shipped from Lauderdale county. There are three routes by which such products are shipped-one by the way of Brownsville, in Haywood county, which is twenty miles from Ripley, thence by the Memphis and Louisville Railroad; a second by the way of Covington, in Tipton county, which is seventeen miles from Ripley, thence by the Memphis and Paducah Railroad; the third by the way of the Mississippi River from any of the landings in the county. Immigration and Emigration. Every year some settlers move in, principally, during the past few years, from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, and but for the heavy work demanded in opening the farms, the influx would be still greater. Occasionally one is found leaving for some fabled land of the West. County Roads and Railroads. There are no improved county roads. At present there is no railroad completed through the county, but the Memphis and Paducah Railroad has been already graded from Ripley to Covington, and will doubtless be completed in a short time. There is not on the continent a more productive soil tilled by a better agricultural population than that on the Memphis and Paducah Railroad. Tables might be readily collated showing the wealth, population and annual products of each of these counties, as exhibited in the census report of 1870. But these tables, in the face of progress such as has distinguished this portion of Tennessee, would be as antedeluvian records used in illustration of the present number of the world's people. Three years have almost doubled the wealth, if not the population of some of these counties, and as the railway line advances, property values are augmented, population grows dense, and farms are multiplied. No population, in proportion to numbers, possessed greater wealth anterior to the war between the States, than those dwelling in the low lands along the eastern shore of the Mississippi. The country is unharmed by floods that overwhelm adjacent districts of Arkansas, and every incident of exuberant soil, delightful climate, variety of products, a magnificent river, and now a perfectly constructed railway, parallel with and near the river, make the extreme western counties of West Tennessee supremely blest. The people along this highway adopt no measures in promotion of immigration. The world will soon traverse this delightful district, and such farms as those now burdened with corn, wheat and cotton, and along the northern confines of Tennessee, and within those of Kentucky, with tobacco, will soon attract, when the railway line is finished, the most enterprising farmers of the continent. Towns and Villages. The following are the principal towns and villages in the county: Ripley, the county seat, is located about seven miles east of the center of the county, has about 559 inhabitants, does a good country trade, has good school and church advantages, and is altogether a very prosperous little town. Double Bridge is fifteen miles north of Ripley, has about 70 inhabitants, contains postoffice, stores, churches, Masonic hall and a mixed school. Durhamville is six miles south-east of Ripley, has about 75 inhabitants, post-office, stores, church, and a good school. Fulton is a shipping point on the Mississippi River, twenty-five miles south-west of Ripley. It has a large planing-mill, post-office, stores, church, and does a good business. Hale's Point is also a shipping point on the Mississippi River, about eighteen miles north-west of Ripley, has very few inhabitants, and does but little except a shipping business. Mills and Manufactories. There is quite a number of steam saw and grist-mills, but no regular manufactories. The average milling distance throughout the county is about three or four miles. School Statistics. The county levied for the support of schools in 1874 ten cents on the $100 worth of property, one dollar on polls and one dollar on each marriage license. For 1873 the levy was fifteen cents on the $100 and one dollar on polls. The scholastic population between six and eighteen are, white, 3,219; colored, 1,082; total, 4,301. Number white schools organized, 28; colored schools, 2; total, 30. Number of scholars enrolled-white, 1,372; colored, 172; total, 1,544. Number between eighteen and twenty-one enrolled, 48. Number of teachers employed-white male, 24; female, 11; colored male, 2; total, 37. Average per month paid teachers, $48.50. There is a great want of school-houses in the county. Churches. In every civil district of Lauderdale county there is one or more churches. The Methodist is the strongest denomination, the Baptist ranks next, and then the Presbyterians. Newspapers. The only newspaper published in the county is the Ripley News, which is published in Ripley. It is a Conservative paper, and has a good circulation. MADISON COUNTY. COUNTY SEAT-JACKSON. Madison county, in wealth, population, quantity of products and political influence, will compare favorably with any of the counties in the Western Division of the State, with the exception of Shelby, in which Memphis is located. In the number of acres assessed for taxation it stands seventh, having on the tax list, exclusive of town lots, 361,842 acres, valued at $3,863,124, or $10.67 per acre, while in the value of taxable property it stands fourth-Shelby, Gibson and Fayette ranking it. The whole value of taxable property for 1873 was $6,248,727. It has an area of about 575 square miles, and a population of nearly 23,000. In 1870 its population was 28,480, of which 10,152 were colored. Since that report was made, a fraction of the county, about twenty-five square miles has been cut off and given to the new county of Crockett. The act creating Madison county was passed on the 7th of November, 1821, and on the 17th of the following month, the organization of the county was effected by the following commissioners, who also constituted the first County Court: Adam R. Alexander, Bertholomew G. Stewart, David Jarvett, Wm. Atchison, Robert H. Dyer, John Thomas, Duncan McIvor, Joseph Lynn, James Trousdale, Herndon Harelson, Wm. Braden, Samuel Taylor and Wm. Woolfork. The first court was held on the 17th of December, and Herndon Harelson