Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-30
1t CAN BE CONVERTED
How a New South Blossoms Under
Friendly Northern Auspices.
A PITTSBURGER'S VIRGINIA FIND.
he Discovers a Budding Eden, Created by
Firm Philadelphian.
ROANOKE'S MARVELLOUS DEVELOPMENT
A PITTSBURGER'S VIRGINIA FIND.
ROANOKE's MARVELLOUS DEVELOPMENT
IcoRREsroNpENcE OF THE DIsPATcH.l


MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA,
September q, 1889.
In tbe summit of the Allegheny Mount
aims in Virginia, 500 miles from Plttsourg
with the sun shining brightly, stiff breeze
blowing. and the thermometer ranging from
$50 to $50. L find myself beside comfort
ing wood fire reading The DISPATCH
which has been a welcome visitor tie tn,
household of P. W. Reid, former Pitts
burger. since 1850. A short while ago
sat on the mountain divide; a stones throw
on my right is spring the waters of which
flow into the Kanawha, thence to the Ohit
and Mississippi; a like distance OF
nv left is brook which empties into thu
Roanoke, and thence into the Atlantic
Ocean. From good point of observation
l can see with the eye the celebrated peaks
OF Otter 60 miles distant. Five miles south o.
me is a fine white sulphurispring; west, vel
low sulphur spring, while the most recently
discovered spring on New river, called the
Allegheny, is said to be strongly impreg-
mated with arsenic. 1 expect to visit all OF
these resorts before returning.
Christiansburg is the county seat of Mont
gomery, and contains about 500 inhabitants.
1t has a sawmill, bank, hotels, churches,
tobacco factory, tanneries, and roller flour
mill, beside some of the best, if not the
finest, producing farms in Virginia.
THE FoREGoNE CONCLUSION.
Northern capital and energy has ma
teriallv assisted in the development of the
little place. Here reside A. D. Simpson,
formerly of Mahoning, Pa, and an almost
barren mountain when he came here is now
a finely cultivated farm.
Ten years agl came ?. W. Reid, Of Home
stead, whose farm the first year did not ay-
erage FIVE bushels of wheat to the acre.
Last year the yield was 80 bushels to the
acre, and the local paper pronounced it the
best farm in the county. 1t is to-day worth
seven times what was paid for it ten years
since.
Captain c. S. Schaeffer, of Philadelphia,
is perhaps the best known Northern man for
800 miles around. He came here on de-
tached duty from the Army of the Potomac,
one year after the close Of the war, in the
interest of the Freedmen's Board, and To-
Gated near the railroad station, on site oc-
cupied by Generals Averill and Crook
during some of their raids here. He was
charmed with the spot and indeed with the
whole country, and, except to visit Phila-
delphia every three years. for a short stay,
has been steadily at work here. He took
lively interest in the elevation Of the colored
race, and, as early as 1867, by the aid Of the
Friends Freedmen's Association, of Phila-
delphia, and his own money, established the
first free school for the emancipated people.
At first the whites did not take well to
Captain Schaeier and his ways, but as the
threatening letters and skulls and cross
bones" continued to multiply, this phiIo-
sophie Northerner visited the county
authorities and notified them that, if his
barns and house were destroyed, be would
hold the county responsible.
HE GAVE THEM THE SLIP.
Once some Salem students undertook to
mob the tall, magnificent, but dauntless
Northern soldier at "Big Lick" now
Roar IKE City; but he quietly gave them
the slip through the stovepipe hole of
cabin. On another occasion the Captain
was riding with coloreG man, and insisted
on his keeping abreast of him instead of be-
hind him. as the whites demanded, and a
mob threatened him. But the Captain
calmly and coolly carried his point, and
to-day he is perhaps the most popular
white man in the county. Finding that
his work could be enlarged, he studied for
the ministry and was licensed to preach,
and today there stands above the station a
beautiful brick church, erected by Captain
Schaeffer and his friends of Philadelphia,
save perhaps $4,000 contributed by the
whites and blacks of Christiansburg. The
total cost of the edifce was over 81, 900.
1t is called the Memorial Baptist Church,
and is the result of the efforts of the Tenth
Baptist congregation of Philadelphia,
which, until recently, assisted in its main
tenanee, with Captain Schaefer and his
friends.
The large new brick school house, erected
about three years ago, two years after the
church was completed, cost about $1,000,
and is owned by the Philadelphia Quakers
alluded to. There are $50 scholars enrolled,
of all ages, and each year graduates in Eng
ish are recorded. Until two years ago four
white teachers were employed. The first
gear the colored teachers were in charge the
school was not up to the mark, but last year
the eolored teachers proved their efficiency,
and have been engaged for another year,
commencing with October 1.
HIS WIDE JURISDICTION.
Captain Schaefer is the Principal of the
school, and in fact Superintendent of school,
church, farm, ETC., having jurisdiction over
119 churches, within a radius of 800 miles.
The congregation at Christiansburg num-
bers 500, and the trustees are required to
pay Mr.. Schaeffer $500 per annum. This
sum he has regularly turned over to the
building fund, supporting himself on what
PhiladelPhians have supplied him and out
of his abundant resources. Last year the
congregation decided to give their benefac-
tor $500, and with this sum he intends fres-
Going the walls of the edifce. In all of the
churches over which he has Jurisdiction the
poor blacks have from time to time paid
him for his services, but invariably the
money, and in addition his own funds,
have been drawn on to assist in the erection
of the crossroads 'tmeetin' house." That
the blacks at Christiansburg prefer Captain
Schaeffer as preacher is attested by the
fact that, when the Rev. Mr.. Taylor, col
ored, died, the Captain was unanimously
called to the pasiorate, and has since been
called annually for % years.
The State and county appropriates 1915
annually to the school, the total expenses of
which are but 5000. The school is open
now seven months in the year, though the
term heretofore has been nine and ten
months. Captain Schaeffer's children at
tend school in Philadelphia, but his good
wife lives here, and is a valuable assistant
in his grand work. His home is summer
resort for Philadelphia friends, an6 no one
in Virginia entertains more Hospitality or
fashionably.
The Captain is tall and erect, with white
hair and chin beard, and modestly SAYS he
will continue in his present work as long as
the colored people want his services. He
donated to the church trustees nine acres of
---onnd for cemetery conditioned that