Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-25

The baby's journey is just begun.
Yet the rosy dawn Of his childish love
Brightens the evening that else were dim:
! And in after years from her home above,
The light of her blessing will rest on him.
-CHristi0p Union.
Piedmont Lands.
from the Alexandria Gazette.]
As it may be beinteresting to the readers
of tn Gazette to know that something
hoe \. ,en oone during the past year in
mas mas d.. .. w " Of selling land, I send the
non,es, " some who have purchased.
M "a rrett, of England, has purchas-
ed M len nor o"r. y near Catlett's Station, Fau-
ouier co. v With good improvements and
archard"a 9 cod farm, for $4,000. Mr..
r. ]. Packwo I'd, OF Alexandria, has pur-
chased 515 acr, q near Warrenton juno
tion Fsnon;er ,o., with fine improve
ments stock an. 4 implements-one Of
the finest hlne ora ss farms in the coun-
tv. for SCI. zoo yr. Howdershel, Of
Alexandria. 40 acl 'es, near Beaiton
Station. Fauuuier Co.., for So. 300. MI.
Thos. Currv. of Balti. more, 1sO acres,
near Notes.-The Static. a, Prince Will
liam co., at 12 per acre; .slso l63 acres
near Nokesyiile. for So, 100: Paul r.
Evans. 218 acres. near Bur US station,
Fairfax CO., for $500, with s.nall mouse,
large orchard. fin. ely watered, anu VIII
plenty of timber. Hiram Hu uman, OF
Rockingham CO., Va, bought ZuV acres
near Rappahannoc k Station, wiz goOo gN
buildings and well fenced, for A'0vG |;
also 175 acres adjoin ing, for Sl,Ivo' III sS1i
VIM: Chapman, OF AlexanuIia, o0,s Srs
acres, near Madison hun Statlon, VI
ange CO., for 81, 4,5OO. B. F. Arm entIGn.,
of Rockingham, 4O5 a. ;res, neor Rap.e "l'
Station, Orange CO., TO v $1G, 500.
These lands nave cen sold imme-
diately on or near the Virginia Midland
somewhat larger then tn Ose Of 1879, they
are not nearly equal in a mount to those
of 1858, although there was as much
land sold along the line of this road in
1880, as perhaps in any former yearjsince
the war, as the commissioners of the
courts have sold more than has been sold
in any previous year, especially in Gull
peper and Fauquier; and many of the
lands were sold to purchasers from ether
sections of the State, who have become
familiar with the fact that lands equal
ly fertile can be bought at a far less
price in this portion of Virginia than in
auy other, and many are selling out In
the Valley and buying in the Piedmont
section. 1 have been engaged for IL
years in looking at, showing and selling
lands, and have bsen travelingSin Vir-
gina during this time as well as in some
of the States North, and have carefully
compared prices of the best lands in
which will grow as much grain and
Craze as much stock, with the prices in
others, and what is considered the best
portion of the State-the Valley. Land
can be bought, of equal fertility, from
333 to Is per cent less in Piedmont, Va,
than in the Valley, and from so to 100
per cent cheaper than similar lands in
the North, with a good and healthy
climate. But it is said we have so much
poor land. Well, we have poor land,
and I have never known a country
where there was no poor land. We have
very much good poor land and some bad
poor land, but we sell good poor land at
very bad poor land prices; while very
bad poor land in many other sections
sells at the price of our good land. Good
poor land can easily be made good rich
land, and is easily kept rich, while bad
poor land, though it may be made to
produce good crop, will very soon re-
turn to its original poverty. A gentle-
man bought 10 acres of good poor land
some years since, and has made it rich,
and raised good crops all the time, and
in 1880 cut about 100 tons of hay, saved
80 bushels of clover seed and other crops
In proportion, though it is conceded that
the hay crops throughout the country
were poor. If our farmers would give
more attention to raising hay it would
doubtless pay better than ploughing 80
much. Another gentleman bought
a farm for $40 per acre about four
years since, [some of this good poor
land, and has been growing and raising
fine crops every year, and in 1880 raised
large crop of wheat and hay and from As
to SO bushels of shelled corn to the acre;
and, in addition to the crops grown, has
brought his land up to four times the
price paid for it. Another gentleman
bought two years since, at s6 per acre,
and raised last year over 20 bushels of
is fast improving his land. If any doubt
these statements will show them the
parties. We have plenty of such land
for sale at the same prices paid by the
parties referred to, and much of it at q
less price. There is land enough in Vir-
ginia for thousands of settlers, and if
half the breath that is spent in idleness
about depots and public places, and two
thirds of those that are in the cities idle,
with some that are coming from abroad,
were to 60 to tilling these lands, very
soon there would have to be double
tracks on our railways and quadruple
locomotive power to transport the pro-
ducts of our lands to market. These
people then would complain less of hard
times, and the country would soon blos-
som as the rose our cities would build
up, and foreign countries would have
their ships at our ports, seeking our
products.
While travelling through the country
one can see at hotels, depots, public
places, cross roads, &C., printed in large
letters in every conceivable manner, Go
West, young man! Go West! This
looks beautiful oD paper. Before the
emigrant leaves his native land he sees
this, and when he lands at Castle Gar
den, or at some other place, the same
thing meets his vision; and after he
boards the train and is moving with
rapidity, he sees on telegraph posts the
same thing written so visibly that he
can read it though he be giopg at light.
ming speed, Thousands 90 and tens
of thousands follow on, and even many
of the young men of Virginia and the
South, dance to the music of, Go West
Hundreds succeed, but thousands fall
Now, If the same tune was sung to them
to stay in Virginia and the South and
Go to Work, young man! Go to Work!
and use the same exertion that they are
compelled to use when they go West,
they could have comforts in two weeks
or ten days, such as they cannot have
by going West, in less than or 10 years,
during which time many of them go up
the spout from exposure and many
causes that do not exist here.
am satisfied from past indications
and the present outlook that this portion
of Virginia will be settled much faster
than at any former time.
| HARRTs FREEMAN.