The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-08-16
coMMuNloATED.
OF for the Centennial.
RICHMOND, Va, Aug. 6.

R1cHMoNp, Va, Aug. 6.
mfr. Editor
Having spare hour or two, which
hang heavily upon my hands, I
thought I would idrop u line to the
News. but not with much confidence
Of furnishing your readers with
items of interest SO much rs to
occupy the leisure moments of your
readers, who, anticipate, arc rs
usual discussing some abstract po-
itical problem for the editication of
the genuine darkey, around your
sanctum, "whore men do mostly con-
gregate."
While en- route for the Centennial,
my pleasure trip was somewhat in
terrupted by the accustomed il,erali-
ty which characterized the officers of
the great G, G. & a. Railroad in
making up for the want of passen-
gers by overchnrging those who
happen to have more than one trunk,
regardless of the one hundred
pounds allowed by the charter. /
was mulct to the tune of S1.75 for
IN extra trunk, but if can only re-
turn without n similar mark of favor
from some corporation I will have
no further cause to complain. Among
our Yankee friends we ''pay our
money and take our choice" but get
amply rewarded by more liberal
spirit Of accommodation On leav-
ing the big village of Charlotte felt
like Tam o Shantcrs wife, nursing
my wrath to keep it warm" At
Danville / had the good fortune to
meet square-up trio from home,
somewhat dilnpidatcd, but not
totally demoralized, and Judging
from the heat and dust I was fully
satisfied that the pocket friend of
Major w. was called upon to in
fluencc the condition of the ther-
mometer. 1 have no doubt they
have already given you an cnthu
siastic narrative of what they saw
and enjoyed during their absence.
From an agricultural point of view,
I think the crops of corn between
Danville and Richmond have been
more OF less injured by drought and
heat, whilst the tobacco crop is far
short of tho estimated average,
However, had the good fortune to
sec field Of five hundred and forty
acres in corn on Dan river, which had
been refreshed by copious shower
and which the owner said would
certainly realize him about twelve
thousand bushels when harvested.
Here is food for reflection for the
advocates of a big cotton crop.
There is no finer country south Of
Baltimore than that which lies along
the line of the Virginia railroad ter
minating at Richmond, yet the tray
eller is mortified to learn that the
splendid and magnificent palaces Of
the "old Virginia gentlemen" are
more on less abandoned, and the
large barns, stables and cattle
houses that c,uld have beon looked
upon before the "late unpleasant-
ness" with pleasure and delight. are
now eithe' destroyed or abandoned
to owls ,hd bats But such is the
effect ofwar- Thousands of acres are
loft wild and barren, because the small
farm ,ystem has not been introduced,
and those who have immigrated
fren the North have failed in their
eforts to realize money, in planting
lthcr wheat or corn--as you might
very naturally conjecture, since their
system of farming in Vermont and
Massachusetts will nevor suit the
soil of Virginia. In some places
wheat has been planted on large
scale without fertilizers, and corn
two or three stalks in the hill and
eighteen inches apart in the row.
Whilst spending few days in
Richmond, L had the good fortune
of enjoying q pleasure trip on tho
james River to the romantic and
luxurious homo of the ex-Confede-
rate Secretary of War. In rambling
about the city also had a card Of
admission to the great Exchange,
where l met several friends whose
first acquaintance I made in days
gone by at the Virginia Springs
among them q gentleman named
Royster, who not only claims your
acquaintance but q kinship, and
whom I found a little better post
cd in politics than in wheat or
tobacco. OF course he made the
usual inquiry, "And how is South
Carolina 7" and of course we had to
give the old, stereotyped reply,
"Why, bad enough" He gave me
his sympathy and his advice, and
whilst the former was kindly receiv-
ed, the latter, | trust, will not prove
fruitless. With the intelligent Viz
ginians, I attribute their present
fortunate condition to the fact of
their accepting tho situation imme~
diately after the war, and not being
cnrsed with such carpet-bag scoun-