Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-08-29
Correspondence Il the Boston Evening Ira. aefpr.
IFRAY; PAGE Co, VA, July /. 1888.

VISIT TO A fRGlSte PLANTATION. mar
Transcript: The date tells melt is the anniser-a
~ of the day of our National independence. but
have hnrdy heard il mentioned in this little town
au.ong the blue hills. The bells, guns, and din
# Boston celebration ringing i'll the earo 81
your readers and |, meanwhile, Will steal Ia my
room and chat once more with them from, and
dboW the "Old Dominion" before bidding il a
final udieu After leaving New Market, trorn
which last dnted( cur party were soon alternate
ly wrapped in thought, or enthusiastic with al
miration, as the successive beauties OF the Shrn-
and,ah valley burst upon rYiew. Tho diver
siiicd grandeur of The mountain range GA either
SIDE whose tops seemed 10 support the iloatng
clouds, the lovely landscape with all lis wheat
fields, 'rippncd for the store the easy motion
of the carriage rs it rolled smoothly over the ma
eadami2ed turnpike erery surrounding seemed
to con,prc to give the heart that loves nature no
choice, but to fiji all its avenues to the brim with
enjoyment
As the sun descended the udder of the skies
il found us on the borders of the plantation whore
were anticipating the pleasure oi II short visit.
tits the noted plantation of this valley and of this
portion of, fnot the entire S,ate--noted not only
for its fine locality-its size and its fertile soil
but also noted AS having once been decided Ia the
United States Bank las partial liquidation II In
immense debt) By the former owner, Steenbergen,
the far famed capitalist bankrupt, and Spectator.
1t is now the residence of DE- A. K. Meem. 1t
contains fonr thousand aud four hundred rcres
of land, and the whole is almost n perfect level.
with but slight undulntiouS. 1t is located at the
! foot of the Massnnetin Mountain, and its broad
fields, now covered with 'lden sheaves and en-
| erald corn, were once the hunting ground OF the
| Ma,sanotin tribe of Indians. One of their bari
al places On cnrncrof the plantntion) 6lled
with bones, arrows and rude relics of thew form
ing, tells that here trayersed the foot of the red
man in pursuit of the painting deer'-here curl.
| ed the smoke of the council fire. and bazed the
cheer of the wgwam aud on this creek the Draw.
NY arm once welded The birchen canoe-that
here they had looked with delight upon these
! same scenes of loveness in natures pure dress
unaltered by the hand of art-that here they
! had lived, loved, and passed away.
The residence Is one mile from the stage road,
! and the drive to 1t Is through immense field
of luxuriant corn, skirting our pathway on either
side, much of it in tassel Git was then the 2Sth
June) The house is on an eminence at the foot
of the mountain, and oyerlooks the entire plain
below well the montans in the distance.
| From its locality it commands the m ost extend
ed and beautiful landscape view ever witnes sed.
| The eye can scan so much, it seems like a sea
! view in extent. Between the grain fields and
! the house, winds like silver thread. a stream
! bearing the very uncommon and classical name
| of "Smiths Creek" But whats in namel" its
sylvan waters add much TO the variegated beauty
| OF tllP luuuscdhe nv mouse Is nUllt or rough
! hewn limestone, in the olden style. with outer
! porches on three sides. The outside shows. in
occasi onal crcviceS, the marks of Times fingers
| the building being erected in 1911. The innrr
! portion has been visited by the modern architect
and bears the impress of wealth, taste and re
| hnement. One could not remain and mingle for
a day in the refined intellectual, hosptabe circle
assembled there without feeling that music and
her sister arts had found "a fitting home in the
| hearts and halls of '.Alount Airyn
! | wish could give the \. England readers that
| havenot had IN opportunity to personally witness
| it for themselves some idea Of the peculiar inst
tuition of the South as it appeared before me in
the three days at mount Airy" do not mean
10 60 into the right or wrong Of the subject for
older and wiser heads than mine have written
quite enough on both sides But every tourist
writes (if he writes 1t ALI of the things he eres-
and those things cannot fail to make an impress
sion either for or against the subject 10 which
they relate. Every New Englander Judging
p, from myself ha, curiosity to see something of
slavery, and will be candid enough to tell them
OF 1t as have seen it in this and some other pa
ces' Leaving 1t Tor others with different experien
ces to do the same.
| The number OF acres covered with grain on
this plantation were seven hundred and twenty
| hye-tour hundred and twenty five in corn three
hundred in wheat. The number of servants field
hands and house servants includedl we're about
hity' AS the setting sun LETT his golden tint up
on the distant mountains. the labors of the day
being over those from the harvest field came wen
ding their way to the house, the air reverberatina
with peals of laughter and snatches of Afrc
melodies, while some kept time with their feet
to the tune of their fellows. As they passed
around to thequarters one would not have Judged
they had ever seen work or had thought of care
| from the shouts of merriment that reached our
ears.
Tea being over, our host asked If sever had
heard real Ethiopian band sing in their own un-