National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-21
MAGAZINES FOR APRIL.
SELKCTIONs FROM CURRENT LITE
RATURE OF TIE DAY.

UTOPIAAHIsroRY OF PAPER MONEY IN
THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.
Sri6ner's Monthly contains variety Of light
interesting matter. The second of the series Of
papers on the "Great South, BY Edward King
So entitled IA Ramble in Virginia" from ''Bris
tol to the Sea-" and Is full Of pithy points IN
regard to the social, political, and material
features of the section of country IN ana around
1ynchburg, Petersburg, Norfolk, &c. In Rock
bridge, Botetourt, and Roanoke counties, I'll
surprising rich in resources, the writer assure,
us that lands have declined IN value % thai
they may be purchased at excellent bargains
In the Upper Piedmont counties prices are ~
STEADY English immigration show tendency t.
rise. In Bedford, Amherst, Nelson, Campbell
and Appomattox counties, there are thousandi
of acres of good grazing and fruit lands to b
bought Ior from 90 to IS per acre; while farmi
of the best quality, easily accessible to market,
are sold at from $40 to $50. In the James
river valley great numbers of slaves were held
before the war. Emancipation ruined hun
dreds Of planters and farmers, and caused
decline in the price of the lands. Many nne
old Colonial estate is in the market at small
P sum. The bottom lands in this attractive val
ley have been cultivated for two centuries, but
are still fertile and unexhausted. The staples
IN buC Iull-COuntTy III tiic VI q
are mainly wheat, Indian corn, oats, hay, and
tobacco. The fruits are unrivaled, and along
the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains
the grape fourishes luxuriantly, and needs no
protection from the cold. The farmers in the
James river valley say that the bottom lands
there will yield from sixty to one hundred BUSH
els of corn to the acre. "a .
The possibilities of Southwestern Virginia
are hinted at as follows: r..-.r.s.T
A journey from the Tennessee line, north
ward toward Lynchburg, gave me enlarged
ideas of the possibilities Of Southwestern Vir-
.ginia. The bustling town of Bristol is popu-
larry supposed to bestride the line between
Virginia and Tennessee, and consequently has
double municipal existence. Two mayors
and two sets of minor municipal officers have
Jurisdiction within its limits. 1t is pretty
collection of neat houses and busy shops,
ranged along lightly-sloping hills; and beyond
the Tennessee boundary, the blue range Of the
Iron mountains stands out sharply against the
clear sky. The streets are usually crowded
with wagon trains, immense canvas-covered
vehicles, drawn by sober mules, and driven by
brawny, long bearded backwoodsmen, or by
tattered and slouching negroes. These trains
ply back and forth, along the difficult routes
not yet reached by any railways, and at night
the men and mules camp together under the
open sky.
Stout farmers, splashed with the reddish
mud of the roads, rattle up and down the main
avenues on alert little horses. At evening the
through train from New Orleans, bound for
New York, shrieks the note of warning as 1t
rolls into the overcrowded depot, and the pas
sengers pour out to the roomy, old-fashioned
brick hotel, and, seated on wooden stools
around long table, absorb the smoking frag-
ments of hot chicken and corn-bread set before
them. Here aud there the noise Of factory
wheels is heard, and the hills are crowned
with neat edifices containing fourishing schools.
On the Tennessee side stands Kings College,
supported by the Presbyterian Church South,
naries for women. The eighteen hundred peo-
pie settled at Bristol seem prosperous and con
tented, as they may well be, in view of the
chances for future growth, which the rapid
multiplication of railway lines with important
connections is to give this town. The extern
hon of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Rail-
road from Bristol to Cumberland Gap will
develop a rich country; and when Bristol Is
receiving the great currents Of traffic directly
from Memphis and Louisville, It will fully
merit the title now and then given It, of "the
most active town in Virginia" The Natural
Tunnel" forty-two miles from Bristol, near
the ford of the Clinch river, is passage, about
eight hundred feet in length, through battle
ments of solid stone.
The vaults of the tunnel here and there rise
10 the height of eighty feet; and where the
4rch finally terminates In the mountain slope,
there is q sheer precipice five hundred feet
high. In q few years, 1t is confidently expected,
. railroad will find its way through this
wonderful tunnel, and the locomotives scream
Boone painfully toiled, more than q century
ago, on his pioneering pilgrimage to the Ken
lucky wilds. Straight across Powell 8 mountain
cAd Powell's valley to the rock. ribbed Cum
berland range runs the projected route Of the
railway which is to forge one more link IN the
great chain binding the West to the East. The
whole region adjacent to the main road lead
ing to Cumberland Gap is rich In tradition and
natural wonders. Not far from the Natural
Tunnel is massive cave, In whose chambers
hang thousands of stalactities; and near the
little town of Estillville, in Scott county, are
the "Holston Springs" where chalybeate,
thermal and white sulphur waters rise out OF
other. Around Estillville the lands are rich
In minerals: iron and copper abound; and the
lead deposits along the Clinch river have long
been eppsidered remarkable. -.-..
-. ESGI1sH AND AMERICAN WOMEN
In the same magazine contains some sensible
criticisms and ideas upon the tendencies of our
modern life. The writer does not seem willing
10 accord to English women any advantages
over our own countrymen, aside of the ques-
ton which mas been somewhat popular of late
In certain quarters. He says:
When we come to test English women by
whatthey consider their capacity to meet the
regular duties of life, or to do severe excep-
tiona work, they do not seem to me to have 20
kfeat advantage over American women as one
might expect. 1t is no very uncommon thing
IN England for girl between the ages Of eigh-
teen and twenty-five to be one or two years
prostiated on her couch, and know a good
many older women who have been equally un-
fortunate. / do not chance TO know single
American girl who has been an invalid for .
similar length Of time, and only few older
kEomel; and, what is very strange, these Eng
fish girls and women look pretty well all the
time, They do not lose their flesh nor their
color.
English women arc constantly complaining
of " bad nights" and breakfasting in their
chambers, when they do nc. look H. They
ssem to me to lack the nervous energy, or Will
power, that enables our women to struggle
against pain and weakness. Among the
women who are doing public work, the women
who are pressing on the educational and fran
chise movements in England, do not know
One who would think herself capable Of the ex-
haustig work that several Of ours 70 through;
and yer; generally they are less disposed to UNI
dergo fatigue than our women are, except in
the matter Of long walks and rides. Whether
this difference is to be attributed wholly to
habit, OF partly to q peculiar faculty Of endu-
rance in our women, am unable TO say; but
as matter of fact, in every grade Of life, Eng
lish women not only do not take upon them
selves the severe work of our women, but they
would not think themselves capable Of II.
The most of the i'll health Of this country,
whether it shows itself in protracted invaiidism
or acute Illness, is caused by govt, rheumatism,
and chest and nervous diseases, all Of which
point to the climate and luxurious living. Our
illnesses, aside from those caused by the mala-
ria, particularly among the women, are largely
due TO weakness, which, in many cases, 10 to be
attributed to over exhaustion, and In many more
| to the lack of exercise and fresh air, and IT.
repularitcs in the food. 1t Is often said that
I.American families decline IN vigor after few
1oenerstions, and the small New England house
holds are instanced as proof; but, even without
any statistical reference, the consideration Of
our physical habits would afford Q sufficient
basis for this prediction.
The climate is against us as compared with
England, and in the free struggle for social
Position that our life affords, doubtless the
1ttest survives; but large number Of the
weaker come to an untimely end, and the
strongest have their vigor impaired.
In the changing conditions Of our families, It
Is impossible for US TO have fixed sanitary
habits adopted 10 the different grades Of wealth,
and we must substitute an active intelligence