Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-06-20
Virginia

growth of the most vigorous look
ing men in any part of the Union.
Similar belts of climate in portions
of Tennessee and Kentucky have
brought about the same effects.
The tide water region of the State
contains some bad malarial dis
tricts, but taking all the upper val.
ley region and the mountains, there
is probably not a more healthy
tract of country in the civilized
world. 1t is equally favorable to
the growth of animal as of man,
and the finest stock of the United
States may be seen in the valleys
of southwestern Virginia, whose
beef is now held to be the best sent
to Northern markets. The State is
wonderfully favored in its connec-
tions with the sea through the var
ious rivers emptylng into the
Chesapeake Bay, and in the rail-
roads which now bind the cotton
growing country of the South and
Southwest with the excellent har.
bors at the mouth of the James.
1t is hardly known to the North
ern readers what a prodigious de-
velopment is going on in this once
sluggish old slave State. Northern
and European capital is pouring
into various portions of the coun-
try to develop the unknown and
various resources which have lain
concealed for more than two CEN
turies. The tide water region near
Norfolk and the James River has
become the garden for the early
vegetables and fruits for the North
ern cities. The country about
Hampton is winter sanitarium
for great numbers of people who
feel the severe cold of the North
but cannot bear the enervating in.
fuences of the extreme South,
Richmond has become, with its
wonderful water power, one of the
promising manufacturing towns Of
the United States, and the railroad
lines through this city and Norfolk
make the shortest connections any.
where existing between the cotton
country of Tennessee, Alabama,
and Mississippi and the Atlantic
harbors bound 10y commerce with
Liverpool. In fact, a new com
mercial harbor has already been
built up by the energy of a North
ern citizen, at Newport News, on
the James. This is probably des
tined hereafter to be one Of the
great entrepOrts of the cotton trade
Factories are being started il
Farmville, Lynchburg, and in many
other towns Of the State, and q
new manufacturing town, already
numbering thousands Of inhabi
tantS, has been built in the last
two years at Roanoke, the junction
of the Shenandoah Valley and Nor
folk s. Western roads. Farming
has not fallen behind manufacture
in rapid development, and the ira
veler may see in the Rapidan anC
Shenandoah Valleys farms equa
to some of the best in PennSylva
MIA.
But the greatest development Of
the State may be found in thu
southwestern counties, which form
by far the most attractive portion
of Virginia for emigrants. This il
a country of beautiful natura
features, with park-like 'oak ope
nings,' rolling hills, and some fn'
mountains, the valleys having pas
lures as rich and green as the bes
English pasture land, with cattle
grazing in them of the best stock
AS the traveller journeys over
such a wonderful region as this o
the Old Dominion, he cannot bu
reflect on the nemesis in history
Here is a community which shoult
lhave been the first on the Amer
can continent in wealth, power
and culture, which has beer
weakened and degraded chiefly by
wrongs done to a despised race. II
is a people distinguished for cour
age and manhood, and their sol
has been watered with the blood
of brave men, but it was BLOOD
shed for a mistaken cause, which
has brought back nothing to th'
sufferers but the respect which TIN
world always gives to unShakei
resolution and daring courage
lV. Y. RealEstdte Guide.
Gratitude beyond Expression
| ~ II = ~