Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1916-12-22
FRIDAY. DECEMBER n, 1910.
cons COUNTRY.
From January American Magazine

deal of this big country, and has
tried to learn something of it as
he went along. He; has seen and
studied its cities and its small
towns and its farms, north. east.
south and west. He has learned
: O know and to. like many OF its
people, rich and poor. But of
all the sections that he has seen
and come to know something
about there is only one. he is
sorry to say, that he can take
the responsibility of calling
Gods Country" 1t is the
heuandoah Valley of Virginia.
There are not very many rich
folks in the Valley of the Sfieh-
andoah and, consequently, not
many poor ones. There ate not
any large cities in it and. conse-
quently, the entire section is we'll
developed. The bows and girls
are not all. leaving the fertile
farms to 60 off to the city and
carve out careers in department
stores. The people in the VAL
ley of the Shenandoah. are just
folks''-hale and hearty folks
who believe in education, work,
and home life. And what homes
they have! No hotel in Amer
ica-and this is from experience
eyer sets forth such a sane and
appetizing meal as you. will fina
at most any substantial. farm
house in 1.-THE Valley: home
cured hams from corn-and-pas-
ture porkers, homemade apple
butter. homemade apple pie,
ciisp hot biscuits (plural. not
singular), chicken a Ia old Vir-
ginia preserves and jams and
jellies galore, corn pone and
hominy--but why go further !?
Nowhere in America has the
writer seen such profusion and
such variety as he has found
many times on the dining-room
table of the Shenandoah Valley
home. Central Illinois comes
nearer matching it than any
other section. In fact, in produc-
tivity, thrift, contentment and
full home life, central Illinois
and the Valley of the Shenan-
doah run a close race.
But then "The Valley" has
the mountains which central H.
linois has not. And what noun
tains they are, too. They in
spire friendliness and love. They
are close to you-friendly and
protecting. You feel that they
are your" mountains. They
shelter you from the storms of
winter, and in summer they give
you sunsets that no artist would
even try to paint. In winter.
while it seldom becomes very
cold, there is snow for sleighing
and ice for skating. In summer
there are the mountain breezes
to temper the warm days.
And what history has the.
Shenandoah Valley !? Not far
from Its southern gateway is
Lexington, the home and the
burial place of Robert E. Lee
aud Stonewall Jackson. And
just on down the road a little
way is Stanton, where Presi-
dent Wilson was born. THE
was the Belgium of THE
Civil War. Its corn fields were
plowed by Mimic balls and its
orchards were blighted by shrap-
nel. Up and down its roads and
back and forth over its noun
tains Stonewall Jackson fought
10 a finish the armies of the
North that came down against
aim. "The Valley" did not seek
;heaXas. but It bore the brunt of
The struggle. r
1.-THE Valley" is made up of
.eal folks, none so rich and none
10 poor, and so it extends the
land of sincere friendship to the
Granger. It is not a forced or
IN ostentatious hospitality. iii
$ not the sort of hospitality that
ooks for the dollar later on. III
3 the kind of hospitality that
ONES from love Of the home
nd the simple and solid things
f life. Il
The Shenandoah Valley isl
sod's own country. 1t combines I
Innate, good people, scenic
eauty, productivity and educa- :
ional advantages to a degree :
OF equaled by any other part OF 1
he United States. / challenge 2
nybody to name any other sec Il
ION that has all these qualities +
, we'll balanced. l own no prop !,
IT, ii the Shenandoah Valley 6
4 wish did. I annnot even a i
tixen Of the Shenandoah Val 1.
~ wish I were. 1t is the z
lst place in America to live in. q
sd-to die ID. but II you i've IN d
. Shenandoah Valley you'll T
- -