Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-08-04
The Northern Ecck.

Correspondence of tho Alexandria Gszette.
SHILOH, VA, July 50.-ORng to protrscted
absence from home NY attention has not been
called I'll; DOW 10 communication 10 the Ca
,ettc OF ;ko Is l., which does gross Injustice to
the coed people OF tits sec,i,n, AID needs some
reply.
Your CORR spopdent chsEg,s That "the North.
cru Netk is the mos. forsaken country on the
Atlantic boraer-Hi!hou! cultivation or i'm.
provemeut, and abouoding 10 dismal woods and
impoverished fields given over to the undisput.
ed sway Of dame Nature" That its iuhabi-
taGts are "b.rl of aliens with little or DO in.
tercours, with their fellow men, and thst Con.
gees would do Tsli to tako it under is OVID
protection
Now | am quite sure that emo hslf of the
readers Of tho GaE,tte will doubt the CORRECT.
Dess Of these statements, while the other half,
knowing them to be untrue, will either imagine
that our State officials at Stauutoncr Williams
burg have been reniss in their duties, AID al
lowed enc Of thtir patients to escape to this
section, CT they will seek some other explaus
| ton iur the publication of these bold assertions
10 crafty the curiosity of this latter class of
the G:zattc's readers propose 10 few words
to give au explanation, without going into aoy
detail OF facts 10 defe0oa Of 8 people as mcoh
Distinguished for intelligence and enlerpIizs az
any 10 the State.
L. seems that the Gazstte'o correspondent,
10 order to give additional weight and credit to
his staements, departs from the usual practice
OF newspaper correspondents and affects csudor
enough 10 append bis name 10 full.
n w, ii nc had gone step further ADD given
the location OF bis residence or named The place
from which his letter was written the Gsz.tte' 3
readers would have understood the point of
view from which his observations were made,
and excused the m0cstrous bu1der into which
lie has fallen.
Ii mus: be knoRn, then, that the author OF
the communication referred to resides, or rather
h1sis, IN stc.iou of our country known us the
VINE OAK Swamp. Scientists differ as to tbs
origin OF this peculiar region, which occupies
several square miles of tho upper section of
WestnorelaDd county. Some incline to the
opinion that Dame Nature only intended. 10 ite
lnrGasloo, 10 complete fully that admirable va.
rely OF surface, soil and scenery for which TIE
Northern Neck is noted, while others ssoutIy in
sist that in the primeval days q hen the order was
given, "L,t the waters be gathered together
unto one place, and let tho dry land appear.
this region failed to obey the mandate. In
support Of this latter theory the fact is plead
that it c>otaus ono fourth land and three
ourIhs water, which, according to geograpbers
is The general proportion Of these two clements
on our globe.
To this truly "lorsakeu' region ADD barren
waste, " this amphib;ous "alicn" with Others OF
the aamo feather from "the ic, bound fields of
the North, immigrated few winters ago. and
as be seldom ventures from his Jungle, it is DOT
surprising that duritg the late droughty season
he should have taken suoh gloomy view Of
his surroundings and uttered such plain,ive
notts
But everything has its uses thu produ,tiors
OF White Oak Swamp not excepted. The vat.
ers OF this region abound in small fry of every
siz, AID variety, from the mulet 10 tho milo
row and from the ttrrapin to the tadpole. But
the most valued by the farmers oftho surround.
leg country is the croaker. especially in seasons
ct drought. all signs fail in dry weather ex.
cept the v0lco OF the croaker.
Tho recent good showers were looked for and
came soon after the 18Th of July. When our
lands are dry again We shall hope to hear an.
other croak from tho same r.rter. d.