The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-26
Old Virginia the Place.

The Real Estate and Industrial sectlon
Of The Times Dispatch shows that Vir-
jginn Is on a boom. There Is no wildcat
speculation, but real estate is IN demand
and Is rising In price because Industrial
and commercial conditions have vastly
improved and are continuing to i'm
prove. Virginia is the place, mon and
brethren, and why any yirginlan should
want to move away at this time and
cast his lot in the wild and woody west
is past our ken.
The Pearlsourg Virginian prInst let
ter in its last issue which should BIO q
land agents Of the West. 1t Is written by
NJ. A. Pinkerton, of Monterallo, Mo-. who
was born In Rockbridge county, but has
resided for many years IN the West.
Some time ago he read in Kansas City
paper that fifty Dunkard families from
Roanoke county had passed through.
bound for Core county, Kansas, and he
says:
II would like to warn everyone In the
Old Dominion against such move. II
they would take IL little trouble to look
up conditions and secure the history
OF that country, such move would not
be thought OF twice or three times. Since
I have known of 1t, 1t has been popu-
lated and dopopulated. Occasionally there
Is a series OF a few years that thero
Is sufficient moisture IS raise wheat and
some roughness for stock (no tame grass
OF any kind will grow nothing but BUT
falo grass, which grows only an inch or
SO tally, and then the emigrant agent ana
railroads advertise and blow It up, get
hundreds OF good people In there. sell
land for a payment down and take mort
gage to secure balance, and the dry and
natural conditions return and only those
who have sufficient means to live without
income for u long period OF time can
remain. The dry periods are the longest,
by far, and thousands have to appeal 20
friends east for means to get away, after
losing their land and all personal prop
crty except n team OF ponies, m OLD wa
gon and few household traps,
Only Il few years ago, whole townships
and almost whole counties were sold
under mortgage sale; this State and cast
OF us was overrun by the refugees. The
wet period has lasted, now. several
years. out there, and the dry one Is about
due. You can safely wager that 40 out
of those so will be destitute i. the next
few years. Ever If they could always
RAISE IL ItLIt Ctcp VI WI'at, Wv S'AhoS
would be worse thRn foolish. 1t Is 4
dreary wind-swept desert. There Is no
fuel within hundreds OF miles. No trees
will grow. and no water except far down
In the earth, and then. generally OF a
poor quality. In winter. the blizzarls
sweep over Mt velocity untmnglnahle
by those who never experienced such,
ana In summer. the hot winds and sand
storms make lfo uncomfortable
There arc many other drawbacks too
numerous to mention, and II you know
OF any other such moye ms tho ono spoken
or have them, II you can, send some
one In whom they have confidence or In
some way Investigate for themselves. II
can save one family from the distress
and misery which Is almost sure 10 come
from such n move, T will be repaid for
this writing or anything I can do"
We give prominence to this letter be-
| cause II contains n timely warning and boz
| cause we always like to make tho OPP
portunity TO say that old Virginia IL
the garden spot OF the world alrdineyer
| was so Desirable as n place az residence
! as now, II may not be generally known,
but residents OF Virginia live longer than
residents of other States. How do wa
know? Because one year In Virginia Ia
worth two years elsewhere, That's how.