Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-04
VIRGINIA IN 1850.
The Old Dominion in the Zenith of
Her Prosperity.


Virginia. in 1860, seems to have reached
the zenith of her prosperity Her do
main extended from the banks Of the
Ohio to the Atlantic ocean. From one
end of the State to the other her people
were contented and happy. In ltera-
| tme. in law. in science her people stood
in the front rank; in beauty and in ac-
complishments her fair women were the
best in the land The fierce political
contests between the Wings and Demo-
Gratis were not tinged with the least
shade of bitterness and the chains Of
negro slavery were so light as hardly to
be esteemed a burden. A well-regu-
lated Virginia farm Of that day and time
is worthy of description. An average
Virginia farm of the weather. class
had about a thousand acres of land, and
an average Of about sixty negro slaves.
There were some farmers who owned
over thousand slaves, but these were
the exceptions. Many had only ten or
twelve The average farm had always
an oyerseer who generally lived in
neat house TO himself. In many in
stances he was a man of great intelh-
gence and industry. Some OF the de-
scendants Of these oVerseerS now oc-
cupy high positions In Virginia. which
would on account of caste and class,
have been debarred TO them in the
halcyon days Of the past. To that ex-
tent the war between the States or this
Union has made a great Improvement.
The overseer was generally well pald
and invested with great power. and was
erffA 10 ~
negro who was the head Of family
had a separate house of his own
with an acre or more of land.
the products of which he owned. Ii
was the custom OF the owners 10
give a number of holidays. amounting
often 10 three days in month. All
of his family were comfortably clotheo'
and they had, when i'll, the attendance
of the best physicians. There were al
most always three men with teams
whose duty il was TO plough all the year
when the season allowed, and one OK
driver. whose duty it was 10 do the
heaviest hauling. 1t was the custom 10
have a trained negro carpenter ana negro
blacksmith, and often they We're Skilled
workmen.
THE CLOTHING.
Among the young negro women there
selected Il SNoi4'N'N''f 49,
one or two weavers, and there was al
WAYS a good shoemaker, who made the
shoes for white and black. How well 90
remember the stitch-down shoes had
as a child for everyday wear, and weited
shoes for Sunday wearl i never hope
70 see such good shoes again, and all
the leather was tanned az home The
clothes of white and black were made
from flax. which was woven at home, ana
in the winter il was made from WOOL
from our OWN sheep. And such clothes
they were, 1t took no ordinary enort 10
tear them. With a suit OF clothes OF
this kind. | remember 10 this day wilh
exquisite pleasure the fun had In sneak
ing of 10 play with the negro boys on
sunday evenings. Lsap-frog and wrest-
ling and twisting rabbits out OF hollow
logs and fishing constituted our sport
w6ich was heightened by the fact that
We would get a whipping all around IL
we were caught Friendships were made
in that way between the two races that
stood us in good stead In the dark days
Of war The chief money crop was to-
bacco. which was managed In way that
has never been surpassed and Its Guilt
yation was very profitable. In great
majority OF Instances there was the
kindest feeling between tae owner and