Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-03-21
Letter from Lynehburg.

District Of Columbia with their SUBMITS
crowned and their almost perpendicular sides
lined with private residences and public build
ings, it is said TO be one of the most pictur-
esque and romantic cities in the South.
Climbing to the top Of one of these hills,
noted for the commanding view it afforded,
not only Of the city, but for miles around, my
eyes rested upon one Of the mos, charmi ng
and gorgeous scenes ever beheld. The whole
western horizon seemed a jasper wall, and MS
the gentle breeze blew up bubbles o. heecy
clouds they palpitated with topaz mist and
trembled along the hills and over the water /;
marble fountains in private flower gardens and
yards were hinging showers of diamonds un-
der the scarlet RAYS Of the sun; spire and
cupoa were wrapped 10 sheet of gold, and
the river making It's serpentine way along the
vallies, here catching the deepening shades OF
the hills here flashing with perfect sympho-
nv of colors, all combined, presented a pic
ture fresh from the hands of the Great Artist
as rich and rare ms ever hung in Natures gal
ery. How long was fascinated by its beauty
and how intensely | watched the change Of
the brush as the twilight faded and the shades
of night deepened know not but the can
YES gradually became indscernible until at
lest II faded out from sight, and turning In
the direction Of my hotel I muttered these
words OF one of our sweetest poets:
1.-THE day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of night
AS a feather lie waited downwards
By an eagle in its flight"
But not only is Lynchburg a romantic and
beautiful city, but it is one OF the live cities OF
the State. Business is active and every man.
woman and child seemed to be engaged. II is
the great tobacco centre of the old common
wealth. There are over one hundred tobacco
MAJ inf nj ka
tween three 10 eight hundred operatives near
ly oil negroes. In peeping through several of
these immense establishments one can see in
the course of a few moments every change and
operation from the raw material generally the
raw leaf) to the manufactured article ready
for the market. The preparation Of the Lone
Jack, which many Of your readers enjoy, Is
simple and accomplished in few moments.
Standing in the hall of the Arlington Hotel,
one Of the finest and most luxurious hotels in
the South, one of the proprietors walked up
to me and suggested that should go with
him to 'break' Not wishing to show my
ignorance of what "break" was, | at once
replied in the affirmative, and in the course of
a few moments found myself in a tobacco
warehouse covering half acre of ground
In this large space were great piles of tobacco
and from pile to pile moved clusters OF men.
In the course of q few moments tall, pre-
possessing looking man, with long black hair
broad brmmed hat, Byron collar, came in
and jumping upon little stool, said, "Now
gentlemen, | want TO offer you some prime to-
bacco." So novel and interesting was the
sight that ! remained until he went through
with all his sales ard then followed him to
warehouse No. Q. There are seven or eight Of
these large warehouses and they have a
"break" at each one upon every day in the
week.
The people Of Lynchburg are strictly South.
ern in their habits, hospi,able and cordial to
the true meaning Of the word. They can tell
Immediately they see stranger il he he ma
tive TO the manor born" and if 80 the warm
shake Of the hand attests the sincerity and
fidelity of the heart The city seems to be
free OF dissipation, and the continuous and
long trains of wagons, loaded with tobacco,
reminds one Of the supply trains during the
war. The season is far advanced and the
bursting of the buds and cherry trees in full
bloom presents striking contrast with your
cold and wintry home. The ladies, God bless
them never saw so much beauty in the
course of a few hours-one has Just peeped
through the window, and with such an eye as
would make you dream of heaven.
10 coming from Washington to Lvnchburg
much of interest and history naturally at
tracts your attention. Passing Immediately
under the shade of Arlington you soon reach
Bull Run, which is memorable in the startling
events OF the civil war. A short distance
further and you reach the memorable plains of
Manassas, at the opening Of the war with
single house, now a hourishing and incorpor-
ated village with fine hotels, churches, schools,
&C., thence on through Brisow Station, Cat
let's and Rapahannock. Most of the land
through which you pass is in a fine state of
cultivation, particularly the Piedmont valley,
which is known as the great grazing section
OF Virginia and from whence comes most OF
the stock cattle purchased by the farmers of
your county. As YOU draw rear Lynchburg,
indeed for miles before yoa reach the city, the
land is worn out. Immense gullies traverse
the fields and numbers Of acres grown up in
shrubbery, pines and oaks-the result of be-
ing overworked in tobacco.
just beyond Manassas, perhaps some several
miles, in dreary and desolate plain without
the slightest sign Of vegetation, neither shrub
or tree, was a small Confederate graveyard =
In its desoaiion it was sad and touching; in its
silence and gloom II was eloquent. Sleep,
brave boys, 10 the midst of soil you loved
so well and so nobly defended, and though no
marble shafts are lifted into the heavens, no
flowers bloom around your grave, yet brave
and grateful people will ever talk Of your vir-
tues and herosm, and when age shall succeed
age, from the blue hills of your fond old
State, in whose defense you perled your
lives, will be heard these words:
"Yes, give me the land that hath story and
song
To tell of the strife of the right with the
wrong;
Yes, give me the land that hath a grave in
each spot,
And names in the graves that shall not be
forgot"
Your correspondent had anticipated writ
ing You often from under softer skies and
fairer fields, but a telegram has called him to
the Capitol, and back he must go. Oh, fate.
thou art cruel master Shrinking from no
responsibility. Overlapping every barrier,
sweeping away every difficulty, it stretches
out Its iron hand and proclaims its merciless
and irrevocable decree. CLEANER.
Reports from the great wheat. growing states
OF the West and Northwest show that the pros
poets for an abundant wheat crop this wear
are without exception very favorable. The
increase in acreage IN different states varies
from five to twenty fve per cent, and nearly
an equal increase in yield per acre is expected.
The grasshopper which alone has very seri.
ously injured the wheat product Of the coun.
try Of late Years, has bad his day, and I'M
usual drouihs or heavy rains during the har-
vest season are the only agents liable To pre-
vent the crop this year from being larger by
80, 900, 600 or 10 900 900 bushels than last year.
During the past two years The fall 10 the price
Of wheat has been about forty per cent, and
1t was hoped that II had about reached bot.
tom prices. This hope will probably not be
realized. With abundant haryesis here, and
now that the plague Is thing Of the past
there being nothing TO interfere with the ex-
port OF Russia's enormous crop OF ]. 1884. 3O4, .
600. II believed that the average price for
1879 will be lower than at any lirie since ISL