The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-03-11
AIR WESTERN LETTER.
o,-rH HANCOCK Co.. Ill.
PtiAo' March 8. 1898.

MdlSh Os 4S0~s j
rrr .reRAM Dear Sir =
.l ~, my promise to
hsu and several other friends to
g !oa a. q short sketch of this part
:. VIM he west for publication in the
@ :, ~ / will now make an
.sort to fulfill that promise. MY
eus,hers and live in the country
j niles north OF Plymouth Plymouth - =
s ,osa situated on the east
.ids Of Hancock county, 2ls
slas southwest of Chicago on
s,,Ss Chicago, Burlington and
o Iss Railroad. one of the great
abroad systems Of the West and
-. .a, nj the wealthiest corpora
WV .;ons in the United States. Most
II ,t'o our neighbors are natives Of
. - States or their parents
T ,ya. southerners who emnigrat-
" sS, At an early day, therefore we
,s.I + at home, almost as If part of
IA Virginia had been transplant
:. " o,t here in the west. Illinois
- f.ct bears all over it the stamp
Il a virginian's love for his ma
i've state, for many of the coun'
.;es and towns are named after
~, 1 counties, towns and states
won Of the old Dominion. You
mn across the descendants OF
roted Virginia families like the
povells, Graves, Pages, Hills,
and others, in almost every
township. Why the people OF
our native State ever gave
away this wonderful North West
Territory to the Government
isa wonder to me and can be
accounted for only on the suppo-
,ition that politicians of shat day
we're as short sighted as they are
At the present time. While every
State has its advantages it has
also it's drawbacks and Illinois is
no exception to the rule. One
If the drawbacks we are now ex,
periencing is muddy roads. and
muddy they are sure enough. 10
travel them with a wagon OF Or
buggy is at times impossible ana
ifyou attempt them on horse
back you are compelled to nayi-
gate along the sides of the road
and even then your horse found.
ers along as if wading in an old
slough. The people out here
tell many funny stories about the
depth of the mud in the roads
TWO of which l send you. One
man said that one day he was
coming along on the riders OF
the fences going to town to get
some groceries when he saw a
hat lying in the middle OF the
road. He cut a long pole and
fshed out to get it when q man
underneath cried out, LET me
alone, I've got a good wagon IN
der me and four horses ahead.
Ill make town yet" Another
one said he was going on an err
rand one day and in attemptin9
to enter a by.road he saw posted
on the fence this NOTICE"
This road is not passaole, nos
even jackassable. If this way
you travel, pray take your gravel
for the bottoms fell out"
OF course these stories are ex.
aggerations, yet the truth is,
when the spring rains set in and
frost comes out of the ground the
roads are impossible for any kind
of vehicle and business is almost
suspended. When the roads set
tie and spring fairly sets in the
country looks as beautiful as a
picture. The forest leaves with
their different tints and shades
of green, bordered by the white
and red of the wild pIumbs and
red bud is a grand sight and the
orchards pink, and snowy banks
of bloom scattered over the coun-
try adds to the beauty OF the
scene. The fall season also pre-
sents some of the finest scenery
and weather ever beheld on this
continent. A lady born and rails
al in I r,,:.a. 49,, ~, f,111y doccrih.