The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-08-14

Joseph Cloyd, of this county, per Spanish
steamer BuenG Ventura, from Baltimore. at
a cost OF 95 l5s head. But three were lost
on the voyage and SO profitable was the ven
ture that they chartered the Catherstone at
e5, and shipped by her, from Norfolk, on
the 10th Of August, 22O head valued at $1l, 900.
"Ihe passage Of the Catheystone proved a
rough one, but only seven head Of cattle
were lost, all stalled between decks, those
on the upper deck doing well, and suffering
little by the voyage. These were the only
losses, believe, that were incurred by
! these gentlemen. Mr.. Bell soon afterwards
shipped l60 head per Carolina at but a.
She was twelve days, the longest passage of
any of them. In October, November and
December, Mr.. Bell shipped from Norfolk at
a cost of e5 per head, $50 per McGregor
valued at $l4, 400, ITO valued at $3.50, per
CA,llngham, and 81 worth about $250O per
Aurora. In addition to these, Collector
Braxton, OF Norfolk, reports the shipment
from that portEto England, October 25th, ll2
head valued at 5000; October 3lst, 200
sheep valued at $1l0o (per McGregor); and
December 18th, 1O6 beeves worth $500 and
152 sheep worth $500.
"Wm. A. Stewart, of Saltville, made two
shipments during the same season from mis-
fine bluegrass farm in Russell, numbering
about $50 head, and averaging from 1400 to
1900 pounds weight. They reached Liver.
pool in good condition, at cost of $40 from
Lebanon, and ranked next to Bells, selling
for about e23 per head and netting him more
than any others he had sold since the war.
Mr.. Stewart owns immense tracts Of the
finest bluegrass lands OF Russell county
and no grazier in this region pays more at
tention to winter feeding or gives gives his
cattle more care or better shelter.
''The total weight of live stock shipped
eastward over the A. M. &c o. Railroad, from
Southwestern Virginia alone, during the year
ending April 80, 1879, was nearly forty mill
lion pounds, and many more were driven
down the valley, across the Blue Ridge, and
over to Hinton on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad. The number of head shipped du-
ring the ten months ending February %,
1879, were 3s, $50 horned cattle 40,75O sheep
II 800 hogs, and 1863 horses and mules
These figures embrace the shipments from
Southwestern Virginia only, and do not in
clude through freights from Tennessee. One
third Of the sheep were shipped from Abing-
don, which was also the chief point of cattle
shipment, the other leading cattle stations
being Glade Spring, Dublin, Bristol, Saltville,
Max Meadows, and Wytheville. Most of the
hogs, horses and mules were shipped from
Bristol and came from the extreme south
western counties. During the present sea.
son the shipments Of live stock have largely
increased over the corresponding months of
last year.
s'If a regular line of steamers was cstab-
lished between Norfolk and Liverpool,
Southwest Virginia alone could supply it
with cattle freights, when e3 per head would
probably pay as we'll as Go does now for reg
ular service. Such line, too, besides re-
ceiving immense outward freights Of cotton,
and tobacco, would make Norfolk the entire |
pot for the South Atlantic and Gulf States
with which it is connected by well built and |
equipped lines of trunk railways. In fact,
1 would not like to enlarge upon the future
that would naturally result from such be-
gin ming, lest should be deemed guilty of
exaggerated prophecy" F. j. B.