The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-10-22
AMONG VIRGINIA HILLS.

AMONG TIRGlNIA H1LAO'
Editorial Correspondence.
BUFFALO L1THIA SPRINGS, VA,
Oct. 18th. 1903
While the editor of THE COMMON
WEALTH is not troubled particularly
with the disorder O: mind sometimes
written cacoethes scribcndi, "an Itch
ing to wrlte," still when the time rolls
around for commencing the work that
gees to "make up the paper" be feels
like letting his readers know where he
is ut least 40 the hea1llnes and date
line will show you Mat. 1t is pleas
ure to take a ride on a railroad train at
this season OF the year and look at Ma
lures great kaleidoscope of beauty in
the "vesture OF the forests"
Spending the night in Rocky Mount,
took the early train for Richmond
Thursday and fell in with number OF
friends from that place and other
points along the road going to the
horse show in Richmond. The num-
Der kept swelling at every station from
Rocky Mount to Weldon. Editor
Stainback, of tho Roanoke News, board
ed the train there but said he was not
going to the horse show but was going to
stop in Petersburg. He need not have
taken the trouble to make the explana-
ton as some ladies from Halifax coun-
tv we're on for Richmond to the horse
show and would have furnished him
good company.
At Emporia lett the Nash, Edge.
combe and Halifax friends and chang
ed my couse for the place of my desti-
nation. An hour spent in Emporla
was of interest to me. There seems TO
be a pretty lively business in some
lines and some opportunities awaiting
development in industries not ye: en-
tered upon. Emporia Is about the size
OF Scotland Neck, / should say, with
the advantage of two railroads, the
Coast Line to Richmond and the South
ernito Danyille.
Soon the hour vas out and the train
fors. Danvllle took me up, leaving the
last observation OF the hack driver on
my memory-abaut the hanging of
Walter Gotten, the notorious Scotland
Neck negro, aud a white man named
Grady.
At Lawrenceville a number OF pas
sengers enjoyed a fifteen minutes din
ner and the train then sped on between
hills and across the creeks, rayines and
tres:les. From South Hill to Clarksr
vile the country Is much like the
country along the Seaboard Air Line
from Henderson to Apex, New Hill
and Morcure. 1t was veritab,e pict-
ure Of changing beauty-the bright red
sumac berries, the like of which MANY
In the hill country will remember gath
ering in their boyhood days with which
their mothers dyed tho wool to make
the strong and lasting jeans the almost
blood red "sour WOOD" leaves the
beautifully tinted maple along the
streams, and the deep yellow hickory
foliage along the rldges-all these pre-
eented a scene from the car window
that Sas positively e1hilarating.
Stepping off at Buffalo Junction
rode with the mail carrier to Buffalo
Springs. Here the hotel season closes
the last Of September, and 30 the hotel
was closed against me. But my physi.
clan said 1 needed to drink some Of
this water and rest In these hills in order
to "get fat" again, 80 / proposed to
drink some and rest some now that
I had COZ ~.
Soon L was kindly directed to the
farm home Of Mr.. ,Richard Blanks who
lives all the way up mile hill from
these celebrated and wonderful springs.
Arriving at Mr.. Blank 8 was informed
by soIored man that be was away, had
"gone to Boston," This shook me q little
In my certainty of nights lodging, but
good Mrs. Blanks was soon summoned
and. kindly consented to take me in and
explained that her husband had gone to
his market town, South Boston, Va.