Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-30
Letter from the cold Virginia Low
lands.

lands.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.
On THE YORK RIVER, Aug 29-I ye az
Gent city of Williamsburg could be taken up
aod transported to corner of the Centennial
grounds it would doubtless prove the greatest
curiosity there, and present picture OF veneer
able dapdallon, and boar antiquity, only
| equaled by the excavaed cities of Pom
pei or Herculaneum. This immediate section
of Virginia, lying between the two riVers-the
James and the York is by nature the richest
and most fertile spot of the State. The soil Is
! rich and lucXhaustbe, the climate several
weeks earlier THAI 10 the valley, the river yields
q buuutiiul supply of fish and oysters, and the
problem of where to live With the least cxer-
ton Is solved here. Land is exceedingly cheap,
varying from three 10 ten dollars per acre,
with 90 purchasers even at that figure. Before
the War the estates lying on aud betWeeu the
TWO rivers we're lamvu, for their sZ. and pro
| ductiveuesS. 1t was common sight to
wheat field OF thousand acres; the rlpeulue
gram reaching as tar as the eye could see,
waving aBd uudulatlng III the breeze, lkesthe
pillows OF the ocean. The planters lead Care
less luxurious lives, working IazIly, riding fear
| lessy, and living literally. Their cxlstance
was an easy goiog one, and they were b'lsstuly
iguorant of such thing as adding their heads
or worrying their bralns for living. Enough
labor in Looking over their plantations to amusc
| and interest them, aud they passed their live,
in the daily discharge OF pleasant duties and
elegant hospitality. the wide folding doors
kevtr stood open, and the friends, the traveller,
or the tramp, would never be turued away.
The civil War has no where made such mark
ed change a. here. The fine roomy manSoo
is out vi repair, the negro cabDs have tumUlcd
down, and the fertile fields arc now deuse forests;
the negroes have all scattered, and labor is both
difficult 10 obtain and costly to have. Here Is the
Africans paradise; here he can live with but
little work. Bulldog bis log cabin on the
banks of the river the stream supplies him with
fish, flesh aud the bivaIve>. His little corn
patch gives hun bread and his neighbours hog
pen furnishes him with meat. lu tile tall,
winter aud spring, he can get ten dollars week
for oysteriug aud clammlng, and, Ut course, the
farmers caDuOt compete with the river trade,
and the natural consequence l. that three
tourths Of the land Is IL The uarke; Ill d price
that is absur1iy cheap. This rcglo1 OF all others
is the place for German COLBY, and a COM
munlty OF those temperate, frugal, Industrious
people would cr.ate place Ut SURPRISING
beauty and wealth. Ii is not TO be imagined that
even with this gloomy state OF affairs that nope
lies dead and trust recliucS iucrt 10 the Low
LADDERS Ereast He sill p!Ojs on aud waits
with sublime faith Tor the exclusion of the
Chesapeake aud Onio Railroad through his
vicinity When the scream oi the lrOu horse
is heard then all his hopes vii! have lu iIu
tiOn; land will appreciate 10 value, burdcs Vi
real estate purchasers will spread over the
country, his wood will be IN demand, aud a
ready market for all his surplus can be had.
So he talks aod from thinking ADD dwelling so
long on one subject he really believes what he
says.
La the midst OF this dcso!ate section stands
WILLIAMSBURG,
four miles from James river. Ii is tit gem
for such a setting, and is spot full OF utter, ST
to the tourist. Standing 10 those deserted
streets with not the slgn OF lille visible, wife the
setting sun castIDg Its drcllDlDg rays Oh the Old
huus.s, and wcavia2 fantastic shadows on the
moss growu walls aud ivy clad roofs, one taels
that he is the last man left IN the wreck Jf
worlds, and stands waiting for this lone spot to
crumble into uoahJmabe aud uGendiog chaos,
the remaining atom Of a vanished universe.
The glamour of other days ciugs Lovingly to
this old place yet, and solemn weird silence
brouds over the town. ln our magic new world
where cities spring up 10 decade, aud where
the painless forest OF yesterday Is the popuious
mart of to day, this ancient burg Is a real
curiosity, for 1t is exactly As X Was huDdred
years ago, with no change except thar made by
the hand Of time The houses with tner press
ed brick, their quaint angles, their quaint
dutch peekcd roofs and Wondering pillars
stand like the Landmark Of another race for
ever gone.
entered large house, and found it deserted;
it Was type OF many others there. 1t Was OF
that rambling roomy style OF architecture SO
suggestive OF perfect comfort, founded upon con-
bucd ideas OF diff rent people, that is seen 10
many old manslous the State 1t was doubt
ess the abode of wealth, aristocracy and un-
bounded hospitality in its day. The house was
strongly built with deep massive walls and solid
timbcrs aud seemed as If it was raised to bid
defiance to time itself, but the century OF years
had told 90 it's strength. The staiwart home
had like the stroUg man grown to be dccrepd
being, who ciiugs to life long after bis hopes are
dead The windows are broken and shattered,
the f1or caved 10, the hcartnstone sunk and
ceiling falling dowo, leaving unsigh,ly olotchcs;
and decay had touched with its hoary finger
every space and every spot leaving ooly un-
touched the massive chimney which stood like
seuineI amid the desolatiou Of Wondering
home.
In the gathering gloom it seemed as if the
shaduwy forms filled the space. The murmur
iDg of the summer wind sounded like the long
drawn human sigh, and straoge shadows passed
across the hall.
"A day 10 the dreary house,
The doors upon the hinges crcaked
The blue fl sung upon the pane,
The mouse behind the Wondering wainsc at
shricked
Or from his crcvicc pcered about;
Old footsteps rod upon the fl ,ors;
Old faces gnmcred through the doors;
Old voices called upon him without,
He only said
If those walls could talk what tales they
could tell of unstlntcd cheer, unbouuded wealth,
aud brilliant display. What queeay forms clad
in satin and lace have f ,ated through the
at alianta Nd