The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-17
=
Sayings md DOIhCs.
"Thrros n chIel ainung So n,lein' notes,
An / faith he'u prrnt, enl."". r. -.

..:-,;-. r, T.'a'.-r' '' ,;.,..'
"Thcrc'x chIel amung So tnlsin' notes,
An T. faith hcu prcnt 'enl.i .i'.r- -
70 tic Editor OF tho Inteiligoncer:. .:,sa.s
have three excellent ncighbors, and
we are all on good terms, with one
another. AS we frequently meet, we
discuss the various matters connected
with our homo and farm life. And. rs
you will sec, there isnotH little differ.
encc Of opinion among us, though we
always got along with tho best Of good
nature, as neighbors should. -: $50,
The Colonel is Il fine old gentleman
Of the old style,A true Virginian; afta-
bic, hospitable, gcncrousto fault, the
very soul Of honor, and little jealous
of outside innovations - Y;,7.,.s~ -
= The-C -Captainais,ea .. native ,Hitginian,,
hut has travelled considerably; and,
without losing his Statc pride, is fnvor-
able to the introduction into our thrifty
and vigorous West Virginia, Of more
or less Improvement from abroad.
My third ncighbor is y wide awake,
driving Yankee, who has travelled
through most Of the States, and is i'm
patient Of what he calls the "Obsolcte
slow coach style" Of even West Vir-
ginians. 3,
have carefully noted some Of their
discussions, and propose to send them
TO You, for the consideration and, pcr-
haps, profit Of your country readers.
TO the first l vii! prefix tho Yankees
term Of
LAND POOR.
Captain film surprised at your
selling thc Colonel TINT piece of timber
land. Your farm was before good
deal smaller than his. and you seem TO
be quite as nblc TO own IT. ns hc."
Innkce-"I couldn't afford to keep
it,"
Captuin-"C Couldn't afford to! Why
not!'
Yankee -" For tho simple reason
that the money it would cost TO clear
it. will bring me much larger return
when expended upon the land ! already
have cleared"
Captniu-" But the timbcr!"
yankee-" Yes, kno W about the
timber. 1t .rOuld be valuable II the
rest Of the country was cleared up
enough, and II the people were enter
priSing enough to build more and bet
ter buildings: and II there were more
machinery and manufacturing. and y
n dozen other things existed that don't
exist, and arc not likely to for n gene
ration or two to come, then the timber
mOuid be Of some value. But those
IFS entirely spoil tho whole thing.
The fact is, that wouldn't get five
cents worth from that twenty-five
acres in ten years, TINT | wont get
easier from what IL left. And tho
| Colonel wont ,fu any better with -.
All the profit he will get from il will
hc the privilege of paying taxes on 1t
yearly, and of yrubbing and sweating
several days u year more In making
roads, and Of having poorer ones ut
that. than he would have it somebody
owned the land who could, or would.
clear il up and improve il. Whilc l
calculate that the money get for it
from him.will, by using ii in improy..
! Ing and better cultivating the rest Of
the farm. actually nett mc at least
twelve per cent. q year. Now the diff
ference il that hc lOscs at least six per
cent. interest OF the purchase money,
and M additional per cent. OF tnxes
and time and trouble In taking care Of
| il, while | makc at least twelve per
cent. on the amount--a difference OF
some twenty per cent. II hc can at-
ford that. can't
| Cuptaia-"lBut tic land will increase
in value"
Yanhcc-" IT won't, so long MS every
body acts like the Colonel. Wild
lands don't increase materially In
value. II is only when thoy are culti-
waited that they become more valuable.
This everlasting graspins after large
farms, 10y causimg their owners TO get
more than they can or than they no
Cultivate, is the great obstacle In the
way of increase in the price Of land.
And it follows that will get more
advance OH my better cultivated land,
than the Colonel will OIL his wild, or
timber land. IN make the money
on this score, too, instead fhim; and,
besides, wont be MI obstacle to tho
Improvement Of the country"
C'dpt0in-" But may not the Colonel
| CICuE NUU IIiplOFC bbo I'''''J hh" ~
avoid NIL these cvils!' =.
l'anhce-" Let ne exercise my Yam.
kec prrroSalivc ofanswcring ono qucs-
ton by asking another. Have you tho
least idea that he will do II Z"
Cnptain-" isn't fair. Might lie
not do iti' -. p. -.
Yankee -" II may occasionally be
lono on small scale. But 1t c,nnot
to on extent that will result IN any
speedy or considerable advancement
Of tho country. The cultivation aud
! improvement Of country requires
both Of two tliinSs-pcople and enter.
prise. The Colonel's plan wont get
people enough here, in the first place.
And, If It did, they would only be
rcntcrs,' spiritlcss and unentcrprising,
the poorest kind OF people ascountry
can hayc. Did YOU ever see many
really good farms cultivated by rent
crs p" ...'. '"-
+, Cdpt0in-"Y You ore too much YAM
kcc. You ask too many questions"
Yankee" The fact is that you can
not get men to. be sufficiently enter
prising and interested In the improve
mont OF n country, unless they arc In
part owners OF Its soil. Ilcntcrs will
never do it. And, besides, if they
would, they could not be had In sufh-