Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-08-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
Clarke County Letter.
''LrNwooD," CLARKE Co., VA,
LnlV 9th. 1881

v
July oath, 1854.
Mr. HaineS With my good wife
1 am sojourning at the hospitable
home of Mr.. John r. Castleman of
Alfred, one of the thrifty farmers of
this most beautiful and fertile section
of country. This is, indeed, de-
lightful retreat, because of its scenic
beauties, pure and hcalthful air, and
refined associations. That,grave old
mountain, the Blue Ridge, rises in
full view before my vision, as ever
standing in sublime majesty the sem
tinel of this bright cxpanse of coun-
try, as when in the ages past the Red
man coursed these lands and forests
in the chase and claimed them as his
own. How calm, how still; yea, ma
jestically so, is nature? The tower
ing mountain, the wide stretch of
earth as far as the eye can reach, the
grand old woods, the sky abovc-and
yet there is motion, life, force. The
great fy-wheel of nature, under the
direction and control of the Supreme
Creator, with irresistible power keeps
in motion the vast network of ma
chinery. This is one of the many
garden spots of Clarke and Jefferson.
1t is in close proximity to jefferson,
for in coming from the depot, one and
a-half miles distant, the line between
the two counties and the two States,
Virginia and West Virginia, is some
what crooked, and found myself now
in one State and county and then in
the other. The Hon. VIM. d. Smith,
who formerly represented Clarke
eod11t. i8stf1g.
within sight of the farm and residence
of the Hon. w. II. T. Lewis, our
former representative at Wheeling,
and now an efficient member of the
Board of Commissioners of jefferson
county. The depot, (Fairfeld, } on
the S. V. r. r., in an air line is hard :
ly a mile distant, for ] hear the rush
of the train and scream of the iron
horse just as distinctly as if 1 were
sitting on the Carter House porch and
would hear the train passing Charles
town. Mr.. w. r. Read, formerly of
Frederick county, having purchased
19 acres of land at S1O0 per acre, has
erected an imposing residence at the
depot, and is the wheat buyer for ship
ment of this rich, productive grain
growing section. Mr.. Castleman' s
home place comprises 200 acres, 100
of which he purchased few years
ago at S35 per acre, which if put on
the market now would readily bring
S75, striking evidence of the adj
vance of land in the county; due
mainly, I take it, to the construction
and successful operation of first
class railroad. take no stock in the
hue and cry against railroads. With
politicians it is nothing more than a
hobby to reach place and position
The great trunk roads of the country
as competing routes to the city mar
kets, act as checks upon each other
in the matter of freight and pas
senger rates, and their respective
charters, subject to revision by the
legislatures of the States through
which they pass, prevent the abuses
which some allege great corporations
are apt to exercise. Mr.. c. has late
ly bought farm on the Shenandoah,
near Castleman's Ferry, for $50 per
acre, which pays him a rent of $500,
and is likely to prove a profitable in
vestment, there being on it what seems
to be an inexhaustable bed of red
hemetite ore, very rich, yielding Sc
per cent. of iron. He has already
had an offer to mine the ore by large
iron monger of Pennsylvania.
doubt whether Jefferson or Clarke
can show community of more thrifty
and substantial farmers than this par
ticular one presents. Around me ]
count and see the splended estates of
Hon. Vim. D. Smith, Hon. w. II. T.
Lewis, Mrs. Charles Lewis, Mrs. La
rue, Pendleton and Powers, with their
broad acres, tceming with grain and
clover, graced by palatial homes-fat
bullocks browsing laziIy in the fields
the whole showing intelligent, pro-
gressive, remunerative farming on the
part of the worthy residents.
This is Wickliffe Parish of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, and ir
sight of where 1 write this letter
Wickliffe Church stands, located in q
shady grove and is served by the Rev.
Mr.. Page, who occupies the rectory :
mile away, a genial and intelligent
gentleman, whom I have met in
Charlestown. should think the rec
torship of a rural parish like this,
with its sweet quiet, in country SC
healthy and prosperous, with a pop
ulation so refined and intelligent, is a
position ne plus ultra, and if I had the
ear of the worthy Rector I should
certainly congratulate him. The par
ish church was built ESQ learn in
1876, and is of nearly forty years
standing, during which time the con-
gregation has been served by num-