The newspaper., 1908-10-16
WAYNEsBoRo, VA, Sept. 10th, 1908.
Mr.. G. Il. RAwALT,
AoNIA. COLORADO,

DEAR SIR:-l promised to write to
THE NEWSPAPER, and tell them my
honest opinion of Virginia, and here
it is.
l think it's all right, of course, like
every stale in the Union. it has boIh
good and poor localities.
The first stop we made. was at
Vinton two miles east OF Roanoke
That was IA very pretty little town
of 200 population, with trolly SER
vice every 80 minutes to Roanoke
but the country WAS too hilly to
suit me. but everybody seemed in
good circumstances and had nice
homes. or the majority of them did
Nearly all of the men. worked or had
their business houses in Roanoke.
From VintOn we came to Waynes-
boro, in the famous Shenandoah val
ley, twelve miles east of Staunton.
Augusta County, on the b. x o. X. X.
prettier and more prosperous city
of 900 people have never seen.
Here everybody has nice homes. The
main part of town has all been built
In the last ten Aeart, and every house
Is n home, in every sense. The water
from fine spring. talmust ia town
costs S5.O0per year, lawn and garden
included. Electric lights. : cents
each per month. The company is
free from debt with $50. 600 TO their
credit. The surrounding country is
the most beautiful | ever saw, no
waste land to be seen anywhere eX-
cept on the mountains, and all the
farmers and fruit raisers have fine
homes and every thing speaks
thrift aud comfort.
Land values run from S'i5 to Sl25
per acre, according to location but
you can always count un good
house and outbuildings.
They raise the York Imperial.
Winesap. Smokehouse, Ben Davis
and one man showed me three trees
of Black Ben Davis he had budded
that We're full and finely colored. in
fact. | see no difference i'm the color
ing, they look as good n ours. The
Kiefer and Seckel are their main
pears, but they were full. I've seen no
peaches to speak of for they are
earlier. They tell me they have had
"A good many.
Now let me tell about the people
they are the most sociable. ever
saw, as soon as they hear a stranger
is in town they prepare to call. l
was in Ninton one week and met
twelve ladies. AT Waynesboro more
than that. and all SO pleasant. you
think you have known them always.
One thing like about Waynesboro
they wont allow the colored people
to build homes here. They all live
Mt Basic, n town one mile away on
the " & W. II. II. They come here
to work. but have to 20 back home
when night comes.
. This has quite a reputation as a
summer resort. some fifteen hundred
tourists We're here this summer.
must tell you have been in "A
farm house liG years old. and ate
apples from tree in an orchard loo
years old and gathered them from
- year old trees not one OF them
has ever been sprayed. trimmed or
cultivated They don't spray and
trim trees as we do, aud never thin
the fruit You see trees bending To
the ground with apples from the
size Of a walnut up to the larger
sizes
From here. we 20 to Warsham in
the midland country, Prince George
county. to visit our old Cedaredge
friends. Mr.. and Mrs. c. Il. Picket.
II this is interesting enough to
want another will write you again
from warsham and tell you how |
like that country.
Please send paper to me at War
sham.
Best wishes to the NEWSPAPER and
af