The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-02
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and smaller birds, and it is said viii kill q
sparrow, eat as much as it wants, leave it
hanging on d thorn which it forces through
its body. and go to it again when hungry.
They also have the carrlon crow, species
of buzzard, but smaller and with black
head. I have not seen any Of the English
sparrows.
This being a very piny country they
burn little else. All you have to do is to
stick match to it and you have big hot |
fire at once. They also have their turpen
tine farms. One side of the pine tree is
shaved or feet ups and notched about
or feet from the ground in such a way as
tohold the crudeturpentine. Theydip it out
with ladies' and distil the spirits turpentine
from it very much as we do our whiskey,
but it is notnear so profitable as cotton, and
there are not near so many turpentine as
cottonfarms Spirits turpentine sells at %
to 80 cents per gallon and rosin at about
So per ton. Being IA warm country and
warmer outside than inside OF the house.
bu6 GOOIo 1tlt etIHd1o lCl5 DpCi1 tijll llO Ccl-
lars. The houses are generally built few
feet from the ground on pillars or blocks
o. wood, and one can see through and
through under them They are generally
frame and often not enclosed Frequently
they are some distance from the road, and
open ways. called avenues, ARE cut
80 to 60 feet wide. through the very
dense, tall forests You see them a
long ways off through these avenues over
perfectly level surface which makes them
look beautiful, but on getting closer they
often look dingy' from the hot sun. | no
tice, too. that they use very little lime;
suppose it is harder to get in this country.
They use more paint, but the best Of paints
will not stand this hot sun very long.
There are very few springs. but they get
their water few feet below the surface,
and wells are very numerous and close
together. They use the old-time balance
pole and bucket, with troughs along the
side of the roads, and you draw your own
water for your horse. The water issvery
much like cistern water. They had what
we call pretty severe storm the night of
the 10Th inst. Rain poured down in tor
rents lightning fierce and thunder ter
rife, seemed to Jar every winGow in the
house, and the whole face Of the earth
seemed to shake: but We were surprised
to hear the people here say that it was
nothing to some of their storms and to
speak very lightly of it. Their storms
must be terrific indeed.
They make most of their money
here by raising cotton and buy almost
everything they eat, paying about the
same for wheat, corn, and oats as we
do. also about the same for their
groceries. Sweet potatoes, melons, and
grapes grow v cry fine here. When they
speak of potatoes they mean sweet pota-
toes, and they say Irish potatoes. Sweet
potatoes are worth about half that Irish
sell for. and as for melons they never think
Of selling them.-s plenty they never con-
slider them-and the same way with grapes,
of which there are several varieties, the
Scuppernong, a large white grape, and
Thomas being among the best They do
not pay any attention to these things as
they have more than they have use for
any way. The ease with which they travel
over this country is surprising. Two
heavy men will get into small single
buggy and drive % or 30. miles in or S
hours and do not seem to think it any
thing. The horse seems to trot smoothly
along, scarcely seeming to stretch his
traces. The roads being so level and no
rock, you are not much iostled or made
tired. They have the fence law, having
been in operation or years. and they
are pleased with it. The old fences are
about gone and there is very little fencing
of any kind. In furrowing out for corn
they drive across the road in front of you.
We were very much surprised on getting
up the morning of the 18th, to find con
siderable fall of snow,-more snow than
they have had since the winter Of 81.
The fall continued until about 8 o'clock,
but by u it was all gone. On walking out
at 2 p. m., you would not have known there
had been falling weather, your shoes not
being the least soied.
| do not think that South Carolina
is just SO ready to bridge the gulf
made by the war as Virginia The
burning of it's capitol and q feeling that
obnoxious laws have been imposed and
more rigidly..ssenforced by unscrupulous
carpet baggers ,scallawags and incompetent
negro officers, seems to stick the high
spirited South Carollnian. Their Elk
Governor, Moses, has recently been con-
victed for obtaining S34 by false pretense,
and when brought up for sentence said
that the alienation from his people and
native State had so affected him that his
mind he'd become unbalanced and in an
the hope of providing for his almost
starving wife and children that he loved
SO dearly, and being able to return the
money in short time, that had induced
him to the deed, but Judge Putnam
said, 1T seems to me that your
moral sense is more impaired than
your intelle ctual sense. 1t IS very sad to
have to sentence q man of your ability.
but the fact of your being a person of
such intelligence should deter you from
crime. Your offence was mean one, hay
ing all the elements Of treachery and de-
ceit, y and then sentenced him to the house
Of correction at Cambridge, Mass. for six
months.
The South Carolinians that | have met
are certainly a kind, hospitable and pleas
ant people. Just such people as having
met once you feel like meeting again. And
avisit by a Virginian to South Carolina
under favorable circumstances is certainly
pleasant. r. A. NJ.