Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-01


massa. take DIS yerc old nig-ers advice ana cal
In where dere ss n big barn. case ders is whsre
you riis something to eat; keep out Of dem are
little pig pen places or yoan starye sure"
After experience proved without an exception
that the old fellow WINS right In the rur.l dis-
tricts here the colored people occupy q position
which Is somewhat peculiar and fun Of hope for
the race. Their proportion 20 the total popu-
laiion Re not large. but when they keep away
from the towns. with their allurement. 70 idle
ness and evil, they make good class OF citizens.
They have acquired little properties carved out
out OF the old plantations. usually OF the main
roads. back In the hills rongher country and
they lead contentcd, useful lives. They are tiling
tracts which otherwise would be waste. and the
feeling OF ownerrhip makes them a conservative.
solf-supportins. law-abiaing class. They hA,es
personal interest In their homes. are neither
seryile nor unduly seif-asscrtive in their con-
tact with their white neighbors and there h no
cause for friction between the races in the rur.i
districts Of this portion Of the south AZ lesss.
Sa'e largo element Of the older generation
served IN some capacity during the war and
there are = good number % colored pensioners
The money thus received has usually been wen
cared for. much 81 IL beiisg invested in their
little freeholds, 10 the benefit OF not only them
selves, but OF the country aud their old owners,
who have found II convenient and profitable 20
thus dispose of odd tracts Of their too large
farms. The older generation are thinning out
but those left tell stories OF checkered careers
that can never again be paralleled in this coun-
try, IL In the world. The old fellow in the
road is an example. Born near Charle-town
he was purchased from the block four
times. the last sale taking him 10 the rice fields
OF Louisiana. As . slave be lsbored In the
wheat and tobacco fields OF Virginia. NJ q mule
driver IN Tennessee. IN the cotton fields q
Georgia and finally in the cane and rice planta-
lions OF the guh coast. When the war cane on
he made his Gay into the federal lines joined
the ranks srA served soldier till lie close
when he settled in Pennsylvania TO be among
sympsthetic friends. He longed for the old
home, and at last when hi. pension came be
returned. bought q little plot out Of the old
plantation on which he had Isbored and felt the
lash. and now only asks TO die a free man nj the
homo where he was born a slave. There was .
touch OF simple nature when he told Of his old
ionginss for hi. virsInis home.
But this is West Virginia now" I said
ITS all old Virginny 20 me, sab"
APFRoAcHISG cHABLEsrowx
Approaching Charlestovn We found the FARM
ing country for mile outside Of the limit %
building subdivided into town lots. with high
sounding avenues aud streets marked bv little
white finger boards. For half mile back from
the pike there were rows OF whitevazhed tree
boxes, marking the course OF the streets " tho
future. Al distance it appeared TO be o large
hillside cemetery closely dotted with tomb
stones, but 9 near approach showed that IL was
a city on paper. Net building mars it. not Q
sradeful OF fresh earth blots the green hillside
while no human being disturbed the sleek
cattle browsing ON Prospect street or the fat
swine wandering mp Central avenue. The rural
solitude and simplicity of this thriving town
was charming. Beyond the hill We found the
actual town. occupying but fraction Of the
space devoted 20 this imaginary city. II has
two topics for conversation-its boom and lie
history-both past Here John Brown was
brought from Hsrpers Ferry. jailed. tried and
hung. Five minutes conversation with native
gives you all this. besides enlightening you
upon the natural reasons why Charlestovn
will be great city next year. The town
may be sleepy. but its real estate agents are
not, and four dusty and travel-stsined trsmps
were regarded rs hopeful prey. One had lots
here, another there, and carriages and guides
were at our disposal. In one thing there was
unsnimity: Have You seen the hotel?' Finest
ever built. Marvel of the country. Unlimited
capacity. Go 10 il. See IL IL il takes q week.
You arc given the other attractions Of the town
first, but the hotel is held for the last trump
card. IL is the little joker Of the game. OF
course we saw il II is set on hill. visible for
miles, and conspicuous for its architectural
monstrosities and hideous colorings. An i'm
mense wooden barn-like building, with gables,
dormer windows, French windows, attic win
DOVE. windows in every possible and impossible
location, glowing with vari-colored paints, and
without a tree or a background 20 relieve the
aver. but outside IL is q combination of archi-
tec:ursl jim-jams and chromatic nightmare. IL
is part of the boom, built by the improvement
company as an advertisement and not because
there is or ever was any demand for such Q
carayansary.
THE OLD TOWN INTERESTING.
The new town is crudea and uninterestine but
the old town is attractive. Like most Of the
towns along these pixies, the road forms the
main street, and il Is well built, with old and
substantial houses. The streets are lined with
trees, the houses surrounded with lawns and
built in the old Virginia style, pillars and
porches making striking feature. Age IL APP
parent In the solid walls and sedAte colors that
abound. Named for Charles Washington. Is 10
the home Of the direct Representatives OF the
Washington FIRMLY. fact which 10 supposed 20
give il tone and dignity. Amodern brick build
ing occupies the site where John Brown passed
his prison hours, but across the street the old
court house where be was tried and condemned
still stands. A lawyer came out OF his Office ~
We climbed the stone steps and, learning that
We were sightseers, told us in his most swe-in-
spring tones that 'John Brown was tried IN
this very building" George questioned a. 20
how il SO well escaped the ravsges of the war,
had not been taken to Chicago, and our guide
explained that the roof destroyed and the
walls pretty well battered and torn down, still
il was this very building, but "have you seen
the hotel yeti" B.W.G.