put down at $32,531, instead of $190,636. Montgomery $90,153, instead of $336,915. Lowndes $53,433, instead of $319,844. Dallas $60,343, in- stead of $369,255 ; and everything else in the same miserable proportion, all over the State. I saw he had been reading from that miserable fraud upon the soils of the South, the census of 1870. I do not intend to accuse Mr. Frobell of fraud, or intentional fraud, in presenting Alabama before this committee, and the world, in the pitiable attitude and plight that he did. Like others, he may not have known Alabama in the days of her glory ; and like others, the world over, he took it for granted that these printed maps and reports of Government, represented truly, the capacity of our soil for production. But I do claim the right, as far as Alabama is concerned, as one of her citizens, to paint over these slurs on her virtue, and set her right before the world." But we will see furthpr, on page 738 of the Eeport, Mr, Frobell says: 137' "Four of the Cotton States plant six million acres in food crops, and employ half their labor and capital in cultivating corn and wheat. This deprives the West of a market for fifty millions of bushels of grain, which is left worthless upon the hands of the producer. "At the same time it enhances the price of cotton, impos- ing additional hardships upon the agricultural laborer whose scanty earnings will scarcely permit him to indulge in the luxury of a shirt ; and all this is due from the fact that we have no means for the interchange of our respective products cheaply." The above is the testimony of Mr. Frobell, the only repre- sentative of Alabama before this important Congressional Committee, on this subject. It will be seen that our friend, having read the wrong sign -board at first, and got lost, never touches the true reason of the condition of the South, and the remedy therefor. His first argument is, that the planting of six millions of acres in food crops by four of the cotton States deprives the West of a market for fifty millions of bushels of grain ; and while this cause enhances the price of cot- ton, it has made our friends in the West so poor that they have to go naked. He next says: "Why do we import iron? Why does the South plant millions of acres ot corn, and raise that product at an average cost of ninety-four cents per bushel, while cotton was worth twenty cents per pound, and corn in Missouri and Iowa some ten cents per bushel?" I do not deny that this statement of facts may be true, nor do I deny any of his statements of fact. They are but too true. But I do protest, in the name of my State, to hanging this skeleton on the wall, and calling it Alabama. Say she is sick, say she is not well, tell ivhat is the matter ivith her ; or at least hang around her the old pictures of her former self and her daughters, the counties of Autauga, Montgomery, Lowndes, Macon, Dallas, of Madison, of Marengo, aye, and the little county of Jefferson, with her 559,521 bushels of corn, and her 4,940 cotton bales— little bags of gold, comely, handsome, and full fed as they then were. Like any once beautiful ma- tron would be, she is ashamed of this counterfeit of herself — herself, it is true, but all the essential elements of herself are left out. We will now follow Mr. Windom and his committee to 138 "Washington, and hear his report to the Congress of the Uni- ted States, We will enter. Hanging around the walls of the Senate Chamber are the pictures drawn by the people of the various parts of our country, by themselves. First is the great picture, as drawn by Mr. Flagg, President of the Northwestern Farmers' Association, of the farmers of the West in mighty array, on their march to the sea, to feed a people a thousand miles away, with the gates of hell break- ing down to let them go through. Of Mr. Powell and Mr. Van Horn, delegates from the Kansas City (Mo.) 13oard of Trade, detailing to the committee the fact — "As to corn, it is quoted the day on which this is written, in New York, at 58^ to 60 cents per bushel, leaving to the farmer, the shipper, and for all expenses in getting it on the car in Kansas City, a margin of six to eight cents. Is it strange that it is burned for fuel, to save the destruction of timber, and cheaper than coal at the price of mining and delivery !" Of Mr. John New- ell, President of the Illinois Central Kailroad, telling the fun- damental causes of the complaints of the farmers of the West, in these words : " The Liverpool price controls the price here, and the cost of getting grain to the sea-board, difficulty of freight crossing the ocean, which were large and have been increasing since, left a margin here of eighteen to twenty cents per bushel, at the stations around Illinois last fall, which was an exceedingly low price." Mr. Flagg again stating — "That agricultural products have been abundant and cheap in the West, and under the existing state of transportation, the farmers have had to lose." Of Samuel P. Tufts, repre- senting the Northwestern Farmers' Convention, answering the questions of Senator Sherman of Ohio, (p. 645,) advising the wiping out of the present Supreme Court of the United States, if it decides against the power of Congress to build these canals. Then the picture of Mr. Frobell of Atlanta, of Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, and the Emigrants' Great West, shivering around piles of burning corn, with no under garment to keep themselves warm ; and last, but not least in interest, and by the same hand, the gaunt, spectral figure of Georgia, Ala- bama, South Carolina, and Florida, kneeling in one frame, debtors, bankrupt, and with no hope for the future, begging 139 in shame and in sorrow for the husks that the swine of the West will not eat. Mr. Windom rises and makes his report, as follows : " The cheaper mode of handling grain by elevators has not yet been adopted in Russia, but doubtless will be soon. When this shall be done, and her wise system of internal improve- ments, which have already turned the wavering balances in her favor, shall be completed, she shall be able to drive us from the markets of the world, unless wiser counsels govern our statesmanship than have hitherto prevailed. In fact, as the increased size of ocean vessels is constantly decreasing the cost of ocean transport, and our wheat fields are yearly receding further westward from the lakes, it is not impossible that when she shall have driven us from the markets of Europe, she will become our active competitor in Boston and Port- land, if cheaper means of internal transport be not provided. " The cry of despair which comes from the over-burdened West, the demand for cheaper food that comes from the labor- ing classes of the East and from the