The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-07-10
Communicated to the Tidewater Index.
A New Era The Dawn of BETTER
Days''-The RappahannOck Valley.

Days''-The RappahannOck Valley. A
It is painful to hear, as we daily do,
complaints of +" hard times" :" scarcity
of money" and general distress. All these,
it is concluded, exist to very great ex-
tent. But will it better our condition to
be constantly Responding ? Would it not
be more manly, and much more the part
ofwisdom to set to work and utilize what
natures God has given us.
l assume, without the fear of contra
diction, that taking itall and all, and every
thing into consideration, that Eastern VIr-
ginia, and especially the Valley of the Rap
pahannock, is second to no country on
the globe. say this, after having examin-
ed in person, every southern state, every
western state, all the Pacific states, and
considerable portion of foreign countries.
| have looked at. and considered all the
advantages and disad santages of each, and
the resources of each. assume, and the
statistics will sustain me, that Eastern Vir-
ginia, in point of health, will compare
favorably with any other portion of the
United States.
NEW ENTERPRISES AND RESOURCES.
In this vicinity, at least one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars are annually received
from the sale of lumber wood, ship-timber,
slaves, sumae, fruit, poultry, fish, &c.
and within the past few months, railroad
ties, poplar wood, &C., and now comes
bark and sassafras root, in large quantities,
to be sent to Germany. But last and
best
OUR SALT WATER MARSHES
are about to yield thousands and thousands
of dollars annually-heretofo regarded
as valueless, or nearly so.
Colonel John M. Brockenbrough, of
Richmond county, whose efforts TO cause
gratitude of the.country, is the pioneer in
contract with Mr.. Sands, the owner and
editor of the American Farmer, who is to
furnish ample capital to cut cure, bale, and
ship all the hay on his large marsh, of
LOO acres. Fifty hands are now being
engaged to commence work on 9th June.
Two cuttings at least, can be annually
made.
THE FIGURES.
100 acres, will yield not less than s tons
to the acre two cuttings), $500 tons.
The hay at this time is worth in market
$24 per ton. Let it be put down at SIS
per ton, and we have a gross sum of
$4,000
Deduct expenses for cutting,
bailing, shipping, &c., say
one-half, $1,000
Leaving SCI 900
This might seem fabulous, but there
stand the figures and estimates. Examine
them and see if they will not stand the
test.
Suppose all of the many, many thou
sands of acres of marsh on the Rappahan-
mock should yield in the same proportion,
millions of dollars would be annually
realized.
1t will be borne in mind that every article
have named have become articles of COM
merce since the war. pray you, is there
any cause Of despair? II we cannot get
wealth out of the land God has given us,
we can from it. But idlers and croakers
must pass to the rear industry and enter
prise to the front-then. and not till then,
our march will be "Onward and Upward"
He who addresses you (who is now in the
sere and yellow leaf may not live to see
the prosperity Of the s'New Virginia" but
it is coming-and soon. That dark pail,
which. for more than century has.impeded
our progress, thank God has passed
away. E OBSERVER.