The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-01

SlaIe. nave recently Travelled over the
Southern portion and was profoundly
impressed with its resources. There is 4
branch railroad running from DehCrd tc
Winchester and from there curving
around in Il southwesterly course to Fay
ctteville and thence to Petersburg and
Iewisburg and Columbia Governor
Taylor was ON the train and told me
that this was the garden spot and along
this road were the best farms and the
best farmers in Tennessee l never
saw such beautiful fields of wheat i'll
lny life and the average yield is said to
be twenty-five bushels to the acre. Wen,
of course, war will want wheat. Then
this is fine stock country and the war
Will want mules and cattle. Their cat
tie are of the large Durham breed, so
large that some of them bring from S60
to SIo apiece and are always in demand.
The farmer under whose hOspitable roof
| stayed while in Petersburg had 120
brood mares. and raised mules by the
score. He ships large numbers of Dur
ham cattle and has a side show of fine
hogs and sheep and turkeys. ducks.
chickens and geese. Everything he
raises is first quality. He paid So for
one turkey gobbler He is shipping and
selling something almost every day. He
raises large crops of wheat and oats and
corn. and yet finds time to work for
his church and the parsonage and the
public school At home he helps his good
wife to nurse the baby and to look after
the children and does everything quiet
ly and pleasantly. That is what | like.
1t does not take me long to diagnose Il
family and to tell who is the boss. but
| didn't see any boss about these prem
ises. nor any badly behaved children If
Mr. Edmiston is fair sample of the
citizens around Petersburg, no wonder
ii is Il prosperous town. / was told
that not long ago there was one ship
ment of eight hundred geese to Chicago,
and that the annual shipment of fowls
from that point exceeded 100000. Just
think of it! Petersburg is known abroad
as the central point of fine stock coun-
try. and their annual fairs are attended
by stock men from far and near.
But it is a small town-is not even Il
county seat. 1t is the character of the
people that makes it what it is Good
land and good farmers will make any
place prosper. The merchants have de-
partment stores and pay a little higher
for produce and fowls and eggs than is
Il
cessful creamery here and two large sam
mills and the largest stock logs / ever
saw, many of them measuring FIVE feet in
diameter. These are chiefly poplar and
white oak and the trees grow on the hill
sides clear up to the ridges. The stocks
are rolled down to the pike road in the
valley, and from there are easily hauled
to the mills. Oh, those delightful turn
Iii ~.
and have doubled and trebled the value
of the land. You can't buy these farm
ing lands for less than $50 an acre, and
much of it brings $780, l saw a large
field in wheat that recently sold for 500
per acre at public sale. Why should it
not? Every acre will turn out twenty
five bushels of wheat, and that is worth
now for July delivery SD One man
sold his crop last week for 80 cents a
bushel. He didn't believe the war would
last until harvest or he wouldn't have
done it.
l never realized the value Of pike roads
until this visit. Forty bushels of wheat
is a big wagon load in our country and
it fakes good team to haul it to town.
But they can haul from sixty to eighty
on Il pike and with less strain on the
team. Saturday night found me at
Lewisburg. and TO my surprise, ! learned
there was no train on Sunday nor until
Monday eve, and then | would have TO
stay at Deherd three hours and at Chat
tanooga four hours and reach home on
Tuesday morning.
/ was distressed, for / left dear
little grandchild sick. and so | dared TO
travel on the Sabbath day. Wartrace
4I.., .Iae. nd hn Sh
vile train going east would pass there at
II o'clock The livery man very quietly
told me that if / would be ready at half
past ) O'Clock he would put me there by
haIf-past 10 He did it, and / never
had a more delightful ride The good
horse never broke his long. sweeping
trot, except at the toll gates, where /
paid 10 cents, and there were five of
them ON the route. The morning air
was bracing, the buggy springs were
easy. the cushions soft and elastic and
the driver companionable. He took me
for a preacher. which is proof that
talked good Sunday talk.
At Shelbyville we changed horses, and
the last nine miles were driven i'll exact
ly one hour. That last horse was Il wild
cat. and for mile or two my tranquility
was disturbed. He dident want TO
leave the stable. He reared and pranced
and backed his ears and backed the
buggy down the little hill and cut 1t
around, but the driver knew him and
talked kindly TO him and let him turn
round and go the other way. Finally he
gave snort and walked up to business,
and we drove around a square ana got
in the right road again. He leaped the
railroad with proud disdain, and the
driver let him have his own way, speak
ing gently all the time. / never rode
after horse like that one. As we near
ed the toll gate the driver cried out,
"Raise the pole, raise the polcr' He was
afraid he would jump it. or try to, if we
stopped to pay the toll. | thought of
John Gilpin's race.
Away went Gilpin, and away"
Well / felt alarmed, of course, but
somehow / felt proud and heroic. Every
thing turned out for rs. for some of
the people were going to their country
churches.
At Wartrace | boarded the train and
surprised my family with my presence
that same evening at 6 O'Clock.
uIy;nnad Dachap1f Nv fp;o,Js