Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-21
AS BAD AS IRELAND.
THE RENT TERMS or THE JAMES,
RIVER VALLEY TENANrRY.
Farmers Seeking Other Lines of Business
Looking for Iron--Sharp Practice Of
virginia Lady"
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch

Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispa;ch.I
Scorrsy1LLB. Va, October 81, 1890
There is very noticeable lack OF in
clination this fall on the part OF tenants
10 take lands in this section Of the James
River Valley to farm on the usual
terms-giying one half the crop to the
landowners If the land be low-gounds,
and one third il it be highland. This is
the first year since the war that such has
been the case, and the disposition of tho
tenantry to no longer pay such rent
comes at time when the harvest on
the river has been great and when the
first new corn was sold in Richmond, as
announced in the DISPATCH, at 50 cents
bushel. This state OF things would
seem to be portentous OF change.
Rating corn at $3.50 per barrel, the
market price at this place, and granting
eighteen barrels to an acre as claimed
by q tenant known to your correspond
emf, and the landlord obtains SD 80
this year, beside the fodder and shucks,
for his acre Of low-grounds usually
at $50.
OTHER LINES.
The fact is many OF our farmers are
turning their attention TO other lines
OF business. Some are seeking new fields
of labor. But there is to-day more
good land to be bought in this section at
low prices than anywhere l know, aud
there are farmers here who by their in-
dustry and resultant thrift clearly demon
strate that farming will pay.
Negotiations are pending between
General T. NJ. Logan and +. c. Ander-
son, Esq, president OF the Virginia
Steel, Iron, aud Slate Company, at How
ardsville (which place is to be known as
Logan City,, looking to the purchase by
General Logan OF large block OF stock
in said company which will close mp
matters to a point of organization by
the company, when developments will
begin and Howardsville def her old and
don her new title.
AFEMALz CONFIDENCE OPERATOR.
An effort at a clever trick on the part of q
female living "not a thousand miles from
this place has just been related to the
writer. a young man was sentenced to
the penitentiary from this county the lat
ter part OF last year for mansaughter. An
Intellectual appeal for pardon YVES made to
Governor Lee Just before his retirement
from the gubernatorial chair. Perhaps ig-
norant of this fact, and many other things
beside, the said female wrote IN January
30 the mother Of the young convict in Eng
land that she was a relative OF and had
great influence with Governor Lee, and
being in sympathy with her son (whose
| imprisonment was regarded as an out
rage by the general public familiar with
the factsl she would, for certain
moneyed consideration. apply for and
secure his release by pardon. The
mother sent the letter TO a friend near
this place, stating that tho writer there
OF appeared grossly ignorant of her
States governmental officers, inasmuch
as at the time her letter was written "a
gentleman by the name Of Mckinney
was Governor. | may add that the let.
ter containing this proposition was writ
ten by a lady % who has ranked high
socially and has lived IN aillueuce.
As iron seems 10 be the solid basis OF
the most prosperous and attnctiye-for-
investment sections Of Virginia, nearly
every one is on the lookout Tor indica
tons Of the mineral, and it is now re-
ported that strata OF iron ore runs
through several farms III the Contra
Plains neighborhood in Fluyanna coun
ty, and that offers for options have beer
made.