The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-12-09

son, are as abundant and luscious as the
grapes of Eschol.
This may be termed somewhat hitGlutin,
but it has rarely been my fortune to look
out upon grander picture, which is only
bounded by the scope of vision, and yet the
herdsman tends his hocks upon that beauti-
full eminence, with no thought of beauty to
compare with that of bluegrass, wild pea
vine and clumps of cane. Well, the out
ward enjQyments of life are but matters of
taste at best, and so thought as descend
ed into the valley and heard the song Of the
happy son of Ham, as he started out with
his dogs to tree ''coonn or bring home
"possum" for his Sabbath dinner.
Having spent couple of days very
pleasantly, feasting upon aunt Casters"
birds, delicious coffee, rich milk and piles
of nick-nacks, about midday on the 21st,
Mr. Preston and myself slung our hunting
accoutrements around us, mounted our
horses, and before the sun had gone to bed
found ourselves 1S miles down the valley,
at the residence of our mutual friend, Mr..
Samuel F. Hurt, who owns and lives upon
1.-The most magnificent estate within the
range ofmy knowledge. 1t comprises some
1900 acres, about one-third rich alluvial
river bottom, another third quietly rising
table land, and the balance covered with
tall, straight and valuable timber The
Holston, here a clear and quiet stream,
about 1000 feet wide, sweeps round in
regular curve, forming a complete cres-
cent. The residence is on the table land,
exactly opposite the centre of the curve,
and is equidistant from all parts of the
bottom, which is q miles long and three.
quarters wide, and commanding view of
almost the entire premises. This farm, so
magnificent to look upon, is as productive
as it is beautiful. This year, with q COM
paratively small portion Of it in cultivation,
Mr.. Hurt has harvested 5000 bushels of
corn, 1000 bushels of oats, o large crop of
wheat and several thousand pounds of to-
bacco. He estimates the capacity of the
place at $4,000 bushels of grain per annum.
Although so large farm, with hundreds
OF head of stock to look after, would seem
to demand the constant and undivided
attention of the proprietor yet from the
moment we arrived under his roof and
during the five days and nights of our So
journ, he let all holds go, gave his cares
to the winds, and heartily and cheerfully
participated with us in all our sports and
pastimes, and his excellent lady catered as
literally and sumptuously to our sharpened
appetites, as if it had been her object to
kill us outright with kindness. Not only
So but the neighbors round came in to
contribute to the pleasure of the strangers,
hunted and tished with us purely for our
amusement; and among them, Mr. Thorn
as Clay, a big-hearted Kentuckian, and
the grandson of the grandest old man that
ever shone in the councils of the nation.
phe whole variety of game that any part
of our common country can boast, is to be
found upon that single plantation, consist
ing of squirrels, rabbits, pheasants, par
tridges-the river off fish and wild fowl, and
the opposite hills sloping down to the wa
ter, with deer and bear and foxes
With such entertainment and the sports
we enjoyed, it was of course hard to tear
ourselves away at the close Of the week, but
life has stern and implacable duties that
must be obeyed and they called us back to
our homes-Mr. Preston to his focks and
his forage, and your humble servant to the
treadmill monotony of II country printing
office.
have given your this hasty and imper-
feet sketch of q portion of East Tennessee
the counterpart of Southwestern Virgin
lain the hope that it may not be alto
gether void of interest to those of your
readers who may desire to be informed of
the characteristics of isolated localities.
Before closing, permit me to say that Mr..
Preston is anxious to sell his splendid es-
tate, and from my intimate acquaintance
with him, am willing to underwrite that
he will be liberal and accommodating-in
word, that he will take half of what
lands of equal quality in Hartford will sell
for-and really Wouldn't give one acre of
it for any two with which am acquainted
in your county. 1t is the more valuable,
as it is almost Immediately on the line OF
the Virginia & Kentucky Railroad, the only
unfinished link in Virginia in the air line
from Norfolk to Louisville, and which will
form direct connection with the South
em Pacific improvement.
Respectfully,
c. b. G.
Abingd0n, Va, Dec. LIST, 1870.