plantations of the South, and the rapid falling off of our principal articles of export, all indicate the imperative necessity for cheaper means of inter- nal communication. If we would assure our imperiled posi- tions in the markets of the world, reinstate our credit abroad, restore confidence and prosperity at home, and provide for a return to specie payment, let us develop our unequaled re- sources, and stimulate our industries by a judicious system of internal improvements." These extracts speak for themselves, and show the attitude in which we stand before the nations of the world. Do you recognize in thef^e pictures, citizens of Alabama, your State at any time before the war ? The South can never prosper on bought corn and meat, and the figures in this paper clearly show there is no need of cheap transportation to the grain fields of the West, for the benefit of agriculture here. The cotton produced in the South, as heretofore stated, only stands in the attitude of a gold-paying purchaser for the other products of the farm ; and is produced cheaply only in conjunction with other crops, and can never pay the price of bought corn and meat. I introduce here a short extract from the Report of the Mobile - O (M O o 1 ^- • d OCO COC5 o 3^1 ■> CO 3 &a^ lg '33 o '? ^ 05 020 E ° a. 5-2 c 35 OO d I^a e ^ ^ ^ S 3 3 tS'-— 'O ^^^ 'Z .2 cS S ^ ^a.a, c u oo.i^-g e 'B'B'B a ^ > fi- < OQ OOOQ 1 Ph 41 a oWoOS 3 ^ ^ . o :: - - - CO i> 00 C5 c3 6 ^, . » „ oi - - - - "a a cS OJ I 00 t> 5 ^ d-g 02?' a. PL, o a. o - )H rH (N 00'*U3 irH -^ 172 The above table shows that the Cahaba coals are of re- markably line quality, being chiefly distinguished for their dryness, small amount of ash, and large amount of fixed carbon. " Some of the above coals make an excellent coke, suitable for blast furnace use, and as some of them are dry burning coals that do not coke, they would probably work raw in the furnace. Judging from the analyses alone, we would be in- clined to consider all of the Cahaba as drier burning coals than those of Indiana or Ohio, while in reality the opposite is the case. The block coals of Ohio and Indiana, so largely used in the furnaces of the Mahoning Valley, do not coke in burning, while the Cahaba coals do, though the former con- tain about three per cent, more of volatile combustible matter, and nearly six per cent, less fixed carbon than the latter. "It is noticeable that these Indiana and Ohio coals, ranke(J among the best furnace fuels we have in this country, contain on an average two and a half to three per cent, more moisture than the Alabama coals ; in fact, the analyses would indicate that the Cahaba coal is a better fuel, and altogether an ex- ceptionally pure coal. It has been fully proved as a steam generator, and the coke from several of the veins was used very successfully in the smelting of iron for the cannon foun- dry of the Confederate States, at Selma, during the war. " It may be found that it will be desirable in the case of a few of the good coking seams to crush and wash the coal be- fore coking, and this will be more necessary in the Warrior field than in the Cahaba, the veins proved in the former con- taining more soft shale partings which, in the mining, will break up and can not be separated from the coal. " The coals of the Warrior field appear also to be softer and more friable in general than those mined on the Cahaba. Wakrioe Field. " There seems to be but little doubt that this field is com- posed of several basins; for want of proper explorations, how- ever, their limits are almost entirely unknown. " The enormous thickness of the coal bearing rocks in the Cahaba field, being estimated at over 5,000 feet, has no par- allel in the Warrior coal field. "We have very few analyses to give of the coals from this basin, except of those from the Newcastle and Black Creek Seams, and from seams in the vicinity of Tuscaloosa. For several of these analyses made for the survey by Prof. N. T. Lupton, the reader is referred to the Report of Progress for 1874. "An analysis of the coal from the Newcastle or MilnerSeam, 173 by Dr. Otto Wnth, of Pittsburgh, Pa., shows the following composition : Specific gravity 1 . 38 Water 50 Volatile matter 28.24 Fixed carbon 69 . 69 Ash 10.92 Sulphur 64 •' See further, the remarks on this seam, made above in our historical account. "Of the black creek coal, we present also an analysis mader by William Gesner. "Black Creek Coal, Specific gravity 1 , 36 Water 12 Bitumen (volatile) 26 . 11 Fixed carbon 71 . 64 Ash 2.03 Sulphur 10 Per cent, of coke 73 . 67 "Its physical characteristics classify it as a firm bitumin- ous block coal, with cubical cleavage, dull vitreous lustre, and ver}' restive to moisture." We have as yet no description of the Warrior coal field, founded on facts obtained from practical developments made up to the present period. Borings have been made in vari- ous parts of this field, and large operations have been com- menced since Mr. Rothwell left Alabama, and a large amount of practical information has been obtained, but as yet we have no man competent, or perhaps willing, to undertake the task of working up this coal field on the basis of the facts aa they are now found to exist. I will do the best I can, but as before stated, I am no geol- ogist, and know as yet but little of any practical value on this subject. I have an interest in the Newcastle Coal and Iron Company's mines, located on the line of the road, ten miles north of Birmingham. Although in past years I have dug into and Examined every coal vein of any value yet found within thirty miles of the railroad, I have learned only here anything practically of the Warrior coal fields, from the ac- tual workings of the mines. This company is operating on 174 the southeastern edge or outcrop of the coal veins of the Warrior coal field. The railroad runs here along the outcrop of the conglomerate, which separates here the upper and lower coal formations. Lying above the conglomerate, the highest workable vein yet found is the Newcastle seam. Operations were commenced first on this seam by the New- castle Coal Company, and some 200,000 tons have been mined and sent to market from this vein. This vein is five feet eight inches thick, including two hard strata of slate near the middle, of two and three inches thick, enclosing about five inches of coal. The bearing in, or mining, is done between these two slates, and being hard, they interfere but little with the clear mining of the coal. A slope has been sunk six hun- dred feet, inclining northwestwardly about six degrees at the surface, and coming at the bottom to less than one degree, or nearly on a level. It is mined cheaper than any other coal in Alabama, and a part of a cargo was shipped to