The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-07-25
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
I.ETTER FROM NORRISTOWN, Pa.
Visit to Historic Valley Forge-An Anti
ouated Town-A Splendid Barn
and Valuable Stock, sc.
NoRRIsrowN Pa Julv DIST. 1885,

NoRRIsTowN, Pa, July 21st, 1885.
Editors Union Il have just returned from a
visit to Valley Forge, sacred as the place of the
sufferings of Washington and his army during the
winter Of IT'S. The story of that fearful winter
camp is well known to every school boy. Death
was the only relief for hunger, sickness and ex-
posure But it was hard for me to appreciate
their sufferings from the cold, the thermometer
registering 1929 when l alighted at the dingy
little station on the Reading railroad. As hot as
it was, l could not but pause awhile to note the
beautiful scenery, even though the heated boards
made me feel as though in an oven. Before me
was the town, the houses of which all bespeak the
old age of the place. They are nearly all of gray
stone with sharp gable roofs. The doors are near
ly all divided ongitudinally and ornamented with
huge brass knockers and knobs. A more quaint
collection of houses I have never seen. The
house itself is the only thing of interest at the
Washington headquarters Four pieces of an old
flint lock musket, two hatchets and bullet com.
prise the collection of revolutionary relics. Be-
/ sides these they have bass drum of the war of
1872 and a settee over one hundred years DID, tits
strange they have not greater number of curiOs-
tiles The place is certainly of the most in
teresting ones connected with revolutionary his
tory Even the familiar "Washington's camp
chest, carried by the General all through the Rev
dictionary War;" is conspicuous by its absence.
have visited four other Washington's headquar-
ters and all of the others had big box marked
lieve some of the relics at Mt. Vernon were taken
from Valley Forge.
Proceeding up the Valley Forge road about half
mile I came to Washingtons spring The water
was of course "cool and sparkling" and was quite
treat outside of the associations. 1 wondered
if Washington grateful for the spring as
was, and if he forgot to take with him, when he
went away, the old tomato can which did duty as
drinking cup. Then came tough climb up the
side of Mt Misery to the entertainments. It was
appropriately named. With the heat, flies and
| bugs was almost done up by tho time reached
| the summit. But felt amply rewarded when I
did reach that goal. Stretching away to the right
and left was the beautiful Schuylkill. The river
here makes q bend and you can watch its winding
course for miles in each direction. The entire
landscape is bounded by mountains. Just oppo-
site from Mt. Misery is Mt Joy. The entrench-
ments are quite well preserved considering the
time that has elapsed and that they are simply
earth works. Descending by different route, I
passed on the Port Kennedy road the cold Camp
| School House." This venerable structure bears
the marks of those two things most destructive to
architecture-war and the boy. Gen. Washing
toms staff occupied this building during their stay
| in the vicinity. The place is well worth a visit.
The management are endeavoring to the best of
their ability to arouse interest in the place and
make it take the station it deserves in the estima-
tion of the travelling public.
| In former letter referred to the barn of VIM.
M. Singerly, Esq, editor of the Philadelphia
Record. Last week 1 was shown through the
building by the obliging herdsman, Mr.. Jacob
Landes, and found it to be perfect palace.
The barn is "T' shaped. The main building is
214 feet long and A feet wide and contains one
hundred roomy stalls. There are two rows of
stalls with broad aisle between, on which is laid
track for the feed car. The cattle face inward
Back of the feeding troughs, next to the aisle, is
! an automatic watering trough. AT intervals are
stationed supply pipes. Each one of these is pro-
! yided at the top with balanced iron bar. One
end of this bar terminates in q hollow globe
This globe floats on the water. As the water
sinks the globe sinks with it. Then, of course,
the other end, which covers the supply pipe, is
elevated, which allows more water to flow in. As
soon as the supply is sufficient the ball is elevated
thus cutting off the flow. This trough is uncover
ed except when the cattle are feeding. A wind
mill and steam engine are used to force water up
to the barn. The floors are cemented and are
kept in splendid condition. Upstairs the feed
rooms. The annex is 113 by 80 feet and is fitted
up with box stalls, twenty six in number. Every
thing is kept as bright as new pin about the
place. Mr.. Landes having seven assistants.
The herd consists of 50 cows, IS heifers, and 95
calves one year old and less. The herd is headed
by the splendid two year-old bull, Prince David.
Mr.. Singerly has four other registered bulls Be-
sides these thoroughbred Holstens he keeps seven
teen grades. Among the two-year-olds, Con-
elance o., sire CroWn frlnce ILL, uam haJnrln,
is full sister to Prince David. Her record is the
best in her class in the herd, being SO pounds of
milk day and 2,35S pounds in sixty days. Her
daily record is remarkable for two year old. 1t
is equivalent to about nine and half gallons.
Her dam, Kathrin, has the same daily record
Next to Constance S. is Elsie S., beautiful two
year-old with record of 65 pounds. Mr.. Landes
claims, and think justly, that these the best
and fairest tests that have been made because
the feed was not changed in the least while test
ing. They received their ordinary feed and we're
not forced in the least. Mr.. Singerly has also
sheep farm at Spring House, in this county, and
raises booded horses in Kentucky. Hetakes great
pride in his registered stock. He owned the bull,
Crown Prince Ill, until that animal got too old
for USE when it was killed. wish some of our
Baltimore county farmers could have been with
PLANETEs.