Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-11-24
CREED'S TRAVELS.
A alcHMoNpER WANDERING IN THE
GREAT PEANUT COUNTRY
Valuable Old County Records In surry--
The Scene Of Nathaniel Bscon's
RebcIiion-oid Hotel.
p,c,uon6 plspatch.l

ReDcltiOn-Ofu AhOtoh
tcorrespondence of the Richmond DlsDatch.l
suRRY COURTHOUSE, Va, November 16.-
Surry county is one of the oldest IN the
state. II vas cut of from Isle OF Wight
about 1862. from which time its records
commence and are unbroken to this date.
The county in this respect has been ior-
tunate. inasmuch as there are but few
court-houses whose clerks offices with
their records have not been destroyed
either by Are or the fortunes of war. The
hooks here are in damaged condition
from age and usage and are now IN Just
that state of decay that they VIII soon
drop 10 pieces by the least handing.
These old volumes consist OF wills, deed,
and order-books, and 10 the Eeneaiogist OF
early Virginia families should be priceless
Tor the store of family information that
may be obtained from them.
FAMILY IscUToHEoNs.
Woe 10 the Yirginian who Is not sure OF
a clear and clean family escutcheon' VINO
may have made some money recently ana
now wishes to establish himself IN the line
~ Virg1pla blue blood aud royalty by these
records. The chances are That he may
meet that which he reckd not OF IN ex-
aiming these musty and funky old vol
umes. which arc as large as a dry-goods
box and as heavy as lead.
He WAS SATISFIED.
Your correspondent, in investigating his
own uatronymic, which is q very common
one. discovered to his chagrin that several
had been " whipped for being mcorri-
gible fellows.n swearing" and mot at
TENDING church n-delInquencies now so
common in the family that he was salts
fed of the family connection;
There are many entries OF lana given oy
natent for the transportation Of persons
IN dwell IN the colony. The records here
found are next TO the oldest in the State,
those Of York county only antedating
them.
The late Colonel Chester. the noted
penealogist Of Washington, who lived IN
london, Eng, knew OF and prlzeo mighty
these records and frequently consulted
them through q correspondence WITH the
present clerk. who is a direct descendent
of the clerk of this same county more than
two hundred years ago. WIZ the Leglsla-
ture after so long time now permit these
records to 90 to ruin, or will they do some
thing for their further preservation!
Action at once should be taken Tor their
protection.
BACoN's BAsTILE.
Mar this site is Bacon's Bastile, alleged
IN have been the home of Nathaniel Ba-
con. the leader of the first American re-
bellion. The house looks rs old as 1t Is
saId 10 be. 1t is built Of brick and has
six chimneys-an unusual Occurrence-and
Is situated in the centre OF magnificent
farm.
IMPROVEMENTS.
Surry Courthouse is about eighteen
miles from the Norfolk and Western rail-
road and about half that distance from
| james river.
The Surry County Lumber Company
railroad connects Scotland on the James
| with the Norfolk and Western railroad,
running through Surry Courthouse. Ieie-
phonic communication may be had Win
| Wakefield. Sussex county, where II con-
| meets with the telegraph service. lhe OLD
| Surry County Hotel still stands with ITS
| Dutch roof, and has been put little
modernized. The hotel premises Is en-
| tered, strange TO say, not through gate,
| but by climbing up a short fight Of steps
over the front steps stile.
DRY" AND SANDY.
The town theoretically and practically is
dry and sandy" The man VINO mas been
used TO his "jagp here has TO lay low and
chew poke-root. The Good Templars' or
| ganization OF SurrY Courthouse Is also re-
| inforced by the Surry Cavalry, a fine or
| QaniZation, every man OF whom IN drllI
| looked as fixed TO the horse as centdlr.
| Peanuts here. as in Sussex, IN view OF the
prohibition law. Is the staf of life, and
| the people somehow appear TO worry along
much less than have seen them In some
| other quarters.
HAPPY sMIIHFIELD.
| SN1rHFIELD, Va, November 16.-This old
| town was one OF the first settlements made
| In Virginia very soon after that at James
| town. IL il has not sailed close 70 the
wind and made the same progress IN pOpu-
! lation and wealth that Chicago has, for in
! stance, it is lust as happy and coptented
| in its retirement from the world and It's
| wickedness rs the latter Is in It's possession
of the Worlds Fair.
| It's one thing TO have tall buildings,
| gilded saloons, and miles OF streets, with
| all their accompaniment or misery and
| sin. and another TO have low, Dutch
| rooted houses with beautiful gardens aud
contentment within that has never been
| disturbed by the frantic yells and cries OF
an Anarchist mob. 10 is one thing TO be
swill-fed on lager and Switzer cheese
and another to drink southampton brandy
and eat Smithfeld hams. All the world,
including its scum, may 90 to Chicago, but
Chicago has 70 come TO Smlthfed for its
best hams and peanuts, and these are the
differences in the two cities.
Five miles out. old st. Luke's church,
built in 1852, is being restored. the original
form being followed as closely as possible.
For many years II was abandoned as
place of worship: but Its roof. which was
good one, preserved its walls from utter
ruin.
Smithfield is very moral, having seven
nice churches-hve for the whites and two
for the blacks. While its people are of
the purest and most unauthorized Vir-
ginia type, the town is most to be CON-
| mended because it does not afiiictthe pub
lie with single newspaper 20 blow its
horn, which is saying more for its modesty
than can be said Of many other towns
| much less deserving of an organ"
Asa pointer to Richmond commercial
drummers it should be said that mithield
has a good business which is looked after
almost exclusively by Baltimore and Nor
| fn1r frayalliuu man