South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1867-11-29
Editors Correspondence.
NATALi-lS THE DOMINION OF DrKE ScHoFfr-p,
November 9th ISL

November 9th, 1861. )
DEAR Sir In compliance with my pro-
mise male you as passed through your lit
+, tie village, that in case saw or heard any
thing worth communicating, would do so.
The valley Of the South Branch. l think,
cannot be surpassed by any valley of the
same exteat IA tue sO-callel u. 3 for the
fertility ofits soil aud the beauty ofi,s seen
cry, and by way Of parenthesis. the beauty
aud intelligence of Its girls. There is one
thing at which [ must express surprise
and that Is that there is no "Iron Horse"
galioping through your fertile and hand
some valley. | understand the Inhabitants
are becoming every day more and more a.
1--we to the advantages of rail road But
the late cruel war crippled their energy aud
lett them IN manner, nothing save their
lands, and they have had TO husband their
resources in order to restcek their firms,
repair their fencing, and purchase anew the
necessary implements of husbandry-and
the still unsettled AMI uncertlin condition
OF the country, together with the ouerous
load OF taxes imposed upon them by the RI
deal State and Federal Governments have.
L presume, retarded them. Previous 10
the war the farmers Of this valley were
shareholders, and their slaves were engag-
ai troc earl J sps;Gg in plantias aud cult
vaung corn crop until fall, and from fall
again to spring, IN feeding it 10 cattle that
it might walk ID market. But, slavery is
now extinct and The farmers must accom-
modlte themselves to the situation.
Those owning large farms wi! fnl it DIFF
fcult, if not impossible, TO work their farms
with hired labour. thinl; it would be fol-
~ forany farmer to attempt working large
farm hy the labour Of freedmen; they are
too INDECENT by nature and too uncertain to
be depended on--tor, ii in the midst OF the
crop and when their services were inlispau-
sable IN the field, chloe down." ''hJrse
race, 'mpnkey show" or scamp meet
Tag sholll come along they would drop
the hoe aud leave the plough in the mi ldle
OF the fCrrow to attend either, ani either
would afford them an equal amount Of plea
sure. They cannot Be relied on.
Those who have large farms, (anj uu-
derstaud the most of the farms are larga,)
will have to adopt the tenant system. Here
tof)re the feeding Of cattl, has been -almosl
the entire business Of the Branch farmers,
and that too from necessity, fer tho only
transit their com hld to market was the
bu.l1ck's back, and this mode frequently
proved not very profitable. doubt ifthcre
he more productive lands any where in the
late u. ) decd than the South Branch
bottoms Bat, the upl3nls adjacent are
generally too thin to bring forth paying
crop, when, from one-fJurth, to oae-third,
must be taken from the price for transpor-
"a ..t IN I'll F. l.
from the thunler-tona5 in whiah, fr1u
Maine to California, the fat has gone firth
that this is AMI shall be "Hic tcii'e n,a.'S
coHahy." Let them bes;;. themselves and
put forth all their energy ana faint not to
have Il Rail Road thrlush their beautiful
and fertile valley. Witi r.il road run
ming throu III their valley they coull obtain
fertilizers cheap and make ;hcir upanls for
grass ana small grain more profitable than
their rich alluvial bottoms have heretofore
been. There are immense beds Of lime
rock lying along the route, which, the road,
If made, would traverse, and, this rock
would be converted into lime and be cheap
fertilizer. With lime and clover thousands
upon thousands of acres lying within reach
Of the road, which are now useless, because
would yield per acre, and the great cost OF
transportation ut present But cheap fer
t!llzers and cheap transportation to market
would make them remuucratiyc Hereto
fore, the farmers in your valley have look
cd almost exclusively to their corn crop,
marketed on the bacl; Of an OK for his ia
come, and it not unfrcquonty happens that
this mode of transportation become an out
going iustea! OF an incoming. With an
Iron Horse, Instead of an oX back, as the
means OF ,ausp or;4:iJn, the flrmer can Va
ry bis crops and not be confined always to
the raising Of corn as be has been hereto
fore; because, lis carrier was al OK With
the i:ou Horse for your transporter You
may raise all kiljs of grain with certainty
th4t your "irua Horse will take it cheap
" aud quickly to the market for YOU. We
getobIcs, fruit, poultry, cgg-, butter, pun
kHs, &c, things in which there are lots Of
Grcclback-, aui which heretofore were as
empty Of Grcenbocks as your legislature is
OF brains and honesty. Add Way because
your dainty OK would not take thorn To- mar
BET for you. But the "Iron Hor.c' will
carry Tor you any thiny vow ask him. from
nn apple 80 q sv i12, aaj deliver 10 safely
AMI cueaI.y. Your wire4 can fufaish their
aUu rim money ia .5luIalc3 from the dali
~ au, poultry yard, an when the aec5m-
u.il''ng "lrlu ll'rss' returns with ID.
Gs1i.ok- received for tlc truck which
ylus dainty YE would cot carry To- market
Tor SOU or l.f either, She can 2, % the mer-
chant col give Lor twenty dollars for two
s,rlws lied together with fancy ribon aud
b.. d.. I D ID.