The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-31
PITTSYLVANIA.


PEOPLE, BUSINESS, AND PROsPECTs.
ICorres pondence OF the Richmond Dispatchl
DECEMBER 30, 1880.
About TWENTY-FIVE miles from DinviIle
aud twelve miles northwest from Chatham
runs a large creek called Tomahawk creek,
land on TOnahawk creek lies one OF the
sections Of tHis big county called the Toma'
hawk settenIen'. The lands OF this settle
mept are productive OF anything that can
be raised from the soil i'm this county, and
the creek. bottoms are particularly produc'
tive OF graip II Is a common saying as 10
other lands, -" These lands are good, aud II
lthey were on Tomahawk creek there would
be no dispute about IT," Years ago this
was regarded as a frontier settlement, and
within The memory OF people whose heads
are not gray they had many OF the charac-
lteri.tics OF frontier people; but now they
support one excellent church, have public
schools OF high character, and some send
off to boarding schools.
Farm-hlnds here receive from $50 10
800 and upwards, according to character.
Some OF the hest farmers Tor planiers) hire
hands on shares, as is often done elsewhere
i'm this county. The landlord puts in bis
land. wagons, and farm implements, teams
and finding for the teams. houses and fuel
for the hands and their families, and pays
for the seeds, fertilizers, and sbOp-work.
The bands work under his direction, mud
themselves aud families, and become re-
spOnsibie for the cost OF one half the seeds,
fertilizers, and shop.work. When the years
work Is over the hands receive one half the
grain and forage that have been made, the
landlord the other half, and after the to-
bacco has been sold the landlord deducts
o,
and gives the hands one half the balance.
This arrangement has proved satisfactory as
To the progress of the plantation work, and
although on farms which have fair share
OF grain.ands only from eight 70 ten thou
sand bills per band are cultivated in to-
bacco, some money Is saved.
| Mr.. William Trims, of this settlement,
invests bis monty in lands, trains bis boys
for business, and sends his girls TO college.
When he speaks Of a man as prosperous,
he says he IS a mighty man for business,
NEEDLES with mob )dy, and has a good wife.
| But Mr. Trims, though he is a grandfather,
and his head is siIvered over. and hoJgh
one 10 bear him talk about business wOull
think him welded TO business, keeps pack
of hounds. and will ride faster after fox,
and halIon louder and throw down fence
quicker than auybody in the Tomahawk
| settlement. and it is not now and then that
| he IS engaged in chase. Or the 2lSt iu-
slant he caught large gray after an eight.
mile run He has been known 10 pay down
| $40 for a hound that suited him, and now
ne is raising three black-and.tan pups. In
the morning as soon as the fire is kndled
| these pups, now as large a. cats, bounce in,
and Mr.. Trims amuses himself in making
them rOmp and fight about the fre-plIce.
| | could but note that .drS. Trims never
quarrelIed with or about the hounds. In
every other respect besides she seemed 10
understand and do her part. A bowl OF
egg nOg crowned The table on CHRISTMAS
morning, and about 1t were ar:ayed breads,
an meats. and cakes. y tremendous tur-
KEY, cooked brown and cooked cold"
presided over the table at dinner, and there
was a good store of breads, meats. pies,
cakes, cOnserves, and canned fruits and
vegetables. On the parlor table during the
day there was plentiful show OF apples,
nuts, home made beer, and home made
wine. While the mountains TO the north
anu west were white with the deposits OF
several snow storms. blazing fires Of logs
kept the parlor warm and hearts agl0w.
During my visit TO this settlement learned
incidentally OF IN act OF rare humanity on
the part Of Mrs. Trims. Soon after the sur
render negro woman OF the neigbborbood
ran off to Dinyilie, lelving uncared for two
little gIrls, her children, and WAS never NJ
forwards heard Of. The husband Of the
woman, finding himself abandoned, took
these children to the premises OF Mrs.
rhims and left them there, and himself was
never af erward' heard Of. These little ne
gro children Mrs. Trims took TO herself and
provided for, and she kent them under her
care ill they were grown up and were mar
ried.
Amongst the Tomahawk people, as have
found IN other parts OF this county, found
men who had come out Of the army worth
nothing but a small house and small lot
OF gray land, and are now prosperous. 10
The army they had become stOuI, tough, and
self.reliant, and they did not surrender after
the surrender. Here's one man, Mr.. j. Il.
Ward. He came bone perfectly "fiit."
Putting into the cultivation OF a small lot
Of what seemed indifferent land the encrgY
with which he had followed his captain and
General Lee, he. with the help Of his wife,
VINO woik ed side by side with him in the
ti-ld, made fine crop, and for this be re-
ceived good price. This man now owns
five hundred acres Of land and has money
on deposit. He gave Il hearty grasp OF the |
hand to one who had belonged 10 the same |
regiment, piled on the logs while the snow
was coming down in a storm, looked happy, |
and carved a Christmas turkey.
Mr.. David Naham turned off his eighty |
second year IN September He says: 81
was boy at thirty, and have always been |
boy; ana can Walk to Danylle now and Il |
good part of the way back in one Gay II YOU !
will give me a little OF the night" Mr.. Ma. |
ham now lives within one hundred yards OF |
tue place where he was born. The only |
similar case In this respect II thai OF 'ir. |
John Gilbert, Of The straight Stone neigh |
borDOOd, in This county. Mr. Gilbert is, |
think, older than Mr.. Naham, and now lives |
in the house 10 which he was born. Some
one In the company remarked that there |
were more old people in this county IN pro.
portion to population than in any county Ia !
tue State. YES" said Mr. Madam, "tbere |
were nine OF us. six went off to other re.
gions and have died" And then some one
Eoid OF the PIttsylvania man who went of
to Missouri TO buy land aud settle. He |
liked every biDg and everybody at first. aud
was tempted 10 invest; but when he attend
ed Que Of the great gatherings OF people he !
Jaw no old man there. and straig ht way be
came back to Phtsylydaia. Mr.. Naham
" They always come back II they eau"
Colonel Isaac A. Watson is one Of the
largest landowners in this county. Colonel
Watson, you know, is a member OF the
House OF Delegates for this county. Ii was
thought that he was too much OF man Of
business TO indulge in any amusement eX-
cept that OF soliciting votes. The late
judge Gilmer, who was as fond OF the chase
as any man Of The olden time, once thought
he would try him. Accordingly be went