Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-03-13
a Strangers Views.

! To the editor Of tie AteranIria GGzette:
viii you kindiy permit stranger passing
through Virginia briefly to state the effect
produced on his mind. You are doubtless
| aware that your State claims the reputation
abroad os Possessing, IN peculiar degree, thos,,
advantages OF soil and position calculated to
induce Immigration, and in that light | pro-
pose to outsider the sui jcct, but before saving
any hng you must allow me, through the me-
Ilun Of your columns, to express thauk, to
those gentlemen, aud they are mauy, who have
c. ur;eou.ly received aud furlhered my piaus,
rom first 10 last. Wherever | have gone |
! have mel with aothug bur the greatest kind
ness aod attention. havt in this way had au
oppur u1ity eff seeing one or two different Sec
! toes, !,ui what has impressed me most Is the
| plcdtppnt District Of the country. This fine
grass district, with lis beautiful rolllag surface,
| charming wo3lauds aud ripping mountain
| strcaEis, SecnS to u stranger 10 c4mpine IL
! i'-cl, the very 1eau ideal OF the home of the
SCI Ter. There one the richest Soils, i'm
! proved breeds OF cattle and sheep, thriving
! tlro:s, and al every turn urc1ard> Of the finest
! fruits, and 4 genera! condition of thiLgs, which,
at er passing through the barren regions
| travvrsrd hy the railroads OF the s. nth, tends
10 gladden. and restore the heart OF the weary
! traveller. | especially ailude to such places
as Ok Hill, ilartIanI aod nelghDorhoJd,
| Mr. Aycc'S lacHs, in J.oudJun, and ylcnity
Of UppcGyilc, all magnificent stlOng soils Of
! inc first order and with substantial improve
meats These places, AID many others through
the kindness of M's>rS. Green l. Wis.,, of
! Ai,x. gdria, ana o: their courteous and Intel.
;i.cnt ;,g nj, Mr. Frccm IN, l have been cuablcd,
wih great ease aud comfort, 10 visit
! In the sane connection also permit me to re-
fer 10 the vineyard Of Mr. Buck, AT Front Royal,
which had the pleasure of ,eciug over. These
are If great intcres' and are kept in STATE Of
cultivation delightful to view. There is ample
provision in tie Way Of cellars and other APP
piiance> aud apparatus for converting the pro-
ducc to prof ale account, and was struck
with the miIi flavor of the white VINE AMI
brandy here pro:iuc ID This in part, owing
! TO The choice suli aud admirable sluIilJn, Is
40 d, ubt, also, the result Of cx'rcme care, evil
! denly taken in the m4nutlcurt. such an To-
! dusr;, 50 followed. Oh such "a scale, is a credit
| 70 any couu ry. iud more than most else TO be
seen cxilrb;l- ;hc capabilities Of ,hi- beautiful
region Ply it Is that there are 10 other smi,
! lar thriving Industries.
y
mi;ted to con>dcr the question:: How is it that,
with - many special advantages to ctfer, this
! Country is not more the theatre OF Industrial
t enterprise, and also not more (what every one
seems to d,>rc) the resort Of the immigrant
jas, there me lands are generally much too
high prtcci - compete succ s>iuly with the
rcglyu> Ut Tie West, whcrr, uuder the home
. ST. al and prc-rm ptou laws, settlers can, ut
! 0nce enter IN farms of fertile lands at merely
uuluinal prices, aud ut nice, turn all their avail
uh. capital To cultivation, with a Certainly, 10
! five or ten years oI their lands having i!creaS-
ed IN value several hundred per ct. Thus the
! frugal au indu>triuu, farmer, and these
the men wanted here. must, nt Necessity, con-
thu. to 60 Westward, aud this is. % doubt,
| the cau.e Of the enormous u lterlll develop.
m-nt OF those regions.
Hit be al eg d Virginia has special advan-
tages 10 shape Of markets aud location, that
may be, bur except IN the more favored pOr
tons, her soils are CORRESPONDENCE exhausted,
or no, fit, originally, TO compare in tcrtl is,
ami there are also causes ut work 10 the action
OF her Legislature which appear calculated to
cramp and fettcr Industry of all kinds audrcpel
! immigration from her borders.
Ont hears on all sidrs very much spoken
about the introduction of capital aud enterprise,
a. il that wouli prove the panacea OF every Ill.
| No doubt at all that would be an excellent
thing. but il must result from the operations OF
| 0r,iinnrV CAUSES lie! us consider then why it
| Is 70 scarce 10 Virginia, aud on sound cOmtncr-
cial principles. There must first be- some lu-
duccmeut, ond who Tor iuslauce is going TO
bring capital into the State, for which, at w"st
hc can r.alz sir per ct. when he can easily
get mrem outside This policy will never even
tna,r in the result hnp,d ior, of SURVIVING
he market 'n"pol'cs ii all ki1ds are BAD
hut thar oi Land, when This Ghnea'otS 10 ere,