The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-23
SEARCH OF A ROUTE FOR
TOUR TO JAMESTOWN FAIR
Features of Country Famous in Song
and Story-The TldeWater Re-
aion of Virginia is Wonder
fully Rich.
BY RoRERTus LOVE.


have seen Virginia from the car win.
dows. I have seen the Old Dominioa
from the inside. That is decidedly mora
interesting Having just returned from
an automobile tour through the rural dis
tricts of the original American common
wealth, touching also the state capital
and other urban places, l esteem 1t u
privilege to tell you a few things about
the real Virginia. This is the Virginia
which you do not read about in books,
but it is not less interesting than are
those parts of the state that have been
heralded to universal renown. Every foot
of Virginia soil is saturated with history;
the grasses and MOSES exude history;
the trees and runs" and fields exhale
history. Just here 1t should be stated
that in Virginia a creek or brook or small
river is a run" This explanation will
assist you to a primary comprehension
of the meaning of Bull Run, where the
battle was fought, called by the confed-
crates the battle of Manassas, so named
for the nelghboring town.
Occasion of Trip.
The occasion of this trip had to do with
current history 1t was undertaken for
the purpose of mapping out a route for
the Glidden automobile tour to the James,
town exposition next June. Every year,
under the auspices of the American Au-
tomobile association, hundred or more
of those fortunate gentlemen who can
own and operate expensive touring cars
make a thousand-mile tour over country
thrntIOh piff Of int nd sfffsal
sections of still greater interest, in con-
test for the Charles ]. Glidden touring
trophy. Next year they propose to make
the jamestown Ter-Centennial EXPOSE
ton, on the southern shore of Hampton
Roads, near Norfolk, their objective
point
Augustus Post of New York city, for
merly chairman of the tour committee.
and still an enthusiastic member, who
knows perhaps more about American
country roads than any other man living,
undertook to map out route from Wash
ington to Norfolk. He shipped his tour
ing ear, White steamer, from New York
to Norfolk by boat, and set out from the
offices of the exposition to discover the
city of Washington by way of Richmond.
Accompanying Mr.. Post were Robert II.
Sexton, chief of the expostions depart
ment of congresses and special events,
and Theodore G. Muller, the official pho
tographer with myself as official road
recorder By miles and tenths of miles,
as indicsted by the speedometer, records
were noted of the landmarks, the turns
In the roads, the side roads, the cross
roads, the historic points and other things
calculated to afford. when reversed, a
route which the Glidden tourists cannot
fail to follow.
The route selected out of Norfolk was
by way of Portsmouth, Suffolk and Pc
tersburg, south of the James river, to
Richmond, and thence to Washington by
the old Telegraph road, through FIeder-
icksburg Manassas and Fairfax Court
house. Mr. Post found the roads from
Norfolk to Richmond satisfactory, but do
cided to make a trip around Harpers
Ferry from Washington through the fa-
nous Shenandoah valley and down to
Richmond, where he found much better
roads. This route for the northern part
of the tour no doubt will be recommended
to the committee by Mr.. Post. 1t passes
through a section more interesting histor-
ically and otherwise than Is the territory
dlssected by the Telegraph road. and
though somewhat longer it will be more
practicable.
Through Tidewater Section.
The road from Norfolk to Richmond
passes through the great Tidewater Sec
tion of Virginia. For nearly a hundred
miles out from Norfolk this part of the
state is a vast peanut field, OF course
many other things are raised, but the
peanut is the farmers staple product. On
each side the peanut fields stretch away
for miles, neatly cultivated, the absence
of weeds showing the thrftiness of the
Virginia Tidewater farmer, Here and
there great cornfields also are to be seen.
but always the cornfield is bordered and
bounded by the peanut
''What are the principal products of
this part of Virgina?" inquired "A men,
Der of our party passing through the
pretty village of Windsor.
pigs, peanuts and pickaninnieS, re-
piled the faeetious native.
That both pigs and pickanlnnies like
the peanuts was largely in evidence, and
thereby hangs an interesting information.
The raising of peanuts requires picllanin-
MES to help with the picking After the
"goobers" are plowed up they must be
separated from the roots by hand labor,
except In localities where machinery for
that purpose is employed The little ne
groes, as well as their parents, earn a
livelihood by working in the peanut bins.
AS to the pigs they flourish in peanut
country being fed on the COOLERS for II
fortnight before killing in order that the
nuts may impart a peculiar flavor to the
pork.
Al Il point HuluItu llllleS from
Norfolk the road, runs smack up against
a gate. This is a surprise to every stran-
ger.
isn't this a county road?" the traveller
is sure to ask of the first person in
sight
ut is will be the reply.
Then why is that gate there?''
This side of the gate is the fence coun-
try; the other side is the no-fence coun-
try" the native farmer will tell you.
Further questions elicit the fact that
beyond that fence and gate there is a
stock law, requiring that all stock be
kept in pasture or shut up elsewhere.
From this point on the pigs disappear,
and no longer are they seen along the
roads, running terrifedly in front of the
automobile, jumping insanely this way
and that when the 'honlk" speaks. But
from time to time one will see pastures
In which abide fat, sleek cattle and fine
horses and mules, all of whwich display a
most curious interest in the big touring
car, some of them following it to the linn
1t of their pastures and then trying to
jump the fence.
A Fertile Section.
There is perhaps no more fertile terri
tory in the United States than is this