The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-13

rt. spispdfd Farm sn Mason County.
West Virginia.

POINT PLEASANT, w. VA, Jan. T.
Special.--General John McCausland' Oh
confederate fame, is we'll known to the
readers of The Times as fighter pu.
they may not know him as farmer, ana
as such I propose to make some inen-
ton of him. As sat in the public room
of this. the Phoenix Hotel, last evening,
INV attention was attracted by crown
seated around a photograph, ana esi
IDENTIFY enjoying the productions Oh thdt
wondrous machine. NJ the cohcius'oi
of one OF the pieces, some one tuthe" "
a gray-haired, bright-eyed, soldieriy look
ing person, one OF the listeners all"
said: .,p
General. what shall we nave next.
.Dixie" was the prompt response. ana
on inquiry learned that the party ao-
dressed was none other than Genera NC,
t,ausIand 4 felt a desire to know anu
tall, with him especially SO because ol
his absolute retirement from pubic gaze
since the close of the war. oi pei"s
nresen1ed 10 him. he began TO ask OF
SO many friends in Virginia that much OF
inc hour We were together was con-
sumed I'm answering, rather than IN ask
ing questions However, i did not leave
the cheerful presence of the ex-Confed-
crate leader without some knowledge Of
his Victories won on the farm, and in the
peaceful pursuits of agriculture.
The Generals home place Is about nj
teen miles up the kanawha river from
this place and in the county of Mason
the richest in farming lands of any coun-
ty in the State.
Here he has magnificent stone struc-
ture or family residence, with all modern
conveniences and luxuries, while his
barns are models, ana OF course the
M
In addition TO the home place, the Cen
erai owns six other farms, and while he
has competent managers i'm charge. he
gives personal direction and supervision
to ALL lie tells me that sometimes he
takes in the situation on one or these
farms from the car window of fast
moving train. and can tell at a glance
whether the troops are engaged as he
would have them. ! imagine he Is one
of the few farmers in the country who
in the management Of the business brings
to his assistance the telephone, telegraph
lines and railroad trains. lie uses all
three.
The lands of which he is owner are rich
but while differing widely from that fnan-
cal policy which makes the itch richer
and the poor poorer. he does believe in
making his rich lands richer, and so en-
courage his neighbors in making poor
land richer, TOO.
He is an enthusiastic believer in the
tile system. spends large sums of money
in that direction, and is satisfied that he
makes no better investment.
lie was once a large grower OF fat
cattle. but has too much good sense 10
cling to any particular branch of the
landowners business II II ceas"s ~ no
profitable. and of recent years has been
Urish, OF course). and tobacco. He had
forty acres in potatoes on one farm last
year, and sold 1000 bushels from the VEN
ture. and but for the excessive drought.
would have realized 1900 bushels. They
were sold for 90 cents a bushel, and on
the place.
He is preparing TO plant 200 acres next
season. As stated before, he cultivates
tobacco, and successfully. too-the dark.
shipping tobacco on bottom lands. and
the fancy light variety on the hill sides.
The farmers of Southside Virginia viii
envy his mode OF handling ii after it is
cured and of selling 1t after IT is ready
for market lie simply removes the
leaves from the stalks. and puts them in
one pile. without the trouble and eX-
pense OF asserting and tieing into bun
dies, and the city buyers come to his
barns and buy the mass as it Is, and
then remove 1t for further handling 10
the city factories.
This saves TO the farmer much labor
and money. For his last crop of to-
bacco he received 8 II cents round at his
barns IL is folly TO say to such man
that farming doesn't pay. What an eX-
ample, too, has this good, wartime leader
and fighter given to the leaders since the
war! He has rever been al aspiraEt
for office; never cared to shine in inaugu-
raj procession nor on reunion or me-
mortal occasions. and has holy horror
of footlight notoriety.
He stopped fighting VIXEN the war end
ed, and went TO farming.