Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-12
TRANSFORMATION.
MIRACULOUS CHANGE IN "A
QUARTER OF \ CENTURY.
Hon 4. w. Venable's Predic-
lions NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and New Industries.

.,.s-...,or,oncc n tho Richmond Dispatch.l
Chase CRY. February 1.-The Old
ost inhabitants cannot remember ~hen
door were SO numerous in this section as
at present. They come from the eas''
and arc said to be migrating from 'no
Dismal Swamp. Prior to the late war
there we're no deer in this county no."
MANY are killed whose an'lers Indicate ,,,
that they are from to years oiu' ne
cot soids Of abandoned and unculti-
Gated lands afford them vide range
without fear of moleststIon. -;
Tho sparsty of population ana Iilhi -
nut,on nj acreage IN cultivation Ieh'v
.h"ms1nds of acres untitled. where wIld
animals can roam ut Will. :.
The tendency Of the population ~ ~
move fo the towns and villages, even IL
more comfortable homes arc left on the
Iorge farms. The social, educational,
and church advantages OF the towns az
tract the people, and especially the II,
male nortion. who seem to have great
horror Of the country. The lrksome-
noes and isolation OF the farms. the IN
convenience of travelling and VISITING
appear to be repugnant to tho tastes o.
many people.
4 PREDICTIONS.
This condition OF affairs reminds the
writer of prediction he hear.i
made bv the Hon. Abraham W.
Veuahle. OF North Carolina, IN 1866.
Mr.. Ncnable was wonderfully fluent
talkcr: was in Congress for many years.
and was q close friend Of Caibot II. J
met him in this county in 1866, when
everything was in IA state Of confusion
and uncertainty. he said to me " he
cmancipation Of the slaves Will reverse
the entire order Of orr social and imam
cial existence. You Will see the cities
expand, towns and villages will spring
up. for people, like animals, like To
herd together. The Virginia slave
owners will be too old and proud 10
work on the farms. the country and agri-
culture will languIsh for a generation or
more. You will see some OF the finest
Roanoke-rlver farms sell for less than
the cost OF the buildings, and the men
who have been the oVerseers on them
will eventually own and cultivate the
best river bottoms. WITH thoir
bows raised to work and some hired labor
from the negroes, to whom will be rent
ell the cabins and old Overseers' houses,
the productive lands OF our streams VIII
be cultivated.
These were wonderful predictions
when there was neither chart nor com
pass to point to the future, yet their iui-
filment has been realized oil through
this section.
TIE CHANCE.
The production Of bright tobacco has
given 0 poor chinquepln lands vaine
never before possessed, while the low
prices for wheat and corn have caused
tbe aluyial river lands to be avoided by
the farmers. A magnificent koauoke-
river estate in this county, with splendid
improvements. OF over l.2OO acres, was
recently offered for sale under decree OF
court and 3 per acre could not he real-
lied. Probably prior to the war TINS
tract Of land would have commanded
S30,0 600.
Staple products no longer bring the
remuncratiye prices they formerly dld'
while the increased railway facilities
have brought us into communication
with the great centres Of population on
the Atlantic coast, opening up new ave
nues Of trade and Offering great induce
ments TO diversity the farming. truck
ing, canning, vineyards. and orchards
con lucted with skilled labor upon small
surfaces in selected localities offer better
profits than the staple crops produced on
the large plantations.
SEW ERA.
Under these conditions is itnot wisdom
to break up the large estates handed
down from generation to generation ana
TO institute new order OF things more
in harmony with our environment a
new era. with new influences, new ideas,
and new agencies has dawned upon us
new Virginia has sprung into beng
and we must keep step with the march
Of events and place ourselves IN the line
Of progress and development.
New railroads traverse the county,
and along the lines improvements have
been made aud freshly-painted villages
greet the eyes of the traveller. The
stores Of the country have quadrupled.
the mills have gone down, and flour and
meal are brought, from the cities Il tam
merry is unknown and the hides are
shipped away the loom and spinning
wheel would be curiosltles to the present
generation canned goods have super
seeded dried-fruits and homespun
clothes are never seen. and artificial fer
tilizcrs take the place of the barn-yard
product. Large houses in the country
are unoccupied, the African has his
cabin wherever he can buy an acre OF
poor land, and in the towns not va
cant house can be found. What mi
raculous transformation in a little over