Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-28
THENORTHERN NECK.
FARMERS WANT A LAW TAKING DOCS
AND PROTECTING SHEEP.
Merchants With Big Stocks sud Long
Faccs-The Late DIR. Ashton's Busy Lie
A Constitutional Convention.

CONFORM, KING GEORGE COUNTY.
VA. January H.-(special. 1.-THE farmers
OF this county have never been so out
spoken and anxious for some sort OF
law taxing dogs and protecting sheep as
they are at this time. Indeed, they nave
never before been so entirely united on
any subject. Democrats. Republicans
and Popullsts agree that II the present
Legislature adjourns without doing some
thing for the protection OF sheep-hus-
bandry the enterprise must necessarily
be abandoned, for scarcely a night passes
that some farmers flock is not raided
and greatly damaged by dogs.
Grip and pneumonia are very prevalent
throughout this section; the physicians
are working day and night. and the Old
citizens and infants are rapidly passing
away as a result Of these uncompromis-
ing maladies.
ONLY ONE STEAMER.
There IL at present but one Rappahan-
mock steamer plying between Fredericks-
burg and Baltimore, one Of the Weems
steamers being temporarily suspended.
This causes considerable inconvenience
as the traffic on the Rappahannoch Is
very large all the year around.
To-day Mr.. II. y. Coghill arrived mere
from South Dakota after an absence Oh
five years. He Is native OF this county
where he was, UP to the time OF leaving
five years ago, an active and useful De-
mocrat, and one of the most popular
young men of the county.
DISAPPOINTED STOREKEEPERS.
A number OF country merchants. who,
IN anticipation OF hard winter and sus-
pended navigation, laid In very large
stoclSs of merchandise last fall. are now
wearing long faces. Laborers have been
unemployed. farmers depressed because
Of last years short crops, and hundreds
of families did not lay in winter supplies
as usual, so that these merchants nave
their large stocks on hand unsold, while
their bills with the wholesale merchants
are now falling due. This state or ar
fairs makes Jack a dull boy mere
abouts.
The books of DR.. Horace ID. Ashton, or
this county. whose death was announced
through this correspondence last week,
show that he attended the sick nearly
every day for ffty-odd years, except
occasionally when confined to bed himself
! by sickness. which seldom occurred du-
ring his long. busy life. And 1t Is esu-
mated that the travel involved by his
immense practice averaged nearly ten
thousand miles year.
FAVOR a CONVENTION.
Some Of the leading lawyers and other
prominent businessmen OF this section
| favor n constitutional convention while
others oppose such a proposition on the
ground Of the expense to the State ana
| the possible partial disruption or the
! Democratic party. The majority, how
| eyer. favor q convention.
Notwithstanding the extraordinary wea-
| Their comparatively little farm work mas
been done on the large farms In TINS
county. This Is due TO the fact that
competent farm labor cannot be procured.
| Hundreds Of laborers who have hitherto
worked on the farms-some for wages
| and some as tenants-now decline 10 90
| farm work on any terms, although many
Of them are in destitute circumstances.
Labor is one of the very serious questions
| that confronts the Tidewater Virginia
! farmers this season.