The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-29
Rotetours6rom scottsyiIle.

BOtetourS&rOm ScOttsviIae.
scorTsvlLLE IN ASTE-BELLUA TINES AND NOW
HER FUTURE PRoSPECTS--THE MOON GHOST
EXPoSEp-AN ENGLISH INVASION, AND STILL
THEY coaE-A RICHMOND I" B"-GREAT FRO
DUCTIyENESS OF THE SECTION FARMERS
CLUBS-CoUNTY ASSOCIATION, ETC., ETC.
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.l
SCoTsvlLLE, AlBEMARLE COUNTY, VA,
January %, 1874.
Pursuing my perigrinations through Pied
mont Virginia, find myself this evening on
the banks of the James where can stand
with one foot on Albemarle soil, the other
in Fluyanna, and with good sling dropa
stone on Buckingham'S shore. AS we stand
upon the banks of this pretty stream and
watch the tiny waves as they splash and
break at our feet, sort of home-feelinS
comes over us when we reco!lcct that a
hundred and fifty miles above, amongst our
own loved mountaius, those same tiny
waves, clearer and brighter, there kissed
the shores Of dear old Botetourt.
Scottsville was before the war one of the
most stirring, prosperous. and wealthy
towns, in proportion t" its population, in
the State. The farmers of Albemare and
the adjacent counties for miles around
brought their produce here for sale, or ship
mcnt by canal to Richmond i; number of
stores and commission houses, large mill,
candle factory, and woollen factory,
were in successful operation; fortunes were
made, money was plentiful, and the Scots
rtlfans happy. But one bright day Vir-
ginia Central engine shrieked triumphant
=" Eureka" at Louisa Courthouse, and Scots
vile, sadly signing "Ichabod," aw0ke from
her bright dream of golden future to find
that she was too slow for this fast age, and
looked heplessly on while her trade slipped
off to the railroad. Then Sheridan, the in
cendary, came along, and her factories, her.
mills, and valuable private residences around
smoked in ruins behind him. But still she
struggles op, and, with true Virginia pluck,
"won't say die" She has rebuilt her wool
len factory, gotten her mills into successful
operation Cunning off scventy-tiTe barrels
of flour per day, aud with her daiIyboat ar
rival, at the Richmond and Lynchburg
wharves, and her regular tri-weekly stage at
North Garden station, her Moou-ghost mys-
ferries. backed BY her enterprising little
sheet the Scotssyiiie Courier, shows her de-
termination not to be forgotten by the out
side world. She lives in hopes, and justly,
too, we think, Of the completion Of VirgInia's
great water-line-the James River and Ka-
nawha canal. Then, occupying as she will
Z prominent post on that national thorough
fare (tor it must aud will be bully, Scots
vile will be herself again, the grass in hen
streets will be trodden down, her waste
places will be rebuilt, her borders will be en-
larsed, opulence will seek home within her
limits, and il will be said Of her, This and
that man was born there"
We have alluded to the Moon ghost, Of
which the readers Of the Dispatch year or
two ago will recollect TO have seen frequent
and startling reports. We visited the local
ity of these wonderful manifestations few
DAYS since, and not having heard solution
OF the mystery we experienced rather un-
comfortable sensation about the head, aris-
ing, we presume, from the effort OF each
individual hair to assume the vertical. Our
apprehepsions, however, were ailayed by
meeting gentleman evidently made after
the same image as ourself, who Informed US
that the ghost had been suspected of the
very unspiritual pastime of DEMONSTRATING,
and being pressed pretty close had taken its
flight to more congenial climes. So, our hair
resumins the horizontal, we listened to par.
ticuars. and gathered, that band Of horse
thieves had been in the habit of visiting the
place on their regular trips with their i'll
gotten booty, and hid the horses in dense
pine thicket near the dwelling, where they
were fed and cared for by person living on
the farm in MIR. Moons employ, who was
connected with the gang. Their reckless cha
ractcrs, doubtless to subserye their own
ends, played the strange tricks, which were
greatly exaggerated by alarm aud frequent
repetition. Be that as it may, an arrest
or two and criminal prosecution, and the
ghost disappeared. Putting this and that
together, we confess our belief that the spirit
,lai part Of the story has received a severe
shock. t..
In the neighborhood of Scottsyille we
were fortunate enough to meet with an old
Richmond merchant-one Of the numerous
Bsrksdaie name-who has turned his ledger
into ploughshare, his pen into pruning
hook, and Wields them right worthily on one
OF the best river farms 10 the good county OF
AlDemarle. After seeing the grass, and The
stock, aud the crops OF the said Barksdale,
we were not surprised to hesr from the
neighboring planters that Richmond had
sent them the star farmer of the neighbor-7
hood.
Much OF the land In this section is very
productive and In u high state OF culture,
and, being held at low figure, oaersa most
Inviting field to the enterprising immigrant.
We were reliably informed that Colonel
CAN'T, near Scottsyille, sold last year from
one hundred and fly acres of meadow land
81 900 worth Of hay-the cheapest crop the
farmer can make. Other gentlemen along
the canal make and market large crops of
hay, which pay better than anything else,
the outlay being comparatively small, aud
the carriage by water light. Large crops of
tobacco also are produced here; the crops
Mr.. q; Lewis, Dear Howardsyiile, six miles
further up the river, being estimated at ffty
hogsheads each, and many other good crops,
If not quite SO large. Let your commission
merchants see to It that this people are not
neglected.
The advantages. Of proprietorship In THIS
section have not escaped the Britisher's cal
culatipg eye. Quite q number OF English
M u a.Ye settled In Il be county, sinbr..e Ing