The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-02-15

industry and energy, which are al
most unknown qualities among the
natives, having been lost during
the long period of slavery, are
wanted in professional life, in busi-
ness positions and in agriculture.
His advanced methods and inven-
tive genius is wanted, and last but
by no means least, his money is
wanted to develop every industry.
To the resident of Minnesota. and
especially of Redwood, the banner
educational county of that great
state, the education of the youth of
Virginia seems sadly neglected; but
rapid strides have been made here
along educational lines during the
past few years. The universities,
colleges and academies have always
been famous, but the common
schools which must always be de-
pended upon for the education of
the masses, have only recently be-
gun to make their influence felt.
Now public school houses where
school IS held for five months of
each year, are located conveniently
for all who wish to attend. Mime
sofa teachers will not rush to Vir-
ginia to secure positions, however,
| for some time to come, since the
average salary paid teachers in the
public schools 10 rural districts
here is only about $40 per month.
| have not become sufficiently fa-
miliar with the public school sys-
tenn yet to write about it, but mean
to familiarize myself with it on my
first visit to Palmyra, which is the
county seat of Fluvana county.
Churches of nearly every demon
nation for white and colored, where
''preachin'' services are held at
least one Sunday in each month and
Sabbath school every. Sunday, dot
the country wherever you go, and
so far as [ have been able to ascer-
tain, are well attended.
Home life in the rural districts is
simple, even among those who are
now called comfortably situated.
We have had the pleasure of being
entertained In a few of the best
homes in this vicinity and found
conditions much the same in all.
The houses were all built many
years ago and contain six or more
large, airy rooms, with wide hall
extending through the house on
every floor and a huge fireplace IN
every room, not for an ornament
but to build fires in for heating,
though the modern range or cook
stove is used for cooking, except IN
the darby cabins. The food, though
we'll cooked, is strange to the north
ern taste and consists usually of
two or three courses of meat, hot
biscuits. corn bread and corn
pones, with sauce and pickles.
Vegetables, though readily grown,
are not served regularly like they
are on the tables of Minnesota peo-
Pile. I am inclined to think that
corn and bacon form the chief diet
of the people generally. The lack
of vegetables for the table of the
Virginian is not because they can
not be grown, for the gardens and
cellars of northern people here are
we'll filed with greater variety
than they were in the north. Both
sweet and Irish potatoes do well
and cabbage, onions, tomatoes and
all kinds of roots can be easily
raised, | am informed, and all the
root varieties, such as beets, car
rots, parsnips and turnips may be
left in the ground all winter anc
dug only as needed for the table
All of these vegetables are relisheC
by the natives, so the only reason
[ can give for their not having al
t abundance is shiftlessness. A
little incident which goes to PROV
this was related to me by a gentle
i man whose reputation for truth
cannot be questioned. He said tina
, during the past summer youns
5 farmer of the neighborhood came Il
his place one morning and state,
3 that he had been riding about th,
t country TO days looking for
: hand to hoe his melon patch. II
!, could hav-a hood n bipncoH IN on,