Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-12-28
Judge Grattan's First Trip West.
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF
WHAT HE Sd ", AND THE
PROSPECT FOR LMINIG-
RATION

RATION
KINDNESS OF THE PEOPLE AND PARTI-
CULARLY OF THE OLD sOLDIERs-IN-
TEREsTING ACCOUNT OF FARMING IN
THE WEsT-A GOOD NUMBER OF PEO-
PIE COMING TO vIRGINIA-oUR FAR
MERs URGED TO SEND IN DEsCRIP-
TIoNs OF THEIR COUNTIES,
! &C., &C.. sc,
Judge Charles Grattan, the State Agent
of the State Board of Agriculture. re-
turned on Friday evening last from his
first trip through Ohio, Indiana and
Michigan. The trip was tentative in its
character, made rather to survey the field
and test the best methods of doing the
work entrusted 10 him. A reporter of the
INDICATOR called On Judge Grattan to
obtain the result of his first effort on a
line which all believe will bring great good
to cur State. He kindly answered the
questions of our reporter, and the result
may be found in the following interview
YES" SAID Judge Grattan, ST have
had a very pleasant and instructive trip
in this, that the people welcomed me most
kindly and [ learned the best mode aud
directions for my work. I felt the want
of one thing most seriously, and that was
detailed statement of the advantages of
each OF our Virginia counties 1t is rather
remarkable, that out of one hundred
counties IN Virginia. only sixteen sent to
the Exposition pamphlets setting forth
what new settler would want to know
about county. However I had the
sixteen with me, some private letters. a
general knowledge of the State, and many
documents from the Commissioner of
Agriculture, which enabled me to answer
| questions. One of the best private letters
L had was from Charlotte county. in
| which the writer gave me the county and
elstrlce school tax, county levy, price of
! labor for men and women, products of
the county, length of time its public
| scnools are open, condition of public
roads, average yield per acre of the land.
names of religious denominations.
| number of railroads and general price of
lands. This sort of information ia ALWAYS
asked for by those talking about moving
| to Virginia, and should be ready at hand,
what route did you take Judge, when
you left Sta unton?"
left here on Monday the 10Th, at 1877
A. NJ. L reached Cincinnati without any
noticeable event on Monday evening at
$50 2. M. except perhaps I should saw
that collided with the stragglers CT Judge
Hudson's Florentines--al of whom seemed
to be lmbued with the spirit of the great
original Fiorentine, Christopher Columbus
and bent on the discovery of new worlds.
My train passed q large party from Ohio.
who were going to the neighborhood of
Petersburg. [ forgot to mention that
after leaving Kanawha Falls, 1 fell into
conversation with a gentleman who turned
out to be Leaf tobacco dealer Of New
York city. Mr.. M. Spears. He knew our
cigar maker and dealer MIR. Haines, and
proved to be man OF fine intelligence.
lie had lands at Norfolk and was taking
in the G. u .. and seemed to be delightelg
, with Virginia, and seemed to be aston
ished that it was not better known and
more appreciated. He said he had a brother
in the Adirondacks and he intended To
visit and write him about it, and did not
doubt that quite party from Northern
New FORK would pay us visit with a
view to settling.
THE FEELING OF THE RAILROADS,
tuesday morning was spent interview
ing the railroad men and gathering infor-
nation as to rates. These gentlemen I
found very polite and accommodating, and
disposed to do all that was fair, and to fix
very low figure for parties of 10 or u
who were coming with view to location.
both as to passengers and their household
stuff.
Taking the q. II. & D. in the evening 1
reached Toledo just in time to hear the
rattle of the outgoing train for Detroit. as
we were little late and they would not
wait. pulling out after we were in sight,
TOLEDO.
Toledo Is one Of the prettiest cities of
Ohio, on the Miami where it enters the
lake, and near enough to the natural gas
region to have it piped into the city and
used for fuel. A pile of Asbestos logs in
imitation Of wood, with a thousand crew
ices In the bark, Or pile Of old fragments
OF iron or steel or some substance white
like lime fills the andirons or the CRATE,
and you turn thumb screw and light q
match and you have bright roaring fire
in moment, resembling wood or coal as
the case may be. No ashes, no dust and
therefore no cleaning. This, besides it's
convenience, tends greatly to the clean
illness of the city. On this road you pass
the Oil region, and at one point the
STANDARD Oil Compancy have spread over
several hundred acres. tanks to store oil.
These tanks are about the size and an
pearance of the gas holder at our gas
works and about as close together es the
four corners of one of our city squares. I
suppose the distance is preserved to Sc
cure the safety of the rest in case one
bursts or fires. The pumps are scattered
irregularly over the country, supported
by structures resembling the scaffoldinp
work of one of our wind pumps. Wed
nesday morning, over the Michigan Cen
trail, | reached Detroit, this is one of the
most beautiful cities in the Union and
regretted had not time to take it in. but
hearing of party at Pontiac who was
looking with longing eyes to Virginia.
struck out early Thursday morning for
that place.
HUNTING OUT SETTLERS.
Not knowing my man, and only know
ing his name and business. I set to work
as soon as arrived to find him. He was
Mr.. A. D. Sutton, in the milk business,
and lived out of town mile or two. soon
found ont his hannts and laid in amhnah