The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-09-11
Our Harrisonburg Letter Items from Fax

Our Harisonburg Letter Items from Faz
HARRIsoNBURG, VA, Sept. 10, 1879.
Editors Virginsan:
The VALLEY VIRGINIAN'' has obtaine
a reputation, earnestly and honestly earne
by hard editorial labor. as being the princ
pal press OF the great Empire State Of tn
South, as the exponent Of the claims OF Vir
ginia upon capitalists OF all classes, princi
pally agriculturalists, mineral and lumbe
dealers, never neglecting the invitation t.
honest minded mechanics and laboring mel
Il. e. that Virginia with all OF its seemin.
ruggedness was the place instead of the West
I do not, it would be so unlike '.FAx," at
tempt to praise, but have '.fact' hug
fact to give in this item that may be NOR
fattering to you, in the shape of results from
your efforts, and also an eye opener to GU
citizens A few days ago had the pleasure
OF visit to what Dechert in his Spirit call
"Yankeetown," and as remarkable proc
OF what can be accomplished by few gen
tlemen. only OF ordinary intelligence (no col
lege-breds) ard business qualifications, witt
limited capital, but an abundance OF energy
and determination, refer you to that new
colony established May 10th 1879. of a few
Northern and Western families 10 the North
ern portion Of the county, in what is known
as Brooks Gap region. A few months ago
believe about the first OF this year, Mr. E
D. Root purchased 1900 acres Of land in
what was known by our people as barren
wilderness, nothing but trees, known as the
| Spencer tract. He associated with him, in the
purchase. Messrs Laurent and Hyde who
| were practical lumber men, and on May 18th
| of this year the first of the colonists arrived
| upon the tract Of land. Plymouth colonists
upon the barren rock were not more discour-
aged fiom Immediate results. But the first
three families, pioneer style, commenced
with axe and spade to insure civilization.
They were followed In very few weeks by
several more families, the heads Of which
| are the following named gentlemen E. D.
Root, A. Hyde, John F. Simmons, VIM.
Gordon, Geo. w. Jameson, and Mark Rice OF
the state OF Connecticut and N. Laurent,
and VIM. Ryley OF Massachusetts, and Fred.
Laurent, Julius Laurent, Charles Laurent OF
Michigan composing population should
Judge Of fifty souls. And Messrs Editors,
they have simply accomplished, according to
our old fashioned free and easy notions,
wonders. Commencing in the Valley on their
tract OF land OF II, 900 acres, which is water
ed by live stream known as Marshals River
which empties into the north branch of the
Shenandoah River. about seven miles west
of Broadway depot on the Valley Railroad,
they have cut and cleared the valley for over
one-half mile in width and distance OF at
least one mile, the larger portion OF the tim
Der cut In the CLEARING having been manu-
featured into lumber, some portions OF which
have been converted into the comfortable
dwellings and business houses which they
made town OF: the town now numbering
quite dozen houses and five others ia
course OF erection, and recollect reader
these are not shanties, but as good frame
houses as Harrisonburg or Staunton dare
boast OF. What surprised Fax was three
new bridges, each 80 feet long and 16 feet
wide-pshaw Mr.. Supervisors OF Rocking
ham and Augusta County visit as I shall
now chrlsten the new town s'New Conn &C.
ticut' and learn economy, stability and
neatness for your future bridge erections.
The lumber this colony is getting out con
ssts Of white pine, yellow pine, poplar, white
oak, chestnut, mapel &c., many of the trees,
we'll not as large as the celebrated California
trees, but sufficiently large to keep one man
busy half day cutting one down. And
what struck FAX the hardest was when the
only single lady Of the colony Virginia boys
stand off, she is be.gaged up North escorted
him through several of the gardens attached
to the houses of the residents-just think of
it, the first tree felled in May 18th 1879, and
a village OF gardens made on the site OF
prineval forest producing all and more than
we Harrisonburgers can have or at least do
have this dry season: well when she coquet-
tishly protfefed me boultenois OF growth
plants from seed, and pointed in mischiev-
GUS manner to full bed of ruta baga cab
bage and suggested pluck one to take to
Rawley for that fellow who called our Guards
''cabbage.heads," thinks r, We'll, you folks
are posted, as well as happy. You know
Messrs. editors, I never fly off half cooked, let
1t be murder, suicide. scandal, or big fire, but
1 will be confounded if don t think you had
better 20 down and see for yourself and as
newspaper boys say:
Mem Part.e, don't take any lunch along,
unless you have dog to feed it to, for we
arrived there all unannounoed, and we'll our
Revere" and your sVireinian could not
excel our fare, and then the open-hearted,
candid hospitality made us almost think
they had been Virginianized.
There is life and vim about these Norh-
ern and Western people which is in striking
contrast with that semi-indolence character
istic of our people. They are all push when
business is talked OF, all hospitality when
business is not the subject, and one thing
which struck me among the men was, that
when in the family circle, they avoided bus
mess, but in the library or sitting room, any,
thing from gold market, stock market and
particularly lumber market was fully under
stood, and discussed as intelligently and
shrewdly as General Echols or any of
your financiers could do. The feeling prev
alent among this people is not in strict &C.
cord with the sentiments OF the ''VIRGIN-
IAN's" Editors but give them, and honest
ly not for any political purpose but to use
Bobbe Burns ism,
ITO see ourselves as others see u.s.
They say, that the debt of the State of
Virginia ought to be re-adjusted, and the
amount OF the debt scaled to minimum
within the resources Of the State without
any further increase of taxation, that the
requirements OF the constitution in refer
ence to State expenses should be first met,
more particularly the school fand,-they are
all for free schools. They say the way to get
emigration is to get the banded debt OF the
State under the States exclusive eontorol;
instead OF the State being mortgaaed to the
Bondholders. OF to the Syndicate for the
Bondholders; consequently they are opposed
to the McCulloeh bill-in short, was led to
D6il6Vo tllaL L AUA Hdu Dc0Il plautlHS Seeu
even in that portion of old Rockingham.
These parties are now manufacturing
lumber at the rate OF about Z 600 feet per
day. They have now tramway railway OF
over one-half mile, and intend building a
tramway to Broadway Depot, in shost Major
and Jacob, you pay visit and personally
ask your friends to visit this settlement and
try your hands ON writing up subject which
from its very truth hewilders one.
On Saturday morning last, Miss Mary E.
Kelley daughter OF Mr.. John Kelley, departed
this life. In September 1878, Miss Kelley
was attacked with paralysis; she was a pa
tient sufferer for nearly one year, when it
was thought she would entirely recover, but
on Monday, September lst, she was stricken
the second time, resulting in her death, as
above stated. The funeral was on Sunday.
The corpse was taken &c the Catholic Church
of which denomination she was faithful
member, where the burial service was sead
and an appropriate sermon preached by
Father McKeefry Of Staun.on, from the
text ut is appointed uIts man once to die
and after that the Judgment"
Altar which the hOdx xvae intorra.l II,