Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-11-07

Kern is improving the farm, and |
his entire family are popular
amony the plain people of this |
little community. The humblest |
neighbor is always given well |
come, and made to feel per
fectly at home" when he chooses
to visit the senators family. Miss
Julia, the senators daughter by
his first marriage, is a splendid
young woman, and popular with
everybody. l noticed marked i'm
provement in many ways
throughout t h e community.
Lands have been cleared up, new
fields opened, and everybody
seems happy and prosperous.
Since my last visit a telephone
line has been installed, which
puts the community in touch
with the outside world. 1t is
said that my old friend, Tom
Board, more persistent, perhaps,
than other citizens, was largely
instrumental in getting this line
established; yet everybody help
ed, and many of the people have
phones in their homes.
Mr.. G. l.. Riley, who keeps the
neighborhood store and runs a
tomato canning factory, was
kind and obliging to me in send
ing and receiving several long
distance messages. The. next
thing-the thing Of greatest i'm
portance there now, is to secure
a good, improved road. When
this is done the community will
take leap upward far beyond
anything yet attained. Notwith-
standing the road and the dis
lance to Roanoke, the boys are
making money growing vege-
tables of all kinds for the Roa-
noke market. The soil here is
well adapted to the growth of
vegetables of all kinds, and the
boys are making it count.
October did not behave as well
as usual this year from the
weather point of view. There
was rain and snow, which him
dered my contemplated visits
to the homes of many dear
friends. l "dined out" only
three times-once with my old
friends. Mr.. and Mrs. Nero
Padgett, on the 10Th, just one
year exactly from the date of
my dinner there on my former
visit. They are now in their new
home, as snug as "a bug in a
rug" Once also with my old
friends, Mr.. and Mrs. H. B.
Lollis, where l go on every Wis
it to enjoy old fashioned hospi-
tally and first class battercakes
not buckwheat cakes, but just
about the finest and best ever
turned. Once with my friend
and chum, N. Thos. Board and
his mother. Since my last visit
the father, John Board, has died.
He was about 50 years old, and
one of the best friends any boy
ever had. Peace to the ashes of
this old faithful friend and pion-
eer! a year ago | saw him for
the last time. We sat in his lit
tie cottage, and he talked of
what had been. His mind had
become clouded by the infirmi-
ties of age, but on many things
he was as clear as bell. When
was leaving he said " goodbye.
II | never see you again here
shall meet you in the Better
Land" told him that l believ-
ed in Better Land for us all
through a simple trust and faith
in One who died that we all
might live, and as we talked the
tears trickled down his old SCARF
ed and time-worn face.
Many years ago company
bought tract of land here in
the mountain fastness, and built
a large framed hotel and a num-
Der of 2 roomed cottages on a
beautiful grassy plateau, in the
upper end of the Cove. There
was a fine spring of strong alum
water and other medicin al
springs, land the place was known
as Cove Alum Springs" John
Ammen, whom l dare say Cap
tain Tynes knew, was one of the
principal promoters and owners,
an d when my father moved his
family back to Botetourt from
Bedford county, about the sec
ond or third year after the war,
he lived for while on this prop
erty.
John Board, then a young and
vigorous man, was in charge of
the property. Here used to gath
er fine crowds of people every
summer from the neighborhoods
of Amsterdam, Fincastle and