Havana in 1873, and gave great satisfaction in that market, netting the miner here $2 00 per ton for the coal. The next workable coal below this, lying immediately above the conglomerate, is called the Sulphur vein, from what cause 1 don't know, as blacksmiths used coal from this vein altogether, for sharpen- ing their tools, whilst we were building the railroad. It is about 42 inches thick. There has never been any analysis made of this coal, or any attempt made to open or work it. The next, called the peacock vein, about 130 feet below the conglomerate, composed of two strata of coal and of one foot three inches of slate, in the middle is 27 inches thick. The Black Creek vein, now operated by our company, lies about 200 feet below the conglomerate, is 32 inches of clear, solid coal, with good mining above and below. We have here an actual cross section, of perhaps 2,000 feet of outcrop, the only actual cross section yet examined, in this field, to this extent. The veins here lie remarkably even and regular, and are easily mined. Five mile creek, crossing the southeastern outcrop of the Warrior coal field, at Boyles Gap, four miles below Newcastle, and running northwestwardly at right an- gles to the strike, to the Locust Warrior, and Lost Creek, rising on the northwestern outcrop of this basin and running southeastwardly, and meeting Five Mile Creek and emptying 175 into the Mulberry Warrior, both creeks cutting a channel for themselves deep into the strata, and falling faster than the strata themselves, pi^esent a most admirable opportunity for studying and identifying the strata of the Warrior coal meas- ures. These streams present the only opportunity for such an examination, and I trust some one, competent and capa- ble, will make the examination, I have for- years hoped that some one would take hold of this matter, and work it out properly. The Cincinnati anticlinal is felt, in the gentle up- lifting of the coal strata on th<3 northwestern dip of the Ala- bama coal fields. The eastern dip is caused by the Jones Valley anticlinal, which has brought to the surface, with the limestone, the Red Mountain — the most extensive and valua- ble deposit of iron • ore in the world. All the coals on the eastern, or Red Mountain, outcrop of the Warrior coal field, are coking coals, whilst those on the northwestern outcrop, so far as I have examined, are the splint coals of Ohio, uplifted here, as there, by the Cincinnati anticlinal, and are identical in character and composition. The measures lie gently slop- ing, or nearly level, all over the Warrior coal field, and are classified and understood nowhere except in small areas around the various operations now being carried on here. I have written to the various operators along the line of the road for information of any kind relating to their operations, but I have received no response from any, except from Col. Sharp, Superintendent of the Newcastle mines, and Col. Aid- rich, of the Montevallo mines. I give their statements here, and endorse them as true. The analysis of other coals found here will be given in the letter kindly furnished me by Mr. Thomas, Superintendent of the Eureka Iron Company : John T. Milner^ Esq. : Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of 18th, calling for inform- ation concerning the mining operations of the Newcastle Coal and Iron Company, would remark that for the year end- ing June 30, 1876, our output of coal has been but little over 19,000 tons, and this amount mor.tly from the Black Creek mines. At the Newcastle mine, we have a capacity for over 50,000 tons per annum, but no market for the coal ; nor do we anticipate one until the iron business has been further ad- vanced. This coal is specially adapted to rolling mill use, several thousand tons having been successfully used in that 176 way. But the distance from the points of consumption with the large intervening cost of freight, presents its general use for that purpose, until mills nearer home go into operation. We have proposed to deliver this coal at Birmingham at $1.75 per ton. When coal for mill use will be required in this re- gion of Alabama, the Newcastle coal, on account of its adapt- ability, cheapness, and facilities for producing large amounts^ will no doubt be largely mined, and contribute in no small degree to the production of cheap iron. The great need we feel, in common with other mining op- erations, is the want of a manufacturing demand. The prin^ cipal demand for coals is for domestic purposes, that repre- senting the almost entire demand outside of what is required for locomotive fuel. We submit an analysis of Newcastle coke, from Prof. Ges^ ner. Also, an analysis of Etna coke by same chemist. The Etna coke, as you are perhaps advised, is claimed to be the best and strongest furnace fuel of any of the Tennes- see cokes. We also append analysis of Connellsville coke by Prof. Wuth. Coke Analysis by Prof. Wm. Gesner. Etna. Moisture 0.67 Ash 16.18 Sulphur 84 Fixed Carbon 82.31 Newcastle Washed Coal. Moisture 0.28 Ash 1413 Sulphur 16 Fixed Carbon 85.43 Connellsville Coke by Dr. Wuth. Moisture 0.42 Ash 12.87 Sulphur 27 Fixed Carbon 86.41 It will be seen by comparison, that the Newcastle coke con- tains a larger per cent, of fixed carbon and less ash and sul- phur than the Etna coke, and nearly as large a per centage of fixed carbon, Avith a smaller per centage of sulphur than the Connellsville coke. Taking Etna coke as representing the best production of Tennessee, and Connellsville as the stand- ard of Pennsylvania cokes, we find the Newcastle coke supe- rior to the average of those named. We take special pleasure in furnishing the following reports of practical test, that the distant reader may, by comparison with coals of which he is familiar, appreciate the excellent qualities of Alabama coals. The general adaptability of Black Creek coal only indicates the general character of a number of the principal coals on the line of, and adjacent to, the S. & N. E. E. 177 Hardly more than 2^ feet coal do we find in the Black Creek mine, which seems to be the approximate size of the veins yielding the best coals. The great future demand will doubtless be for coking coal, hence an increased cost over working larger veins. When a summer, as well as winter's business, can be relied on, the output can be increased to such dimensions that a manufactory price of six cents par bushel may be established. This will give us cheaper fuel than England makes iron with, considering quality of fuel. You will doubtless get from Mr. James Thomas the result of Black Creek coal and coke in the production of metal. We learn, however, that the quality is unobjectionable. For the value of this coal for gas making, for smith uses, and