Petals Plucked from Sunny ClimesBrooks, A. M. (Abbie M.)
History
Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes
Brooks, A. M. (Abbie M.)
Cuba -- Description and travel; Florida -- Description and travel; Florida -- History
many creditable scholars, who are now filling important stations in the
spheres allotted them. Several tall-spired churches of various
denominations have been erected in this community, where gifted heralds
of the cross proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to large, attentive
audiences, which is a good key-note to their spiritual condition. Thomas
county made an exhibit of its former wealth immediately after the war,
in a representation entirely of colored members--the white population
being so greatly in the minority they could not elect one of their own
color. But the ambition of colored politicians in this section is
visibly on the decline, most of them having such thick lips, and, like
Moses, "slow of speech," they now prefer speaking by proxy in the
legislative halls. Thomasville has no facilities for water communication
with the outside world, but, being located on the Atlantic and Gulf
Road, should therewith be content, as a few hours' ride will furnish
them an opportunity of taking a steamship for England or any part of the
world.
As we leave Thomasville going east, we pass through the wire-grass
country of South Georgia, containing towns, if not of great importance
in external appearance, contain the best of citizens with the kindest of
hearts. Quitman comes first, with its plank walks, shaded by live-oaks,
its home-like hotels, and hospitable, law-abiding people. A paper is
published here which would do credit to a place of more note. A cotton
factory is in operation; indeed, every thing in the town moves around
with the vivacity of college-students out taking their first holiday.
Valadosta is the last town of any size before Savannah. The soil looks
so sandy, the grass so wiry, the pine-trees so tall, with such mournful
music sighing through their airy forms, awakened by the slightest zephyr
that passes, which produces a kind of melancholy in our minds as to
whether we should have any thing to eat or not if we stopped. All fear
of starving can be dispelled, as the country in the vicinity produces
well, which can be proven by the immense sweet potatoes on which we are
fed, and the well-grown sugar-cane for sale, from which sirup and sugar
are made. A very newsy weekly is published in Valadosta, the editor
being the author of the Okafinokee Swamp Expedition, which trip has
furnished him with material to fill out many an interesting column in
his inimitable paper. On public days such a crowd comes to town, the
mystery is, Where do they all stay? In pleasant homes scattered through
the country, where happy hearts beat with much less struggling than
those in higher life, boasting greater attainments.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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