The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-10-20
APEEp ATrmnnE COUNTIES.
holloway, Luncnburg aud Prince I'd
ward


90 formed. Prof Cridin's school is IN
% nourishing condition. The high school
20 IN charge Of Miss Fitzgerald. open
y, under favorable auspices. The Brad
ID shaw mill is cumming" aud alto
g gether things are lively. / forgot {,
n mention that "possum" hunting is a
Do high tide, while breech-loaders ar,
5 furnishing for the field days.
n l have been accustomed to "turni
q tops' and iole in the spring time but
% today had the tops and "tip-topn
T mldling for dinner, with an abundant
o supply Of other good things, at the
) home of Mrs. Overton. Pardon this
r alluslon to what find on these South
side Virginia tables, but the fact is /
) have been out west so long, feeding on
fried meat, fried potatoes, cold bread
and "Jams" that the change is so re
ireshing that / must talk about it.
Mr., Sandy who occupies the old Mil
Ter farm near BuTkeyille, is making
model of it. No poor stock, no neg
4ected fields, 40 dilapidated buildings.
no want Of fence or gates, but order
and system everywhere, and Of course
such farming pays.
My travels in Lunenburg carried me
through a section of the county which
was visited by the fearful hail and wind
storm Of the early part of September.
and am sure never saw such de- |
siruction following in the wake of a
Virginia storm. Ii swept over an area.
as | was told, Of three miles in width
and sixteen in length. Tobacco was
riddled aud fodder was beaten into
shreds. But Notwithstanding this |
met with no dispirited or pessimistic
farmer in all my travels. They were
all cheerful, cordial and hospitable. I'm
the home of Mr.. Wade Fowlkes found
the finest specimen Of a two-year.old
boy | "everdid see" though was once
judge at baby show held i'm Rich
mond some years ago. The noble
young man is great nephew Of our
townsman, Mr.. j. f. Walton.
spent the night, or rather / went ID
to spend the night at the hospiiable d
home Of Mr. Willis Fowlkes, but just 3
as the dark gathered neighbors began {
to gather too, and it was soon whis-
pered about that there was To be "A 81
'possum" hunt. When the host be-
gan to excuse himself to the Hon. j. j. c
Owen, my travelling companion, and "a
myself, we declined to be excused and f.
said we would see the fun open and il
near the first notes. on we started. n
lunters, dogs, aXman and little mig
ger with the bag, the Old man of the le
rowd being honored with the privi- al
eye of toting the lantern. We had f,
lot gone mile before we heard the li
bark to him, Raleigh" from the lead n
r of another hunting party, and then Nh
he hunters melodies ringing out on if
he still air Of that perfect October 10
light, then the familiar "tree notes" IN
nd then the ring Of the axe as it was
uried in the sides Of a stalwart son of
be forest. We hurried to the spot. o.,
-atched the strong aud well directed ev
lows of the axmeu and became all en- is
lused as the tree began to sigh Just LAT
sfore the fall. Alas, alas, alas, that il
lould have lodged i'm the outslretched
ms of larger companion from whose
MIRAGE nor blows or bidding could .
move it. The dogs were firmly held.
lnters' eyes were all fixed ON the
aiming tree, consultations followed
I'd the suggestion that we could catch
Iother sooner than cut the hindering
anches, and so dogs were let loose
rms rang out once more, axes were M.
lanterns swung into posi- ~"
m, and To "save men ! could not re-
t the temptation to "on with the ~
nee" and the "onn was continued
til the cock growing Of the morn
e The first night in the woods for
ty years Made up, however, Of the 80
ne old storytelling over logs, mis- u,
King mud holes for sand bars, wine i
, under the scratch of briar and the r.
ng Of swaying twlg, running, jump '
{, stumbling, falling, yelling, laugh IL
{, joking, freeing, cutting, catching,
1 relishing as evening dressed audi
e never did the most elaborate and eS
8brated opera, the music of the pack,
so, tenor and contralto richly aud
blended without a note =,
tilted or one discord. Old man,
ging on three-score Il celebrated the
ming hours Of my 5Sth birthday on
ever-to be remembered 'possum
iD try it once more, and if you are ,...
boy again 'just for night" you 80
emit the rejuvenating rebound Of
II old comrade who kept pace with w.
I Fowlkes, and Crimes, and Shackle- '''0'
and Green, and AshwOrth, cham
D hunters Of old Lunenburg, and
n owen, the chief Of the Prince F'''
ward brotherhood. -.
n. Robert b. Wilson has just sold
Lunenburg farm Of nearly five hun ~
/ acres to Mr. Kautz, for a satisfac-
,,rioo II H. tho aa.nud fraaf Mr. 1870