Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-02-16
OUR NORTH CAROLINA LETTER.

Ny DEAR YOU'VE FRIEND If the T.
journey you are preparing to take is to
be purely for pleasure, l do not advise /
you to come from Richmond, Virginia. !
to this place by way of Weldon. Come /
by Danville, Va. by New Orleans, by
Florida.-any way you like, only don't .
come by Weldon. | came that way and .
know whereof | write. The route is
not pleasant The memory of my ride .
is very fresh, though it dates back to /
the first day Of last October To con-
vince you of some of the unpleasant /.
things let NE tell you about my journey. !
We were to leave the city at 6 \. NJ. so /.
left orders at the hotel office to be called /
at +, so as to have ample time to dress,
ride to the depot. hunt up our numerous
trunks. bundles, etc. and get safely of.
ColOred servants are seldom ahead of
time, but the Waterman at Ford's prov
ed an exception, for promptly at 3 o'clock
he pounded on our door. and with voice
enough to rouse the whole house, called
out Petersburg train. sab !. time to get
up, sab say. sab hear, sab ?" Hear!
| think We did, sab and surprising
from his fervor that we had oversight,
sprang up, jumped into our clothes. and
as We grabbed the last basket and made
for the door, looked at watch and found
it few minutes after three then watch
es were compared with the same result
seldom get mad. | do not think was
mad then but | caught myself saying
very gently, hang that Niger But
words are not ropes, so he wasn't hang
ed, and warn 'you in season. Well.
We waited awhile in cur room, then We
waited another while in the parlor then
we tried our room again, looking at our
watches every FIVE minutes. At last the
bus was at the door, and we went out
into the darkness of the first morning of
the month. The day before had been
rainy, and the air was damp and chilling.
We reached the depot before the light
of day had begun to peep over the east
ern horizon, and then commenced a
search after baggage-that pest of trav-
eler's life. Found at last. and checked
and with a feeling of intense satisfaction
l ratified the four pieces OF brass that
represented all my '.fxins." in my
trunks. Trouble was at an end, and the
next thought was to get of, as our break
fast waited US at Weldon, Sc miles in
advance so We got into the cars and an.
nounced ourselves ready to go; but wait
ing seemed 10 be the order of the day
and so, expecting every moment to star
and not daring to 90 away for breakfast
We waited two hours There is a place
on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. il
Virginia, that has earned the name O
Chickenleg town, from the fact tina
e whenever a train passes through TIL
: place, numerous colored women and boy
' appear with '.snacks' TO sell. and al
: ways have fried chicken, and usual
!, you can get nothing but the leg an,
5 shoulder of the fowl. / have heard tia
: these colored people raise a breed q
n fowls different from any known elsewher
:. that they cut the legs off and then lie
/ them run till another set grows on, whe
d the amputating process is repeated.
$ say | have heard this but if | was pu
} upon OATH, and made to kiss all the dic
t tionaries in the Old Dominion, coul
n not say l know it to be fact. Never
IS theless | have heard it. But Is mile
IS lay between us and Chickenleg town,
4. | longed in vain for chance at the al
l. petizing lunch. But fortunes whe
he turned trife and | secured a cup
I, coffee, which | swallowed regardless
ry dregs. The wheel turned a little flu
Of Their, and the conductor shouted "a
H. aboard :" Our hearts leaped within u
e. but they grew respondent again as it b
be gan to look as if the conductor only sa
d. that to keep our spirits up. Anoth
of hitch Of the wheel. snort from the
On connective, and the cars actually move
"a | felt like crying bravo, try again, 0
u iron horse but was afraid to be too !
I'D bilant. / might have risked it. for ,
In were really about to start, and were So
he well under way. L was too tired al
ed hungry to look about but could not pa
ed Belle Isle without shudder, as | thu
to of the horrors experienced there by
If many of those who wore the blue in I
X, civil war and L thought Of the gray
Is. over the hill in the National Cemeter
Ill where sleeps many an one who died
'rs the prison dens of Richmond. The fl
m. they died for floats above them. and tn,
nd graves are the Nations care. All oy
our country, mothers hearts are longi
Or for sight of the resting place of tn,
pie soldiers /; and many a voice has sa
Ell ''Oh that he might have been broup
MI home to lie with his kindred - But
'n- me it seems very fitting that our bra
m men should sleep side By side, and
an guarded by our Country. But mi
leave this subject till another time. C
route lay through Petersburg, over
W. road which was fought for so much d
not ing the war; Terribly injured then.