The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-29
In OLD VIRGINIA.
Anew PICTURES CAUGHT BY OUR
REFLECTOR.
The Landscape Is FILLED with the Smoke
and Glare of the Holiday, but Solid
Pictures stand Ont In Bold Relief
Gieanings.

and Glare of the Holiday. but Solid
Pictures stand Ont In Bold Relief
Gieanings.
Throughout the Old Dominion this week
the holiday spirit has been rampant. Not a
single paper entered this Office without the
ear-marks of Christmas upon IL. Some OF
our exchanges had editorials on the sub
iect and news of local festivals. Many OF
them issued attractive supplements con-
tanning stories poems, humorous selections
and original matter, while the records In
others Of little rows traceable to potent
egg-nogg or seductive apple toddy. made up
picture OF hilarity sweeping from the
Atlantic to the Alleghanies.
IN the towns. Of course. the noise and
confusion was ut its greatest. and munich
nal authorities were under constant IRE Of
petitions, communications or personal en-
treaties "a he little lax in enforcing the
orders about fireworks and explosives. or
10 rescind them entirely. Here il a speci-
men petition. published in the Abingdon
paper. which. II might be stated, was sue
cessful'
Mr.. Maier bar Wont You pleas LEI we
bows shute squibs on the street, am the
kOmmity 10 rite you; my pa says you used
20 he boy your own self. h0ap you will
! Grant our wish. Yours Truly,
\. LITTLE Boy.
II was not only the little boys whose
minds were intent upon observing the day
according to historic custom. but big beard
ed bows found enjoyment in firing cannon,
| baby-wakcrs and squibs for the amusement
Of their children. and though several slight
accidents hy burning were reported. no one
was fatally injured. II Would be difficult
| 10 estimate the amount Of powder spent IN
one day, but some idea of the extent Of the
expense Of the holiday for this one item
mitht be had from collection Of the dealers
| in Alexandria. Richmond, Staunton. Roam
oke. Lynchburg. Norfolk. Danyille. Peters
| burg. Fredericksburg, Williamsburg. Ash
| land and other towns and cities OF pOlx
crackers. Roman candles and sky-rockets.
Those who wished to see more substantial
| results from the expenditure OF their powder
| than smoke and flame. have spent two or
more DAYS trampng owe: The fields. through
! the mountains and the lOwands, or SKIM
ming about in pleasure yachts or balteauN
in inlets Of the Chesapeake, Rappahannock,
James or Potomac in search OF game with
| wings, web feet, paws or hoOis.
| The Scuttsville Courier says: 1T is just
about now that the amateur Nimrod comes
| in from a ien-miie tramp and exhibits red
| bird or swainp-spairow as trophy of his
hurt. while he tells Of how he knocked the
| feathers out Of a Wild turkey
| Another exchange SAYS: cartridges seem
| to be very numerous. 10 Judge from the
sreat number of them brought in by our en-
ihusiastic spOltsmen. Nessrs. johnson.
! Burke and jackson are the champions, 50
| far" and while the supply Of game IN the
mountains appears TO be undlminlshed' "a
| large increase has been noticeable IN some
Of the tidewater counties. Various causes
contribute to this increase, and local OBJ
servers give as one the Fact that the area
under cultivation is decreasing and consc-
auputly game have more secure cONcris
and wider feeding grounds. That less land
| iscultiyated is not due 10 any intrinsic fault
! of the soils. for the capacity Of irginia farm
! lands is by no means exhausted.
| But in many places money required
| for successful farming is lacking. For this
man and nature are responsible. Man be-
cause he eadurcs burdens imposed upon
him by a palernal government which
| has fayOriie children. and nature
| because this year. especially her
down-pours OF wafer. have both impeded
| The work of the husbandman directly. ana
aided the growth of rank vegetation which
| Indirectly increases his labOrs. The short
| ness of crops has somewhat straitened
the farmers energies, and this Is shown ~
many ways, particularly in one instance.
which at present is attracting attention IN
all parts Of Virginia.
Every public-spirited man in the
country is in favor OF having good roads.
The fertile fields might WELD most luN-
uriant harvest, but can the products to-
easily transported 10 the market if il takes
six horses To do the work of two in hauling
because Of the bad condition of the roads. oI
if double time is required in reaching the
railroad because roundabout way has io
lac followed instead of the direct route.
much Of the benefits of the good harvest l.
rendered null, Roads are the arteries
Of country neighborhood. aud should
be kept i'm such a state rs o.
enable the life currents 10 flow unrestricted.
Neglected washouts. broken bridges, and
almost impossible ruts will not allow this.
so the farmers are trying to devise means
whereby, without increasing their already
heavy burdens they may have some relief
in this respect. Meetings have been held
| and will be held. and they but demonstrate
the general lack Of ready money as the
principal impediment in the way Of pro-
gress.
In striking contrast with this evidence 0i
| depression IN agricultural districts have
been the bOOms Of several towns in The
| southwest, particularly where mineral on
manufacturing in erests are 10 be developed.
First signs of them have been the birth of
new newspapers, such as the Buena Vista
Advocate. the Roanoke Evening World and
the Waynesbor0 and ingalls, CITY Times.
That community Is progressive which cause
two newspapers 10 grow where one or none
grew before, and 50 the new aspirant- in
the field of journalism are at the same time
heralds OF the advance Of their com
munities and also results. They fall
right in line with older papers
such as the Gordonsyille Gazette. the Roa-
noke Daily Times and Daily Herald. the
salem rimes-Register. and the staunt0n
indicator are doing their part in the lever
age of the bOons. In the upper end Of the
valley the air is full of talk or Basic City
stock, WaynesbOrO's future, Glasgow sites.
and phenomenal ROanOke's steady growth.
and the Salem Timcs-Isegster, commeniine
on the announcement of the Improvement
company says: ''Was the like ever before
known A company only about two months
old declaring a dividend Of eighty per
cent. iiurrah for Salem and her Improve
ment Company
One day last week party of Lynchburg-
ers went 20 salem 10 witness q deal IA town
lots. one result Of their visit was the fol-
lowing in the lynchburg News: cold
| Lynchburg never tires, Ii is the solid con-
serVatiye town OF the old Commonwealth.
| tWtfui, eager ebuiitiOnists, who want L.
make fortune quickly, may bark and com
plain; but the well-balanced business lien
of this old rock-ribbed town of ours. who be-
lieve in earning their bread in the sweat in
their faces. are moving steadily and surely
| toward to the goal of permanent prosperity
and cOnleniment."
The DanNiile Register praises these SEN
tments, and further states that with pre-
priety they might be applied TO DanyIlle
Other ouicr0ppings are as follows
Here's one from the WaynesbOrO Times +:
1.-THE increase in the number of strangers
IN town j. significant. lt means that the
worlds eyes are turning this way because
of the bright future ahead for old Waynes-
| bOrO.'
The GOrdonsyille Gazette saws that .as
our town is now on a boom would il not De-
the correct thing 10 have more LIGHTS on our
streets. Take il up, brothers. and not resi-
I'LL the object desired is attained" and the
| Lexington Gazette SAYS: 1T is currently
reported by the wise ones that a number OF
| LcXington's prominent business men have
purchased "A tract Of land aIfofufp., 81.