The Press., 1884-07-03
Issued Every Thursday Evening.
JOURNEYINGS IN THE VIRGINIAS AM
 KENTUCKY.
FOURTH PAPER.

hENlUCAIs
 FOURTH PAPER.
 While waiting at Clifton Forge on tn" morning of May 23d for train east, we improved the time by getting upon a freight train, under the guidance of the gentlemanly agent at the station, and r1de of four miles to the west brought lis to Lowmoor, station named from the firm of Low X Moore, New York gentle men, who have established furnace for the making of pig-iron. These works are run by three upright Corliss engines, of 500 horsepower each, and the product is l35 tons of pig-iron daily, seven days in the week, it being deemed necessary to keep the works continually in operation. The daily consumption of coal is 30car- loads; ]; of iron ore 300 tons of lime stone 25 tons. A long TOW of ovens in front of the works converts the coal into coke before using lessening its weight but increasing it's bulk, and removing from it substances that would retard the free melting of the iron. Seven hundred hands are here given en- ployment, making village of 1 ,50O people dependent upon this one establishment, about half of whom are negroes. The refuse of these works covered over wide area of ground, and we noticed that TOW of cottages some distance away were set up en posts, which we were told was to lift | them to the level contemplated by the de- deposits of this slag, etc.
 | These works are well managed, and l while no fear of hard times yet affects | them, free trade" ideas are very much at discount in the vicinity.
 Aside from the tariff issue the people of | the vicinity take very little interest in pol itics. The Virginians, who were free to talk of the prospects of the conventions, were decidedly enthusiastic for Blaine, As rule, the Virginians evince little in- terest in politics, save on local issues. Ar thurs administration has very we'll satisfied them. They like northern republicans, and are free to say so. Aside from the fact that the negroes are republicans, they have no very strong partisan feeling. There is considerable "old whig" leaven in southern politics, and the strong men men of the south are free to say that the element they would feel most at home with is ill the republican party of the north. The subject of politics, as rule, was first broach- ed by the Virginians, who usually began by assuming that their visitors were repub- licans, and always pleasantly and courteous ly discussing local questions. National is- sues they passed by as of little account, having few or no complaints to make con- cerning Arthur's administration, but the democrats were bitter in denunciation of the "readjusters, under Malone.
 The one thing desired was emigration and capital from the north. Evidences of thrift always appeared where Yankees had settled. Wherever enterprise crops l a77fi %bo ol,o 4 4l,,, equal that you will find northern man | close to the center of it. The Virginians note this. They see what. the new south may be, axd long to hasta he realization of the pUssfbiffties The 1esapeake and Ohio and other rai1road1 are opening the country the sleeping old towns begin to watch each other, and reach out in riv. airy after outside elements of growth in 8 word Virginia is tired of resting on the glories of the past, and wants to regain hel old place among the leading states.
 The country between the Blue Ridge and the. tide water region is not as favor able for farming as it once was, simply be- cause the land has been worn out in to- bacco culture. There is little stock kept in this region, hence no great need of pas turing, and grass is not cultivated because there is little need of hay. The crops arc rotated about, field being abandoned, with the stalks of the corn left upon it, un- til needed again, often growing to wood, with the marks of the corn hills yet visi- ble..
 Tue land has generally been unfairly treated, getting nothing back in return for what it gives, but is yet good soil, and ready to do great things for the agricultr1r- turist who treats it fairly.
 co;J 1%ofo,o fbn ctonly If 41ic rar;no is chiefly mules. The swine seen are a long, lank looking animal, and, as s en hanging ill the markets, are a great con- trast to the we'll rounded swine of the north. And yet, we are told that the pork raisers of the south ''draw the ine' at a certain limit. When buying @ live hog the rule, we were gravely informed, is to ] lift the animal by the ears, and If the nose part dropped, thus over balancing the rest of the hog, the. animal was rejected. If it only balances, the hog is up to the stand ard.
 The race question is a disturbing matter in the south. The negroes are jealous re- garding their new born rights, and the whites find it hard to adjust themselves to the fact that the race which they have seen born to servitude is made their equals before the law. In the cities the political line is often the color line, and this deep- ems the feeling. Time will right this Au- other generation of whites will feel ditter- el1tly about the matter, and the negroes will be quick to reciprocate any good feel ing. That the lower class of negroes are given to thieving, as charged by the whites,> is not unlikely. The condition of the race in the past has given them little chance to- get moral qualities by inherit ance. And yet they are rising rapidly in the scale of intelligence and morals. It is wonderful how eager they are to get edu- cation. he pupils at Hampton earn their own bread and tuition while at school Graduates of this and other schools are being sent out to al parts of the south. And the sclrool-master is not "abroad' but ssat home'' among the negroes. In the cities may be found good newspapers con- ducted and supported by negroes, nota. ble specimen being 1.-The Old Dominion, published by Henri Jones at Norfolk.
 Prof. Jed Hotchkiss, of The Virglnlas, says of the Virginia negro laborers
 It is a well ascertained fact that the most costly single element in mining and manufac- turing operations is labor consequently one of the first economic questions to be consider ed in embarking in such enterprises in any re- gion-no matter what other advantages it may possess in the way of good, abundant and cheap raw materials, accessibility to market, favorable climate, etc., ete.-is, what is the