The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-08

claremont Va. sptember Tho
lower James River yun,ry. tho anes,
land IN the world. is coming back 10
It's o~n. The Nrs, settlers OF America
pronounced this the finest country IN
Ger the stars-the real Garden Of
kcen-and for nearly three centuries
tho whole world agreed that the judg.
nent OF the first settlers was good
and what is more the fruits OF the
la bors OF the tillers OF the soil abund
antly proved II Many were the vas.
fortunes tina, were dug out OF the soil.
and the opuIence Of the old-tlrne
James River plantation owners is a
matter Of history
Following the War Between tn.
States thiSsSood country suffered from
series Of Black eyes and il has taken
the people q long time to recover from
them and 10 recognize the changef
order o: things 70 adopt nov methods
and TO meet the changing emergerc!es.
In the meantime. things down the
river went somewha, 10 racks. but the
good soil is here yet The trouble in
the dark days was altogether With the
people. not With the land but as PEG
pie everywhere are prone 70 blame
something ether than themselves .or
the wrong going Of things they said
the soil was Worn out by over Guilt.
Walton. and all tnat Kind o: thing. and
never once laying the blame At the
door Of theor own lazlness or !nci:-
fence. and without niurrnur
against themselves some Of them. in
deed the most Of them just let things
20 on 10 racks But in time new zen
GRAFTON sprung UP. Some came In from
other sections and some are the ma
iiYes OF the SOIL, and sltose,her they
are a twentieth century crowd and
they are beginning TO make the lower
James River country again to blossom
IS the rose. not in the old way. IL Is
true. but To blossom all the same per
maps I'm a better way.
have spent some days In the
oeniFc OF this twentieth century
blooming. ana FOR the encoura cement
Of the folks who are bringing the
blooming 10 pass in such Inc shape !
Van, TO make record Of some of my
observations down the river"
The Town the Plateau.
First. the town Of Claremont II has
an interesting history. It Is. COM
parativeiy speaking. new town, for
quarter OF century ago there was
no settlement worthy OF mention on the
breezy plateau overlooking the wide
spreading James. a plateau that lies
close TO a point where TWO counties
corner on one side o. the liver and
Two on the other Now there is a
good and busy town here and II came
about in this way In The eighties the
Atlantic and Danvillc Railway Com
pany. that was building from Danvile
mp IN the hill country to a deep water
point selected the low grounds a mile
down the Hill as It's deep water ter
mnal and there built extensive
wharves- Only a narrow gauge line
was built from here 10 Empor!a. there
TO connect with the main line About
the time the Atlantic and Danville
finished It's line TO Norfolk. II got into
the hands OF receivers. and after many
trials and fluctuations sold out 10 the
Southern Railway Company. The mar
row gauge was here and could not be
removed. and besides II was about the
only part OF the line that was paying
the building OF the wharves here hav-
Ing brought many ships this way TO
load with lumber and various other pro-
ducts of the land. and so /, came about
that what then bore only the name OF
Claremont Wharf became famous II
went without saying that a town must
grow up at the terminal, but the loca-
ton down under the hill wa not good
for a town. and so this beautiful
plateau, something like a mile up the
hill, was selected as the site. and here
the town was commenced. 1t took its
name from the Claremon, plantation
and mansion hardly. and that derived
It's name from Clarcmont Manor. in
surry. England the owner having
patterned the splendid mansion he
erected here in Surry County. Va. a
hundred and more years ago after
Claremont Manor in Surry county.
England.
Fast Growing Town
1t was not long before business
houses were erected and the town of
Claremort started off at once as i.
busy timber and lumber centre Wood
working establishments and saw mills
went up in and about the village Much
3udicious advertising got many people
In many parts OF the country interest
ed in the rich lands of Surry. Prince
George. James City Isle Of Wight and
Charles City Counties. parts of which
arc contiguous 20 Claremont
The result was that people came here
from all parts OF the country 10 look
81 land. The records show that there
gro farmers in and around Claremont
from every State in tho Union, and
also from Germany. Denmark. Norway
and Sweden and all OF them have be-
come Virgin'ans. have improved their
lands and have succeeded in making
them exceedingly profitable l have
talked with farmers who came to this
region from wisconsin Minnesota. Orc
gon. Illinois. Nebraska and sweden.
and was told that If had the time
TO continue my drives around the coun-
try would nnd them from every sin
gle State in the Union. and from the
other regions l have mentioned. am
yet TO ind or to hear of one OF these
new comors who has made a failure.
or who deairos 10 SOL out his Nirginia