for steam purposes, append the following reports. As a house- hold fuel it is unnecessary to furnish any, as its character is well known in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Test made at Louisville, Ky., by Thatcher Perkins, Master Mechanic. lbs. water evaporated with 1 lb. coal. per ct. ash. Black Creek 1 8.01 I 10.03 Pittsburgh ....... I 7.44 1 13.00 Mr. Albert Fink, Vice President and General Superintend- ent, says, in reference to the test, in speaking of Black Creek coal : " This shows that the coal is superior to any that we have tried, both in heating power and small quantity of ash." Thomas Jeffers, M. M., recently at Birmingham, says : " Having tested your Black Creek coal in various ways, take pleasure in pronouncing it the best coal for general use, I have ever used, and find it free from slate and dirt, with no clinker.' Anthony Boss, M. M., Memphis, reports: "I have tested the Black Creek coal on both passenger and freight engines, and find the same of excellent quality for steaming purposes, burning a clear fire and leaving very little cinder, if any." James B. Brown, M. M., Vicksburg, says : " I have thorough- ly tested the Black Creek coal and find it equal to any I have ever used for blacksmith purposes." James McKay, Captain Steamer Valley City, writing from Pensacola, Fla., says : "You are at perfect liberty to use my name in any way to recommend the coal for steaming pur- poses." Tests of difterent coal, made by chief engineer Nashville water works, with the following results : 12 178 Name of Coal. Bushels coal used pr hour. Galls, pump- ed pex bushl. Per cent. Hecla Coal — would not keep up steam . . . Fleming Coal .' is 12-i'4 18i 19 25-26 7,4831 8,7931 7,57ui ic Eureka Coal Sewanee Coal 21 1 19 St. Bernard C'l — would not keep up steam Black Creek Coal.' 15 23-3! 9,9953 15 Test was also made, by order of Secretary of Navy, at Pen- sacola Navy Yard, in which Black Creek coal was found to be superior to Cumberland, both in heating power and small quantity of ash, as appears from the following test : Navy Yapd, Pensacola, Fla., ] February 5, 1876. [ Sir — In obedience to your order of the 14th January, 1876, we have tested the sample of Black Creek coal and report : The only means of ascertaining the steaming qualities of the coal, at our disposal, were a comparative trial with some known coal performing the same work. For this purpose the George's Creek, Cumberland coal,^ heretofore used in the machine shop boiler of steam engineer- iug department, was selected, and a trial of each made in that boiler for one week, with the followiug results : Total numbej" of pounds of Black Creek coal used in six days' steaming 6,543 Average number of pounds used per hour 45.3 Total number of pounds of ashes and sweepings from flues 360 Total number of pounds of George's Creek coal used in six days' steaming 7,086 Average number of pounds used per hour '^0.2 Total number of pounds of ashes and sweepings from flues 650 The accumulation of soot in the tubes of the boiler, (while ■using the Black Creek coal,) was very slight, not exceeding that from good anthracite coal for the same period, and witli no apparent injury to the metal of the boiler. In order to test the availability of the Black Creek coal for smithing purposes, a sufficient amount was distributed amongst the blacksmiths working in the navy yard, and they have all reported its smithing qualities excellent. Several large welds were witnessed by members of the board. This coal appears to contain but little sulphur, and the board is of opinion that its steaming qualities are excellent. 179 particularly when considered in reference to the small amount of ashes remaining after its consumption. Eespectfully submitted, J. F. McGlensey, Commander U. S. N. L. J. Allen, Chief Engineer, U. S. N. C. A. HigCtINS, Foreman Ste'm Eng. Dep't. James McDonald, Foreman C. & R. Dep't. John Cosgriff, ' Blacksmith C. & R. Dep't. George H. Wells, Esq., superintendent Nashville Gas Works, writes, " that a 15 candle gas, with a 4.80 foot yield, can be easily produced. The principal feature in this coal, is the excellent quality of coke it produces, being equal to an}- I have ever used. The amount of sulphur and clinker is very small. In fact the clinker is so small that, if I were using it constantly, there would be no necessity of cleaning the fur- naces more than once in 48 hours, wjiereas we are obliged to do this work every 12 hours, (using Pittsburg coal). Yours truly, THOS. SHARP. letter from t. h. aldbich & co. Mines, Montevallo, Ala., August 24, 1876. John T. Milnei\ Esq., Neiu Castle, Ala. : Dear Sir — Your letter asking for information in regard to various matters connected with our mine is received. We are pleased to respond. -»• * * -» -K- •>!• * Our present production is ninety tons per day, but our ca- pacity is about two hundred tons per day. We work all sum- mer and stock, as our coal stands exposure excellently. Our shipments last year were about sixteen thousand tons. We expect to ship about twenty-two thousand this year. About seventy-five per cent, of our coal is burned for domes- tic use. The balance for steam. The tests and experiments made by the Alabama Central Railroad Company and the Selma, Rome & Daiton Railroad, has led to their adoption of it for their locomotives. We append below certificates of tests made under the di- rection of the Secretary of the Navy, at Pensacola, Fla., and elsewhere. 180 " COPY." Navy Yard, Pensacola, Fla., \ December 20, 1873. j Commodore 31. B. Woolsey, U. S. A., Commandant: Sir — In obedience to your order of December 15, 1873, we have tested the coal referred to, and find it to be clean and free burning, making steam rapidly, with no clinker and very few ashes, and believe it compares favorably with the Cum- berland, now used in department of steam engineering. Very respectfully, A. A. Semmes, Captain, U. S. N. Wm. J. Landin. Chief Eng'r, U. S. N. Wm. H. Yarney, As'tN. Con., U.S.N. " COPY." XJ. S. S. POWHATTAN, SeCOND EaTE, [ Key West, Fla., April 16, '74. j Capt. J, G. Beaxmonf, Commanding: Sir — The following is the result of two days' trial in the steam launch of the bituminous coal received at Pensacola from the Montevallo, Ala., mines: Coal used in pounds . 