February 23, 1890.
The assistant engineer when I came here was a Sweed and though a good hearted fellow has been railroad surveying for years and is very profane. He has gone to Kentucky now and been succeeded by a Mr. F. E. Smith of N. E. Boston. Am pretty well acquainted now with Mr. Christenson, the Co.’s engineer.
Have been to church and Y.M.C.A. Went to the Baptist Church this morning. Mr. Joiner preached on “wives.” Thursday Eve. went to the DeKalb and saw Mr. Pierce a few moments. So if you want to see one who had seen “Fred,” call at the State House when you are in town.
The stockholders meeting was held thi week and elected the same management only more so. May Godfrey and D. Ford being elected in place of two Birmingham men who have lost interest in Ft. Payne since it bids fair to rival Birmingham. The city is to put in sewerage system this winter so Ft. Payne will be a healthy city.
March 2, 1890.
Monday ––Tuesday and Wednesday it rained hard. The creek rose so the fire brick works, stove works, ice factory, etc. that were located near the creek were flooded. The bridge where I cross to go to work was covered with 18 inches of water, but I waded through all right with my boots on.
March 9, 1890.
I have had work all the week mostly on general plans of the furnace. Made also drawings for slides to let coal from bins to carrier belt.
There have been some large sales of real estate the last week. One lot of 100 x 100 feet on corner of Gault Ave. and Main St. selling for $20,000.
I wish I could get a cheaper place to board for it does seem awful to pay $7.00 a week. The people here are real nice and I should hate to leave. We have all kinds of people. Mr. Johnson is the Pres. of Y.M.C.A. and has been clerk of S. S. and librarian at home. Mr. Wilson is Mr. Johnson’s partner in the furniture business and married his sister. Prof. Dean is principal of the school, is a quiet man but a very good companion. Miss Hanson or Hanscomb is a school–marm and I think I shall mash her. Then there is Mr. Brown who runs a farm to the west of Ft. Payne over the hills of 300 acres and Mr. Young the P.O. Clerk, a young man of 22, perhaps born in Cal. These all sleep on the upper floor. Downstairs Mr. and Mrs. H. Herrick of Maine have the best room. Three quarters of the men here will back Blaine every time. I shall be a Republican if I am South. I keep my mouth shut until I know my man though. Mrs. Herrick is a very pleasant woman and good society. Mr. Keith of Brocton is a real estate agent and a man of the world. Good company though. Mr. Townes, the treas. of Rolling Mill is not a well man and I have heard he is an atheist. He does not talk on religion though. Then a new comer is Mr. Franbres from Atlantic City, N.J. who will establish a Sash Door and blind factory.
March 13, 1890.
I am through with the Furnace Co. for a time but go to work soon for Coal and Iron Co., on a map of the whole city. I shall work up town so I will not have to walk much
March 15, 1890.
Fricay eve. went to Episcopal service in Y.M.C.A. rooms. The minister boards here. This morning I attended S. S. Mr. Brown, the teacher, is a Scotchman and one of the old stock. He is a Baptist though. The clerk’s report was att. 43, Col. $1.31. A good collection for att.
There is a new comer at our house. Mr. Hubbard and his wife who is interested in the basket factory. A row of 15 houses between here and the Furnace on a back street rent for $15.00 a month. So rents are away up.
April 6, 1890.
The town is going on allright it seems. They are a little afraid Mr. Rice’s action at Cardiff might hurt us and Mr. Godfrey postponed the excursion on that account in part and partly on account of six other excursions which are to come to this section of U.S. to boom other towns. Mr. Rice finally agreed to bring his whole train of 54 Pullman cars here first to stay a day and then go back to Cardiff
The Mineral road is to be built, we are to have a new stone and brick depot to cost $12,000, the finest in Alabama. The city is to put in a sewage system to cost $80,000, and all houses will have to be connected with it. I still room at N.E. House and take my meals at Mrs. Tenny’s.
April 20, 1890.
Our Y.M.C.A. Exhibition came off Wed. Eve. and was fairly successful. I had a part in it and stood up in the class twice and said my piece. We had an audience of 200 or so.
We expect the Excursion here this week. Mr. Pierce came Sat. and I met him a moment.
I had a little talk with Mr. Johnston, the assistant engineer who is from Georgia of the war and Sherman’s march. He talked without the least hard feeling but said the people through there hate Sherman like anything. At the table the other day I met a Mr. and Mrs. Tyler whom Mrs. Tenney said were from Ipswich (Mass.).
Have spent my Evenings this week mostly in Y.M.C.A. room at home. This morning went to Bapt. S. S. and then at 11:30 to Cong. Church service at the DeKalb as the Opera House was engaged by the Epis. Church. Mr. Godfrey says that we shall, if possible, have a Cong. service every week now. A Rev. Mr. Marsh of Springfield, Ohio preached. This eve. hope to go to Cong. service in the Opera House. In the city today there were services by Cong. Epis., Bapt., Pres., Northern M.E., Southern M.E. and a service in the Cave Addition besides two or three colored churches. So we are well provided with preaching.
April 27, 1890.
The last has been quite an eventful week at F. Payne. Monday afternoon three excursions from Boston arrived in town and looked the place over as much as they could in two or three hours. In the eve there was a mass meeting in the hall and we had some fine speaking. Of course everybody told how much they loved Ft. Payne and what a wonderful city it was and what wonderful possibilities it had. They all went back at 11:00 p.m. to Cardiff and for the next three days there was the greatest sale of real estate ever made in the South. Over $1,000,000 worth was sold. mayor Godfrey went up at the close and got a train full to come back here so we got our share after all. Monday, when the Ex. was here the weather was fine and F.P. never looked lovelier for the mountains and hills are just a beautiful emerald and from the opposite side are a perfect picture.
May 4, 1890.
I was talking with a Mr. Ewing, a lawyer from Virginia, of the heat here and he says it is not nearly as hot as we have at home in N.E. Mr. Hemphill, who was in Kansas before he came here, says last summer was much cooler than in Kansas.
I do not think we shall have an orthodox Church here untill fall. There is a good deal of trouble to get a hall as there are several new churches without buildings and all want the Opera House.
May 11, 1890.
I got through at the Furnace the first of the week and was out of work a little but now am back in the Co. building at work for Mr. Christenson.
The big building of the rolling mill is nearly finished and the Foster Hardware Co. is being pushed rapidly. Everything is just booming in this whole section. It is said there are 200 towns being boomed within 100 miles of Chattanooga. Some of them must die but as Ft. Payne is a year ahead of most I guess she will survive.
May 18, 1890.
I have had some new work this week, real surveying. I took a transit costing $280.00 and went up into the woods and took topography all one day. That is to find the elevations of the land so we can make a map showing how much higher the land is in one place than another.
May 24, 1890.
I have had a first rate week since I wrote last. I have been out in the field surveying three days and I liked it first rate. It was on a new cemetery south of the town a mile or so south of the Rolling Mill. It was hot and I got burned up a little.
Monday night I went to the Y.M.C.A. to the Coal and Iron Co. and had a pleasant time. We had a supper consisting of ice cream, lemonaid, cake, candy and fruit. I took Col. Mullins’ wife to supper and sat with Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey, Mr. and Mrs. Train, and Mr. and Mrs. Vernon, the editor of the Herald, so I got into pretty high society. After supper we had games and a drawing contest. Each one tried to draw a pig with his eyes shut, his own not the pig’s, and it was decided I drew the best one. I was rather glad as I am a professional.
Part Three coming soon.