Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-24

STEAMBOAT Curtis PECK. JAMES RIVER,
lerty miles below Richmond.
Anrll ~ L. - q ~ rlnn.- NJ \

April ~, i5i9-9 ocloce, A. M
DEAR Mrs PAIGE: Weleft Washington yos-
terdny morning for home. commencing our jour
ney by n little trip through the lower part of
Virginia But we have constantly regretted TINT
we bad not postponed our departure till Spring.
We find Winter travelling in these parts very DIS
agreeable The sun is 81 anr and bright to-day,
but tho weather quite cold, and all the stoves rc-
moved from the saloons of the beat because il
ought to be warm weather. Mr. Seoton and Mr.
William A, bradley ACC ,mpnncd US, ind Mary
Scott came n far as Richmond.
James River is II fine stream for steambonts
have never been on il before. Ii is crooked
like M other rivers which creep through meadows
ind level countries, and the nlluvia lands Oh its
bank are rich, Further down, they grow thin
ner aud poorer. Here were the nnc.ent nri~'o.
cratic families planted. from which comes the
saving. still in use, aud nov always laughed at,
"FnSt Families in Virginia" or II. +. w.
These great est des were broken up by the abb
htion Of the right of primogeniture, which took
place soon after the Revolution. The great
houses remain many Of them, but halt deserted
mud desolatc the ostntes divided and sold horse
racing and tni hunting done away with or fallen
int" vulgar hand and the ancient alinent hospi-
tahty Of Virginia known no more.
In the meantime the pervcrse practice Of to.
haCco planting has worn out and impoverished
the lands, and they nrc only now recovering uu.
der the better hushandry of wheat growing. At
the moment of writing this. the boat is pass sing
the handsome house aud large estate of Mr.. Hill
Carter. 1t wis the seat ot the ancient family of
thnt name. distinguished in Virginia The
original proprietor. IT'S said. was possessed &C
fifty thousand acres of rich land in one body. So
much has been retained that the present owner Is
independent and athnent He is good farmer,
or planter. sensible and thrifty man. u "pros.
porous gent eman." and wilhal one of the best
al, Ill
ley" Mr.. Carter has ten children, so that "Shir-
ley" one Of the last great landed properties must
ere long probably. be laid off in parcel, for sale,
for separate properties.
The law of primogenlture never prevailed full
" in the northern colonies, Yet there were some
reSemblanees of it. In some of the States, the
oldest son was entitled Ia n double portion of the
estate. The last instance | remember of this
was Mr.. Jabcz Smith. whom Mr. Paige remem.
bers, and who had d"uble share in the high and
! handsome hill tarmtwo miles from "Elma Farm,
/ and which you passed ov.c whon we drove NY to
/ The "Souih Road 10 - Nrs Worcester. alias
! pcttingae, the pleasure OF seeing sweet vii
! lam once mu,r.
No wealth. lat wealth m land, can be trans
! mitted from getor,ti . generation for any
| length of time. and that sI,rics of wealth cannot
| ho so transmitted, i, i, evident, ina country
where estates are divided equally among children
| both sons and daughters. have seen etfcc,
very obvious and prominent, resulting from the
former state of things in Virginia. and which is
still quite diScernible. 1t is an uncommon and
eager appetite for employment in the army ana
navy. Every young man provided for saves
another subdivision of the patrimonial property V.
and as young men in this region not bred IL
business 50 generally as with Us, this seems To
be one of the chief resources for maintaining the
Srnet ct old and decayine families. Virginia has
Faiways mad and has now, vastly more than he,
4 just proportion of officers in the army and navy,
and as she has had, through So great r,rt Of
the last fifty years. the Executive Government
in her hands she has taken good care OF herself
in this as well as in other respects
While writing this we pass "BprkeIry," tn,
seat of the Harrison family. Beniamiu Harrison
one of the sgners of Declaration of Iudepen
dence, lived here; and here President Harrison
was born. Henry Harrison, descendant, nov