Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-09
THE NORTHERN NECK
,.uxrRs THAT DO NOT BELIEVE
IN cnouxD-HoG DAY.
Yet They Were Anxious on the An
niversary-Fine Herring-Wi' "'-
bufId--A Fox-Chasc-No Tr"ch
Personal and General.


VA. February s.-(special)-lf you va
10 incure the enmity of the average 0o'"-
trvman. lust tell him in a crowd thal He
he,ioves in the "ground-hog aS
reather proenostlcator. Yet II you "sns
N sec the average countryman at y
o'clock sharp on the % OK beDruais'
yor wlu and him on the sunny slde OF
his house looking alternately 'O"@'uS
The sun and his shadow on tne srounu'
las, week. as "ground-hog-da was
h,au,,,e nigh. nearly everybody mere
.bou,s dlsclairned any faith IN the Oh
proverb about the "faoonack' ana the
,.,.atber from February cd 10 the middle
:, ,,orob But 70 o'clock Sunday found
"sb.dovrs." and when 1t was perfectly
,viaen, that the famous old warmth
could see his shadow, smiles gave place
% slrhs. and the farmers concluded that
:, uould not be bad idea 20 replenish
,be,r winter wood-piles 1.-THE first thine
Monday morning." While our people are
ma, superstitlous. aud don't believe In
the sround-hog." when Sundays sun
shine was quickly followed by dark clouds
and torrents OF rain, nearly all predicted
or feared" that teamwork would b'
suspended for six weeks. aud now ever'
bright. pleasant day Is considered
"weather-brower."
FINE HERRING.
Among the fish caught this week were
some very fine herrngs, which SOLO
readily at high figures. 1t is unusual to
catch behring's so early N the seast H.
ana their presence so high up The roo
mac now is supposed to lie due 10 the
mild weather and absence Of zee.
A little child of Mr. and Mrs, Amos
Henderson. OF this comfy, VINO was
go painfully burned a month ago. dieu
the other day from the effects CT the
dreaful accident.
Some Of the public schools here nave
been temporarily closed on account OF an
epidemic OF measles.
The proposition for convicts n be car
ried 10 the penitentiary by officers OF That
institution does not tickle the fancy ci
county sheriffs DO away VITA mat means
OF an occasional trip 10 the state capital.
the office Of shernalty wouit a'rucss 90
begging with some country folks, end the
army OF candidates for the oilice would
grow beautifully less
II is understood that County-Cerk Will
liam s. Brown win soon begin 10 rebuild
his handsome "Waverly" residence here,
which was destroyed by fire several weeks
ago.
After a long. spirited chase, partici-
pated IN By a number OF Caroline and
King George sportsmen, large red fox
was captured here several days ago-the
first fox seen here in year or two.
While these "varmints" are rather abund-
ent In some OF the lower counties of the
Northern Neck, II is said that not more
than two live in this county at present.
A winter Sunday school was organized
at st. Johns Episcopal church last Sun
day. Owing TO the mild weather, some
Of the Sabbath-Schools here have not
closed for the winter, and have had a
fair average attendance since Christmas.
NO TRUCKING.
II has been confidently hoped and be-
lieved for some years past that King
George would become one of tho finest
trucking sections OF Virginia, except, per
haps the section near Norfolk, and truck
ing, as a business had steadily gained
public favor since 1885, when the first
really satisfactory experiments in that
line were made. The character and sus-
ceptability OF the soil. the close proximity
20 the markets. adequate steamboat faclli-
ties, and abundant labor seemed 10 rem
Der this county peculiarly suited to the
growing Of the various trucks for market
But the failure In crops and the unpre-
cedentod low prices for vegetables last
year so discouraged our farmers of the
Intensive system" that no trucking Will
be attempted here this year. larger
acreage was cultivated in trucks, and
more capital invested in that branch Of
farming here last year than ever before.
- Ht..YI
Indeed, the truck raised did not sell for
enough TO pay for the fertilizers used.
10 say nothing of the cost OF labor and
the other expenses of producing. No fer
tilizers have been ordered here as yet
and. as far as can be learned by general
inquiry. but little-perhaps none-wiil be
used this season. A gooGiy number of
farmers who have improved and care
fully prepared certain lands since 1889,
especially for trucking purposes, have
announced their intention 20 abandon the
business. and now many of them are at
loss to know what is best to do this
year with the lands so prepared at large
cost. 1t is hoped that the Dispatches spe-
cial offer and advice to Virginia farmers
In regard to raising tobacco this year
viii give the people here a new idea,
and encourage them 10 direct their ener-
gies TO a new and more remuneratiye
enterprise, and thus proftably utilize
their lands. The cultivation of tobacco
for market has not been attempted in
King George for many years. Expe-
rienced tobacco-gr growers from the tobac-
co-growing counties OF Virginia have re-
peatedly pronounced the King George soil
admirably adapted 10 tobacco-raising.
The grip and measles have kept the doc
tors in this section very busy since the
latter part OF January. DR.. V. O. Ca
ruthers. one of our leading physicians.
has been quite III with an attack Of grip
for week or so past.
LoCALoPTIoN.
The license advocates in Rappahannock
District, OF this county, where the ques-
ton OF license will be voted upon on the
18th Of this month, are marshalling their
hosts. and making a lively canvass. IL
Is predicted that the 25th day OF February,
1896. viii linger long in the memory OF the
people round about King George Court
house. where the local-option election win
be held. A large vote will be polled on
that occasion. but the majority viii be
small no matter which side gains the
victory
Mrs. II. A. Tolson, who owns Potomac
river front In this county. opposite the
government lighthouse recently erected
on the Maryland Point bar, claims that
\ lighthouse at that point has so dam
aged her fishing shore as 10 greatly de-
preciate the value OF her property on the
Potomac. Congressman Meredith has In
PRODUCED a bill In Congress for the gov
eminent 70 award Mrs. Tolson 10000 for
the alleged damages to her property.
The rainfall here Wednesday night and
Thursday was the heaviest In many
years, After ten or twelve hours Of con-
tinuous downpour. the face OF the earth
was covered with water. The wheat,