The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-05-18
VIRGINIA NEWS.
,,ts,nss OF a Journey In Southwest
ytrgirsfa. .&A
,,r,,<nondence OF the Richmond D.spatch.l

AMSTERDAM, VA, May -, 1871.
=, posncke fouod the wheat looking
~ isynr;ant and farther advanced than
'.,' ,,r,rbrrr else, though many fields in that
49,: ,,,t, and elsewhere have not more than
h,Ir crop upon them, owing TO early seed
inc last fall, followed by long drought,
~ ;s which many Of the tender shoots
,,arishc,. From this cause, as we'll as the
tn,cntr,rted wet weather we are now having,
| do not think the high expectations OF o
hanntiial wheat crop WIZ DC realize9.
r'sSsinc through the hill country Of Craig,
who're SYMPTOMS of the great grazing region
hnynnd BEGIN 10 manifest themselves, l
3rIvr into GiloS-a good county, though
,no.t pror}e don't know it-and | am just
- ne first Of it. You will find rs fertile
Isrt<. as hospitable people, and as good
,,orl though not as much of 1t, in Giles as
,nu viii anywhere in Virginia. Ever since
i,Thood. when / read IN "Howe's Viz
r1n;ia" of the murderous Lucases Of Giles,
/ have held the idea that it was a
sterile, mountainous region, infested with
hanGi,ti, where mans life and money
we're equally unsafe; but q fortnlShts
soiouru among her grassy hills has efiectu-
ais diSpelled the Illusion. Giles people are
Ike other people, only a little more so. The
lucaSeS of the present day are respectable
fax. anu [UQSC VI tIl SkkGCS HCiC hQp 81 Ohu
os they were thought to be. Why, old Lu-
css the patriarch and father Of three mur-
drreIs. was the most honest man in Giles !;
r.yrr owed = man q cent if he knew it !;
trld the sheriff when he came to his house
~ orrr,t his last-born-his BeDjamin-on a
rlsrrr Of murder to take him and hang
Njm. d-n him had no bisniss doin' it" :;
and on his death-hed. when minister knelt
and offered 4 touching prayer in behalf Of
the unchanged soul about to be ushered
into the presence of its Maker. with " his
rrlinc passion strong in deatb," old Lucas
mmbled weakly under his pillow. produced
his pocket-book. and handing the clergy
man fifty cents, told him to "take that for
his trouble" 1t Is to he regretted that
many better men than old Lucas do not
have nowadays the same regard for the
"silyer rule," as il may properly be called,
u giye aud you take"
From Giles passed over Cloyd's noun
tain. through the battlefield Of Cloyd's
farm, into the rich county Of Pulaski,
famed for its grass and its cattle. Review.
inr the scene Of the late bloody little fight
1T CIovd's farm. one sees little to remind
him Of the conflict which ragged there six
wears aco-small only by comparison; for
the slaughter was immense considering the
number engaged. Aiew bullet marks upon
the ciorcSt trees, now and then the halt-heased
cash made by n cannon-ball, and one Soli-
i4ry grave in the woods by the roadside,
showing that there fell and there lies, un.
claimed but not uncared for, gallant Ala.
banla soldier, alone suggests to the traveller
that on this green spot hundreds, but few
short wears ago, bled and died. This Back
Greek "aliey, extending up into the Rob
iuson Tract l. rs beautiful Il country as the
bright sun ever shone upon. Here some Of
The largest @raZicrS OF Southwest Virginia
i,tten their herds. and as you pass through
the liza guiiicent estates Of the CloydS, tue
kentS, the Bentleys, and dozen others az
good if not quite so extensive, "eyery
prospect pleaSes"-pretty and costly resi-
dcnceS, shady groves, broad fields Of luxu-
RANT gram. and miles upon miles Of waving
drcds Craze, and melted, high-bred colts
Tacc, ard pfance, and snort their greeting z
10 yUur stranger Steed.
Leaving Pulaski, we cross over into
Nythc: and here. surely. we have found
the 4arden.spot OF Virginia. II the grass
looked green III Pulaski, il seems greener
here. If the wheat waved richly there. it
seems more luXuriant, if possible, in Wythe.
II Pulaski pastures gTaZed it's hundreds,
Wythe feeds her thousands upon her grassy
slopes and fertile bottoms. Some prodigies
Ill the cattle line l saw here are worthy Of
especial mention. A pair OF tWo-year old
bUllockS, the property Of the McGavock
Brothers (Stephcn and Cioyd), and three of
about the same age belonging to Major
David p. Graham, are well worth ride OF
itty miles TO see. They are improved
stock, and range from 800 to l 800 pounds
each, ard still no supertluous flesh. Perfect
beauties they are: have taken premiums at
one fair, and So0C for more at the next, if
by that time they are able to carry their
enormous bodies upon their young bones
to the place OF exhibition at Wytheville.
Wythe is the most go-ahead county l
have yet visited. While grazing and agri-
culture receive their full share of attention,
she is not behind in mining and manufac-
lures. Her lead, iron, and zinc mines,
her smelling furnaces, shot-towers, forges,
foundries, and manufacturing mills, are In
active operation, employ hundreds Of
hands, and materially add to the prosperity
Of the country.
The Wythe lead mines have been worked
for over one hundi ed years, and notwith-
standing the drain of century upon their
resources, they still yield rich reward to
the miners toll. Until looked for myself
| had no idea of their extent. But, can
die i'll hand, l followed my guide, Mr. Jno.
G.. Roper, the gentlemanly manager, into
the bowels of the lead mountain. groDed
bali bent through dark and dismal tunnels
which seemed interminable, Crawled on all
fours through narrow cuts as dark as
Hades, climbed rickety and mouldy lad
ders till my brain grew dizzy, in gloomy
chambers wakened echoes which 100 years
ago were first aroused, sought out the
busy miners in their distant " workings"
where night and day, year after year, they
seek the glittering ore. Then thought
had an idea of the mines, but was told that
they were much more extensive in the next
mountain, and that had not seen the half.
The company smelt all their ore, and have
their own shot.tower, where they manutac-
ture a great deal Of the metal into shot of
all sizes. and sell by the bag or wholesale
at what seemed to me most reasonable rates.
There is n great deal Of zinc ore mixed with
the lead, which the company sell st the
mines TO Pennsylvania company at good
profit. The northern company haul i. TO
Max Meadows, the nearest depot, and snip
IL 10 their distant works IN Pennsylvania.
There is an air of industry and business
about everything here that refrcshes and
stimulates one, and if one or two visits
won't cure d lazy man, I would pronounce
him chronic cage. - -"
Returning through Montgomery county,
CT which have spoken In previous COM
munication, anchored in old Botetourt::
She rlods along in the gooa old-fashioned
way, improving her lands, saving little
money, and doing little better every year.
While She is not SO quick as some Of the
State team, she will do her part, and, l
think, pull up after while.
The new road and iree-school system is
fairly under way in all the counties have
visited, and the first seems to work the best.
Everywhere, in circuit Of several hundred
miles, You may travel upon new and i'm
proved roads, and in q few years OF such