Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-05-07

Many business cares and besides
being absent for q short time, will
account for the temporary silence
Of your Bunker Hill correspon-
dent, besides "Physic" in his last
talk has made the readers of your
valuable paper acquainted with
news, and the doings of our peo-
pie up here in Bunker Hill neigh
bsrhood. Our absence from home
was caused by necessary trip
through the counties of Clark and
Loudon, Virginia. Business in
part, and wanting to accommo-
date the wishes of much respect.
ed relative, was our incentive in
touring through this highly fer
tile portion of the country, very
brief description of which may
not be uninteresting to the
many readers of the INDEPEND-
ANT.
Our route southwark, lay
through the counties of Jefferson,
Clarke and as far down in the
county of Loudon az the town of
Middlsburg, where we enjoyed
the hospitality and kindness of
Mr.. Sherman and lady for sh ort
period of time. We commence
our description of our much enjoy
ed trip by referring to the habits
of that old and ancient burgh by
saying that the people are of the
real old Virginia style. We met
there as W ell as every where, the
most courteous kindness, extend
ed to us, some of which we will
hereafter and herein more partic-
ularly enumerats. Middleburg
lies In the southeas tern portion of
the county of Loudon; in highly
fertile portion of that county, and
contains upwards of 500 inhabi-
tants, some white and some of
whom are colored people. Sever
alfine buildings grace the town,
and the people seem to be active
in business, and the town some
what increasing. The various de-
nominations of the Christian Re-
ligion have reared to the service
of their Maker, several neat and
substantial churches, among them
Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist,
and Episcopalian.
Our stay in Middleburg necessi-
tated rest during the Sabbath,
and we determined to attend di-
vine worship, and being deprived
of hearing q minister of our own
choice, and our kind friend Mrs.
Sherman being of the Presbyter-
ian sect, we most naturally would
be inclined to be led by her wishes
in attending the church of her
choice, and listen to the preaching
of her minister, and in doing so,
was highly pleased with his most
excellent discourse, and plain and
forcible illucidation of that por-
ton of the divine truths as record
ed in that portion of the new
Testament on which he found
ed his remarks.
The Rev. MFR. Brant, for such
was the name of the minister who
preached upon that occasion, read
in the hearing of his congregation
the parable found in the 10 chap
ter of Luke, which was spoken by
our Saviour when the colloqry
occurred between the lawyer and
Himself, where you readers will
recsllect the lawyer asked him
who was his neighbor, when our
Saviour answered by relating the
parable of the man who went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho, and
there fell among thieves who beat
and bruised him, and when the
Priest and Levite passed by on
the other side, but ths good Sa-
marian poured in the oil, and an
ointed the bruises of the wound
ed man. The answer then most
naturally was that the good Sa-
marian was the neighbor.
The Rev. Mr.. Brant we can tru-
ly say, handled this subject in
mastery and eloquent manner,
and to the qualification and in
struction of all persons present up
on that occasion.
Loudon county is from about
thirty to thirty-fivs miles in ex-
tent, and is inhabited mainly by
Quakers, Pennsylvanians, Old
Virginians and people further
South, and much thrift and good
management is apparent upon
all sides among the people. The
portion of the county in which
our route lay seems to be mainly
devoted tolstock wheat, and corn;
stock being the preponderant in
terest among tho husbandman of
Loudon county, az in conversation
with many of the farmers, we
learned that their purpose was to
encourage grass raising and main
tain as far az possible a state of
stiff blue grass sod, rather than