Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-01-07
FLOR the Herald.l

kAOA NV AeA"ANsJ
Perhaps your readers would not tire
in reading something more from my
pen. I will therefore proceed TO give
some impressions made on my mind as
We came 10 this place, and since we ar
rived. AS the night Of the 10th inst.
was exceedingly dark, We saw nothing
of the country as ne were borne along
from Manassa to Danville, only learning
from the proclamation of a r. Road
official that we were passing Gordens.
vile, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and
that we had arrived at Danville, at
which, our kind and gentlemanly con-
ductor of whom we wrote last week,
assisted US in " changing cars for Char
lotte." Then bidding us a friendly
"good bye" he left us, and we soon
were making good speed again, with
the darkness still dense. All things
earthly, however, have an end, hence
the long dark night ended whilst We
were somewhere between Danville and
Greenboro, so before we reached the
latter place VIC first saw n. G. soil,
which appeared poor. very poor; and
we could see nothing in the way OF
houses, but the smallest, poorest huts of
freedmen. But about 7 O'Clock p. NJ.
the Conductor, or somebody else, cried
out, Greensboro, twenty-five minutes
for breakfast" when on looking round
we saw quite pretty town. We i'm
proved the opportunity to take break
fast, but not at a nice hotel, near the
depot but in our car, from well filled
baskets, so filled, mainly, through the
kindness OF Mrs. F. and Mrs. e. two
valued friends IN Woodstock, the con-
tents of which we supplemented with a
quart OF excellent coffee which we pre-
cured at the hotel, Don't be alarmed
kind reader, our re is not used in the
singular number. No there were fire
claimants for the quart Of cofce.)
The twenty-five minutes having end
ed, away we went speedily, but still not
too fast TO see the poor hills. and poor
land of n. c., We, however, passed
some nice towns, such as Concord and
Salisbury. The next novel things were
cotton fields, and bale upon bale Of
cotton at almost every depot along the
road, Now and then we passed little
truct of country which had the appear
ance OF being pretty good soil. But up
on the whole, the country from Danville
to Columbia, 257 miles, is the poorest
region, of the same extent, ever saw.
And yet, strange as it may seem, l am
persuaded that these poor lands yield
more money than the far richer lands Of
Virginia.
Columbia Is q beautiful situation for
city, and was, before the war, re-
gsrded one of he prettiest between the
Potomac and the Gulf of Mexico.
1t has not yet recovered from the ef-
fects of the war conhagration. The
Legislature OF S. &. has had, recestly,
a lively discussion over bill which pro-
noses to give the labor OF $50 convicts,
for 3 years to the work Of widening the
canal, and assisting in building cotton
factory. Which work is to be managed
by Thompson aud Nagle for some New
England capitalists They obligating
themselves to put in operation within s
years 10000 spindles, which will furnish
employment for $50 loborers. and give
a market for 10000 bales of cotton.
The bill has passed with some i'm
material changes.
The water power Of the vicinity Of
Columbia is immense being estimated
at as much as 10000 horse power. One
provision of the bill is that if the con-
tractors fail to fulfill their part Of said
contract, all the work results to the
state Of S. c. so that in any view OF the
case the state will be benefited.
The weather has been very warm
since we came here, TIL last night,
when there was a sudden change IN the
temperature, and this morning we saw
ice, for the first time, in S. e.
The impressions made on US, con-
corning s. c. IN regard TO its govern
ment, the social habits Of its people,
their integrity, and devotion to the
church and religion, are ell favorable.
Of those, with whom we are especially
associated, We could not speak IN any
other than terms Of praise, 80 unrc-
hitting and, indeed, lavish have been
their deeds of kindness toward US.
p. NJ.
Columbia, S. c.