The Russellville Democrat., 1884-09-11

An important, event has transpir-
ed since last ! talked with tile read
ers Of the DEMocRAr, at least 10 tits
writer, It was a long deferred visit
made to my native hills in the Old
North State during last month. An
absence of thirteen years had told
heavily upon some faces and places,
but bad scarcely marked change
In Others. The hmpid, sparkling
streandets flowed as fresh and freely,
and the pincttree abounded as plen-
tifully, as when quit their haunts
50 lcng ago. And by the way, it is
hard to tell which the Old North
State could best afford to surrender.
her sparkling streamlets or her ma.
tive pine tree. The former quench-
es the Tar Heels thirst, and the lat
ter is the great benefactor to reclaim
bis exhan sted soil and it is wonder
full how quick the work Of reclama-
ton is done under the recuperative
power OF forest of old field pines.
Surprising as it seemed, still found
many of the old fields, thrown away
and worthless when last we saw
them, on our return to be the ones
most priced, and In the best state Of
cultivation, and allthrough the In
terposition OF the old field pine 1t
gave us pleasure to note the i'm.
provement in the old country gener-,
ally. Her agricultural Improvement
is accounted for by partial intro.
lduction ofan intensified system Of
farming. And The large increase in
the yield Of wheat, oats, etc, testify
TO the wisdom OF little fertilizing.
This would not be q bad example
for Arkansas, il the people could
only be brought: to see it, and they
will, when they .have tor We ar
rived in time to enjoy Rock Spring
Campmeeting. This Campgronnd
was established away back about
1881 or 2, and has been in operation
ever since. 1t is now one of the
most noted Campgronnds In the
state. During the last half century
campmeeting has failed to be held
at this sacred old ground but once
or twice, during the war, and in ev-
cry case, except one, on the End
Sunday in August. 1t was an easy
matter then for me to determine
when to go home, for of course the
old campground that had furnished
me happiness on annual occasions
for quarter of century, suggested
the time of all others for me to meet
and mingle with friends and associ
ates of my boyhood days, for there |
would meet them from ali quarters,
and meet all of them, and with a few
exceptions who had strayed like the
writer far far away, and few who
had fallen under the exigencies Of
family matters, or the pressure of
business, and others who had fallen
in the worlds broad field Of battle,
all were there. About three hundred
tents on the ground, and all full.
Between three and five thousand
people there. The candidate is the
specimen handshaker, but his exer-
else was small affair to mine, and
especially in the elements of joy.
Thirteen years absence makes many
strangers, even of relatives, and a
joyous surprise was IN waiting at
almost every turn. What contrib
uted most to feeling of awkward
ness, however, was the association
with almost young ladies and gen
tlemen who had not yet come into
life, or just seen the dawn when /
left the old North state. To be on
the ground and note the mnltitudes
then unborn, can furnish the expla-
nation how it is that North Carolina
can gain an additional member Of
congress at home, while she sends
so many of her population to make
these gains in the west, One thing
had just as well be stated here, and
that is, that more contented and
happy people cannot be found than
! found around my old home, and
none Of them wanted to move. The
country in almost every respect had
improved thirty or forty per cent,
save that it is addicted to the fatal
practice Of manufacturing too much
liquor, which is perpetual menace
to the moral habits of her rising gen
GRAFTON of young men. With this
exception, prosperity was in much