Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-10-26
Correspondence OF Spirit of JefersOn.l
LETTER FROM STAUNTON.
OCTOBER Is, 1869.

emigrai.ts to the colony of West Virginia" "
might at times be visited by twinges of con-
science at your desertion of the mother State,
which would still excite an occasional interest
in her fortunes And to show you that the
generous heart of the Old Dominion has not
been weakened by your detection, she sends
you kindly greeting as to truant children, for
whom she has in readiness good cheer and
robes of honor, when you tire of the husks
vouchsafed you by "thc citizens of that
country"
Let me speak for the good people-of Au
gusta and say that they hope ere long for the
resumption of our legitimate civil relations,
and for the completion of connecting lines of
railway, which shall unite US as we should be
in sympathy and interest and social inter-
course And meanwhile, let us have an oc-
casional chat with that champion knight of
the quill who is ever foremost in the cause of
progress, and always ready for charge upon
the political vermin infesting now the old
county of Jefferson.
Well, the Upper Valley still fourishes,
spite of the drought and Gen. Candy. The
hardy Scotch Irish above us are used to per-
secutions, and the Dutch below are constitu.
tionally phlcgmatic. and the soil Of the Valley
is generous still We have never been de-
pendent on the institution of slavery. The
negro will never WELD local influence among
our people, and the better class of lower Vir-
gnians seeking refuge from their depreda-
tions and their insolcnce, will be welcomed
hither. Our farms cotimand such prices as
they brought before the war, while in the vi
cinty of Richmond first class lands are in the
market for a mere song Science is begin
ming to control our agriculture. Our minerals
are attracting attention, and Investments, from
abroad We have reason to believe that the
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, the great con-
Meeting link of trade and travel between the
oceans. will in a few weeks pass into hands
of men with the energy and the capital to
push it to completion. Our Valley Railroad
chartered from II attisohburs to Salem, with
such man as Mathew +. Alaury to head the
enterprise, will soon be thing accomplished
Your extension of the Maryland route rests
with yourselves, for the people OF the Luray
Valley are in live earnest, and the upper coun-
tics need only little delicate manipulation
of the pocket nerve.
In fact, nothing save the uncertainties Of
orr civil status, while under the ban of a
Radical Congress has retarded SO long our
public improvements and individual enter
prise We are now reviving somewhat from
that paralysis.
LII pbiIlICS' hb IiCoSuli VIC aIS
Observation-Disclosures accommodating g-kav-
ing experience of neither milestone which
you have escaped as yet The only staunch
State Rights Democrat I have met of late,
was an old line Wing from Chicago, who
swore that lie would never yield to the I'm
dcrwood Constitution. Bat we laid down orr
political weapons at the Appomattox OF last
March, and have our coats off and sleeves
rolled up now for " development of material
interest" We ignore yom State motto for
the present, and affect that of your neighbor,
Maryland True, our Virginia physic was
nauseous dose, but We trust in time it may
purge the whole body polite. And if ever
the reaction comes, for which we wait, we
mean to have a different class of men at the
head of our State government from that OF
former days-live men, not icthyolites of the
t old Red Sands,Ote.'
But enough of distasteful subject Let
us talk instead of an enterprise which has
awakened great interest in this community,
and which. yours, I think, would do we'll to
initiate. l alludc to our County Fair, the
second annual celebration of which, just con-
cluded, has proven complete success 1t
was iuauguratcd in 1865, by one of our towns
men. whose public spirit does him no less
credit than his legal arguments. Seconded
in his views by few of the lberal-miuded,
books of subscription were opened, energetic
officials chosen, and q natural amphitheatre
of some ten acres of ground selected near the
town. which would seem to have been devised
by Providence for the site of County Fair.
Last year there was only gate and shanty
and good advertise sement to start with. The
proceeds of the first admission fees, with the
small quota paid up by corporators have since
enabled them to enlist an accomplished archi-
tect, to erect capacious rotunda, and several
smaller cdifces, to complete the trotting
course, construct carriage ways, and adorn
the grounds in true artistic style. 1t i5 now
our " City Park and very popular among
the Young people for evening drives and moon
light strolling The object is to make the
exhibitions as general as possible, and the
competition for premiums is open to all comers.
At this, the second Fair, the display of agri-
cultural products and machinery, and of the
mechanic arts generally, surpassed anything
| have seen at the Western Fairs, and the
hlooded horses and cattle from this and ad-
Joining counties far exceeded my expectations.
But the best part of the show the people
and one of the best features Of these gather
ihcs perhaps, is the interchange OF ideas and
experience which they promote. On the End
day we had several impromptu speeches; one
from Col. Randolph, of Albemarlc, who, after
some pleasing "reminiscences of the olden time,
cave some excellent modern advice on ma
nures. Another from Mr.. Mines, our Con-
rressman elect, who advocated the develop
ment of our mineral resources: and argued for
the construction of railroads. And another,
from Mr.. Stuart, who predicted our speedy
restoration to citizenship, a termination ol
the apparent conflict between labor and capi'
tai, and mighty revival of our industrial in
terests. We heard also an address from Pro
fessor NIallet, of the University of Virsinia
upop the mutual relations Of science and prac'
tical agriculture
The number assembled on yesterday was
yariously estimated at from seven to ten thou
sand, many of them from distance. Anon: