The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-12

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| [correspon depcct OF the Rishmona, DjEpatch.1
HOME AuAIN1 QUICK TINE on THE UHEsxrEaKr
AND OHIO !. RAILROAD EfcnnosD 2AsLEEr-
EASTERN vrRdtSIA--THE upfEH VALLEY
CROPS --VALtsff STANDARDIZATION CouBT,
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| ANsTERDAa, Va, March I, 1874.
Here we are once more, after our ninety
days wanderings, landed safely on the hos
pitable shores of loved old Botetourt, rest.
ing this bright spring day in the heightened
shadows Of her rugged and picturesque
mountains, lulled to repose by the soft music
of her gurgling brooks, and feeling tho
roughly, deIightedy, at "home again..
But to resume the thread OF our narrative
when it was broken at Scottsville-the little
Albemarle city by the river, where last we
wrote: The writer took a hasty leave Of
that historic place-hurried by sudden and
distressing intelligence to n distant border
Of the State. We made quick time to the
nearest point of that great artery OF Virgil
MIA, the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,
caught an express train, and sped away rs
if on the wings of the morning. And here
let me say for the benefit Of any ira
weller whose necessities or distresses would
compel him to make time through that por-
ton Of Virginia, take g the express" That
train annihilates one hundred miles every
three and half hours. 1t was morning
when we left Charlottesville, it was morning
still when we passed through Richmond, her
her threescore and ten thousand fast asleep
and it was yet morning of the same day
when we alighted at station not many miles
distant from the frontier town of Danville. To
rhnf ro, orfa hos
said, our transfer of passengers and baggage
through your good city wasas easy as rapid,
and as our rattliog "'bus" walked the echoes
of the deserted streets (bringing only an &C.
casional night-cap to a haf-opened shutter)
there was little evidence Of the great busy
heart that throbbed within those brick walls
Of the active, stirring life that there slept
the semblance of the sleep that knows no
waking. One cannot help a feeling of de-
preston creeping over HIM as he traverses
the silent streets of sleeping city: be knows
not why unless it is the helpleSsness and de-
pendencc of poor, proud, sef-sufficient
man, that subdues and humbes us.
Well, our engine sends out its shrilI
skriek upon the still night, and
| we move out of the gaslight into the dark
ness, and leave behind US the quiet city, with
| its sleeping hosts. We speed along by the
| rushing river, through the signing pines,
over the barren hills, and into the gray
morning of another day. 1t is interesting
| to wakeful traveller like the writer 10
watch the effects Of the first rays of the
rising sun as they shoot through the frosted
panes of q railway coach. Legs doubled
| into unimaginable shapes will unwind !;
| bodies bent in uncomfortable attitudes will
be Strengthened; your neighbor on the
next seat stops snoring thank goodness y;
hats and wells are lifted from features you
were idly curious to see; eyes are yigor-
ously rubbed, and yawns and signs wake
the echoes of the morning. while every pas
seuger who is favored with a time-piece is
called upon by his neighbor to enlighten
| him as to the hour, and the next station, and
| breakfast time; though nine times out Of
| ten he is as ignorant as to the last two points
as the questioner. But SO it is, and doing
what we can to alleviate the petty troubles
of the way the hours drag slowly on till our
landing is reached. We step upon the plat
form, our train rushes by, and with palpita-
ting heart we hurry to the sick-bed of a dear
one. Thank God. it is only sick-bed.
| Two weeks Of watching. and nursing, and
cheering, and we are offagain to our mountain
home, leaving behind the short grass, the red
gulies, the stunted pines, the worn fields, the
warm hearts, and dear friends of Old Vir-
ginia, for the bracing air, the green hills, the
| pretty valleys, the clear streams, and the
budding plants Of this beautiful valley
equal to any land, inferior to none. The
grass is spriDging freshly here, the fruit
| trees budding, and the wheat crop giving
unusual promise. In fact, we may say that
the prospect in some twenty counties in the
valley, Piedmont, and Eastern and South
side Virginia is SO far good one; the Win
ter has been favorable, and the cheerful
faces and hopeful expressions of the farm
ers generally are sure induces of their esti-
mate at least of the coming times. The
open winter has expedited teamwork, and
large amount of ploughing has been done,
| nearly all the following that is generally
| done in the spring having been finished, and
| farmers waiting for propitious season for
I preparing their tobacco-land and sowing
| their oat crop.
The main topic of public interest. how
| ever, in this section of the State is the Val.
| lev railroad, which is now being pushed rap.
| idly forward. AS of late, there is no limit
| to the amount of monthly work allowed the
contractors. Some bright hopes are based
upon the completion of the road, though
| there is large number who complain of
breach of faith upon the part of the COM
| pany in not taking the central route, and no
| lew threats INDUCED in.
Our Circuit Court (Judge Mahood) has
| been in session all the present week, and
Will probably continue the next. Several
interesting cases came up before bis Honor,
among which was one of Lux US. Luster,
hotel-keeper, in which plaintiff sued defend
| ant for value of horse burnt in defendants
stabeat Fincustle in the disastrous fire of May,
1870. There was good deal of evidence adj
| duced 10 prove TINT Luster's stable and the
| horse were burnt by the carelessness of ne.
gro hostler in Luster's employ, but the oppo-
site side contended as strenuously that the fire
was the work of an inceudiary or incendia-
ries, and the jury seemed to be of that opin-
| ion also, finding for the defendant.
BoTETouRT.