South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1837-06-03

system embarrassed it not little.
The farmers of this country are nc
making more money directly from thei
labor than the farmers Of your countr.
their necessary current expenses ar
considerably higher. The farmer @
the Valley, am persuaded, more rea
Oily meets his necessary current ex
penses from the products of his farm
than is done here. The profit Of tn
Missouri farmer is in tie increase Of til
valete ofhis ands.
The roads of this country are natu.
rally good, for the most part, but little
or nothing having been done toimprove
them, there are not a few bad place:
which severely test the strength o.
wheel carriages.
Ofcommon schools, this region ofthe
State, in country places, is lamentably
destitute. Competent teachers ofbotl
sexes are generally found in the villa
ges. An increased number ofthis use
full class of citizens would be promptly
encouraged at ample wages.
Marion college, few miles from
Palmyra, is flourishing institution
There are now at the principal & pre-
paratory departments Of this seminary
100 students, majority Of whom are
studying with view of entering the
gospel ministry.
Here, as in all new countries, there
are dissatisfied emigrants-some have
doubtlessjudged badly in breaking up
good establishments to come here; O.
theirs have suffered in their own, or in
the health of their families, and are dis
satisfied with the climate, while not a
few, with no special objection to the
country, are, with an amiable amor
patrie, signing for the home Of their
youth. The far greater part Of the
community, however, are satisfied with
the country, and contented with their
new homes. Many persons visit this
country, and meeting with our rude
November blasts, whirl about and re-
turn without penetrating the country
ten miles from the Mississippi, and af-
forwards gravely sit in judgment upon
the whole State.
The chara cter Of the climate here is
the objection most commonly, and per-
haps most justly, urged against the
country. 1t must be conceded to be a
harsh, as it certainly is a most change
able climate. twill be found to differ
from the climate Of the Valley of Vir-
GINA more in the earlier appearance of
cold in the fall, and its longer continu-
ance in the spring, than in its positive
degree of cold during the winter. |
have kept regular calendar Of the
weather during the winter that has just
passed, and am therefore able to speak
with confidence ofthe temperature du-
ring that period. The average tenn
perature Of the month Of January, at 7
o'clock, A. NJ, was 2l0 above zero
of February, 3l-March, 36.
The winter climate of your Valley
is subject to sudden variations from
cold to heat, and from heat to cold, but
far less so, conceive, than the climate
of this country.
The most common diseases here are
bilious, remittent and intermittent fs-
vers and bowel complaints during the
summer and fall with rheumatism and
various pectoral affections during the
winter and spring. AS might be ex-
pected in climate harsh and change
able, the constitution ofvaletudinarlans
and feeble persons is severely tried
here.
The healthfulness of new countries
is usually a matter of eager enquiry by
those who seek to be well informed in
relation to them; still it is difficult, ii
not impossible, to impart correct and
specific ideas upon this subject. The
health off country is necessarily com
parative, for men sicken and die IN all
regions of the earth, and it is only by
comparison that can convey my opln-
ion of the healthfulness OF this. DO
YOU ask, then, as it as healthy as In
diana or Illinois :" | answer "Y es, a
bout the same" But do you ask, sis
it as healthy as Rockingham" | an
swer, "No, nor as any other part Of Vir-
qinia above the water and east of the
Allegheny mountains. True, many
situations NAV be selected here as heal
thy as many that might be found in that
portion of Virginia, but mean to be
understood generally.
Perhaps much Of the sickness OF this
country may properly be attributed to
the excessive imprudence of the peo-
ple-to the fact of the country being
new, many of the dwellings recently
erected are often badly calculated to
protect from the inclemency of the
weather. Yet if all these causes were
aboted it is probable that the longer