was chosen chairman, and Roderick McIvor clerk. The original settlers were Virginians and North Carolinians, and the high social virtues which distinguished them, have been preserved by their descendants. In no county can there be found more prosperity, a more generous appreciation of merit, a more cordial sympathy with intelligence, or a more self sacrificing devotion to duty. Courteous by nature, with an inherited love for the truthful, it is much more common for the citizens to give credit to the stranger for virtues that are wanting than to withhold what is his due. There is no better society to be found anywhere than in the county of Madison. Physical Geography-Soils. The country immediately around Jackson, which is near the center of the county, is gently undulating, going north or north-west to the county line, it is more level, although still undulating. The same thing is the case toward the west, but the southern and extreme eastern sections of the county are very rol ling. The prevailing color of the soil is dark chocolate, with mixture of clay and sand. In the northern and western districts the subsoil is dark yellow, while in the southern and eastern it is red. Both soil and subsoil are very porous, without being very thirsty, the subsoil generally commencing about eight inches below the surface, though it produces well to a depth of at least eighteen inches. The clay which is below the surface, forming the beds upon which the subsoil rests is from three to four feet deep; then comes a formation of what is called Orange Sand, which is in beds or strata and extends over the greater portion of the county. Sometimes, instead of this sand are found calcareous formations or indurated clay, called locally "hard pan clay." North of Jackson this clay, when found, is harder than it is in the other counties. The whole of Madison county is on the Plateau or Slope of West Tennessee, and no regular strata of the older and hard rocks are to be looked for. In the southern part of the county local masses of red ferruginous sandstone are occasionally met with. Iron ore is sometimes associated with this, but to no considerable extent. The sandstone is generally found near the surface, but is confined principally to the hills and bluffs along the banks of the Forked Deer River and of the creeks in the southern part of the county. The lands of Madison produce freely and stand droughts well. The best cotton lands rest upon the beds of Orange Sand. The general appearance of the county is good. The scenery is subdued and pleasing rather than wild and romantic. Artificial Mounds. Pinson's mounds, in the south-eastern portion of the county, near Pinson's Station, on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, are curiosities worthy of mention. Several of them are from 50 to 60 feet long, from 45 to 50 feet in height and from 50 to 75 feet in diameter, being nearly hemispherical in shape. Around these is a semi-circular enclosure made by throwing up earth, as in building fortifications. This enclosure, if completed, would form a circle not less than 600 feet in diameter. It is supposed that these mounds were ancient burying grounds, but who were the builders we know not. A little west of Jackson are several mounds very similar in appearance, but much smaller in size. Rivers and Creeks. There are other counties in West Tennessee which are better watered than Madison, but it has running through it a goodly number of streams, which supply plenty of water for ordinary purposes. The following are deserving of mention: Middle Fork of Forked Deer River enters the county in the north-eastern cor ner, from Carroll county, runs south-west, passes almost entirely through the northern part of the county and enters Gibson county about sixteen miles north-west of Jackson. South Fork of Forked Deer River enters the county from Henderson county, near the southeast corner, runs nearly west, and passes into Haywood county, fifteen miles north-west of Jackson and near the boundry line of Crockett. Little Middle Fork of Forked Deer River rises in Henderson county, passes into Madison a little south of the center of the line dividing Henderson and Madison, runs west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, four miles east of Jackson. Greer's Creek rises about eight miles north-east of Jackson, ranges south and empties into Little Middle Fork of the Forked Deer, seven miles east of Jackson. Jones' Creek rises about three and a half miles north-east of Jackson, runs south and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, one and a fourth miles south-east of Jackson. Johnson's Creek rises about one and a half miles south of Jackson, runs north-west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, six miles west of Jackson. Cub Creek rises about eight miles south-west of Jackson, runs north-west and empties into the South Fork of Forked Deer, thirteen miles northwest of Jackson. Big Black, Clover and Turkey creeks do not rise in the county, but pass through portions of it, the two first emptying into Hatchie River in Haywood county, the last named emptying into the Forked Deer, twelve miles south-east of Jackson. Dyer Creek rises two miles north of Jackson and is a tributary of Middle Fork (locally North Fork) of Forked Deer River. The larger streams in the county are lasting and afford milling facilities, though a majority of them have sluggish currents with unstable banks. The water of the county is freestone. On Turkey Creek in the south-east part of the county chalybeate springs are met with. Timber. Oaks are plentiful all over the county, and there was formerly much good poplar, but it is becoming scarce. There is also plenty of good hickory, and on the river banks there is very fair cypress. Ash, beech and the other varieties usually found in Tennessee are met with to a limited extent, with the exception of pine, which is not found in this or any of the northern counties of West Tennessee. Land and Crop Statistics. An estimate for 1873 has been made by several gentlemen, of the crops, which will be found to be approximately correct. It will be seen that the amount of products is not so |