Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-06-12
Correspondence of the Gazette.
NVAsHIxGrON. d. G.. June j ,G7,


NrSSRS. EDITORS In company with
4 few friends, | left home on the 22d ult.,
for trip 20 the famous Shenandoah Val
leg. We spent about a week in the val
ley, staging and footing it from Winches-
ter to Staunton, stopping most Of the time
IN Rockingham county. Our object was
10 ascertain the feelings Of the people to-
ward Northern people and note the price,
quality, and condition Of land, with the
inducements held out to buyers
From the Potomac river at Williams
pO.t all the way TO Staunton the scars and
ruins of war are yet to be seen on all sides.
tenccless commons, dilapidated stone
fences, and the ashes and black walls of
destroyed bridges and buildings are still
to be seen on the battlcfields of this his
toric valley. True, in some localities, the
people have gone to work again and have
built new fences and erected buildings.
while others are unable to do 50, and some
are too Shlttless 10 make any cXertion
ull"Ss driven to it by stern necessity.
Inc middle class are Il generous and
h0apitable people and welcome Northern
cr5 who come among them with the in
tentiOn of locating there. What is need
ell in Virginia, at this time, is capital, an
infusion Of Northern enterprise, and the
establishment Of a good system Of public
schools. The lowest class Of whites and
the +. +. VS. are, so far as | could learn.
almost without exception as bitter as ever
in their dislike Of "the Yankees and
their attachment to the secession infatua-
ton. But they all express themselves as
willing to yield obedience to the laws OF
the United States since they have been
conquered by the force Of arms. In get-
eraI, the people are remarkably quiet con
corning the war and national affairs: only
4 few oi the strongest eN-Tcbels will drar
the subject into common conversation.
There Is a widespread di>lr5ISt Of the
" Greenbacks" among Eirginiuns that is
surprising and amusing to those who have
HVcd where their value and reliability as
a currency have never been seriously ques-
toned. If you laugh at their fears they
VIII tell yOu that "a burnt child breads
,hc fire; we were once caught with q
PAPER currency and there is no telling
what may happen again. There is more
pecic in circulation in Virginia than
VAN iIS III Pennsylvania, because Il few
'eopic III selling their lands and other
property bargain for specie or its equiVa-
enI. wealthy eX-siavehOlder who was
aught with twenty thousand dollars Of
.uliciieratc money ut the time o Lees
urrCndcr showed us "a satchel of rold coin
nd slapping it between his hands he said
lcetuliy, " Here is the stuff that is always
ood." The dread Of conGscatiOn is also
cncral and causes considerable uncasi-
less.
Quite a number Of Pennsylvanians have
listed the Shenandoah Valley with the
Intention of buying land, but compara-
lively fcw buy, probably because of the
omewhat unsettled condition of affairs
nd the high prices asked for land con
idering the condition of the improve
ncuts. Any one who sees what fine crops
# grain and grass grow i'm spite Of the
farming must bc convinced that
here Is an abundance of land of the best
luality IN the Shenandoah Valley. but
limestone rocks, stone walls, and hillsare
luite too numerous for nay taste Land
"Ill DO bought at figure ranging from
wcnty to one hundred dollars pcr acrp
hc price varying with the quality, loc;t-
ion, and improvements. Limestone land
~ The Valley turnpike and with very in
ilii"rcnt Improvements is held at from
lNty to eighty dolllrs per acre in Rock
n%han county.
lhc NIFGiniaitS are poor farmers and
hey know it. Numbers of them said to
Is, We should like To see some of your
'cnnsYlvania farmers come down here
nd show us how to farm" A large pro-
'ortlon of the wheat fields which we saw
lad been in corn last summer In the
Ill the corn was cut Off and set IN i'm
hooks then wheat was sown among the
rass weeds and corn stalks and a har
ow passed over the field, and vet the
ihcat in general looks very well.
Wei, Messrs. Editors, | had intended
, give your readers the impressions of II
green 'un" on his first visit to Washing
IN, but my letter is already too long.
j. X, II,