Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-02
Pastoral Life in west virginia.

Although the Virgnians are our nearest
neighbors Of the largo Southern States, yet
we are as a rule ignorant Of their character
There is a popular opinion that hard drink
ing prevails there. An authority in Macmil-
lan's Magazine two years ago, one who was
evidently endeavoring to give his English
countrymen truthful representation Of
subject that has their oager interest, and
whose testimony then attracted much atton-
ton, wrote
"Sobriety is a ruling feature Of their char
acter. 1t is rare to find spirits in any of even
the best houses
My knowledge Of them confirms this state
ment and in West Virginia the liquor laws
arc as stringent as in Maine and So well On
forced that | found it almost impossible to
buy anything, even ale. to drink. Another
error is that representing cold or worse
treatment of northencrs. The fact is that
while the poor whites'-tho uneducatod
laborers and small farmers-in all the rural
districts receive with glad unquestioning any
settlers who bring capital among them, the
gentry" who have kept up, or perhaps af.
fected. old English conventionalites and
NlltIlSllttl lllt IlIlNt VI ullttul uthttul Win
fond surrender TO genealogical fables often
and be it parenthetcally suggested here that
all Nirginians are supcrlatiye hraggrts of
their State and amusingly given to titles and
aristocracy, dead, alive or assumcd-the gen
try" | say, retain a certain amount of exclu-
siveness which is only natural and protective
in any established society that requires from
strangers a voucher of social position and
looks for proofs of gentle manners, courteous
living and honorable dealing before they can
be received as associates. Then will they
share what is in the sense OF birth and estab-
lishment, their own with those who may
make fitting return. Money may buy land,
put it cannot purchase a welcome. Gentle
men receive conference.-the word is not used
too broadly-as water untes with water The
epithet Yankee" is not applied to northern
ers, but to class Of northcruers. The wealth
lest person in Greenbrier county is a Penn
sylvania lady. Col. Mclean Of Putnam coun-
ty owns large bodies Of land in that and Jack
son county, and he is from New Jersey He
has been in Office in West Virginia repeated
ly and is a Republican. The marshal Of the
State is a Pvnnsylyanian, tmigratcd since the
war Aud Senator Davis is a northener, who
served in the Union army during the war
But let no one who plans to change home,
associations, habits and climate, undertaking
new life and business, though those invite
with the romance of the pastoral, accept en-
tirely my impressions of Texas, Virginia, Wy
oming or California, nor let him receive with
too great confidence at second hand the rep
resentations Of friends, though they have
been or are there nor should he rely on the
statements Of natives, whether they be in pri-
vate letters or Legislative documents. But let
| him see and tly for himself for time of ap-
| premiership, and without yenturing large
capital. This may be by limited association
or consignment with some person of assured
character already settled in the new country
and experienced in the grazing business,
while the protector lives for a year on the
| ground, studying all its lessons
As contrasts Of opinions, or as modiica-
| tons one Of another, shall now make cx-
tracts from three letters lately received from
| West Virginia. The first letter is from a ma
tive Nirgnian Of high standing socially and
| politically, Republican, man experienced
in the resources aud industries of his State
Cattle and sheep are raised here entirely
out-ofdoors in the summer in the blue grass
! region they are pastured; III the freestOne
| sections they run in the woods in both cases
they are fed ON hay and fodder during four
months of winter, making flesh and fat. The
Pcunsylyauians and Marylanders buy Of us
nearly al their stock for finishing in becves.
We usually clear from Sl2 to $50 on a steer
per year; for instance, we buy an eighteen
months old steer in the fall, and next fall We
pocket the advance at the same time We buy
a sheep for $50, in the spring it will be
worth 50. Our mutton is unsurpassed in size
and flavor. 4 good work hand can be hired
| at from S1J to so a month and boarded
but we have not yet become extrayagant
enough to produce good hands,
Then ho goes into ecstacios over the eli
mate and the simple ease of living:
parts of the State are cold, but the air is
so dry that we do not feel the cold. The min
erals and timber that fill our State will foi
centuries afford ample employment for al
emigrants The State is not an Elysum mol
an FL Dorado, but for the ease with which q
living is made and the solid satisfaction oi
life here, it is unsurpassed, in my opinion"
Then he refers me for accurate details tC
the Resources of West Virginia" u worl
compiled by Messrs. NJ. F. Maury and vii
liam H. Fountain, by direction of the Legis
lature and under supervision of Centennia
committee Finally he mentions a remarka
bly, rich tract of land, ., 900 acres, offered a
50 an acre.
The second letter is from one of the younl
men who passed the winter of lS77-7S on tn
Mountain Meadow farm, with experiences pc
cuniarily Improbable. He, with two others
disappointed in their first attempt, and be
lieving that land in Greenbrier county hat
a fictitious value unwarranted by facts, turn
ed attention to Nicholas county;
Here came across some of the most fer
tile lands and magnificent pastures it was ey
er my fortune to see, but the great distanc
from railways and the badness of the road
prohibited settlement, as We had ladies in on
households. Finally, after quest into Nortl
Carolina, we tried Fayette county, and wer
not long in selecting our present home an
possession-fve hundred acres of land sey
enty-hye cleared, the rest covered with fine
heavy timber. Although blue grass is no
spontaneous here, l regard it as better pas
ture country for sheep than Greenbrier. W
have purchased n steam grist mill that W
shall soon set up. Should other northerner
settle in my neighborhood, so as to make
sawmill desirable, l will myself put up on
and supply all lumber at cost price. We hay
on our place a mine of excellent bituminou
coal and fuel from this costs us about ninet
cents per ton. What is true of our place ma
be said of every purchasable place in the VI
cinity. All are rich, well-timbered, partl
cleared and well watered add to these tn
delightfully."- bracing aud healthful mountai
air"
The third letter is from an intimate frient
a graduate of Harvard college, who, origina
ly interested in the Mountain Meadow farm
is now settled near the White Sulphur SPRING
with the plan of buying, when opportunit
may present, a small farm, in the mean tim
, and thereafter ranging" young cattle 0
hired land:
'Land about the White Sulphur is wort
s. to Sl5 cleared and from nothing TO S2.d
unceared. From this l exclude land in IL
immediate vicinity Of the White Sulphr