Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-03-05

drew, when your Reporter had the honor
of being addressed Ivy his Honor-Cir-
cuit-"You are from the North, sir, |
presume? Most strangers are from the
North, SIR"
Rep.-"Yes sir, Judge, I am from the
North"
Circuit-"Judge anG have just been
speaking of our State, as You perhaps
have heard. But there is one thing IN re-
gard to our State, which has often struck
me as being very remarkable; that is the
morality or general good order of our peo-
pie. Do you know, sir, it is a thing al
most unknown to hear of 4 white man
being ARRESTED for theft"
markabe. Aside. But is il an unknown
thing for white man to steal?"
Circuit-Another thing, there are three
points in regard TO our State which are
indisputablc. A man can live here with
LESS CLOTHING, LESS FUEL and LESS LABOR
than in any other state in the Union. In
fact there is no necessity for any man to
work more than two days Ct the week in
order to sustain himself and family, and,
moreover, sir, the truth is many of the
natives do not work even that much"
Rep -"l have good reason TO believe
you, SIR"
Circuit-"You are here looking about
for land, presume. How are you i'm
pressed:"
Reo.-"I have just come here, sir, and
have seen nothng of The place; will take
a walk through the town Tomorrow; also
out into the country"
Circuit-''Weil, sir, it is one Of the
most promising towns on the Transit X.
Road, and you would find it very good
investment to purchase property here >
Representing in anticipation Of the
rcply.) "Is it Il healthy location, Judge:"
Circuit-''NUnc better, sir, none better.
Indeed, it is said by many to be the
HEALTnIEST LOG ALTON IN TIE STATE"
Nj man FRIDAY" having been fast
asleep in his chair the last hour, deemed
it 4 favorable time to retire.
The following morning our landlord as
soon as breakfast was finished, "button-
holcd" my man Friday" and proceeded
to deliver 10 him a defamation on the
subject Of FLORIDA, depicting, with great
vOlubility, the superior advantages pos
sessed by the State. My man "Friday,"
WHO'S generally silent and patient list
cner, abruptly interrupted the speech OF
! the landlord, with the following deliver
/ ance: ''Well nov see here, have heard
: Il good deal about your STATE since have
! been in it, but 1 have become tired OF
/ Florida talk, and would like TO see some
thing that can speak for itself. The truth
is everything in the State, except your
climate and oranges, is so poor that you
have got 10 fatten 1T up with hlgl-sound-
ing wo,dS. | have eyes as well as ears !;
and | discover that your LAND IS POOR,
your PEOPLE are POOR and sCRANNY, your
HOUSES are POOR, your HORSES are fed on
SWEET POTATOES, your CATTLE can
carry two of them under each arm, your
/ hogs-wcll, they would have to stand
! twice in the same place 10 make shadow.
/ have heard enough speeches about Flor
/ ida; WANT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T
rooR. That's all ask, sir"
! exit landlord, and tiual disappearance
| from the stage.)
1t was doubtless the biggest speech
/ "Friday" had ever made. lie was eXcit-
! ed. TO cool him off, | asked him TO ac-
! company me, while | would inspect the
/ COunty-scat, the "heaithiest location In
the State"
| Three stores, three "sample rooms
! (the Florida name for grOg shop 4 cot
ton-gin, saw-mill, court house, Jail, post
Office, church and dozen private resi-
| deLces, located without regard 10 streets,
constitute prominent county-seat !;
, HEALTHuY bounded on three sides by
! low, flat woods and palmetto swamps, the
| pure, un-malarial stagnant waters from
/ six to twelve inches deep, contributing
( its full share to Tie superior advantages
! Ofthc place.
The public buildings, situated in the
! suburbs and which are the pride and or
| namcnt of the town, we'll deserve brief
| description.
! The courthouse is atwo story, unpaint-
! ed frame building, thirty feet square.
! The lower floor is divided into four rooms.
! The first contains 4 law-library of 4 hun
! drcd volumes, digests, statute laws, COM
. ponds, official documents, &C., scattered
I about in general co Infusion and free of ac-
( cess 10 all who may desire l knowledge
/ OF modern = jurisprudence. The second
! chamber is the clerks office, furnished
with chair and two benches. The
third the Sherifl's Office, contains but
one piece of furniture, 4 trunk, designed
probably for the purpose of an iron safe.
The fourth room is not designated, ana
is entirely vacant, which may indicate
the County TreaSurer'S office.
The second story comprises but one
room-the courtroom proper. Its reach
cd by a stairway that opens into the cen
ter of the hall, the opening being sur
rounded by hand rail.
At one end is "a slightly elevated plat
| form. upon which are an arm chair and a
! small desk for the use of his HonOr-the
I Judge. Four or five long benches are
arranged or disarranged on either side,
! while the floor is covered with orange
/ peal, peanut shells and tobacco guilds.
! Upon the rear wall is -" Notice" re-
I queSting that "all parties who use this
hall will please close the windows, y
which would be rather difficult TO heed,
as many OF the windows arc without
pancs.
The jail, adjoining the courthouse, is a
small structure about ten feeS square,
containing two compartments, one above
the other. 1t is built oftwo inch plank,
nailed against upright posts, each plank
made secure ~ by at least Il hundred
TEN-PENNY nails. The light wooden doors
present very prison like appearance,
with their massive iron bars in the CEN
ter. failed TO examine the hinges, but
the law of harmony would require them
10 be made of leather. An official inform
ed me that it has already cost the county
$1,000 to guard prisoners against escape.
The post oilice--Well, Mr.. Editor, if you
are strong man and have goodsized
wheclbarrow and are willing to do little
clandestinc work, know plan by
which you can become master of post
office with complete outfit, at some Flor
ida y roads.
saw enough Of the county seat and its
HEALTHFUL SURROUNDINGS 10 satisfy me.
The Judges counsel to 'invest," shall
consider while spend a week at Cedar
Keys on the coast of the Gulf.
i. G.. Il.
Kingsley Lake, Florida, Feb. 18th, 1851.
COMMUNICATED