Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-10-05

begun last winter aud laid aside To DC
finished next. another desk holds the
manuscripts Of other work already done
and published. smother holds letters and
private papers. while tie last l. a e deck
OF the farmer. the manager OF twelve
hunored acres. and where his ledxers
and account hooks are kept. In he
center OF the room large table fairly
groans under its weigh, OF magazine
magazines OF fiction, travel. literature.
even politics. side by side with maya.
zines OF agricultural and breeder. The
bookmsn lies next TO the Stockman and
Farmer. the Critic, the Breeders q axette.
Rider and Driver, Smart Set. McClure's.
Country Life and the Forum mingle in
qnsin, comradeship. On the shelves
inning the walls are 3 thousand books.
histories, ancient and modern. the famil-
isr works Of Dickens. Scott. Thaekery.
Bulwer, Hugo, and Kipling, biographies.
all the poets ancient an modern. SCRAP
books, books dealing with farming. car
pentry, horses. cattle, and similar topics
all in the classified yet seemingly hope
less order. Then too are countless works
on politics, encyclopedias. ALIASES, etc.
On the floor OF this room are likewise
many skins with now and then an Indian
rug or blanket. Another estimate of
the size of this room is gained by count
ing the framed ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Tor the most psrt-and after ending
them to be more than a hundred To- note
the great uncovered wall spaces.
After supper YOU may be assured we
heard from Mr. Wilson lively account
Of his farming, for the mos, part. be IL
said, humorous and groiesque and max
ing light, as always, of all that he had
done or hoped TO do. But, underneath
his laughter and self belittleing. IL was
plain to see his deep interest in this as
in any other thing that engages him.
and that be has learned the art with his
usual rapidly.
The next morning when opened my
blinds / could see through the great
elms, over and beyond our old friend OF
the night-the vast field OF corn-the
beautiful Shenandoah. From the back
windo of the room could see stretches
OF woodland interpreted with many
nelds growing oats and hay for the win
tiers feeding. and beyond them. AZ no
gres, distance. the Blue Ridge mountains
There are two hundred acres OF river
bottom land end it will produce from
twelve 10 eighteen barrels OF corn 10 the
acre There are seventeen fields in pas
ture or under cultivation containing in
all near six hundred scres; the other six
hundred are in almost virgin timber.
Every field on the place has its stream Of
flowing water.
Mr. Wilson's pride is his live stock. I
counted fifty-iwo head OF cattle-there
will be twice this number next yesr-alI
Of them big boned. sleek and fat-and
above all gentle cattle. His flock OF sheep.
his horses, his cattle and even his pigs,
were as gentle and as fond Of being pat
ted by their master as the fox hounds
lying out in the grass after their morn
ing meal. There was not a steer among
them that would not stand quietly while
he put an arm about his neck and these
cattle were not raised on the place bat
came there Wild, unruly and some among
them vicious. II makes il so much
easier 10 doctor the hurt ones" he told
me in half apologize way. And the
sick ones tOo?" ! ventured Yes. but
there have been no sick ones-not a sick
thing on the place" he said. From one
OF his hands I learned that rough Ian
guage or rough treatment of stock meant
instant dismissal.
Seventeen head OF horses are kent At
Retreat" these range from great per
eherons weighing close to the ton. to
sorrel youngster fcaled in Nav TO the
"Romney-Fleet" mare by Gonzales"
Clarke county is now building a bridge
spanning the Shenandoah near the
upper part of Mr.. Wilson's meadows.
This bridge is a splendid steel and iron
structure and is now fast nearing COM
pletion- II will be opened for travel
this fall. When finished ii will add
greatly 10 the value Of Retreat" As il
is today, hold it to be one Of the most
If not the most-desirable estates in
the valley Of irginia.
Surveys for an electric road connect
ing Winchester, Berryville and Blue
tapping three railroads, the b. & o.. n.
X w. and Southern, have been made
and such road will skirt the estate
Berryville il five miles off reached by
the best of turnpikes Bluemont is three
reached also by turnpike through Snick-
er's Gap. Upwards of twenty houses.
costing from five TO twenty thousand
dollars, have recently been built between
Mr. Wilson's place and Bluemont. A
Few miles above him the government is
busy building an observatory and LAYING
out handsome grounds and roads. this
Is TO be called Mount Weather and work
on 1t is nearing completion. Mr.. Ken.
OF Pittsburg, has recently bought the
snyder place on the river above ere
treat and is now erecting a dwelling at
the cost of thirty thousand dollars.
Such is poor account of Mr.. Will |
sons new home and way of life. Like
other of his frieAds we tried to dissuade
him from giving up the law. We now
agree with him that the step was wisely |
iaken. For in this life he finds a greater |
happiness, and, when the newness of /
things has ceased TO tax him he will find |
iull time to devote to study and TO that
writing in which at the start he made