Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-07-15
ROADS, CROPS AND
FRIED A P PIES
Community That Was Once
Cut OfByBad RoadsN Now
Coming to the Front.
{ Editorial correspondence. }

couldn't get to il or away from it on
account of the bad roads. - If there
ever was such time it is gone.
Baptist Valley, certainly the s.:-tern
portion of it, is not only coming To
the front but is already to the front
right up on the front seat With the
driver, in the lead wagon of the pro-
cession. [ had occasion last Satur-
day to drive over into the valley.
had purposely steered shy of that
section on account of the bad roads
which l found on my last visit
there, some ten years ago, but last
Saturday / drove over. There was a
pressing demand Mt my house for
fried apples, OF which every mem ber
of the household is very fond.
Whether we can get piece of bacon
To fry with the apples or not we fry
apples, and hearing through our
neighbor Mr.. Jos. Wright, tue good
roads man that Chairman Fullen
Tnompson's trees were loaded, |
didn't do thing but hitch my filly
to the buggy, put in two sacks, -
and two boys TO pick up the apples,
and set out about 1 O'Clock for
Brother Thompsonsi.s l made the
mistake of going by way of North
Tazewell and the river road. That
road down the river has always been
bad, and il is now about as rough
and disgraceful as any road dare 10
be. l have been passing over il occa-
sionally for twenty years, and am al
ways glad when l get Off of il. 1t is
shame that such nice land as
Luther Peery's and others along the
river should be so hemmed in and
spoiled 10y such road. The day will
come when the merchants OF North
Tazewell and the land owners and
citizens along this line will get out
new one. 1t ought TO be easier for
the people TO haul their stuff to and
from the depot, and 10 get TO the
good stores at North Tazewell Who
can blame the women for putting off
until the last minute or altogether
going To the stores over such road
But, / commenced to say something
about Baptist Valley. After creeping
up and over that bug bear-Hubble
Hill, / found mysel in new coun-
try. 1 could hardly believe my own
eyes. The finest corn, clover and
timothy seen anywhere, is growing
there now. | hardly knew the coun-
try. Mr.. Fuller Thompson has made
wonderful Improvements in his farm
and surroundings. His dwelling and
barn have been made about new,
fences built land cleaued up, and
his crops are looking fine. His corn
is a little "patchy," but looks good.
He has two meadows -one OF clover
and one of mixed grass, certainly far
above the average. His neighbor,
John KeeSee shows up equally we'll,
with clean surroundings-1ine corn
and grass. AS is well known, new
road Is being built along these
farms, as far as to Daileys' Chapel,
n distance of about mile or so, a
part of which is completed--a broad,
solid. fine road. 1t Is wonderful
what a change good road makes in
the the appearance OF things. This
land and these homes along this
road ale now worth at least one
fourth more than before the road was
built. To drive over it and look
around you can easily imagine your
In, nhh @f I-o
or Salem, or contiguous to some city.
And then, Mr.. Thompson and Mr..
Keesee are doing some good farming.
They believe in tie new methods.
There are other farmers doing good
work. John Dailey's crops look
good. The Daley boys-sons of A.
r.. Daley were cutting a piece OF
fine looking wheat. There were sew
eral corn fields, some of them grassy
and needing work, but looking fine.
Frank Peery is doing we'll on the
nice Utilise farm of j. d. Farmer,
and this scribe is under obligations
to him, as will appear later. There
is another side to this picture
When Mr.. Thompson said, 81
haven't an apple on my place."
collapsed. Visions of fried apple:
and breakfast bacon faded from my
hungry eyes. L had been misin
formed, and the apples 1 was afte
and bound to have, were in the far
mers orchard, about miles farthe
on, and then and there my trouble
began. There had been heavy rain
and otter leaving the new road
plunged into mud, ruts and chucI
holes for the whole way. Franl
Peery, who is doing finely OH thi
nice little farm, filled the sacks
and over the muddy hills, through
mudholes and over rock piles, mad
the trip back to the new road, full,
convinced that any man who is OF