The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-05-30
V.1 lsg0i
ONE or THE ENTlM tai FEA..
TUBES or HE s. UTH-MlL.
q IN AN q "a q IF "A DAY--7-.sS. +
HE9S GO RGEoUs

RariI ~ t7s5gyI |,
iFLoW ER ys tIoW w OF A COTTON
FiELD N, I BIO ON AND THE
Phi b IS RSTHE CROP
iNsPi RES GO Cd sHUMoR.
Out from Southern Pines the road
rrus among 5the pine trees and u the
vineyard until 1T brings the traveller
% Thomas vineyard on the way TO |
St.eagitts is mill Then, after winding
about the big orchard, Ut drops down
I'LL, WORKS ats way through a narrow
yalles walled land; overhead by tall
hickory Sand oak trees. and finally
etaerges on SaE pastoral scene$t that in
dudes The Marks and THE Mcneil
ftrnis on the head Of Rocknsh creek.
From tie komas orchards ITO the
Mcneil farm one OF the delightful
ms NJ Worth Carolina rural life. The
forest that fills the valley is Of the
J primeSal ord r, and The woods are
alive with oeking birds and all man.
nsr dc wild life.
But wSsh5en ssIs.prowled through the
tangle few days ago, aimlessly fol.
lowing the inclination to explore at.
tfactiye wood something besides
the npckingS bird was making the val
ley echo with sa soft melody. From
beyond tie hardwood timber came the
music ofs q band of field hands.
pes sleep an dc shote was a wallsin'
In de Spastyuh,
Comm 30 to- yahy3 me. home.
Said tleE sheep to de shote, can't you
walk ~ little Sfnsteh,
Comm fo u cyally me home.
Said deg shote 5to 5de sheep, my feet a.
S TX 4, " Fl.
sonin' 10 tos cyahy me home;
Said 1s shote ito the sheep, i did not
know. 5
Com to cyahy me home.
gm:m-m $llm.m-m,
Com al 4 5cyahy me home.
was drawing toward evening, and
the lsngt hening shadows of the sun
gay ssa rich colorsto the brown choco..
late Held fnSwhich half dozen dark
Hes we're Schopping. cotton and singing
q me oyement Of their hoes. Ahead
them agllsty fellow, with cotton
llarroN, was calling to his mule in
tones loud enough to- be heard above
the singing, and mule, driver and sing!
ems were all $obllyious Of each other or
of anS thing else.
IS king in the States South
6tE Nfrginia. The cotton crop brought
the Southern States more than half
billion dollars last year. That is
y about a million and a half a day. Such
king Is fitting to command respect
e Bit there Is anotherEside to cotton be
side the income. NJ A cotton field is one
Of the entimental features Of the
South. ut siss "a pretty thing when it Is
first ready for the field hands to work
and 1T as $prettier when 1t is in full
bloom along in July. When it open:
y hollis and swhitens acre. after acre
with its snowy lint, 1t looks like ;
atchS of Inter moved from the Arc
lie ION and landed amid the greer
and browning foliage Of the planta
lion and the forest. Talk about a flow
erE Es how. The millions Of acres o
cotton blossoms Of the South will b
the greatest thing in that line tina
the world will see; anywhere this yea
There is something about a cotto
field that inspires good humor Pc
haps the presence Of the field hands
an nfect ious affair. The work is nc
severe, and lis surrounded by sol
of heerfulness that encourages til
darkey to sing. The bright green {
the plants when they come, the show
sxhfbi Sof the blossoms when til
bloom ION, and the fluffy care-free Il
difference of the cotton in the boil a,
all fgntticant Of existence under SUI
shiny conditions. The atmosphere
the cotton field is a happy one. Pc
siblyg the fact that the cotton crop
good as a gold crop has somethir
tlotdos with the persistent cheerfulne'
that attends the field. Cotton is III
ss8 Il wheat til cash whenever it is pr
sentsdf In the market.
4 The area planted last year to &C
lin the South Exceeded in acreas
al !sof the improved farm land Of 9
I | h; New England, New York and Pen
syl Y The crop has increased I
such rate that tits six times as b
now as. itswas fifty years ago, and Il
n "a for o. ro }ba+ u will ,.aa.