The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-01-25
Messy Creek Items.
Reported for the vIRe1N1AN.l I


Some half dozen families in this immediate
neighborhood supplied themselves from our
creek with good clear ice, measuring 81 and 3
inches in thickness, formed by the late cold
snap of last week and week before. A num-
Der of our farmers availed themselves of the
first freeze and filled their houses before the
holidays. 1t is therefore to be hoped that ev-
cry one will have plenty of this most cssential
article both of use and luxury.
Greatly in need of q pair of gum shoes to
contend with the mud and sosh which for a
week or more past met us at every step, your
correspondent made flying visit to the pretty
little town of Brdgewater some miles east
of this place. Stepping into the store of Sanger
Bros we were astonished at the size of the
room and the stock of goods on hand. One
of the clerks told us that the room is 10 feet
long, and a cursory glance at the shelves gave
us to understand that this enterprising firm
can furnish Bridgewater and its surrounding
communities with any article usually sold by
any similar concern in the Valley of Virginia.
Their stove, made in Cincinnati, is model of
perfection and cost about $50.
The Rev. Mr.. Railey who with his family
was ensconced in the parsonage at Messy
Creek, Wednesday, 18th inst, preached last
Sunday to good sized audience his first reg
ular sermon at that place. He is young man
of fine personal appearance. His text was
the 18th chap. and 18th verse of LIST Corinthi-
ans, "And now abideth faith hope and charity,
but the greatest of these is charity" He
eyer. His style in the pulpit while earnest. is
graceful and pleasing.
We learn from the principal of the schoolat
our academy, that there are about 30 pupils IN
attendance, and that a goodly number of these.
are looking forward to honorable positions and
usefulness in life. We think the entire COM
munity should sustain and encourage these
youths in their noble and praiseworthy at
tempts to educate themselves. The sad neg
lect of the building and its enclosure by the
proper authorities, invites, rather than repels,
that spirit of vandalism in which the reckless
and unrestrained of. every community are
ready to indulge.
The melancholy mud days have come, the
deepest of the year. There is mud before us,
there is mud behind us, there is mud on the
right OF us, there is mud on the left us, there
is mud everywhere. And then just to think
of the flesh and blood, not iron, horses that are
compelled to tread year after year, for weeks
and months, the narrow and bottOmless ways
between two fences, which traverse the large.
populous, wealthy, enlightened and religious
county of Augusta, bearing on their backs or
Juggling at their heels alike their merciless
loads In the palmiest days of Greclan great
ness and glory it was accounted the gravest
crime for child to wilfully neglect in any
way his parents; what degree of barbarism
these enlightened heathens ascribed to the peo-
pie who refused to lessen the toll of their faith
full but defenceless beasts of burden by with
holding any reasonable tax, is, by no means'
difficult to ascertain. S.