Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-05
Letter from Kentucky.
DEAR HERALD:

PSoPAS LINN w NOAi
climates. Here in the latitude Of
Louisville we had two or three weeks,
this winter, of intensely severe cold,
the thermometer falling as low as Is or
% degrees below zero. At the same
time the Lord sent us two deep SHOWS,
to protect the wheat. Two or three
snow-ploughs were set to work on our
sidewalks and so efectually were they
used that protracted meeting in the
Methodist Church here was continued
without much interruption from bad
walking, in the midst Of the snow.
On the fifteenth Of January the snow
went off with a heavy rain, and in q day
or two the last vestige Of it was gone.
But it raised the waters. l had to 90
that day to town located at the june
ton of two rivers. I got safely tc my
destination but an hour after my
arrival, little brook had made the
road behind me past tording, and the
rivers were rising into the streets Of the
town. A little girl prayed that God
would keep the town from being over
flowed again: then she asked her
mother whether God would answer that
prayer. Her mother said, ''IfHe sees,
it best he will" will. think so too,
unless the river rises SO high that He
can't help it." She expressed only too
forcibly little unbelief which clings in
far toe many hearts.
Since the middle Of January we have
had generally mild weather, the Their
mometer ranging from 80 to so degrees.
The frost came out Of the ground with
out causing the roads to be badly cut
up. Much Of the fruit was injured
during the severe weather Of early
winter: but we trust not all Of it. We
will not have any early peaches.
Wheat is looking well. Oats We're
soWn two or three weeks ago, but the
weather is too cold for them to grow.
The farmers here are setting large
portions OF their farms in orchard
grass. They say that they can Craze it,
(making excellent beet from August
to April, then i'll July cut the ripe grass
thresh out the seed (Which sells at $50
bushel and upwaras) and put the rest
away for hay. And that while they are
thus grazing, the soil IS improving in
stead Of detemorating, in its ability OF
supporting grain crops. Farmers are
spending large sums Of money to get
their farms set in grass. There are two
dangers in this matter. One is that Of a
man who put his aolo3e farm II one crop,
and the market for that crop becomes
glutted. he IS in bad position. The
other is that Of a farmer who instead OF
paying in full for his Land. spent his
money in grassing il. When payday
came he failed, and by reason Of the de-
probation in the value Of lands ne lost
all that he mad paid andleft his securities
in trouble. Cattle, sheep, hogs and
mules are raisedherc to considerable
extent. Mules that sell here for sixty
dollars, are worth on the lower Mis-
sissippi double that money. Hence
they are raised for shipment.
There are many blooded horses here
and also many good farm horses. But
the average horses Of this country are
not of so high an order as IS sometimes
supposed. The steady, active and
reliable family horse is hard to find.
The result Of the Presidential cleo
ton may, yet prove beneficial to the
South. I fancied during the winter a
disposition all over the South to launch
out into extravaganza and ventures OF
all kinds, so soon as Tilden's Inaugural
ton should be certain. Now the bane
Of our material prosperity is credit, The
merchant who sells on credit. and
borrows money at interest to enable
time to do so, is obliged to charge more
for goods than he who sells for cash.
Consequently the customers who buy
more than they can pay for are paying
higher prices. But if the Inauguration
of HAYES shall make us all cautious to
live within our income. and to buy only
what we can pay for to-day, at the end
offour years we shall all be materially
better of. If this is true especially Of
the far South, where a cotton crop is
often sold to q merchant in exchange
for goods before it is grown, it is in
good degree true Of our border states
also.
The action Of your town council in
restraining the sale Of liquor, is happy.
I If one could take q peep intoa town
like this when there are FIVE or six
drinking saloons. and as many more
establishments, which sell liquors by
the bottle, in place Of two thousand
inhabitants and see the effects, he
would rejoice that you have nipped the
error in the bud. SO many young men
Of promise have been injured or ruined,
some even of good families are found
on the streets begging strangers for a
dime to keep up their dissipation an
hour longer; one Gin intoxication) lately
attempted to shoot the town marshal
and was shot and almost killed by him
in self defense. our streets are often
made offensive by the staggering of in
toxicated men. It is impossible to stay
the evil here, for its hold is too strong.
An attempt TO prevent its sale, has
been defeated by the popular vote of
the Heighborhood. The serpent is
around US, happy is it for you if you
have choked it in good season.
T. E. c.
Gov. Brown. of Tennessee, who is on
the Louisiana commission. is credited