The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-15
.RUNN lin c ]. ]: I. THE
.PROI|B: } LE N ! Q. THE DAY
A Pennsylvania Lady Sees Things
Through Southern Eyes.
THE PEOPLE WHO WORRY
Cry Against the Beef Trust With the
Back Yard Full of Frying Sized
Chickens-Farmers Look for
Rain Without Faith.
Especial Dispatch to The Times;l

were such that I was thrown IN the
company Of an intelligent lady. whose
home Is in the State OF PennsylVanla-
Naturally we fell into conversation IN
the course of which various suo1ects "eie
discussed. among them being books ana
economics. the latter seeming. perhaps q
queer subject for ladies to discuss.
learned that In thought at least part
of the North is not so fa1 from the
South after all. She was on hel re-
turn trip from g. ten-days' stay at eile
Exposition at Charleston nave d..
tended every exposition OF any noto slilI me-
the Centennial in Philadelphia, she sa'o
to me "and 7 enjoy them. had a most
delightful stay in the South. saw youi
Governor and heard him speak virginia
Day, which was also Pennsylvania Day
and what splendid looking sentle1iidi,
he was! You Virginians should be PROUD
Of your Governor"
Her voice was cultivated ana sweet, ana
ca mnch Intelligence and frankness shone
on her face as she looked me St.a
in the eve that I could have no douols
in regard to the sincerity OF her woros
as she said: IT have great sympathy iol
YOU Southern people In the mattet u .,ie
great race problem which ls aeltati's 'iio
country now. My feeling has never oeeh
strong on the subject. but oh! how d!ller-
IL
| to the very heart of the South and seen
! the negroes as they are In the cruoe
| siate-not those who have Intelligence
| and energy sufficient to take them North'
| where they are entirely different eelnss:
eff I had lived in the South during ana
prior to the Civil War | should nave
| taken the same stand you people did
II am glad that I met you, salo III
all sincerity as got off at my station.
and she waved and smiled as the train
| relied away If a ten-days' stay In the
South could bring about such chanse
IN her feelings I considered what kind OF
a. rebel she would have made had she
CHANGED to have been born in Dixie.
On nv return home I read the Leo
nard,s spots" and my only regret is that
did not have curiosity sufficient to ask
the lady her name. for l should like
to send her a copy by next mail. heard
a man say few days ago: Il wish had
a million dollars! would invest 1t all
in Dixon's new novel and send it to the
Yankees to read-and more than that.
should see that they did read 1t.
Mr. Dixon has certainly touched a
chord which is vibrating tremendously,
and the latent heat of the Southern
blood of thosewho% were- sufferers in the
lost cause is ibei.ig rendered sensible, and
it Is to be hoped our friends OF the
North who read this book may find in 1t
an answer to Uncle Toms Cabin" and
NAV no longer regard us as disloyal and
untrue to the flag.
THE RACE QUESTION.
This race question. however, is not the
| only subject which is occupying the
! minds of the people in general just now l
have been struck recently with the num-
Der of people who seem to feel that they
| are under some moral obligation indi-
| vidually to settle (in their minds) some
! tS@,o 40
| which have presented themselves within
the last few years or months. I have
! come in contact with many people Of
| many classes, creeds and professions, and
| with few exceptions each man has taken
| upon himself the solving Of some ques-
| ton of importance-usually that which
| directly affects or concerns the interests
or welfare of himself Principally, it is
the satisfying of the appetite. the sup
| plying of daily bread, without Whlcn there
| is no life.
For instance with all due respect to
the opinions of those who differ from
us), the trusts. the bugbear of the con-
sumers. heard housekeepers worrying
| themselves sick over the beef trust. I'VE
will starve!" was the cry They forgot
the important fact that the country is
alive and wriggling with frying-size
chickens, and turkeys. and ducks and
geese.
Then for long time the tobacco trusts
depressed the spirits Of the planter. but
now he is simply waiting and longing
and praying for rain that he may plant
his crop. If only that can be accom-
plished he seems willing to trust the
chances for receiving remunerative prices
when it is sold The land. long since
prepared, is in many sections getting
harder and dryer. In this community
very little tobacco has been planted, ex-
cept by the desperate few who are
watering and planting.
I know some farmers who are spending
their time cleaning up the waste places
on their farms, gathering cherries and
other fruit which is ripe which may,
perhaps, constitute their winter supply
Of rations, bewailng their fate, and
watching the face of the heavens. The
grain of faith seems lacking, and they
seem to forget the blessed promise:
when the poor and needy seek water
and there is none, and their tongue
faileth for thirst and the Lord will hear
them, and the God Of Israel will not
forsake them. and will open rivers in
high places, and fountains in the midst
of the valleys"
The "astrologers, stargazers and month
/ ly demonstrators" have wearied of their
vain prophecies of rain and have con-
ceded to the old negro the fact that all
signs fail in dry weather.
THE DARK SIDE.
I'VE commission merchants are scared
| to DEATH" said man to-day. IF 1t
| doesn't rain soon we are ruined. You
know we are dependent upon the farmers
| for everything
This is the dark side. but If we look
we can always find brighter And,
better still, we know some people who
are always looking for the light, and they
find It., They tell us that notwlthstand-
ing the fact that we cannot AFFORD TO eat
beef. there are more fowls and fish and
game than was ever known before. Not
withstanding the drought, the cattle find
plenty Of pasturage. the grass must De
/ sweeter and richer than usual and the
yield of milk and butter is unusually good
| Although the fruit has all fallen from
| tho trees before maturing, the garden veg
! etables are abundant Although the wheat
crop is failure the corn on the low
lands is growing fast and VIII perhaps