Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-11-08
LETrn.. Fmom VIRGINIA.
Speeisi Correspondence NJ Tie Jourai and esman.
CApEvILLE, NORTHAMPTON Co, VA,
October 27, 1867

Specist Correspondence NJ he Jourali and a esman.
CApEvILLE, NORTHAMPTON Co, Va |
October 27, 1867. |
DEAR JouRNAL.--I have been so busy re- |
constructing the machinery of the mills
under my charge, for the last month or SIX
weeks, that / have not had time TO think
much less write about local matters; but now
being pretty well through, and the mills rum
ming again, ] resume my pen 10 give you the
current events OF the day here;-and first we
have very fine crop OF corn this fall, also
an extra fine crop of fall Irish potatoes, and
it no frost cuts the vines for week or two
longer, it will be very heavy crop; we
have none here yet worth speaking OF.
! The tnmutto vines are in full bearing, and
show no marks OF frost on them; our cucum-
bcf vines only stopped bearing on Thurs
dny last, and it was owing more 10 cold
north east wind for three or four days, than
to frost. The people here don't look for
! irOsl generally until about the 18th at No
vember. Cotton picking is now generally in
full vogue; the cotton crop on nn average ia
better than last year. The Fall or late sweet
| potatoes are abundant, and judge they are
very plenty in the cities, as the boats will
only pay now 37t cents per bushel for them
to the farmers, and thousands of bushels are
going to market at that low figure. There
has been go1aa .cai IL, o. cniis ana fever IN
" NNAuN9 hht9 lhlii bul Mt lllNG NullC vi
very well, with only slight visitation
Tie people here attribute the sickness to the
great quantity OF ram last summer, hut
thnN about half of it is chargeahle TO their
own filthy habits. They never whitewash
or clean up of q spring, any more than II
such thing rs lime could not be had Ask
them why they don't clean up their houses
and yards, and they iell you that before the
war they all did so, but now they can't do
II, not beng able. This is not so, Tor you
can see plenty of houses twenty-five or thirty
Years old, that never was white-washed since
Dult. Ii Is sheer laziuess, and nothing else.
lhey would-rather die than work any more
: than will barely suffice TO get them a living.
i lneey have a good soil, a fine climate, anu
with very little work can raise corn and
potatoes enough to buy all they want, and
catch all the fish TO last them year, at a
.lmc. in the bay; so that they are really
c uoAng away an easy, lazy life, not improv
u ing the time, but letting the time take care
), OF llselt waiting for something to turn vi
n That will enable them TO live without worl
. OF any kind; but ask them why they don
II sell halt of Their land and improve the Othe
e halt with the proceeds, and they think yot
l. are trying to insult them; they will tell yoi
!, thelr lather and grandfather owned this lant
~ ana made living on il, and il is q hard cas-
/. u they can't do it also. That is about al
Di The reason they assign, but when they hav
+ TO pny taxes on their useless, idle acres, the
N VIII then sell ut far prices; and If the Della
n ware Railroad is extended down the PENN
q sula, as ii ought to be, then here is the plac
:; lor Northern men to come to, and not q
81 West. We will then have choice of Bal
Us llmore, Philadelphia, New York and Bosto
IT, markets, ana the soil and climate is sue
~ that any fruit or vegetable can be raise
here, early or late, in abundance. Colds
-, coughs and consumption, as understood /
hi the Nortb orr mt Al ~
~ -. ten months we have little or no sickness
y all, our September and October chills an
~ fever, as l said, are brought on by lazines
y, and exposure, for almost every one is oil
=" night and day fishing.
,s 80 The election went about four hundre
"a majority for the blacks, as hut two whit
H. ~, men voted with them us far as can hea
MI and it is necessary TO explain this matter,
~ there are twenty or so Northern republican
~ here; some from Cleaveland, Ohio, SON
80 from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, an
NO when the war was going on, Sergeai
~ named Toy, of one of the New York reg
w ments, got discharged here and went
work at once and started a small grogger,
me at place called Bridgetown, something iii
,ni Taylor's Bridge, in your County. He bougl
he all the stolen goods the blacks would brl1
nd him, and he dealt with them altogethert
M all the negroes in the County believe in To
mo Last fall one OF his neighbors killed his hoj
er and left them out on the gallows to COO
nj until eight or nine O'Clock in the evenin
nv when he went to take them in one WI
missing; he got d light and saw tracks lea
ve ing IL Rridgewaier, got Constable AZ
~ went and searohet; Toys house, and four
INT his hog in Toys cellar. Tic had him arres
ed and. tried this Spring at Court, but on
technical flaw in the indictment he w
acquitted; still no one doubts that he sto
- the hog. Now this Toy the blacks wou
ION have, and no one else, SO the white Repub
at cans lot themvnt him; we took no part in 4
Il. ! plpctiOn. haia elected lOWeVer and is pipdp
ln -, .p.ot,a In Cavor of confecot;ng all !