The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-28
Gov. Tyler Writes for The Times
Valuable Review of Conditions
GREAT NATURAL ADVANTAGES
The Development OF THIS Section Has
Been Wonderful in Many Lines OF
Ac,wi,y-Origin and Growh OF
Stock Raising is Ske.ched.
1x Ex-Governor j. Hoge Tyl-r.

Importance OF stock raising IN southwest
Virginia and also to touch generally upon
the material development Of this great
section"
1 regret that / have not the necessary
Tine and proper data TO prepare Such
an article. ] am glad your request a1lo" ;
me ito touch generally on the matei1al
Developments of this section. for, VI h
the visions one has of the wonderful de-
,-elopment going on in Southwest VIZ
snia. 1t would be difficult to write on t G
improvements manifested on one ine.
VT out being tempted 70 give something OF
n general sketch Of ali that is to re sesn,
and though the developments in min ns
and the building Of railroads is almost
magical, and foreshadows the opening p
OF great riches. they do not sLrpass the
prospective value and Importance Of the
live stock Interest. for this, like all other
Industries, is but in Its infancy.
Could the spirit OF some OF the brave
old pioneers. from whom our mountains.
rivers and valleys took their names, be
permitted to visit this land again. and IL
from some of our mountain peaks. II ON
which they once looked down on an IN
broken eXpanse of forest. the nor ION
Only. dnar.ed by the mist OF the val lie s.
or possibly the faint curl Of smoke from
Eome Indian Higwam. and see it as 1t is
to-day, teeming with life and activity.
bewebbed with railroads. blazing with
the lights of thousands Of coke ovens and
furnaces. and the mountain si1es pouring
out rich treasures of iron. coal. lead. zinc,
ETC.. with fertile fields and green vale s
and thousands of peaceful homes dotted
here and there, filled with happy and
conrented people; would they not, indeed.
think that the wand Of the magician had
been waved over the land. and would
not those undaunted spirits VIII o'aid the
foundations for such great possibilities
be co1nfcrted with the thought that tn If
services in freeing the land from saw
ages had been duly appreciated and c. m
rnemorated by their descendants? Would
not these great works be accepted as
grateful monuments to their suffe ings
and their sacrifices? This is land in
deed. Of gems and golden dreams"
Such scenes Of wealth. loveliness and
beauty are enough to inspire the most
prcsaic soul with poetic fancies.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.
The counties strictly embraced IN tie
territory des grated as Southwest Virginia
are: Botetourt, Roanoke, Craig. Floyd.
Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles, Blard.
Wythe. Carroll Grayson. Smyth, Taz=-
well, Washington Russell. Scott, Lee.
Buchanan Wise and Dickinson. THIS e
counties contain about 5000 square mics,
and have about three and three-qualter
million acres of land. OF these twenty
counties. blue grass is indigenous to tie
soil Of all. except, perhaps. one or two.
In the days before the railroads the
cattle from these counties were driven Gil
foot to the lower Valley and Piedmont
ard some to the Richmond, Baltimore
and Philadelphia markets. I recall in my
boyhood days droves of cattle. with fun-
dreds in drove. passing my old home
stead; now they are all carried over the
railroads, principally the Norfolk and
Western.
the produce Of the best stock that h
been imported into Virginia. for /: is
natural to presume that only the best
We're brought out into tbs grass sec
ton. the grass and climate must have
had tendency, to improve rather than TO
cause deterioration:' certain it is that The
native cattle of this section wele much
better than the cattle in the lower coun-
lies.
THOROUGHBRED CATTLE.
The earliest Importation OF thorough
bred cattle into Southwest vi: GINA was
by my grandfather, General James Hoge.
This was about the year 1A36. Since that
time number of gentlemen have
brought in and bed shorthorns, and
with the last six or eight years
several fine herds Of other breeds have
made their appearance. notably Herefords
and Pole Angus. At the exhibition OF the
southwest Virginia Agricultural and Live
Stock Association held in Radford this
fall. the best specimens of cattle We're
shown that have ever been seen east of
Chicago About $50 shorthorns. Pole An
gus and Beiefurds were exhibited, and
1t was encouraging to see the great i'm
provement that is being made. Yet the
opinion was expressed that If a few
breeders could do SO much With a gen.
e.al dissemination Of interest, Southwest
al her he
front rs one Of the greatest stock sec
tons OF the Union.
It Is the purpose OF this association
TO do all that 1t possibly can to Inspire
ec.ivity among the 1--we stocn breeuers
OF thia section, and the two exhibitions
already gave some evidence Of what can
be done. and Of the general interest that
Is being aroused. Among the eallier
breeders o. shorthorn cattle in this sec
ton. besides General Hose. may be men
toned Fir. Alexander Mathews and Mr..
John T. Savers. of Wythe; Messrs Jo-
seph and James C.oyd. Mr.. D. c. Kent.
and Captain A G Mathews, Of Pulaski;
Mr. Franklin Graysoa. of Bland. and
Others. At present Major John T. Co.
wan. Major ". Nv, Bentley. Hon. Il c.
Stuart and Captain ". w. George are
the principal shorthorn breeders. whilst
MessGs H L. Morgan. S. w. Anderson
Herefords. and Mr. J. r. x. Bell OF
Pole Angus. The Virginia Agricultural
and Experimental Station at Bla ckshurg
have fine herds. and eInium animals Of
Ell the breeds. There are several fine
hers Of shorthons and Hereforis in
Grayson county. Though 1t was not my
good fotune to attend. / learn that this
county had most creditable fair during
the latter part of October.
EXPORT CATTLE.
ny cures may not be exact. but It Is
estimated that there are between twelve
and fifteen thousand export cattle sent
from Southwest Virginia, worth about a
million and q quarter dollars, and about
hiatt this amount IS represented in the
cattle Of less -ralue,-shipped to home and
eastern markets. whilst the value Of the
eheep and lambs may be safely put down
at half million. making In round
NUMBER two and half million dollars
from cattle. sheep and lambs annually
shipped from this section.
Southwest Virginia is nearer to ship