863 Water " " " 7,996.8 Water evaporated per pound of coal 9.2G The coal burns freely, caking slightly and making no clink- er, and apparently but small per centage of ash. It was im- possible to ascertain the amouat of ashes, as the greater portion was discharged through the smokepipe by the exhaust of the engine. With a boiler suited to burn bituminous, and natural draught, the result would be more favorable. The coal was found to be poor for blacksmithing purposes. W. W. DUNGAN, Chief Eng'r, U. S. N. We will simply add that our coal is classed as a non-coking, free burning and very dry coal, very similar to the block coal of Indiana. Yours, respectfully, T. H. ALDEICH & CO. I will also refer here to the results of borings made some years since in several parts of this coal field, that may be useful hereafter in studying and identifying the strata. (See 181 Geological Keport for 187G, pages 66 to 74, for this informa- tion.) Tliese borings seem to have been made with reference to no well defined object, as they are incomprehensible and ex- plain nothing away from the spots where they were made. Large operations are carried on at Warrior Station, the largest in the State. I know nothing of the analysis and character of coal, except that it answers well for steam purposes. A shaft is now being sunk at Morris' Station by Messrs. Holt, Aldrich & Morris, young men of the right stamp, who know what they are at. They are expecting to reach the Black Creek vein, now worked by the New Castle company. If this is true, this valuable vein covers a large area of coun- try here. Notwithstanding the many theories and examinations made of this field, we know now, literally, nothing of its economic value. We only know that there is coal enough now in sight to answer all the probable wants of this generation. It is my opinion that the workable beds along'the line of this road, crop out north in the little valley at Phelan Station and can be found by going southwestwardly some twenty miles and tracing them up. The reason for this is found in the fact that only the bottom coal measures are found north of this place, and I know, going southwestwardly along the little val- ley from Phelan, the upper series of strata are seen in high mountains on the left, and still farther down coal is found in these mountains. The market for coal, for domestic and steam purposes, is increasing slowly in Alabama, owing entirely to the distracted and impoverished condition of the people in this and the sur- rounding States. Tennessee and Georgia are recovering slowly, and furnish Better markets now than Alabama, Mis- sissippi and Florida. The coal mined and shipped over the South & North Alabama Kailroad for the year ending July 1, 1876, including that mined at Montevallo, was 97,000 tons, The annual increase now amounts to nearly 33^ per centum, and though several experimenting companies have failed, either for want of capital or some other cause, the business of coal mining on the line of this great thoroughfare is in a growing and healthy condition. Their success is due mainly 182 to the great effort now being made by the raih'oad manage- ment to forward and develop this business. As yet but Uttle has been done towards securing a market for onr coals in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests have been made by the government at Peusacola Navy Yard, and by merchant steamers at Mo- bile, Pensacola, Havana and Key West, with the most flatter- ing and satisfactory results, as seen from Col. Sharp's letter. The coal operators in Alabama are too poor to embark, as yet, in the trade of the West Indies and the Gulf. The entire capital of all the operators here has been made within the last five years from the local business done here, and is too small to engage in business requiring outside capital. The railroads have exhibited a commendable zeal in the ex- periments heretofore made. About 5,000 tons of our coal have been consumed in the Gulf in experiments and trials within the last five years. But we are at a point now where capital is required to prosecute this business to a successful termination. D. H. Cram, Esq., formerly president of the Louisville & Pensacola Eailroad Company, has collected a vast amount of information and published a valuable report on this subject. The Mobile Board of Trade, the only intel- ligently progressive organization in the State, has also taken hold of this subject. They say in their last annual report : " The opening of direct trade with the tropical and semi- tropical countries, which are so immediately connected with us, would invite a large portion of those immense imports which amounted last year, in total — From Brazil $38,558,028 " Central American States 1,981,322 Danish West Indies 465,258 French West Indies or French Guinea 33,977,524 " British West Indies 3,802,30 L " British Guinea ? 3,214,273 " Hayti..' 1,741,497 " Mexico 16,430,225 " Dutch West Indies 1,192,313 " San Domingo ... . . 518,92.^ - Cuba 77,469,826 " Porto Rico 7,985,831 " United States of Columbia. 6,410,964 '' Uraguay 3,571,376 «' Venezuela 5,548,526 $202,888,192 183 "At least $134,000,000 of these imports were consumed in the Mississippi Valley, but, notwithstanding, we find entering by the Gulf ports, from — Mobile, imports $1 ,097,164 N. Orleans " 19,933,344 Texas " . : 2,426,626 $23,457,134 "At least $10,000,000 of all the imports from the countries above named, must have been consumed by the people of Alabama, Mississippi and West Tennessee, whose trade nat- urally belongs to Mobile ; and yet we find Mobile introducing not one-tenth of the supplies demahded and needed in her immediate tributary country. "Such is the value of the products furnished the United States by our Southern neighbors. "The value of the articles exported by the United States in return for such vast wealth, reaches an enormous amount. They consist chiefly of those agricultural products which now concentrate so largely at St. Louis, the most important of which is wheat Hour. ! TOTAL VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS. "To Brazil $ 7,093,187 Central American States 1,279,329 Danish West Indies 1,156,126 French West Indies 1,134,795 British West Indies 7,480,284 British Guinea 1,638,115 Hayti 4,106,i24 Mexico 4,084,816 Dutch West Indies 954,852 San Domingo 748,122 Cuba 15,231,039 Porto Rico 1,995,511 United States of Columbia 5,317,001 Uraguay ' ,836,4-^1 Venezuela 2,848,599 Other South American Ports 76,202 $57,980,523 "For more convenient reference these facts are recapitulated thus : 184 IMPORTS FROM SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO AND THE WEST INDIES. Value. Imports of coffee, 264,510,462 lbs $29,800,327 of fruits, &c 1,215,262 " of sugars and molasses 92,618,004 of tobacco 9,763,312 $143,396,905 Imports of all other products 59,491,287 Total imports $202,888,192 Exports to same Counties, Value. Exports of flour, 1,279,643 lbs. $10,722,435 Exports of bacon and hams, 10,220,878 lbs 1,107,397 $11,829,832 Other exports 46,150,691 Total exports $57,980,523 " The balance of trade, which is thus largely against us, can only be turned in our favor by shipping flour and coal to our southern neighbors, through the Gulf ports, instead of