Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-07-12
Letter from WeStnIOrcland Co., Wa.


Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
WEsTMoRELAND, VA, July 10. Although
not as much wheat as was hoped for was har-
vested, still | think most are tolcratly well
satisfied, having been so often disappointed as
to not lead them to hope for great results, re-
pcatcd failures. as said before, haviag led to
the conclusion that the wheat GRO is az IN
certain one. Coru is, however, to make amends,
looking very we'll aud if the season continues
far will yield u good surplus for shipment.
Last season the wants the community were
scarcely supplied, owing to the short crop.
While in more favored sections Of the State
the public school system has been advaac, i to
point where they are practically available for
the masses owing to the spare ly settled char
acter OF this section they have not become as
useful as was hoped. | was couvcrSing with a
gentleman u few days ago. who stated that al
though his school tax Was $40 a year. he had
So far been unable to derive any benefit from IT,
The future prosperity OF this section OF the
State it Is believed, depends upon the intro
ductlon OF freign capital and hence every in
duccmcnt Is held out TO those who contemplate
locating here, and all worthy cmigrants are
warmly and cordially received. Siuce the close
of the war there have been some settlers from
the North and few from England, Scotland
and France. They speak 10 warm terms of the
sa!ubrlty of the climate and of the gracious
manner in which they were welcomed; also
hear it stated that large body of Swedes iu-
tend to purchase u tract of land on the Kappa
hammock river in the neigh boring county, Rich
mond, and apportion it among themselves for
tarlus This little coIouy, it is hoped, will prove
tie pioneer OF mighty throog who will leave
the OLD land to aid in building up the waste
places Of Virginia.
Politics here, as usual, are quiet | hear Of
no discu .sions. \ number of gentlemen are
anxious to serve their ccuntry as State Senator,
but they arc the only ones who are talking. The
truth is our people are bending their energies
SO determiucdIy to the problem of getting u
living that they have but little time for any
other issue.
For three months Of the year this region is
isolated from the rest OF the world pretty etfec
tually by the cessation of navigation on our
rivers, the Potomac and Rappahaunock. These
are our great highways OF travel, worth more
10 Us than the turnpkes your Lou1oun cores
be doubly lost indeed, for they serve not ouly
to ship our produce away but from them many
Of our poorer people draw, 10 great part, their
supplies, oyScriug, fishing and ducking being
quite an item in their living. It is an old say
lug indeed that the farmer in this region has
two meat houses, one on land, the other in the
water.
As was remarked. being cut off for part of
the year from the world, the steamboats, and
their landings are items Of considerable interest
aud concern. On the Rappahannock Two boats
make regular trips once week from Fredcricks-
burg to Baltimore, and on the Potomac the
steamers from your city stop at the many laud-
Jugs and run up into the creeks that empty into
that stream and carry of much produce 1t is
astonishing what quantity Of truck" will be
put on board from one of these little wharves
\ future letter may tell more about it, Fl.