Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-03-05
EDITORIAL coRREspoNpENce.
1.-THE LAND OF THE sky
Journey Hence Impressions and OBJ
servations Notes.
RoeERsvILLE. Tenn, Mar. 2.

Varlably feels as II ne IS gong out INTO
the cold, cold world. In Richmond
was Tor at least imagined was)
stranger in a strange land. In New
Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania /
met splendid people, who were very
kind and courteous, but there was
something lacking--a consanguinal
tea chord was out of tune. / was
like the good Methodist brother who,
when the parson said
"sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet
flowers
Have all lost their sweetness to me-
Responded, Praise the Lordr'
But here, though 500 miles inter
vene, am at home. Why? 1t is the
same valley-considerably up in the
world, " but the same. l am between
the same ranges of mountains north
and south Here is the same lime
stone, everywhere, just at home, the
same Berkeley shale, the same cedar
trees, the same pestiferous garlic and
the same generous, open-handed hos
pitality.
Rogersville is an old town having
been settled by Joseph Rogers in 1886.
There are houses that have histories
as is the case throughout the Valley.
Near here is an old stone fort, built
to repel assaults by Indians, trans
formed into dwelling. The leading
road is thoroughfare from Baltimore
to Knoxville and Nashville. A
grandson of Parson Brownlow repre-
sents this end of the State in Con-
gress, and a second remove from Hen
ry Clay resides here. There is a
noted female school-Rogersville Syn
odical Coliege-with II instructors
and host of bright young women
from all parts OF the South; also a
school, built by the Pennsylvania
Presbyterian Board of Missions for
the education of colored youths The
former is an old-time Southern struct-
ure of Grecian architecture set in the
midst of beautiful park, while the
latter is a large brick building on an
emiuence about half mile distant.
The town has population of 1886
souls, 20 per cent OF whom are colored.
There are many nice residences and
several good stores. The courthouse
is an Anticipated struetNe and the
bank building opposite is distinc-
lively southern in appearance.
In this county are located the cele-
brated quarries whence Tennessee
marble is obtained. A railroad, II
miles long, connects the town with
the outside world at Bullsgap (Rog-
ersville Junction being the modern
nance. The Holston River, beau
tiful stream about the size OF South
Branch, is some three miles distant.
When l come again, a-fshing l shall
go.
The country is terribly broken.
Peaks great and small rise every
where with cute little valleys between.
The soil is for the most part good, but
the farmers are far behind the times.
Politically, East Tennessee is a Re-
publican paradise. The majority in
this Congressional District, compris-
ing the II eastern counties, is about
10, 900. Here was the home of Parson
Brownlow. Horace Maynard and other
sterling patriots, who when the mad
wave of secession swept over the
South, stood firm as the eternal noun
tains and saved this section to the
Union. And today, though they have
long since been gathered home. the
principles they enunciated are dear
to the people who revere the memo
ries of those noble heroes.
One notes many strange things as
he travels through this Southland.
The railroads are slow, vestibuled,
Limited trains stop at every flag
station. Nearly all the women
throughout Southwestern Virginia
wear blue calico dresses and they (the
dresses) are fearfully and wonderfully
made. Several small boys got on the
train and they all cried-boo-hooed
out loud-rwhile briny tears plough ed
burrows down their dirty faces. AT
Wytheville a colored man with a
basket of apples was circulating about.
tapped on the window, held up my
nickle and tried in various ways to
attract his attention, but apparently