The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-08
THE JOURNAL OF
WIN A. GRAHAM
This Tells of His Tour Going From
HiIlsbOrO, N. C. to Boston,
Mass.

Boston, Mass, during Wnlcn ne hept
an interesting journal, which the
North Carolina Review is permitted
to offer to it's readers in three IN
StalmentS.
June 20, 1881.
Having made due preparation, l left
HilisbOro for oXbOr at 6 a. m, ana
passed rapidly on to the latter place
Which reached before the session OF
the county court. The country is SO
familiar between these towns that it
provokes no particular remark.
(June) 21st and I'D.
I attended the court and on the
23d set off with A. w. ". Venabie),
ESQ, and came as far as his house,
Browns store. Granville, n. c., 27
miles. The country lying near Per
ably poor. but as we approached
son Courthouse on this road is miser-
Grassy Creek the soil was more fer
tile. The agriculture along
this road is in a low state. The crops
of wheat which were being gathered
were moderate, though somewhat in
jured by rust. Spent a pleasant even
ing at Mr.. VS. with his relatives, Reid,
Cabell. etc. who arrived after US.
(June) Friday, 24th.
Took feave and got fairly under way
brought me to Haskin's Ferry on
Roanoke. The farms in Granville
from Grassy Creek to the Virginia
line are of good soil, particularly on
Nutbush, which is crossed on a bridge,
and many of the buildings are in good
taste and the farms handsomely i'm
Quincy Saturday, 25th.
Travelled over a tolerable road.
rather a poor soil.
(June) Sunday, 26th.
J~ourneyed by DinWiddie Courthouse
to Petersburg. so miles. Many parts
Of this.road are very bad, causeways,
mudholes, etc. The geology is primi-
tive as all the preceding until after
passing Dinwiddie Courthouse, When
sands and long-leaf pines occur anon
until you reach Petersburg. Peters
burg is on the south side of the APP
pOmattOx, a river about $50 yards
wide, has been a .place of considerable
but has declined of late
from the resort Of the country mer-
chants to New York. It has consider
able expectations from the railway
now in progress from that town to the
Roanoke at Weldon, SO miles. No
part of that road is completed but it
is all under contract: cost of the
whole is estimated at s3So,00O. No
steamboat ascends the Appomattox
above City point The principal bust
ness is done on Sycamore, Banks az
Bellingbroke streets It contains four
C~IuICneS, WnlCn are n~uInerOuSIy at
tended. The lower part Of the town
is called Blansford and on the OPP
posite shore Chesterfield. There are
some highly improved private resi-
dences.
(June) Monday, 27th.
After exchanging money with the
Messrs. Dunns / set out in the stage
at 8 O'Clock a. m, for Richmond.
which l reached by II o'clock. Tween
ty miles Of the road is a fine turn
pike and passes through a m%iserably
poor district. Half a mile from Man
chester it passes over the new railroad
from the coal pits to James river,
which is now completed and cars will
start upon it on the 4th Of July.
Manchester. Richmond approaches
more nearly to a city than any town
in the South except New Orleans and
Charleston. Visited the dock-yard
commerce. etc. Streets straight and
house and City Hall fine buildings.
P~etitentiary, 176 %convicts who work
together under oyerseers for each
squad: four or five females (only one
white); shaving of heads once a
week. Armory owned by the State
Here the guard, 6S in number, who
protect the Capitol, Petersburg, etc,
rendezvous. Spent a peasant even
ing at the house of Mr.. Campbell.
Many buildings here are very fine;
banks, etc. musical lock. The Eagle
Hotel affords good accommodations.
(June) Tuesday, 2Sth.
left Richmond during a rain which
had been falling all night, at 5 o'clock
in the morning in with two
other state passengers .
Passed Bowling Green, Carolina
Courthouse. dined on the way and
reached fredericksburg. SO miles from
Richmond. at 400 p. m. Fredericks-
burg is we'll built and seems to be
a place of considerable commerce.
Steamboats, ply to Baltimore, Wash
inSton. etc. There is a good bridge
across the Rappahannock. After re-
naming half an hour we set out in
two stages for Potomac Creek, which
We cached over a bad road of 8