per- mitting Great Britain to pay our debts in that direction, and gather the fruits of commissions and profits." Mr. Cram says, in regard to coal and fruit shipped to and from Cuba : " Coal. — The imports of coal into Cuba during 1S71 were 315,000 tons. Of these, only 16,932 tons, or less than six per cent., American — the remainder being English. But this state of affairs has been wholly changed. English coals now cost 28 s. to 30 s., and freights range from 17 s. to 18 s. per ton, making the coal cost about $15 alongside in Cuba. There is no probability of English coals regaining their supremacy, even under a decline at home, for the reason that heretofore, while the bulk of the Cuba sugar crop went to Europe, ves- sels chartering for the round trip would carry out coals very cheaply, as it freed them from tonnage dues, and they relied for their profit upon a return cargo of sugar, at 50 s. to 60 s. or more per ton. Last year, however, the United States took 68 per cent, of the sugar crop, and this year will probably take more, so that a vessel out from England with coals can not meet a full cargo of paying freight, if indeed she can se- cure finy at all. In most cases such vessels will be compelled 185 to go in ballast to some cotton port to load. They must, therefore, have a payiiu/ frcic/ht for coals. " The recent completion of the South and North Alabama Railroad insures the development of the Alabama coal fields, to a degree commensurate with their great extent and rich- ness, and permits the shipment to Cuba of coals at figures which ($2 at mines ; $6 at Pensacola ; $0.50, or $8.34 gold, at Ha- vana,) will yield a profit of $3.66 per ton, gold, as compared toifh present prices of American coed. " It forms DO part of our present purpose to deal with the coal question, further than to demonstrate that a profitable margin exists for the small quantity that we propose to carry. " There are no coal mines as close to Cuba as those of Ala- bama. There are no mines in the world that produce better bituminous steam coals, and no shorter line can ever be had than the one we seek to establish. With a coal famine at one end, an inexhaustible supply of the exact coal needed at the other, and the shortest transit line between the two, a propo- sition to supply not even one hundredth of the quantity noW consumed needs no argument as to the successful result. "Fruit. — The shortness of the route /'or cdl the leading mar- kets of the North and West, and the easy means of trans-ship- ment at Pensacola, directly from the ship into cars, will give the new line unrivalled advantages for the transportation of fruit. The fruit imports into the United States during 1871 amounted to $9,602,030, of which about 72 per cent, was en- tered at New York. One-third of these importations was sold in the interior, at points as easily accessible from Pensacola as from New York, and it must be apparent that if two car- goes starting simultaneously from the West Indies, one for Kew York and the other for Pensacola, the latter will have arrived, been distributed, and eaten up, before the former reaches its destination. A serious drawback to this trade hitherto, enhancing the cost of tropical fruit and diminishing its consumption, has been the waste and losses which are un- avoidable so long as shipments continue to be made through indirect and unnatural channels. "Coal. — The derangement of all Mexican customs, statis- tics, and the absence of any, at all other points, with the ex- ception of Cuba, and Jamaica, have prevented ascertaining the quantity of coal consumed in the Gulf. The records of Cuba, however, show that during the year 1872, the four cities, Havana, Mataiizas, Cardenas, and Cienfugos, used 315,000 tons. Very little of this coal came from the United States, and nearly all of it from England, where it was not only cheap, but was brought out at a nominal rate, in vessels coming for sugar, which would otherwise have come in ballast. Since three-fourths of the whole sugar crop now comes to the 186 United States, English coal can no longer be freighted out to Cuba cheaply. This price, and the rising price of coal at home, forbids the possibility of its much longer competing with American coal. Directly on our line, in Alabama, are some of the most extensive, and valuable coal fields in the country, all yielding the exact quality needed in Cuba ; and as they are the nearest coal mines to Cuba, and as our line forms the shortest route that can ever be established, and has the most complete dock facilities in the Gulf, for handling coal, it seems certain, that at no distant day, this business, amounting to 125 loaded cars per day, will pass over our line." Here is a basis for coal operations, in this direction, and I trust our great railway lines will take hold of this proposition, and divert a large portion of this trade through Alabama. The annual imports, from the island of Cuba alone, to the United States, as can be seen from the above tables, amount to $7/, 469,825, and the exports to only $15,231,039. There is a balance of trade against us, that must be filled up in some way. Alabama can only send coal, iron, and lumber. At Pensacola, and Mobile, she has the only seaports on the Gulf, where the exportation can take place. The towage, and extra port charges at New Orleans, amount to from one to two dollars per ton, and keep the Pittsburg coal out of the West Indies. Philadelphia and Baltimore supply, now, all the American coals going to the West Indies. Great Britain supplies the great bulk, amounting to 9± per cent, of the whole, according to Mr. Cram, notwithstanding she always has a balance of trade against Cuba. We pay Cuba gold for our balances, and she pays gold to England for coal, iron and general merchandise. We are furnishing timber, but that counts money very slow. We can furnish the coal, as the shii> ments already made, shoiv. We will see, now, about the iron, and probably we can beat England, here ; and we can. We will now return to Birmingham, and end, heie, our reference to the minerals of Alabama. Birmingham is situ- ated on an antichnal, called Jones' Yalley; extending, here, over one hundred miles in length — it is, usually, from three to five miles wide. The limestone appears on the surface of this valley. The upheaval that brought these limestones to the surface, along this narrow line of one hvmdred miles, sep- arated the coal strata that once covered this valley over ; and 187 the Warrior, and Cahaba coal fields are now found propped up, at tlieir edges, against the east and west bounding sand- stones of this valley. This upheaval also brought to the sur- face, here, the Eed mountain, throughout its whole length containing the largest, and most valuable