The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-07-27
From Maryland to Virginia.
Correspondence OF the Democratic Advocate.
WooDsrocK, Va. Julv 24tb isis

WOODSTOCK, Va, July 24th. 1873.
The writer took the train al New Windsor
Carroll county, Nd, Western MARYLAND Rail
road, July 18th, 1878; was In a few hours
steamiug up the Blue Ridge, the description
of which Is beyond my doing" The first
place OF note IS Blue Ride Summit. very
pretty summer resort, and from the number
of guests we observed dining, is very well pa
tronized- ! arrived at Hagerstown at I2.25.
the ''Gretna Green" of ancient times. lust in
time TO see street fracas, also in time to take
dinner at the Franklin House, whose propri-
etors know how 10 keep hotel" At 5, D.
m, started for Martinsburg, West Va. over
the Cumberland Valley Railroad. Nothing
Of note happened except that we ran through
n thunder storm, just at the Potomac River,
arriving at Martinsburg at 6:I5 This en-
bryo city Is not unlike Pittshurg, Pa, in
cleanliness; It has changed, in a business
point of view, since the railroad strike in 1877,
the demonstration of which is the failure of
one bank, a number of merchants and hotels.
After supper at ''mine hOspitable friend and
former employer $, Mr.. Z. Editor of States
man, and having missed the stage for Win
chester; Va, / concluded to stay all night.
On the morning of the 18th found myself in
Harper's Ferry, just in time to witness the
marriage of a runaway couple, on the bridge,
drunken groom and foolish bride The
track has been laid on the Shenandoah Val
ley Railroad from Shepardstown to Charles
town, West Va, and is still progressing to-
ward Front Royal The whistle of the loco
motive will soon be heard in Page Valley to
the JOY of many hearts.
/ arrived here on the 18th. at I:41, D. IN.
after having travelled two Of the hottest days
of the heated term. One thing ] notice is
this THAT Virginia is so far behind Mary
land in agriculture that unless the farmers
quit loafng around depots, &c, she will never
catch up. II is not because the land will not
bring better crops than Maryland, but because
the elbow greese is not applied. There are
more fine barns in five square miles of Mary
land than in the whole Valley from Harper S
Ferry to Staunton. The wheat crop is the
best ever known in this county, (Shenando-
ah, but IS cents per bushel is all the milers
give. The corn crop is very promising.
though planted late, aud the recent rains have
brought it out wonderfully. The apple and
peach crop, the former a total failure, the
latter partial, in this county, but am told in
August both are abundant.
presume you see the Virginia papers and
are aware that this Congressional campaign
Is quite animated, growing out Of this FACT
that the "tOrcibles" are straining every nerve
to drag the debt question into the canvass.
against the expressed views of an almost
united press, and over two-thirds of the
thinking classes. In this, the 9TH district.
every county seat has two or more aspirants
who are wanting .'Ioug John" (Harrisl to
take rest and let them ''spell him
term or so; but J. Ii. can't see it; says every
time he starts up the apple tree they pull at
him and throw stones after he is up, and now
he won't boost them up worth a cent
Capt. Riddleberger and Judge II. C. Allen,
Of this place, (the latter Speaker of the Vir-
ginia House of Delegates are talked as pro-
bable candidates before the convention which
meets IN Staunton, August LIST, next. X. b.