The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-30

lions. the incubus is not so weighty but TINS )
T Ino,y-that a fixed outcome in the shape OF
taxes every wear outof my farm, from Wnicn
there has been mo- income for the past zen
years. ia small bugbear, which Wouid II
could drive off my blighted wheat neios
and not overpromising crops. Yea, 1
would even sometimes put off the taxes
To INV posteritv, too, because the 'oaT,
noyerfy. famine, and bad tillage, has re-
ii1oeif the most Of my fields below the pay
inc "point.n and for the want of money alone
to hire labor, ditch, fence, buy stock TO make
manures indeed, to buy fertilizers 10 give
me q start, I am stuck pretty much III the
SPOT I was years since, only with worse
fences and dilapidated houses. Now, this
tax-money on more land than I can work,
and which I cannot sell, if invested in proper
fertilizers, would have made me compare
lively independent to-day; but have been
farming promiscuously, waiting tor some
thing to "turn up" my debts taking interest,",
and my lands broom-straw, until some
times, under strong lit OF the Diues, ain ois-
Dosed to "vamoose the rancho"
Now, Mr.. Editor, shall I leave the home
stead to somebody elsc's posterity or stick TO
the evils "wot Off"
The Virginians, know, have some repl-
tation for bravery and sticking to their posts,
hut how can stick to the post that shirks
me and NAV not stick to me long, even were
nv credit good enough now to borrow money
at - pcr cent, with compound interest, to
buy NV needfuls. really think have by
so many misses become too demorlliZed for
success, and if your city depended for her
prosperity on such farms and farmers rs the
writer conceiyes himself, many of courthouse
builders would be safe in taking his place !;
but perhaps they get money at to per
cent, as see our State funds are loaned at
the former rates: but IL to Is per cent.
is death to farmers, who have 10 raise
produce now in competition with the rich and
thriving west, and debt to begin with. Mine,
though, may be an isolated and bad case,
vet have conyersed with and seen too many
others who would willingly swap places
with me, but they are quiet folks, and don't
write their griefs on paper. Well, have
tried the old sage, economy, to the bitter END.
have neither smoked whiskey nor chcwed
cigars; indeed, my chewing has been for seTc-
raj years without much variety, except occa-
sionally, when visited Richmond and
"chewed the cud of fancy" l have seen
there tobacco chewed to desperation, even at
church, and occasionally a cigar turning the
corner of the street with boy at the
other end; as to liquor, ale, and beer,
for sale all over the city. l could but
wonder how these liquor sellers $50 many OF
them) got money to begin with, when if my
| acres we're worth groat they should have
given me ut least equal credit to have pIr.
chased reproductive articles which would
have told even on the prosperity of Rich
mond. I did try once in large hardware
store to buy about fifteen dollars worth Of
axes. spades, &C., on credit, with we'll
| known. first-rate personal country security
but it was no go ; the hard merchant let lnt
| 90 without the ware, so l concluded to rlsR
nv face and security no further,
Now, Mr.. Editor, IN my desperation lei
me make suggestion about this big State
debt of ours, which grinds all East Virginian;
if it does not the West Virginians, because
my taxes for 1872 arc stirring ME this carly
! in the season. read that some thirty million
gallons of liquor was either made o.
drank in the "slnaller State" Of North
Carolina. I suppose almost as much de
vclopes in Virginia. Now, suppose WI
somehow curtail this liquor business, cvei
for year or two, and apply the proceeds tt
this debt, and ask West Virginia no odds, any
way. And let all true East Firginians cease
chewing and smoking on Sunday, honestly
count the savings, and place the proceeds il
the Treasurer's office at Richmond as volun
tary tax, and my word for it, in three years
neither the writer, his c0ntrereS, or his POI.
telity, will have cause to grumble, asitate, o.
fill your columns with so homcly and dEa
greeable truths, and your city will hole
100000 thrifty inhabitants. This is shooting
high, but we have only to try.
PowuATAN, TIE OLD CHIEF, DECEASED.
PSI missed the dogs. Tax them ant
save the sheep. / have one dog, Nero,
black dog also, have three ncishbors wh'
have two to three dogs each, but they ar
not so white as I am. l am sure they neye
have enough bread, because they do no