The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-08-04
Augusta County News.
July 3Oth, 1899.

bushel beyond the standard weigh
which, as you know, is thirty-tw
pounds.
1t has been a few days more than
month since rain fell in this section O
the county and things are parching VI
terribly. The corn crop will be short
for it is too late for rain, should it fal
now, to SO revive the wilted stalks as t,
give half crop.
The crop of grass which is now nearly
harvested, is said to be the poorest il
quantity and quality that has beer
known for long time. No one can give
good reason for this, as just at thai
time when the crop most needed rain il
had an abundance.
The wheat crop which is far the largest
this part of the Valley has grown fol
many years, is being threshed as fast as
it can be handled. 1t is of the highest
grade, taken AS whole, and the great
quantity will go far toward making up
the farmers loss on the corn.
There are no apples, peaches or pears
worth speaking of, and as our people
depend SO largely on fruit for domestic
uses during the winter months, the lack
of these most important crops will be
sorey felt. However, great number
are making use of all the spare time they
have in gathering, canning. drying and
preserving the large whortleberry and
blackberry crops, and one may see daily
wagons and other vehicles by the score
loaded with men, women and children
on their way to the Blue Ridge along
| the whole length of which the whortle-
berries abound in such vast quantities,
as the oldest mountaineer has never seen.
A well-informed and intelligent gentle>
man whose home is Immediately at the
foot of a spur of the mountain a short
distance from Waynesboro and ON the
side of one of the most direct routes to
the berrying fields, told your csrrespon-
dent that an average of one hundred
and fifty people per day passed his place
on their way to and from the mountains
and that, in his opinion, they brought
out not less than eight gallons per person
each day. We can readily believe the
! statement, for we had personal exper-
fence that bears it out. On Tuesday
last we set out for the mountain with a
few friends for days berry picking and
reached the ground at o'clock-some
six miles from home. Our immediate
| ptv dciy rl
and threatening rain too, we found that
we had been preceded by quite num-
Der, some from greater distances than
we had come; while before noon we had
seen not less than seventy-five different
people all bent on the same errand, some
having eneamped in the mountains. We
found the ground literally covered with
bushes, bent till they touched the earth
with the delicious blue berries, and al
/ though we do not claim to be much of a
picker, we secured ten gallons Of fine
ones and returned home by $50 p. M.
Our party averaged over eleven gallons
EACH
A party of our young people spent a
most delightful day at the Grottoes on
Tuesday last. The trip had been ar
ranged for several days before, and when
the day dawned SO bright and beautiful
it found the gay young folks up and
ready for the trip. Miss Pattie Hanger
and Mr.. Frank Guthrie chaperoned the
the seven couples making up the com
pany These couples were:
Miss Sarah Rock with Mr.. Robert
Black; Miss Anstress Gulley with Mr..
w. A. Pratt; Miss Bessie Hanger with
Mr.. D. Bell Kerr; Miss Matte Porter
with Mr.. H. I'll. Kerr; Miss Fannie Ray
mond with Mr.. VIM. Finley; Miss Mag
gle Raymond with Mr.. Irvine Finley.
The party started from the hospitable
home of Mr.. d. w. Hanger near Fisher
vile at an early hour and had delight
/ full drive over sixteen miles of smooth
/ Grottoes at about 1880 and after several
hours of wonder in viewing the handi-
work of the all-wise Architect who
planned and created this grand work,
they came forth to the upper sunlit
world again and repaired to the Wright
House, where, having partaken of a
bountiful, rich and much needed repast,
they paired off for few sets in the ball
room of the hotel and spent the hours
till near shutdown in the innocent pas
time so well-known to all the youngsters
of this day and the oldsters of many days
ago, a pastime SO much enjoyed by the
aforesaid youngstes of the aforesaid
present day and SO much frowned upon
by the aforesaid oldsters of the aforesaid
many days ago. But the day drew rap
idly, too rapidly for the boys land girls
too we suspecD to Il close, and the
frightening shadows warned them thai
a long road stretched itself between de-
lightful Shendun and home. With
many regrets at having to leave SO sool
and with many fond recollections of the
happy hours spent there, they turned
their faces homeward, and at a season
able hour were saying their goodbys al
their several parting places.
1t is seldom that as enjoyable a day
is spent as it was the good fortune OF oul
young friends to fall upon. This is &C
counted for, however, by the fact tha
it rarely ever occurs that as many rea
lovely, loveable, sensible and dignitiet
girls and noble. gallant, manly young
fellows form one party. May their happ.
days be multiplied and may all darl
clouds be driven from their skies by thu
sunshine of their bright eyes is the wisl
of one who we'll remembers the happ!
days of twenty years ago.
) Truly yours,
ROVER.
Warm Springs News.