The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-24

On a Southern railway train the
other day met Mr.. F. NJ. Compton,
of Omaha. Neb. Mr.. Compton is a
member OF company doing extern
sive business in the immigration line.
AS understood from him, his COM
pany buys large tracts of land where
the attractions are all right from the
viewpoint OF a good farmer, cuts the
large tracts up into small farms and
retails them out to settlers, Corning
new colonies here, there and every
where
In conversation with me. Mr..
Compton expressed his establishment
at the beauty and productiveness OF the
farm lands he had seen since he
reached Virginia. He had been up in
Mecklenburg county around Chase
City, had had a peep at Charlotte
county, and was then on his way to
Halifax and Plttsylvania counties
A Columbus Among Us.
He said he was going to write his
company that he had discovered new
country. In explanation he said:
"All have ever read of Virginia
was something sentimental about it's
past greatness, its wonderful states
men of the Ion gage and its magnifi-
cent mountain peaks and sublime
gorges, AS to its past history, I cared
nothing, and from my business view
point I had come to the conclusion
that the, most of the State was made
up OF rugged mountains, upon the
sides Of which no manner of farm ma
N1 tVn hor ~ 60,
plow, could be used. and whatever OF
lands there We're that We're really
tillable were Worn out years and years
| ago. That is the general opinion Of
| the people several hundred miles from
! Virginia. Why don't you Virginians
write more up-to date stuff?
His Eyes Were Opened.
! zone day I saw some literature sent
me by a real estate agency, among
other things copy of the Industrial
Section of The Times Dispatch in
which there was an article on Char
lotte county. l told my partners I
| thought 1t wise to make trip to Vir-
ginia and see If we could not buy 4
! tract or two to coonize with dissat-
isfied Westerners who had become dis
gusted with billiards., uncertain sea-
sons, etc.
My associates. having formed the
opinion of Virginia 1 have just ex-
pressed, advised against the trip. say
ing I would find here only worn-out
straw fields on the one side and rug
ged mountains on the other.
However, I finally decided to come
and as 1 said, am going to write back
nome that I have discovered a new
country. The lands I have seen in the
past few Gays around Chase City, ir
Mecklenburg county. cannot be beaten
anywhere on the earth for grasses
grains, for sheep and cattle raising
and for other profitable work. Tho
trouble is your Virginia people seen,
not to know how to work them for al
they are worth, and they do not seen
to catch on to the Importance of let.
ting the world know what they have
in this supposed old worn-out State
/ know Western farmers who would
think a nurdredacre farm in any o.
the parts of Virginia l have visited {
dead cinch.''
l A Decided Exception to the Rule.
Mr.. Compton struck the keynoAs
when. he said Virginians are slow t.
Appreciate the value of what they hav.
and exceedingly slow to properly lin
form that part of the world which viii
appreciate It.
The fact Is many Virginans do no
Know how much they can do with tbs
| "old worn-out lands. so-called, bu
some do. I have a man in my mind
whose splendid farm is not far from
Richmond, and who is a decided ex
Iception to the rule. do not mind call
Ing his name and II l can find his pic
lure ! am going tofexhibit him. He Il
Mr.. Eugene P. Carter, and his home II
at Sparta. In Caroline county, abou
( ten miles from Milford depot Mr.
Carter has demonstrated what worn
ont" Virginia farm will do If 1t i
properly handled.
What Work and Intelligence Did.
About twenty-five years ago h
bought one and IL was considerable,
Worn, too, but Mr. Carter went L
work to revive It, In the first plac
ne worked, some people forget abou
that when they go to farming. bu
Eugene Carter didn't
In the second place he worked in
telligently and he took care of his land
| making 1t better and more productive
| every year. and the fertilizer factorie
make very little out OF him In tn
| third place--but there isn't any thir,
| place. The firstly" and the Secondly
| tell the whole story. He worked h
worked intelligently and did bushes
in business-like way and he took car
Oh MS slunu, i ne result Is ne Is tn
owner of one of the best 250-acre farm
in the State, he has educated his fly
children and set them up In the worlc
he has money In the bank, he Is n
easy and as comfortably fixed as an
man neeG Wantto bein this world. HI
land produces any and everything. an
he makes enough TO feed the Who'll
plantation and have something O
everything that grows on the place t
sell every year, The farm brings whea
corn oats, peas, potatoes. vegetable
fruits, and better grass farm ther
can be found nowhere the State, Tn
result Is he raises as fine cattle an
hogs AS can be shown at the next Stat
Fair. Every Year he sells fine Ierse
cows fresh to the pail, he sells whea
corn, oats and proyender, potatoes
fruits, fowls. hogs and lastly tobacco
Much Money In Tohncco.
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