The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-12-06
STAUNTON. VIRGINIA. DECEMBER 6, 1885
Florence.
The New City OF the SOuth-Ets Attrac.
lions. Surroundings, &C.

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| lions. Surroundings, &C.
FLORENCE, ALA, Nov. %, 1888.
Editors of the Iazley Tuginian
Perhaps letter fromsthis place may be
of interest to your many readers. To day
we are having the delightful weather that
we usually have in Augusta county during
the last days of September. We have had
just such weather here for the last six
weeks--a balmy Virginia autumn without
its raw winds and cold rains Each morning
the ground is white with frost, but within
an hour after sunrise the air is warm and
pleasant.
The young city of Florence is situated
On the right bank of the Tennessee river.
at the head Of navigation. To its wharyes
come some of the best boats that ply the
Mississippi river and it's tributaries. This
gives unexceled water transportation over
more than live hundred miles of nayigable
rivers.
The United States government is now
engaged in constructing canal around
the Mussel Shoals, which impede nayiga-
ticn above this point. This canal will
have cost, when completed. twenty mil
lion dollars, and will open out the magnifi
cent country upon the upper Tennessee,
rich IN agricultural products, in timber
and In minerals. Upon one side of US are
situated the rich coal fields of the Warrior
basin. Upon the other the brown hema-
tite ore beds of Northern Alabama and of
Central Tennessee. So any one must see,
with the tall chmneys of seven furnaces
within sight of US, that we are destined to
be considerable industrial and manufac
turing center
But shall not weary you with'a list or
history OF the many industries springing
up here, but shall tell you something about
the people and their ways that may inter-
est you.
This is a great cotton country, and far
mer, to the question, what do you raise
will answer, 'corn and cotton' or 'cotton
and corn" And this is the curse of the
people; for failure in these staples'causes
great financial distress. and besides such
narrow system of agriculture seems to
dwarf the intelligence of the farmers and
to make them afraid to try new ways and
methods of culture.
Farming operations are mostly carried
On with oxen ard mules, and the land is
plowed with one horse plows. The wag
CONS have no locks, but are locked with
the old lock chain which | have heard my
father speak of as used ''before the war,
A great many Studebaker and Tennessee
wagons are used, but the locks are always
removed, as delicate and newfangled af
fair, which will be more trouble than thew
are worth.
But then you will wonder, are the peo-
pie learning anything? Yes. they are
learning. About six miles from US is a
German settlement. We spent day in
this neighborhood, ST.. Florien by name,
and there | could almost imagine that |
was with some of my German friends
| in Augusta. The fields were green
with clover, timothy, wheat and rye. The
farmers were picking splendid apples, and
few punches of luscious concord grapes
still hung on the vines.
And when I sat down to dinner 1 was
greeted with all kinds of vegetables, with
yellow butter, peach butter, and cucumber
| picket. and large size family pie. But
after dinner the Virginia program was
changed, and we were treated to Alabama
claret. And [ am glad to say that Ala
bama farmers are learning from these new
Corners.
Now one word of politics. We Virginia
Republicans feel that for Virginia and the
South, almost half of the battle was lost
in the defeat Of Mr.. Yost
The Republicans of this place are no
mere handful. as you might imagine, but
they are all the stronger in the faith since
they can see SO clearly that the country
needs new men and new methods to build
it up.
But Mr.. Editor must now STOP If you
finG this sufficiently interesting to publish
| may again venture to intrude on your
readers. CoMETosTAY.
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