Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-04-01
For the SPECTATOR.
The State or Pittsylyania.

The State OF PIttsylyania.
Few who peruse the SPECTATOR have
: either read of or travelled over the State
e OF Pittsylvania. You have read of the
little States of Delaware and Rhede
Island. Well, put 'em along side of
eacn other, and they are little, if any,
larger than this immense county. From
! the North Carolina border to the ex-
IRENE northern point in the bend of
. Staunton river, northeast of Beesvillein
Campbell county, is between sixty and
= seventy miles, whilst from any point on
the Halifax side to either the Henry or
. franklin line the mean width is forty.
five miles. Several efforts in the past
have been made to divide the county,
but its great extent of territory is such
that no point could be agreed upon more
convenient to the larger number than
Chatham, unless divided into four coun-
ties, thus involving four sets of county
buildings. That has always allayed
the clamer. Chatham, now the county
seat, took the name about twelve years
ago, having previously borne the name
of Competition. The writer has been
unable to learn why it bore that name.
Some time in the latter part of the last
century the courthouse was at place
now called Callands, twelve and half
miles southwest of Chatham. There is
now nc trace of the old county site, but
the handsome residence of the late
Achilles Moorman, brother of DIR. Moor
man, yet occupied by his venerable
widow, is said to be perhaps the centre
! of the village that may have existed at
that day. Callands postoffice is hun
dred yards east. The present courthouse
and buildings are nearly due east of the
old one in Chatham. Of the latter,
nothing remains but the large brick pill
lars of the old court house porch. and
the clerks offices are well preserved.
The county is admirably watered. The
Dan river, with its tributaries of Leath-
erw0od creek, Sandy river and Sandy
creek in the South and Banister river,
with its many tributaries in the eastern
part; and Pig river, with its tributaries
of Tommyhawk, Turkey-cock, Snow
creek and Chestnut creek in the north
west and number of small streams
in the north and northeast, that flow
into the Staunton. l might have said
that Chestnut creek is entirely in
franklin county. Banister, Sandy Riv-
er and Turkey-ccck rise within three
hundred yards of each other at CAL
lands. No portion of the State of Vir-
ginia, of the same extent of territory,
iJcSccsoSo u dtIlOuUt CA WDGJ WAS
fertile land than this county. Much of
it has been greatly injured by the old
time plan of tobacco culture, but for the
most part can be easily reclaimed. A
singular, and yet most important, dis
covery has been made since the war in
relation to large body of land known
as the white-eak mountain, which, up
to that time, was hardly worth the taxes,
selling as low as nine pence per acre,
and up to two dollars. 'Tis now ascer-
tanned that with small quantity of
guano, heavy crops of the finest tobacco
are raised. For this reason, they are
rapidly enhancing in value, and in some
instances are held at $50 per acre, and
the crops produced make them really
worth $500 per acre. The instances in
which men came out of the war penni-
less, and by their strong arms and stout
hearts have achieved independence, to
the very great praise of Pittsylvania,
are more numerous than in any county,
not in Virginia alone, but doubt not
in any State of the South. In justice
to these noble men, who were in every
instance good soldiers, desire that the
press of the State make note of this
fact. L have taken especial pains to in
form myself on the subject, entirely dis
interested as / am, and I think that the
titles them to this need of praise. I
could give the names of large numbers
of them were it necessary. In one no
table instance, a soldier, so entirely des-
titute, bought an old horse, to be paid
for out Of his crop, has now comforta-
bic home, worth say five thousand dol
lars. Another, who came out with an
old artillery horse, is now worth $40 900,
every cent of which was dug, with hard
licks, out of the soil. The wonderful
adaptation of this soil to tobacco, and
the finer grades, and the remarkable
skill displayed in the last few years in
curing it, have caused this rapid accu-
mutation of wealth. To the great credit
also of the colored pseple notable exam
Piles are found among them of industry,
economy, and accumulation. Besides
number who have secured comfortable
homes, the writer has learned of one
who has acquired over two hundred
acres of land, with stock, farming uten-
sils, &C., proportioned to its cultivation.
Cut Off, as have been the counties of
Pittsylvania Henry Patrick and Frank
lin, from the distribution of the revenues
of the State in the shape of public i'm
provements, except the pittance to this
county in the building OF the Richmond
& DanviIle Railroad, which runs thro'
|
and one or two petty turnpikes, little, if
any, better than common dirt-rOads, to
their credit. be it said nine-tenths of
their people are anxious for the settle
ment of the State debt on honorable
terms. Deprived, as they have been, by
the infamous, tyrannical revenue laws,
from saving their little crops of fruit, as
they used to do, before the war, and wit
Messing the rich harvest reaped by the
Federal Government from their toll in
cultivating tobacco, they have uncom-
plainingly discharged their duties as
law-abiding, good citizens. The major
ity of its people were Union men up to
Lincoln's proclamation. After that,
they, with a large proportion of the
Franklin people, were true to the Con-
federacy. There were fewer scallawags
here, in proportion to population, than
anywhere. Judges Underwood and
Rives's minions have harassed them
terribly. Oh! for the good old ante
war times do they sigh. VIATOR.
-S-c-S-
The SHENANDOAH VALLEY RAIL
ROAD-A mortgage to secure the frat