The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-01-19
Letter from victsr Arthur.
Winchester, Va.
Inn q lOlE

Lear mr. ,EQltOf: nave not fOf-
gotten the letter you requested me
to write for publication, and now
that we are practically snow bound
and shut in'I will try to write some.
thing that may interest your many
readers from one of your "exiles"
in the Beautiful valley of the She
nandoah. This has been an un.
usually mild winter.up to this time,
but the bottom dropped out when
the mercury ran down 80 rapidly
last night. The first snow has
fallen and the wind howls like q
hurrican me with the thermometer be-
low zero. All the boys about my
age have sleds and the sliding
down the long hills is fine sport.
Right here where we are living one
of the battles Of the Civil War was
fought. and up the big hill to the
west Of the house there was q great
chase by the Coafederates after the
Yankees began to run from Jack
sons "hot stuff" Winchester has
many historic associations. There
is little stone house built by Geo.
Washington which was used first as
q surveyors Office then as his head
quarters after the battle of the Ope-
quon. Gen. Daniel Morgan, too,
built house here which today is
one of the. prettiest houses in town.
Heis buried at Mt. Hebron ceme-
terry with thousands of Confederate
soldiers who died in the war or after
the war.
Winchester also has q national
cemetery, where are buried thou
sands of Yankee soldiers, and over
them floats the American flag.
This cemetery is beautifully kept,
but our soldiers resting place looks
little neglected.
Charles Broadway Rouse, New
York merchant king, was born and
made HE start in life here. He is
buried in Mt. Hebron cemetery,
which he gave to the town, Hetas
a fine mausoleum which was erected
during his life time which cost $780,
600. He gave to the civic cause
about $500. .O0O.y His sop,s who con-
ducts the New York store. is named
Peter Winchester and his daughter
is named Virginia Valley.
The old hotel still stands, from
the third. balcony Of which Daniel
Webster made one. Of his famous
speeches. ,Stonewaq jackson had
his headquarters here for many
months and Mrs. jackson: visited
him here at this old hotel.
Lord Fairfax lived and owned
many thousand acres Of land near
Winchester. He built 6ne man
sion and his body is buried under
the Christ Episcopal church. which
he gave to the town. So
s. Gen. Sheridan also had his head
quarters here during the war and
the house still stands.
Winchester has a beautiful new
public library that cost $3.50. 900.
all given by one man, and he was
not named Andrew either. He was
a resident Of Winchester. This
same Mr.. Handley also left about
$1,000, 900 for educational purposes
in Winchester.
They have splendid roads all
through. the valley and distance
makes" little difference with the
farmers, who, haul their apple crops
to the railroad station with trac-
ton engine and cars just as they
haul rock in Union. Everywhere
you 60 here you see apple orchards
containing thousands of trees and
the apples grow in lunches like
grapes. Lands are high, from $40
to $500 an acre, bit the apples pro-
duce big profits when the treesreach
ten to twelve years old. While the
young trees are growing the vacant
land in the orchards is planted in
corn, peas, clover, hay and peanuts.
This is q rich country and the
farmers are all prosperous since the
apple industry became 30 general,
and many men who were poor ten
to fifteen years ago are now inde-
pendent. Very little attention is
paid. however, to fine cattle, but
=. hogs are raised by every farmer that
they may run in the orchards at
harvest time and eat. the windfahs
and culls that are not made into
cider. They raise very fine draft
horses around Winchester and the
teams look like circus wagons.
They haul $50 to 200 empty apple
barrels on wagons, with long frames.
The barrels are made in Winchester
and The Timber ia brought in from