Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-24

vi hiueeu Oh the Appalachian range,
where cattle, fat and ready for the
butcher, are sent off. Blue grass grows
up to the tops of the mountain slopes.
and sticks there. Here below me, as j
sit, is a five-acre lot, with a slope Sc
steep that it looks as if all the soil
would wash down into the valley be-
meath, but that lot is covered with =
ten-year old sod, and grazes three cows
and a pony a good part of the year.
1t is hard gardening though in this soil.
it being stiff and liable to bake. A
man or boy could do more work in an
hour with hoe or a push-plough in
Capt. Vikings sandy loan than here
in two.
A plateau slopes back from the Po-
tomac to the Bull Run mountains
embracing the counties of Fairfax.
Prince William, Stafford and a part of
Loudoun and Fauquier, having an alti-
tude of about 200 feet above tidewater.
Going west and about forty miles from
the Potomac one strikes these foothills
tPiedmont), and thence on to the Shen-
andoah Valley rises a succession of
gently sloping mountains, these with
various local names, nearly all in culti-
walton, and constituting mu.h of the
finest farming land east of the famous
Shenandoah Valley. On these blue
grass slopes cattle are brought to pas
ture from as far south as Texas. and
as have stated, are ready for the
butcher right off the grass.
This is famous old town, and is the
county seat of Fauquier, and one of the
most aristocratic places in Virginia. A
long list of names illustrious in associa-
tion with the States history might be
made up here, but that's not the prov
ince of correspondent. The town is
famous as war center, having been
occupied by either the Confederate or
Federal forces almost hundreds of
times during the Civil War. MANY a
thrilling story is told of hairbreadth
escapes, of captures, skirmishes and
the like, and the streets were more
than once wet with the blood of Union
soldier or Johnny Reb. 1t was often
the center of operations of Col. Mosby.
and that's romance in itself.
Politics rage here as furiously as else
where. Just now Mr.. Gordon is making
campaign against Mr.. Carlin, the
present representative from this (sth)
district. Mr.. Carlin, it seems, cannot
be spared from his duties in Washing
ton, and so cannot stump the district.
and Gordon seems to be getting in some
good work for himself, which means
damage TO Carlin's prospects. Carlin
is charged. with having used money
and whisky to influence voters-a very
old combination-and he is using vast
space in newspapers to disprove what
the other fellow proves. But this dis
trict has always been a great fighting
ground for Congressional aspirants, so
many of its citizens having a patriotic
desire to labor for the good of the
country at so much per diem. Judge
Nicol, of Manassas. last year resigned
his place on the bench, where he was
doing fine work as jurist, to enter
the lists as Congressional candidate.
but the other man was a fluent talker
and captivated the crowds, so the
Judge lost the election and his seat as
well. 1t is stated that he will try
again.
Warrenton is one Of the few "wet"
towns in this region. Local option
was defeated here few years ago, but
there is talk of trying it again.
Warrenton, Va. III.