Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-18
Letters from the PEOPLE.
Letter from Willamsport, Pa.
Editor Spectator:

Yesterday received copy
of your paper, dated March 4th, containing a
| lengthy history and description of The Grea,
Valley of Virginia. which | read with much
interest. Myself, the grandson of an Ameri-
can pioneer, who came from his native country,
Ireland, and settled in Southern county oi
Pennsylvania when 'howling wilderness,
and subsequently took an active part in our
Revolutionary struggle, fully appreciate such
Interesting "reminiscences of your own heroic
sons, your early settlers, who braved dangers
and privations, worthy the annals of your early
history, and permanently laid the foundation
TOR peace and prosperity for themselves and
children, until our late internecine strife unfor-
tunately laid waste many Of your once happy
homes and destroyed what more than a century
was required to build up.
The Shenandoah Valley at the close of the
war invited many of our Southern and Eastern
county farmers to Its waste places, and. doubt
less Is fast filling up with these and other har-
dy, enterprlslDg sons of toll. The terrible, de-
structlVe Hood of over two years ago, eutailed
heavy loss to some Of them, but Virginia
like, undaunted by reverses, have gone to work
IN earnest to re-improve what the raging eie-
ment destroyed. From all accounts the splen-
did, classic Valley has again risen to promi-
nence from the destructive tread Of an invading
toe who ruthlessly applied the torch to macy
dear homes In many cases to crafty Gendish
propensity to maliclously destroy what piifering
hands could not carry away.
1t has not been my good fortune to tread the
Old Dominion's' historic soil. Sliced off
from 1t for political aggrandizementi is Harper's
Ferry, which visited for the first time over
TWO years ago. On hot summers day, as I
wended my way alone TO shield myself from the
sun S scoEching rays, | sought ''Jeferson's S
Rock and there, under ponderous limestone.
pencllled few lines for publication 10 one Of
our city papers. | then thought of the i'm
mortal parsonage after whom this noted rock is
named. had read his Notes oo Virginia."
repiete with intense interest, written, as legend
or tradition says, on the summit of this rocky
precipce Well may Virginia be proud of such
statesman, whose remains sweetly and undis-
turbedly repose at Monticello! thought, too,
OF your Washington, who first saw light on
Virginia sacred soil; Of Monroe, OF Madison,
and many others, whose deeds Of heroism and
craftsmanship, brightly adorn your history
And shall they be forgotten? Ncverl
1t is no boast to write. know your history by
heart Il is indellibly written on the tablet of
memory. l know the fearful struggle against
merciless savages, when first the mother eoun-
try sent her brave representatives. TO explore
and people this beautiful land. [ have read,
too, Of the noble part your people took in the
sanguinary coatlGt for independence; Of your
Patrick Henry and his eloquent, patriotic ap-
peals in your legislative halls in behalf of free
dom; your immortal Washington that led our
Revolutionary sires to glorious victory, and the
signal surrender Oh the enemy at your York
town, that ended the seyen-year bloody strife
aud brought peace to the American cooniste
Such classic, historic soil, your own dear Val
ley included, is worthy to be peopled now only
Nvt mo ti,.a, 49, fAr-o
whose valorous deeds you so eminently cherish
Such, We trust. the ''Old Keystone Of the Fed
eral arch has senty you, to almost every locality
of the State, to aid In cultiyating your soil, so
highly productive; TO develop your mineral re-
sources : to mine your coal and to make and
work your railroads. Many more will come
and receive hearty welcome. They will come
With their money, their industry, enterprise,
moral worth and brave hearts to aid in the good
work Of elevating Virginia, to secure iatelli-
gence, prosperity, wealth, happiness, peace and
enjoyment to your tar-renoWned hospitab!e peo
pie.
Staunton is unquestionabiy destined to be
place Of much pecuniary importance. The G.
& .. r. Road com pleted and other prospective
roads in running order for transportation Of ag-
rlcultural products, iron, coal and lumber to
profitable markets, with abundance of fne tim
Der adjacent for building, and being supe-
rlor location Tor company shops tor manufacture
and repair; the vast amount Of land in the
market, cheap; having superior schools and
convenient to the University OF acknowledged
eminence, these considerations will ere long in
vlte very many from abroad to locate 10 your
midst. Ali that strangers want is to be prop
erly informed, to be induced to visit your place
and Valley. You should have correspondents
for our Northern papers who have tact and
n Iha fhN b4,,lIr nd
satisfactorily.
l fad your people business men. know their
interest-the Importance Of advertising. This
is right. No man is worthy OF patronage, who,
through niggardliness, refuses to let the public
know, In his city or town papers, what he has
to sell, his business, profession Or occupation.
a paper well filled with home advertisements,
when sent abroad 10 be read, gives character to
the place. With all our boasted city of l6,0 900
inhabitants, the Spectator" contains more
business notices than all our papers together,
although very many of our merchants are in
this respect liberal but not all.
The copy sent me, as the one received last Sum
mer, is fine specimen OF improvement and
progress in the Country Press. The locals are
we'll written, the clippings we'll selected the
editorials Instructive, the setting up or work
manship we'll executed, free from typOgrap phical
errors, SO annoying to publishers and writers,
which exhibits good, intelligent workmen are
employed and the proof-reader careful and at
tentlye to his business as he should be.
The article referred to-"1he Great Valley of
Virginia, lis just such an one as we have had
published IN an adjoining county OF the early
settlements, aud the names and history OF the
pioneers. Our own history of the West Branch
Valley, by Mr. Meginnis of the Gazette and
Balletin of this city, Is a lengthy counterpart
of yours and very instructive Let the Ameri-
can youth read Of the times that tried men s
souls" and thereby learn their heritage was
dearly purchased.
Better by far have them thus instructed 10
the early history of the country OF home locali-
ties, than to be crazed with novel reading and
other trashy productions, that fill many Of our
northern city Weeklies and piotorially EN- mbelIish
ed magazines of light literature, tales and deeds
of horror, love yarnS, and imaginary stories,
fiction without moral, intellectually unedify-
ing, morally destructive and religiously damn
ing; for which thousands are annually expend-
ed to cater to the vitiated tastes OF poor, de-
graded, fallen humanity, whose expirations for
mental enjoyment, extend no higher, no bread
er than reading and relating this abominable
stuff, sent broadcast over the land only to de-
stroy.
In conclusion, Providence permitting, I in
tend to visit Staunton, not later than the beau
tiful month of May, when | confidently expect
to see 'ior myself and not another, your grow
ing town-your improvements, your smiling
fields Of grain, visit your schools SO highly
spoken of. at home and abroad !; to become az
quained with you, and, at least, some of your
people, and then hOmeWard, the University
so justly celebrated, and the graves of your de-