The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-13

GIA, AND OLD REcoLLEo1IoNs ABOUT
AUGUSTA,
OFFICE STATE AND COUNTY TAXI
RECEIVER.
ATLANTA, GA, Feb. %, 's4.
MAJOR $. M. Yosr.
MA Dear Friend - promised long
time ago to write you Il letter for publica-
tion, something never did in my life
yet. il you choose to publish this long and
disconnected epistle. yon are at liberty to
do so. came to this place in 1868 found
it very flourishing young city OF about
IL, 900 population. 1t was totally destroyed
by Sherman's army in the Fall of 1864.
evacuated the city i September '64, and
returned iliJune rs. and found the beall-
tiful little city in ashes. The people, how
ever, began.to pour in from all points of
theicDinl,ass. the owners Of the real estate
I genera ceiling a portion of what they
had and " iti the proceeds of the sale
built them liousest to live in, others would
build hnts of brick bats and anything else
they could lay their hands on, and rent
them at enormous prices. To give you an
idea, paid myself seyenty-fiye dollars per
month for one-room shanty. | made two
of it by hanging up bed quilts, &c. AS
this is an unpleasant subject, will leave
it by say ing that we now have built upon
the old ruins of Atlanta II beautiful city
according to the census just taken) of
over $4,000 population. and all the houses,
both resident and business, tliat have been
built in the last ten years and are now
being put up. are built in the latest style
of architecture from three to six stories
high. The great Kilnball Hotel that was
burned down last August, is now being re-
built. 1t covers nearly one whole block !;
is to he seven stories. containing about 500
rooms, fire proof, with all the other late
improvements, and will be the finest and
largest hotel, when completed. south of
New York.
We have a go-ahead population made up
from all parts of the world, even from
China. Two Cinnamon are running big
laundry here and are getting rich. Man
ufacturing establishments of almost ev-
cry kind are in operation here,-three
large cotton factories worth one million
dollars, one rolling mill, five large foundries,
twelve planning mills, two brO0 N factories,
one large match factory, four cigar fac
tories, one large soap factory, two plough
factories, one Of which works over 200
able bOdied men, with capacity to turn
out 1000 ploughs per day, and ready sale is
found for them in this and adjoining
States; two large furniture factories, one
spice mill, one railroad car factory, one
hoe, shovel and pick factory, and many
wagon and carriage factories, and others
too tedious tomenti0n. And last, tho not
least, is one large oleomargarine factory
where they turn out from 5000 to 5000 lbs.
Of beautiful butter per day, and they are
unable to supply the demand at that rate
The butter sells at the factory from twelve
to eighteen cents per pound and is sold
readily by the retail dealer at from thirty
to forty cents. have eaten it myself and
it is just as good as butter made from
cream.
Georgia is great State and is increasing
in wealth very rapidly. The tax books
show that she has doubled her wealth in
eight years. Her bonds are worth from
$1.05 to $1.25, according to date and the
amount of interest they bear. She owns
the w. 81 A. Railroad, 1873 miles, which
runs from here to Chattanooga, Tenn,
besides other valuable property, which is
worth more than the entire indebtedness
of the State. Georgia has variety of
soil and climate. Lower, or Southwest
Georgia, the climate is warm. There they
raise rice and Sea Island cotton. Middle
Georgia is fine healthy climate they
raise the ordinary cotton and everything
else that is necessary for the comfort Of
her people. North Georgia. or what is
called Cherokee Georgia, which embraces
all the territory north of the Chattohoochee
river and which passes about six miles
north of this city, is l think the best
portion .of the State. 1t is limestone
soil and very much like the lands in Au-
gusta county. The soil produces fine wheat,
corn, rye and oats, also cotton, and all the
grasses, such as timothy, clover, orchard
grass, &c., and is settled almost exclusively
by the whites, and they aret the most thrifty
and independent farmers in the State, for
they raise nearly everything necessary to
make them comfortable and happy, while
the farmers in the cotton belts rely solely
on their cotton crops and buy everything
they eat and wear for man and beast. They
argue that the cotton they raise on one
acre will buy more bread and meat than
they can raise on three acres, and no more
trouble to cultivate cotton than corn. But
the trouble is this: About once in five
years the cotton crop proves failure.
Then the farmer is in a bad fix ; he has no
meat, no bread, and no cotton to buy it
with, and in debt for what he has bought.
The farmers who make the most money in
Georgia are those who plant and sow
enough grain and raise enough meat for
family use then raise cotton, sweet pota-
toes, COW peas, watermelons, goober peas,
dried fruit, &C., for sale. These say are
the farmers who are the most prosperous,
and suppose the most happy.
To the best of my knowledge about two
hundred Virginians live in the city, and
am proud to say most of them are doing
we'll. We have few here who did no.
thing in Virginia and they are following
the same trade here. ItWould be too tedi-
GUS to name all the Virginians l know
here, therefore | shall speak of none, ex-
cept that four of the most wealthy and in
fluential churches in this city have Vir-
ginians as their pastors, to-wit The First
Presbyterian church has the Rev. DR.. Bar
nett, Of Abingdon, Va, who is much loved
by his congregation and admired by all
who know him. DIR. Stricken, whom you
all know, and who came to this city from
your county about Is months ago, is pastor
of the Central Presbyterian church, the
one my family attends, and is the idol of his
congregation, beloved by all who know
him, and is considered one of the ableSt
divines in the city. DIR. Gwin, who is
son of David S. Gwin, late of Alexandria,
Va, deceased, was born in Bridgewater,
Rockingham county, is pastor of the First
Baptist church, and has been for eight
years. Nearly everybody here knows Dr..
Gwin and all love him not only for his
warm and generous heart, but for his abil-
ity as minister of the Gospel and chris
tian character. DR.. Mcdonald is in charge
Of the Second Baptist church. He is
very eloquent man and has done much
good here, and is deservedly very popular
with all who know him. and is from Rich
mond, Va. was just told by Jason N.
Bruffey, an old Rockingham Go. man, that
DR.. Bowman, of Harrisonburg, has been
called here to take charge of the Third
Presbyterian church, and l hope he will
accept, as / know him to be very able
man and will exert great influence for
good if he comes here.
will here remark that our city is moral
and church-going people. We haye, in
Guiding all denominations of both white
and colored, So churches inside the city
limits. The property owned by the white
churches is valued at over 81 900, 900 that
owned by the colored churches is valued at
over $100, 900, and all exempt from taxa
ton of every kind. AS I have already
said we have an Industrious, go-ahead pop
ulation, and when you consider that our
city is not yet twenty years old, it is
wealthy for the age of it. Nearly every
body here started poor after the war, and
now we have three or four citizens that
are considered worth over one million of
dollars, and scores of them over one hundred
thousand and about one-half of the wealthy
men here were born and raised North,
East and West. One great secret of our
success is that we threw open our doors
.41xl oil To- fh.ax1d RI