New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-26
THROUGH THE SOUTH.
THOMAS JEFFERsoNs HOME.

TIRES are carried on and there are little other than
the agricultural products of wheat ana corn 10
hcco;s of corrse an exception, but this interest has
easily declined since the war; and so much so that
Mt Lynchburg the manufacture, in which thousands
of eolored persons employed has almost ceaSeu
The University of Virginia, of which Jefferson wac
the principal founder has about 500 students the
grounds arc handsomely laid out the buildings are
numerous. spacious and we'll designed, and all that
ia reouired for frst-olass institution IS proVueu
The vounp men had fine appearance, their behaVlor
an faras saw was exemplary TO an uncommon degree,
and they ought to make men of mark. Inc numOerOt
yOunR men attending the various lhsutu1ohs Vi
learning in Virginia--and the same may be Sald OF
the whole Souths fully large as before the war
for since the mercantile business has been oyerdohe
the ONLY means of advancement as they think lie ID
the professions 1t must be that great sacrifices are
made by many parents amid the suspension and dis
organization of industry, and almost of society ITSELF
to provide the means for their support For the most
pa, these young have good inteects, and 1t really
seemed to me that the average in this respect is
higher than among the same class in the North,
which might be suspected, since they belong to the
best families which have given good training and
habits including favorable moral and religious bias
Considered in this respect they ought to be the most
promising young men in America.
But they are repressed by conditions of the most
unfavorable nature. In the first place, their fam
lies were almost without exception, engaged in the
Rebellion their teachers and professors were lead
ing army officers or at least, they did all in their
power to help the cause; and now, whatever was
connected with its success has their admiration and
sympathy, while that which brought defeat is re-
ceived in silence and sorrow; and. second having
ever been taught habits of industry, they look
nth cOldness-I may say with aversiOn-upOn the
laborng man and upon all industrial pursuits and
have seen them stand and wait TO have coOred man
do slight service which they themselves could do
quicker and better. And thus it is in these times,
when the man who is to rule and give force and
vitality to society and to the mind of the age-who,
in the necessity of the has the greatest use OF
his muscles, nerves, and brain. and who, by cOnse-
quence. knows most of what concerns men and
what enters into the elements of advancing civil
izaton is put in competition with these unfortu-
nate young men, who lingering and shivering upon
the brink of activity, fear to launch away.
Charlottesville is perhaps the most interesting spot
with reference to mental culture and the influence
which ideas have upon men, eitherin our own country
or in the whole world for, within few miles of it,
Thomas jefferson was born, and in an adjoining coun-
ty only twenty miles distant James Madison also was
born, and at one time Monroe resided here. With
such facts are connected physical considerations OF
the most important nature. Notwithstanding that
years saw excellent fields of wheat and corn apple
pear and cherry trees were loaded with fruit and
there were meadows of timothy and clover ana pas
lures of mixed grasses, where fat cattle of good
breeds were grazing. 1t is important to understand
that upon the nature of the soil depends the perma
nent prosperity of a country and the elements of
such bodily nutriment will develop the highest
qualities and at the time give health; nor is it
less important that there be such abundance that
time and means for culture will result.
Charlottesville is in the Piedmont region, which is
to be described lying the eastern slope of the
Blue Ridge and which, far L and was
able to learn is of shale of slate formation. with
slight mingnR of sandstone and calcareous spar
This shale extends toward the tde-wateT region
some 20 miles, while mountain spurs and isolated
peaks run out from to Is miles, giving ragged out
line it commences in Maryland and crosses the Stat
in a south-westerly direction, terminating in Ten
nessee some 20 miles beyond Greenville-a distanc
of about 500 miles Across the Blue Ridge. and be
tween it and the Alleghanies is the Valley of Wiz
gins, known to Northern people as the Valley of thu
Shenandoah, which is an extension of the Cumber
land Valley. This is a limestone region Both sec
tions are remarkably fertile-the first is probably
richest the last most enduring. The fines
wheat grown in the world is raised in the
Piedmont country, and before the war Rich
mond had large trade in exchanging flour, made
of this wheat with Brazil for coffee. After the wal
this coffee trade was secured by Baltimore, but o.
late it has been seized by NewYork The reason
why the fertility of Piedmont region is sustained j:
because the shale is in constant decomposition, and
being Of firm texture, the soil does not wash This
is the place to remark that this shale is
the same as that which gives to Northern
Ohio its superiority for grape and fruit grow
az, and / am willing TO predict that these noun
iaiH lands, some of which now can be had as
.Ow as so cents an acre, WILL in the distant future
have great value for vineyard culture. Fine pears
do we'll, as was told. and have never cherry
trees so completely loaded as I saw them on the
trenches and apparently sterile slopes of the Blue
Ridge.
Monticello, the house Of Thomas Jefferson, is o
high promontory of the Blue Ridge, looking like a
rounded hill, and 242 miles from Charlottesville.
Getting horse and crossing the railroad ON the
right passed field of at least so acres in clover
and red top then through long lane shaded on each
side with locust trees then came to field of atleast
30 acres in heavy wheat, nearly ripe, crossed a
creek then turned to the left and went up hill with
Did apple trees here and there in the fence row. hang
ing full. while farmhouse amid trees in an up
and valley, was on the left Everywhere the shale
appeared cropping out in thin layers, standing at
various elevations and sometimes perpendicular. A
heavy rain had fallen and the water running down
the hill sides was tnged with iron and was as red
as red lead paint. Then assembled steep and
long hill with deep gully on the left,
d high wooded hill rising beyond, which was Month
cello; and on the other side steep field in which
black raspbeTTies ripe; then passed mountain
spring. from which led drinking spout; then,
coming TO the head of the gulley, turned around,
still ascending, During this ride the traveller will
be interested in considering that through many
hours of the day. and even hours of the night the