Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-08-10
THE IOUD0UN VALLEY.
The Political Situation -Moseb blythe
Great Drought.

WHKkTLAND, Va, Aug. Sd, 1S7l.-llere
as in NJ try and have found Greeley and
the Drought staple TOPICS of general cou-
yersation. In the political field | have
found less Of change than had antici ~
ted and there are. so far rs my obserya-
ton goes, fewer changes from Grant to
Greeley than In our own State. Every
original Republican have thus far met
Is an advocate Of the reelection of Gener.
al Grant aud they look On the possibility
of Greelsy's election with morr,f appre-
honsion than do many Grant Republicans
North.
The cx rebels, ON the other hand, are
almost 10 man for Greeley. the only
notable exception herenhouls being the
notorious john Moseby, whom the Gree
| leyltes declare they are GLAD to he rid Of
aud whose adhesion 10 their cause the
GRANTEES allude TO with expressions of
disgust. In fact the leader IN the crle.
hraled guerilla warfare of this part of
| Virginia commands very little respect at
the hands of any reputable clnss Of clti-
zens, and ! doubt If his political prefer.
enccs eau control the vote Of any one
except himself
The drought Is simply frightfnl, aud
SURPRISES the recollection of anybody OK
cept the oldest inhabitant," VINO, true to
his universal character, do,s remember
worse one.
For nearly eighteen mo. tbs the rainfall
has been very light, and, until night before
last, wLen u refreshing raiu did some good
in this Immediate neighborhood, not a
single mill wheel for many miles arnnnd
here had turned for nearly moi a.. The
corr was hcginuing to suffer sadly Tor lack
of rain, the roads werr perfect dust heaps,
/ .I...N
with water nearly up 10 the hubs Of the
carriage were as dry aud almost Us dusty
rs the roads. Many trees were already
beginning to put on their autu IN hue- OF
decay, aud even in the meadows the grass
was beginning 10 grow brown and pas
tupge scnty
The supply of water, too, was getting
terribly short, aud every spring save one
Ia the village whence tins is wriitin was
dried up and appreheusUns w.re enter
tainrd that II al would il,l Stock had
to be- driven son miles o y atei, and the
distress and apprehension was very
general. At Hiilshoro', few miles from
here In the gtp of ShOit llill-rcally "a
mountain su.le ten miles In length, the
people were better. OIL, large portion Of
the town obtaining supply of fine water
by pipes from bold spring up in The
mountain, ant The other springs there.
abouts We're pretty full. The Touring and
wooden mills IN the place, however, were
at complete stand still
! Th- drought is In hilly country
which has many bold streams is well cal
cnlated tn shake SONG ot the curr,nt opin
ions about drouphts and their CAUSES. II
has been pretty generally received lheQ !
for sOiae years now that the decrease Ii
the general rainfall lie largely the resnlt Of
the destruction of timber. Yet from
where | write In the midst Of II "ihlr-ty
= land | eau see ON the west the Ion.
range Of short llill, on the eat dimly de-
tined, the KatOcOn Cor Cntocon) noun
tains and IA ride OF lew minutes Wuult
give me a view through llillsboro' gap o
the stately Blue Ridge mountains, on tn,
west separating this valley from the val
2 ley Of the Shenandoah, while southwark
could be- seen tho uull Run Mountains
All these mountain ranges aud the hill
g aruun them ARE densrly covered with Tin
timber and the intervening country i
. We'll wooded
n This part Of tue country has as murl
woodland rs any well cultivated cOuntrl
we'll can have, and yet We see it is ut time
\ subjected 10 truly fiightlu druughls, sue
u IS Ne people living near the cOssl hav
never experienced. Worthy philosopher
T. and d'y weather prophets, in the anguag
70 of the laie lamented Artemus, "Why
this thus p w.. 7, {.