The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-14
Trip and Chips-Alexandria to Rich
mOnd,


mOnd.
from our Travelling Correspondent
MAY, u, 1873.
In the cool, fresh morning, free of dust,
after so much ram, the Orange, Alexandra
and Manassas railroad whirled us along to
Gordonsville, with speed and safety. The
crops look promising-wheat and grass
growing, some early-sown oats already up;
have heard of the fly in few cases with
the wheat many are yet engaged in plant
ing corn and sowing oats. The woods are
full of flowers, the azalias peeping out
brightly; in the valleys the hawthorne and
black hawes show their white crests, and
along the streams the cowslips and butter
cups turn up their golden faces.
The streams are all much swollen with
the rains as Bull run, Rapid Ann, and
Madison run; but they show signs of fall
ing-lke that dandy clerk in Washington,
who fell down after coming out of the sa-
loon-his face was muddy after falling.
GoRDoNsvILLE. b..
We reached Gordonsville for dinner,
which we got at the "St. Johns" the
best place for miles to get first-rate meal.
This place, notwithstanding her late fires,
is smartlv growing, and brightly leaping up
anew out of her ashes; it is a good rail-
road centre.
An enterprising printer is making an eff
fort to start weekly newspaper here ;
and may he amply succeed.
A good newspaper, well supported here,
will advance the interests of the place. |
once turned a coyetouS eye toward it, my
self; but then thought how near were
the little suburban towns of Washington
and Richmond, and in the goodness of my
heart did not wish to overshadow those
youthful aspirants, particularly in their
hopeful days, when the Credit Mobilier and
Pacific railroad were fourishing in one,
and railroad stocks and coupons were ram
pant in the other; therefore, relented, and
concluded to spare the capital cities from
eclipses.
ON TO RICHMOND-FLoODS.
The G. & O.railroad carried us pleasantly
down ito Richmond; as on the rest of the
route the crops here begin to look promis-
ing, and some of them being benefited by
free use of the mari beds, which are
found in several places along the line, and
cannot be too much used. We do rot see
as much stock and sheep in this region as
would be profitable; and more. fruit
could be grown to advantage. The neglect
of dairying and fruit-growng, in this state,
is sending much money to New York and
Ohio for those necessaries. Fruit-growers
will remember the Boston meeting.
We found the Chickahominy on the ram
page, running everywhere, over fields,
over the wagon roads, and up to the very
railroad track in places, and leaving the
''tow-heads" of grass and weeds on the
birch and willow trees, as it dashed along
among them. But the rains having ceased
to fall the streams have commenced to fall.
While the farmers have suffered some
little inconvenience by so much rain,
the earth is so well saturated it will
not be evaporated dry till the crops are
well up and shelter the soil, so that there
is less danger of early drouth, the coming
summer.
These rivers do not seem to observe the
Christian rule of no respecter of persons,
for they are Iespecter of persons they
advance and coolly lave the rich, black
lands of the valley. but do not extend to
the poor, sterile lands beyond they are
like the waters at some hotels-when the
rich, black-coated gentry sit down, they
are speedily waited upon and like Piatt's
Sunday Capital, when he could get no
foreign appointment, he pitched into the
Administration, and particularly, into
Secretary Fish; and when the papers
didn't sufficiently puff him, he gave them
particular fits, which, in some instances,
fits particularly well but when the Board
of public works helped him to nice house
and lot, the point of his pen ran sweetness
instead of bitterness, always sharp.
We found Richmond alive and business
like, looking more beautiful, and presenting
more beauty on her promenades, than any
city we have seen for months few cities
can beat 1t in elegance or activity; ard
with her new Railroads.&c. finished and pros
pectiye-she has future of wealth and
glory equal to the best.
On arriving at the hotel picked up THE
EVENING JOURNAL, and afterglancing over
the local news, the admirable address of
COMMODORE MAURY
met my eye-but had read it before ; and
it alone is worth years. subscription to
any paper, and the paragraph on fences
is of itself worth the cost Of the paper, if
read and needed by the farmers. Our
farmers, everywhere. should read that ad-
dress every month, until the next meeting
ofCongress and the legislature, particularly
those portions in regard to monopolies.
railroad tariffs, and the fence laws and
fencing. Let them do this, and they will
be prepared to WELD their legitimate in
tiuence on our Lawmakers.
When fairly considered the agricutu-
rists will find it more profitable to fence
their own limited stock, than to fence all
the stock of the neighborhood and this
reduction Of fencing will lead to that
other most useful and profitable practice of
green-Soiling stock which is so successful
in some countries, and which has been be-
fore Snggested IN these letters-and which