deposits of iron ore in the world. This ore is red fossiliferous, stratified, and easily mined. Twenty-two miles south, and lying on the Ala- bama & Chattanooga Rail Boad, are found extensive and val- uable deposits of Brown Hematite ore. Ten miles north, on the S. & N. R. R., is found an extensive deposit of black band iron ore. There has been so much written about this section of Alabama, that I will say but little, and will take the reader immediately into the region of results, and let them speak for themselves. The hypothetical era in iron making has passed by in Alabama, now. Mr. James Thomas, Super- intendent of the Eureka Iron Company, has kindly furnished me a statement of the workings of his furnace, at Oxmoor, for the three weeks ending, April 15, 1876. Iron masters will understand the various terms, and may rely on their being absolutely correct, and from the books of the company. Mr. Thomas has also furnished me with an analysis, made by Mr. A. W. KinzJe, a gentleman of life-time experience in iron making, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The coking opera- tions of the Eureka company are based entirely on his analy- ses, and I indorse them as correct, from my knowledge of the man, and the circumstances attending his examinations. The Eureka furnace was in blast only seven weeks at first, having burnt out the hearth made of fire-bricks. They are running again, now, with native sandstone as a hearth, and doing well. This is the first efi'ort at making coke iron in Alabama. OxMOOE, Ala., July 30, 1876. Mr. John T. Milner : Dear Sir— Permit me to submit the following in answer to your questions : Yield of Furnace No. 2, of the Eureka Company, for the three weeks ending April IHth. Amount of iron made 606 tons. " " coke to the ton of iron. . . 1 ton 5 cwt. 3 qr. " " limestone to the ton of iron, 9 cwt. 3 qr. Yield of ore 57 per cent. 188 The quality of the iron was fair foundry and mill, slightly cold short. The ore is now costing us $1 00 per ton, deliv- ered at the furnace. The coke is now costing $3 00 per ton delivered at the fur- nace. The limestone 85 cents. The ore we are using is Eed Hematite, and is gotten from the Eed Mountain, less than three miles from the furnace. The following is an analysis of it : Proxide of iron. ... 77 . 07 per ct. Metallic iron 53.95 per ct Oxide of Manganese .... Strong trace. Silica 13.19 Alumina 3 . 35 Carbonate of Lime 1 . 50 Combined Water . . 2 . 75 Organic Matter Trace. Phosphoric Acid. . .51 Phosphorus 22-100 per cent. The larger per centage got in the furnace is owing to the ore being more carefully selected than for the chemist. It will be no exaggeration to say that the amount of ore in the mountain is inexhaustible. The limestone is contiguous to the ore, underlying it. The following is its analysis : Carbonate of Lime 92 . 620 per cent. Carbonate of Magnesia 2 . 310 Silica 2 740 Alumina and Oxide of Iron . 550 Combined Water and Organic Mat'r. 1 . 000 Sulphur 100 Phosphoric Acid 016 We have used coal from the Cahaba and Warrior Basins. The area of the two basins is 5,250 square miles. The fol- lowing is the analysis of some veins : 189 COALS. Examiliation of samples of certain Coals as below, as to sorfle of theii' pl'opef" ties, November 30, 1875. DescriptioQ of Coal, or name. Locality of Mine. o < si, -w ■^ i, 1 O 72U o a^8 "Wads worth Mine . . Cahaba Fields.. 3460 4.87 60.53 65.40 .68 6,20 Helena Mine do. do. . . 3-1.37 6,05 59.58 ' 65.63 .66 5.50 Shortridge Vein . , . do. do. . . 37.50 4.12 58.38 i 62.50 .55 6.49 Black Shale Vein. . . do. do. . . 32.26 10.45 57.29 1 67.74 .85 6.04 Buck Vein do. do. . 35.80 11.01 53.19 64.20 .82 6 16 Black Creek Mine . . Warrior do.. . 31.25 5.63 63.12 68.75 .89 5.93 Gould's Mine Cahaba do. . . 31.00 7.29 61.71 69.00 .82 6:34 KEMARKS ( 3N TH E ABC )VE- QUALII T OF COKE. From the Wadsworth Mine, very excellent. From the Helena Mine, very excellent. From the Shortridge Vein, very good. i'rom the Black Shale Vein, good but considerable ash, From the Buck Vein, very poor coking qualities. From the Black Creek Mine, very excellent. From the Goulds Mine, veiy good. The workable veins are numerous, ranging from two to ten feet in thickness. I know of veins of ten feet in thickness in both basins. There are veins of excellent Black Band ore in the Warrior Basin. The vein from \vhich the ore was taken for the following analysis is sixteen inches in thickness, and on the lands of the New Castle Coal and Iron Company : Proto-Carb. of Iron . . 75 . 75 per ct., Met. Iron 36.38 per ct. Oxide of Manganese Trace. Silica 5 . 33 Alumina 5 . 50 Carbonate of Lime . . 5 . 05 Carb. of Magnesia Trace. Carbonaceous Mattel*. 5 . 10 Combined Water ... . 2.26 Phosphoric Acid 63 — Phosphorus 27-100 per ct. Sulphur Trace. When Calcined. Volatile Matter 32 . 93 per cent. Non-Volatile Matter. 67 . 07 Metallic Iron in Calcined Ore ... 55 . 28 Twenty miles southwest of this place are the largest depos- its of Brown Hematite Ore known in the United States. The following is the analysis of the ore taken from one of the de- posits : 190 Proxide of Iron . . . .76. 86 per ct.jMetal'c Iron 53.80 per cL Oxide of Manganese Trace. Silica 3.55 Alumina 2 . 95 Carbonate of Lime. 5.50 Phosphoric Acid. . . ,35 — Phosphorous 15-100 per ct. Combined Water. . .10.25 It can be mixed and put oa cars for $1 .00 per ton. There is no place known in the United States where iron can be made so cheaply as in this locality. Yours truly, (Signed,) JAMES THOMAS. I am not capable of commenting on these figures and state- ments, but will add a few words.on the subject of iron making here. The Red Mountain ore extends here over one hundred miles on each side of Jones' Yalley, and furnishes one hun-- dred furnace sites with ores and facilities similar and equal to those at Oxmoor, and what this company is now doing can be duplicated one hundred times in Jones* Valley alone. This furnace is now running, after repairing the hearth with sandstone, found here in great quantities and easily obtained. A few days ago, I went down to the furnrce. I found the yield over thirty tons of, as I was told, a good grade and quality of iron. At any rate, it was shipped off as fast as it got cold enough to handle. I noticed this iron was being shipped to Louisville and Cincinnati, and the President in- formed me that he had orders for thousands of tons more than they could make. I don't know what they get for their iron, nor do I know the rates of freight they pay, but it is strange to see a coke furnace starting at this depressed period in iron making and shipping their product to a country sur- rounded with iron furnaces standing noiu idle. But such is the fact. This iron is being made here now at a cost of less than ten dollars