Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-17
WESTMORELAND GLINGS
TO CUSTOMS OF PAST.
A Qnaint Old County in the
Northern Neck Which Adj
heres to Ancient Traditions,
Vae Dr0I-.o. &c., -

Northern Neck Which Adj
heres to Ancient Traditions,
Yet Produces Great Men.
If one desires to see where time
has stood still, in many respects, the
place may be found in Virginia, aud
that, too, in less than one hundred
miles of Richmond. Aud yet there
is nothing of the uncouthness of the
frontier, nor the ignorance of the
mountains or other districts where
the refinements of civilization have
not yet penetrated. But on every
hand will be found refined hospi-
tality and oId-time courtesy which
has made Virginia and Virginians
famous. In the Northern Neck of
Virginia, and particularly in West
moreland county, the people adhere
to the customs OF the early half of
the nineteenth century, and while
their farms are we'll titled, and pre-
seat a most attractive appearance,
there has been not the slightest inn
provement in the means of transpor-
tation of their products to the mar.
kets. The Potomac and Rsppahan-
mock rivers for one hundred and
fifty years have borne their products
to Baltimore and Washington. First
by sailing craft and afterwards by
steam and sail. AS has bsen said,
the farms are well titled, and all
modern machinery is used in their
cultivation and preparation for mar
ket. But outside of this farm ma
chinery and a few canning and fish
factories, there is little that will
carry one away from the scenes and
memories of the old stage coach days,
when to travel one hundred miles
and return required three or four
days.
There is not, perhaps, section in
the entire State where there is as
much refinement and education,
where the people are so closely al
lied to the traditions and manner
isms and provincialisms of ante
bellum days, as is to be found here
in Westmoreland, and, in fact, in
the entire five counties of the North
ern Neck.
To the Older citizen, who has be-
come accustomed to- the rush and
hurry and the Influences of the
modern commercialism of our towns
and cities. visit here of a few days
will leave the impression of having
wandered back into all almost for
gotten past. A past of leisurely en-
joyment, of old ideals of position
and honor, won and held by merit,
accompanied by the environments of
birth. True, for fifty years the po-
litical horizon has not been particu
larly startled by any great luminary
from this section. The country for
that length OF time apparently has
been satisfied at having given birth
to three great Presidents, who
proved splendid factors in laying the
groundwork of this country's great
ness. But not only was Westmore.
land fortunate in producing three
great statesmen, but Washington was
a great military chieftain, and Rich.
ard Henry and Robert K. Lee also
belong to its list of military heroes.
The descendants of these five famons
men and of numerous others, who
figured prominently in forming the
political and social history of the
early life of Virginia, cling closely
to the memories and traditions
of the times when their kinsmen
claimed and were believed to be
"aristocrats' by their slaves and not
few of the more ignorant among
the whites.
Looking back to the time when this
"aristocracy" ruled the social world
with much hauteur, yet with magnif-