Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-06-05
OTTAWA, PUTNAM Co, ONO,
24th May, 1874.


1fcssrs. Editors:
This being my first visit to
this part of the s'Buckcye'' State. l see
some things new to me. am ut leisure
just now, and have been thinking of the
contrast between this part of the country
and ''old Shenandoah" and it is perfectl,s
natural when my thoughts wander back %
'Shenandoah" that think ofthe "Herald"
(being reader of it when at hOiie) and
wonder how few items from here would
suit your readers. arrived in this town
Thursday cad inst. and in few minutes
after leaving the train met with an old
Acquaintance, one who was boy when |
was boy. We attended the same school
in our boy-hood days, one of the old field
schools Of Shenandoah, when all the quail
fication required of teachers was to pro-
duce subscription paper to the patrons
for their signatures, obligating themselves
to send certain number of children for
him TO cudgel over the head. That was
under the old order OF things.
This country is very level, too much SO,
great dealof ditching and under draining
required There has been an unusual
amount of wet weather here this spring
But little corn has been planted as yet
acres of ground yet to pillow that will be
put in corn. This to "Shenandoahan,' or
any Valley Virginian, would seem late to
dc blowing for corn. The soil is Of ex-
cellcnt quality, produces very abundantly
everything grown in your county, the
difference in quantity, per acre, being in
favor of this county. Grass is looking fine.
wheat was injured by the severity of the
winter, so much SO, that there will per-
haps not be more than half crop this
year. The COLORADO potato bug" has
already commenced work on the potatoes
that are just coming out Of the ground,
and fears are entertained that this most
useful and important vegetable crop will
be short this season.
There are also complaints of "wire-
worm being at work Oh the corn already
planted and not yet out of the ground,-
eating the heart from the grains, even be-
fore it has sprouted in the hill. Have
seen but one field. in this state, in which
the corn is up,and that was farther SOUTH
presume, &C miles. The season is evidently
later here, by two weeks, than in the Val
ley of Virginia. Apple and cherry bloom
is still OH the trees. Peaches are reported
all killed, hot only buds, but the entire
tree. IT'S said the past winter was the
coolest ever known here.
This town is the county seat Of Putr,Am,
and thriving place, with 4 population of
1000. 1t has or 8 dry good stores,5 or 4
family groceries OF ) Hardware. and as
many drug stores, with the usual number
of drinking saloons. One first class Hotel,
and several not first class, don't know if
they rank as second or third class. Two
Banks are operating here. Also spoke
and hub factory. doing Il lively business.
One large steam Touring mill, and two
saw mills, and just at the west end of town
is Tile factory and brick kiln. The town
has four churches, German Catholic, Pres
byteIiall, NJ. f. and L. B. The Catholic
church is very large, and the inside finish
ed beautifully.
This county is heavily timbered, and it
was no small job to make Il farm here,
when the first white settlers came into it.
a few old persons are still living who came
here and settled among the Indians. when
of course this was dense forest. The
country is now thickly settled. The farms
are small, more than half the land is still
in timber. l am now a p. NJ aboard the
traia for Dayton.
We are now nearing the Miami Valley
but to me it all looks like a valley, for
esn see no hills. Towns OF considerable
size are found all along this route. Lima
is quite place, and is the crossing of this
and the Pittsburg, TT. Wayne and Chicago
r.. RS. ..--f
We are how running down the Miami
river-lands more broken-wheat seems to
have withstood the winter better than
farther north, see some fields OF excellent
wheat: notice oats just up enough to be
seen. More corn planted here than farther
north.
No satisfaction to write on train
of cars going at the rate of 10 miles per
hour 80 Eli close.
Yours &c.
"ShcnandOah."