per ton for labor and materials. In looking around, I find this progressive and well managed company al- ready building a new and larger furnace, 16 feet bosh, within a few feet of the furnace now running. These people must have confidence in their ability for making money here or they would not be laying now the foundations of a new and larger furnace, ^vlien the iron world is so depressed every- where else. The superior facilities of this region for the 191 liiannfacture of iron have been well understood by tlie most intelligent and best informed men on this subject, in Europe and America. I will give only the statements of Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, of New Yoi'k, the leading iron man in America, and of Mr. J. Lowthian Bell, the leading authority on iron making in Europe. The statements of these two gentlemen clearly foreshadow what Mr. Thomas has fully demonstrated, that here at Birmingham we have reached the bottom cost of iron making in the ivorld. Mr. Hewitt says : " The region of Alabama to which our attention has been called to-night, is, unquestionably, the most interesting region in the United States, with reference to the interests of iron manufacture in this country. It is, in fact, the only place upon the American continent where it is possible to make iron in competition with the cheap iron of England, measured not by the wages paid, but by the number of days labor which enter into its production. The cheapest place until noAV on the globe for manufacturing iron is the Cleveland re- gion in Yorkshire, England. The iron produced from a fos- siliferous ore, containing phosphorus, making it cold short, coats them about 32 English shillings on the average per ton, which represents about ten days labor. ' The distance of the coal and the ore from the furnaces averages them about ticen-' ty miles. Now, in Alabama, the coal and the ore, in many places, are within a half mile of each other. The sandstone formation thins out towards the south, and in Tennessee and Alabama appears to be replaced bj' this bed of fossiliferous iron ore, Avhich commences in New York with a thickness rarely ex- ceeding two feet, but steadily thickens towards the south, averaging four feet in Pennsylvania, seven or eight feet in Tennessee, while in Alabama, probably because the forma- tion was crushed back upon itself in some way, there are places where the iron has been measured one hundred and fif- ty fe^'t in thickness. The manufacture of iron is carried on, as yet, in rather a crude way in Alabama, but the cost of the iron is only about ten days labor to the ton, or not far from the labor cost in Cleveland. Throwing aside, then, all questions of tariff for protection, here is a possibility upon the American continent of producing iron, at as low a cost in labor as in the most fa- vored regions of the world, and allowing for the expense of transportation to compete with them, paying a higher average rate of wages than is paid in Great Britain. The consumption of iron is increasing at a rate so wonder- fully rapid that, in ten years, it will be impossible for Great 192 Britain to supply the demand. There is no other country in the world which can make iron as cheaply as Great Britain^ In fifty years, then, the United States must be the source from which the iron of the world will be derived. Instead of importing a million of tons per annum, as we do now, in fifty or a hundred years we shall export five or ten millions per annum. This region, so exhaustless in supplies, so admira- bly furnished with coal, so conveniently communicating with the Gulf, will be of infinitely more consequence to us for its iron than it ever has for its cotton. There is the foundation for an industry, and a prosperity, which no curse of slavery, nor rebellion, nor interference with commercial laws can ever overturn. / think tins will he a reyion of coke made iron on a scale grander than has ever been witnessed on the habitable globe. The ijresent froditction in the Cleveland region, lohere in 1833 there was not a furnace^ is note tivo million of tons ; and very soon it will be four millions. The production here ivill far ex- ceed that." The last words in the above extract are italicized. They are now written with ink only. In a shorter period than that given, these prophetic words will have become a part of the history of Alabama. On account of the increased production of iron in America, and the consequent falhng off in the exportation from Great Britain to the United States, Mr. Bell was sent out as the head of a commission by the iron producers of Europe to ex- amine into the probable capabilities of America in this direc- tion. After visiting and examining minutely, and in detail, all the iron-making localities of America, he returned to Eu- rope, and made his report to the association of iron pro- ducers of Europe. Mr. Bell, after reviewing the whole situ- ation, and satisfying himself that England has nothing to fear from the competition of iron-makers in the Northern States, says : " So far, I am taking no account of the comparatively un- developed resources of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, which will, as I have already indicated, prove a match for any part of the world in the production of cheap iron. * * *" " In a political point of view, no argument can be, as I be- lieve none can be, advanced by the North against the devel- opment of the iron resources of the Southern States, and yet it is by no means impossible that some less favorably situated works in the former may suffer more by the competition, 193 which, before long, may spring up nearer home, than from any that we, in this country, are able to oifer. * * * * There seems every reason for believing that pig iron can now be laid down in the Southern States, mentioned above, (Ala- bama, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia,) at little above half the cost of that made in the North." Mr, Bell, describing some of the facilities for iron making around Birmingham, further sajs of our ores — first of our I'ed ores, us follows : "That of Alabama and Tennessee is known as the red fos- siliferous ore, and lies in regularly stratified beds among sand- stone and shale, resting on a Silurian limestone. " In one instance, I ascended a hill 390 or 400 feet high, in which the measures were lying at an angle approaching 30 degrees. The uppermost rock is sandstone, in some places only a few feet thick, and underneath it lies a seam of the fossiliferous ore from eight to thirty feet in height. I walked some distance along the crest of the hill, which is a bluff or precipice of this mineral, varying from eighteen to twenty feet." 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