The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-06-26
Winchester, Va.
Correspondence OF the Herald
DANNER's HorEL, WINCHESTER, Va,
49, % TCtE

Correspondence Of the HERALD
DANNER's HorEL, WINCHESTER, Va,
June q, 1916.
4 Ran into the IVheat G,o,0ing Region Of Virgnia-
The Crops-Jhe Fantax Colonists, and the Good
Results of their Noble Enample-Sccne in HW-
rest Field-E6sct Of Negro Labor Great Induce
menus for Northern men,
Came up yesterday from Washington, on little
mission OF business, into the Valleyof Virginia. The
wheat crop Of Virginia is superb, quality and guam
Itity They had commenced harvesting in good ear
nest but are now suspended by The rains Of several
dayspast The weather Is yet overcast and Watcry.
and fears are entertained that the !" wet spe may
last for several days, AID damage the crops Fairfax
county is indeed redeemed, regere-ated, and reor-
ganized. The New York Duchess County Yankees
and other Yankees from York State have, in three
or tour years, done the work. Between two and
three hundred families OF those colonists we are
told, are now settled within the county. They came,
bought up at from 90 cents toss an acre, the worn
out lands OF Fairfax, grown up with stunted pines,
blacklacks, chinquapn, and huckeberry bushes,
and at once commenced the work of renovation.
They cleared out the pines and the brushwood,
they built new fences around small fields parcels,
and set to work farming on the northern plan They
did more; they put up decent log houses-houses
which look as If built to live in, and not to stay"
IN They planted potatoes in lieu of huckeberry
bushes-oats as substitute for st,nted pines, clo-
yer IN lieu of brars and nlactjackspeas and beans
as makeshitt for chinquaplns and Corn in lieu of
admirably Adjoining lands in Fairfax have been
enhanced some ten, some twenty, and some fifty
per cent The Virglnians are beginning to open
their eyes--they are finding out tina. one Yankee for
profitable work Is worth an army OF negroes-that
a northern white man, even in our southern climate,
will do more work than three negroes, and with
such system as to make it OF ten times the value.
And not the least agreeable feature of these northern
colonsts Is their personal neatness and cleanliness.
They generally have on clean shlrt-a neckerchief
their shoes ted--their pantaloons without holes
or grease, and their mouths free from the expecto-
rahons OF tobacco JUICE They, are seldom to be
seen IN the country taverns drinking whskey, and
swapping horses; they seldom leave their farms for
the uncertain prospect of $3.50 reward for runaway
negro, if caught within the State, that the owner
ret him again. The wives and daughters of these
Yankees do the house work. make the clothes and,
as they produce both flax and wool, they find album
dance of employment for the winter when the ia
miles of the natives are of to Washington, leav-
inc $ the place" in the care of the "niggers," in
whose care everything is certain to go to ratk and
decay, excepting the kitchen fire.
The crops OF wheat in London county are actu-
ally w Tnfo.Qt on this side of the "Ridge,"
(}IN. .r ey are equally fine. In Clark coun.
~ " a hundred acre wheat field he saw
ano,o GIT 10 young Buckeye, who was among
our passengers. There were seven stout negro men
with cradles, tscythes with fingers attached, for
laying the grain straight for binding,J who. at
slow walk, swept swarlh of fifty feet as they pass
ed around the field; behind them followed a train
OF negro women and boys, near fifty strong, some
tanning WHcdl appropriate pilcS IOr DnQlnn,
others tying up the slleaves-others again carrying
the sheaves into heaps, while two three old hands
brought up the rear, by putting up these heaps Of
sheaves into shocks, in such form to stand for
months secure from the weather. In the midst of
the gang upon fine blooded mare, rode white
man, dressed in loose summer goods, and Mexi-
can sombero, or Panama hat, and with long whip
IN his hand. This was the overseer, or driver,
keeping all hands in the traces. Is that the way
you do things in this country" asked the Buckeye,
Yes, sir, and if you ever should meet with hap
pier better dressed, or hearer looking set of Arr
cans, big and little, just leu know. Still, it had
been well. II never negro had set his foot upon
the soil of Virginia, or Of North America. 1t is
his labor that has driven out of the STATE for the last
forty years, the stamina of The State her working
white men, who are compelled TO work for their
subsistence; that class that have built up the great
free States OF the sWest. Hence the rapid declen-
sion OF Virginia. But the Yankees of Fairfax are
setting example, which is to redeem the State.
There is plenty of room in Virginia for such colo
nlsts In this valley alone, there is strip OF slate
land, some seven miles in width and perhaps hun
dred in length more, in almost any part Of which,
lands may be bought, easy OF resuscitation, .and
easy Of tlliage, at from ss2 to So acre, where
the original timber remains at from SO to $40
And this valley is most beautiful agricultural re-
gion-only equaed in its scenery, by the Highlands
of the Hudson and as for society, we have the
very best, IN which stranger soon feels perfectly
home.
But we shall write you more at length on this sub
ect In day or two, on my return. For the present.
+" Au rep0r." G. 3. w.