The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-02-07
TO PROPERTY HOLDERS.

The prosperity of this town of Or
ange depends in a great measure upon
its attractiveness as place of Summer
resort and permanent residence. 1t is
fair to expect that, by proper exertion
on the part of our merchants, the trade
Of the place will increase very much
But the position of Orange and the
want of good roads to the Counties
west OF us, precludes the idea of any
great business prosperity. Gordons-
VILE and Culpeper both have advantage
es of this sort, which we can hardly
hope to ever come-certainly not till
the projected road to Fredericksburg is
completed. But as If In anticipation of
the benefits expected from this road,
the enterprising citizens of Culpepcr
e. III. are already planning a Mead
am road to Madison c. H., by which
they expect, not unreasonably, to at
tract the bulk of the trade now going
from Madison Court House to Gordons-
vile, and great part of that which
would come to this point if the Frcder-
dcksburg road were finished.
!Our hope, our main hope, lies in the
Improvement Of this to,on-in making it
attractive to the residents of cities as
place of sojourn during the hot months
OF the year, and in rendering it desira-
BILE as a permanent abode throughout
the year. Nature has done her part
lavishly. She has given us heathful
climate, fertile soil, excellent water and
beautiful scenery. She has also given
us a mineral spring which possesses
many virtues. 1t remains for us to do
our part, by developing these generous
gifts of nature, by improving and en-
bellishing to the utmost our little town.
The expenditure of few hundred dol
lars would make it one of the prctticst
little towns in the State.
Orange is already favorably known
throughput the South. 1t is remcni-
bered kindly by the many thousands
who composed the army of Northern
Virginia and who here received so much
hospitality from our citizens. Former
residents OF Orange c. IL. are scattered
ali over the South, and all who have ev-
err lived here will be glad to return
with their wives and families when the
heat of Summer drive them from eli
mates less hcalthful. Would it not be
the part of common sense to offer eve
~ inducemcnt for our friends and for
mer residents to come here and to stay
as long as possible? Clearly so.
There is another point which ought
not to be loss sight of. It is this. The
change in our system of labor by the
abolition OF slavery, will have the effect
to build up towns in all parts of the
country. We have evidence of this
fact ON every side. Year after year,
the evidence will increase. The great
farms will be broken up aid sold.-
Hundreds and thousands, disguised
with the endless troubles of farming
with free negroes, will sell out and re-
ing to the cheaper living and the mad
equate means of those who have dispos-
ed of their farms, the towns will gain
more than the cities. And those towns
which offer the greatest inducements
as a pleasant and comfortable place of
permanent residence, will increase fas-
ter than others. Orange ought to be
behind none of the towns in this sec
ti1,x nut 10 x,a laaua ptrr cida-xva1Ec
in their present wretched condition,
our roads untouched, our property un
improved--if We begrudge every dollar
that does not return immediate profit
to ourselves and ourselves alone-if we
continue to pursue this selfish, short
sighted and senseless policy, we will
have the modification of seeing our lit
tie town given The go-by, and other
neighboring towns prospecting while
we are standing still or going back
ward.
This is matter in which every citi-
zen, not merely of the town itself, but
of the whole country is Interested
Improve this town as it ought to be and
could easily be improved, and every
foot Of property in this town and around
it would be doubled in value. Ofcourse
the increased valuation of the farms adj
joining the town would add to the val
Tie of the farms next to them, and so on
till the borders OF the County are reach
ed. .z.
Everybody's head is turned about i'm
migration. We have gone crazy about
"N0rthern Capital" The newspapers
have made fools of us. We all believe
that we can't turn hand without the
aid of Yankee. This is most insutfer-
able nonsense. We, for one, are sick
of it. True, we have little money; but
that money properly applied would
yield fruit. Ifpe ,oait for Yankees, they
viii get the first fruit and deserve it. We
shall return to this subject.
WAR.